#especially when you have also created a country that needs a powerful person to save it

[aleksanderscult]

Hi! I saw your post answering anon's question about Alina being Zoya-level beauty and I find it interesting that LB pointed out Zoya's beauty multiple times, especially in later books. It's funny how the darkling is extremely attractive and LB claims that fans excuse his actions bc of how he looks, yet Zoya has acted like a literal jerk in later books but LB seem to excuse her actions bc she's beautiful and a girlboss. How ironic.

It does make me kinda sad that Alina has seen herself as being attractive only twice in S&B when she was trying on the queen's dresses with Genya and realized that she looked healthy and really pretty for the first time in her life and for the Winter Fête. From book 2 and onwards, Alina was back to always described as being scrawny and mouse-like. Even Baghra called Alina scrawny, yet Zoya claims Baghra said she had a pretty face. Granted, she also said Zoya had "porridge for brains," but she still got a compliment from Baghra on how she looks. Is this some type of humbling thing for Alina? Or maybe she's trying to make Alina relatable. Idk but the bias and favoritism is def there among these characters

It only proves our point. Mal was described as very good-looking too. Even Zoya liked him. But most of the fandom doesn't like him. No matter how handsome you are, if you're a jackass, annoying and boring then why should the readers side with you?

Zoya was beautiful and among one of the most popular Grisha. But her sour nature makes you wanna punch her.

And then we have Alina. I agree with you that she deserved better. She should be handled better by the author, give her a character development, give her confidence little by little as her strength and power increases instead of feeling shameful about it. Her fate was cruel and she didn't deserve it. She ended up right where she began: weak and depending on Mal. She deserved to shine as long and bright as she wanted.

Whenever the books mentioned that she was beautiful, the readers felt happy about her. It meant that she was healthy and whole. But the author used her to prove a point and, as a result, she crippled her.

But a straight answer to your question: yes. Alina wasn't allowed to have sexual feelings, she wasn't allowed to have feelings for the wrong people, she wasn't allowed to have too much power and pretty much she was allowed nothing. It's like there was a straight red line that she couldn't cross but she couldn't get too weak either.

Basically:

[skeltrr]

woke up with the urge to talk about P1 again, and I got a request to share my thoughts on his diary entries.

lets find out why I really don't think p1 is secretly a good person worthy of any sympathy for his actions

I'm gonna start this off by saying that I truly believe not just anybody can be a killer. It's my opinion that Dude must have been a violent person before his delusions ever took hold. But that doesn't take away from the "this could happen to anybody" aspect. It could, if you incubate a guy in hate his whole life and hand him a gun, yeah, he could also turn out this way.

But I do not buy Dude's excuse that Paradise is absolutely an evil place that needs to be culled. Maybe it is dangerous, but his unreliable narration is something we shouldn't forget about.

Entry one. Dude is freaked out about losing his house and his stress/anxiety is obviously high. But it's important to note his solution to this is to buy a fuckin gun. Right off the bat we have his viscous and confrontational nature shining through. This also says he bought a sidearm, which generally refers to a pistol. I don't see why it would be any different here. Conceal and carry and all that.

This is not the only gun he owns, because we start the game with an AR.

And that tips me off to Dude planning his course of action at least a little bit. You don't need an AR (especially one illegally modified to be auto instead of semi-auto) more than you need a pistol in any given self-defense situation. Unless you think you will have multiple targets that need to be taken out in rapid succession, of course.

The rifle also has endless ammunition. Guess we can safely headcanon that he stocked up. For what? I DUNNO....

level 2 lets us know that immediately after shooting up his neighborhood, Dude is already stuck to the narrative that he is the only sane person around. He's trying to get to the sheriff, but it's not to help anyone but himself.

By level 3 he's already calling everyone animals. This is an important nod to how he views his fellow human beings. They're just animals. This 'sickness' has turned them into something he doesn't feel the need to empathize with. He has put himself on a huge pedestal here. Still not actively trying to save anyone, though.

Now he wants to napalm the whole town and he wants the Air Force to do it. He continues to be self-serving. 'Ensuring this madness doesn't contaminate the rest of the country' doesn't really ring out as a heroic statement after the things he's already done and said. I still think he's out to save his own skin by finding or creating some kind of safe haven.

It's important to note on this one that the "parade" was actually just a parade. These fools were literally just playing music down the street and Dude decided they were maniacs that needed to be put down. Not only that, after this experience he turns his diary into a "war journal". If his "me against them and that includes innocents" mindset hasn't become clear yet... Let's keep goin.

here he's just getting excited to have the advantage. Because I think he likes killing and the power that comes with it. He hasn't shown any remorse yet for any lives lost.

Now he's convinced himself he has to kill everyone and he's going to do it not only efficiently (what a wild word to use when referring to murder), but without any fucking remorse as well? I mean come on man, this guy thinks he's the dealer of divine punishment. And he isn't sparing anybody.

These two are the best evidence that he's trying to help anyone during this rampage of his, but these still sound incredibly self-serving to me. I mean, he does say he's going to warn them. I guess that's... Noble. Except that he doesn't even do that. He never mentions ever trying to do this at the train station or after. It's never brought up again.

Why he gotta kill the ostriches? They sick too? Or does he just like killin.

I feel like these are starting to speak for themselves. I'm still not seeing a savior complex or hidden compassion. Not seeing any tears for the lost on this one boys. also the "prepare for.... deconstruction!" is straight from the loading screens. The entire entry echoes what the demon's says.

Maybe he and the demon ain't so different, i dunno.

I don't take this one seriously. He is making jokes, he knows he's the deadliest thing out and about tonight.

The last 4 entries are just him worrying about his own skin again. Still not showing us any remorse because he famously regrets nothing. And at this point he just kinda seems tired of it all, I mean the game takes place over the course of a DAYS long spree.

I guess an argument could be made that the whole overarching plot of Dude trying to find the source of this 'infection' and put himself in harms way to do it would be the proof he thinks himself a savior. Howeverrrr.... If he does think that of himself, it has nothing to do with his compassion or his want to do good. This man is on a murder spree, his delusions are all wrapped up in his distrust and dislike of the government, authorities and even general public. He is killing and elevating himself on an insane power trip while also remaining the victim in his own mind to justify his actions.

I do not think Dude is an especially good person at his core and I don't believe his delusions popped out of nowhere due to stress alone. I believe the "demon" and the delusion/hallucinations as a whole were tailored to Dude's already shitty nature, desires and fears.

Okay well... I guess that's all I got to say for now. See ya

[runrunningrunner]

When you have to cut to the bone

When everything goes south and you have to cut your budget to nothing to survive, it's a shit show. There's no magic bullet. It's emotional. There are no big wins, instead it's a game of winning by paying attention to every possible penny saved. Here's the steps we took to survive and turn it around:

Record. Cut. Save. Cook. Sell. Earn.

Below the cut are three steps - Record, Cut, and Save ...

Step One - Record

Start up a Google Spreadsheet of all your bills and expenses. Look out for recurring expenses, especially anything annual. There's nothing worse than having a really tight budget and getting hit with an annual renewal fee at just the wrong time.

Now you have a detailed picture of where your money regularly goes.

Next create a tab for upcoming events and expenses that are out of the ordinary; the annual tax and tags bill for your car, your parent's birthday, any work dues or training costs. Now you can see the next bumps in the road.

Phase Two - The Cut

Cut subscriptions and memberships. We really didn't have many, but they all went out. Yes Amazon Prime "saved" us money on delivery shipping and movies and and and ... but that spending had to stop too, so Prime had to go.

Home phone/internet/cable/cell. We cut the cable and the old landline. There's a lot of free TV and movie content online so we still watch "TV" we just don't pay for it anymore. We used to have a landline in case of power outages/storms that would disconnect us. But where we are now, our home phone comes in digitally so we'd still lose the phone in a power cut. So we just use our mobiles now. And changing your bundle of services is a good time to shop for a cheaper set of services on what you do decide to keep.

Also, you can buy digital antenna ("rabbit ears") for less than $20 to get free local TV; typically this is the main national network TV stations and PBS and a few others. It will depend where you are in the country.

A lot of the rest of the cut was just going to zero spending on anything that wasn't groceries or gas. For me that meant no bought lunches, coffees, vending machine snacks etc. during the work day.

In the short term that may also mean that you cut out any donations that you regularly make to causes/your church. You're the person in need now. You cannot give from an empty wallet. When you're back in a good place, it'll be time for you to give again.

Phase Three - Save

Look for a cheaper cell phone plan - that you can use your existing phone with (because short term you're not spending any $ on new stuff like new phones). If your plan has unlimited talk and text, you can cut way down on the data per month. Use your home (and other) wi-fi for most of your data needs. We use Boost Mobile. Cricket is another low $ provider.

Shop to save with new car and home insurance - and bundle for discounts.

Utilities equal payment plans - as we're heading into summer, our electric bill goes up with A/C usage. Spring is a good time to switch to a monthly equal payment plan; in the short term you'll avoid your electric bill jumping over the summer. In the longer term, this isn't an actual savings, it just helps manage the money better.

If your natural gas bill (heating) typically goes down in the summer, enjoy those lower bills in the summer and wait until the fall and go to equal payment plan before your high heating cost months.

Use EVERY savings channel.

Your bank may have savings deals with various brands on debit or credit card usage percentage discounts. Bank of America's is called BankAmeriDeals, Wells Fargo's is Wells Fargo Deals, Chase has one too. Online Paypal has deals, and you can use sites like Rakuten. Get into the habit of planning purchases and seeing if you can find a deal before you even make the purchase.

Use the loyalty rewards for every grocery, pharmacy store, and gas purchase. We shop at Harris Teeter (owned by Kroger); in addition to their "VIC Card" savings on produce etc. shopping there earns me gas rewards so for at least one tank a month I get up to $1 off a gallon at BP. So that's ~$13 a month for just doing what I'd do normally.

I also use loyalty rewards for 2 other gas station chains to eek every free cent of gas I can, and I use the GasBuddy app to find the cheapest gas near me.

