#damn maybe they make their own money. its 2023

[llycaons]

I'm so tired of the 'well *condescending explaination* Susan, meme phrase. like I think it was a really useful format for certain topics related to like, wealthy white women's sense of privilege or being out of touch with other ppls experiences esp poc or poor ppl and thats a great usage of it, but more and more I see it applied to completely unrelated topics and it's just starting to sound unironically misogynistic

[empty-movement]

Welcome to Something Eternal: A Website Forum in 2023 wtf lmao

It's 2023, and a single belligerent rich guy destroyed one of the primary focal points of uh...global communication. Tumblr is, shockingly, kinda thriving despite the abuse it gets from its owners, but that I will call the iconic refusal of Tumblr users to let Tumblr get in the way of their using Tumblr. Reddit killed its API, removing the functionality of mobile apps that made it remotely readable (rip rif.) Discord, our current primary hangout, has made countless strange choices lately that indicate it has reached the summit of its usability and functionality, and can only decline from here as changes get made to prepare for shareholders. (NOTE: WROTE THIS POST BEFORE THEIR MOBILE "REDESIGN" LMAO)

The enshittification is intense, and it's coming from every direction. Social media platforms that felt like permanent institutions are instead slowly going to let fall fallow incredible amounts of history, works of art, thought, and fandoms. It kinda sucks!

A couple years ago, I posted about a new plan with a new domain, to focus on the archiving of media content, as I saw that to be the fatal weakness of the current ways the internet and fandoms work. Much has happened since to convince me to alter the direction of those efforts, though not abandon them entirely.

Long story short? We are launching a fucking website forum. In 2023.

If you remember In the Rose Garden, much about Something Eternal will be familiar. But this has been a year in the making, and in many ways it's far more ambitious than IRG was. We have put money on this. The forum is running on the same software major IT and technology businesses use, because I don't want the software to age out of usability within five years. It has an attached gallery system for me to post content to, including the Chiho Saito art collection. It has a profile post system that everyone already on the forum has decided is kinda like mini Twitter? But it is, fundamentally, a website forum, owned and run and moderated by us. We are not web devs. But we have run a website on pure spite and headbutting code for over twenty years, and we have over a decade of experience maintaining social spaces online, both on the OG forum, and on our Discord. Better skilled people with far more time than we have can and will build incredible alternatives to what is collapsing around us. But they're not in the room right now. We are. And you know what? Maybe it's time to return to a clunkier, slower moving, more conversation focused platform.

You're not joining a social media platform with the full polish of dozens of devs and automated moderation. Things might break, and I might need time to fix them. The emojis and such are still a work in progress. Because e-mails no longer route in reasonable normal ways, the sign-up process instead happens within the software, and has to be approved by mods. Design and structure elements may change. Etc. The point being, that the forum isn't finished, but it is at a place where I feel like I can present it to people, and it's people I need to help direct what functions and things will be in this space. You all will shape its norms, its traditions, its options...choices I could try to make now, but really...they're for us to create as a group! But the important stuff? That's there. Now let's drive this baby off the damn lot already!

Come! Join us!!

PS. As always, TERFs and Nazis need not apply.

[all444miles]

can you please do 42!miles with a baddie like a Megan type vibe? SHE HAS A PINK JEEP

💗💗💗💗

— SHE A BADDIE

— pairing: e42!miles x fem!black!reader — genre: fluff — summary: what its like for 42 miles to date a reader with a "baddie like megan" vibe. — a/n : i felt like i was a lil lazy writing this, sorry ! can yall tell i got excited abt the jeep n the attitude part.. its litch what kept me writing this whole thing 😭 also, a car creeper is those lil things u slide under to fix the underside of ur car — a/n 2: changed the way i start writin a jus a lil, petition for head over heels 42 miles supremacy !! + this was so fun.. like i was writing this n i was like "lemme be this when i grow up" LMAOOO so ty for the request anonnn, mwah and enjoy !!

MILES FALLS IN LOVE with you every second. like, honestly, just do anything, he's wrapped around your finger.

maybe he'll try and hide it, but you make him fold 24/7. you dont even have to do nothing.

it's just something about your energy, the way you dont give a damn about nothing, he just loves it. y'all are like beast boy and raven.

"mama, you killin' me right now." "hm? did i do somethin'?" "i love you so, so much. i swear, you make me weak." "aww, hun, I love you more." "yeah, keep dreamin'. now, lemme love on you."

hype man, hype man, HYPE MANN

when I say if you want to do anything he's here for it, he's here for it.

you wanna get your hair done? he's at your service.

you wanna go to the mall? he's already throwing you the keys to your jeep.

you wanna get your nails done? show him your options (he always likes the french tips, esp this.)

"Y'know Miles, i think this set ain't looking too good no more.." "You wanna get new nails?" "Mhm, wanna help me pick?" "'Course I do, let's see em."

does not care what you wear, he's always gonna say you look gorgeous. plus, he can fight. but, he's always got his hands on your waist. always.

you're your own girl, he knows that. he spoils you, yes, but he'll always let you do your own thing.

he can't explain it, but when you refer to him as "my man", or your anything, really, it does something to his heart.

yk when latto goes "ty to my man"? yeah, that's you.

"My nails? Yeah, my man helped me pick 'em."

you have attitude. Miles doesn't mind, he's a "yes ma'am" kind of guy, but if it's to him, hes gonna shut you down.

a lot of the times, you won't care, and it won't end in an argument, becuase he's still shutting you down regardless.

"Miles, you lost your shit or sum." "Amor, drop that tone f'me, aight?"

you are a party animal, and Miles? He'll just be in the back, watching you do your thing with your friends. If you ask him to dance with you though, he will for sure.

Will he throw money on you? Yes, yes he will. (Not sexual btw !)

Your jeep. He has his own car, but he honestly loves yours the best.

He helped you decorate it, all pretty and pink

He will happily get in your jeep while you blast Megan or Rihanna because c'mon now, who wouldnt?

I'm insistent he's good with mechanics, so he'll tune your car whenever you need him to, bryson tiller or tory lanez playing while he does so. (i'm losing my shit rn.)

"Cariño, ¿puedes pasarme esa llave inglesa? It's to ya left." (Baby, can you pass me that wrench?)

he'd say, sliding out from the car creeper under the hood of your pink jeep, sliding back in after you passed him the tool.

and after about 15 minutes, he'd come back out, putting a dirty cloth over his shoulder, wiping the sweat from his forehead.

its a sight to see: white tank top, slightly stained with grime from fixing your car; his favorite gold chain glistened in the sun, adorned with beaded glints of sweat from his neck.

"Aight, i think she's good, you can start her up if you wanna." "Yay! thank you for fixing my car, baby, I love youu."

you'd squeal, wrapping your arms around his neck to plant a kiss on his cheek, your pink tinted lip gloss staining his face.

"Ain't no problem princesa, I love you too."

© all444miles 2023. do not plagerize, copy, or repost my work in any way shape or form, without my permission.

likes, reblogs, comments and asks are always appreciated !

[irishbabyx]

Parts of me last year

unk date --- green lake starbucks

so many faces and bodies that contain unique energies. i still feel that imposter syndrome. who do i think i am? i think i am a good person somehow. i am not hurting anyone or wishing bad luck either. i simply sustain myself.. but on digital media, i presume more life than i actually do. what is success? is it being financial secure? why don’t i have relationships? its like i can’t call or text anyone to hang out with or just be around. is it the energy i give out that people don’t think of or miss me? am i difficult to be around? some days i just want to sit down and not have to talk….. this is why im single lol my expectation is way too high. i expect someone to be perfect when im not and that causes insecurity then i retract. it a vicious cycle i take part in and don’t know how to stop.

i hate being home. ive wasted a couple of years of my life doing nothing. i haven’t really enjoyed myself in washington. i feel like im just violently existing - waiting for someone to notice me and be with me as i heal…

wow - just caught someone’s eyes and that was cute. he was cute - though i am not sure what he is doing here. what’s wrong with me? or what’s right with me? i just want someone to notice me. this guy next to me is .. whatever.

idk if its the caffeine but im having a lot of anxiety. maybe because of daniel. he’s ignoring me. meaning he’s not interested in me anymore. what should i do? just keep cool?

tuesday, march 21st, 2023

at GL starbucks

got back from vegas this morning. spent almost 2 weeks there visiting family, my parents came up as well. helped my sister semi-settle in her new home. so proud of her for coming this far in her life and career. it felt intimidating but i had to pause and tell myself that she also had her own pathway full of treks and obstacles to get her to where she is now. got to know jordan a little bit more, though it was always awkward interactions. he is a family man. he will do everything he can to protect them despite two of the kids not being biologically his. i hope he didn’t feel too overwhelmed us all there - we are all pretty crazy. i also wanted to feel how it would be like living there, so far the only downside is lower income. though now that i think about it, will it matter if i stress about money no matter where i am? the kids are truly little humans now. time is a thief. when it was with kayla, everything was amplified but with more children, everyone’s got a little more chill. not so worried about what goes in the baby’s mouth or if their eating/sleeping schedule is off. we were all just living in the moment. what i did notice, which i want to avoid happening (if that’s even all that possible) is to deter kayla from swallowing derogatory words from my parents and taking it to heart. i know what those exact words did to me as a child and i want her to avoid taking the same steps we have. providing a nurturing, loving, protective home allows them to see the world in a lighter and brighter lens. that no matter the cruel things we see and hear around us, that family should remain golden. i took my family for granted. i made them disposable even though they are the most permanent things from the day i had my first breath.. i wish i had listened to my parents more and read between the lines instead. they showed tough love, but love regardless. had i known they were just new parents experiencing trials and tribulations in a new generation and didn’t also know a damn thing about mental health. their behaviors are hard to unlearn but it feels my duty to protect the next generations from their blinds eyes toward positive child rearing, rather not known. being their aunty mom makes me feel more confident in becoming a mom truly. i aspire to be like my sister who possesses patience day by day. she always kept grounded.

