#coal byrns

[doomednarrative]

Okay since I have polls now

[rorystormandthehurricanes]

Anthony Hogan's paragraph descriptions of John Byrne (Johnny Guitar), Ringo Starr, Charles O'Brien (Ty O'Brien), and Walter Eymond (Lu Walters) from the book FROM A STORM TO A HURRICANE (2016)

" John [Byrne] was born on 4 December 1939 in Liverpool to Michael Patrick Byrne, a Seaman, born 22 October 1908, and Elsie Ford, who had married in the city in 1932. Elsie was born 10 July 1905 in Liverpool, with her early years being spent at No. 2 Belfast Road in Old Swan. Here she lived with her one sister and four brothers, her mother Eliza (nee Cowan) and her father Henry, who worked as a coal dealer. Her parents had married in 1898 and moved to the Old Swan area from Everton. By 1933 Michael and Elsie were living in London, where they had their first two children, Patrick and Norma. The family returned to Liverpool when Michael's work was moved there. After their return, John and Paul were born. John was a pupil at St Oswald's school in Old Swan and a part of the church of the same name. Like Alan, John had taken dance lessons at Martin's school on Derby lane. They had both attended the boys' club there as well. Just before his teen years John was struck down with rheumatic fever. He pulled through and spent six months in a Southport hospital convalescing. "

" Charles was born Charles William O'Brien in Liverpool on 15 February 1941, to Charles William O'Brien, born 1906 in Liverpool, and Marie Brierly, born 2 October 1904 in Liverpool. The couple married in 1927 at St Michael and Sacred Heart church on West Derby Road, Liverpool. The family lived at No. 49 Pemberton Road, Old Swan, with Charles Sr working as a seaman for the Canadian Pacific Line. Charles had an older sister named Marie who had been born in 1928. (..) Young Charles became a very talented amateur boxer, training at the Derby Lane gym, as well as a very good guitar player. He had been a pupil at St Oswald's school, and attended the church there. Charles, or Chas as he was often called, had known John Lennon and The Quarrymen in their early days. He was also another member of the band who had attended Martin's dance school on Derby Lane in Old Swan, where he proved to be a rather decent dancer. "

" Richard [Starkey] had been born on 7 July 1940, at No. 9 Madryn Street in the Dingle area of Liverpool, to Richard Starkey and Elsie Gleave, who had married in 1936. The couple had spent time dancing together on the ballroom circuit, but the birth of Richard drove them apart. Richard Snr showed little interest towards his son, preferring to spend his time drinking in local pubs. Elsie raised Richard and doted after him. In 1944 they moved the short distance to No. 10 Admiral Grove, the move being done by loading their possessions onto a handcart. Within a year Richard Shr had left and a divorce had been completed; his son barely saw him again. Richard, known as Ritchie, was very ill as a child, developing appendicitis aged six that led to a stay in the Myrtle Street children's hospital. He was a pupil at St Silas primary school and Dingle Vale secondary school, where he was a classmate of Billy Fury. In 1953 he contracted tuberculosis and was admitted to the children's hospital at Heswell on the Wirral. "

" Walter Eymond was born Walter Lewis Eymond on 6 August 1938 off Cazneau Street in Liverpool. His parents, who had married in Liverpool in 1934, were Henry Lewis Eymond, born 1906, and Mary Melia. Henry was the son of Lewis Felix Eymond and Georgina Esther Carruthers (Walter's grandparents) who in 1911 were living at No. 13 Buckingham Road in Walton, Liverpool, with Lewis working as a ship's pattern-maker. Walter's great-grandfather, Jean-Marie Henri Eymond, had brought his family over to England from the Bordeaux region of France. In 1875 he was living in the Dingle area of Liverpool and working as a master mariner. Walter also had a sister named Jean who had been born in 1935. During the Second World War Walter's home was bombed, resulting in the family being rehoused at No. 11 Ulster Road in Old Swan for the remainder of the war. Walter's father Henry worked as an electrical engineer and would often take his family with him when he worked in such places as London, Newcastle and Dudley in Birmingham. "

[propertybutton]

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This is the thought that persons are one way or the other selecting to disconnect by operating out of money. As a result of the cost-of-living and housing crises, they aren't in a position to put any more money of their meters to pay for electrical energy or warmth so the warmth goes out and the lights are going off. I even had a case a couple of weeks in the past of a lady who was not solely self-disconnected but the company, PrepayPower, tried to physically utterly disconnect her fuel energy providers ireland supply. She was informed she had been disconnected as a outcome of she had not topped up her account in one hundred eighty days. Even although there was credit on the account, the corporate attempted to disconnect Mary Byrne from Tallaght because she had not topped up or activated the account for a hundred and eighty days. I might raise many other points but I am specializing in this concern and imploring the Minister to change his approach.

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The Government’s proposal was half-hearted but again and it did not go far sufficient. Everyone must be protected from disconnections for the chilly winter we face. Sinn Féin desires this ban on disconnections to occur immediately and to run until March. What we now have is a costed proposal that can assist ordinary people and the individuals who need it probably the most. This Government is counting on charities to do the work that it must be doing.

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[cqrvid-moved]

anyone remember that old drawing i did of coal from like... two years ago? yeah i couldnt stand to let it exist without being redrawn anymore 

[greyvvardenfell]

👀 somgs for Balam/Yaz, Nurlan/Nazali/Thero anddd for Reydis AND Adam ily 😘

owo

balam/yaz

pardon the way that i stare / there's nothing else to compare / the sight of you leaves me weak / there are no words left to speak

nurlan/nazali/thero

anyone perfect must be lying, anything easy has its cost / anyone plain can be lovely, anyone loved can be lost

reydis

beneath the stains of time / the feelings disappear / you are someone else / i am still right here

adam

just settle down, you're losing the plot / took you a lifetime to get where you got / if i had it all i'd be dead in a week / if i had my way, be king for a day

[1863-project]

A Non-Exhaustive List of Real-Life Train References in Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks

A disclaimer before we get started here: this list is by no means definitive. There’s always a chance that something slips past me, so there’s a possibility that I’ll be editing this post from time to time. I should also note that as much as I love LoZ, I’m coming at this from the perspective of a railfan for a change, and especially as someone with extensive knowledge of steam locomotives, which is particularly relevant to this game. With that said, let’s jump into this!

This post will be under a cut due to potential length and potential future edits, as well.

Character Naming Conventions

The most obvious references in the game come from characters’ names, but they do need some explaining in places. In the English version of the game, names like Anjean (Engine), Byrne (Burn), and Cole (Coal) need no explanation, but others are less obvious - and in Japanese, they require some knowledge of Japanese steam locomotives.

Link and Zelda are, of course, Link and Zelda. Nothing new there. The side characters, however, often have puns for names. The Lokomo, the native population, all have train-themed names, as you’d expect from a group of people whose name is derived from the word ‘locomotive.’ Anjean and Byrne are mentioned above, but you also encounter:

Gage: a railroad’s width is referred to as its gauge. Standard gauge, used in most of the world today, has the rails 4 feet 8.5 inches (1,435 mm) apart. Certain countries, including Russia, use their own gauges. Gauge can also refer to the sizes of model railroad sets - HO and O are the most commonly used model train gauges in the United States, for example.

Steem: this one’s obvious, so I don’t think I need to elaborate on how steam locomotives work for now.

Carben: the primary element in coal, the most common fuel for steam locomotives, is carbon.

Embrose: a reference to embers; fuel is burned in the locomotive’s firebox to boil the water and produce steam.

Rael: another obvious one - a pun on ‘rail.’

And that’s not all - our little foamer friend Ferrus has a name derived from the Latin word for ‘iron.’ This naming pun appears in multiple languages - in Japanese his name is Tetsuo.

A few puns only make sense in Japanese. Alfonzo’s name in Japanese is Shirokuni, which doesn’t look like much to people who don’t know about Japanese railroad history. But if you break it down as “shi-roku-ni,” you might notice that it can be read C62 (in this case reading ‘shi’ as ‘C’ and not ‘4′). The C62 was a class of 4-6-4 Hudsons that are popular in Japan to this day, being the basis of the locomotive in Galaxy Express 999. The class also inspired the brothers who founded Hudson Soft to name their company, as they both were fans of the locomotive.

Another one that only makes sense if you know Japanese railway history is Byrne’s name being Diigo. This is a reference to the wildly popular D51 class of locomotives, 2-8-2 Mikados that were designed by Hideo Shima, who was later the driving force behind the creation of the Shinkansen. (Shima actually also designed the C62, described above.) If you watch Thomas and Friends, there’s a chance you’ve seen a D51...

...because that’s Hiro’s class.

Cole gets one of these, too, with his Japanese name being Kimaroki, a very specific layout of a locomotive and cars involving snowplows.

Lastly, we have the one that I’m personally most invested in, because it involves one of my favorite locomotives in the entire world. But this does involve spoilers for the endgame, so be careful reading from this point forward.

The villains in Spirit Tracks are trying to summon a demon named Malladus back to life, and to do this, they’ve separated Zelda’s spirit from her body so Malladus can possess her body. It goes badly, and the final fight ends up being Link and Zelda against Malladus - who, once separated from Zelda’s body, has possessed Cole’s body instead. Link and Zelda ultimately defeat Malladus together and restore peace to the realm. So what’s so delightful about this to me? We’re going to go back to July 3, 1938 for a moment.

On July 3, 1938, a 61-year-old grandfather named Joe Duddington opened up the throttle of an A4 Pacific (4-6-2) in England. With him in the cab was his fireman, Tommy Bray, and an inspector from the London and North Eastern Railway named S. Jenkins (I’ve seen his name listed as both Sam and Sid). This was mostly a normal run, but the locomotive, Mallard, was allegedly doing a brake test that day, so a dynamometer car was attached to the train to keep an eye on things.

The crew in the cab knew better. They had orders from Sir Nigel Gresley, who designed Mallard and the other A4s. They were going to try to take the speed record for steam traction that day. There were some interruptions, including construction that slowed them down before their buildup point, but they eventually hit a location called Stoke Bank and Mallard shot downwards towards Kings Cross in London; in Duddington’s own words, she “jumped to it like a live thing.” The speedometer crept up bit by bit, soon surpassing the English steam speed record of 114 mph set by the rival LMS, but Mallard was chomping at the bit and hungry for more and Duddington let her go, encouraging her with a “Come on, old girl, we can do better than this!”

She did far better than that, eclipsing the 124 mph record set in Germany by clocking 126 mph for a quarter mile. Mallard’s big-end cylinder failed not long afterwards, signaled by an aniseed stink bomb the crew had planted on her beforehand, and she was slowed down and taken back to Doncaster for repairs, but not before this photo was taken:

(L-R: Tommy Bray, Joe Duddington, S. Jenkins, other LNER staff; Mallard is behind them)

Mallard’s record is the official one, although other claims are out there, because Mallard was officially recorded and documented. Today her record still stands, as it was set close enough to the end of the steam era that most railroads were switching over to cheaper diesel and electric options.

Anyway, long explanation aside, Malladus was quite obviously and deliberately named after Mallard herself - in non-American releases, Malladus is straight-up called Mallard. They even made Malladus blue - Malladus’s non-corporeal form looks like this:

Compare to Mallard herself:

Mallard is a much darker blue, but it does make you think.

In-Game Controls

Now we get to the part where I actually talk about steam locomotives in general and how they work, and how this ties into the gameplay of Spirit Tracks. Now, as some of you are aware, I’ve driven a steam locomotive exactly once in my life so far, but I’m fully planning on getting certified to drive them regularly as a volunteer thing in the future as soon as I can arrange that because I took to it like a fish takes to water.