At the grocery store, it's time to get ruthless. I'm a sale/discount king. There are certain goods (toilet paper, dish washing liquid, food staples) that you'll always need, so even if you have some at home, walk down those aisles and buy more if it's on sale.

Don't stockpile loads and loads, because you still need your $ in the bank, but just get into a rhythm of buying sale only. For example, I know that the tea Mrs. RRR likes goes on discount about every two months. When it's on sale, if I buy only 1 box, then next month I'd have to buy at full price, so when it's on sale I get 2 boxes and then I never have to buy at full price... but I don't stockpile and get 4 boxes!

When you have to buy/refill prescriptions, compare your insurance plan's rx cost with the price on GoodRx - you may be able to get a coupon code for a cheaper price.

I'm sure there's more, but this is just what we had to do.

Next up I'll write about the last 3 steps.

[sonia-kate]

People are tools...

I've wanted to make benevolent interpretation of Racules' iconic words a long time ago but I couldn't get myself to it. The recent (23) episode was the push I needed

In the episode, Gira made a statement that without a single gear, the castle wouldn't move, so all the people are necessary. But without tools, you are left with just your bare hands and you can't do much with them either

After all, king only has as much power as he is given by his subordinates. He could give orders all he'd want but that wouldn't achieve anything if people just refused to listen to him

After all, what's a tool? Oxford definition goes by "a device or implement, especially one held in the hand, used to carry out a particular function"

People are, in a way, tools that serve their country by carrying out their specific tasks. It's worth to note, how in episode 19, Douga called himself "a sword" in a service of his king. Of course, Racules is just one person with just two hands, but with each soldier he has one more sword at the disposal and he can send them to defend the people in many places at once, which he wouldn't be able to do if he was just by himself

People carrying out their respective tasks are essencial to functioning of the country and thus are like gears in the machine. Them doing their jobs, allows for the whole machinery to function

...I am the country

Now that we know that the first part is perfectly fine, let's take a look at the second part

Yes, people are the gears necessary to move the country, or a giant robot in the case of the episode, but it's still Gira who steers the robot. Or the country

You can't have everyone trying to control the robot or we'll end up with a situation from episode 5, where Ohgers where fighting over the control and were just causing more trouble for themselves

It's worth to note that Gira spent the recent episode in the castle, avoiding the battle until the very end. It is, of course, because he was the only one who could move the castle. But even if, he still is the king. He is in charge. If he died, the vacuum of power would have been created and we can't afford a havoc that would have created in such a dire situation

If Gira was a ship's captain, navigating the ship through the storm, and one of his crewmates fell off the board, he wouldn't be able to leave the steering wheel and jump to save them. The wheel would be left unoccupied or it would create a commotion among the remaining crewmates on who should take the wheel

In a dire situation, captain can't leave the wheel just like that. He has to steer the ship and command his crewmates to control the ship and make sure it'll be alright. And the crewmates are in no possition to question the captain. The orders must be executed quickly and precisely or the whole crew might be in danger

Crewmates are captain's extentions, fullfilling his commands, because he, being just a single person, wouldn't be able to do that himself. In a way, that makes the whole crew part of the captain and as such, captain is the whole crew. He makes decisions for the whole crew, that's for sure. But saying so is not saying that the captain is the only important part of the crew, after all he can't control the ship all by himself. Saying so means what kind of responsibility lies on captain's shoulders but also what kind of trust does the crew show to its captain, to trust him so much to execute his orders without a question

After all, the ship moves in a direction the captain decides, it does maneuvers when captain decides and so on. Captain needs to remain collected at all times, because the fate of the whole ship and the whole crew is in his hands. He can't lose his cool when his best friend falls into the ocean, because he still has a whole ship under him to take care off. He can't allow a mutiny to happen, especially during a storm. And the person who started it is a danger to the whole ship, even if it's captain's younger brother

When Racules said he was a country, he meant how much responsibility lies on him and he can't be just another sword out there, risking his life, because he still has a whole kingdom to rule, that relies on him. When he said that people are tools it wasn't meant as dehumanising or demeaning. When he said that tools must fullfill the king's will without a question and then they're the most happy... it's because much like a mechanism or a ship, when all elements cooperate in unison, the whole thing works in the best way, reaching the goal set by the control unit or a captain or a king

Tools are necessary, but someone like king can't get too attached. The king must look at the bigger picture, make sure that the whole country functions properly. He can't drop everything to save one person he cares about, because he has a whole country full of people that need him. Especially, that after all, he as a one person, can't help every single person in a distress. King has to remain at the steering wheel, taking care of the whole country, but individual problems must be solved by the individual people, that are closer to the issue

Much like Racules' original idea, that the king protects everyone so then people can protect those around them. But, sadly, for that to take place, the king can't just drop his duties to tend to everyone in person. For the individual people to help each other, first, the king needs to make sure that the machine, the ship or the kingdom is on the right track

And I feel like Gira will learn all of that soon

Man who will later be known as the Evillest King of Shugoddom

Well, we know that Racules was never as bad as he appeared to be. Similar thing can be said about Gira, who puts on his Evil king persona. Despite being a benevolent ruler now and not a rebel, he still claims to be an Evil King

Since he already starts to see how "people are like a mechanism" or "the king is a too important piece to lose" or " people must follow intructions without question or we're doomed", I think he'll soon understand the way Racules ruled and why did he rule in this way

Ironically, Gira will end up being just like Racules, but also understanding that this way of ruling isn't bad, but is sometimes necessary. And if Evil King Gira, becomes a brilliant ruler, taking after Racules' way of ruling and his ideals, then who would be even more brilliant, and even more terrifying and considered more evil than the person it all originated from - Racules?

Who also just happens to act more powerful and evil than he actually is, to make himself more intimidating in the eyes of the opponent (but with whom it actually works because unlike Gira he can pull it off and convince people)?

I'm a little worried though, that I put too much expectations on the show, due to my theories and analysis, but then again, it all seems to fit in the more the show uncovers regarding Racules, so I hope we're on the right track, especially that he still is in the opening

[fathimaaaaaa]

The Best Invoice Generator Online Free For Travel Business

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In today's fast-paced travel industry, managing finances efficiently is key to running a successful business. From handling client bookings to organizing complex itineraries, travel business owners need solutions that simplify financial operations, including invoicing. Traditional invoicing methods can be time-consuming and prone to errors, resulting in delayed payments and administrative headaches. That's where digital invoices come in—offering a smooth, automated, and cost-effective way to send invoices without needing extensive accounting knowledge.

A recent study revealed that 78% of SMBs used digital technology to enhance their financial operations. Travel businesses also benefit by leveraging digital technologies. Free online invoice generators are becoming a popular choice for travel businesses, allowing them to generate invoices in minutes while maintaining a professional look. In fact, e-invoice senders can benefit from time savings, enhancing cash flow and customer satisfaction.

Challenges in Traditional Travel Invoicing

Errors and Delays

During the manual generation of invoices, several issues with the calculations, the client's information, and even other missing details may arise.

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There are a number of complications that come with invoicing, especially when the client is in another country. Dealing with different currencies, taxes, and exchange rates by mere calculations and estimations boosts the possibility of having distorted data.

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Manual management of numerous invoices and payments becomes a hectic task. When each invoice is matched to a single booking or service, this usually creates a lot of delays and thus slows down work.

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[abhiramiabii]

The Rise of Self-Drive Car Rentals: Freedom on Four Wheels

 In today’s fast-paced world, the demand for flexible, convenient, and personalized travel options is growing rapidly. Self-drive car rental have emerged as a popular choice for those who seek the freedom to explore at their own pace without the constraints of public transport schedules or the dependency on a chauffeur. Whether you’re traveling for business, leisure, or just a weekend getaway, self-drive car rentals offer a host of benefits that make them an appealing option for modern travelers.

What is Self-Drive Car Rental?

Self-drive car rental allows you to rent a vehicle that you drive yourself, giving you complete control over your travel itinerary. Unlike traditional car rental services that come with a chauffeur, self-drive rentals put you in the driver’s seat, offering a more private and personalized experience. This concept has gained popularity across the globe, and it’s easy to see why.

Benefits of Self-Drive Car Rentals

Total Freedom and Flexibility One of the biggest advantages of self-drive car rentals is the freedom it offers. You can create your own itinerary, make spontaneous stops, and explore off-the-beaten-path destinations that might not be accessible by public transport. Whether you want to take a detour to a scenic spot or extend your trip by a day, the choice is entirely yours.

Privacy and Comfort When you rent a self-drive car, you get the privacy of your own vehicle, which can be particularly appealing for couples, families, or solo travelers. There’s no need to share your space with strangers, and you can enjoy your journey without any interruptions. Plus, you have the comfort of your own environment, where you can listen to your favorite music, adjust the temperature, and relax as you drive.

Cost-Effective Travel Self-drive car rentals can be a cost-effective option, especially for longer trips. You save on the cost of hiring a chauffeur and have more control over your fuel expenses. Additionally, splitting the cost of a rental car among a group of travelers can make it an economical choice compared to booking multiple taxis or ride-sharing services.

Variety of Vehicle Options Self-drive car rental services typically offer a wide range of vehicles to choose from, catering to different needs and preferences. Whether you need a compact car for city driving, an SUV for a road trip, or a luxury vehicle for a special occasion, there’s a car for every requirement. You can select a vehicle that suits the terrain you’ll be covering and the number of passengers traveling with you.

Safe and Clean In the current times, safety and hygiene have become top priorities for travelers. With self-drive car rentals, you can be assured of a clean and sanitized vehicle. Reputable rental companies take stringent measures to ensure their cars are thoroughly cleaned and disinfected after each use, providing you with a safe travel environment.

Skill Development For those who enjoy driving, a self-drive rental is an opportunity to hone their driving skills, particularly if they’re unfamiliar with the roads or conditions in a new city or country. It’s also a chance to experience driving different types of vehicles, from compact cars to powerful SUVs, enhancing your confidence behind the wheel.

Tips for Renting a Self-Drive Car

Choose the Right Car Consider the nature of your trip and the terrain you’ll be covering when selecting a car. For city driving, a compact or sedan might be ideal, while for road trips or off-road adventures, an SUV could be a better choice. Make sure the car has enough space for your luggage and passengers.