the downside of the trip was the the deep, slow hum of loneliness. i want to experience life with someone. highs and lows. someone to feel and express with. someone i gravitate towards to and look forward to any time of day. i miss that. i miss a partner. that deep ache and longing was present. i met nathaniel, 39 y/o air force pilot. i still can’t wrap my mind around our interactions. i was late 30 mins and made a fuss about it. he noticed everything i said and also had an answer to everything. i didn’t think he’d invite me back to his apartment. that was also strange. idk what he thinks of our age difference - i don’t think he does but he wants someone who is more mature than i. the thing about me is that i don’t know how to express my thoughts into words, let alone formulate a sentence that actually has context. it doesn’t make sense to me. i have lost touch with meaningful conversations. anyway, he’s hot and buff and god damn i choked. i haven’t been able to stop feeling giddy, though i know this is only temporary. he is emotionally unavailable and knows it himself.

boundaries and traumas emanating

monday, march 27th, 2023

at GL retreat

so much has happened since i got back from seattle. so much? actually maybe not but something significant happened. lol that guy i mentioned above turned out to be super psycho and downright TOO sensitive and disrespectful. the messages he sent me were very questionable regarding his integrity and character, for someone serving in the military? now that i think about it, that’s almost abuse, no? i don’t know but glad it only lasted that short. i can’t imagine what other shit he would have came up with or deduce. anywho, i hate that i spiral so quickly when i know what’s about to happen. like financially, how am i gonna come up with rent for next month? and also calling out of work because i got too drunk again last night. these decisions are affecting my livelihood and it’s embarrassing to think and write about. tho this is my reality, i never learned through these difficult times in my life. i continue letting it happen as if it one day, everything will miraculously solve themselves. i am proud of how far i’ve come though, especially without a college degree. i was able to make it out in seattle this long and though.

i want better relationships with my family, individually and as a whole. they continue to support me despite showing angst and being disappointing. i never stopped caring about them and vice versa. i’ve just been hiding my vices from them and that’s what ultimately broke our relationship apart. i was always the issue, not them. i am learning as i go and going on that trip to meet them solidified that family is what i need right now. there was this narrative in my childhood and early adulthood that i was a burden to them and that i was some sort of a leech. i have to forgive myself for that because while it is/was true, i didn’t know i was doing it maliciously. well maybe in their perspective it was.

love life? lol why do i keep talking about this. broken record laced with desperation.

you know, mollie says this over and over that there is a chemical imbalance and it’s not me… why is it so hard to admit that myself? that there will always be that throughout my life. most people dip down multiple times in their lives. i can validate my thoughts and emotions, but i can’t always feel sorry/bad about myself and stay in that dip. cheers, irish. take care of yourself because others need you to.

saturday, april 1st, 2023

at GL starbucks

the early months flew by. i feel like this is the case as i get older. it all just.. happens. the earth will remain even without us. we are but a flicker of light. this week was okay. i fell ill after restarting naltrexone. at least i know now that that’s what the medication does to me. i never knew if meds worked for me or not because i always just feel numb.. now i question if the fluoxetine is also working. the only thing i feel like i need to work on is self-esteem. i have a few people in my circle because that side of me is so vulnerable. you can easily use it to tear me down.

something about having a routine though. it feels safe. but when you do the same thing over and over, people think you’re crazy? for example, going to starbucks ordering the same thing and sitting in the same spot..

anyway. idk what came over me last night but david came over. i hurriedly cleaned my room and vacuumed. lolol the shit i do for men that i wouldn’t even do for myself. i was already so drunk but man was i desperate for it. wow idk how long its been but he aged. LOL grew a mustache but overall looks and smells the same. still bad in bed. won’t stay erect and takes FOREVER to cum. i’m convinced he needs medication. he did remember a few things about me tho? my bed? he was wearing converse how cute. he does care about what he wears. i might buy those converses now. i need to forget about him. he obviously doesn’t care about me and just thinks im a quick booty call. maybe i am a sucker for him tho. i may have hurt his ego too much. from his clothes, to his name, how his converse were yellow, how he lasted, it was all sarcasm but maybe that is my toxic red flag. men have much more sensitive ego that we think.

tuesday, april 18th, 2023

at GL retreat

what’s going on with me again? honestly.. i have these waves of motivation. one week i’m at the very tip top. the next, i’m just existing. i need to stop sending messages to people when i’m drunk like LINDA OR DAVID?? OR NELSON?? JESUS irish. you need to stop. that shit is embarrassing and you are jeopardizing your relationships with people and it makes you look bad and pathetic. i really don’t know how to control myself. alcohol is putting me at risk.

monday, may 8th, 2023

at LV house

i feel like i’m drowning above water. just in debt. i don’t know how to manage my money. i don’t know how to ask for help. i don’t know who to ask for help for. what can i do? a financial advisor, but will i get through this feeling of shame? my parents can’t know.. let my alone my siblings. i feel like a failure. it is because i am. they are all successful and here i am struggling. it was nice being around the family, even just for a day. i feel safe with them.

wednesday, june 7th, 2023

at home (green lake terrace)

what am i feeling? this is a weird sensation. when i want to just talk to someone. or jolt my thoughts down. i’ve gotten too used to being alone that loneliness doesn’t bother me anymore. i feel like i am living in an elderly woman’s body and growing accustomed to independence. however you see that lol. i still feel the need to connect to the outside world and i guess that’s the younger version of me comes in. though i could live alone or isolated, i would still need to know what is going on around me. is this the age i was brought up to? maybe i couldn’t escape that reality.

thursday, june 15th, 2023

at home (green lake terrace)

qi xuan?? huang? hahaha why do i feel so giddy? is this a new thing? i like that he’s not afraid to be himself. he has a fire in him that i want to ignite in myself.

thursday, june 22nd, 2023

at home (green lake terrace)

drunk. me and qi had sex like twice already. sooooo good. its not even the size but the intimacy. feels so comforting. i feel comfortable with him.. just someone i don’t feel like i need to compete with or feel like i need to impress. he’s humble. he’s himself.

sunday, july 16th, 2023

at armistice coffee in roosevelt

woof.

[thoughtcock]

self manifestations for 2023/24 (progress)

[X] rent an better actual apartment, by myself or with someone else: I am currently here now :) sitting by myself in the comfort of my living room, while listening to lofi music on youtube as background. And boy, what an amazing feeling it is. it is merely just over 400 sq ft, a small size by most standards. yet its just enough for me and the bf who comes over.

I used to feel like I don't do well in the ordinary, life had to always be happening or I have to be on some unconventional route (i mean it kinda is but still) to be happy or whatever. But lately, I really do appreciate the peace and the ordinaryness. I now romanticise the chill/hiding away to my safe space. I love doing my silly little home decorating and just feeling present at this apartment. my safe space.

I gradually became a much more neater and organised person. seriously, i started making my own bed more regularly and you could point a gun at me and i would find it so pointless to do it. its just going tog et messy again so who cares? but now.... i see why people do it.

i thought me being messy was just a personality trait of mine and i hoped people around me will accept it. but i dont know... i guess there's this new-found form of respect i have for my space now, and keeping it tidy just makes it so much more pleasant for me. the only issue with that is i spend significantly more time tidying, and my boyfriend still hasnt caught up to speed yet.

But still... I finally get ikea catalogues and how they are always selling this idea of a beautiful home enriching your life. because its true. and i get why people buy picture frames and decorative tissue boxes and carpets and all. to make a space much cozier, which in turn makes u happier and more at peace. And I get why people buy extra practical things like a water filter, storage space for your appliances, a speaker, a standing desk. because why wouldnt you? it boosts your quality of life in different ways.

Yes, its not cheap to rent, but damn I would rather pay with money than with my mental health. for seven years i've lived with the bare minimum. mostly stuck to buying necessary stuff for my home, or barely buying anything at all for fear it will eat up the little space i was allocated to. and now to have the space(!!) and options to buy something just for the aesthetics is suddenly new to me again. for 8 years i've been living in cramped dorms/subdivided rooms/flat share. i am so grateful and i cant wait to make more and get an even bigger space maybe (i still wish for a bigger kitchen, and an actual designated to hang clothes without taking over the living room space).

In the meantime maybe i can start thinking about owning a home. though i still dont feel ready, need to save more haha

[ ] get my first tattoo: still in the works. all the artists i like are either based far away, or i am still undecided and frankly procrastinating. slighly worrying about the fallout with the mother. also there is a bit of inertia to just fuck it and out trust in an artist for a tattoo that im not sure of yet.

[ ] adopt a cat: unlike getting a tattoo, i dont think i can just bite the bullet and bring an animal to my life full-time. since having a family dog, i realised how important it is to consider how I really have to be responsible for a pet. And making space for said pet in your life. my family dog came to us in a "yolo" way of sorts, and while he is amazingggggg, i know if it were up to me i'll do so much more to give him a better life. and so, i would like to carefully consider everything before fostering one. and also because my new apartment is so great as it is, how can an animal live in it well without destroying the space i worked so hard for?

[X] adapt well in new job: giving this an X because so far i've performed better than how i did in my first year. but there's a lot of self-pressure and probably managerial pressure to step up and do even more, learn even more etc. tbh sometimes it feels like my brain is swimming from all these new things i've learnt or am expected to learn. i dont want to disappoint people, but i am also trying to give myself the space/patience to improve and be better. after all im paid much better to live in this nice apartment.

[X] buy fancy decorative stuff for said new apartment (eg. plates, candles, artsy fartsy stuff)

[ ] be reading more: definitely falling back on reading... sometimes its hard to get the attention span to do so. i've been told i should get back on self-help books. so far i've read more autobiographies. there are some books i own that take me back to chaotic times (Eg. 2019) and i'm sure if i even want to touch them for fear of bringing up not so great memories and how this city is quietly turning to shits. well at least i have my nice place as it turns to shit... privilege much?

[ ] continue to choose myself: i feel like its a half-half on this...

[X] be okay with change: something i read recently is how because nothing last forever, its best to appreciate things are they are now before they are gone. the glass is already broken. impermanence makes things more beautiful.