Link’s locomotives have a driving system more similar to a car, which is definitely weird to me as someone who knows how to drive a steam locomotive:

(Pictured: Alfonzo reminding Link to read his iron)

Link has very simple controls to work with - really, they combined the throttle with the Johnson bar (yes, the reversing lever is sometimes called that, I know it sounds dirty). He has four settings - backwards, which can be used as an emergency brake, the regular brake, forwards, and forwards at high speed (highballing). And of course, he has the whistle cord to blow the whistle with! These locomotives are pretty bare-bones (I don’t even know how they run since there’s no visible fuel source; let’s say it’s magic because this is Zelda), and Link is able to operate them without a fireman in the cab with him. In reality, it’s a bit more complicated than that...

I drove a locomotive built in 1924, Strasburg #90. 90, being a more modern steam locomotive than what Link has access to, has her controls separated out instead of being on one gearshift like a car. To make 90 move forward, I first had to release a “parking brake,” set the Johnson bar to the forward position, release the regular brake, and finally open up the throttle. Before opening the throttle, I also had to indicate that I was moving, which I did by turning her bell on and blowing the whistle twice - two short whistle blasts told everyone I was driving forward. Once I had her moving, I had to keep making small adjustments to the throttle (only a notch or two at a time) to keep her at a steady speed.

(A photo of Strasburg #90 I took on the day I drove her, 3/26/22.)

Spirit Tracks is not a realistic train simulator, and it was never meant to be one - it’s a Zelda game, not Trainz. Since it was a DS game the controls had to be simplified as much as possible, and making it similar to the controls of a car, something far more people will encounter in their lifetime and learn to operate, makes it pretty easy to use for most players. What I do like is that you have to navigate rail traffic and pay attention to signs and signals, just like in real life.

That said, Link is absolutely dressed the part.

(screenshot from here; this is how he appears in Smash Ultimate)

There’s actually a lot of things right with Link’s engineer uniform. He has thick gloves and closed-toe shoes to keep himself safe when working, and although generally you want to wear long sleeves it’s not uncommon to see engineers and firemen roll their sleeves up because it gets warm in the cab. The only thing he’s missing is a pair of safety goggles (I’d have added them on the cap if I was his character designer for this game). The day I drove 90, I was dressed like this:

(Pictured: the author in a pair of overalls that are a couple of sizes too big, with her driving gloves in her pockets, as she poses by the drive wheels of a Pennsylvania Railroad K4 Pacific to show how much taller than her they are. The Submas badge is on her engineer hat.)

I’m not sure why they gave Link a v-neck for the uniform shirt, but whatever, he’s Link and can pull off literally any outfit so it doesn’t matter. There’s never been a Link that doesn’t look good in whatever he wears. That’s part of being Link.

Everyone Who Likes Trains Has Met Someone Like Ferrus

Maybe you even are Ferrus, who knows.

I’ve enjoyed trains my entire life, and I’ve spent a lot of time on and around them. Like most people who enjoy trains, I like photographing them and railroad infrastructure, as well as trying to track down my favorite locomotives when I can (there’s one NJT locomotive I keep an eye on because I’m hoping to push to get it preserved when its retirement comes). And of course, I’ve now begun dedicating my spare time to figuring out how to become fully qualified to operate steam locomotives, because my one time on the throttle was the best moment of my life.

Anyway, when you’re in this hobby, you meet people like Ferrus.

Ferrus calls himself a “trainiac” (in real life we say “railfan,” at least in the United States). What makes Ferrus one of “those” railfans is that despite not having any driving experience he somehow has instructions that he has made up himself about doing passenger service himself, which he gives to Link...who has trained professionally to be an engineer. In his defense, these rules are correct, but in general it’s not cool to tell someone who’s actually trained in a field how to do their job. Luckily, Ferrus doesn’t seem to do anything more egregious than that - he doesn’t trespass on the rails, for one.

Ferrus’s main hobby, like many railfans, is photography, and he’s nearly always seen with his camera photographing trains. He also hero-worships Alfonzo and goes into a blue screen of death when Alfonzo denies being a legendary engineer and instead claims to be a legendary swordsman (i.e. Alfonzo is more proud of his swordsmanship than his driving). He keeps asking Link to ferry him about from one location to the next so he can continue his railfan activities, all the while wearing a replica uniform even though he doesn’t actually work as an engineer.

Ferrus reminds me of a lot of railfans I’ve seen and met - there are certainly some out there that act like they know more than even the actual rail staff, and whilst they might know more history, they’re not the ones operating the train and need to take a step back when it comes to that. The only reason I can talk about operating steam locomotives the way I do now is because I’ve done it once, and that was under engineer supervision. I’ve never operated one solo and I’m by no means an expert engineer or anything, as much as I want to be one and am planning to work on that certification in the future. But Ferrus’s passion does come in handy for Link in the game, because his notes on how to use the spacetime gates in-game are also somewhat correct, including a deduction on how to activate them that isn’t too far off from the in-game solution.

This Game Has A Stamp Rally?

Yes, yes it does. Stamp rallies are a common feature on railroads in Japan, and they encourage you to visit each station on the line and mark that you were there. You get a stamp book, and at each station you hop off the train, mark your stamp, and hop back on. It gives you a souvenir of your trip, and the railroad gets more revenue because people are visiting more stations, so everyone wins.

If you’re a Pokemon fan and like trains, you may have seen a stamp rally before - in the anime, there’s an episode where the Battle Subway implements one, with the reward for completion being a battle against the participant’s choice of either Ingo or Emmet. Cilan proceeds to go bonkers and do it, and ultimately due to a number of circumstances he and Ash end up having a Multi Battle against Submas and get curb-stomped because a) it’s Submas and b) Cilan somehow forgot electricity could be conducted by the metal bars in the subway car and Emmet and Eelektross didn’t forget.

(Pictured: Cilan, a green-haired triplet who’s actually a lot like Ferrus in terms of his interest in trains, holds up a blank stamp sheet/booklet for a stamp rally.)

In Spirit Tracks, Niko asks Link to fill out his stamp book for him at each location, as he’s rather old and traveling is difficult for him at this point in his life. Link obliges and receives clothes as a reward, as is usual for this sort of sidequest. The fact that they put this in the game is a nice little touch for Japanese railfans who would certainly recognize it, and it’s a cool way to introduce international railfans - and gamers - to the concept. Stamp rallies exist outside of railroad contexts, of course, but there’s definitely an association there!

Is there anything else you want to talk about?

I’m sure there will be, but for now, this is a good stopping point because I’ve been working on this post for several days. If there’s anything you think I should add, message me! I’ll be happy to edit this post - I’ve put it under a cut so it can be edited at any time!

[nautiluspompilius]

idc what music artists tumblr shoehorns into my feed monthly via sponsored posts, this is the only thing I’m listening to

[kaialone]

Spirit Tracks Translation Comparison: Character Names

In this post I will cover how the names of notable characters were changed in the English versions of The Legend of Zelda Spirit Tracks.

--

Like many Zelda characters, the ones introduced in Spirit Tracks are connected by common naming themes. Specifically, most of the major characters in this game have names that relate to trains.

With such pun-based names in particular, the localization may choose to adapt or even change the names in ways that make them more appealing to the target audience.

And that's exactly what happened with Spirit Tracks, so let's have a look at them.

With each of these I will list the character's English name, as well as my romanization of their Japanese name, and then explain the origin of both.

Note that my romanizations won't always match the respective literal romanizations, depending on the name's origin.

--

The Lokomo:

Anjean = Sharin

Anjean's Japanese name is シャリン/Sharin.

It's taken from 車輪/sharin, which means "wheel".

Her English name is derived from the word "engine".

Gage = Valve

Gage's Japanese name is バルブ/Barubu.

It's taken directly from the Japanese spelling of the English word "valve", so the most logical thing is to romanize it as "Valve".

His English name is taken directly from the word "gage".

Steem = Stym

Steem's Japanese name is スチム/Suchimu.

It's taken from the Japanese spelling of the English word "steam", スチーム/Suchīmu, with the long-vowel mark "ー"  removed. This means the vowel is short instead of long.

To get the short vowel across, I personally like to romanize this name as "Stym" (rhymes with "gym".)

His English name is derived from "steam" as well, following the same idea of being an altered spelling of the original word.

Carben = Senrin

Carben's Japanese name is センリン/Senrin.

It's derived from 前輪/senrin, which means "leading wheel".

His English name is derived from the word "carbon".

Embrose = Boila

Embrose's Japanese name is ボイラ/Boira.

It's derived from the Japanese spelling of the English word "boiler", ボイラー/boirā, with the long-vowel mark "ー"  removed.

Therefore, I like to romanize it as "Boila".

His English name is derived from the word "embers".

Rael = Tenda

Rael's Japanese name is テンダ/Tenda.

It's derived from the Japanese spelling of the English word "tender", テンダー/tendā, with the long-vowel mark "ー"  removed.

His English name is derived from the word "rail".

Byrne/Staven = Dego

Byrne's Japanese name is ディーゴ/Dīgo.

ディー/Dī is one way to transcribe the letter "D" in Japanese, and ゴ/go means "five". The name is a reference to the JNR Class D51, an old Japanese type of steam locomotive that is quite popular.

This also gives this name a connection to Cole's Japanese name, which I'll explain in his section. The reason for them being connected is likely since they were designed as a duo from the start.

I personally like to romanize this name as "Dego".

His US English name is derived from the word "burn". Like the Japanese name, this one also has a connection with Cole's name.

In the EU English version, he is called "Staven", which is derived from the BR Standard Class 9F 92220 Evening Star, the last steam locomotive to be built by British Railways.

While "Staven" is closer to the Japanese name in the sense of being named after a specific locomotive, "Byrne" retains the aspect of being connected to Cole's name.

In general, all the Japanese Lokomo names are taken from the actual parts of a train, with the exception of Dego (Byrne/Staven), who is named for a specific locomotive. This is likely because he was one of the earlier characters to be created, going through many design changes, and wasn't planned to be a Lokomo from the very start.

The English version is a bit more loose with their pun sources, but still sticks to the theme of train-related names. Overall, it feels like they were trying to go for names that sound similar or allude to actual real life names, though.

Byrne/Staven stands out again, this time as the only major character to have his name be different in the EU English version. I don't know the reason for this, but he also has different names in the respective American and European versions of French and Spanish.

--

Main Antagonists:

Cole = Kimaroki

Chancellor Cole's Japanese name is キマロキ/Kimaroki. Also of note is that he is a minister in the Japanese version, not a chancellor.

His name is taken from the キマロキ編成/Kimaroki-hensei, a Japanese train formation used for snow-plowing.

Notably, JNR Class D51 locomotives were commonly used to lead the Kimaroki formation, thus giving the names Kimaroki and Dego (Byrne/Staven) a connection. Again, this is likely since they were seemingly designed as a duo from the start.

His English name is derived from the word "coal", and I presume his title was changed to chancellor for the sake of alliteration. Like the Japanese name, this one shares a connection with Byrne.

Malladus = Mallador

Malladus' Japanese name is マラドー/Maradō.

His name is seemingly derived from the LNER Class A4 4468 Mallard, the holder of the world speed record for steam locomotives.

The name takes the Japanese spelling of "Mallard", マラード/Marādo, and moves the long-vowel mark "ー" to the end.

Thus, in Japanese, his name is simply an anagram of the word "Mallard".

To reflect that, one could adapt it into English as something like "Mallad'r", but the problem with that spelling is that it doesn't get the Japanese pronunciation of his name across.

Therefore "Mallador" is my personal compromise.

Of course, there's plenty of other possible romanizations, depending on which details one wishes to keep.

His English name is derived from "Mallard" as well.

--

Supporting NPCs:

Alfonzo = Cirokuni

Alfonzo's Japanese name is シロクニ/Shirokuni.

シ/Shi is a Japanese transcription of the letter "C", ロク/roku means "six", and ニ/ni means "two". The name is a reference to the JNR Class C62, another old Japanese type of steam locomotive.