Book in Advance Self-drive car rentals are in high demand, especially during peak travel seasons. To ensure you get the vehicle of your choice, it’s advisable to book in advance. Early bookings can also help you secure better rates and avoid last-minute price surges.

Check the Rental Terms Before finalizing your booking, carefully review the rental terms. Pay attention to details like mileage limits, fuel policy, insurance coverage, and any additional fees that may apply. Understanding the terms will help you avoid unexpected charges.

Inspect the Car Before Driving Before you hit the road, take a few minutes to inspect the car for any pre-existing damage and ensure that everything is in working order. Check the tires, lights, brakes, and fuel levels. This can help prevent any disputes when you return the vehicle.

Familiarize Yourself with Local Traffic Rules If you’re driving in a new city or country, make sure you’re familiar with the local traffic rules and regulations. This includes understanding speed limits, road signs, and parking restrictions. Following the rules will ensure a safe and smooth journey.

Keep Emergency Contacts Handy While self-drive car rentals are generally reliable, it’s always a good idea to have emergency contacts on hand. This includes the rental company’s helpline, roadside assistance, and local emergency services. Being prepared can help you handle any unexpected situations with ease.

Popular Destinations for Self-Drive Car Rentals

City Explorations: For urban adventures, self-drive rentals are perfect for exploring cities like Bangalore, Mumbai, and Delhi. You can easily navigate through bustling streets, visit popular attractions, and discover hidden gems at your own pace.

Road Trips: India offers some of the most scenic road trip routes, including the Mumbai-Goa coastal drive, the Bangalore-Mysore-Coorg circuit, and the Leh-Ladakh adventure. A self-drive car is ideal for such journeys, giving you the freedom to stop and soak in the breathtaking landscapes.

Weekend Getaways: For short trips or weekend getaways, self-drive rentals provide a convenient and cost-effective option. Whether you’re heading to the beaches of Alappuzha, the hill stations of Munnar, or the historic sites of Jaipur, a rental car makes it easy to escape the city for a few days.

Conclusion

Self-drive car rentals have revolutionized the way we travel, offering a flexible, private, and cost-effective solution for both short and long journeys. Whether you’re exploring a new city, embarking on a road trip, or simply need a convenient mode of transportation, self-drive rentals provide the perfect blend of freedom and comfort.

[whatvpnworksinturkey]

should i get a vpn for travel

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Benefits of VPN for Travel

A Virtual Private Network (VPN) is a powerful tool that offers numerous benefits for travelers seeking to secure their online activities and maintain their privacy while on the go. Here are some of the advantages of using a VPN while traveling:

Enhanced Security: VPNs encrypt your internet connection, protecting your personal information and data from potential cyber threats such as hackers, snoopers, and identity thieves. This is especially crucial when connecting to public Wi-Fi networks in airports, hotels, or cafes, which are known hotspots for cyber attacks.

Bypass Geo-Restrictions: VPNs allow you to bypass geo-restrictions and access websites and streaming services that may be blocked in certain countries. By connecting to a server in a different location, you can enjoy your favorite content while traveling abroad without any limitations.

Data Privacy: VPNs help safeguard your digital privacy by masking your IP address and keeping your online activities anonymous. This prevents websites, internet service providers, and advertisers from tracking your browsing habits and collecting your personal data for targeted marketing purposes.

Cost Savings: Some travel-related services and online bookings may vary in price depending on your location. By using a VPN to change your virtual location, you can compare prices and find the best deals on flights, accommodations, and rental cars, potentially saving you money during your travels.

Peace of Mind: With a VPN, you can browse the internet with peace of mind, knowing that your sensitive information is secure and your online activities are protected. Whether you're checking your bank account, sending emails, or accessing public Wi-Fi networks, a VPN ensures that you can travel without compromising your digital safety.

In conclusion, using a VPN while traveling offers a wide range of benefits, including enhanced security, data privacy, access to geo-blocked content, cost savings, and peace of mind. Consider using a VPN on your next trip to safeguard your online presence and enjoy a worry-free travel experience.

VPN Security Risks Abroad

VPN Security Risks Abroad: What You Need to Know

Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) have become essential tools for safeguarding online privacy and security, especially when traveling abroad. However, while VPNs offer significant protection, they are not immune to risks. Understanding these risks is crucial for ensuring your digital safety while traveling.

One of the primary concerns with VPN usage abroad is the reliability and security of the VPN provider. Not all VPN services are created equal, and some may have vulnerabilities that could expose your data to third parties. It's essential to choose a reputable VPN provider with a proven track record of security and privacy.

Another risk to consider is the potential for VPN connection failures. While VPNs are designed to encrypt and secure your internet connection, they are not infallible. Network disruptions, server issues, or configuration errors can lead to unexpected disconnections, leaving your data exposed to interception by hackers or government surveillance agencies.

Moreover, some countries have stringent internet censorship laws and may actively block or restrict VPN usage within their borders. Travelers should research the legal and regulatory environment of their destination country to determine the legality and accessibility of VPN services.

Furthermore, using VPNs to access geo-restricted content abroad can also pose security risks. In some cases, users may inadvertently expose themselves to malicious websites or phishing scams when attempting to bypass content restrictions.

To mitigate these risks, travelers should take proactive measures such as:

Choosing a reputable VPN provider with robust security features.

Ensuring VPN software and devices are kept up-to-date with the latest security patches.

Avoiding public Wi-Fi networks and using VPNs on secure, private connections whenever possible.

Being mindful of local laws and regulations regarding VPN usage in foreign countries.

By understanding and addressing these VPN security risks abroad, travelers can enjoy a safer and more secure online experience while exploring the world.

VPN vs

When it comes to online security and privacy, the debate between VPN (Virtual Private Network) and traditional browsing methods is ongoing. Let's delve into the distinctions between VPN and standard browsing to understand their respective advantages and drawbacks.

VPN, a technology that encrypts your internet connection and routes it through a server, offers enhanced security and privacy. By masking your IP address and encrypting data, VPNs shield your online activities from prying eyes, including internet service providers (ISPs) and potential hackers. This added layer of security is especially crucial when using public Wi-Fi networks, where cyber threats are more prevalent.

On the other hand, traditional browsing lacks the encryption and anonymity provided by VPNs. When you browse without a VPN, your ISP can track your online activities and potentially sell this data to advertisers or other third parties. Moreover, your IP address is visible to websites you visit, leaving you vulnerable to targeted ads and potential security breaches.

While VPNs offer robust privacy protection, they may slightly slow down your internet connection due to the encryption process and the distance to the VPN server. Additionally, some VPN services may log user data, raising concerns about privacy breaches.

Ultimately, the choice between VPN and traditional browsing depends on your priorities. If safeguarding your online privacy and security is paramount, investing in a reputable VPN service is advisable. However, if speed and convenience outweigh privacy concerns, traditional browsing may suffice, although it comes with inherent risks.

Choosing the Right VPN for Travel

Choosing the right VPN for travel is essential for maintaining your online security and privacy while on the go. With the increasing risks of cyber threats and data breaches, using a VPN can help protect your personal information and sensitive data from hackers and other malicious activities.

When selecting a VPN for travel, there are several factors to consider. Firstly, you should look for a VPN service that offers a wide range of server locations around the world. This will allow you to access geo-restricted content and websites while traveling abroad.

Additionally, it is crucial to choose a VPN provider that prioritizes security features such as encryption protocols, no-logs policy, and a kill switch. These features will ensure that your online activities remain anonymous and secure even when using public Wi-Fi networks in hotels, airports, or cafes.

Another important factor to consider is the VPN's connection speed and reliability. A fast and stable connection is essential for streaming content, video conferencing, or downloading files while traveling. Make sure to test the VPN's performance before your trip to avoid any inconvenience during your travels.

Lastly, consider the cost and payment options of the VPN service. While some VPN providers offer free plans or trials, investing in a paid and reputable VPN service is recommended for better protection and customer support.

In conclusion, choosing the right VPN for travel requires careful consideration of server locations, security features, connection speed, and pricing. By selecting a reliable VPN service that meets your specific needs, you can enjoy a safe and secure online experience wherever your travels take you.

VPN Setup for International Travel

Setting Up a VPN for International Travel: Secure Connectivity Anywhere

Traveling internationally can present various challenges, including accessing secure and unrestricted internet connectivity. Whether you're abroad for business or pleasure, setting up a Virtual Private Network (VPN) is essential to safeguard your online activities and ensure access to geo-restricted content.

Selecting the Right VPN Service: Before jetting off, research and select a reputable VPN service provider. Look for features such as robust encryption protocols, a wide server network across multiple countries, no-logs policy, and reliable customer support. Popular options include NordVPN, ExpressVPN, and Surfshark.

Installation and Configuration: Once you've subscribed to a VPN service, download and install the respective application on your device(s). Most VPN providers offer user-friendly apps compatible with various platforms, including Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android. Follow the setup wizard to configure the VPN settings according to your preferences.

Choosing Server Locations: For optimal performance and access to region-specific content, strategically choose VPN server locations. When traveling abroad, connecting to a server in your home country can provide a sense of familiarity and access to local content, including banking services and streaming platforms.

Ensuring Security and Privacy: Enable features such as kill switch and DNS leak protection within the VPN application to prevent data leaks and maintain anonymity. Additionally, regularly update the VPN software to patch any security vulnerabilities and stay protected against emerging threats.

Testing Connectivity: Before embarking on your journey, conduct a connectivity test to ensure the VPN is functioning correctly. Verify that you can access websites and online services without encountering any disruptions or performance issues.

Conclusion: By setting up a VPN for international travel, you can enjoy a secure and unrestricted online experience regardless of your location. Prioritize privacy, security, and accessibility by selecting a reliable VPN service and configuring it to meet your specific needs. Safe travels!

[apptechmobilesolutions]

Harnessing Innovation: The Power of Offshore AI Developers

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has transformed the way businesses operate and interact with customers. Its applications in automation, data analysis, and machine learning have proven to be game-changers in various industries. If you're looking to harness the power of AI for your projects, you might consider offshore AI developers. In this informative blog, we will explore the concept of offshore AI developers, the benefits they offer, and how they can help you stay at the forefront of technological innovation.