[ ] have more reflective alone times: unfortunately not doing as much of that, but i hope that will change!!!! sometimes i live life on autopilot mode, and i could feel myself living in that mode for months since i've stopped going to therapy. autopilot mode isnt bad, but yeah i know i dont truly reflect on my feelings much if that is so. and i find my thoughts so muddled and messy at times. its like what the fuck do i want sometimes, why am i overthinking this and that, am i doing enough of this and that bla bla,,, but i dont know WHY im thinking like that. sometimes writing this in word vomit mode helps to rationalise and write out all the things in my head which is great... although i feel like a terrible writer because everything is so messy and word vomity

[X] solo travel (either a beach getaway or city gal holiday, or both): my first solo trip coming up soon! a beach getaway is something i always want to do. im not going to plan much or keep everything to a schedule, just see where this trip takes me. im hoping to just chill and be rejuvenated, and yes try to be more reflective

[ X] turn off my brain when work is over: a WIP but i would say i've gone heaps and bounds since leaving my last job. work stops at 6 and i try not to open my emails/messages, but i guess with more responsibilities sometimes i cant help it. but i can safely say i do have more time for other things without feeling like some manager will find me to settle a story or whatever. it feels nice to have no one bug u after work hours!!

[X] maintain close relationships with the people who matter: not sure whether to tick this since i've become a lot more introverted this year. i no longer do big parties or try to organise one anymore. in that sense i do feel more distant from people now, sometimes i dont even know who matters and who doesnt. but this time, i feel perfectly okay with it. i think its the new house effect, i just want to stay home all the time. maybe the person who matters most in my life is me, after all.

[X] restart seriously saving and investing again: getting paid more helps. though i do need to re-evaluate my investing choices. i jsut need to be careful about lifestyle inflation and balance things properly. i started budgeting again this months so hopefully i can stick to it.

[X] stay away from people with bad energy: its actually easier to do that when u have a significant other and u are okay to be alone. no longer interested in clubs or gettign fucked up, or getting on dating apps anymore.

-[X?] feel valued in a workplace/relationship: yes for work, thanks to great managers and great benefits. relationship, i would like to think my friends value me, and as for my boyfriend? i guess he does in his own ways, though i would like to feel more of it.

New goals:

learn diving

solo travel/travel to more unconventional places

romanticising life more

take a chill hobby like coloring

exercise at least 1x a week

[mrstsung]

Ask game time!

Original post:

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who’s your main(s)? (character you play as most often): in most mk games i play shang tsung,kung lao,scorpion,or raiden. The rest i can wing it with but those i can get down quicker than the others on the roster.

who’s your favorite character(s)?: shang tsung(big fat duuuuh!) Kung lao(my first videogame crush,so him baby),scorpion(hanzo hasashi is the only scorpion i will die on that hill). Those 3 are my top 3 faves.

what character do you think is underrated?: honestly,shinnok. I don't understand why he isn't utilized more and better. It's honestly sad and a waste of potential. Although i can say this for a majority of characters especially the "villains" or bosses. It's honestly a crime. A close 2nd is maybe onaga. Like god damn man he could have been so fucking cool.

what character do you think is overrated?: dont hate me but. Liu kang. Specifically fire god liu kang. Like don't get me wrong i love liu just tye very specific one i have in my head. Like i feel the story revolved too much around him. It was worse than johnny cage and the bladedashians and special forces trying to take center stage. And that was awful. But sadly,how they did liu kang was worse because they could have wrote it better. In fact it felt like it was leaning into liu becoming what he hated and we could have had shang tsung,lao and raiden teaming up to stop liu. Liu realized what he has done and then stop the bigger bad and exile and atone for what he's done? I mean holy shit man talk about waste of potential.

character you hate having to fight against?: ok you mean in game or as if i was actually in mortal kombat? Well. Gamewise,i still get scared fighting shao kahn,even if he isn't at his best. It's still scary. Look childhood gamer trauma rage is a bitch. (Looking at you mk:sm/mortal kombat shaolin monks for the ps2!) But one I'd be scared to fight irl would be a bit of everyone but shang tsung. Oh not because he could kick my ass,that's a given. But the fact that soul snatching sexy sob would know i like him...a lot. And that magic is scary af man come on. He can shapeshift,shoot flaming skulls,suck my...soul. with 500+yrs of martial arts experience. Wtaf,how could you not piss your pants in terror?! But anyways. Shao kahn overall tho. (Fucking bastard owes me still)

how did you get into the series?: mortal kombat shaolin monks for the ps2. But shortly after that i started to play the og arcades more. Mk2 to be specific. Then i saw the mk 95 movie. Good shit,even to this day. Mk could learn a thing or two about its roots but that would require nrs to give a fuck.

what was the first entry you played?: see above.

favorite entry in the series?: mk shaolin monks. Mk2. Somewhat of deadly alliance. Maybe 3 or 4 but im very picky with it. As much shit as i gave mk11,I'd rather take it than mk12/mk1(2023) fr. The only good thing about it is shang tsungs voice actor,and even then i just am sad how they've done things. Not even for blorbo is it worth the money or investment.

favorite entry-specific (re)design, if you have one?: honestly i prefer mk11 aesthetic wise minus a few personal nitpicks. But overall visually it's beautiful. So yeah. Mk12/mk1(2023) all it has is aesthetics and none of the spirit of mk. Honestly it feels like one big joke or excuse to do a movie cheaply as possible. I dont know man,i just am sad about mortal kombats current state. If you were an old fan like myself,you'd understand. Im not saying some things aren't interesting ideas,i just feel the execution of said ideas have been piss poor and some things honestly should have stayed in drafts. I feel they are trying too hard rn to be "relevant" and not give out a good story. Or just reinventing their own lore....AGAIN. and it's annoying at this point. So much many people are making their own lore and shit because canon lore sucks. The world Building in mk has never been solid and thats it all weakest point imho.

favorite canon ship?: i only do self shipping. I dont care for canon ships. Or canon x canon ships.

favorite non canon ship?: same thing as above.

if you could pick a guest character, who would you pick? (can be as detailed as you want here): duke nukum. It's about fucking time. But they'd butcher him now. So im not sure.

if you could pick a character from any of the earlier entries to bring back, who would you choose?: honestly they need to get their story right before adding any characters to the roster otherwise to me its lip service. But I'd love bo rai cho to return. Plz. For the love of elder gods,can i have funny drunken master back?!

which do you prefer doing first/more: completing the story mode or completing towers?: honestly if local play/ vs mode is shit. Towers and storymode mean nothing. If you can't 1v1 your friends in the same room. I dont want it. But I'd play towers above storymode. I'd love storymode more. If the story was actually good or consistent or konsistent in this case ;) . But fr in all seriousness,nrs NEEDS to get their head in the game anf out or corporate ass,if they wanna see this not blow up in their face once hype dies down and people move on to something else. Which it will happen. And is happening.

favorite fatality?: honestly i fucking love shang tsung soul swapping inside the opponent and exploding/killing them from the inside. Fucking simple but badass af. Like fr imagine seeing that shit irl,terrifying. Which is what we need. It's so extra. But it fits. Other than that. There isn't many fatalities i dont like. Cept mk11 johnny cage but thats because it goes on too damn long. We get it johnny!

favorite stage?: honestly shang's throne room,warrior shrine,the deadpool,and visually? Shirai-Ryu fire gardens. Absolutely stunning.

favorite stage theme / ost?: all of mk(original),mk2,and mk shaolin monks tracks are the best. Mk shaolin monks for atmospheric ambiance. The og arcades the first mk and mk2 for absolute bops. Tho deadly alliance has good dance and tencho edm vibes. Tho everyone can kollectively agree that the og theme is the best. Come on man!

opinion on any of the non-game media? (the live action films, mk legacy, the animated mk legends films, etc): ok mk95. Still is the goat for a reason. Mk legends films are good visual and animation wise but story is too fast paced for my taste. And can be better but still ironically,better than the current games storywise. I hate to say it but yeah. Honestly they haven't made and non game media for me that really speaks to me yet. But if they do. I'll let ya know.

skin / kosmetic you want to be in mk1?: dont care for mk12/mk1. But if they could bring back mk9 shang red robe jammies for shang that would be appreciated. Give me that much plz.

do you prefer hanzo hasashi or kuai liang as scorpion?: if you say anything else but hanzo hasashi you need to log off and not talk to me ever again. Hanzo hasashi IS SCORPION. anyone says otherwise is not a mk fan. Period. I will fight you!

which character reveal for mk1 shocked you the most?: like i said. I do not care for the new game. It's more pissing me off that shang tsung who has been a staple for mk is reduced to dlc. Twice. And you can't even get him rn in the new game less you got money or pre order codes or some shit. And that's why i feel that the new game is shit. Because you shouldn't have to pay money for a half baked game. For a character you should have already had. Especially if they are a main focus in the storymode. So yeah. Nothing shocks me.

have you ever cosplayed an mk character? if you haven’t, would you want to, and who would you choose?: i have. I have done 95 shang tsung. And am going to do a genderbent fem hanzo hasashi scorpion (THE ONLY SCORPION IS HANZO I WILL STILL STATE THIS. ONCE AGAIN!) soon. So stay tuned. Future cosplays I'd love to do is fujin,kung lao,kitana,and a genderbent Johnny cage (jenny cage?)

do you have any cool merch? (figures, posters, shirts, etc): got some cool shirts and a few cosplays and little stuff like that. Pendents. But i wanna get some figures but holy shit dudes it's expensive. Oof. But some day. Some day. I will obtain that scorpion figure. Some day. Wish they had shang tsung merch more. Ugh.

[dawnowar]

Feeling good

I don't know if I'll remember to do it, but I have found out today that theres a way to cross post from instagram that doesnt take too many more clicks than not cross-posting so I'm gonna try and keep my tumblr up. From the day I first found tumblr in the very beginning, I have always preferred this as a format than any other way to post my stuff online.