Given its origin, I like to romanize it as “Cirokuni”.

His English name was likely chosen since it sounds similar to “Gonzo”, his ancestor from The Legend of Zelda The Wind Waker.

Teacher = Jī ("Geezer")

Teacher's Japanese name is ジイ/Jī. This literally translates to "Old Man" or "Geezer".

From what I've seen, ジイ/Jī appears to be an at least somewhat common thing to call characters who fill the archetype role of "elderly retainer of a princess".

In any case, I like to go with "Geezer" as a translation for this name.

His English name is taken directly from the word "teacher".

Fun Fact: While it's never mentioned in the game, I know of at least one Japanese guidebook for Spirit Tracks which states that Teacher's real given name is アルバトロス/Arubatorosu. This would be romanized as "Albatross".

There have been multiple train models called “Albatross", so he was likely named for one of them.

Ferrus = Tetsuo

Ferrus' Japanese name is テツオ/Tetsuo.

Tetsuo is an actual masculine Japanese given name, chosen here for sounding similar to 鉄道/tetsudō, which means "railways".

His English name is derived from "ferrum" which is Latin and means "iron". I would assume they chose that because 鉄/tetsu by itself also just means "iron".

--

That’s about it for major characters first introduced in this game.

In this post I only went over the name changes of the more prominent characters, but if you are interested in learning a bit more about the names of all the characters from this game, you can read about them here.

If you wish to see the rest of my The Legend of Zelda Spirit Tracks translation comparisons, you can find them here.

--

[f4liveblogarchives]

Fantastic Four Vol 1 #228

Thurs Apr 30 2020 [07:47 PM] Wack'd: Johnny never struck me as a "literal jump for joy" kind of guy but he might just want to piss off Ben

[07:48 PM] Bocaj: I tried to do that jump and click heels thing but I don't wear shoes that click so I don't know why I bothered [07:49 PM] Wack'd: Hey so remember that girl at the racetrack Johnny turned down because he was nostalgic for Crystal? Well he's cool now and they're goin out

[07:49 PM] Bocaj: I can see how she won him over. "I've got a jacuzzi at my place" "You **DO**--?" [07:50 PM] Wack'd: Anyway Lorrie is coming over to meet the family so Johnny must be serious about her [07:51 PM] Wack'd: Unfortunately for him Reed just made a last-minute doctor's appointment for Franklin to use his neurologist friend's machine to peek at his mind [07:51 PM] Bocaj: Uh [07:51 PM] Bocaj: Sure [07:52 PM] Umbramatic: wha [07:52 PM] maxwellelvis: I smell wacky sitc-oh [07:52 PM] Wack'd: Sue is like "springing this on Franklin might make him freak out" and Reed, is...a good parent? [07:52 PM] maxwellelvis: Alert the Times [07:52 PM] Wack'd: He's like "hey, why don't we just be straight with Franklin and ask him if this is something he's okay with" [07:53 PM] Bocaj: Hello, The Times? This is your cousin, Marty. Do you know that headline you were looking for? Well listen to THIS [07:53 PM] Wack'd: And Franklin's like "yeah okay that sounds like a good idea, I also want to make sure I know how not to hurt people" [07:53 PM] Wack'd: A smart kid [07:54 PM] Umbramatic: this is going suspiciously well [07:55 PM] Wack'd: Hey, Ben. Buddy. Stop it

[07:55 PM] Bocaj: aw ben c'mon [07:56 PM] Wack'd: Thankfully he quickly regains his composure [07:56 PM] maxwellelvis: Before he drools so much he could be mistaken for Niagara Falls [07:57 PM] Wack'd: Anyway Reed's like "hey why doesn't everyone come with us to get Franklin's head checked out" for. Some reason [07:58 PM] Wack'd: Lorrie's a gearhead so she's into the idea of hanging around and riding in the Fantasticar [07:58 PM] Wack'd: BEN C'MON

[08:01 PM] Wack'd: Anyway, turns out the guy running Franklin's tests is one of Reed and Ben's old college professors. He is not a fan of Ben's attitude [08:03 PM] Wack'd: So Franklin's tests begin! They start with card guessing. Franklin's not great at it [08:04 PM] Bocaj: Do neurologists usually test ESP [08:04 PM] Wack'd: The professor points out that if Franklin's powers come at moments of stress it's likely that he's simply not got them turned on right now, chemically speaking [08:05 PM] Wack'd: Reed's like "we're not traumatizing my kid for science" and the professor's like "well no, obviously not, but we might be able to do something else to create that chemical reaction in his brain as needed" [08:05 PM] maxwellelvis: "You're not drugging my kid for science" [08:05 PM] Wack'd: Oh no, nothing so mundane [08:06 PM] maxwellelvis: You have me on tenterhooks. [08:06 PM] Umbramatic: oh no [08:07 PM] Wack'd: So what the scientist actually says is "we might be able to help Franklin achieve a state of such zen that he can manipulate his own brain chemicals." But the pictures tell...a different story

[08:07 PM] Bocaj: Garnet shoves the doctor aside. "Here comes a thought" [08:08 PM] Umbramatic: eeep [08:08 PM] maxwellelvis: "In such a state, one could walk on hot coals, sleep on a bed of spikes, and get a shot from the doctor without being scared or even needing a lollipop!" [08:08 PM] Wack'd: He's having his blood pressure taken actually [08:09 PM] maxwellelvis: Mine's funnier [08:09 PM] Wack'd: Anyway a quick google reveals that biofeedback is a real thing insofar as it's something that didn't originate in this comic [08:10 PM] Wack'd: It's apparently really good for stopping urinary incontinence in people with vaginas, and okay in dealing with some mental disorders, but doesn't work for much else [08:11 PM] Bocaj: Neurologist: "So we can't prove for sure it doesn't work for superpowers HUH??" [08:11 PM] Wack'd: Forty years have passed and most scientific studies on it are comparatively recent [08:12 PM] Phantom: and none on superpowers :P? [08:12 PM] Wack'd: So at a guess this was basically a health trend for the sort of folks who these days think LaCroix is a health treatment [08:12 PM] Phantom: probably [08:13 PM] Wack'd: The LaCroix comparison might be way too generous, we're in Sawbones territory now

[08:14 PM] Bocaj: Eesh [08:14 PM] Wack'd: Anyway Mr. "With Enough Mindfulness You Can Cure Cancer" decides to try hypnosis therapy on Franklin [08:14 PM] maxwellelvis: "You're not a real doctor, are you?" [08:15 PM] Wack'd: This man's classes were part of Reed's doctorate program [08:16 PM] Wack'd: Johnny and Lorrie meanwhile decide to go on a date and do the Superman thing

[08:17 PM] Wack'd: Freddie Mercury: You've made a powerful enemy this day, Human Torch

[08:19 PM] Wack'd: Franco Mercury challenges Johnny to a game of chicken in his portion of the Fantasticar [08:19 PM] Wack'd: Interspersed with Franklin finally getting in the machine [08:20 PM] Wack'd: I feel like there's supposed to be some kinda causal link but I have no idea what on Earth it might be

[08:20 PM] Wack'd:

[08:20 PM] Bocaj: Franklin was Johnny all along? [08:21 PM] Wack'd: So Franklin's brain vomited some "psychic ectoplasm" [08:21 PM] Bocaj: Wow this guy is dipping into every bit of paranormal bric a brac [08:21 PM] Bocaj: Are we sure his degree is real [08:22 PM] maxwellelvis: Are we sure Reed wasn't also classmates with Ray or Egon? [08:22 PM] Umbramatic: his degree is in "quackology" [08:22 PM] Wack'd: The true identity of the narrator of The Amazing World of Ghosts [08:22 PM] Bocaj: Do Reed Mi Egon [08:23 PM] Wack'd: ...what

[08:24 PM] Wack'd: Franklin...vomited his brain into this guy? And...and now Franklin's Franco? [08:26 PM] Umbramatic: Franklin Meurcury [08:26 PM] Wack'd: Boy, science is really taking some kinda beating this issue

[08:27 PM] Bocaj: Uhhhhhhhhhh [08:27 PM] Bocaj: Franklin is too powerful for his angsts to be doing this [08:27 PM] Umbramatic: science: "i love the young people" [08:28 PM] Bocaj: I EAT KIDS [08:28 PM] Wack'd: Yay Sue! Also not sure how I feel about this new invisibility effect

[08:29 PM] maxwellelvis: Feels more like showing off. [08:29 PM] maxwellelvis: Or at least, the sort of effect that really should have waited until digital inking was more viable. [08:29 PM] Bocaj: The invisibility is not very not visible [08:30 PM] maxwellelvis: "Due to a compatibility issue with Windows 95 graphics cards, the Invisible Woman is now extra-visible. To keep things fair, please close your eyes when fighting her." [08:31 PM] Wack'd: "It's not that I don't trust you, Abe. It's that all your theories are dangerous quackery and also you nearly got my son killed"

[08:33 PM] maxwellelvis: (That's not some weird non-sequitor, I'm paraphrasing the manual for Doom's Windows 95 port there; with some Windows-compatible graphics cards, there was a weird bug that made invisible enemies like Spectres less than invisible. The manual joked that you should make things more fair by closing your eyes if you encounters this bug.) [08:34 PM] Wack'd: Letters letters letters! [08:34 PM] Wack'd: ...i think i hate letters now

[08:36 PM] InbarFink: Letter pages are just glorified youtube comments [08:36 PM] Bocaj: Eesh [08:37 PM] Bocaj: Around this same time ish there were letters in the avengers comics complaining wasp is too weak and ineffectual and the response said they’d work on it [08:37 PM] Bocaj: So it’s not universal among fans at this time at least [08:38 PM] Wack'd: I'm just like [08:38 PM] Wack'd: The one time I can remember you print letters from ladies [08:39 PM] Wack'd: This is what you go with? [08:40 PM] Bocaj: Yeah it sucks [08:40 PM] InbarFink: would it be conspiratorial to sugget they got a LOT of letters about it and most of them were from dudes and they just picked the two with lady names on them [08:40 PM] Bocaj: No it wouldn’t [08:41 PM] Wack'd: I mean if that is true [08:41 PM] Wack'd: Good on them for not printing male misogynists? [08:41 PM] Wack'd: But just because a point of view comes from a woman doesn't make it worth your time [08:42 PM] Wack'd: Letters like "Murder your female lead" and "I prefer when she was hysterical submissive crying and helpless" are ones you can safely ignore no matter who they come from [08:42 PM] Bocaj: Yeah [08:43 PM] Bocaj: I wish unlimited was more consistent on whether they include the letters page [08:43 PM] Bocaj: It’s interesting to me [08:43 PM] Wack'd: Same [08:43 PM] maxwellelvis: "I'm not saying I WANT her to be killed, but I don't like her saving the day and that she should get beat up more" [08:43 PM] Wack'd: Hart literally says she wants Sandman to murder her! [08:44 PM] Bocaj: Wait until Ultimate hart, ya weirdo [08:44 PM] Wack'd: Alright let's move on. The current direction, whatever it ends up being, is only going to end up mattering for another three issues anyway [08:45 PM] Bocaj: Can’t wait for you to experience Byrne so I can also vicariously

[robertdenirowap]

  Put your entire music library on shuffle and list the first 10 that come up. Then tag 10 others to do the same! (literally anyone do this im so bored)

1. Somewhere That’s Green by Ellen Greene (Little Shop of Horrors) 2. Don’t Pass Me By by The Beatles 3. Working in The Coal Mine by Devo  4. Doing The Right Thing by David Byrne 5. Happy Meal II by The Cardigans 6. Head Over Heels by Tears For Fears 7. Just A Girl by No Doubt 8. You and Your Folks, Me and My Folks by Funkadelic 9. Banks by Lincoln 10. No Pride by Green Day

[fantomcomics]

What’s Out This Week? 1/8

It’s been a minute since we’ve had so many number 1s, but it’s a veritable avalanche of awesomeness!