Understanding Offshore AI Developers

Offshore AI developers, also known as offshore AI development teams, are groups of AI experts, data scientists, machine learning engineers, and software developers located in countries other than your own. They are dedicated to building AI solutions and applications tailored to your specific needs.

The Benefits of Offshore AI Developers

Cost-Effective Solutions: Offshore AI developers often work at a fraction of the cost compared to hiring in-house teams. This cost savings can be particularly attractive for startups and small businesses.

Access to Global Talent: By going offshore, you gain access to a diverse talent pool of AI experts from around the world. This allows you to tap into a broader range of skills and experiences.

Focus on Core Competencies: Outsourcing AI development allows you to focus on your core business activities while experts handle your AI project. It saves you the time and effort of recruiting and training in-house teams.

Scalability: Offshore AI development teams can quickly scale their resources up or down as your project's demands change. This flexibility is especially valuable for businesses with fluctuating AI requirements.

Reduced Time-to-Market: Experienced offshore AI developers can significantly reduce the time it takes to bring your AI solutions to market. This can be a game-changer in competitive industries.

How Offshore AI Developers Can Help You Stay Innovative

Custom AI Solutions: Offshore AI developers specialize in creating custom AI solutions that align with your business goals. Whether you need chatbots, recommendation systems, predictive analytics, or computer vision applications, they can tailor their services to your specific needs.

Data Analysis and Insights: AI developers can help you extract valuable insights from your data, empowering you to make data-driven decisions that drive innovation and growth.

Machine Learning Expertise: Offshore AI developers are well-versed in machine learning techniques, enabling you to create predictive models, optimize processes, and automate tasks.

Enhanced Customer Experiences: AI can revolutionize customer experiences through chatbots, personalization, and recommendation engines. Offshore AI developers can help you implement these solutions to stand out in your industry.

Advanced Automation: AI developers can automate repetitive tasks, allowing you to free up your workforce to focus on more strategic, creative, and value-added work.

Selecting the Right Offshore AI Developers

When choosing offshore AI developers, consider the following:

Expertise: Ensure the team you select has expertise in the specific AI technologies and applications that align with your project.

Portfolio: Review their portfolio to see if they have successfully completed projects similar to yours.

Communication: Effective communication is key. Ensure that you can communicate seamlessly with the offshore team and that they understand your goals.

Security and Compliance: Verify that they adhere to data security and privacy regulations, especially if your project involves sensitive data.

References: Request references from their previous clients to gain insights into their work ethics, capabilities, and reliability.

In conclusion, offshore AI developers offer an attractive solution for businesses looking to harness the power of AI while maintaining a competitive edge. By collaborating with a team of experts from around the world, you can access cost-effective, scalable, and innovative AI solutions that propel your business forward. Embrace the opportunities presented by offshore AI developers to leverage cutting-edge technology and remain at the forefront of innovation in your industry.

[praveenjohny0]

Why Should Businesses Invest in Travel App Development?

Technology acceptance is present in almost every industry, and travel is no exception to this. Business owners hire travel app development companies to develop a high-end app. Users leverage different traveling apps to get travel information, book tickets or hotels, etc.

Powerful Marketing Tool

Traveling apps can be a powerful marketing channel for your business where you can connect with your targeted audience easily.

You can create a travel app to convey your brand message and keep users engaged by offering useful features & creating a loyal customer base.       

24/7 Accessibility

Travel app development has 24/7 accessibility that provides useful information to travelers at their convenience.

In other words, your travel app can ease the user experience by letting them acquire the information they want at any time and from anywhere. This way, people will be hooked and become more familiar with your travel app.

Track Customer Actions

The traveling app can help business owners track their intended user’s actions, which helps better understand their needs.

Moving forward, business owners can provide a more personalized experience by offering them what they are already expecting. 

Discover the Best Mobile Application Development Company

Popular Types of Travel Mobile Apps

Flight Booking App

As the term suggests, a flight booking app like Skyscanner lets users search for flight deals anywhere in the world.

With the help of a flight booking app, users can get a hassle-free experience with advanced features. For instance, features like, one-tap check-in, booking details, special deals, etc.

Flight booking apps are integrated with a feature like easy check-in that saves users time in verifying documents. 

Travel Guide App

Another type is a travel guide app, where travelers get everything, from different places to visit, and upcoming local events, to top-rated restaurants, etc. A travel guide app like TripIt: Travel Planner hooks the travelers by providing every detail they may require while traveling across the country.

Transport Booking App

The transport booking app is one of the popular categories of travel apps that let users check available offers and book tickets on a real-time basis.

Uber is one of the popular transport booking apps where travelers can book a cab or rentals to roam around the city. An app like Uber provides a quick pick-up and drop facility to travelers, offers 24/7 service, etc.

Hotel Booking App

Accommodation booking apps like Hotels.com allow travelers to book a room as per their preference. Travelers can even get exciting rewards by booking a hotel room via an app where their information gets saved.

With the help of hotel booking apps, travelers get a complete overview of the hotel’s rooms, the pictures, and what facilities are being offered.

Must-Have Features for Travel App Development

Geo-Tracking Services

The primary feature of a travel app development is integrating geo-tracking or navigation services. This feature assists travelers by tracking or fetching the location of nearby sights.

Navigation services also help travelers identify the best routes, better safety, get the estimated time of arrival at the destination, and more.

Travel Itinerary Generator

Another must-have feature for travel app development is an itinerary travel generator. It allows travelers to make a travel plan and maximize their time.

A travel planner includes every detail related to the trip, like events, activities, accommodations, sightseeing, etc.    

In-App Language Translator

An in-app language translator is one of the beneficial features in a travel app development, allowing travelers to scan texts for visual & sound translation and text messages.

This feature boosts the user experience, especially when traveling to another country. In other words, an in-app language translator bridges the linguistic barriers and smoothes the travel experience. 

Find out the Experienced Web Application or Website Development Company

Location-Based Emergency Services

A location-based emergency is a crucial feature, which is a must for every traveling app. With the help of this feature, travelers can contact emergency services irrespective of time and place.

You can consider adding the phone number based on the location so that travelers can get information about doctors, nearby pharmacies, etc.

Currency Rate Converter

While traveling across another country, travelers often face issues related to currency exchange.

Business owners can consider adding a currency rate converter feature to their travel app to help tourists know the currency exchange rates. The currency rate converter also helps compare the current and previous currency rates.

Trip Reviews from Travelers

Before traveling to any new place, travelers often prefer to read reviews to ensure that visiting a particular place will be worth it.

Therefore, adding trip reviews and ratings in the app section is beneficial as it shows reviews and recommendations from other travelers for better decision-making.

Learn more about Leading Software Development company

[marybeatriceofmodena]

You know, I’ve been thinking today about how Alina doesn’t even really work as a Reluctant Hero, compared her to Frodo to see the key differences (since Frodo is pretty much the Poster Child for the Reluctant Hero), and then I realized... 

You know, I think L/eigh B/ardugo wrote TGT as a very black-and-white fairytale, where Alina is the princess, Mal’s the knight in the shining armor, and the Darkling is basically the dragon, except it doesn’t really work because the worldbuilding requires an approach that’s... a lot more grey? 

The thing is, though, I realized... Alina and Mal are basically meant to be Frodo and Sam. Except that, again... it doesn’t really work. 

Frodo works as a Reluctant Hero, because he makes it clear multiple times that he doesn’t want to carry the Ring. He asks Gandalf to do it for him, he asks Galadriel, he asks Aragorn, and they all refuse, because they are (or are called to be) in a position of power, and while them being in a position of power is presented as good, the One Ring essentially represents the fast, easy way to get to it, which will ultimately corrupt them rather than have them fight their way towards their goal. 

Frodo, meanwhile, is the right person to carry the Ring, because he comes from a humble place and he doesn’t really have any aspirations to become powerful. And while he’s clearly burdened by having to carry the One Ring, and that he makes it clear that he wishes the Ring had never come to him, he still goes on anyway, despite all the hardships he faces, because his ultimate goal is to save the Shire and his friends, and that desire is stronger than any fear or greed he may have. 

Now, J.R.R. Tolkien himself said that he didn’t really see Frodo as THE Hero, and that Sam is the real Hero of the story to him. Which makes sense, given how Sam was based off young men from rural England he met while fighting in World War I. But also, the story makes it very clear that without Sam, who’s arguably the most pure-hearted person in all of Middle-Earth, Frodo would have definitely failed in his task. The reason why he resists the temptation to carry the One Ring is LITERALLY because him protecting and helping Frodo is more important to him. Sam doesn’t give two shits about power. Helping Frodo save the Shire and coming back to everything he’s ever loved is more important to him. 

Both Alina and Frodo are pure-hearted orphans who are given tremendous power: Alina is the Sun Summoner, and Frodo carries the One Ring. In both cases, power is represented as a corruptive force, that makes people go mad with greed. It works in the context of The Lord of the Rings, given how the rings were given to leaders of Elves, Dwarves and Men, and that Sauron created the One Ring to rule over and control all of them. The Grisha, on the other hand, unlike the Ring-bearers, are not in a position of power, given they are essentially victims of Fantastic Racism in pretty much every country. While Ravka treats them slightly better than in Fjerda or Shu Han, it’s still not ideal and it’s something that could be taken away from them at any moment. It would be an entirely different matter if the Grisha were the ones rulling over Ravka and viewing otkazat’sya as lesser, and in that context, Alina being the Sun Summoner would be a very obvious road to her becoming corrupted. 

Frodo refusing to carry the One Ring and asking other people to take that burden from him comes from a place of genuine fear of what the Ring might do to him. In his place, we’d probably all do the same thing. That’s what makes his acceptance of his task all the more admirable. Alina, on the other hand, refuses to be the Sun Summoner and to help her fellow Grisha because that stands in the way of her ending up with Mal. She never gives any sign that she’s truly empathizing with the Grisha’s plight, she tries to run away not once, but twice, and most importantly, she never sees herself as one of them. They are othered, but it matters little to her, because she doesn’t want to be othered herself, because that stands in the way of her running off with a boy. It’s basically the equivalent of Frodo being overcome by fear after seeing the fate of the Shire in Galadriel’s mirror, and just demanding to be sent to the Grey Havens straight away to save his own ass from it all and just leaving the One Ring to whoever wants to deal with it. At that point, it’s not being a Reluctant Hero: it’s being a coward at best, a selfish bastard at worst. 

