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airinyourtires · 1 month ago

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The Planetary Commonwealth of Demos

Population: 1,923,827,527 Capital: Consensus (21°10'18"N 10°02'30"E) Demonyms: Democrat(s), Democratic, Citizen(s) (rarely) Government: Direct Democracy/Absolute Theocracy [see "Government System" section for more information] Currency: None (de jure), OIU Diplomata (de facto) Religion: Democracy 99.9% [see "Government System" section for more information] Species: Multiple 56%, Cecrian 33%, Moryntese 8%, other 3% Languages: Democratic Cecrian, Diplomatic (co-official)

History

Demos is a small, habitable planet on the charmmost edge of the known galaxy. It orbits the star DP-23875 (called "Lefterilos" by the people of Demos) for a period of approximately 47.5 standard years. It has no permanent natural satellites and its rotational period is roughly equivalent to two standard days.

Evidence suggests that Demos was first visited by the Psh'wsh during the First Hegemony. They began the terraforming processes that led to its modern habitability, but there is no evidence to suggest they were able to establish a permanent population prior to the Great Scouring.

Wreckage indicates that a vessel from '''' sustained damage over Demos at some point during the Sixth Hegemony. It is unknown if there were any casualties, as no remains survived.

The first known permanent settlements were established by a group of exiled Cecrian rebels during the reign of Emperor Áschetos XIX, about a century prior to the conclusion of the Eighth Hegemony. They founded the settlement of Consensus (named because they were unable to decide on a name) and attempted to establish a democratic society.

Throughout the first decade, conflict was frequent and Consensus nearly burned down after the supposed assassination of Consensus's Archon, Gnorízon, who shortly thereafter returned to the city, citing a divine revelation. Under his leadership, according to the Minutes, the planet's meticulously-kept records which begin at this time, most disagreements abated and the city truly began to live up to its name.

Numerous other major cities were constructed after this time, and, by the time contact was reestablished by members of the Unity Corps, the planet had nearly grown to its current population. The language spoken today on Demos, Democratic Cecrian, began to diverge from Late Imperial Cecrian around this time. The Planetary Commonwealth of Demos entered the Organization for Interplanetary Unity less than ten standard days after it began the process, a record beaten only by Morynt after its War of Unification.

Demos has largely remained uninvolved in galactic affairs outside of the OUI, though it did send weapons to the Radiant Legion during its fight against the neo-imperialist coup on Cecria.

Government System

Demos's government is operated in a manner reminiscent of, but not identical to, those of many other planets. Each settlement is ruled by an archon. Those in Consensus are referred to as archon(s) president, as on Cecria, and those outside are referred to as archon(s) deputy. They serve lifetime appointments, and, following their death or resignation, they will be replaced by an eligible adult citizen.

The archons are said to channel the words of the Spirit of the People, referred to simply as Demos, a deity worshiped by the vast majority of the population. It is believed that Demos is, essentially, a collective consciousness, which represents the true desires of all of the planet's populace. Instead of elections, it is believed, Demos is a more constant representation, able to react in real-time to any circumstances to which new policy would pertain. To serve as its deputy, therefore, is considered a great and solemn duty, one which is not taken lightly. Only those who are truly ready to channel the collective will of an entire planet are chosen to be Demos's deputies.

However, the truth of these statements is disputed. Some claim that Demos is, if it truly knows the will of its entire population, a totalitarian ruler with an iron fist stronger than even the most authoritarian rulers of the past Eight Hegemonies. Others claim that Demos is either false or its abilities are exaggerated, and that the extant leaders hold the real power. The truth of either possibility remains controversial.

Travel

Demos is remote, but in the event that you should find yourself there, you should not worry. Transportation is inexpensive (and free for citizens), and lodging can be found in any major city. The people will generally be distant and aloof, but, overall, not unfriendly. Refrain from making comments about their government system or comparing them to any others. You will not face any legal punishment, but it is considered a major social faux pas.

There is work available for outsiders, though not a lot - manual labor is needed, but most other types of jobs are filled by citizens, except for jobs in diplomacy (see your own planet or other polity's embassy for more information).

Extraterrestrials are not often offered permanent residency, but those who have are entitled to participation in the governmental system, and several have even become deputies. However, thus far, nobody who has become a citizen has left the planet after becoming a citizen.

- from the Unity Corps Galactic Overview, 234th Edition.

#science fiction #my writing #the unity corps #please tell me what you think!#long post

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thezanyarthropleura · 2 years ago

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March 20 (1 of 2: 1968)

(This post covers Gamera vs. Viras, look out for a separate Gamera: Super Monster post later today)

Happy 55 years to Gamera vs. Viras, the fourth film in the Showa era, and happy 43 years to Gamera: Super Monster, the eighth and final film in the Showa era. Two movies that use extensive stock footage, but that use it to very different effect. Also two films that feature alien spaceships, and scenes where Gamera is mind-controlled by said alien spaceships.

There are actually quite a few women in Gamera vs. Viras’s adult cast, it’s just that we don’t actually see much of the adult cast. This film begins the tradition of featuring two child protagonists, one Japanese and one American, something that would apply to all of the final four mainline Showa films. As would the fact that the film pretty much centers around them and them alone. We do get a sort-of notable amount of screentime and relevance for Masao’s older sister Mariko, who wears a neat-looking compass/tracking device/communicator wristwatch her brother invented so they both can wear one and keep track of each other, and that’s about as much character depth as you’re going to get out of this movie.

The film does give a somewhat clever justification for the two children of different nationalities to feature in the plot. It takes place around what is apparently the Boy Scouts equivalent of joint US-Japan navy games, from which the two kids go missing and through some Chekhov’s shenanigans end up having a cute underwater adventure in a submarine where Gamera swims alongside. Then the aliens show up, stick Gamera under a big dome, search through his memories because they can do that, and decide to exploit his kindness toward children, using a teleporter to abduct the two kids from the Boy Scouts camp. Because apparently the Virasians have no concept of professional courtesy.

Since this film was made in 1968, this is seen as a distinctly worse situation than the one the kids were already in, and everyone immediately panics. Mariko seeks comfort from who I can only assume are the other members of her lesbian polycule, and Gamera goes off to destroy a bunch of buildings he’s already destroyed (because the aliens put a mind control device on his neck, not because he’s being driven mad at having to choose between leaving the kids with the aliens and returning them to the Boy Scouts, although I have to imagine that is also happening).

Gamera vs. Viras, as previously mentioned, is the sole mainline Showa film that hasn’t been tackled by Mystery Science Theater 3000, having shared that distinction with Gamera vs. Jiger until that film was included in season 13 of the show just last year. And while I’d like to see that status change just as much as any fan of both franchises, it’s easy to see why this film would be challenging to riff on, at least in its complete form. Unlike Gamera: Super Monster’s cut-down, fast-paced fights, the stock footage in this film is presented pretty much as-is, with entire sections of combat and destruction scenes from previous films taking up a significant chunk of the screentime. There are really only so many stock footage jokes one can make when you’re being subjected to ten or twenty full minutes of it depending on the version, with only a brief narration when it changes from the slow, drawn-out Barugon fight to the slow, drawn-out Gyaos fight.

That said, the special effects for Viras are remarkably good, seeming to foreshadow the incredible work done in bringing Legion to life almost three decades later. While at some points in the film, particularly the scene where the leader Viras is absorbing the others, it’s obvious the supposedly squidlike creature has two human legs poorly disguised among its tentacles, the fight scene itself does a lot to hide this and make Viras look truly like the space squid he’s meant to be. This is interspersed with scenes that use full-tentacled props to represent the alien, with very little to take one out of the illusion once the combat truly gets going. Additionally, Gamera’s fight with a Virasian spaceship in the opening moments of the film is both creative and fun, somewhat making up for there only being one proper monster battle this time around.

I kinda like this movie. It takes the formula in new and interesting directions, and while long stretches of the film will bore most viewers (and bash you over the head with so many Chekhov’s guns, skills, and pranks you’ll be wishing for a deus ex machina just for variety’s sake), it’s really only the few obvious issues I’ve mentioned that bring it down. The majority of the film is no less an earnest, fun and wacky adventure than any of the others that try to be, and practically every moment of new Gamera footage is a moment well worth looking forward to. That said, it’s probably either my least favorite Gamera film, or very close to the bottom of the list. I guess I do ship Mariko with the other two women she shares almost every scene with, but as you might already know, today’s other film does the exact same thing, but better.

Enjoy this movie with pull-n-peel twizzlers, cut into 2-3-inch pieces and started from both ends. And if you can, slice up some apples and make one of those crustless space octagon sandwiches, they look delicious (even if they, apparently, were not).