No one looks at it but not only is that fine, it keeps me very unguarded here since I don't have to worry about which assholes on my friends list are gonna argue about things I say here or who is going to see my opinion about them or whatever so I've been using it as a place to vent.

Anyway I just got back from my 2nd workout of 2024 and I'm just logging here that my fitness level is much higher than it usually is when I start my January diet. Probably because I just did 17 classes in like 21 days to get my 2023 shirt before the end of the year.

It's good. I'm also a lot flabbier than i usually am this time of year but i feel like its very realistic to think that by Valentines Day i'll be considerably less flabby.

I always do January diet and exercise till Valentines day when i begin celebrating my birthday for way too long. Till im sick of it and then i go back to being normal, meaning some balance of eating and exercising till the holidays when it all goes out the window.

I got sick back in October and then again and again and again 5x till i just gave up and was like ill go back on a diet in Jan. Theres no way to be sick and on a diet. anyway i've been eating whatever for so long im flabby as i was before i got serious and took it off last summer so I gotta do it again. Which sucks but I also feel like I know how and I'll do it.

So i just cross-posted most of 2023 over here and had to take the time to look at everything i did all year.

It's a scrapbook really. I think tumblr started out with that premise. That you should use it as your scrapbook. Ive always seen it that way. its just a public-facing scrapbook.

Only things I really left out were some failed relationships. I started or tried to start or meant to start and i think ultimately all of them, even though they were all completely different, failed because I just wanted to do my own thing. I think I've been on my own a long time, and as much as I'd like someone to fall in love with and live happily ever after with, i also have my own agenda and its hard, after so many years to coordinate time and spending money for other people.

And again, I spent all this time on diet and exercise only to have to do it over again now... but romantic dates = eating for some reason and I'm so stressed out spending time and money on meals. I like company but I need to save money and exercise and this is my priority now.

I do girly exercise so its not like i can exercise with a date and its too damn cold to go for walks or whatever. I hate gyms and i dont think theyre a good place to get to know each other anyway.

I just logistically can't make it work.

Oh im sure there are other reasons I'm not trying to publish that things didnt work out with any of these guys but it really is just so much easier and less stressful to not try to date and to eat right and exercise.

So thats what ive been doing and thats what i intend to do for January and into the first two weeks of February and then i guess maybe ill reevaluate.

[thisaintascenereviews]

The Rolling Stones - Hackney Diamonds

I’m sure that you saw a handful of jokes from people when the new album, Hackney Diamonds, by The Rolling Stones came out a few months ago that were along the lines of “what year is it,” because when that album came out, The Beatles dropped a “new” song. I kind of had to ask myself the same question, because if I had a nickel for every time that a beloved and influential British band from the 1960s released something new in 2023, I’d have two nickels. That’s not a lot, but it’s weird it happened twice. No one really expected The Rolling Stones to put out a new album, but here we are. The Rolling Stones, in case you don’t know, is one of the most popular and influential bands in rock history, and their new album, Hackney Diamonds, is their first album of original material in 18 years. They did put out a covers album in 2016 of blues songs they grew up with, but The Rolling Stones is a band that took me awhile to get into. I’ve only heard their classic material from the 1960s and 1970s, but they’re great. Mick Jagger and Keith Richards are just as important of a songwriting duo just as John Lennon and and Paul McCartney. There’s a reason that there’s a debate between who’s better, The Stones or The Beatles, but why can’t someone enjoy both? They both have their place in music and rock history, just for different reasons.

As for their new album, I was very hesitant to listen to this, and it took me a few months to give it a listen, but like with a lot of new albums from these boomer rock bands, they’re usually not very good and it shows how clearly they’re out of ideas. I hate to be that guy that says these bands only put out late career albums when they’re either desperate for money and/or they got nothing better to do, but that’s how it happens. A lot of late career albums just aren’t good, unless you’re Paul McCartney, then your late career albums are actually pretty damn good. What about Hackey Diamonds? Nothing was riding on this album, as The Rolling Stones have nothing to prove, and both Mick Jagger and Keith Richards are 80, so what else do they have to say?

Turns out, they don’t have anything important to say, but this album is still pretty damn good, especially (and I mean especially) if you look at it for what it is. This album reminds me a lot of the newest Metallica album, 72 Seasons, from earlier this year. Metallica isn’t as old, despite their debut coming out 40-years-ago this year, but 72 Seasons is their first album in seven years, and it’s also their best album since the 90s. A lot of people have said that Hackney Diamonds is The Stones’ best album in many years, too, maybe even since the 80s, and I would agree. Like 72 Seasons, too, it’s not among their best, but it’s their best in a long time (and still a good album in its own right).

This album has a couple of interesting tricks up its sleeve, such as having a modern production style with producer Andrew Watt at the helm. He’s worked with many rock bands, as well as pop artists, but I noticed that he worked with Ozzy on his last couple of albums. The songs feel more modern, but also have that classic rock sound to them. Songs like “Angry,” “Bite My Head Off,” and “Close To You” have a classic sound to them, but the modern production makes them a bit more interesting. The issue is, like I hinted earlier, the lyrics aren’t very good. Vocalist Mick Jagger sounds great, despite being 80, but these lyrics are bad at worst and bland at best. There’s nothing on here that I’m thinking about after the fact, even the song with Lady Gaga, which is cool all in itself.

This record is worth hearing if you’re a rock fan that wants to hear what a classic rock band is up to in the year 2023, but as much as I hate to say it, this record isn’t “essential” to hear at all. Not that every album needs to be, but there’s nothing out of this album that you can’t get from their earlier work. I can say the same thing for 72 Seasons, too, especially people that aren’t diehard fans, but there is something worth listening to if you are a big fan of this band, or you love classic rock. You’ll get some solid hooks, melodies, vocals riffs, and overall songs, but the lyrics are lacking. I guess when that’s the only major issue, minus this album just sounding like a typical Rolling Stones album, that’s not a bad thing whatsoever.

[bewitchingbooktours]

Potion Master

Potion Master

Fate Cycle Series

Book One

Sam Fairburn

Genre: Urban Fantasy Romance

Publisher: Sam Fairburn Publishing

Date of Publication: November 16, 2023

ISBN: 978-1-998204-01-4 

ASIN: B0CJ8DVMNT 

Number of pages: 340 pages.

Word Count: 93976 words

Cover Artist: Erick Robillard at Kinos

Tagline: Moderation is key… That being said, when not one but two enigmatic liars creep into my life, what’s a witch to do?

Book Description:

Riley

All I want is to start this new chapter of my life in peace, brewing beer and mixing potions at The Drunken Sailor. Simple. Safe. Single. But when my skills as potion master and healer are noticed by a mysterious stranger, the stalking that ensues leads me to ask more questions than I should. Things take a dark turn as the secret I fought all my life to protect gets uncovered by the deadliest magical mob boss in the city. Now, my best chance at survival is down to a cocky criminal and a bookman that is too clever for his own good. As their presence haunts my every waking hour and the situation gets dire, I don’t know if I can keep fighting this relentless pull between us.

Finn

I have focused on only one thing for the last three years—work. But when Riley comes into my bookshop, searching for a way to undo the tracking spell placed on her, I am caught up in a journey that ushers me right back to the one man I am trying to forget. I was his to cherish, his to punish, yet the worst wound he gave me was not a physical one. And she might be my salvation.

Erick

My blood is made of hunger and fight, which serves me well on my side of the law. No one but him knows who I am or where I come from. And I have all the intentions for it to stay that way. But when witches start to disappear in the city and no one, not even the Sennex, does a damn thing about it, I make it my business to investigate. Grave mistake. My efforts only lead me to desires I should steer clear of and discoveries darker than I could ever fathom. I fought to keep them away, to keep them safe, but life is never as kind as to bring hope without taking something in return.    

Witchy meets steamy in this tale of soul-wrenching magnetism, dreadful secrets, and magic that could wreck the world.

Potion Master is a slow burn dark urban fantasy MMF romance. It’s book 1 in the Fate Cycle series.

Amazon

Excerpt from Potion Master :

The blue liquid is shimmering like its magic is trying to get out. One of my better cocktail recipes, I would say. The Siren, I call it, in honor of Evie. Even though she is not one of those long-extinct creatures, her voice bewitches her crowd all the same. Her tales captivate the audience with their rhythm and poesy.

“Hey! Will you give me my drink or not?” the patron shouts over the buzz of the crowded room.

Keeping hold of the glass, I swiftly glide it over the wooden bar toward him. “I don’t know, Carl. Maybe a little more respect and a smile now and then could do miracles for your shitty personality and help you get what you want.” I look the bastard straight in the eye, drink the shot myself, and take the money he had put on the bar top to pay for it. The liquid goes down like the charm that it is, giving me a boost of strength and energy in its wake.

Carl seizes my gloved forearm, “Listen, girl, I know that you’re new here, but when I ask—”

His touch is gone in an instant. A big, burly man hauls Carl by the collar of his shirt toward the pub’s door. Albert’s gray-brown ponytail sways in time with Carl’s feet off the ground as he carries Carl out the door. If I didn’t hate being manhandled by drunk pieces of shit so much, I would be laughing at the sight.

Albert grunts as he throws Carl on his ass out in the street. “Take the rest of the night to cool off,” Albert says, his voice deceptively calm. “The next time you touch one of my employees, you will lose your hand. Is that understood?”

Carl has the good sense to shut his mouth and skitter off. The patrons all shout in triumph and merrily raise their glasses to Albert. When he turns from the door, Albert’s green eyes find me. His face is all red under his thick beard. I nod my head once to show him that I am okay and can handle myself. It’s not my first rodeo, after all.

I don’t have much time to dwell on what happened, though. The Drunken Sailor is packed tonight. Every sticky table and disparate chair is in use. A small crowd has already gathered before the stage in the corner where my best friend will perform tonight, sipping their drinks. The decor is no different than any other Irish pub in Québec City. The only noticeable distinction really is the customers themselves—the vast majority of them have magical abilities or ties to the magical world.