(And that’s why I don’t really buy her when she tells Aleksander that they could have had it all if he had told her all the truth from the start, because... again, she didn’t seem to care about the Grisha that much and Aleks telling her everything would have actually been a sure way of having her run as fast as possible the other way. I know the story is trying to tell me otherwise and that the plot point I’m supposed to see here is that Alina was willing to do something until she felt betrayed by Aleks, which is... not what was shown here, and it’s especially annoying considering how Alina is a deserter in every sense of the word, and that any army would have court-martialed her for running away.) 

So if Alina is meant to be a pure, selfless heroine, who loses her powers because she also refuses to be greedy... that just falls completely flat, because if anything, she’s as selfish as Frodo is selfless, because all of this really just boils down to her wanting to run off with Mal. 

Now, onto Sam and Mal. Both of them are basically Everymen who are there to help the Hero and keep their feet on the ground. As mentioned earlier, Sam is the one who helps Frodo finish his mission to Mordor, and the story makes it clear Frodo would have failed without him. TGT meanwhile presents Mal as Alina’s “True North”... which could work on paper as Alina’s reminder to temper Aleksander’s efforts and to remind him that in order for Grisha to be viewed as people, it is important for them to also remember that balance and peace between Grisha and otkazat’sya will be essential, so resentment and hatred can be healed between both groups. 

The key difference here is that Sam is completely supportive of Frodo at all times. Even when Frodo sends him away in the film, Sam goes back after him the minute he realizes he’s been tricked by Gollum. He never shames Frodo whenever he falls prey to temptation, he simply reminds him of who he is and what he must fight for, and even when he’s climbing Mount Doom, he still carries Frodo on his back despite being probably completely exhausted, because Frodo’s more exhausted than he is. He completely accepts Frodo as both his friend, the Hobbit from the Shire, and the Ring-bearer he needs to help, even if he might die in the process. 

Mal (in the books, that is) makes it very clear that he does not accept Alina as both the girl he knew and the Sun Summoner. He only wants the girl, and whenever Alina makes steps towards being the Sun Summoner, he basically sulks and yells at her for not paying attention to him. Despite Alina becoming othered in the eyes of the world, he refuses to see her as othered, mostly because it is inconvenient to him rather than because he loves her for who she is. That’s why in the end, people feel like Alina lost her powers in order to be with Mal, because Mal would never accept her in her entirety. Sam, on the other hand, accepts Frodo as both Ring-bearer and Hobbit, because if he didn’t, Frodo would have failed. 

And while they made Mal in the show a lot nicer than his book counterpart, he still doesn’t work as Alina’s “True North”, because he cossets her in her selfishness. He may say he doesn’t care about how Alina is a Grisha in this one, but he also doesn’t consider the implications of it all - which is especially glaring given he’s a soldier himself. Like, look, if you’re going to slap in a racism plotline to make Mal/ina work, you’d think that being half-Shu would give Mal a little awareness that people are going to treat Alina badly for being half-Shu AND a Grisha, and given Alina is the MOTHERFUCKING SUN SUMMONER AND A SAINT, maybe, just maybe he’d tell her: “Heh, it’s kinda lame we’ll just run off and let everyone else in the dust, you know, especially since we could make our lives as well as everyone else’s better?” Seriously, if you’re going to make Mal Alina’s “True North”, have him face her duties and her calling whether she likes it or not, don’t coddle her when she wants to run the other way because she wants to hide under a rock for the rest of her life. 

With all that being said, that leaves us with the Darkling, who... I mean, given his whole schtick is that power corrupts and makes you evil and crazy, I guess that makes him Gollum, but sexy. 

Gollum, but sexy. 

That single expression has been haunting me ever since I started writing the above novel and I fucking hate it. You’re welcome. No one wanted Sexy Gollum. Absolutely no one. Fuck this shyte. See, this is why I want Darkling Redemption. I do not want to live in a world where Gollum is sexy. I need brain bleach. 

Even here it doesn’t even fucking work because Gollum hid in a cave with the Ring with a strategically placed cloth because no one wants to see his crusty ass family jewels anyway, while Aleks worked his ass off to give the Grisha a safe place to live and to at the very least ensure they’re useful enough to not be killed like animals. Like, if you’re going to give the world something that’s gonna definitely not make me sleep tonight like Sexy Gollum, at least do it right. 

[newdougsblog]

The Tragic Hero Full of Fear

Hello everyone! Before I get into this, I’d like to thank @jasontoddiefor​ for both the name and being the main enabler of this fun piece of writing. I also want to thank all my wonderful friends over on Discord for letting me bounce ideas off of them and helping me. You are all amazing!!

Ok, so let’s get into it!

The first six Star Wars movies (the Original and Prequel trilogies) are commonly referred to as “the Tragedy of Darth Vader.”  But what makes these movies a tragedy? How is Anakin Skywalker himself, the main character of said tragedy, a tragic hero? In this meta/essay, I will discuss how Anakin himself is definitionally a tragic hero and outline his story as it relates to the structure of a classic Greek tragedy.  

This essay will focus solely on Anakin’s character as he is canonically portrayed.

The Hero

Let’s go through the main traits of a tragic hero (as per early literature) and discuss them in the context of Anakin Skywalker.

Possesses immense courage and strength and is usually favored by the gods

Anakin’s courage is evident throughout his entire life, such as when he participates in the pod race in TPM or on the front lines during the Clone Wars. 

While we cannot definitively ascribe Anakin’s abilities to any deity, we can associate them with the Force. The Force is able to somewhat influence the happenings of the universe in certain ways and takes the place of any sort of deity.

Whether Anakin is the “Chosen One” or not, his connection to the Force is stronger than that of any other Force-sensitive being, so he is consequently closer to it than most, if not all, other Force-sensitive beings. 

Extreme loyalty to family and country 

Anakin is consistent in his demonstrations of loyalty to those he has strong feelings for (whether those feelings be romantic or platonic).

His devotion to Padmé surpasses his loyalty to the Jedi, and he is always willing to go to great lengths to ensure their safety and well-being.

Anakin also exhibits a strong sense of devotion to his mother, Shmi. His devotion to her, and by extension her wellbeing, surpasses his duties as Jedi. 

In ROTS, Anakin says, “I will not betray the Republic… my loyalties lie with the Chancellor and with the Senate… and with you” (you, in this case, referring to Padmé). In this quotation, Anakin’s loyalties are made quite clear. At this point, he is not faithful to the Jedi, but to his government, its leaders, and, of course, his wife.

Representative of society’s current values

During the Clone Wars, Anakin is known by the moniker, “the Hero with No Fear,” and is one of the Republic’s “poster boys.” He is charismatic, kind, seemingly fearless (obviously) and a strong fighter, thus representing the values that were important to the Republic at the time. The last characteristic is especially important because of the assurance it instills in times of war. As a representation of the Republic, Anakin’s prowess on the battlefield creates hope for its citizens that victory is possible. 

Anakin also empathizes with the opinion that the seemingly outdated Jedi Code holds them back. In the Citadel Arc, Tarkin remarks that “the Jedi Code prevents [the Jedi] from going far enough to achieve victory.” Anakin actually agrees with this statement, replying that “[he’s] also found that [the Jedi] sometimes fall short of victory because of [their] methods” (Season 3, Episode 19). He shows a sense of allegiance not to the ancient ways of the Jedi, but to the newer, more modern ideals regarding military action. 

Anakin claims to have brought “peace, justice, freedom, and security” to his “new Empire.” While the Empire's interpretations of the aforementioned values are skewed, Anakin continues to represent them as Darth Vader. 

Anakin’s statement to Obi-Wan also mirrors Palpatine’s declaration to the Senate: “In order to ensure our security and continuing stability, the Republic will be reorganized into the first Galactic Empire, for a safe and secure society which I assure you will last for ten thousand years.” The people applaud this statement, demonstrating a general sense of exhaustion in regards to the war and a yearning for what this new Empire is promising them.

Lead astray/challenged by strong feelings

Though there are many, many examples of Anakin’s emotions getting the better of him, we’re simply going to list two:

Anakin’s fury and anguish after the death of his mom leads to his slaughter of the Tuskens

Anakin’s overwhelming fear of losing Padmé is ultimately what leads to his Fall.

Every tragic hero possesses what is called a hamartia, or a fatal flaw. This trait largely contributes to the hero’s catastrophic downfall. Anakin’s hamartia is his need for control, which partially manifests through his fear of loss. 

Let’s explore this idea in more detail. 

Though Anakin grows up as a slave, the movies neglect to explicitly cover the trauma left from his time in slavery. However, it is worth noting that slaves did not have the ability to make many choices for themselves; they didn’t even own their bodies. After being freed, Anakin is whisked away to become a Jedi. He does not possess much control over his life as Jedi, for he is simply told what path he is going to take. While Anakin does make this decision on his own, becoming a Jedi is a disciplined and somewhat-strict way of life and not one that allows for an abundance of reckless autonomy as he is wont to engage in. 

(Side note: I’m not here to argue about Qui-Gon’s decision-making abilities, nor do I wish to engage in discourse regarding the Jedi’s way of life. I am simply presenting and objectively stating these facts in relation to Anakin because they are pertinent to my point.) 

During AOTC, Anakin is unable to save his mother from death. As Shmi dies in his arms, Anakin is absolutely helpless. The situation is completely out of his control, and he is forced to contend with the reality that despite all of his power, he cannot control everything that happens. 

He also feels that he has a larger potential for power and is being held back by Obi-Wan: “although I'm a Padawan learner, in some ways... a lot of ways... I'm ahead of him. I'm ready for the trials. I know I am! He knows it too. He believes I'm too unpredictable… I know I started my training late... but he won't let me move on.” Anakin believes Obi-Wan, his teacher and mentor, is holding him back. He expresses a self-held conviction of his status and skills and does not trust the word of his superior. 