#gamera #gamera vs viras #viras #nakaya mariko #gamera march #a lesbian reviews all the gamera movies

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dailyunsolvedmysteries · 3 years ago

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The Killing of Ken Rex McElroy

Ken Rex McElroy grew up in a poor family and left school by the eighth grade. It was believed that he was possibly largely illiterate and at 18-years-old, he was injured by a metal slab falling on him at a construction site. The incident left him with chronic pain and some attested his bizarre and violent behavior to a head injury as a result of the accident. McElroy was reported as being a 270 pound giant of a man and a local farmer described him “I think that Ken simply wanted to be big and important and have people afraid of him when he walked down the street. And he got that. They were.” McElroy made a decent living by leasing the land off of his farm, trading and racing dogs, as well as allegedly stealing livestock, grain, alcohol, gasoline, and antiques. He was in constant trouble with the law. His lawyer estimated that he was charged with various crimes at least 3 times a year. By some counts, he was indicted as many as 21 times but escaped conviction all but once. McElroy used to brag that his lawyer, Richard Gene McFadin, also represented the Mob and would keep him out of jail. Another tactic McElroy would use to avoid jail time was to intimidate witnesses by following them or park outside their homes and watch them until they were no longer willing to testify. Some of his bigger crimes were robbery, harassing/assaulting women, destroying property, threatening lives, and shooting at least two people, all of which he avoided jail for. Police were also afraid of confronting McElroy since he was almost always heavily armed and didn’t think twice before shooting a cop. The people of Skidmore felt abandoned by the justice system that couldn’t stop McElroy from causing havoc in their town. On April 25, 1980, in Ernest “Bo” Bowenkamp’s general store, the store clerk, Evelyn Sumy, would ask McElroy’s 8-year-old daughter, Tanya, to return a piece of candy that she didn’t pay for. When McElroy learned of the situation, he became so enraged that he began stalking the Bowenkamp family. On July 8, 1980, McElroy drove to the alley behind the general store, once there he threatened Bo Bowenkamp and shot the 70-year-old grocer in the neck at close range with a shotgun. This was the second time he had shot someone (the first time was local farmer Romaine Henry whom McElroy shot in the stomach after Henry was chasing him off of Henry’s land). Miraculously, Bo Bownkamp survived the shot, and McElroy was arrested and charged with attempted murder. His preliminary trial was set for August 18, 1980, and, in his usual fashion, McElroy tried to intimidate the Bowenkamp family and supporters from testifying. Bowenkamp’s wife said the following: “You can’t know how intimidating it was after that. Before his trial, he’d drive up to our house in his pickup at night and just sit there. Sometimes, he would fire his gun. It was frightening.” Nevertheless, McElroy was able to delay the trial almost 5 months to June 25, 1981. During this time, the acting prosecuting attorney resigned and a new prosecutor, David Baird, was assigned the case. It is rumored that McElroy bullied the previous prosecutor to leave. Baird was only 3 years out of law school but accomplished the impossible. He was able to convict McElroy of a crime. Granted, he was only convicted of second-degree assault. The jury set a maximum sentence of two years and the judge freed him on a $40,000 bail bond pending the appeal. This is because Baird lessened the charge from “attempt to kill” to “knowingly caused serious physical injury.” Soon after he was released, he was bizarrely spotted with a rifle and bayonet at the town’s local bar, D&G Tavern, where he was making graphic threats about killing Bo Bowenkamp. He was then arrested and then quickly released for violating bail by being armed. On July 10, 1981, there was a local meeting at the town’s Legion Hall, just down the street from the D&G Tavern. As many as 60 residents attended, including the mayor and the sheriff. During the meeting, the whole topic of discussion was what they could do legally to prevent McElroy from harming anyone else. County sheriff, Dan Estes, suggested a neighborhood watch but the mindset was said perfectly by an attendee: “we simply felt that the system had failed us. We all knew what McElroy was like, and there he was again and again. It seemed like no one could stop him.” During the meeting, a local said that they had spotted McElroy and his young wife, Trena, on their way to grab drinks at the D&G Tavern. The meeting was quickly adjourned and the 60 odd people who were at that meeting quietly descended on the tavern, flanking McElroy’s truck. Some of the attendees went into the bar and waited for McElroy to finish his drinks. Upon returning to the truck, where Trena was sitting in the passenger seat, McElroy lit a cigarette. Trena then reported glancing over her shoulder and saw someone point a rifle towards the back of the truck, take aim at McElroy, and then shots were fired. McElroy was shot at several times and hit twice, killing him. In all, there were 46 potential witnesses to the shooting, including Trena. No one called for an ambulance. Only Trena claimed to identify a gunman however, every other witness either was unable to name the person who had pulled the trigger or claimed not to have seen who fired the fatal shots. The DA declined to press charges. To this day, the person who shot Ken McElroy remains unknown.

#ken mcelroy #true crime #crime #unsolved #unsolved mysteries

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twoflipstwotwists · 5 years ago

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Oksana Chusovitina stayed in gymnastics partly for her little boy, so it seems fitting that her son Alisher, now 20, is the one who has finally convinced her to step back.

Chusovitina, 44, is the doyenne of world gymnastics, a woman whose longevity has surpassed expectations, confounded statistics and delighted a legion of adult gymnasts. At her eighth Olympic Games this summer, Chusovitina will break her own record for most Olympics attended by a single gymnast. That she’s done it in an era where the sport has gotten progressively harder and globally more competitive only adds to her legend.

After three decades, five national teams and some tens of thousands of vaults, the end of the odyssey is in sight. Chusovitina has let it be known that Tokyo will be her final Olympics, though she has said the same before at past Games and then casually shown up at the next World Cup event. Others have focused on her age, on the fact that she’ll be the oldest gymnast in 100 years to walk the floor in Tokyo; Chusovitina herself generally shies away from such things, preferring to let her skills speak for themselves.

To Agence France Presse this week, however, she conceded that Alisher’s influence, namely his concern that she could injure herself, proved the deciding factor in the retirement that she always put off. “He worries about me a lot, that I might get a bad injury or fall,” Chusovitina said. She stayed in for the sake of her son; for his sake she will finally bow out.

It was for Alisher that Chusovitina continued at an age when most international competitors conclude their careers. When her then-two-year-old was diagnosed with leukemia in 2002, Chusovitina was 27, already ancient by elite gymnastics standards, and representing Uzbekistan, in whose ancient city Bukhara she was born in 1975. As one of the few mothers to return to high level international competition, Chusovitina was already an anomaly; the situation she found herself in made her even more so.

The lack of medical treatment available for Alisher’s illness in Uzbekistan pushed Chusovitina and her husband, Olympic wrestler Bakhodir Kurbanov, to look abroad for solutions. A friend connected them with a hospital in Germany, which agreed to treat Alisher for free.

The hand of fate so generously extended by the Germans floored Chusovitina, who could only express her gratitude in gymnastics. Instead of retiring, she took German nationality and repped the country at the 2008 and 2012 Games, offering Olympic silver in place of euros. Won on vault in Beijing in 2008, it was unified Germany’s first Olympic medal in women’s gymnastics since 1936, but the real prize was bestowed after the Games, when upon her return to Koln Alisher’s doctors announced that he was cured. “I think, as a mother, that is news you cannot compare any medal to,” she said.

Why retire when there was no need, especially when Chusovitina’s capability on vault, has kept her competitive? Rather than fading away quietly, she is as luminous as ever. For Tokyo, she has indicated that she may compete the uber difficult Produnova vault, something only three women (including her) have attempted at the Olympic Games. One day she will indeed retire — but she will not go quietly.

#oksana chusovitina

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kalle-and-lita · 5 years ago

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Jealousy

For @goddessatina Prompt 14: Jealousy

A/N: Any canon muses are under my interpretation of the character, and mine alone and do not reflect those who RP the same character.

The party was lively, to say the least, and one Lita was certainly enjoying. It wasn't too often that she went to events such as these, as a gathering of the Primarchs was a rare occurrence indeed. But there were politics to discuss, war plans to go over, and when the Warmaster called for a gathering one was usually inclined to listen.

Her attendance had also been a bit of an unexpected development. Just earlier in the evening she'd been happily filing away paperwork for the Eighth Legion when his Highness had come barging into her office. Judging from the scowl on his face, he didn't seem at all pleased.

"Get ready.”

His curt order earned him an equally curt, but curious, reply,

"For what?"

He simply waved his hands, allowing two serfs to enter the room with various garments, "You'll be attending a gathering with me. Now get ready." He growled, leaving Lita with the serfs.

And so she eventually found herself at his side, hugging the far corner in every vain attempt to avoid conversations with his other brothers. Mortarion, Primarch of the Death Guard, had joined them not long ago. The pair of them spoke in low tones to each other, leaving Lita to hop softly from foot to foot.

Her drink was nearly empty, and not nearly strong enough to stave off her boredom. She had hoped that Atina would be in attendance, but so far had yet to see her good friend. Eventually, she became fed up, and politely excused herself to get more to drink. Easily she slipped in and out of the crowd in attendence. Remembrancers, and first officers alike, chatting and laughing as the party continued ever onward.

"Pardon me," a thick voice intruded upon Lita's thoughts as she refilled her drink, and she turned to find a Primarch she'd never met standing before her. He looked as if he'd been forged in fire, tall and terrifying, but there was a gentleness on his face that put her at ease, "Might you be Lita, Eighth Legion Representative?"

She dipped her head politely, "Indeed, Primarch...?"

"Vulkan, of the Salamanders."

Lita wasn't quite sure how long they stood and talked for. Their topics jumped and varied about, from Vulkan's home world to Lita's occupation and finally settling upon the topic of Lita's garden. They talked and talked about it for a good long while, the Primarchs interest very apparent.

"Brother, do tell me you're not going to demand all of this young woman's attention!"

Another voice joined them, and she turned to find another one of the Primarchs at her side. His skin was color of the rising sun, crimson and proud, a single eye gazing down at her in interest. This brother she knew.

Magnus the Red, Primarch of the Thousand Sons. She dipped her head in greeting,

"Young woman," she teased, "If I didn't know better, I would think you're trying to flatter me, Lord Magnus."

"Is it working?" He smiled,

"Only a little." She replied with a laugh.

"Ah, and here I had hoped to steal you away from my brother Konrad, I've heard of you, little human. Pardon my forwardness, but I believe your talents for speech would be in far better use in my Legion than that of the Eighth's. What say you?"

Lita simply shook her head in amusement, "Apologies, Lord Magnus, but there is little in this galaxy that would tear me away. My work is important, and my loyalty to my King far more so. I fear your attempts shall on deaf ears."

"A pity." Magnus mused into his drink, "I would speak with you all the same. That is, of course, if Vulkan has not already exhausted your powers of speech."

The three of them shared a laugh, "Of course not, Lord Magnus, though I pray you can keep up with me. I've been told I'm very hard to stop once I really get going."

"What's this, gathering around a beautiful flower amidst a room full of vagrants?"

A new Primarch had joined them, displaying colors of purple and gold paired with a pale face and even paler hair. He was pretty in a way, as if sculpted from marble, a charming smile painted upon his features

"A flower in a room full of vagrants?" Lita said, now noticing her drink was halfway empty again, "Why must you speak so ill of me, Lord Fulgrim? I don't believe I'm a vagrant."