Miles Morales: The End #1 - Saladin Ahmed and Damion Scott

Humanity makes its last stand in the only place strong enough to survive: BROOKLYN. Former Spider-Man, Miles Morales, leads the last bastion of civilization into the future!

Firefly: The Outlaw Ma Reynolds #1 - Greg Pak and Davide Gianfelice

After the shocking conclusion of Mal's journey with Boss Moon, Mal hands himself into the Alliance...but it turns out its not him they want. The infamous Ma Reynolds is at the top of the Alliance's Most Wanted, and if Mal doesn't get to her first, the Alliance will! Kicking off a new year of Firefly, discover the secret history of Mal and his mother, and what that will mean for the rest of the 'verse...and a new brewing war to end all wars.

Daphne Byrne #1 (of 6) - Laura Marks and Kelley Jones

In the gaslit splendor of late 19th-century New York, rage builds inside 14-year-old Daphne. The sudden death of her father has left her alone with her irresponsible, grief-stricken mother-who becomes easy prey for a group of occultists promising to contact her dead husband. While fighting to disentangle her mother from these charlatans, Daphne begins to sense a strange, insidious presence in her own body...an entity with unspeakable appetites. What does "Brother" want? And could she even stop him if she tried?

Stranger Things: Into The Fire #1 (of 4) - Jody Houser, Ryan Kelly and Le Beau L. Underwood

Years after escaping Hawkins Lab, two of Dr. Brenner's former subjects seek to live normal lives. When news reaches them that the lab was shut down, they go on a harrowing search for Nine, a powerful pyrokinetic whose shattered psyche threatens to burn them all to ashes if they can't find her and free her from her own malevolent imagination.

The Clock #1 (of 4) - Matt Hawkins and Colleen Doran

Within three weeks, hundreds of millions of healthy people worldwide contract various forms of aggressive cancer, and the proliferation, seemingly a viral outbreak, stumps the best scientific minds available. But after a leading cancer researcher loses his wife and watches his nine-year-old daughter begin to succumb to the same illness, he must race against the clock to end a global conspiracy that could propel the world straight into WWIII...or worse.

White Ash #1 - Charlie Stickney and Conor Hughes

Welcome to White Ash, a small smudge of a town in western Pennsylvania, where mining is a generational calling and the secrets are buried deeper than the coal in the mountain. As Aleck Zwerg tries to escape that legacy and head off to college, he falls into the orbit of the enigmatic Lillian Alden. Together, they race down a dangerous path, leading Aleck to uncover a secret about his family that changes everything he knows about himself and White Ash. And now, if he leaves, there will be no one left to protect the people of the town from an ancient evil that has just returned.

Marvels X #1 (of 6) - Alex Ross, Jim Krueger and Well-Bee

David has a problem.  He lives in a world of monsters that would love to devour him.  He's the last boy on Earth.  The last human being on Earth.  And these creatures that see him only as prey, they're his former neighbors.  He has one hope:  to get to New York.  To get to where Captain America and the rest of the heroes are.  Alex Ross and Jim Krueger combine their abilities with artist Well-Bee to tell a very uncanny prequel to the legendary EARTH X trilogy.

So whatcha scooping up this week, Fantomites?

[musichead84]

Seen as of 2019:

Festivals:

ACL - 2003, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2016, 2018

Bonnaroo - 2012, 2013

Coachella - 2010, 2014

Float Fest - 2014

Index Fest - 2013, 2014

Lollapalooza - 2006, 2009, 2011

Wakarusa - 2015

Fun Fun Fun Fest - 2014, 2015

35 Denton - 2016

Untapped Fort Worth Festival - 2016

Untapped Dallas Festival - 2016

Edgefest - 2017 (many more than this year’s…)

Old 97′s County Fair - 2018

A’s

Aerosmith (Dallas)

Afghan Whigs (Liberty Lunch, Antone’s, ACL 12, Coachella 14)

Alkaline Trio (Austin)

Aloha (Dallas)

Andrew Bird (Lolla 09)

All 4 One (Austin)

Animal Collective (Lolla 09)

Arcade Fire x3 (ACL 07, Lolla 06, Coachella 14)

Arctic Monkeys x 2 (Lolla 09, ACL, Edgefest 22)

Adair (Dallas)

American Eyes ( Dallas )

As I Lay Dying ( Dallas )

Atreyu ( Dallas )

Atoms for Peace  (Coachella 10)

Allison Moorer (Austin)

Aubra Mae (Dallas)

A Perfect Circle (Lolla 11, Verizon Theatre)

AfroJack (Lolla 11)

Atmosphere (Lolla 11)

Alton Brown (Chef - Frisco) - Barnes & Noble

AVICII (ACL 12)

Atlas Genius (Edgefest23)

Airborne Toxic Event (Edgefest23)

AWOLNation x2 (Edgefest23, EF2015)

Annie Clark (Dallas)

A Day to Remember (Edgefest 23)

Alt-J (Roo 13)

The Avett Brothers (Summer Cut 2)

Austra (Granada Theater)

Alice in Chains (Gexa Pavilion)

Antemasque (FFFfest 15)

Alvvays (FFFfest 15)

American Werewolves (Three Links - Dallas)

At the Drive In (Red7, Trees, Club Dada, Southside Ballroom)

Aaron Lewis (Billy Bob’s)

American Aquarium (The Statler Ballroom)

B’s

Badfish x 6 (Dallas, Wildflower Fest)

Beck x 3 (Dallas, Coachella 14, ACL 14)

Ben Harper x 2 (Lolla 09, Austin, Waka 2015)

Big Head Todd & the Monsters (ATX, House of Blues - Dallas)

Black Crowes (Dallas)

Blind Melon (Dallas)

Bloc Party (Lolla 06, Dallas)

Blood Brothers (dallas)

Blue October (Austin, Dallas)

Burden Brothers (Austin, Dallas)

Broke (Dallas)

Band of Horses (Lolla 09)

Bassnectar (Lolla09, ACL12)

Ben Folds (chicago)

Beach House (coachella10)

Ben Gibbard (dallas)

Bert Kreischer - (comedian) Addison Improv (2), Irvine Improv

Black Lips (Lolla 11)

Bruno Mars (Lolla 11)

Busy P (Lolla11)

Black Keys (Dallas, Edgefest, ACL12)

Bush (Edgefest23)

Bjork (Roo13)

Big Gigantic (BreakwayFest)

Bear Mountain (Dallas)

Born & Raised (Dallas)

Bastille (Coachella 14)

Bush (Edgefest, Toyota Music Factory)

Blackberry Smoke (ACL14)

Bouncing Souls (Dallas)

Broken Gold (Dallas)

Ben Howard (Dallas)

Blue, the misfit (Dallas)

Brutal Juice (Dallas)

Best Coast (Dallas)

Bully (Dallas)

Bobby Patterson (HG6)

Black Fire Pistol (HG6)

Belle & Sebastian (Summer Cut ‘15)

Broncho (FFFfest 15)

Big Freedia (FFFfest 15, The Bomb Factory)

Bottle Rockets  (2018 Old 97′s County Fair)

Bombay Bicycle Club (coachella 14)

Built to Spill (Granada Theater, Untapped 16)

Breaking Benjamin (Gexa)

Blink 182 (Edgefest 2017)

Brandi Carlile (ACL 2018)

Brock Hampton (ACL 2018)

Blood Orange (ACL 2018 Bowling for Soup (Wildflower Fest 2019)

C’s

Cage the Elephant (Coachella 10, Frisco, Lolla09/11, Edgefest 22, Coachella 14)

Christina Aguilera (Tx State Fair 1998)

Chevelle (Dallas, Ft Worth, Edgefest 2017)

Coal Chamber(killeen)

Coheed & Cambria (Austin, Coachella10, Lolla06, Dallas)

Cody Shaw & The Rhythm Boys (Hank’s)

ColdWarKids (Lolla06, ACL)

Common (Lolla09)

Cross Canadian Ragweed (austin)

The Confession

Collective Soul (dallas)

Carolyn Wonderland (austin)

The Cush (denton)

Cee-Lo Green (Lolla11)

Chico Trujillo (Lolla11)

City & Colour (Lolla11, Roo12, Dallas - Granada Theater)

The Chain Gang of 1974 (Lolla11, Dallas - Granada Theater)

Carina Round (Austin)

Charlie Murphy (Dallas - Addison Improv)

Christopher Titus (Dallas - Addison Improv)

Civil Twilight (Edgefest22)

Cake (Edgefest22)

Chris Lake (El Paso)

Capital Cities (Edgefest23)

Crizzly (BreakawayFest)

CHVRCHES (Dallas, Coachella 14, ACL 14)

Commotion  (Dallas)

Courtney Barnett (FFFFest 6)

Chance the Rapper (Waka15)

Carrie Brownstein (Dallas)

Craig Finn (Trees)

Chris Stapleton (Dallas, ACL 16)

Cheap Trick (FFFfest 15)

Chromeo (FFFfest 15)

Calvin Harris (Coachella 14)

The Cult (Toyota Music Factory)

Camila Cabello (ACL 2018)

D’s

Dead Sara (Edgefest22)

Damian Marley (Lolla11)

Death From Above 1979 (Lolla11)

Daughtry (addison,dallas,frisco)

Dashboard Confessional (ACL05)

Death Cab For Cutie (Lolla 06, EF 15)

Decemberists (Lolla 09, Dallas)

Deftones (Dallas, Lolla 11, Edgefest23, ACL 2018)

Devotchka (Dallas - HOB, Indexfest 2)

Delta Spirit (Lolla11)

Drive-by Truckers (dallas)

Destiny’s Child (Tx State Fair 1998)

Dredg (dallas)

Death in the Family (dallas)

Dead Weather (coachella10, ACL09)

Depeche Mode (chicago)

Dirty Heads x 3 (Austin - Stubb’s, Dallas, Waka15)

Dwight Yokam (Grand Prairie - Lonestar Park)

The Drums (Lolla11)

The DA (El Paso - Tricky Falls)

D'Angelo (Roo 12)

Deadmau5 (El Paso, Dallas)

Dim Locator (Hailey’s - Denton)

Danny Avila (BreakwayFest)

Dave Chappell (Dallas - Oddball Comedy Tour)

Dirty River Boys (McKinney - Hanks)

Dum Dum Girls (Fun Fun Fun Fest 6)

David Ramirez (Kessler Theater, Untapped 16)

Dark Rooms x 3 (Dallas, Denton)

Doug Benson (FFFfest 15)

Dag nasty (FFFfest 15)

Dillion Francis (Coachella 14)

Disturbed (Gexa)

DJ Sober (The Best of Big D 16)

Dalton Domino (The Statler Ballroom)

David Byrne (ACL 2018)

Dead Flowers (The Rustic)

The Doobie Brothers (Dallas)

E’s

The Expendables (austin)

Eminem (Lolla 11, ACL 14)

Explosions in the Sky (Lolla 11, Breakaway Fest)

Empire of the Sun (Breakway Fest)

El-P (indexfest2)

Erykah Badu (Dallas)

Eric Andre (FFFfest 15)

Esme Patterson (The Rustic)

Erika Wennerstron (2018 Old 97′s County Fair, The Rustic)

F’s

Finger Eleven (dallas)

Fleet Foxes (Lolla 09)

Foo Fighters (Dallas, Lolla 11)

Foster the People (Lolla 11, Coachella 14)

Frank Black (Austin)

Funeral for a Friend (Dallas)

For Felix (Dallas)

Franz Ferdinand (Austin)

Frank Turner (Dallas, Coachella 14)