In ROTS, Anakin starts dreaming of Padmé’s death. Considering what occurred the last time he dreamt of a loved one’s demise, Anakin is justifiably (or at least justifiably from his point of view) worried. He consequently wants to stop these dreams from coming true in any way possible. His fear of death, especially that of his loved ones, represents his need for control over everything, even things that are uncontrollable. This overwhelming desire leads to Anakin’s drastic actions.

As Darth Vader, he no longer possesses such fears, for everyone that he loved is either dead or has betrayed him. He is the epitome of order and control, eliminating any who disturb this perceived equilibrium. 

However, this changes because of one person: Luke Skywalker. 

Luke reintroduces something that was (arguably) long-absent in Vader’s life, which is interpersonal attachment. Vader yearns for his son to join him by his side. When Luke refuses, Vader continues to attempt to seek him out. In ROTJ, Vader is forced to choose between the Emperor, a man he has long trusted and followed, and Luke, the son he never knew he had. Out of a desire to protect and keep what little family he has left (and likely a sense of “I couldn’t save Padmé but at least I can save her legacy by keeping her child(ren) alive and safe”), Vader defeats the Emperor and saves his son. Though his actions are definitionally heroic, Anakin never truly overcomes his hamartia. 

The Structure of a Tragedy

Classic Greek tragedies follow a specific story structure, which, according to the German playwright Gustav Freytag, is as follows:

We’re going to focus on the three aspects that best represent Anakin’s story as a tragedy: The peripeteia, the anagnorisis, and the catastrophe/denouement. These occur during and/or after the climax. 

The peripeteia is the climax/the turning point in the plot. Said change usually involves the protagonist's good luck and prosperity taking a turn for the worse. 

Within the tragedy we are discussing, the peripeteia occurs when Anakin chooses Sidious over Mace Windu and solidifies his allegiance to the Dark side, becoming the very thing he swore to destroy. It is at this point that things really start to go downhill. He kills children, chokes his wife, fights his best friend, gets his remaining limbs cut off, etc. 

The anagnorisis is the point in the tragedy when the protagonist recognizes their error, seeing the true nature of that which they were previously ignorant of, usually regarding their circumstances or a specific relationship (such as Oedipus’ realization that his wife was actually his mother). In most tragedies, the anagnorisis is in close proximity to the peripeteia. In Anakin’s story, the anagnorisis occurs during ROTJ. After being wounded in his fight against Luke, Vader watches as his son is brutally electrocuted by Sidious. It is at this moment that Darth Vader realizes that Luke was right—there is good in him, and he still has the chance to redeem himself. 

The catastrophe/denouement (since this is a tragedy, we’re going to go with “catastrophe”) is the end of the tragedy. Events and conflicts are resolved and brought to a close, and a new sort of “normality” is established. The catastrophe often provides a sense of catharsis (release of tension) for the viewer. The protagonist is worse off than they were at the beginning of the tragedy. 

The catastrophe within “The Tragedy of Darth Vader” transpires soon after the anagnorisis at the end of ROTJ. Though the realization of his capacity for good is the anagnorisis, the follow-through (via his actions), as well as what consequently occurs, is the catastrophe. As previously discussed, Vader saves Luke by killing the Emperor but does so at the cost of his own life. This serves as the resolution of the tragedy, for the hero’s fate has been confirmed—Darth Vader fulfills his destined role as the Chosen One and, in doing so, brings about his own redemption and dies as Anakin Skywalker.

In conclusion, the categorization of Star Wars as a tragedy is a choice that heavily influences Anakin, the protagonist and hero, of the story. He is without a doubt a tragic hero whose fatal flaw leads to his downfall. In accordance with Aristotle’s theory of tragedy, Anakin’s tragedy is constructed not by personal agency, but by the narrative itself.

Works Cited

“Darth Vader.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 15 Mar. 2021, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Darth_Vader.

“Dramatic Structure.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 20 Feb. 2021, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dramatic_structure.

“Hero.” Encyclopaedia Britannica, Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc., 19 Oct. 2016, www.britannica.com/art/hero-literary-and-cultural-figure.

Lucas, George, director. Star Wars: Episode III— Revenge of the Sith. Lucasfilm Ltd., 2005.

Lucas, George, director. Star Wars: Episode II— Attack of the Clones. Lucasfilm Ltd. , 2002.

Michnovetz, Matt. “Star Wars: The Clone Wars, ‘Counterattack.’” Season 3, episode 19, 4 Mar. 2011.

“Sophocles: the Purest Artist.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., www.britannica.com/art/tragedy-literature/Sophocles-the-purest-artist.

“Theory of Tragedy.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., www.britannica.com/art/tragedy-literature/Theory-of-tragedy.

“Tragic Hero.” Dictionary.com, Dictionary.com, www.dictionary.com/browse/tragic-hero. 

[ookamihanta]

Tired of waiting for araki to give us more mixed jojos from different parts of the world and female jojos so i did it myself. 

Fyi, these kids are assuming everyone somehow lives to have kids so like. >>side eyes jolyne. And my own personal headcanons as to how they came to be obviously. To better understand everything, best go read some of my other posts about older Giorno and Josuke and assume everyone lives. (Personal note: I don’t really see any of trio ever actually settling down in these aspects, but these situations need to happen for these kids to actually exist lmao.)

Josephine Baker Jolicoeur is the granddaughter of Josuke Higashikita. Since Josuke got to travel the world being a detective for the Speedwagon foundation, he met a woman in America and had a child with her. Eventually, Josuke’s granddaughter is born to Josuke’s daughter, but from a man who was less than father material. One day, her father snapped and murdered her mother, leaving her orphaned at 10yrs old and being taken in by her grandparents. Josuke still travels the world solving crime, especially now that he has had two close family members of his murdered in cold blood. Josuke’s wife moved to Paris and thus, Josephine did as well. Unbeknownst to everyone else, Josephine actually developed her stand when she was the sole witness to her mother’s killing, explaining how she miraculously escaped before her father to get to her as well. It took several more years for her to fully explore her abilities, as Josuke one day used Crazy Diamond in front of her on one of his rare trips back home to Paris and she freaked tf out because she didn’t know other people had a stand.

Black Venus’s power is quite a feat. It basically can create black holes, or open spaces that sucks everything into it. Josuke likes to say it’s a stand he finds similar to his best friend’s, Okuyasu’s The Hand, so you can bet Josephine is close to her god uncle too. Unlike Okuyasu however, Black Venus can create multiple spaces that can hold and suck objects up. Black Venus can also choose to spit back the objects out by creating a chain of black holes near by. However, if only one is created, then whatever is sucked into it is gone forever. Of course, this black hole can transport people as well, explaining how Josephine managed to escape her father’s wrath when she was younger.

Jordan Josius is the grandson of Jolyne Cujoh. In some AU, Jolyne lives and gets to have a family, yay. I don’t care much if you think Jolyne has a kid with Annasui or someone else, just know she had a daughter and her daughter gave birth to Jordan. Jordan lives in the U.S like the rest of his family and resides in Orlando, a senior in high school. He has a part time job at Disney World as one of the mascot costume characters, as he’s rather shy and quiet, so it was one of the only jobs he could snag at his age and experience. Unlike most of his extended family, Jordan actually has a good relationship with his parents and grandparents. He still lives at home and the only reason he gets roped up to any sort of mess is because of his job. You’d think being a costume character would be a simple job, but the amounts of time some lunatic has came into the theme park while he was working is quite ridiculous. He’s gotten into several scuffles while being in his uniform, but the managers at the park cover his back whenever something happens. Jordan was born with his stand, so he doesn’t quite recall when it first manifested. Jolyne tells him often that she’d had to tie up his stand when he was a baby because it would cause harm by accident whenever he started crying.

Tympany Five’s power is the ability to create a cloak of mist/fog around its enemies, which once trapped in, can manipulate your senses. Jordan has to be careful when using this ability however, as he can’t control every aspect of it and can only vaguely give commands to a certain extent. When it comes to changing one’s senses, he can only change one at a time and he has to continuously focus on that one person, or else the ability loses its affect. He can use this mist to sense multiple bodies in his range, but if he is not directly focusing on them, the sense that is changed is completely random and out of Jordan’s control. Tympay Five can create everything from hallucinations to simple changes such as making someone’s perspective shift just the slightest to make them off balance. 

Josie ‘Jose’ Pablo Jofre is the granddaughter of Giorno Giovanna. The mafia don Giorno didn’t think too much about relationships, considering his position, but when he traveled to Mexico looking in to take over their gang routes and supplies, he encountered the head of the entire operation--who was a beautiful woman. Long story short, they elope, but keep their relationship behind closed doors due to their jobs. It would be very dangerous for word to get out that two figureheads were in a relationship with each other, much less had a child soon afterwards, after all. They have two children, one son and one daughter. However, both Giorno and his wife agreed they didn’t want their children to get involve in their mafia work more than they needed to, so they did their best to hide that side of their world from them. To do this even more so, Giorno and his wife live apart in their own separate countries with one child with each parent. Giorno takes care of his daughter in Italy while his son stays with his wife in Mexico. Because of this, Giorno’s son also takes his mother’s surname and soon grows up to have a child of his own--Josie. Despite all of Giorno’s attempts to keep his family out of the mafia business, Josie easily finds out what her grandparents are up to and immediately takes awe with them. She’s very much like Giorno, someone who looks up to the gangsters rather than down upon. She eventually convinces Giorno to let her join Passione and when Giorno retired, Josie happily took over both Giorno’s position as Don and merged all routes and supplies with her grandmother’s.

Hard Tango’s abilities simply boil down to being extremely good fortune. Being in its range, one’s precision and chances of achieving rise exponentially, even if they’re not trying. Of course, this also affects opponents of Josie’s, so bringing out Hard Tango can be a challenge if her opponents are close combat heavy and stay within her range. She often uses Hard Tango when she gambles or when making trade deals, as things will always go in her favor. Put to its extreme, Hard Tango can even save people’s lives, as it can create situations where an injury is not as deep or as deadly as it may seem. Yes, this ability op as fuck, but hey she’s Giorno’s grandchild so it only makes sense. 