"I agree," Magnus teased, silently offering Lita another cup of wine. She gratefully accepted, as the four of them delved into deep conversation. They laughed and teased, conversing on all manner of topics from art, to history, to everything under the sun. At some point, Lita realized she was losing her faculties, made evident when she swayed dangerously only to have Magnus reach out to steady her.

"I think, gentlemen," she spoke carefully, "I am done for the evening."

"So it would seem," mused Fulgrim, quickly replacing Lita's wine with water. She drank from it gratefully, "While I am sorry you must leave, do part with a promise that you'll come visit Chemos. If I may be so bold, I do believe you'll find it quite spectacular."

"No, no, say you'll come to Prospero. The view from the highest point in all of Tzica is most amazing." Argued Magnus hotly. Lita smiled all the same,

"Perhaps, if my busy schedule affords me the time. Now, if you'll excuse me."

They bid her farewell and parted their own ways as she did. In and out she dipped through the thinning crowd, back towards to the wall where she'd left her Primarch some hours before. Halfway there she found him right where she had left him, though Mortarion had seemingly long since departed.

"I wondered when you would deign to return to me." Her king commented coldly, and the cheerful mood Lita had previously found herself in died. She resisted the urge to roll her eyes at him,

"I am here now," she bit back just as coldly, narrowing her gaze upon him,

"Though I find it very difficult to believe I was so hard to find."

A nerve in his eye twitched at that, but he said nothing in return. Instead he pushed himself from the dark corner, his swift pace making for the exit of the room. She followed behind him dutifully back to their transport and back aboard the Nightfall. Once inside the main lift, and closed in a tight space with him, she could feel the cold radiating off him in waves.

"You reek of alcohol." He said eventually, making Lita's hair stand on end in fury.

"Apologizes, Your Highness," she fought the sneer as hard as she could, yet failed all the same, "Are there any other grievances you'd like to air, or shall we stew in furious silence all night?"

He said nothing, earning him a scowl as the lift finally slowed to a halt on the stateroom floor. Lita lifted the hem of her dress and swept past the Primarch in an effort to retire to her room. She didn't look back to see if he was following, but the tell tale sound of his footfalls told her that he was. She ignored him as she came to her stateroom door, keying in her code in furious silence as his cold aura still radiated off of him.

"Fits of jealousy are unbecoming of you." She finally said as her door hissed open. She lay a hand on the door to keep it from closing, turning back before she swept through with a furious glare up at him, "The next time you see fit to drag me off to one party or another do feel free to talk to me, otherwise just leave me be!"

The door hissed shut behind her, with a loud thud on the wall following shortly after. If she had to venture a guess, he'd probably hit the wall. In furious silence she discarded the dress in favor of a shower and more comfortable clothes, silently hoping that tomorrow they'd all be in better moods.

#goddessatina #writing prompt #my ocs #lita #Konrad curze #Warhammer 30000 #Warhammer 30k

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firesofdainix · 6 years ago

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all my wolves begin to howl, oh wake me up the time is now

Fragments of Jason's life before The Lost Hero.

His mother told him that she would be back, but it has been hours since he had last seen her and Thalia. He calls for them as he crawls through the Wolf House with his hands and feet. Then he starts to cry, and he feels his ordinary life, from his sister, his mother, tearing itself apart inside of him. As if his childhood is finally done, and a new life is ahead of him.

But still, Jason wishes to hold on, to hope that his mother and sister would come back for him. That fades when a lone howl pierces through his baby ears, and a figure steps out from the shadows.

Sadly, Jason wasn't afraid.

Sadly, Jason Grace was taken away from his old home to a new one with the wolves.

And the cycle continues.

Life with the wolves had been fun. Frolicking in the house where his mother and sister left him, spending the day in the woods trying to catch prey.

Lupa is quite a mother wolf, a strict one, but still a mother whom he barely remembers.

Finally, after months of training, Jason Grace at age three is now ready to face on the cruel world to find Camp Jupiter.

To say he didn't look back was not true. He did look back, to see another kid older than him being taught by the same wolves he considered as a family.

His family of wolves seem to have moved on like the family he barely remembered as a child.

They all look up at him, Jason Grace.

Jason Grace.

Son of Jupiter.

Jason Grace.

The King of the God's son, everyone says.

The son of a no good Dad, he wishes to say, but those words were stuck in his throat, refusing to come out.

He wonders if he'll just become like his father, which is his worst nightmare.

Instead of joining the First Cohort like everyone expected him to be, he joins the Fifth Cohort, filled with what they say, the sea of nobodies.

It's good to be a nobody.

The first time he got his mark, it hurts like Hades. There was a brilliant flash of light... and it's there now.

The eagle, symbolizing his father, the SPQR, and a line representing his first year.

The others say he'll get used to the pain.

He already did.

He just chooses to feel numb.

Being marked was supposed to be the most special time. It means that he is fully accepted into the legion, into the arms of the cohorts. He isn't a probatio anymore; he never is treated as one.

They try to make him join their cohorts.

Anything other than the Fifth Cohort.

And he just glares, because he knows they're not being any fair to the members of the Fifth Cohort.

Bigots.

Bullies. He hates them. He hates them all.

They think they're so high and mighty, picking on the younger probatios, but just one glare from Jason Grace and they'll be running another way.

Jason's just a kid.

A six year old.

Ten year olds run away from him.

Jason Grace tries to become a blank slate one time, resulting in him hearing most of the conversation of the bullies he had driven away.

"The Fifth Cohort thinks they're so powerful, just because Jason Grace is with them", one says.

"Just wait until Jason Grace realizes what he's done wrong and leave the Fifth Cohort", another one says.

Fury engulfs Jason. He didn't know what he was doing, unaware.

He didn't know he summoned lightning and killed three people on the spot.

He isn't a blank slate anymore.

Therapists are common in New Rome, of course. Some descendants of the gods had been involved in wars or had been put through many traumatizing moments throughout their life.

Jason thinks he doesn't count as any of those people.

He doesn't even know what war is supposed to be like.

No one here knows how much damage a war will cost.

"All right Jason", the therapist says in a warm voice, just like all the other therapists before her. "I want you to tell me what you have learned the past year in Camp Jupiter."

It was such a simple question. Jason didn't know where every thing went wrong.

"That the Fifth Cohort is the best cohort anyone has ever seen", Jason says nonchalantly.

The therapist nods slowly. Sooner or later she'll give up on him, like all the others. "Anything else."

"Everyone who tries to say other wise are bigots."

"Mister Grace, your language."

"What is even the point of this? To see if you think I regret killing those assholes a year ago."

The therapist nods. "Yes. You should be ashamed of yourself. We would've sentenced you to death-"

"But you don't want to, since I'm a son of Jupiter, is that right?"

The therapist doesn't reply.

It was his eighth birthday today, and everyone from all cohorts gave him a simple phrase of Happy Birthday.

No one asked him if he was fine.

No one dared ask him what happened in the ward.

He just wants to talk to someone, anyone.

He was elevated to a centurion of the Fifth Cohort, along with Dakota.

Together they kill bassilisks in the temples, and lead the war games with their comrades.

Jason is the reason why sometimes, the Fifth Cohort always win in the war games.

Twelfth Legion doesn't bring pride to Jason at all.

He has no idea to why everyone would be okay to be called 'the twelfth best legion'.

Now that he's a centurion, maybe he can change the minds of the campers of Camp Jupiter.

Rename it to First Legion, he says.

They're hesitant.

He knows why.

Only Octavian stands in the way.

He has no Roman pride.

He only has pride within himself.

Octavian was handpicked as the augur and it made Jason's blood boil.

How could he become an augur? Why had their praetors done this? Do they know how much political power and blackmail Octavian has?

Maybe that's why.

The praetors were also scared by his absolute power.

Jason cannot let him be a praetor given a time.

Then a marvelous and life threatening idea looms over his head.

Yes.

That's how it's going to be.

Jason is standing over Octavian's lying body, blankets covering most of it.

Jason was holding his ILVIS sword, tightly too.

He's going to kill Octavian.

He's going to do it.

He trudges over the legacy of Apollo's bed, but something stops him.

Jason regrets stopping because after that Octavian yells something about murder.

He jumps off the window and into the night.

Fuck you hesitation.

Reyna Avila Ramirez-Arellano.

That's her name.

A daughter of the war goddess Bellona.

That's nice.

She loves Diocletian as much as he does, and they'd stare at portraits everyday while getting lost at the subject of history.

That's good.

She's also his first friend.

That's the best news.

Reyna's been acting strange lately.

After that little quest, their relationship was never the same.

What did that woman do to Reyna?

Sure, they were still talking, but Reyna seems to be distant, as if thinking of something.

Being wary around Jason Grace.

But Jason tries not to give up, trying to still rebuild their friendship.

"So, you're Bryce Lawrence." Jason looks at the boy with the mix of disgust and indignance.

This-this no good son of Orcus really thinks that a little murder is entertainment.

He should've been dead, but his family is one of the most influential families in all of New Rome.

They can't just execute him and face his angry relatives.

But he was a goddamn psychopath.

Gods, Jason already hates him.

A lot of Roman campers have been missing lately.

The praetors said that they were rewarded a quest by the augur.

But they don't come back after a week.

Jason sighs as he flips his coin, transforming it to a sword.

He's going to find those campers and bring them back here.

Jason didn't know what got into him.

One moment, he was fighting a dracaena and another moment he was fighting one of his own kin, a demigod.

But the demigod isn't Roman.

He said he was a son of Hermes.

And he looks a lot like him.

Who is he?

And how could he do this to his Roman kind?

"Join me, Jason", he says.

Luke.

His name is Luke.

"Together we can tear Olympus apart stone by stone!"

Jason shoots lightning at him, but he seems unharmed.

At the end of the day, he fed the traitor Romans to the sharks.

Nico.

Nico di Angelo.