My long black hair annoys me tonight, so I quickly tie it up in a messy bun before filling another pint of my first batch of beer to give to Albert as he passes behind me in the bar area. Then I go back to the steady flow of orders coming in. I am very proud of my first brew. It’s a white ale with faint notes of lavender and rosemary. The balanced taste of the herbs makes for a bittersweet lightness that, contrary to popular belief, doesn’t taste like perfume.

Being potion master and lead brewer are both my pride and my passion in life. It also allows me to work anywhere, in any magical establishment I want, since there are a lot of people that seem to either want to get drunk or out of a hangover—or another predicament—at some point. My healing balms and potions are particularly good if I do say so myself.

Healing is my specialty, after all, and I was well taught. Diane. A sharp pang of grief makes my eyes water at the reminder of my mentor’s passing. They say that home is where the heart is. Well, it feels like my home vanished with her last breath. Throughout the years, she’d always been there for me—be it to kick me in the butt for acting stupid or to help me regain my footing after yet another failed attempt at making something of my life. Her passing is too fresh for me to be able to recall the good memories of her with fondness or a smile. I am still at the anger stage, where every fiber of my being wants to cry hysterically and punch a wall about it, hating death, hating myself for not being able to heal her. I wipe furiously at my eyes and wrestle my mind into a better headspace.

I was lucky to get this job. The Drunken Sailor is one of the best breweries in the province, and its owner is allowing me carte blanche to do with the product creation as I please. All the equipment is state of the art despite the pub’s building being more than a century old—and looking it.

Perfect work arrangements, awesome new apartment, my best friend nearby—it’s all I need, really. This time, I will plant roots. This time, I won’t bolt at the very first mild inconvenience—I can’t. I have no one left to catch me from a fall. I am here to stay, and I mean it.

At the table by the door, four casters are playing at levitating objects in the air while arm wrestling. The first to either lose the strength contest or lose their concentration and drop their object pays for the next round of alcohol. A stupid game if you ask me, but still fun to watch and good for the tip.

Evie pokes her head out from the kitchen door with a mouthful of I don’t even want to know what. “Hey, Ry! I’m on in a couple of minutes,” she says while finishing chewing. “Do you need anything before I get up there?” She motions toward the stage with her head. The movement makes her silver dress sparkle in the dim light, contrasting nicely with the soft coffee of her skin. She recently buzzed her hair close to her head, which accentuates the graceful curve of her neck.

Her hazel eyes drift to the liquid I am currently mixing. She looks fascinated and with good reason. As soon as I sprinkle my last ingredient into the potion—dried hibiscus flowers—red fire seems to emanate from it, although it’s not hot to the touch. Passion is a difficult thing to capture, and it’s always mesmerizing when it’s encapsulated successfully. It’s easily the most expensive thing we sell here. Only one swig is needed to fuel your inspirations and fantasies, allowing you to create at will. Although it cannot put ideas into your head, it will allow you to birth your ideas into the world. Well, until it wears off, that is. I pour the liquid into a small vial and hand it over to the young woman who ordered it.

“I’m fine,” I tell Evie over my shoulder. “I don’t need you mothering me.” I wink at my best friend and turn back to the clientele at the bar. I hear her huff and puff before letting the kitchen door swing behind her. Not a minute later, she swaggers onto the stage, her generous hips swaying as she walks. The usual auditory chaos of the pub falls to whispers.

We’ve always been complete opposites, Evie and I. Where my best friend shines bright on stage, I prefer the darkness at the back of the room. She is all heat and sensuality, while I am all frost and contrast. My moonlight skin, she calls it. Which is a nice way of saying that I am ghostly pale.

As soon as Evie opens her mouth to sing, the crowd starts to sway in time with the rhythm of her voice. The ones closest to the stage are completely enthralled by her story of epic love. They smile and huddle closer together, not aware that they are moving. The casters abandon their game to stare in fascination. As far away as I am, I only feel a small wave of fullness and happiness, but it’s still very nice. I have not experienced the brush of love for a very long time.

I pour the next beer directly onto my gloved hand, which then splashes onto my black tank top and jeans. I curse and shake my head slightly. I must have been more affected by her singing than I thought. Taking off my gloves and wiping them on a dish towel, I smile to myself. I have not been exposed to her kind of powers for some time now. I’ve lost part of the endurance I had built for it.

When I finally succeed at mostly drying my clothes, I throw the rag in the sink and lift my head to take the next order, but most of the patrons have now moved from the bar to the tables closer to the stage, listening quietly.

Most, but not all.

  About the Author:

Sam is a Canadian author of dark fantasy romance and dark urban fantasy romance with a healthy dose of spice (because why not?). She loves daydreaming about new characters and can often be found staring into the abyss of the great nothingness, completely lost in thought. She also dislikes talking about herself in the third person. Hence, I’m going to stop this author bio here. 

I am deeply grateful for every reader who takes time out of their day to lay their eyeballs on one of my books. I couldn’t be an author without you. 

Website - https://www.samfairburn.com  

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/samfairburnauthor  

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/samfairburnauthor/  

TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@samfairburnauthor   

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@samfairburnauthor 

Newsletter sign up - https://samfairburnpublishing.eo.page/xwz17  

Goodreads - https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/44354199.Sam_Fairburn 

Book Trailer: https://youtu.be/GplLWYBjBpE

[baereaved]

Rogue Interview

hey lads! this interview was ripped directly from “the world of cyberpunk 2077″, the book. has a lot of great content in it and i wanted to share this.

Interviewer: Hi, Rogue. It's a real honor to meet you in person. Twenty-four hours ago I'd never have thought I'd be talking with you in old-school, face-to-face style.

Rogue: Hi... Josh, yes? I have to admit that you showed guts when you asked for that interview. I'm almost impressed, and I'm curious about how it'll come out. To be honest, if not for some... decisions I've made recently, I wouldn't have agreed to it. I have little time for journalists in my line of work. I guess it's your lucky day.

Interviewer: Thanks all the more for your time.

Rogue: Cut to the chase. You mentioned that you want to talk about my cyberpunk past. Why?

Interviewer: We're making material about the comeback of the cyberpunk style, so we thought it would be awesome if we could talk with you about that—how it was fifty years ago, what it was like being a cyberpunk back then, and how it's different from being one now.

Rogue: You've been using the word "cyberpunk" quite a lot, but you must be aware that almost no one uses that term these days, right? Even back then "merc" or "edgerunner" were more popular terms—but okay, let's talk about "being a cyberpunk". Your move, stringer.

Interviewer: Still, you're one of the icons of the cyberpunk era. That's a fact.

Rogue: Cyberpunk is a term from a different time. It's an out-of-date description of a street rebel who's fighting with some omnipotent, oppressive system. Even if I'd had such sympathies back then, I have to disappoint you. I'm not a "cyberpunk" anymore, if I ever was one.

Interviewer: But you were a cyberpunk fifty years ago, right? What was it like to be one back then in 2020?

Rogue: The same as it is to be someone on the street today. It was about your attitude, your personal style, and living your life on the edge. You had to be the coolest-looking, most dangerous guy on the street. You had to have the newest, most advanced cyberware and weapons, and you had to always look like you were ready to use them. It may sound like a cliché, but those were the basics of street reputation. Attitude was everything. It still is. If you think like a whiny asshole, you are a whiny asshole. If you think dangerous, you are dangerous. Simple laws of the street.

Interviewer: And "style over substance"?

Rogue: A catchphrase that was pushed a lot around 2020, at the height of new style. It was named "kitsch", and it was quickly adopted by cyberpunks and all other sorts of rebels. It was the street philosophy that your unique look and personal style should be your trademark. To put it simply, it doesn't matter how good you are at doing something as long as you look awesome doing it. It didn't matter if you had a cyberarm covered with expensive RealSkinn. It was your new chrome cyberarm that made you stand out from the crowd. If you can take out an entire Arasaka strike team all by yourself, you're really good—but doing it armed with a custom-made pistol while only wearing a leather armor jacket, acid-washed jeans, and mirror shades? That was something that earned you a reputation.

Interviewer: How do you feel about the return of the cyberpunk style?

Rogue: Those pink mohawks and synth-leather clothes the kids are wearing nowadays... It's mostly just imitation. Sure, back then it was about rebelling, but rebelling with a cause. It was about standing up against a corporate-dictated order, about defying authority and playing it out with style. To live on the edge, with a capital E. You wanted to be where the action was—to be the action. To do something big and never play it too safe. Youngsters today lack the vision and guts to do really big things.

Interviewer: Like the attack on the Arasaka Towers in 2023? Is it true that you were part of it?

Rogue: [brief pause] Nice try, kiddo. You're not the first newshound to ask me that question, and you won't be the first to get an answer. [laughs]

Interviewer: Sorry, I had to try. So, to rephrase the old slogan, you think that the "real" cyberpunk is dead?

Rogue: The rebel part of it? I think so, yes. Back then in 2020 it was a global movement aimed against megacorporations, but megacorporations have lost a lot of their power in the past fifty years—except for in the free cities like Night City, of course. On second thought, if cyberpunk has a chance to reconnect to its roots, it would be in a place like Night City. Maybe there's hope for second-wave cyberpunks after all.

Interviewer: So, what would be your advice for all those people aspiring to be a cyberpunk?

Rogue: Grow a spine; stop waiting for opportunity and go looking for it.

Interviewer: Touché. Speaking of opportunity, I'd like to ask you a few quick questions about your personal experience as a cyberpunk—or edgerunner, if you prefer that term.

Rogue: We can stay with cyberpunk. It suits you. And I think we have a few minutes left. Hit it.

Interviewer: So, a cyberpunk's gun: a trademark or a tool?

Rogue: It's a matter of personal taste and philosophy. Yes, the weapon can be your trademark. In this business you'll develop personal preferences, so in time you should get the gun that fits you. I have customized pistols myself based on the Tsunami Nue. We went through a lot together. On the other hand, if you want to be a top-tier merc, you have to be as effective with your favorite toy as you are without it. Again, "style over substance". You look cool when you're wasting some boostergang guys with your custom-made Malorian Arms pistol, but wasting them using any weapon that happens to be around is a style in itself. Nowadays, when everyone relies on their favorite guns, improvisation is a forgotten art.