[primrose-path-of-dalliance]

on bren and feeblemind.

(cw: lots of caleb backstory. self-explanatory, i think?)

.

.

this isn’t something i’ve talked about on my blog yet, but since the campaign has begun drawing to a close, i want to make sure i say my piece on the popular theory that bren/caleb was institutionalized because trent ikithon feebleminded him to disable him.

my piece being that it’s exceptionally unlikely he did—at least as a premeditated plan. this kind of theory also falls prey to the exact beliefs ikithon has tried to exploit in caleb.

for our mutual reference, i’ll quote the spell description of feeblemind.

FEEBLEMIND (PHB) 8th level enchantment

Casting time: 1 action Range: 150 feet Components: VSM (a handful of clay, crystal, glass, or mineral spheres) Duration: Instantaneous

You blast the mind of a creature that you can see within range, attempting to shatter its intellect and personality. The target takes 4d6 psychic damage and must make an Intelligence saving throw.

On a failed save, the creature’s Intelligence and Charisma scores become 1. The creature can’t cast spells, activate magic items, understand language, or communicate in any intelligible way. The creature can, however, identify its friends, follow them, and even protect them.

At the end of every 30 days, the creature can repeat its saving throw against this spell. If it succeeds on its saving throw, the spell ends. The spell can also be ended by Greater Restoration, Heal, or Wish.

considering the characteristics described and implied by actors other than ikithon—caleb and astrid prominently—who are not motivated to deceive on ikithon’s behalf, feeblemind is not consistent with caleb’s mental break.

fact the first: when bren broke, he became violent and spellcasted.

when astrid describes the circumstances in which he was taken to the vergessen sanatorium (e89, 1:49:30), she refers to his lashing out as “creat[ing] a lot of sparks everywhere else” and rubs at burn scars across her neck. she says that they had to subdue him because he was too dangerous. all of these statements add up to a bren who was viciously spellcasting at his friends and mentor when he broke down.

this wouldn’t have been possible if he’d been feebleminded. feeblemind explicitly prevents the affected creature from casting spells or activating magic items. in that scenario, the only thing bren would’ve been capable of is throwing hands. from him? not very dangerous at all.

how do we know astrid wasn’t lying or intentionally deceptive? because she (and eadwulf) still cares so much for caleb that she risked her life multiple times to aid him. no one who would give caleb a map to a secret volstrucker vault with her own handwriting on it (e127, 29:29; and 30:57)—or intentionally fail to counterspell him when ikithon could’ve seen her do so—would lie to caleb about ikithon attempting to permanently feeblemind him if she knew.

to preempt the idea that astrid had set the m9 up: it’s very obvious she didn’t, since trent ikithon had clearly had no forewarning of a break-in. he would’ve at least been waiting in the vault, already prepared to subdue them quickly, if he’d known.

so it’s fair to determine that astrid would either be honest to the extent of her knowledge to caleb or make it clear that she couldn’t answer him. since she didn’t imply the latter, we can assume she was being honest. and because of astrid’s competence, it’s highly probable she would’ve noticed if his behavior was symptomatic of feeblemind over the years.

fact the second: bren’s mental condition repeatedly improved and regressed while he was institutionalized.

astrid states this in the same conversation about their subduing him after his breakdown (e89, 1:50:50). considering this with the context of their romantic relationship prior to his breakdown, her genuine care for him, and her rise to power that included accompanying ikithon frequently to the sanatorium (e127, 31:07)—astrid would’ve had the motivation and the opportunities to visit bren in person. she could’ve also kept well-abreast of his condition.

actual times of improvement and decline in the mental state that astrid first observed during his breakdown wouldn’t be consistent with feeblemind. although it reduces the victim’s intelligence score to 1, they still retain thought and their sense of identity without problems.

this is a maintenance of consistency and (relative) reason. feeblemind does not actually damage a person’s basic perception of reality. but the health of bren’s behavior throughout the years was instead very unstable.

fact the third: caleb doesn’t remember anything from the burning of his home up to his healing by the unknown cleric.

in the conversation with astrid in e89, he asks her what happened when he broke and explicitly says, “the last thing i remember is my home” (1:46:58). when he first tells beau and nott about his past, he explains that he doesn’t remember much of what happened to him there (e18, 2:51:54).

beyond the reduction to their intelligence, feeblemind doesn’t affect the victim’s ability to form memories. caleb’s keen mind feat and established narrative element of his eidetic memory would’ve still been present as well. therefore, feeblemind alone can’t explain such a significant, near-empty gap in his memory. he would still remember something.

even the possibility of trent ikithon altering them directly is precluded by the fact that the cleric’s healing removed the alterations to caleb’s memory. if all those years had been magically blocked away, they’d have returned when he was healed of everything else.

fact the fourth: sometimes, people really do just break.

nothing about caleb’s backstory is inconsistent with just... being a person living their life, even a terrible one. he was a young man that believed so zealously in his country and his purpose, abused by a powerful older man, that he did many horrible things and believed they were right. until finally he did something that he couldn’t process and broke down.

there’s two reoccurring, underlying assumptions i’ve noticed behind why this theory seems to be so compelling and popular:

caleb just seems so remorseful and traumatized by his double patricide. there’s no way he would’ve willingly murdered his parents. ikithon must have known and decided to preempt his inevitable betrayal.

everything we know about bren, especially from the horse’s own mouth, suggests that he had been willing (at least up until his mental break) to murder his parents. he was literally an extreme nationalist—a fascist, if you will. he was lawful evil (twitter source). he gratefully executed many “criminals” put in front of him, more than likely by burning them to death based on his ptsd. victims whom we now understand may not have been guilty of anything at all.

he was glad to do what he thought was best for the dwendalian empire, and he truly thought being volstrucker was the correct path. trent ikithon, his abuser, treated him as his favorite (e110, 3:30:58). because he believed.

that fervent faith, in fact, is the key to something like his breakdown in the first place. hearing the dying screams of his parents, bren was forced to confront a violent dissonance between his radical beliefs that condemned traitors (as he believed until the cleric’s healing) and the intuitive horror of murdering his parents that he couldn’t reconcile. this fathomless sense of betrayal is why caleb so deeply despised ikithon and himself.

a young evocation wizard who didn’t want his parents dead would’ve run into that burning house, feebleminded or not. someone magically compelled to set that fire would’ve understood what happened as soon as the charm left him and would definitely remember every detail once the cleric healed him.

caleb is remorseful and traumatized because he willingly murdered his parents. as well as many others.

it can’t be that simple. caleb was institutionalized for eleven years just because his abuser pushed him too far? there must be a more nefarious reason. ikithon even said he basically stored him for later.

putting aside the fact that bren having a breakdown in the way he did makes complete sense for his situation, ikithon’s “claim” that he orchestrated all of caleb’s subsequent years is not only something he never actually says (e110, 3:16:34)—it is a claim that’s patently absurd.

i’ve written meta that discusses this in the past (link here). essentially though, the number of moving pieces and assumptions that would be needed for such a series of events is ridiculously improbable. even assuming that ikithon feebleminded him—so that caleb’s mind would be intact when he ‘woke up’—even assuming that ikithon somehow procured the service of a cleric of the archeart—a banned deity in the empire that would oppose ikithon...

why in the world would he ever reasonably believe that caleb widogast, the man he viciously betrayed and lied to and abused, would do anything to benefit ikithon?

trent ikithon is a mortal man. he has power, yes; enchantment magic, authority, and a history of abuse and manipulation over caleb’s head, yes. but ikithon is a mortal man. not a puppeteer in the sky piloting people’s bodies.

he certainly wouldn’t have led caleb to a whole new family that would change everything about his life for the better. a family that would love him, truly—a family that would help him heal, bear the weight of his guilt, and find a real future waiting for him again instead of a self-destructive end. a family that would fight tooth and nail for caleb’s sake against ikithon.

abusers lie. their biggest lie, the one they always circle back to in the end, is that their victim is unique: that there is something which makes them deserving of abuse, and that their abuser is both right and inescapable.

ikithon is read as honest because he chooses his words carefully and has the self-confidence to believe it. everything he’s claimed about caleb and his past have either been implications that he encouraged others to reach for him or platitudes empty of everything except gaslighting intent.

caleb has escaped. and everything ikithon wants is to convince caleb and his friends that he continues to control caleb’s life, that caleb is special, so he can regain some influence over a man who’s come to command so much power.

the idea that caleb must’ve been feebleminded—that he couldn’t have just had a mental breakdown like so many other prospective volstrucker before miraculously, then strenuously, recovering to create a hopeful future for himself—falls into the trap of validating ikithon’s lies.

trent ikithon didn’t see and believe in caleb’s ‘full potential’ before anyone else did. he didn’t foresee a single ounce of the man’s struggle to put himself back together after what he suffered. caleb was not institutionalized to serve as a toy to one day pull back out of the closet. there was no feeblemind or other secretive plan that could only serve to obfuscate the brutal truth:

ikithon abused a boy until he shattered, and tried to hide the evidence. a crime that he’s committed against countless other children. plain and simple.

so that’s my piece.

caleb widogast—bren ermendrud—was not the victim of a premeditated feeblemind from ikithon, based on the mechanics of the spell. even more importantly, the narrative of his and ikithon’s stories would suffer if he was.

now,

A LOGICAL POSSIBILITY I WON’T DENY.

what if ikithon feebleminded him as a method to subdue him after the breakdown?

this is more or less an alternate theory that’s irrelevant to the points i actually wanted to make. but i want to talk about it anyway because it’s kind of fun.

fact the bonus: bren spent eleven years in the sanatorium.

eleven years is a long time. he would’ve been able to save every 30 days after the initial failed save. the exandrian calendar has about eleven 30-day periods every year. assuming a feeblemind spell cast on him just prior to his institutionalization, that’s somewhere around 121 possible save attempts, give or take a few.