That was the Ambassador of Pluto's name.

People were wary of him.

Jason? He wasn't wary of Nico.

Finally, a cousin.

He seems secretive, but that's alright.

Jason has a lot of secrets.

And one day Nico brings Hazel, also a child of Pluto.

He cherishes them both.

There's a battle.

And he's in it.

Everyone is in it.

Against the Titan Kronos who has escaped from Tartarus.

He didn't tell anyone about that Greek demigod.

But before they go to New York, they have to face Krios first in Mount Othyrs.

It's going to be a long battle.

Their praetors are dead, and many are wounded.

Everyone is panicking, and Jason and Reyna tries to stop them from that.

Reyna comes up with battle tactics, and Jason is quite proud of her.

They march into Krios' domain, where they're faced with a dragon and the Hesperides.

Reyna kills them singlehandedly as the legion descends into battle.

Jason reaches Krios, and that is where it gets messy.

Hand-to-hand combat.

Why is Jason so impulsive?

His face burns.

His legs are tiring.

His right arm is broken.

And the entire legion is watching them, weapons ready.

They want to see if he lives or dies.

He looks up at the sky as he finally kneels for what felt like years, exhaling.

His lungs are burning.

His heart is beating too fast for his own good.

He feels blood on his face, and his eyes hurt.

He finally prays to his dad for the first time in his life.

And he's overcome with strength he had when he and the Romans scaled Mount Othyrs.

Krios is disintegrating, slowly but surely. He growls, but Jason just kicks him in the face.

"Who even are you?", Krios spits out.

Jason smirks. "I'm Jason fucking Grace bitch. And you'll remember me for centuries."

He watches Krios fully disintegrate with a self satisfied smirk.

And he faces his comrades, all full of amazement or intimidation.

Reyna starts to clap.

Sooner or later everyone starts clapping.

They made him and Reyna praetors of the first legion.

He dreams.

He dreams of his achievements, of his mother and sister, of his family.

But something is still missing.

In all his life, he never called anything a 'home', or a 'family'.

Even in Camp Jupiter, where it was supposed to feel at home, he never feels like it.

He finds Juno staring at him with a smile.

No.

He cannot be used as a pawn ever again.

Juno chuckles.

"It is your time now, little hero. Your destiny awaits."

No.

NEVER AGAIN.

Who is he again?

Where is he?

What is he doing here in a bus, in the middle of wilderness?

He feels something warm on his hand, and he looks over to see-

The most beautiful girl he's ever met.

And, suddenly, he feels a pang of hope, that maybe, just maybe, he will find a home and family.

Maybe is a strong word.

"Jason? Are you alright?"

#mine #fanfic #Heroes of Olympus #jason grace #I LOVE JASON GRACE #dark! jason #like i love that concept #some grimdark stuff here

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twilightknight17 · 7 years ago

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Writin’ about fic stuff so my author’s notes aren’t ten miles long...

The Theatre of Fraud Goro Akechi's Heart World

As an overall point, there are few specific cognitives and shadows in the Theatre in general. There are very few people that Akechi would pay enough attention to or care enough about to have them in his Heart World. Even people like Sojiro and Sae, while they are confidantes, haven't reached the point where they have a significant role in the plays.

All of the other Palaces are associated with a Deadly Sin (Vanity is often associated with Pride), but with all of them taken I pulled from a slightly larger source. Fraud is the eighth circle of Hell, and it suits Akechi because everything he has been for most of his life is some kind of mask or act. Figuring out what’s real and what’s fake is how to get through to him in the end.

Act 1

The cognitive citizens in Stage Tokyo are generic people because Akechi doesn't pay attention to the masses and doesn't really like them. But he also craves the validation and attention that they give him, even if that attention just feels shallow and hollow to him.

As a doll, the Detective Prince only functions when people pay him attention, otherwise he's stuck motionless. The Thieves see him in a crowd of fans, but any kind of attention will do. Even negative attention or unwanted attention is an acknowledgment that he exists and is worth something, which is why the phone call from Shido was enough to allow him to move under his own power. Shido's attention is a terrible thing, but it's still confirmation that someone needs him.

The cognitive Akira (and to a lesser extent, the rest of the Thieves) acts as a siren, luring the attention away from the Detective Prince and to himself. It's a warped perception of the real Akira's ability to form bonds and make friends. Akechi sees that despite his criminal record and his less-than-ideal circumstances, he's managed to surround himself with friends and confidantes, and his distortion and jealousy warps that into Akira being able to literally win over anyone that he touches.

That touch doesn't work on the doll because Akechi's so guarded and under so many masks, but he wants to be able to follow and trust and love Akira like the others. The verse he's mumbling when the real Akira catches up is from a version of the Pied Piper poem, and the siren Akira makes the same reference later. There's a child in the Pied Piper story that cannot follow when the Piper lures the children of Hamelin away, usually because he's disabled in some way. It depends on the version, but he's blind or lame or otherwise held back such that he cannot keep up with the others. Akechi's disability is the walls he's built around his own heart, but it's holding him back all the same.

The cognitive Joker is his warped perception of his attraction to Akira. He loves Akira, deep down, and he wants his love and attention and affection for himself. There's not much else to say, there. ^_^;;;

Finally, the mask is the entire persona of the Detective Prince itself. Akechi puts on a pleasant and smiling facade for the public, but it's just to cover up how generally worthless and unwanted he feels. All the attention as a celebrity can't fill that hole.

Act 2

I sort of glossed over Akechi's childhood in Intermezzo, but in the backstory I gave him, he was in four different foster homes from when he was around four to when he was almost fourteen, and different orphanages and group homes in-between. The orphanages didn't leave much of an impression because they were all basically the same brand of terrible: too crowded, neglectful staff, not enough care or attention or food.

The first foster home he was in was when he was five, and the family that took him in already had a kid. The kid picked on him, stole his things, and when Akechi tried to fight back the parents always, always took their own kid's side. So, represented in the first part of Act 2, be as quiet as possible, as unnoticed as possible, and maybe they won't get mad and get rid of you after only a month because you're "starting fights" and "causing trouble". (Spoiler alert: they will. Just...not with giant hands.)

The second foster home, they didn't really feed him unless they had to. They adopted a kid for the money that they'd get from the government, not because they actually wanted one. That manifests in the Theatre as the permanent Hunger ailment.

The third home, his foster father beat him for the smallest infraction. Thus, searching for the key while being pursued by a hulking monster that you can't damage or scare away. That was probably when he was around ten or eleven; I didn't really plan that deeply.

The last foster home, which he stayed in for almost a year when he was thirteen, was sort of the same as the second. He didn't get fed enough, they didn't really pay attention to him, they just adopted him for the money. But by that point he'd learned how to play the perfect kid: obey everything they told him without complaint, never let anyone see him cry, and endure. Haru has a touch of that in her backstory, dealing with her father and his expectations of her, but it seemed like she never really felt a need to rebel before the arranged marriage. It comes through a little stronger in Akira and Makoto, both of whom have had to walk on eggshells around their guardians, trying not to upset them. And when the Palace is actually occurring, Makoto is still in that situation, whereas Akira, for now, is away and has space to breathe.

And so Akechi created his mask himself, gradually, over his childhood. A mask of someone well-behaved and unaffected by his mother's death, because no one wants to deal with an unhappy child. No one wants to take the time to help someone clearly traumatized by what's happened to him. And he internalizes that feeling and pushes it down and does his best to be a good kid, because maybe then someone, maybe his father, will actually want him.

Act 3

OH BOY, okay, so the first thing to get out of the way is that Akechi's never played the in-universe equivalent of Silent Hill (which is probably Quiet Mountain because god I'm so entertained). But I knew vaguely what I wanted to do and Silent Hill 4 is underappreciated and was the perfect setpiece to adapt, SO. Here we are in Akechi's apartment, filled with the screaming ghosts of his murder victims.

His apartment is spotless enough in reality because he's never really there except to sleep and eat, but in the Theatre everything is covered in muck and blood and grime as a representation of his crimes staining everything he comes into contact with. He references that in his breakdown during the Mementos confrontation that triggered the Theatre's formation in the first place: being worried that the blood on his hands was going to get on Akira, too, as soon as Akira learned the truth. The black, sticky handprints on everything are directly connected to the cognition of Shido that inhabits this act. The cognition's hands are covered in the tar-like substance, and the handprints represent Akechi's perception that Shido literally has control over everything in his apartment, and by extension his life. Including him directly, because of his role as an assassin, hence the handprint on the mask.

The cognitions of the mental shutdown and psychotic breakdown victims are very clear compared to the crowd in Stage Tokyo because even if he doesn't acknowledge them on the surface, subconsciously he remembers everyone he's killed and ruined. They're his guilt, constantly clawing and wailing in the back of his mind. He has to tune them out as best he can, or he would have collapsed under the pressure long ago. I've talked about it before, but this is where the literal black mask of his other outfit comes in, the representation of him dissociating from his actions, a knight's outfit to protect himself.

Shooting Shido's cognition isn't hard to explain because it's his end goal made real in play form, including the Akira he would have had to kill to reach that endpoint. But if he'd gone through with the Casino plan and ultimately won, that would have been it. He talked during the aftermath of the fight with Okumura's shadow about what someone is without their desires, and it's truest for him. Goro has spent almost three years doing whatever it takes to bring Shido down at the height of his power. He never planned for after. So if he were to achieve his desire (or have it stolen), he has nothing else but the guilt of everything he did to get there. That guilt, embodied by the victims, coming together into a massive monster that will just continue to advance on him. And in his mind the only way to escape that monster, that feeling, is...

The Thieves ended up fighting with the monster that was left behind mostly because I had a heck of a mental image of the horrible ball of screaming faces and grasping arms, but it can also sort of be read as how even Akechi running away doesn't change the fact that what he did still happened and the consequences still remain for other people to deal with. But I'll admit right now I came up with that after the fact and it was originally just "that seems like a kickass monster; it's like Legion but worse".