Fuel (Mayflower Fest)

Friendly Fires (Lolla 11)

Flogging Molly (Lolla 11, Roo 12)

Fitz & the Tantrums (Lolla 11 - met them, HOB - Dallas - met them, Roo 12, Edgefest 23, Wildflower Fest 2019)

Foxy Shazam (Edgefest 22)

Florence & the Machines (ACL 12)

Frightened Rabbit (Dallas)

Flash Gordon (Edgefest 23)

Flight of the Concords (Dallas)

Fatboy Slim (Coachella 14)

Foxygen (Index Fest 3, Fun Fun Fun Fest 6)

First Aid Kit (Fun Fun Fun Fest 6)

Flying Lotus (Fun Fun Fun Fest 6)

FKA Twigs (Trees - Dallas)

Future Islands (Index Fest 3, FFFFest15)

Fantastic Negrito (Summer Cut '15)

FRONTERA BUGALÚ - Gas Monkey

Father John Misty (Dallas)

G’s

The Gaslight Anthem x 3 (Lolla06,Edgefest23,Dallas)

Gin Blossoms (Addison, Wildflower Fest 2018)

Gnarls Barkley x 2 (Lolla06,dallas)

Gomez (Lolla 09)

Gossip (coachella10)

Greeley Estates (dallas)

The Gourds (austin)

Goo Goo Dolls (Dallas / Wildflower Fest 2018)

Grace Potter & the Nocturnals x 2 (lolla11, Summer Cut 2)

Grouplove (Lolla 11, Stubb’s, Roo 12, Coachella 14)

Garbage (Edgefest 22)

Girl Talk x 3 (indexfest 2, Fun Fun Fun Fest 6, EF 15)

The Growlers (Waka 15)

Glass Animals (Waka 15)

Galactic (Waka 15)

Gogol Bordello (FFFfest 15, Untapped Dallas 16)

Grimes (FFFfest 15)

Greg Dulli (Kessler Theater Dallas)

Grupo Fantasma (Untapped 16)

Glorietta (Kessler - Dallas)

The Guess Who (Wildflower Fest 2019)

H’s

Heartless Bastards x 11 (Austin, Lolla 09, Dallas, Denton - met twice, smoked with Jesse, and took pics with them)

Hole (Edgefest)

Hockey (Coachella 10)

The Hope Trust x 2 (Dallas, Denton)

The Holler Time (Denton)

Haim (Roo13)

Harland Williams (Comedian - Addison Improv)

Hozier (EF15)

Hayes Carll (Untapped 16)

I’s

Incubus (x3)(dallas)

Interpol (dallas)

DJ Irene (killeen)

Ishi (Dallas)

Israel Nash (Summer Cut '15)

I’m With Her (Ryman Auditorium)

J’s

Jay-Z (Coachella 10)

Jane’s Addiction (Lolla09,Dallas)

Jeff Klein (austin)

Jim Ward (Austin, Dallas, Fort Worth)

Jimmy Eat World (Dallas, Wildflower Fest 2018)

Johnny Cooper (Mckinney - Hank’s)

John Hiatt (Stubbs, HOB Dallas)

Jerry Lee Lewis (Richardson - Wildflower Fest 11)

Jim Jefferies x 3 (Comedian - Dallas)

Jim Breuer (Comedian - Dallas)

Jarrod Gorbel (Dallas)

James Vandervelde (austin)

Jack White (ACL12)

Japandroid (Roo13)

Jack Johnson (Roo13)

Juicy J (BreakwayFest)

Jenny Lewis (Dallas)

J Mascis (Fun Fun Fun Fest 6)

Jessica Lea Mayfield (Dallas)

Jack Kerowax (Dallas)

Jamie xx (GvB V)

Joey Bada$$ (FFFfest 15)

Jason Isbell (Southside Ballroom Dallas, Dallas)

Jason Aldean (Gexa Energy Pavilion)

Jaime Wyatt (2018 Old 97′s County Fair)

Jibe (Gas Monkey Live!)

Justice (ACL 2018)

Judah & The Lion (Wildflower Fest 2019)

Jason Bonham (Toyota Music Pavilion)

K’s

Kansas (Norfolk, VA - my very first concert!)

KISS (Frisco)

Kaskade (Lolla 09)

Killers x 2 (Austin, Dallas)

Kings of Leon x 3 (Lolla 09, Dallas)

Kid Cudi (Lolla 11, Coachella 14)

Killer Mike (indexfest2)

Kevin Devine (Dallas - Rustic)

Kopecky (Waka 15)Kaela Sinclair (Dallas)

Kurt Vile (Red Rocks Amphitheater)

Kacey Musgraves (ACL 16)

Kaleo (Untapped Dallas 16)

K-Flay (Dos Equis Pavilion)

Khalid (ACL 2018)

L’s

The Lusitania (Austin)

Lennon (killeen)

LCD Soundsystem (Coachella 10, ACL 16, The Bomb Factory)

Local Natives (Coachella10, Lolla11, Roo13, ACL 16)

Los Lonely Boys (Austin)

The Lumineers (ACL12, Dallas)

Lil Twist (BreakwayFest)

Lower Dens (GvB V, Club Dada Dallas)

L-P (Index Fest 2)

Lindi Ortega (Denton)

Lucero (Southside Ballroom, The Rusticx3)

L7 (FFFfest 15, Granada Theater Dallas)

Le Bucherettes (Dallas)

Lord Huron  (2018 Old 97′s County Fair)

Lifehouse (Wildflower Fest 2018)

Lukas Nelson (The Rustic)

M’s

MC Flipside (2001 - Killeen)

MGMT (coachella 10, coachella 14)

mewithoutYou (dallas)

Modest Mouse (ACL 05, Dallas, Fun Fun Fun Fest 6, Edgefest '15)

Metric (Lolla11,Edgefest11,ACL12)

Muse (dallas,Edgefest10,Lolla11)

My Morning Jacket (austin)

Millionaire (dallas)

Matisyahu (Lolla06, Dallas)(Met outside of Granada Theater, have autograph)

Manchester Orchestra (Lolla 09/11, Dallas - Rustic, ACL 2018)

Mogwai (Lolla 11)

Mexicans At Night (El Paso - Tricky Falls)

M83 (ACL 12)

Major Lazer (Roo 12, ACL 14, Waka 15)

Mariachi El Bronx (Roo 12)

Matt&Kim (Summer Cut 2, Roo 13, BreakwayFest '13)

MsMr (Dallas - HOB, Coachella 14)

Midlake (Dallas)

Macy Gray (Waka 15)

Ms. Lauryn Hill (FFFfest 15)

Midnight Stroll (Trees Dallas)

Miike Snow (ACL 16)

Mumford & Sons (ACL 16)

Marilyn Manson (Dos Equis Pavilion)

The Mavericks  (2018 Old 97′s County Fair)

Mad Mexicans (Gas Monkey Live!)

Metallica (ACL 18)

Margo Price (The Rustic)

Mipso (Ryman Auditorium)

N’s

Nas (Lolla11, Roo13)

The Naked & Famous (Lolla 11, dallas)

The National (Dallas - HOB, Southside Ballroom, Roo 13, ACL 18)

Neko Case (Lolla 09)

North Mississippi Allstars (Austin - Stubb’s)

Neon Trees (Edgefest 22, Wildflower Fest 2019)

Neil Young & Crazy Horse (ACL 12)

The Neighbourhood (Edgefest 23)

Nahko & Medicine for the People (Waka 15)

New Politics (Edgefest 15)

Neon Indian (FFFfest 15)

NOFX (FFFfest 15)

The Nixons (Edgefest 2017)

NIN (Las Vegas - The Joint x2)

NALGADAS - Gas Monkey

Nelly (ACL 2018)

O’s

Old 97’s (Austin, HG6, 2018 Old 97′s County Fair)

Owen Pallett (Dallas)

Of Monsters & Men (Roo 13)

Other Lives (Dallas)

The Offspring (Edgefest 2017)

Oil Boom (HG6)

Olivia Chaney (Dallas)

ODESZA (FFFfest 15, ACL 2018, Dallas)

Orville Peck (Southside Ballroom)

P’s

Paul Green’s School of Rock All-Stars – Austin, TX

Pavement (Dallas)

Portugal. The Man (Coachella 10, Lolla 11, Roo 13, Dallas - Granada Theater)

Paramore (Dallas, Edgefest 23)

Pearl Jam (ACL 09/14, Dallas - AAC)

Pepper (Dallas - Granada Theater)

Pixies (ACL 2005)

Placebo (Edgefest)

Pelican (Edgefest)

Phoenix (Coachella 10, Edgefest 21, Edgefest 23)

Passion Pit (coachella 10, dallas)

Pat Green (frisco)

Pretty Lights (Lolla11)

Puscifer (Austin - Long Center, Bonnaroo 2012)

Phish (Bonnaroo 2012 )

Pauly Shore (Edgefest 23)

Purity Ring (Roo13)

Paul McCartney (Roo13)

Phantogram (ACL14)

Paws (Dallas)

Parquet Courts (FFFfest 15)

Peaches (FFFfest 15)

Patricio (Coachella 14)

Pete Yorn (ACL 16)

Prayers (Verizon Theatre)

Paul Cauthen  (2018 Old 97′s County Fair)

Peter Frampton (Toyota Music Factory)

Q’s

Queens of the Stone Age (ACL, Dallas)

?uestlove (Roo12)

The Quaker City Night Hawks x 2 (Dallas)

Quintron & Miss Pussy Cat (Dallas)

R’s

Ratatat (Lolla 11)

Rancid (Dallas - Gypsy Ballroom)

Red Hot Chili Peppers (Lolla 06, Dallas - AAC, Roo 12)

Rilo Kiley (Dallas)

Rise Against (Dallas)

The Receiving End of Sirens (Dallas)

The Record Hop (Denton)

Ramesh (Dallas)

The Roots (Roo 12, ACL 12, Waka 15)

Radiohead (Roo 12, Lolla 11)

Rodrigo & Gabriela & C.U.B.A. (Roo 12)

Robert Delong (Edgefest 23)

Ra Ra Riot (BreakwayFest)

The Replacements (with Billy Jo Armstrong @ Coachella14, ACL14)

Riothorse Royale (Dallas)

Roosevelt (FFFfest 15)

Ride (FFFfest 15)

Robert Plant (Bomb Factory Dallas)

Ryan Adams (Red Rocks Amphitheater, The Pavilion - Irving)

Roger Waters (American Airlines Center)

S’s

Street Sweeper Social Club (Coachella 10)

She & Him (Coachella 10)

Santigold (Lolla 09)

Say Anything (Edgefest)

Seven Mary Three x 11 (Dallas, Waco, Wildflower Fest - have Giti’s autograph)

Silverchair (How the Edge Stole Xmas)

Silversun Pickups (Lolla 09, Dallas)

Sleepercar (Austin, Dallas, Fort Worth)

Snoop Dogg (Lolla 09)

Sparta x 15 (Mohawk, Austin, Lolla 09, Dallas, Tricky Falls, Barracuda, Gas Monkey)

Spoon x 4 (Austin, ACL 14, HOB Dallas, HG 6, Wildflower Fest 18)

Staind (Dallas)

Steve Earle (ACL 07, Dallas, ACL 12)

STP (austin, Edgefest, Toyota Music Factory)

Silverstein (Dallas)

Santigold (Lolla 09)

The Smashup (Dallas)

Story of the Year (Dallas)

Street Drum Corps (Dallas)

Sublime w/ Rome (Dallas)

Switchfoot x 3 (Dallas, Edgefest 22, Wildflower Fest 2018)

Skrillex (Lolla 11, ACL 12, Roo 12)

Sarah Jaffe x 4 (Indexfest 2, Dallas, Summer Cut '15)