Interviewer: How much does one need to modify themselves to be in the top tier?

Rogue: That's something that everyone needs to determine for themselves, but for me quality is key. No one will hire you for a serious job if you lack proper modifications, and to be a step ahead you need the best cyberimplants you can get. To be a cyberpunk is to chase all the newest enhancements—be they cyber or bioengineered—to get the edge over your enemies and your peers. The choice of enhancements is only limited by your contacts on the street and the size of your wallet, but it should fit your personal taste. Juggernaut, ninja, or ghost approach—it doesn't matter, as long as you're efficient with it and get the job done. But if you can't plan, and you can't execute a job properly, no amount of cyberware will help you get to the top tier.

Interviewer: How much does one need to sell out to the corpos to get to the top tier?

Rogue: [longer pause] Dealing with the corporations has always been akin to bargaining with the devil... Most cyberpunks and edgerunners won't even be aware that they've taken a job from a fixer who's under corporate contract. Those jobs could be anything at all that the corpos want to avoid a direct connection with—like planting a bug, or stealing some data, or assassinating a seemingly unassuming guy, or organizing a heist on an armed convoy. If you're good enough, they'll contact you again via fixer to hire you for more lucrative assignments. That's the tricky part. The money is really good and they can grant you access to really top-notch, restricted cyberware, but if you go for it... they own you. Moreover, if you learn too many corporate secrets, you're in for life—and that could be a very short time if someone in the corporation decides that their list of freelancers needs to be purged for "security reasons".

Interviewer: Do you need friends in this kind of business?

Rogue: Sure. It's good to have someone to cover your back during a firefight, but never go on an assignment with someone that you don't trust, unless the stakes are worth it—or you're ready to take them out if you have to. Even if you trust someone, you have to keep in mind that every partnership ends sooner or later, one way or another. They get killed, go cyberpsychotic, or maybe you just go different ways. True camaraderie is a rare thing in this kind of work. Too many strong personalities and divergent goals. Too much rivalry. Friendship... has its price. It can be a burden. Doing pals favors for old times' sake can lead to messy situations.

Interviewer: Sounds like you know something about it.

Rogue: You can bet on that.

Interviewer: Do you have someone specific in mind?

Rogue: No comment.

Interviewer: Why did you become a fixer?

Rogue: It was kind of a natural transition for me. It's like becoming a coach after ending your career as a ball player. You don't have to compete with younger and more aggressive contenders, and you can still use your expertise and your reputation to make money and stay in touch with the mercenary community. 

Interviewer: There were some rumors that your shifting sectors had something to do with you disassembling the Atlantis Group. Can you confirm or deny that?

Rogue: Old story, mostly untrue. It seems to me that some of the guys from Atlantis Bar couldn't bear that times had changed and I had to move on. We all had to. You can't rebel all your life. Yes, I had access to some juicy contracts, and I was willing to share them with some of my friends from the Atlantis Group mercenary branch. Yes, some of us made good money on them, and a few guys decided to retire. If that means I "disassembled" a group of ex-rebels, then I'm guilty as charged.

Interviewer: And finally: do you miss your mercenary days?

Rogue: Sometimes I miss the action, and the thrill of a good challenge. But I am damn good at what I do now, so I regret nothing.

Interviewer: And that's an excellent wrap-up. Thanks for the interview, Rogue.

Rogue: Thanks, Josh. Despite my initial doubts, that was quite an... interesting conversation. Be sure to publish this as it is. Or I'll find out where you live. [laughs]

[clubsocial-india]

New on Sports Illustrated: COVID-19 Is Having an Impact on the Market for Veteran Contract Extensions

While Jamal Adams and Dak Prescott in the news, it's worth noting that uncertainty over the salary cap is clogging up the market. Plus, notes on Day 1 of the NFL's Quarterback Coaching Summit.

It’s Monday afternoon, let’s go …

• With Jamal Adams’s contract situation in the news, it’s certainly worth looking into how slow the pace of veteran extensions has been in general this offseason. Digging through it, I could find just three examples of guys getting big-time extensions with years left on their deals since America went into lockdown, without a trade being part of it (DeForest Buckner and Darius Slay got paid as part of trades). One was Panthers RB Christian McCaffrey, another was Texans OT Laremy Tunsil and a third was Bills S Jordan Poyer (whose deal was done before things went really crazy). Meanwhile, contract-year stars like Joey Bosa, Jalen Ramsey, Ronnie Stanley, Ryan Kelly, Alvin Kamara, Dalvin Cook, Chris Godwin, George Kittle, Keenan Allen, Patrick Peterson, Von Miller, and, yes, Adams are waiting for theirs. So the natural question: Is this COVID-related? And the answer is yes. The looming revenue shortfall doesn’t just make cash an issue for some teams, it also makes projecting the cap a problem. If there are big losses in 2020, that means the league and union will have to borrow from future years to keep the 2021 cap level to this year, which could mean ramifications reaching into 2022 and ’23. You may remember back in 2010 and early ’11, teams were hesitant do long-term deals for guys because of salary cap uncertainty. Same thing, to a degree, this year. Which might mean a lot of guys waiting a while for deals. And that could add an interesting twist to the seasons of some teams.

• And that brings us to Dak Prescott, and how the uncertainty over the cap might make it tough to project how a deal at $40 million per season will be accounted for in the coming years. Let’s say he does a deal with flat cap numbers. And let’s say, absent the pandemic, the cap was going to be around $270 million in 2023, which may be conservative based on the expected influx of TV and broadcast money. Under those conditions, Prescott’s deal, then in its fourth year, would account for 14.8% of Dallas’s cap. Now, let’s say, the coronavirus impact knocks the cap number in 2023 down to $220 million. In that case, Prescott’s deal is accounting for 18.2% of the team’s cap. That’s a pretty massive difference, when you consider this is one of 53 contracts. And it doesn’t mean the Joneses won’t get Prescott done. But it does explain why it could complicate things for him, and the other 13 guys who are currently franchised.

• Speaking of that, Prescott became the ninth franchised player (and 10th tagged player, if you count Cardinals transitioned RB Kenyan Drake) to sign his tender. That leaves five guys unsigned in the group: Bucs OLB Shaq Barrett, Bengals WR A.J. Green, Chiefs DT Chris Jones, Jaguars DE Yannick Ngaukoe and Broncos S Justin Simmons. All the tagged guys have until July 15 to do deals. So what’s the difference for these five? They can wait until Week 1 to sign, if they’d like, without losing a dime, because they’re not under contract.

• I really enjoyed Day 1 of the NFL Quarterback Coaching Summit (a joint venture by the Black College Football Hall of the Fame and the NFL), which I wrote about in last week’s GamePlan, so here are some good tidbits. Titans coach Mike Vrabel was the first speaker, and he dove into his philosophy on leadership (“We will treat you the same as you treat the team”), and how to interview (he passed out iPads on his interviews, rather the traditional “book” that coaches keep) before explaining keys in assembling a staff. I thought maybe the most interesting part was how he said having diversity of race and background on hand was important, to give a staff the best chance of reaching every individual player on the roster. Also, he mentioned how it was important to support the ambitions of assistants, and that losing them to promotion “means you’re hiring the right people,” and he listed the trainer with the GM and owner among the most important relationships a head coach has. There was also this, on the idea of culture: “When you’re winning, culture is easy. … Culture is what you look like at the worst moment. I hope everyone has a good culture at 7-1, but what does it look like at 2-5?”

• Also great was a panel hosted by my buddy Steve Wyche of NFL Network, one that included Steelers owner Art Rooney II, Giants owner John Mara, former Ravens GM Ozzie Newsome, Bucs coach Bruce Arians and Texans limited partner Javier Loya. Both owners acknowledged the trend toward offensive coaches, and it was interesting to hear Mara admit that he’d fallen victim to those sorts of things in the past. “A lot of us have fallen into that trap, looking at the Sean McVay, the Kyle Shanahan, and you think you’re just going to get the next one,” Mara said. “I look at the head coach now as more of a CEO. I don’t care if he’s an offensive play-caller or a defensive play-caller.” Rooney echoed the point, saying that looking at the Steelers’ stability, from Chuck Noll to Bill Cowher and now to Mike Tomlin, there has been a common thread. “The most important thing all three of them had in common, they’re all great communicators,” Rooney said. “If there was one thing we were always looking for in a head coach, it would be that.” Rooney also advocated for finding a way to slow down the process of coach hiring (it’s how he found Tomlin, even with legit candidates in house), though he added that he understood how competition for guys makes that idea difficult to implement.

• Arians, for his part, was passionate on the call. He said doing your job well, whatever that job might be at the moment, should come first, because that’s how you build respect among your peers. “Respect among your peers is the most important thing,” he continued. “I had respect among my peers, I didn’t give a damn if I got a job.” So what difference can that respect make? Arians recalled telling anyone who’d listen, on Vic Fangio, “If he’s not at the top of your list, you’re missing the boat.” Arians also pointed out how his very diverse staff is made up of a lot of guys he identified as potential coaches when he had them as players, which is something he hopes coaches get more aggressive doing. “These guys all played for me, so I had a long pool of guys I worked with,” Arians said. “You don’t hire strangers in my office, you hire guys I trust.”

• Another point of discussion was how narratives (i.e. hot candidates) can drive coaching searches. That’s where Newsome jumped in, explaining that the Ravens always keep lists of coaches of interest. “We create our own lists,” Newsome said. “We come to a collective agreement on the people we want to interview, and that’s based on the information we get when we talk to our area scouts, and our coaches and people around the league.” That, he mentioned, is how they found an Eagles special teams coach to be particularly intriguing. John Harbaugh’s been a pretty good hire.