So Akechi's mask for act 3 is the facade that he puts up that none of this affects him. The emotionless assassin that doesn't care because shadows are shadows and it's not his fault. And he breaks that mask himself, because that mask only has to last until Shido is gone, and then he can stop pretending that he doesn't care about what he's doing.

Act 4

Stage Mementos is fairly straightforward. Mementos is Black Mask's stomping grounds, the place where Loki most often gets to use his power. So of course you would find Loki there. And Loki warps it into a labyrinth in his attempts to keep the Thieves out and protect Shadow Goro, because he can act independently in the same way that Crow/Robin can.

Loki and Robin really do both want to protect/help Goro, in their own way. Loki leans more towards avoiding the things that hurt entirely, though, whereas Robin will accept pain if it means getting something that will make them happy in the end. That's why Robin is willing to help the Thieves, but Loki would prefer to reject Akira entirely. He's still part of Akechi, though, so he still can be won over in the end.

Finale

Literally the pinnacle of self-indulgence in a fic that at its heart is already incredibly self-indulgent. Well, maybe not, the proposal was probably the pinnacle, but yeah. Anyway. There's a lot here, and half of it is probably me being a giant nerd. I grew up on Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers and Sailor Moon and I'm pretty sure it shows. We can also argue, though, that Akechi probably saw anime reruns at some point, considering he's such a big Featherman fan too. He obviously had opportunities to watch TV and/or watch someone play video games.

So, Akechi's shadow being a child is explained in the fic itself, but basically it's because he denies the part of himself that is the child that just wants to be loved. And Akechi's Treasure is his mother, because he blames Shido for his mother's death, because he abandoned them. His mother is the core of his distorted desire to get revenge on Shido, and the physical version of that is his photo of her, the only one he has.

And Akechi's cognition of Shido has warped into a monster because Shido, deep down, feels like an insurmountable obstacle. Akechi knows that he's trapped; he knows that he can't escape on his own. And the cognition is impervious to damage despite its low health because Shido protects himself with other people and doesn't get his own hands dirty. The only way to get past his shield is the method Akechi was using (gain his trust and become so important to him that he can slip through the "shield"), or have help, a thing that he hasn't had until now, but has subconsciously wanted even as he pushes people away.

The giant cognition and the seven pillars and wands of the boss fight, other than being self-indulgent rainbow dramatics and several layers of references (Zelda, Shadow of the Colossus, Golden Sun, plus Power Rangers for the “monsters growing giant” thing), is specifically more pillars than he can do alone. Even with Robin, Loki, and if Shadow Goro could make it up there, there's still four pillars left. But with all the Thieves there, there are enough of them to crack Shido's shield so that the pieces of Akechi can take the cognition down themselves, which contributes to him being able to change his own heart without stealing the Treasure and risking destroying his mental state even further.

All in all, I had a good time doing all of this, and hopefully it all makes sense. There's still a ways to go to the end, but this was a Big Thing that I had planned for a long time, and it turned out pretty awesome. ^_^

#Hours!verse #Hours!lore #god I wrote a 2000 word essay analyzing a thing I wrote in the first place #where's a college professor to give me a grade when I need one

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rocketwerks · 7 years ago

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Mozart Academy of Music

AKA, Academy of Music 103 - 107 North Eighth Street Built, 1884 (1886?) Remodeled, 1899 Burned, 1925

[RVCJ93] — original building

Someone call the Fire Marshall!

[RVCJ93] — original interior

It would seem from the numerous membership of the various societies devoted to music at Richmond that the name of the votaries of the Heavenly Maid here is, literally, legion. On the roll of the Mozart Musical Association are 1,000 names; and this list is not, as in some cities of the country, largely representative of the residents of foreign birth and extraction, but rather of the native.

(Encyclopedia Virginia) — Dr. James B. McCaw

The monthly concerts of this Association are a characteristic feature of the social life of the city. They are held in the Mozart Academy of Music, a theater owned by the Association, but leased from it, and under another management for dramatic representations, that cost the Society $45,000 to build. Dr. J. B. McCaw, a prominent physician of the city, is president of the Mozart Association; Jacob Reinhardt its director; and leading business men are its trustees.

[RVCJ03] — after 1899 remodeling — note the addition of the box office at center and the removal of “Mozart” from the parapet

The Mozart Academy of Music, situated at Eighth and Franklin streets, is the principal theater of the city. It is, comparatively, a new house, is handsomely furnished, and is appointed for stage purposes in modern fashion. It seats 1,600, and at a pinch will accommodate. 3,000.

[RVCJ03] — Thomas G. Leath — lessee & manager of the remodeled theater

Plays requiring 500 persons can be put on in it. Under its present management, that of Mr. Edward Hamilton Cahill, lessee, the very best shows on the road are presented in it. He has made it successful, where those who had it before him failed.

[COC] — sometime between 1908 & theater’s burning in 1925 — note the removal of the box office and the addition of the illuminated sign

The entire booking of the Mozart will be taken in hand by Jefferson, Klaw A Erlanger under the designation, "directors of the circuit," with Mr. Cahill as lessee and manager here. In order to improve the house for the class of shows to be presented, extensive alterations and repairs are to be made. These alterations will cost some $10,000, and when they are completed Richmond will have a theater the equal in every respect of any in the land. [RVCJ93]

May 2018

Maybe Rocket Werks is overthinking this, but being able to increase capacity from 1600 to 3000 people sounds like a fire hazard. Perhaps they had forgotten about the tragic theater fire of 1811 that led to the building of Monumental Church? Sometimes memory is too short.

In any event, when the Academy of Music burned in 1925, it made way for the expansion of the former Federal Reserve Building.

Urban Scale has a nice article that speaks at length about this forgotten theater, part of a much larger series about the history of theatrical performance in Richmond. Well worth checking out. They also identify the 1886 construction date, as opposed to 1884, supplied by A Century of Commerce.

(Mozart Academy of Music is part of the Atlas RVA Project)

Sources

[COC] A Century of Commerce, 1867-1967. James K. Sanford. 1967.

[RVCJ93] Richmond, Virginia: The City on the James: The Book of Its Chamber of Commerce and Principal Business Interests. G. W. Engelhardt. 1893.

[RVCJ03] Richmond, Virginia: The City on the James: The Book of Its Chamber of Commerce and Principal Business Interests. G. W. Engelhardt. 1903.

#rvalegends #rva #rvahistory #eighthstreet #franklinstreet #cityatomic

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zloyodessit · 4 years ago

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Russian propaganda: Kremlin's legion of political agents in Europe and worldwide

For quite a while, I've been highlighting the presence in the information space, both in Russia and beyond – in the countries on which Russia seeks to exert its influence – of the so-called Kremlin agents.

Earlier, I highlighted the issues of the Russian agents carrying out influence operations on foreign territory, posing as professionals in various fields. These are journalists, as I explained in my earlier piece "Russian Propaganda: Kremlin legion of journalists in Russia and beyond", so-called experts ("Russian Propaganda: Kremlin legion of experts in Russia and beyond"), and migrants ("Radical refugees in Kremlin's service across Europe and worldwide") – perhaps, the most painful issue for the EU as Russia is keen on exploiting the principle of tolerance, widely preached in developed democracies.

However, Europe, which in 2014 chose not to turn a blind eye to Russia's invasion of Ukraine and joined international sanctions against Moscow, has been badly penetrated by Kremlin agents of influence and political organizations, directly affiliated with the Russian government.

In almost every European country and all around the globe, in regions of Moscow's interest, there is an asset network of politicians and political forces, activists and public figures financed and supported by Russia. Exploiting the principles of democracy and freedom of speech, these have their hands untied in pursuing their destructive action at Russia's behest.

To support those networks, the Kremlin through its intelligence agencies funnels billions of dollars from mineral exports, as well as arms sales and drug trafficking, rather than channeling this money for raising pensions and public sector salaries, and supporting own economy.

For example, in France, Marine Le Pen and her National Assembly party, formerly known as the National Front, supervised by GRU military intelligence, has long been at the core of Russia's influence operations.

In 2017, the then National Front, chaired by Marine Le Pen, faced financial issues during their election campaign falling EUR 8 million short of the required EUR 12 million. It was then that Marine Le Pen applied for a EUR 27 million loan to Moscow, at the same time voicing a suggestion that France could recognize Crimea part of Russia if her political force came to power.

It must be noted that before that, the First Czech-Russian Bank provided a EUR 9 million loan to cover campaign expenses of the Russian agent-led National Front.

I'd also like to recall you that it was the radical branches of Marine Le Pen's National Front that radicalized the Yellow Vests movement, turning what had been conceived as a farmers' strike against higher gas prices into full-blown riots, regular clashes with the police and calls for an overthrow of government. Moreover, journalists spotted in the raging crowds a number of French men representing various radical groups that had taken part in the Donbas hostilities on the side of Russian puppet illegal armed groups.

Meanwhile, despite these and many other facts proving Marine Le Pen and her people's direct affiliation with the Russians, who have been using these assets against the French society and stability of the Republic as such, no serious criminal cases have been pressed against her or her group.

In turn, while Marine Le Pen and her political force are the Kremlin's assets affiliated with the GRU military intelligence agency, an FSB-SVR has other assets in the service.

For example, the "Lubyanka" (FSB) group in France includes representatives of right-wing opposition party "Republicans". On the "team" are Senator Sebastian Moran, former chairman of the European Socio-Economic Committee Henri Malosse, member of the France-Russian Federation Group in the Senate Gerard Longe, member of the French National Assembly and member of the France – Russia Group Natalia Puzyreva (Russian-born), Senator Joel Gario-Mailam, chair of the International Council of Russian Compatriots and head of the Russian Musical Society in Paris Pyotr Sheremetyev, and many others.

So it must be understood that, just as on all other bridgeheads, in journalistic, expert, and even migrant circles, there are groups of influence, handled by Russia's various security and intelligence agencies. On this bridgehead, too, there is a clear division in affiliations. Some work for the GRU military intelligence, and some – for the FSB/SVR duo...