Shaky Graves (Dallas - Granada Theater, Kessler Theater, HG6, ACL 2018)

Sam Lao (Dallas)

STS9 (Waka15)

Slightly Stoopid (Waka 15)

Sphynx (HG6)

Sealion (HG6)

Saul Williams (Dallas - Club Dada)

Sons of Illustrious Father (Dallas - Club Dada)

Social Distortion (HOB Houston)

Slow Magic (FFF fest 15)

Stoney Larue (Billy Bob’s Texas)

Slipknot (Dos Equis Pavilion)

Shovels & Rope (South Side Music Hall 2016)

Sweater Beats (Coachella 14)

Sylvan Esso (ACL 18)

Santana (Dallas)

T’s

Tegan & Sara (ACL 12)

Taking Back Sunday x 4 (Dallas)

Thursday (Dallas)

Tito & The Tarantulas (Austin)

Toadies x 13 (Austin, Dallas)

Tool (Lolla 09, Dallas - AAC, Grand Prairie - Nokia)

Them Crooked Vultures (Coachella 10)

Tragically Hip x 4 (Austin - Stubb’s, Dallas - HOB)

Trish Murphy (ACL 05)

TV on the Radio (Lolla 09, Dallas, Untapped Dallas 16)

Thrice (Dallas)

The Heist (Dallas)

Twilight Singers (Dallas - Gypsy Tea Room & Granada Theater 2011)

Three Days Grace (Dallas)

Two Door Cinema Club (Lolla 11, ACL 12, Roo 12)

The Tings Tings (Edgefest22)

The Temper Trap (Lolla 11, Roo 12)

Twenty-One Pilots (Edgefest23)

The TonTons (Dallas - Trees)

Tame Impala (Dallas - Southside Ballroom)

Tinariwen (Fun Fun Fun Fest 6)

Tei Shi (GvB V)

Toro y Moi (FFFfest 15)

Tanlines (Trees Dallas)

Thomas Rhett (Gexa Energy Pavilion)

Travis Scott (ACL 2018)

Texas Gentlemen (Kessler - Dallas)

U’s

Uh Huh Her (Dallas)

Unknown Mortal Orchestra (Club Dada Dallas)

V’s

Van Halen (Dallas)

Vampire Weekend (Lolla 09)

Viet Cong (FFF fest 15)

Vaadat Charigim (35 Denton 2016)

Valerie June  (2018 Old 97′s County Fair)

W’s

White Lies (Lolla 11)

White Rabbit x 2 (Dallas)

Warpaint x 2 (Dallas - Granada Theater, index fest 2)

Wailers x 4 (Dallas, Wildflower Festival)

Weezer (Dallas)

Wilco (Austin)

Wintersleep x 3 (Austin, Dallas - Trees (pic with them))

Walking the Moon (Dallas)

White Arrows (Dallas)

Walk the Moon (Roo 13, Dos Equis Pavilion)

Wu-Tang Clan (Breakaway Fest)

Wiz Khalifa (Fun Fun Fun Fest 6)

War On Drugs (Granada Theater)

White Denim (Index Fest 3)

We Are Scientists (Club Dada Dallas)

Wrestlers (Trees Dallas)

Wussy (Three Links - Dallas)

V’s

Vaadat Charigim (35 Denton 2016)

X’s

The xx - x 4 (Coachella 10, Dallas x 2, Roo 13)

Y’s

Yeah Yeah Yeah’s x 2 (Lolla 09, Dallas)

Young the Giant x 3 (Lolla 11, Dallas, Austin, Waka 15)

Yumi Zouma (GvB V)

Z’s

Zola Jesus (Dallas - Granada Theater)

ZZ Top (Roo 13)

Zobc (Coachella 14)

The Zolas (Dallas)

#’s

311 (Dallas, Edgefest 2017)

30 Seconds to Mars (Dallas, Edgefest, Dos Equis Pavilion)

[gravitysworm]

从罢工打手到工会咨询：美国反工会产业的历史

为了平衡一下《爱尔兰人》写的….澎湃版本：https://www.thepaper.cn/newsDetail_forward_5263691 

上月，媒体爆出谷歌雇佣了一个反工会咨询公司，并在感恩节前报复性解雇了四名参与去年“集体出走”和工会组织工作的员工（这周又解雇了第五位）。这是今年即Kickstarter后，第二家解雇工会积极分子的科技公司。在一众垄断科技集团和独角兽中，谷歌曾是对旗下工人参与社会运动容忍度较高的公司，如今面对科技领域蓬勃发展的劳工自组织，也终于撕下了进步主义的假面。在美国，以咨询公司为明目存在的反工会组织是资方干扰劳工动员的标配，其背后反映的是一百多年来反工会产业的演进。尽管和劳工运动的起落往往齐头并进，反工会产业上的公众关注和历史研究远远不及前者。媒体乐意八卦《爱尔兰人》中美国工会和黑帮藕断丝连的政治交易，却鲜有挖掘历史上反工会行业背后根深蒂固的政商黑网络。 

20世纪初的私人武装与罢工监视

自现代劳工运动伊始，就有了对应的反工会产业，而美国的特殊之处在于其产业浓厚的社会运动属性。19世纪末20世纪初，美国是发达工业国家中唯一一个企业采用私人代理人和雇佣军解决劳资矛盾的国家，欧洲则一般只派出国民警卫队等正规军。这种民间代理人模式在美国其他社会运动中也很常见。社会学家艾萨克·马丁在关于富人减税运动的研究中指出，由于缺乏与工人阶级斡旋的经验，富人基本都是找代理人帮自己干脏活，这些代理人往往深谙社会运动的斗争方法，不少还是后来“叛变”到保守派阵营的激进无产者，他们从当时的女权和劳工运动中汲取了丰富的营养。 

1850年由苏格兰移民Allan Pinkerton创办的平克顿侦探事务所，是反工会的历史上绕不开的核心代理人。自成立伊始到19世纪末，平克顿雇佣的工会打手和间谍参与了至少70起关键的劳资冲突。其最著名的战役发生在1892年，受卡耐基钢铁的委托，300名平克顿雇佣军和罢工工人发生交火。卡耐基最终成功瓦解了工会，也间接导致钢铁工业的工会组织停滞了近半个世纪。平克顿的雇佣网络如此成熟，以至于当时国家能力还非常有限的美国政府都通过其来打击境内割据的匪帮势力。这段故事经过改编，最终出现在了荒野大镖客2的游戏主线剧情里。  

20世纪初欧洲移民涌入美国大城市和国际左翼无政府思潮的传播，迫使企业雇佣大量的私人武装，从而让美国的劳工斗争变得极为血腥。1909年，宾州Pressed Steel Car 来自16个不同国家的八千名工人以世界产业工人联合会（IWW）为名罢工。绵延近两个月的罢工成了移民工人、资方雇佣的同样多是移民的罢工捣乱者，和地方警察间的大混战。尽管最终IWW赢得了谈判权，冲突最终导致22人死亡。IWW这场带血的胜利也同时刺激到了美国政治精英和资方，间接导致十年后司法部利用帕尔默大搜捕对IWW进行毁灭性清洗。 

雇主得以有恃无恐地雇佣私人武装，也反映了当时美国政府的默许态度。20世纪初的美国政府对雇主购买军火几乎不加任何限制，导致私人雇佣军的装备逐渐达到堪比正规警察甚至军队的水平，甚至还出现了私人武装和军队合伙从同一军火商购买装备、互相分享军火商信息的情况。1912-1921年间西弗吉尼亚州的煤矿战役（West Virginia Coal Wars）中，雇主的装备精良程度就赶上了并肩作战的正规军警。 

与私人武装并存的是渗透到每个工人组织单位的间谍和线人。这些代理人不仅针对普通工人下手，还会挖掘工人的社会网络，从劳工的亲属朋友身上找到瓦解罢工的突破点。比如不少女性代理人会访问男工的家庭，向其伴侣哭诉参与罢工将如何毁灭一个家庭的未来。有时候，平克顿这类资深机构派出的线人可以一直被提拔到工会上层，直到真正罢工时才露出真面目。尽管1935年通过的瓦格纳法案判定公司雇人监视劳工属于不正当行为，各种违法监听和跟踪手段依然大行其道。当时国会针对劳工问题的特别调查委员会引述了一起惊人的案例：密歇根兰辛的一家通用汽车厂秘密雇佣了七个线人来破坏工会动员，最终除去这七个人，所有工会成员都被资方精准定点清除。委员会调查取证发现这七个人居然互不相识，因为通用汽车为了减少叛变可能让他们对不同的中介公司负责。 

方兴未艾的反工会产业养肥了一批野心家。被人称作First King of Strikebreaker的Jack Whitehead曾经是匹兹堡钢铁行业的熟练工，后来转而从事打击自己行业劳工的活动，直到1901年退休。仅通过成功干预一次罢工，Whitehead可以坐收一万美金报酬（约等于现在的三十万）。他是历史上第一个通过调用异地人手来镇压工会运动的组织者，其使用常备军的做法也被后人所沿用。紧接着Whitehead成名的是纽约的James Farley，他在轨道交通业埋下了深厚的人脉，声称可以随时调集七千到八千人参与各类反罢工。1905年，他仅用不到一周就搞垮了纽约地铁工人罢工，并将成功经验复制到了芝加哥和三番。与前任Whitehead类似，Farley退休时的个人财产同样翻了几百倍。不过和Farley昔日的下属，真正的反工会之王Pearl Bergoff比，这些数字都算不上什么。直到1936年Byrnes Act判定跨州运送反罢工劳力为重罪，Bergoff在三十年职业生涯中干扰了三百多次罢工。早在1907年，因为成功扰乱纽约垃圾运输工的罢工，纽约市政府就一次性奖励了他2.4万美金。Pressed Steel Car冲突后，Bergoff身价暴涨，企业支付的酬劳一次可高达两百万。他用获利在临近曼哈顿的新泽西Bayonne盖了当地最大的一栋办公楼。 

失业大军，黑人劳工与精英学生：反工会产业的雇佣体系

整个20世纪上半叶，企业对干预罢工的高需求催生出了成熟的打手和线人雇佣产业链。1930年代，福特汽车公司旗下有专门镇压劳工运动的私人武装，估计人数为3500到6000人，是当时世界上最大的私人军队。在纽约等工业密集的大城市涌现出数量匹敌出租车行的私人事务所，用于在全国范围内调集人力为企业寻觅适合的代理人。纽约著名中介公司Berghoff Bros. & Waddell一手遮天，声称可以在72小时内纠集一万名社会闲杂人等。 

这些社会性人力能够被迅速调集起来，首先和当时的结构性和季节性失业状况息息相关。1870到1920年间，受机械化的大规模普及，冬季时段铁路停工，夏季木材厂停产等的影响，每年平均有70万劳工有好几个月都处于失业和没有社会保障的状态，其中大部分是因为项目结束而被彻底解雇。这些没有稳定就业的劳力不得不在境内长途迁徙寻找零工。历史数据估计，当时美国一半的成年男性在十年内都会更换常驻地。因为交通不便捷，很多劳工抵达招工的新城市后才发现职位早已经招满，于是不得不再次上路或者露宿街头。 

这些剩余劳力成了反工会产业的绝佳雇工，他们走投无路，不怕受伤，容易取代。久而久之，主要大城市涌现出很多不成文的工会打手雇佣点，比如纽约的秘密据点之一是专供工人阶级男性居住的旅店Mills House，这里也是当时LGBT群体躲避警察追捕的场所。在芝加哥市中心的圆环内，流浪汉聚集的Randolph街成了绝佳的招募地，而底特律的主要据点则是市区绿地Grand Circus Park。  