• Sorry to sink the whole column into this—but it really was a pretty awesome deal, and there’s more coming Tuesday. Among the other parts of Monday’s festivities: Ex-Browns coach Hue Jackson with a detailed breakdown on the first 30 days on the job for a head coach; Saints assistant D.J. Williams on being a quality control coach; Stanford OC Tavita Pritchard on QB drill work; and Maryland OC Scottie Montgormery and Bucs OC Byron Leftwich on staff/coordinator dynamics. (I’ll try and get you some more info Tuesday on Twitter.)

• One thing from Falcons coach Dan Quinn, left over from this morning’s column, that I found particularly fascinating: He’s going to build all the possibilities he can think of for the fall of 2020 into his training camp schedule, and that means all of them. “What I do know is the teams that adjust the best are gonna be the ones that preform the best. Because what we’ve all seen is there’s been a lot of moving parts and things have changed, so there’s gonna be change during the season—players out due to COVID and all that,” Quinn said. “So during camp, when we do get together, we’ll have time where, and I’ll do it for myself first, OK, I’m out, or the playcaller’s out, where we keep showing them, here’s where adjustments have to take place, and we’re able to hit them, so we have contingency plans.” Pretty smart thinking there, and it’s not exactly hard to conjure a scenario where such a contingency plan might have to be enacted.

• The NFL re-opened its New York office on Monday. So if you want some good news on where all this is headed, there’s some for you. And, by the way, the Raiders opened their facility in Nevada, too, which means they’ve officially left California after spending their first 60 seasons in the nation’s most populous state.

• Question or comment? Email us.

June 23, 2020 at 05:12AM COVID-19 Is Having an Impact on the Market for Veteran Contract Extensions from Blogger https://ift.tt/2zUbLnC

[democratsunited-blog]

As goes Billy Kovacs, so go Pima Democrats

https://uniteddemocrats.net/?p=7487

As goes Billy Kovacs, so go Pima Democrats

Thanks to

Updated Aug 7, 2018, 10:30 am  Originally posted Aug 6, 2018, 11:15 pm

Blake Morlock TucsonSentinel.com

Billy Kovacs is going to lose.

Billy Kovacs is the future of the Democratic Party in Southern Arizona.

Reconciling those two truisms is the biggest challenge the party faces, here, statewide and nationally because they sure could use some fresh faces and new energy.

Republicans face a different set of challenges but one thing the Grand Ole Party has proven good at over the years is stocking its bench with candidates skilled at bringing the conservative gospel straight to voters.

Democrats?

Kovacs is one of seven Democratic candidate seeking the nomination to vie to replace U.S. Rep. Martha McSally and I use him as a proxy for all up-and-comers out in our corner of the desert who seem to terrify party leaders in D.C. 

The Democratic Party in Tucson, statewide and nationally must figure out how to turn its bench and walk-ons into potential starters, lest it start placing want adds or figuring out how to clone Terry Goddard.

Kovacs is one of six Southern Arizonans who are struggling to stand out against the Northern Arizona transplant (and as a former Northern Arizona transplant myself, nothing but respect) Ann Kirkpatrick. The former congresswoman is in the crosshairs of former state Rep. Matt Heinz’s attacks for being a carpet-bagging Republican Lite. But Kirkpatrick has the money to bury Heinz because she has the establishment’s support.

The fact that Kirkpatrick won that support at all is the mind-bending news of this primary and it should send shockwaves through the local party. On some level there’s absolutely nothing wrong with hiring from out of town. Business does it all the time. But someone from Tucson or Southern Arizona must be in a position to make a go of it next time.

Pima County Democratic voters have elected 11 state lawmakers, three county supervisors, seven city council members, a county attorney, county recorder and county superintendent of public instruction. If none were deemed to be able to take on Martha McSally (or her replacement) in a good Democratic year, then there is a big need for new blood.

Kovacs is making mistakes — the same mistakes every rookie makes — and the powers that be aren’t to blame for that. He doesn’t have the money to get the message out to overtake Heinz trying to overtake Kirkpatrick. But he’s got the youth, charisma and smarts to make a dent in local politics and one day be “the guy” when the time comes. The powers that be will be to blame if they turn around in 2023 and say “we got no one” to make a race again without going to more Fred DuVals or retread Republicans.

Stefanie Mach had the chops. So did Tim Sultan. So did Brandon Patrick. Matt Kopec may not have been the most charismatic guy you ever met, but he worked his tail off. They left the arena and went on to other things (although Kopec’s sliding back into the elected side of politics with a run for the Amphi school board). Democrats have a way of treating progressive comers as nuisances. And how they welcome Latino faces? Don’t even get me started.

This election cycle was going to be good for Democrats the moment Donald Trump was certified the winner in 2016. As sure as summer leads to monsoons, the party that wins the White House gets shellacked two years later. Pima County Democrats, being the stronghold of Democratic Party support in Arizona, should have had at the ready a candidate ready to give McSally a swashbuckling run.

Instead, a three-term but twice-losing candidate for federal office who moved to Tucson last year has become the front-runner for the seat.

Scouting the party

Locally, the Democratic Party has done a lot to get itself modern. First it built up its its base of legislative district chairpeople to establish something of a grassroots structure. Then it got real about fundraising and becoming more professional in terms of staffing.

But a party exists for one reason: To elect partisans. That means more than just finding candidates; it means grooming candidates.

I’m not talking about picking winners and losers during the primary process. I’m talking about recruiting and teaching candidates before they even take out their campaign paperwork. I’m talking about identifying among the current crop of elected officials, the ones best suited for moving up. Finding those new activists who should run for school boards. Making sure every precinct has its full slate of committemen.

The work that needed to be done to get someone ready to make the CD 2 race in 2018, should have been done in 2013.

Pima problems

Stepping-stone offices like sheriff, county attorney and mayor that typically feed congressional and statewide offices have been held in Tucson by Democrats like Clarence Dupnik, Barbara LaWall and Jonathan Rothschild — folks who’ve showed zero ambition to take the next step up.

Arizona’s Clean Elections provisions relieve candidates of state offices from the burden of raising money above the $5 individual contributions required to gain public financing. So they don’t build up their own donor bases.

Safe Democratic districts socially promote progressives without having to get in a cage fight with real conservative challengers, thereby proving their electoral appeal beyond the party’s base. Arizona’s 2nd Congressional District contains four Legislative districts with 12 serving members. Eight are Democrats. Last cycle, just one election was close, with Republican state Rep. Todd Clodfelter ousting Mach in 2016 (something we will revisit). 

The party honchos want Democrats to schmooze moderates and independents by denying any presence of a political conscience. They don’t want liberals being so silly as to try to win with progressive arguments. (I don’t care if it’s a liberal idea or a conservative idea, so long as it’s the right idea for the people of X.” Sound familiar?) Republicans will preach their ideology anytime, anywhere and do so with enough confidence to win.

I’m going to say it’s a knowable unknown that a liberal message can win moderates and independents. Voters tend to favor clean air, safe drinking water, Social Security, Medicare, public schools, public lands, the minimum wage, student financial assistance, gun restrictions and Obamacare, all of a sudden.

It’s at the very least a fair fight against popular conservative ideas like balanced budgets, rule of law, free markets and a belief that being aggrieved is no way to get ahead. It’s more than a fair fight now that President Trump has convinced the Right those are stupid liberal ideas too.

What the Beltway wants

Candidates seeking to climb need help at both the local and national levels, but the locals who are hooked in with the national players consider themselves to be players, too — and players in progressive politics favor resumes over talent.

The perfect candidate is a Latina who opened a successful shooting range after being discharged from the Marines after seeing combat overseas. A business person can’t be called pro-tax and won’t be tagged for wanting more regulation. A combat veteran won’t be hammered for a lack of patriotism. She will turn out the base without having to bend to their issues.

Progressive Latinos, of course, need not apply unless maybe they were registered Republicans just a few years back. 

That’s borderline sexist and racist, while missing the point that Republicans would call Ayn Rand a socialist purveyor of permissive objectivism if her ghost ran for public office.

The worst candidate possible is a liberal, let alone a gay half-Lebanese liberal like Heinz whom the Left didn’t go out of its way to help as they begged the politically impaired Ron Barber to cling to life until his predictable political demise. Barber is a damn nice guy, but was an awful candidate. He was supposed to be a temporary placeholder but the gurus in Washington felt they needed him to keep running because they thought no one else in Southern Arizona could win.

What separates Kovacs and those like him from the real contenders isn’t a lack of talent but a lack of know-how and connections. There’s a nuts and bolts to campaigning and people aren’t born handy in the ways of politics. They also need access to money, which requires a whole bunch of hook-ups.

When the South rose

Once upon a time, a scouting unit would watch for young talent to groom.

The Southern Democratic Leadership Council rose up in reaction to Walter Mondale’s 49-state drubbing just 12 years after George McGovern’s 49-state drubbing.

The party saw the South as the route back to power but only if they could break the the northern lock on Kennedy liberalism. The SDLC leadership dropped the “Southern” part in the 1990s and became the DLC.

They scored successes at the state and national level, helping Bill Clinton get to the White House and providing a template demanded of swing district candidates that was very simple.

I found this priceless quote from a 2001 article in the American Prospect touting the DLC’s string of successes throughout the 1990s:

“Today’s is not your father’s Democratic Party. Though the dwindling chorus of party progressives provides counterpoint, today’s Democrats are proud to claim the mantle of budgetary moderation. They oppose President Bush’s $2-trillion tax-cut plan not by arguing mainly for more spending on health, education, and welfare, but because it risks the new sacred cause of paying off the national debt. They are the party of increased military spending, the death penalty, the war on drugs, and partnership with religious faith. They are the party of Ending Welfare As We Know It, the party of The Era of Big Government Is Over.”

What? No protecting the American family from the gay agenda? The DLC did a great job repositioning the Democratic Party as the Republican Party with a bit more social conscience.

National Democrats haven’t changed much in their approach to winning tight races but the rest of the party has moved on.

After pushing for the Iraq War and the kind of deregulation that brought down the banks, the DLC shuttered in 2011. 

Looking for a hook-up

“True Progressives” can applaud that all they want but the DLC served a purpose.