The same case is in Italy where the Kremlin's main political force is the Lega Nord party, which received funding through the Russian GRU.

For example, Gianluca Savoini, aide to the right-wing Lega Nord leader Matteo Salvini, made regular trips to Moscow, where he met with the "Russian world" concept ideologist Alexander Dugin, who is also a GRU favorite.

And in October 2018, deputies with the Lega Nord sat with the GRU officials in Moscow's Metropol Hotel to discuss Russia funding in a scheme involving oil deals with the Italian company Eni, through discounts worth tens of millions of euros.

The highest-profile Kremlin assets in Germany are part of the Alternative for Germany political party. Almost all the deputies of the said political force promote Russia's interests in the EU, while the most desperate ones even allow themselves the audacity of taking part in fictitious referendums and elections in Russian-occupied territories of Ukraine, as well as various kinds of propaganda stunts.

Almost all over the world, Russia has its assets – many of them successful to a certain extent. Even on the U.S. soil, a few years ago Russia "recruited" a former congressman to lobby sanctions lift. The man was John Sweeney who had gained notoriety for binge-drinking, DUI, and domestic violence incidents that eventually brought him behind bars. Such a "valuable" asset was handled by the Russian VEB.

Despite quite a ridiculous pick for such a serious task requiring a ton of wit and social skills, this exception only confirms a rule: that Russia is set to destabilize countries where the Kremlin is implementing influence operations through its assets. Talking about the US, Russian intelligence was widely interested in local movements preaching separatist ideology.

For example, in 2016, activists with the California independence movement "Yes California" came into a limelight by submitted to the state attorney's office a motion to hold a referendum on the state's secession from the United States.

This organization was founded by Louis Marinelli, who refers to himself as president of a campaign for the independence of California. It turned pro-active in offline settings following the 2016 presidential election. It wasn't the announcement of the election result that triggered their action but first appointments in the Trump administration, which included ardent anti-Russia hawks.

The Yes California movement mirrored its Scottish counterpart Yes Scotland that operated back in 2014. The movement enjoyed wide coverage across Russian media, while their campaigns Caleavefornia, Califrexit, and Calexit copycat the infamous Brexit.

In turn, the movement's founder, Louis Marinelli, a fighter for the independence of his beloved state, has spent quite a lot of time living, studying, and working in Russia. Moreover, at a certain period, he even sought to obtain Russian citizenship!

In 2007, Louis Marinelli settled in Russia's Samara where he gave English lessons at a local private school before moving to Kazan six months later, and then on to St. Petersburg in 2009, where he entered the St. Petersburg State University, a notorious alma mater of KGB-FSB operatives. By the way, Vladimir Putin and Dmitry Medvedev are both alumni of this university, where during the Soviet period the KGB would also actively recruit foreign students.

But, after Louis Marinelli sincerely confessed his love for Russia, expressing will to obtain Russian citizenship, he unexpectedly returned to the United States in 2011 where he immediately engaged in separatism-charged political activity.

I believe no further comment is required…

And these are just a few examples of the aggressive and revanchist efforts that Russia has been pursuing around the world through its agent cells.

Russia has been, is, and will be developing a vast network of assets across the world, as long as its financial capabilities allow Russians doing so. Benefiting from the loopholes of democracy and freedoms, as well as the relative accessibility of the western powers, the Kremlin infiltrates them with own assets through bribery, blackmail, and financial luring.

Indeed, in 2014, Europe said a resolute "NO" to Russian aggression. Unfortunately, having said it, Europe seems to have immediately forgotten about this. What we see today is that in the heart of the EU, Russian dissidents defying Putin's regime get assassinated pretty much every year, while militants that are part of terrorist sleeping cells that have emerged across Europe with Russian assistance carry out terror attacks. The European Union's resilience is regularly stress-tested, and practically behind each of such attempts stands the Kremlin.

It's high time bring change to the relations between the West and Russia, otherwise the eighth year of passive politics could drive Western civilization into a deep internal crisis – under close supervision of Russian architects of chaos.

https://medium.com/@zloyodessit2.0/russian-propaganda-kremlins-legion-of-political-agents-in-europe-and-worldwide-52c6746f8015

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digijosify · 7 years ago

Photo

I mentioned before that Mimi has a relationship with her crest that’s more complicated than most, and this moment captures a very large part of that. And the more I think about this, the more I appreciate Mimi’s arc as it’s been presented thus far.

(Hey this one’s long too how about that)

At the beginning of the series, she seems to want nothing to do with this adventure she’s found herself toppled into. She frequently complains about missing home and the creature comforts that come with it. What she wants, more than anything, is to go home and feel safe again. This all speaks to her Purity aspect, as she seems to be resisting the corruption and muddying of her soul that her role as Chosen, rife with danger and combat, entails.

Thus, a paradox: Mimi draws her strength from Purity, and being a Chosen Child represents an undertaking that may necessarily tarnish her own purity, which could compromise the source of her strength. So how can she resolve this?

To answer this, we have to think about the circumstances that come about when her crest first glows (episode 25) and Palmon first reaches Perfect level (episode 35). In the former, Mimi essentially gets what she’s been wanting from the very beginning: all the comforts of her affluent life, and then some. She gets treated like a princess, complete with a legion of underlings to serve her every desire. A return to the innocence of her life before the adventure. Only it isn’t actually innocence, as Picodevimon knew and was counting on, because it comes at the price of Mimi lying to and manipulating the Gekomon and Otamamon. In fact, keeping up this lifestyle becomes what’s tarnishing her purity, and only after she recognizes and rectifies the injustice she’s causing does her crest finally begin to glow.

Then, later on, when she and all the other people of Odaiba have been rounded up for Vamdemon to find the eighth child, she’s faced with the reality of the suffering caused by Vamdemon, and what her role has been in the events leading up to it. She wants to go back, again, to undo all the damage that’s been done, to alleviate her suffering and everyone else’s. And so Togemon evolves to Lilimon.

In both of these situations, there’s an injustice happening, and Mimi, in her own way, seeks to undo the injustice. and the power within her responds to that.

And so, the answer is that Mimi draws her power from her innermost desire to restore justice and balance to a world that has become corrupted. In essence, she seeks to purify.

But she hasn’t fully grasped this yet, as evidenced by what’s been going on right now. She had no problem resolving to join the others in returning to the Digital World and fulfill the purpose of the Chosen Children, until she arrived and realized just how bad things were. I don’t think this is explicitly mentioned in the text, but I would expect that she’s feeling quite a lot of guilt; while she was enjoying her short break from the perils of this strange land, sleeping in her own bed, eating plenty of food, and relaxing in climate-controlled environments, ~8-9 years of suffering were going on for the friends that she’d made in the digital world, and all their grief and turmoil comes at her with no respite, no chance for her to come up for air, and she’s struck with the grave consequences of all the fighting that she’d been party to this whole time. Chuumon gives his life to save hers, followed in quick succession by Piccolomon and Whamon. Each saw the mission of the Chosen Children as more important than their own individual lives, and chose to make the ultimate sacrifice so that they can live on and carry out their mission.

And just as she’s at her breaking point, suddenly Yamato, bearer of the crest of Friendship, betrays the team and jeopardizes the mission that so many laid down their lives for.

It’s too much. She can’t handle the seemingly endless fighting and the peripheral suffering that causes. And so she resolves to stop. To break away from the group and maybe, in some small way, ease the pain this world has gone through.

For a time, it goes great! By refusing to fight, she manages to make an ally out of an enemy, and she’s thinking that maybe she might be onto something by refusing to fight...

But alas, the fight finds her soon enough. And even though she tries, desperately, to keep everyone out of danger, her refusal to participate in the fighting directly leads to yet another ally lost.

I’ll leave it at that for now. I might write more about Mimi before this series is up, because I still have more to say, but I think I’ve said enough at this point.

And so, in closing,

Mmm watcha say...

#digimon adventure #147 #extra #digimon liveblog

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tvdas · 6 years ago

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Banning Evil

In the Shadow of Christchurch, Quasi-Religious Myths Can Lead Us Astray

written by Michael Shermer

On March 15, a 28-year old an Australian gunman named Brenton Tarrant allegedly opened fire in two Christchurch, New Zealand mosques, killing 50 and wounding 50 more. It was the worst mass shooting in the history of that country. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, who was rightly praised for her response to the murders, declared: “While the nation grapples with a form of grief and anger that we have not experienced before, we are seeking answers.”

One answer took form a week later, when Ms. Ardern announced legislation that would ban all military-style semi-automatic weapons, assault rifles and high-capacity magazines. Will such gun-control measures work to reduce gun crime? Maybe. They did in Australia following a 1996 mass shooting in Tasmania in which 35 people were murdered. A 2006 follow-up study showed that in the 18 years prior to the ban, there had been 13 mass shootings. But in the decade following, there had been none. Gun culture is different in every country. But there is at least an arguable case to be made that the newly announced controls will make New Zealand a safer country.

But banning certain tools that may be used to commit murder is one thing. Tarrant’s rampage also has led to calls to block ideas that allegedly fuel murderous extremism. In the immediate aftermath of tragedy, it is understandable that every conceivable means should be employed to prevent a recurrence. But censorship is almost invariably the wrong response to evil actions. You cannot ban evil.

Before the killings, Tarrant authored a rambling 74-page manifesto titled The Great Replacement. The document is difficult to find online, as most platforms took to blocking it as soon as its appearance was flagged. I was quick to grab a copy early on, however, because such documents inform my longstanding research into extremist groups and ideologies.

The Great Replacement was inspired by a 2012 book of the same title by the French author Renaud Camus—a right-wing conspiracy theorist who claims that white French Catholics in particular, and white Christian Europeans in general, are being systematically replaced by people of non-European descent, especially from Africa and the Middle East, through immigration and higher birth rates. The manifesto is filled with white supremacist fearmongering. “If there is one thing I want you to remember from these writings, it’s that the birthrates must change,” the author tells his audience (whom he presumes to be white). “Even if we were to deport all Non-Europeans from our lands tomorrow, the European people would still be spiraling into decay and eventual death.” The result, he concludes apocalyptically, is “white genocide.”