在正规就业市场受到歧视的南方黑人男性劳工，成了反工会中介们热爱招募的第二类人员。即使在罢工打手内部，黑人劳力的待遇都显著更差，为中介公司节省了大量食宿和工资开销。黑人男性介入反罢工，也符合社会对黑人参与违法暴力活动的刻板印象。更重要的是，黑人反罢工群体的出现，可以激化底层白人，特别是欧洲移民劳工的种族怨恨，有效阻止工人阶级跨种族动员的可能性。对资方来说，引入黑人男性简直一举三得。 

在纺织、洗涤、通讯等女工占比高的行业，女性劳力同样会被雇佣为打手。比如1913年，波士顿电话公司曾经用火车从全国贝尔集团旗下的公司调集了2000多名女性接线员，来干扰当地接线员工会的罢工。但总的来说，由于工会和反工会组织对男性气质同样程度的推崇，女性打手的使用只局限在特定产业。这种男性气质主导的现象，也可以解释历史上工会和黑帮间的勾结。 

发动劳工斗劳工，是20世纪初反工会的典型模式之一，但这并不是唯一可行的模式。被掩盖的另一段关键历史，则是当时高校学生大量介入了反工会产业。相比处在社会边缘，移民或少数族裔居多的失业劳工，资方更喜欢雇佣有钱有闲的高校白人学生。即使是普通大学的学生，也往往来自极为富裕的家庭，他们的出身和工作经验的缺乏决定了其对普通劳工的诉求难有同情。1905年，一位治安官曾惊讶地描述了他所见到的一名从费城专程赶到纽约当反罢工志愿者的本科生。这名学生就读于宾夕法尼亚大学，穿着价值75刀的大衣（约等于现在的2200多刀）和6刀（和衣服比好偏宜）的靴子。当时从主要的藤校到州立工学院，都有大量男性学生定期参与反罢工的动员。不少高校的兄弟会和运动员组织甚至将反罢工宣传成了拓展男性气质的志愿服务。由于工业巨头往往担任私立大学的资方，学生志愿参与反罢工一般会得到校方默许甚至鼓励。相反，校园内出现的挺劳工话语则会被百般孤立。1919年，哈罗德·拉斯基在哈佛任教期间声援波士顿警察罢工，遭到学生群嘲和校方警告，很快就被迫自行辞职。 

当代反工会产业的转型

比较接近当代形态的反工会产业大约诞生于1940年代初。随着30年代末一系列立法禁止公然的反工会打手和间谍行为，企业雇佣临时工暴力干预罢工的成本高企，效率下降，还存在法律风险。同时，战后经济的复苏让低端流动劳力的供应减少，私人黑帮打手业务渐渐淡出。民权运动的爆发使得黑人逐步被主流工会所接纳，他们从反工会中介青睐的对象，蜕变为美国最支持工会的族裔。大学在非精英群体中的扩招，也使得校园文化出现明显的自由主义转向，招募大学生参与反工会的难度系数也大幅升高。战后的郊区化和“白人大迁移”也带来了不经意的后果：由于单位人口密度下降，只向男性开放的台球馆和搏击俱乐部大规模停业，强化男性气质的休闲娱乐方式骤减。连以往作为男性劳力重要社交场所的理发店（Barber shop），也被不分性别的美发沙龙（Hair Salon）取代。工人阶级男性被分散在各自组建的核心家庭，不再成群聚集在城市“街角社会”等待零工。 

面对既有招募体系的崩溃和工人阶级男性气质的转型，反工会产业开始采纳更为间接和非暴力的模式，依赖风险咨询、信息操纵和法律漏洞等干预劳工动员，高薪的全职雇员也逐步取代了低技术临时工，整个行业的制度化、官僚化程度得到增长。相比劳资双方头破血流的械斗，会议室中的谈判和投票，工厂车间的层级结构和流言蜚语，更能决定当代工运的成败。二战后的十多年内，工会规避（Union Avoidance）产业快速成型，最著名的咨询公司莫过于总部在芝加哥的Labor Relations Associates（LRA），创办者Nathan Shefferman后来被称为工会规避之父。Shefferman曾是芝加哥西尔斯百货的人力资源部经理，因为30年代多次成功阻挠公司旗下工会加入AFL，西尔斯索性给了Shefferman一万刀启动资金创办了LRA。LRA在工业聚集地芝加哥、纽约和底特律设置办公室，20名全职雇员在全美接单，每年营收超过一百万美元。LRA开创了著名的Astroturfing策略“投不”委员会（‘vote no’ committees），即设置一个看似是雇员自行组织的反工会委员会来扰乱民意。 

LRA的成功为70年代后反工会产业的爆发式增长奠定了基础。70年代前，全美从事反工会的咨询公司只有区区100家，这个数字到了80年代暴涨到了一千多家，覆盖医疗、航空、零售等主要产业。80年代政治文化保守主义的回潮一方面让工会更难赢得法律官司，另一方面则使得更多资方认为雇佣反工会咨询公司天经地义。到了90年代，面对工会威胁时，三分之二的雇主都会选择反工会咨询服务，这个比例到新世纪上升到了四分之三。 

同时，由于整个产业对普通雇员来说都获利丰厚，吸纳有高等教育商科、管理学、心理学、劳动法等背景的毕业生，或者有大型企业管理层经验的中层领导进入反工会咨询公司渐成主流。《美国工厂》中福耀方面雇佣专业反工会咨询员在工人中进行反工会宣传，被认为是最有效率，又能一定程度维持资方温文尔雅形象的策略。影片当中展现的一系列反工会动员技术，比如精准报复工人积极分子、召开强制员工参加的闭门会议（captive audience meeting）、手把手向工厂中层管理者教授反工会的宣传说辞（talking points）、为工人许诺有限的好处和甜头等，都是当今反工会产业的标准配置。这种转型体现了战后美国工作结构的中产、白领化，也反映了管理学、心理学、组织社会学等建制性社科理论对工作场所的知识入侵。不论实际的效果如何，资方和反工会方均相信可以用更科学、量化的方式来控制劳工。这种对归类和数据的推崇当然也并非首创。比如，将工人按照介入运动程度不同进行分类，从而各个击破的办法，早在上世纪初就被United Railroads的管理层和间谍采用，他们给每个工人标注记号，一条线代表工会同情者，两条线是参与者，三条线是积极分子，通过这种方式成功破坏了旗下工会的组织。不过和当年不同的是，当代反工会产业重分析外还讲预测。反工会咨询员的一项重要使命就是根据各种已有指标和模型，给客户做工会脆弱性评估（Union Vulnerability Assessment），预测该企业员工组建工会的可能性，从而防患于未然。平日，咨询员们实时收集全国的劳工数据、法律条文，分析趋势、存档备用。在劳工庆祝斗争胜利的时候，他们的经验往往被悄悄作为反面教材写进工会脆弱性的评估报告。劳工研究学者Edna Bonacich就曾经指出，劳工研究学术期刊的最主要读者，就是反工会咨询行业的从业者。 

工会咨询公司Sparta Solutions的网站宣传画...

新经济下的反工会产业

互联网浸染的新经济下，由于行业内部形态差异更大，内部分化加剧，反工会咨询公司在次级市场上的分工也更明确了。一般一个咨询公司会横跨多个州，但把工作重点放在几类行业上，而不是像20世纪初的不少中介公司一样来者不拒。比如美国私立大学之间往往雇佣同样的咨询公司，来阻止旗下研究生建立工会。这次谷歌雇佣的IRI Consultants的强项则是在医疗行业。对咨询公司来说，在一个公司成功干预了工会，就可以将之写成个案来吸引同行业的更多客户，从而形成某种正反馈。咨询公司内部的全职雇员和兼职顾问也是术业有专攻，他们不仅在行业上有分工，有的甚至针对特定族裔和性别有技能加点，这种劳动分工使得客户可以获得高度定制的反工会服务。不过，面对反工会方频繁的骚扰，工会和劳工方面也相应推出了反“反工会”策略。网络上可以搜寻到大量Union Busting101的个案，工会网站上一般也会附加如何应对雇主的建议，有心人加以比对学习，不难总结出反工会组织的惯用伎俩。 

70年代后工会力量的衰落，除了制造业的转型和政治气氛，也要归功于日益精进的反工会产业。本文着重提及的咨询行业是介入反工会最深远的行业，但这绝不是当代反工会网络唯一的玩家。这个网络中还包括海量的法律公司、营销公司、游说集团、作为顾问存在的前政府雇员、商学院教授、行为科学家甚至心理咨询师。尽管美国的高等教育更加普及，不少专业的学生成分更为多元，私立高校的商学院、法学院以及与其形成裙带关系的大企业依然是维系精英再生产的坚固引擎，它们保证了反工会产业将有源源不断的人才储备。精英高校的毕业生们尽管不再把干扰罢工当作课余运动消遣，但他们依然可以将之视作一份稳定的白领职业。 

反工会行业不仅聚焦于帮助具体的雇主破坏员工的工会组织，而且积极参与政治，推动反工会立法。比如，2010年以后，美国多个州通过了禁止强制员工缴纳工会会费的法律，即所谓的“工作权益法案”（right-to-work laws）。2018年，美国最高法院在Janus vs AFSCME一案中的判决将全国所有公立部门工会置于“工作权益法案”之下。这一系列立法和判决的出台，很大程度上要归功于反工会行业积极的动员、游说，和全国层面上的周密协调。在Janus vs AFSCME一案判决出台之后，反工会行业的营销公司、广告公司蜂拥而上，发起“给你自己涨工资”运动（give yourself a raise），劝说、鼓励工会会员退出工会、不交会费。  

本世纪即将进入第三个十年，反工会行业的前景看似愈发明朗起来。美国经济政策研究所（Economic Policy Institute, EPI）最新出炉的报告显示，如今美国雇主每年花在反工会咨询上的资金高达3.4亿美元。2016和2017年，在四成以上的工会斗争中，雇主都有违反联邦法律的行为。自动化造成的空间性、结构性失业，让传统制造业和服务业的劳资冲突不断加强，需要更多反工会从业者的介入。更重要的是，越来越多之前没有工会的领域，比如媒体、科技和零工经济正在争取工会代表权。硅谷没法再用园区里的创新口号和平权标语来标榜自己的进步主义，数字垄断集团制造的劳工自主性幻象正在一个个破灭。 

更高的客户需求，更多的可用案例，和更强劲的算法技术加持下，反工会行业恐怕会以更戏剧性的方式延续其生命力。在咨询公司的建议下，谷歌就注意收集员工的日历数据，密切跟踪员工在公司内组织的多人会议。科技公司对雇员身体的日常控制将有效反哺到反工会行业。如果说非暴力化和制度化是这个行业的第一次范式变革，日常化与算法化也许会主导其下一步的蜕变。 

（张跃然对此文亦有贡献） 

参考文献： 

Feurer, Rosemary and Chad Pearson. 2017. Against Labor: How U.S. Employers Organized to Defeat Union Activism. University of Illinois Press. 

Logan, John. 2006. “The Union Avoidance Industry in the United States.” British Journal of Industrial Relations 44(4):651–75. 

Martin, Isaac. 2013. Rich People’s Movements: Grassroots Campaigns to Untax the One Percent. Oxford: Oxford University Press. 

Miller, Wilbur R. 2018. A History of Private Policing in the United States. Bloomsbury Publishing. 

Norwood, Stephen H. 2003. Strikebreaking and Intimidation: Mercenaries and Masculinity in Twentieth-Century America. Univ of North Carolina Press. Smith, 

Robert Michael. 2003. From Blackjacks to Briefcases: A History of Commercialized Strikebreaking and Unionbusting in the United States. Ohio University Press.

[kmbezner]

National Poetry Month Photoset, 2/3

Day 9: "to rise like this⁣ / and by simply sliding my feet into my boots⁣ / while the / water for coffee⁣ / gathers its song ⁣/ be in the garden⁣ / or on the stoop⁣ / running, almost,⁣ / from nothing."⁣

Day 10: "& what is left to do⁣ / but pluck the bones⁣ / from my face"⁣

Day 11: “There is no where to go but forward.”