The DLC scoured the political landscape for young leaders and hook them up with all sorts of help. In Southern Arizona, they found their woman in the early ’00s. A businesswoman and, most important, a former Republican with connections to the Tucson business community. Gabby Giffords was a comer.

The political world made room for her. They helped her with connections. When a seat came open, she had nearly $300,000 in the bank within a month.

For his part, Kovacs jumped into the race early while other Democrats hemmed and hawed at the prospect of taking on McSally. He managed to bring in about $20,000 in his first two months. Great money for a Tucson City Council race but not enough to convince anyone he was a serious contender for a congressional run. When McSally bolted for the Senate campaign after Kirkpatrick entered the race, Kovacs’ fundraising dried up.

Maybe here, progressives/liberals want to gripe about “legalized bribery” and the contamination of money in politics. Good. Fine. But there is a real world thing going on here that needs to be recognized.

What is the new Democratic Party’s answer, in its new liberalizing incarnation, to hooking candidates up for cash? Anything? There are organizations like “Swing Left” that has raised $4 million for primary winners in swing districts but that’s awfully late in the candidate recruitment process to count much. Small-dollar donations can pack a wallop, too, and there are groups trying that approach. Again, they are seeking to reward the candidate long after the real help is needed.

The Center for Progressive Leadership does offer some training and fellowships for “future leaders” but they take a broad approach to help fill staffing positions in liberal institutions and teach community organizing. That’s fine and all but it’s not retaining and grooming candidates.

From Sirhan With love

Which brings me to the rank-and-file needing to grow up some.

Democrats want to fall in love. They want passion. They want to walk passed the bumper sticker, look at the candidate’s name and feel it. They don’t want to hire someone to do the job they need done. They want the X factor.

I blame Sirhan Sirhan.

The man who murdered Robert F. Kennedy left a giant gaping promise never redeemed or never found to be a broken promise. Boomers passed the romanticism onto Gen Xers and somehow millennials still carry the infirmity.

The party isn’t in love with Heinz. It’s heart doesn’t skip a beat when Mary Matiella walks in the room. Bruce Wheeler is a nice guy … but …

Democrats here took out Matt Kopec in a 2016 legislative primary and then for reasons I can’t even begin to understand didn’t turn out for Stefanie Mach that November. Local voters never knock out incumbents but they chose to 86 Mach? The woman had a personal narrative so inspiring, she chafes at the idea that she’s an inspiration. And that’s the candidate a Democratic stronghold full of older voters looked at and said “eh, I bet she likes hip-hop.”

It’s OK to “just be friends” with a candidate who shares most of your principles. The soul doesn’t have to dance. Republicans learned long ago it’s perfectly fine to hire a candidate to do a job without hoping they notice you from across the room.

Well, they did until Donald Trump came along and suddenly they are waiting to find out what they believe based on what Trump will tweet tomorrow morning.

Losing a race for Congress is no big obstacle to a future in elected office, especially if it’s a primary. Ann Kirkpatrick lost a House election, and bounced back for two more terms. Barack Obama, George W. Bush and Bill Clinton all lost a race for the House before working in an office without right angles. Twenty percent of U.S. presidents lost an election before finding themselves at that desk. Even the seemingly undefeatable Raul Grijalva lost his first bid for elective office. McSally lost a primary and a general election before eking out her first narrow win. Steve Farley lost a City Council primary before turning his sights on the Legislature (and now the governor’s chair).

No matter what happens in 2018 or 2020, Democrats are going to need someone to run in 2022 and 2024. The time to start thinking about those races isn’t 2021 or 2023. There are Billy Kovacses out there ready to make the leap. Without some help now, they’ll make that leap and lose. If the Dems let them wander off into oblivion, then Terry Goddard’s DNA will start looking good.

Blake Morlock is an award-winning columnist who worked in daily journalism for nearly 20 years and is a former communications director for the Pima County Democratic Party.

Correction: An earlier version of this column incorrectly reported the election cycle in which Kopec lost his primary race.

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[yahoo-puck-daddy-blog]

Trending Topics: That's too much money for John Carlson

John Carlson is good, but not $8 million a year good. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)

You knew for sure the Washington Capitals were going to re-sign John Carlson when they got Colorado to take the Brooks Orpik deal off their hands.

That decision — likewise inevitable the day it was signed, just like 60 percent of all Day 1 “oh they shouldn’t have signed that” contracts in the league today — freed up a ton of money and the Caps certainly always intended to spend the cash on Carlson, coming as he was off a career high in points and a key role in his team’s Stanley Cup win.

But eight years and $64 million? That’s a lot of money even for an elite defenseman; it ties him for second in the entire NHL, in fact, even with Brent Burns at an $8 million AAV, and just short of PK Subban’s $9 million.

Oliver Ekman-Larsson has reportedly agreed to an $8.25 million AAV that can’t be signed until July 1, but even still, Carlson is a top-three defender in terms of the actual cap hit he carries. That number will probably change again next summer when Erik Karlsson and Drew Doughty get new contracts.

But let’s even say, OK, John Carlson is now being paid like a top-five defenseman in the NHL. Does that strike anyone else out there as being absolutely off the rails? You have to pay for talent, sure, and Washington wasn’t about to let the guy who they think was their best defenseman (he wasn’t) walk in free agency. You pay to keep guys. But boy, they sure do like paying premiums for their own players.

Let’s take, for example, the T.J. Oshie deal, another one of those contracts where everyone said it would be a problem a few years down the line. They gave a 30-year-old eight years at $5.75 million after he shot 23 percent over 68 games and tacked seven goals onto his all-time career high, set the season before. Then this year, huh, he shot a lot closer to his career average and, despite playing six additional games, also scored 15 fewer goals.

You can defend it now, because they won the Cup and Oshie was pretty damn good in the run-up to that championship, but three years from now, when Oshie’s 34, what does that contract look like? Probably not great, right? Which is not ideal, because that puts you only halfway through the deal.

And that doesn’t mean Oshie is anything resembling a bad player at his position. He is, in fact, very good, and moreover that $5.75 million AAV is kinda team-friendly right now. Not so much three, four, five years down the line, but absolutely team-friendly right now even if 18 goals in 74 games is fairly disappointing.

But the thing with the Carlson contract is that it is in no way team-friendly, and even if you’re a big believer that Carlson is a great No. 1 defenseman (he’s not) there’s little to suggest he can ever live up to the terms of this deal.

Again, he’s coming off a career year, but one that is so far outside the realms of what he’s been able to do in the past. Carlson is a few years younger than Oshie was when he signed his deal (which is probably what helped keep Oshie’s AAV down) so he got the full benefit of being able to max out his value. Forget about three, four, five years down the line. This contract is an overpay on Day 1, and it doesn’t begin to make sense from a practical standpoint.

That’s not to say I truly don’t understand the impulse here if you’re Washington. First, this is a win-now team, because its ability to be competitive ends when Ovechkin, Backstrom, and certainly Holtby hit a wall. That’s definitely going to happen well before this Carlson deal comes to an end, and there’s probably going to be someone dumb enough to take it of Washington’s hands in 2023 because the cap will be like $89 million by then and the rebuilding Capitals will retain salary. Who cares!

Second, even if you don’t think Carlson is worth this money (he isn’t!), if he hits the open market and goes elsewhere, that creates a vacuum on the blue line that needs to be filled. Not that I would ever say winning the Cup is a curse for any team, but it does create something of an expectation of competition, and you absolutely couldn’t sell your fanbase on letting Carlson walk when you’d still need to find a replacement for him; the next-best UFA defenseman on the market come July 1 is, I dunno, Toby Enstrom? You can get him for way less than $8 million but you can’t sell that to people who just bought $150 worth of Stanley Cup Champions merch from shop dot nhl dot com.

Third, maybe, is that you can easily sell yourself on a guy who eats big minutes (even if he doesn’t do as much with them as he maybe should, based on reputation and now, his take-home pay) if you are also bringing back his partner from that Cup run. Michael Kempny has, as of this writing, received a multi-year offer from Washington and is weighing it. If you can keep a pairing that effective together, and also keep Kempny’s AAV down, that is probably a little more palatable. But that depends on a lot of factors outside this contract, which again, was not particularly advisable.

Let’s put it this way: Of the 57 guys who have played at least 5,000 minutes over the past three seasons, Carlson’s ability to contribute goals above the replacement level is a little above the middle of the pack — 23rd in the league — at 2.52 per 82 games. That puts him in the same neighborhood as Anton Stralman (who’s a very good defenseman) and Dmitry Orlov (also good, but certainly not regarded on the same level as his teammate).

It’s hard to argue Carlson isn’t a top-30 defenseman in the league, which is to say he’s a clear No. 1. But he’s certainly on the lower end of that top 30, and he’s no longer being paid like it. Moreover, if you were looking for a Carlson replacement — and this was something I said during the playoffs — Orlov might reasonably have been someone worth trying in that role. (This is to say nothing of the fact that Matt Niskanen was the Capitals’ best defenseman the last two seasons, but it’s definitely worth noting that he, uh, was.)

Carlson appears to contribute more than those other two guys in his GAR neighborhood because he has the benefit of playing on arguably the best No. 1 power play unit in the post-cap NHL, though I would certainly also hear arguments for the Sharks four or five years ago. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that Carlson joins Oshie as guys who are good players but happened to have insane-production seasons the year they were going RFA when they got a good chunk of their scoring from being on that power play. Nearly half of all Carlson’s points came on that man advantage this season (32 of 68), and while being a guy who can produce on the power play has value, it’s also important to contextualize these things when assessing a player’s actual value.

Again, the Caps really weren’t in an enviable position here. Someone was gonna pay Carlson a ton of money and there were no other good replacement options on the market except, perhaps, via trade (which would have been difficult to pursue). Just like Chicago a few years ago when they overpaid for Kane and Toews, they couldn’t afford to just let those guys walk, for a litany of reasons.

But also like Kane and Toews, it’s hard to be sure they could really afford to keep them either.

—

Ryan Lambert is a Puck Daddy columnist. His email is here and his Twitter is here.

All stats via Corsica unless otherwise noted.