Like many cranks and haters of this type, Tarrant has a weakness for codes and slogans. He references the number 14 to indicate the 14-word slogan originally coined by white supremacist David Lane while imprisoned for his role in the 1984 murder of Jewish radio talk show host Alan Berg: “We must secure the existence of our people and a future for white children.” Lane, for his part, explicitly extolled the writings of white supremacist William Pierce, who in turn inspired Timothy McVeigh to blow up the Oklahoma City federal building in 1995, killing 168 people.

Accusations of racism and white supremacism are thrown around so casually these days that the meaning of these terms has become diluted and ambiguous. So, for clarity, I will state the obvious by emphasizing that the writings of Tarrant, Lane and Pierce all reflect attitudes that are completely racist and hateful, as such terms are properly used.

And yes, there is a connection with Nazism. The number 14 is sometimes rendered as 14/88, with the 8’s representing the eighth letter of the alphabet—H—and 88 or HH standing for Heil Hitler. Lane, who died in 2007, was inspired by Mein Kampf, in which the Nazi Party leader declared: “What we must fight for is to safeguard the existence and reproduction of our race and our people, the sustenance of our children and the purity of our blood, the freedom and independence of the fatherland, so that our people may mature for the fulfillment of the mission allotted it by the creator of the universe.”

But even here, the bibliographical trail of hatred doesn’t end—because Hitler copied much of his anti-Semitic conspiracism from The Protocols of the Learned Elders of Zion, a tragically popular hoaxed document purporting to record the proceedings of a secret meeting of Jews plotting global domination. Nor was the Protocols itself conceived out of thin air: It was plagiarized from Biarritz, a luridly anti-Semitic 19th-century novel; and a propaganda tract called Dialogues in Hell between Machiavelli and Montesquieu, which had been written by a French lawyer as an act of protest against Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte; both of which, in turn, drew on anti-Semitic tropes going back to Roman times. So if you’re looking to root out and ban the political ideology that produces Jew hatred, you’re going to have to purge whole library shelves. The same goes for Islamophobia, anti-black racism, and virtually every other kind of bigotry you could name.

And yet, there are those who argue that mass censorship is justified in the name of heading off hateful indoctrination. That group apparently would include leaders of the Whitcoulls bookstore chain in New Zealand. Late last week, the company announced it was banning one popular book, “in light of some extremely disturbing material being circulated prior, during and after the Christchurch attacks.” Yet the book wasn’t Mein Kampf, which you can still buy on the company’s site for $44.95—or anything of its ilk. Rather, the chain is boycotting Jordan Peterson’s 12 Rules for Life, a self-help book that has no connection at all with the mosque attacks or their perpetrator.

What is the “extremely disturbing material” in Peterson’s book? Whitcoulls doesn’t say. I’ve read the entire book, along with much of the University of Toronto professor’s 1999 massive first book, Maps of Meaning. And I’ve watched many of his YouTube videos and media interviews. I have yet to find anything remotely reminiscent of white supremacy, racism, anti-Semitism or Islamophobia.

On Twitter, I suggested that those who think Peterson is the ideological culprit behind the New Zealand massacre have lost their minds. I added that I’m no toady for Jordan Peterson, inasmuch as I disagree with him on many subjects—including his theory of truth, and his largely uncritical endorsement of religious myths as an organizing principle for human cultures. But the banning of Peterson on any theory related to preventing mass murder doesn’t even rise to the level of wrong: It’s demonstrably absurd—akin to banning spoons and skateboards as a strategy to stave off prospective arsonists.

When I asked my social-media followers for examples of anything Peterson had said or done that could be construed as inviting mass murder, the only remotely relevant responses I got pointed to photos that random fans had taken with Peterson, one of which featured a guy sporting a t-shirt proclaiming himself to be an “Islamaphobe,” and another (more ambiguous) example of someone holding a Pepe the Frog banner. But this proves nothing. Peterson has taken photos with tens of thousands of people at public events in recent years. In a typical fan-photo cattle call, fans are cycled into frame with a celebrity roughly every five or six seconds—typically by handlers, not the celebrity acting in his or her personal capacity. I’ve done a number of these during book tours and can attest to the fact that it’s completely unrealistic to think that Peterson could screen the clothes worn by all these legions of photo seekers for ideological purity—even if this were something he aspired to do.

On March 23, I received an email from Change.org, the left-leaning political action group whose stated mission is to “empower people everywhere to create the change they want to see.” In this case, the change users wanted to see in response to the New Zealand massacre was… to ban PewDiePie from YouTube. “One of the largest platforms for white supremacist content is PewDiePie’s YouTube channel,” the petition informs us. “PewDiePie has on many occasions proven once and again to promote and affiliate himself with white supremacist and Nazi ideologies.” The petitioners then list the YouTuber’s alleged sins, including using the N-word, playing videos of Adolf Hitler’s speeches, and giving the Nazi heil in a video.

For those unaware, PewDiePie is a Swedish comedian and video game player named Felix Arvid Ulf Kjellberg, whose YouTube channel has a massive following and whom Tarrant referenced in his manifesto (along with Candace Owens, Donald Trump and others). It is true that PewDiePie once used the N-word during a video game competition (and then apologized profusely for doing so). He also has used brief audio and video snippets of Nazi imagery as part of satirical responses to attacks against him that he lampooned as melodramatic. The idea that any of this betrays PewDiePie as a closet white supremicist is absurd. Even without Change.org’s urging, YouTube already has demonetized the videos of such avowedly anti-racist and anti-supremacist moderates as Dave Rubin and Gad Saad, as well as anti-anti-Semite conservatives such as Dennis Prager. YouTube is acting on an ideological hair trigger: If there were any evidence whatsoever that PewDiePie had expressed real Nazi sympathies, he would have been axed from the platform long ago.

Responding to evil by banning random controversial authors or YouTubers is completely irrational. But that doesn’t make it inexplicable. Manifestations of great evil provoke a desire to do something—anything—to reestablish moral order. Remember when millions of people tweeted #BringBackOurGirls after the terrorist organization Boko Haram kidnapped dozens of Nigerian students in 2014? Murderous rapists don’t give a fig about being mobbed on Twitter. But it made people feel useful for an instant—as if they had done something. We all entertain some version of this instinct in times of tragedy—a reflex satirized by The Onion in the days after 9/11 with the headline Not Knowing What Else To Do, Woman Bakes American-Flag Cake.

Intertwined with this instinct is the idea that there is some abstract force called evil that exists in the cosmos, a force that we are all called upon to confront and defeat. As I argued in my 2003 book, The Science of Good and Evil, this belief—that pure evil exists separately from individuals—is a myth. “Evil” makes literal sense as an adjective, but not as a noun (except in a figurative sense), because there is no quantum of something called “evil” that exists in human hearts, or, indeed, anywhere else.

Thus concluded social psychologist Roy Baumeister, as reported in his 1997 book about serial killers and other career criminals, Evil: Inside Human Violence and Cruelty. Ironically, Baumeister found that the myth of evil existing as a standalone force may, itself, lead societies to become more violent: “The myth encourages people to believe that they are good and will remain good no matter what, even if they perpetrate severe harm on their opponents. Thus, the myth of pure evil confers a kind of moral immunity on people who believe in it…belief in the myth is itself one recipe for evil, because it allows people to justify violent and oppressive actions. It allows evil to masquerade as good.”

This helps explain the grimly bizarre manner by which violent criminals and terrorists find ways to justify even the most horrifying and nihilistic acts. Consider this 1994 police record of Frederick Treesh, a spree killer from the Midwest who explained, “Other than the two we killed, the two we wounded, the woman we pistol-whipped, and the light bulbs we stuck in people’s mouths, [my accomplice and I] didn’t really hurt anybody.” After killing 33 boys the serial killer John Wayne Gacy explained: “I see myself more as a victim than as a perpetrator. I was cheated out of my childhood.”

Modern campaigns aimed at shutting down this or that speaker implicitly present evil as something that may be communicated from one person to another, like bacteria. By this model, censorship is akin to quarantine. But Baumeister tells us “you do not have to give people reasons to be violent, because they already have plenty of reasons. All you have to do is take away their reasons to restrain themselves.” It is absolutely true that some extremist ideologies can encourage adherents to abandon the sense of restraint that Baumeister describes. But the campaign to ban the likes of Jordan Peterson and PewDiePie—individuals whose work bears no relationship at all to the extreme forms of hatred we should be most concerned about—suggests that censors aren’t actually thinking through such propositions. Instead, they seem to be operating on the idea of evil as a quasi-mystical force akin to Satan. In this conception, Peterson and PewDiePie are seen as carriers of evil, much like witches channeling demons from below, no matter that they never actually say or do anything evil in nature.

As Baumeister argued, this mythical idealization of evil as being an actual force in our universe, rather than a descriptor of human motivations, isn’t merely harmless ersatz spiritualism: It causes people to act worse, sometimes murderously so, by allowing them to imagine the locus of evil as lying completely outside their own intentions and actions.

Which gets to the (necessarily political) question of who should be identified, stigmatized, and even punished for being a “carrier” of evil? Who gets to define that class of people? Me? You? The majority? An evil-thought committee? The government? Social-media companies? We already have law enforcement and the military to deal with evil deeds. Controlling evil thoughts is far more problematic.

Campaigns aimed at banning evil in its own (mythical) right almost always include efforts to ban evil speech—or even, as in the aftermath of the New Zealand mass murder, speech from someone who has not said anything remotely evil, but is seen, in some vague sense, to be contaminated by evil. When western societies were religious, evil speech was tantamount to anti-Christian speech. In a secular age, we call it “hate speech,” a reformulation that does nothing to solve the always contentious issue of distinguishing between evil speech and free speech, and the problem of who gets to decide where one ends and the other begins.