Day 12: "Level. / The evidence. / The ship."⁣

Day 13: “So much of America belongs to the trees.”

Day 14: "Show me how a ruin makes a home / out of hip bones."⁣

Day 15: "her face made strangely beautiful / as only suffering can do" ⁣

Day 16: "A woman like that is not ashamed to die. / I have been her kind."⁣

[fire-of-the-sun]

Kabby Meta: The Shocklashing

Today I'm going to address one of Kane and Abby's most important developments together - the shock-lashing. Why it matters, how it positively develops them individually and together - marking a powerful and constructive turning point, not a negative, toxic one.

The first signs of this particular issue are shown in Abby's frustration with Kane's decisions as leader. She wants him to start searching the woods for the missing kids – desperate to find her own daughter, but he must also consider the now tenuous safety of the people and camp.

Seeing his own people murdered in the forest continues to cement to him that the security of the camp comes first. He's desperate to protect all of his people - both in and outside the camp. But no matter what action he chooses, lives are at risk, and this weighs heavily on him.

Abby is looking to Kane for help. He wants to save the kids too, but feels certain he cannot send out a search party right now. Unable to give her what she needs quickly enough, she decides to takes matters into her own hands once more by freeing and arming the young prisoners.

Knowing her so well, Kane immediately suspects she’s the culprit and confronts her on this, genuinely disappointed that their relationship has relapsed. She easily stands her ground against his reprimands and retorts that his current leadership and 'redemption' are a lie.

This hits its mark and Kane is stunned into silence as he watches her leave. This conversation perfectly sets up what’s to come. Abby’s mention of redemption reintroduces this theme for him - a question that has and will continue to plague him. Did he/can he redeem himself?

We know based on his conversation with Byrne after that Kane is against shock-lashing her initially, instead deferring to a lighter punishment. He avoided the sentence that was expected of him to issue - already bending the rules for her - the one Byrne reminds him he must do.

"On the Ark we had to be ruthless, uncompromising. Our hand was always forced, but down here we have a chance to start over, make something better." Kane is already of the belief that to make a better world, they have to let go of the old one. He is willing and ready to change.

Byrne acts as the embodiment of Ark law – of the man Kane was, who he’s 'supposed' to be. As he fights against her, he’s fighting that old part of himself. It's an excellent way to present this internal struggle between what's expected of him and what he believes to be right.

Unfortunately, Kane feels forced to concede after being reaffirmed of the disarray spreading throughout camp moments later resulting in someone's death. He must put aside his personal feelings once more to do what he thinks is best for everyone as the tension in camp rises.

It should be more than clear to the audience that his actions do not come from anger, sadism or a need for payback against Abby. No, he is simply driven by the overwhelming need to protect his people however he can, to keep order like he was taught and do.

"I'm sorry it had to come to this Abby, but you left me no choice." Though Abby is disappointed in him, she understands the decision and accepts her punishment, holding onto her strength and resolve more than ever as he struggles to maintain his.

Yes, watching this take place is unpleasant, no doubt about it, but no one is more troubled by the sight than Kane himself. The powerfully filmed scene comes down to a wordless struggle between them: Abby’s resilience vs. Kane's crippling guilt as the battle rages within him.

Afterwards, Kane comes to check on her, brimming with shame. He has no reason to apologize, in the eyes of the law he was completely right to do what he did, but that doesn’t matter to him anymore. He feels guilt because he cares about her/others more than he cares about the law.

"I did hear you, you know." He gently, and unaccusingly reminds her that he was listening, that he does care. He's going on a mission to try and help the kids if he can, just like she wanted. They matter to him too and it shows her that he’s on her side - and has been.

Seeing him so open and honest in this way Abby finally realizes that what he says is true. He’s someone she can trust to be attentive to and share her concerns. From this point on, she’s willing to listen to and trust him – they are now on the same page, more connected than ever.

What other progress is made here? Kane easily hands over his power as Chancellor to her. Entrusting her with the care of the thing he cares about most – his people. Just as she is entrusting him with the potential security of her child. This is another huge moment for them.

There is no doubt or hesitation in their regard towards each other after this. He is determined to go on this mission to help save his people and she’s supportive of that choice, grateful. There is no ill-will or concealed anger in the looks they share, only support and care.

The shock-lashing is never addressed again save for a brief reference in 2x09. This, among other shows of concern for each other, should clear up any doubt from the audience that there are any hard feelings between them, especially if she’s comfortable enough to make light of it.

To sum up, both Kane and Abby made mistakes and misjudgements but they didn’t let what happened grow or fester. They worked through it with maturity and came out stronger because of it. Well-written, necessary conflict like this is the pressure that turns coal into diamond.

They both immediately understand where the other is coming from: they’re just trying to help their people in the best way they know how. That's something they can connect on, not fight over. Both learned a valuable lesson and made positive steps forward because of it.

They’ve overcome their initial obstacles and are stronger for it, making them, in my opinion, one of the healthiest dynamics on The 100. They continue to see each other at their worst and accept each other for who they are with kindness – a necessary step on the path to true love.

Please note this essay is in no way meant to excuse any actions or blame it on anyone in particular. It happened. The point is to show that these characters learned and grew from it (very quickly I might add) and there were no ill feelings involved on either part. It’s a powerful lesson and one they needed to learn to grow closer. 

[foodreceipe]

Why Are So Many Cakes Named After Fabric? Silk, satin, lace, and fur, but make it cake.

By Brandon Summers-Miller 🎂 June 10, 2022

In what seems like a past life, my family owned a bakery with a menu that was overwhelmingly inspired by American confectionery—classic cakes from Appalachia, the South, and twists on iconic recipes from New York City bakeries. As I pored over piles of recipes to build my own foundation of baking knowledge, I quickly noticed a continuous thread throughout the archives of iconic American heirloom cakes: so many are named after fabrics.

My family is the proud owner of a red velvet cake recipe which, according to family lore, was given to us after a family friend purchased it from the Waldorf Astoria in the 1930s. In our bakery, we sold a delicate, zesty lemon chiffon cake, which was developed in the late 1940s. And as you dive a little deeper into the canon of American baking, the list goes on, including black satin cake, tweed cake, ermine frosting, and others.

Once I started to notice them, I realized they were everywhere—a whole range of velvet cakes from the mid-1800s beyond the iconic red velvet; recipes that evoked silk, satin, lace, and furs; mid-20th-century magazines depicted cakes that had the alluring elegance of upper-class fashion. But where did this secret coding come from?

“My first initial gut reaction was that it was simple to explain why cakes are often named after fabrics: because they’re both women’s material culture—they are both historically part of women’s worlds,” says K.C. Hysmith, a food historian and writer.

As Hysmith explains, many generations of women throughout history have relied on embodied knowledge (that is, learning through the body’s senses, like sight, touch, smell, and taste) to acquire tactile skills like cooking and sewing. Before the standardization of measurements and innovation of precise cooking equipment, written recipes were often concise and lacked fine details; there was no standard way to communicate these details, anyway. Recipe authors assumed their audience had learned how to cook and bake from their mothers or from other skilled cooks who ran domestic kitchens; they likely knew what a “low oven” was by having an intimate knowledge of their personal oven, how much coal or wood to light, and feeling the heat of the oven on their hands—just as someone would have shown them in person.

According to Anne Byrn’s American Cake, scales have been used in American baking since the 1860s and many recipes, including pound cake, relied on this kitchen technology. However, it wasn’t until a few famous cooking schools in Boston and Philadelphia opened in the 1890s that volumetric units of measure, such as cups and tablespoons, were standardized. Without these precise measurements, or the high-resolution photos that accompany today’s recipes, it helped to know whether your cake batter should resemble more of a tight, glossy silk, or an airy, frothy chiffon.

“It makes sense that to help other women understand and navigate elements of a cake, including its texture, women would describe it in terms of something they would know, something universal, which would be fabric,” Hysmith tells me.

To get a better understanding of the types of textures these fabrics—velvet, ermine, satin—were hoping to convey to bakers, I reached out to one of America’s foremost experts on cake texture.

“People don’t take into account the profound effect texture has on flavor,” says Rose Levy Beranbaum, author of the 1988 instant classic The Cake Bible and pioneer of the all-butter reverse creaming method for cakes. “If you’ve ever made a cake using all the right ingredients, but say you didn’t use bleached flour and your cake fell in the middle and the texture was coarse—suddenly you’d realize that it has an awful taste.”

While texture and flavor are intimately linked, there is a startling lack of vocabulary to precisely describe what a cake should feel like. Beranbaum, who studied at the Fashion Institute of Technology in 1968, says that this vacuum was easily filled by textiles—a familiar category for many homemakers through the mid-20th century.

“I like to say I went from draping fabric to draping fondant,” Beranbaum says. “All the skills I learned as a craftsperson were transferable to baking. It was kind of a logical thing to use fabric because fabric is so visual and textural, as are a lot of cakes and cookies and pies and tarts.”

Beranbaum points out that the crossover language between fashion and cake can account for texture, but also presence and persona. Both a cake and a dress can be ethereal, stunning, and showstopping, and both can be emotionally evocative in a way that transcends a list of ingredients or components. Beranbaum’s The Cake Bible included a White Velvet Butter Cake as soft and fluffy as its textile namesake, a lusciously smooth Silk Meringue Buttercream, and several variations of light-and-airy chiffon cake.

“People can be in different professions, but when they’re interested in beauty and form and shape and taste, there are deep connections between artists of different forms,” Beranbaum adds.

And, as Hysmith points out, food and fashion—tiered cakes and elaborate gowns—both speak to a fundamental desire to live well. An expertly crafted cake that emulates the texture of a fine fabric suggests a familiarity with luxury itself.

Baking in the 19th and 20th centuries, says Hysmith, “was a very aspirational activity. It was something you could do to be very creative, to escape, to celebrate things, but there was also always this element of making things fancier, better…. These fabrics—velvet, chiffon, and especially ermine—you might not be able to afford those fabrics as a housewife in the 1950s who’s making a boxed cake mix. [Or] you might have those, but you never get to wear them except for fancy occasions. However, you can bake a cake emblematic of that class using the same name.”

🎂 🥮https://www.epicurious.com/holidays-events/cakes-named-after-fabric-history?utm_source=pocket-newtab🎂 🥮

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Lane Cake Is a Boozy, Coconut-Filled Southern Classic Take your time baking Cheryl Day’s Lane cake for a true taste of Alabama. By Kaylee Hammonds

I Tried the Dolly Parton Cake Mix and It’s Everything I Dreamed It Would Be Does a cake taste better if Dolly Parton’s face is on the box? Yes, but there’s a little more to it than that (and it’s butter). By Emily Farris

This No-Bake Cheesecake Is the Ultimate Easy Make-Ahead Dessert Forget water baths and the oven. The key to making a flawless cheesecake is not baking it. By Genevieve Yam

How Cream of Tartar Helped Invent Modern Baking But first: What is cream of tartar, anyway, and how do you use it in baking? By Nadia Berenstein

Danish Dream Cake This cake has been a favorite since 1965, when a girl won a baking competition with her grandmother’s secret family recipe.

11 One-Bowl Cake Recipes, Because Nothing’s Sweeter Than Quick Cleanup It's hard to beat a dessert that doesn't leave your kitchen looking like a disaster zone. 11 slides By The Editors of Epicurious

San Francisco’s Iconic Swedish Cake Is a Celebration of Whipped Cream and Marzipan Prinsesstårta or princess cake is a jam-and-custard-filled cake that's as iconically San Franciscan as it is Swedish. By MacKenzie Chung Fegan

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