It is my contention that we must protect speech no matter how hateful it may seem. The solution to hate speech is more speech. The counter to bad ideas is good ideas. The rebuttal to pseudoscience is better science. The answer to fake news is real news. The best way to refute alternative facts is with actual facts. This is just as true now as it was in the moment before 50 innocent Muslim lives were taken in New Zealand—even if our emotionally felt need to put a name and form to evil now makes this truth harder to see.

Michael Shermer is publisher of Skeptic magazine, a Presidential Fellow at Chapman University, and the author of The Moral Arc.

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kalle-and-lita · 5 years ago

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✍ + 3, 12 (Headcanon meme)

3. How long they hold grudges for:

Lita isn't the type of person to hold a grudge for an extended period of time. It's a petty feeling and she tries very hard to stay away from such pettiness.

The length of Kalle's grudges depend on the situation. He'll forever hate and blame his Gene-sire for the death of Lita, even if Curze is already dead, but if it's for small things that don't matter to him personally then he doesn't care.

Aiko is the reigning champion at holding grudges. She's had a grudge against Kalle since she was young, lookin forward to the day that she'd meet him just so she could punch him. Aiko is a heart on her sleeve type of person, and it's hard for her to let go of such negative feelings.

12. How educated they are:

Lita considers herself well educated, as a representative of the Eighth Legion she has to be. While she doesn't know everything there is to know, she likes to think she can hold an intelligent conversation.

Kalle also considers himself well educated, having been alive for well over ten thousand years. His hunger to know about different topics pushes him to read and research all manner of things, and it's not uncommon for someone to come to him for his opinion or advice on a topic.

Aiko has a general education, she never did well in school on Occara, being too excitable to sit still and learn unless it interested her. She knows how to take care of her own weapons, bikes, and personal voidship, but more intellectual topics don't really interest her.

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jmsa1287 · 6 years ago

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A Year in Review: The 20 Best Episodes of TV of 2018

Whittling down the 20 best TV shows of 2018 was surprisingly easy (that piece will launch next week), given how many shows pop up each week. With so many series, there countless episodes, varying in stylistic choices, tone and genre. Selecting just 20 episodes of TV to represent the year is no easy task.

The 20 episodes listed below are the ones that stood out the most; that either became part of the cultural conversation or were not well-watched but still excellent. Whether it was the writing, the acting, a visual moment or a hilarious scene, these selected episodes rose above the cut to show what TV can do in this unprecedented era.

20. “Chapter 9” - Legion Season 2, FX

19. “Hang the DJ” - Black Mirror Season 4, Netflix

18. “Chapter Six: An Exorcism in Greendale” - Chilling Adventures of Sabrina Season 1, Netflix

17. “Fix” - Sharp Objects Season 1, HBO

16. “Snacks for Strays” - The Curious Creations of Christine McConnell Season 1, Netflix

15. “The House of Getty” - Trust Season 1, FX

14. "Midnight at the Concord” - The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel Season 2, Amazon

13. “Protocol” - Homecoming Season 1, Amazon

12. “FUBU” - Atlanta: Robbin' Season Season 2, FX

11. "Pink Christmas” - Neo Yokio Season 2, Netflix

10. “Don’t I Know You?” - Killing Eve Season 1, BBC America

Creator and writer Phoebe Waller-Bridge set up the universe for "Killing Eve," writing the first two episodes and setting the show's fabulous tone. But it's the third episode "Do I Know You?" that flips this cat-and-mouse game between MI5 officer Eve Polastri (Sandra Oh) and psychopathic assassin Villanelle (Jodie Comer). Here, Villanelle lures Eve to Berlin with her coworker Bill Pargrave (David Haig) where the two get to know each other on a totally different level. But Villanelle reveals herself to be an evil force and carries out an act that changes the stakes for "Killing Eve."

09. “Option C” - Maniac Season 1, Netflix

Netflix's miniseries "Maniac" is one of the most stylish shows of the year, with creator/writer Patrick Somerville and direct/writer Cary Joji Fukunaga crafting a truly exciting and lived-in world. In its finale, "Option C," the strange experiment Annie (Emma Stone) and Owen (Jonah Hill) come to an end and the duo are forced to reconcile their experience and relationship. It's an honest and unexpectedly emotion episode that frames everything that came before it in a surprising way. And it looks incredible.

08. “Prague” - Succession Season 1, HBO

Where do you even start with "Prague," the eighth episode in HBO's comedy "Succession"? The episode does not take place in the capital city of the Czech Republic. It's set in a rundown Brooklyn warehouse where the richest people in New York City party. The occasion in this episode is that it's Tom Wambsgans's (Matthew Macfadyen) bachelor party. He's marrying into the mega-wealthy Roy family, set to tie the knot to Shiv Roy (Sarah Snook) and is celebrating with her brothers Kendall Roy (Jeremy Strong), Roman Roy (Kieran Culkin) and Cousin Greg (Nicholas Braun). "Prague" is a showcase for each character's worst behaviors: Kendall is controlling and manipulative, Roman tries to talk a big game but is a giant man baby, Tom is a sniveling cuck and Greg is just trying to keep up. Throughout the episode, the men get into some W.I.L.D. shenanigans with one incident forever changing the meaning of "closed loop system."

07. “Diablo Verde” - Goliath Season 2, Amazon

I'm not sure what the target audience for "Goliath" is. Starring Billy Bob Thornton as an alcoholic but charming, brilliant and resilient lawyer, Season 2 of the Amazon Prime show was an enjoyable mess — think a CBS procedural that gets to swear, show graphic violence and nudity. Though most of the series has been quite bizarre (most of all, Mark Duplass as a sinister L.A. land developer with one of the strangest fetishes ever shown on TV), the seventh episode "Diablo Verde" is astoundingly entertaining and thrilling. This bottle episode of sorts finds Billy (Thornton) waking up from a night of heavy drinking. He's being held captive in an unfamiliar suburban home with another woman. As the episode unfolds, things get stranger and stranger more unbelievable at every turn, resulting in a David Lynch nightmare. If "Diablo Verde" dropped in the middle of "Twin Peaks: The Return" last year, it's doubtful anyone would have noticed.

06. “Andre and Sarah” Forever Season 1, Amazon

"Andre and Sarah" is a stand-alone episode in the "Forever," a comedy starring Maya Rudolph and Fred Armisen. It's hard to talk about the show without spoiling its premise but "Andre in Sarah" hardly features its to leads. Instead, the bittersweet episode focuses on real estate agents Andre (Jason Mitchell) and Sarah (Hong Chau). In about 30 minutes, the duos entire life is played out in a series intimate moments mapping out the ups and downs of these star-crossed lovers. It's a tender episode that fits snuggly in "Forever," a show that questions love and relationships in a truly unique way.

05. “Mother of the Year” - Pose Season 1, FX

"Pose" is one of the most important shows of the year and its Season 1 finale "Mother of the Year" is a stunning way to close out a fantastic season of TV. It's an episode of positivity and hope, flipping the tropes of stories about trans people we're used to seeing. No, there's no tragedy, brutal murder, devastating violence or heartbreaking breakup here. "Mother of the Year" finds its characters uniting, mending burned bridges and getting along. It's clear co-creators and writers Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk and Steven Canals weren't sure if "Pose" was going to continue past its first season, ending the show in what could also be a series finale. Thankfully, "Pose" will march on and "Mother of the Year" sets an interesting stage of what's going to come.

04. “A Random Killing” - The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story Season 2, FX

In this heartbreaking episode of "The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story," gay serial killer Andrew Cunanan (Darren Criss) is on a rampage. But unlike a number of true crime shows, this episode, "A Random Killing," makes it clear what "Versace" is about: the victims. Here, Cunanan brutally kills and humiliates an older lover, Chicago real estate developer Lee Miglin (Mike Farrell), who was married to Marilyn Miglin (a fantastic Judith Light). The episode shows Cunanan carrying out the murder but also focuses on Marylin's journey of dealing with the loss of her husband and learning that he was gay. It's a perfect episode that encapsulates homophobia in 90s America.

03. “Which Side are you On?” - Succession Season 1, HBO

The sixth and best episode of "Succession" full revels in its story about awful people doing awful things, perfectly highlighted when Tom (Matthew Macfadyen) and Cousin Greg (Nicholas Braun) eat a rare fried sparrow-like bird while putting a napkin over their face to hide their shame. Elsewhere Kendall (Jeremy Strong) and Roman (Kieran Culkin) have an intense time trying to overthrow their father Logan Roy (Brain Cox) from running his media conglomerate, resulting in one of the most heart-racing moments of 2018.

02. “Windmills” - Maniac Season 1, Netflix

The second episode of "Maniac" focuses mostly on Annie, played by Emma Stone in one of her best roles ever. "Windmills" explores Annie's past, her devastating trauma relating to her sister and how it's impacting her life now. It's another stylish episode that cracks open the strange world of "Maniac" — as if the aesthetics of technology halted in 1988 but far surpassed technology in our world. With nods to "Bladerunner," IBM technology "Hackers" and more, "Windmills" was one of the most enjoyable and skillful episodes of the year.

01. “Teddy Perkins” - Atlanta: Robbin' Season Season 2, FX

"Atlanta" has always been a show that dabbled in surrealism (creator, writer and star Donald Glover described the show as "'Twin Peaks' with rappers") but "Teddy Perkins," the sixth episode in the FX comedy's second season is a masterpiece in bending reality. Clocking in at just 35-minutes, this compact and precise nightmare features Glover in white face, playing the titular character — an eccentric musician living in a spooky mansion. Darious (Lakeith Stanfield) shows up to pick up a piano he purchased via a message board. Things go bizarrely awry, of course, and the episode unravels into a horror show, riffing on "Get Out" (a film that Stanfield appeared in) and so much more. "Teddy Perkins" is the centerpiece of the second season of "Atlanta" with Glover giving a truly outrageous performance.

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