what’s the likelihood of him actually saving? to go through the mechanics:

normally, feeblemind reduces a person’s intelligence score to 1, modifier -5. caleb, as a variant human, possessed the feat keen mind from the beginning both mechanically and story-wise. this would make his intelligence score 2, modifier -4, even after feeblemind.

as a level 1-2 wizard, he would’ve had proficiency in intelligence saves. this would be +2 to his save.

in total, the modifier to bren’s intelligence saves would be -2.

in order to cast feeblemind, trent ikithon would have to have been a minimum level 15 wizard. this leaves two possible proficiency bonuses to determine his spell save dc: +5 or +6.

it’s probably safe to assume that his intelligence score is at least 18–20, likely 20. this would be a modifier of +4 or +5. (his intelligence could be 22+ if matt wanted to be a real dick, but let’s assume otherwise.)

spell save dc = 8 + spellcasting score mod (for wizards, this is intelligence) + proficiency bonus.

this means trent ikithon’s possible spell save dc is somewhere from 17–19.

therefore:

at minimum—17 being ikithon as a level 15–16 wizard with an intelligence score of 18–19 at the time of casting—bren would have to roll a 19 or nat 20 to make the save with his -2 save modifier.

at a dc of 18—ikithon either being level 17–20 or having an intelligence score of 20, but not both—bren would have to roll a nat 20.

at a dc of 19(+), it would be impossible for bren to save without additional bonuses such as bless.

i don’t have the brainpower to calculate some real statistical probabilities, but depending on your opinion of trent ikithon’s probable capabilities at the time of bren’s mental break, he may have been able to save against feeblemind sometime during the eleven years he spent at the sanatorium.

naturally, this has the earlier-mentioned conundrum of remembering that return of clarity once he was healed by the cleric, should ikithon have been retrieved to recast the feeblemind and altered his memories. nevertheless, it may or may not be a fun thought to play around with.

[ifandomus]

Why do people like Zemo?!

Something I have been wondering about for a while now is why people like Zemo as much as they do. He even gets more appreciation than Sam, who is an incredible person (the reason isnt exactly difficult to figure out*). While Zemo is an interesting character, and he does have some good points it doesnt change that he has killed and hurt a lot of innocent people and a lot of people gloss over that fact. I can understand his motive, but I cant get past what he did.

*(Racism)

Its not suprising because white cis men usually gets away with anything they do, especially if they are charismatic, attractive and rich (like Zemo and Tony). They can kill and hurt as many people as they want, and people will still stan them and either justify what they did, or just gloss over it. And the fact that it keeps happening is a big problem. And its happening both in real life, and in at least most fandoms.

Now I am not saying that liking morally darker people is wrong. I also like some of them. What I am saying is that glossing over their bad actions is a problem. If you add in villanising other characters who havent done anything remotely that bad being critisised more, it gets really irritating.

Now lets get more into Zemo, and compare him to the other two Sokovians who wanted revenge on the avengers. (I wont really be talking about anything past civil war, or this would get very long and my ADHD can only handle so much.)

Zemo killed a lot of innocent people. I couldnt find an exact number on anything but the bombing, but it was over a dozen at least. First the bombing killed 12 people, including king T’chaka (the fact that his death is so glossed over is not lost on me*1). Then he kills Dr. Theo Broussard. Then he uses Bucky*2 to kill and injure an unknown number of people at the Joint Counter Terrorist Centre. None of these people had anything to do with his motive! The only ones I can excuse him for is Karpov and the other 5 winter soldiers. But I cant look past the rest.

1*(Racism and Xenophobia)

2*(Zemo uses Buckys body without his consent. The fact that some people ships them sickens me!)

Now for his motive. This part I can understand. He lost his father, wife and son. I cant even imagine how painful that must be! However that does not give him the right to hurt innocent people! I can understand why he would blame the avengers, but the only ones among them who were responsible in any way were Tony, Bruce and maybe a tiny bit Wanda (even though Tony having a bad nightmare would have had the same results). The main one responsible is of course Ultron. No one but Tony and Bruce knew about creating Ultron, because if they did they would have stopped it. It was actually a betrayel of Thor. When Ultron broke free they did everything they could to stop him and save people. Its not their fault that they werent able to save everyone. They did everything they could and without them Ultron would have killed everyone on earth. So it makes sense that he would blame some of the avengers, but most were completly innocent and risked their lives trying to save as many as possible. And in Pietros case actually gave their life.

Wich brings me to two other people who also wanted revenge, the Maximoff twins. Although Wanda is usually the only one of them to be held responsible (the fact that she is female and an eastern European immigrant is also not lost on me*). Now some people gloss over what she did too, wich is wrong. Dont get me wrong I love Wanda, but that doesnt mean that I cant admit that she has made some bad mistakes. Granted she feels a lot of remorse and regret wich we dont really see Zemo do. However a lot of people are villanising Wanda completly.

*(Sexism and Xenophobia)

Like Zemo the twins lost their family. Their parents were killed by a Stark missile, then they had to wait for two days with another one right by them. They couldnt move from where they were hiding, so they would have been starving and dehydrated, but all they could do were wait and hope that the missile didnt blow them up. Then they had to move to an orphanage, given the conditions in the country I cant imagine that would be a nice place. And keep in mind they were 10 years old. They got desperate and wanted to protect their country, so they end up joining hydra wich was pretending to be shield at the time. But only untill they got the power they needed to defend their country. Now the twins were younger than Zemo, and the weapon that killed their parents came from from Stark industries. So it makes sense that they would have a personal grudge. However Zemo was older, he led a Sokovians kill squad, and he is a very critical thinker. So it makes less sense for him to hold a personal grudge on most of the avengers.

For their revenge the only people the twins intentionally harmed were the avengers, unlike Zemo who knowingly killed a lot of people that he knew had nothing to do with it. The twins wanted to protect their country, while Zemo declared it a failed state. So why are the twins critisised and hated more than Zemo?!

[sadviper]

Woo Do Hwan: Interview with Kankoku TV Drama vol. 97 (Aug 2020)

Once again, much thanks to @staidwaters​ for graciously reviewing and correcting!!! This was a really hefty interview, hope you enjoy~

-------------

Woo Do Hwan

Sword, bow, and horseback riding for the first time

A “Monstrous Newcomer” in a career-making, historical drama debut

In 2016, in the movie “Master”, Woo Do Hwan played the role of Lee Byung Hyun’s subordinate. Even though he appeared onscreen for just three minutes, he left a strong impression, attracting attention. Since then, he starred in “Save Me” (2017 OCN), taking on the nickname of “Monstrous Newcomer” and setting out on a brilliant career path. The next step he takes will be his first historical drama “My Country” (2019 JTBC).

Tackling a historical drama is an ideal chance for young and promising actors to grow; they have a rare chance to study in depth with multiple superb veteran actors over the long filming period. Woo Do Hwan did not miss this opportunity. His new work “The King: Eternal Monarch” (2020 SBS) leverages 120% of what he learned from “My Country”, and his popularity is surging.

Struck by a midwinter waterfall, the most dreadful and frigid opportunity to showcase yourself

--What kind of work is ”My Country”?

WDH: Each of the characters clash with the others for the sake of their personal convictions. This drama depicts their love and friendships. The country they are each reaching for … in a way, you could say they seek the same goal. Everyone wants a country in which they can live happily, but each person has a different path to that goal. This work skillfully depicts the conflicts that arise in the midst of this.

--Please introduce the role that you play.

WDH: Nam Seon-ho is an illegitimate child born to a family of nobles (yanban), and he has suffered greatly because of his birth. The poor guy is only able to relax his guard and laugh when he is with Seo Hwi (played by Yang Se Jong) and his younger sister Yeon (played by Jo Yi Hyun). However, even under such circumstances, he holds onto his ambitions. He doesn’t want other people to experience the same kind of pain that he has endured, so he strives to become the right-hand man of Yi Seong-gye (played by Kim Young-cheol), the future founder and king of the Joseon Dynasty. However, it doesn’t go as expected and I end up in opposition to Hwi, my dearest friend.

--What things did you pay attention to when creating the role?

WDH: Since it’s a period drama, it was difficult to get used to the way of speaking and tone of voice. It took me a while to get the hang of it. Now  I have the opposite problem, I’m doing my best to shake off the historical tone (laughs).

--The gorgeous hairstyles and clothing were a sight to behold.

WDH: Honestly, at first I thought “Long hair probably won’t suit me…” (laugh). So early on, I participated in many concept meetings and tried out different hairstyles. Even with long hair, there are many different hairstyles that can be made, such as wearing with armor or tying it up. I collaborated with the director to choose the most suitable style according to the situation in the drama. I was able to try on as many outfits as hairstyles, but I really enjoyed being  able to wear the special costumes such as the armor and the inspector’s garments; things we normally don’t get the chance to wear.

--How did you practice horseback riding, swordsmanship, and archery?

WDH: Before filming started, I studied martial arts for about two months. Filming lasted nine months, so in total I was focused on this work for a whole year. While filming action, it’s important to skillfully capture the scene, but the most essential thing is to not to get hurt. For that reason, the cinematographer, my co-stars, and I always had to be in perfect sync. It took time to match movements for the sword fights.

--You became the topic of much discussion when you revealed your magnificent physique in a waterfall during the opening of the drama. What are your secrets for managing your fitness?

WDH: I train on a regular basis. If I only started working out when I knew there were going to be scenes with skin showing, it’d be stressful trying to build up my body in a short period of time for shooting. After all, I don’t know when or where I will have to strip down for a scene! (laugh) Usually I play a lot of soccer, and I’ll go to the gym to train if I have time. If I take care of myself properly as a habit, then I don’t need to worry if my body looks good or if I should put in more effort during acting; I can just concentrate on my performance.

--Was the director’s reaction a good one?

WDH: He was extremely happy, hahaha. They keep trying to make me take my clothes off, so I was like, “Come on, give me a break!” The road to the filming location for the waterfall scene was rugged and steep and it was incredibly cold; it was the most difficult scene. Se-jong even said “I never want to go into water that cold again”.

--A lot of viewers said that “Nam Seon-ho is the most pitiful man in the world.” How do you personally feel?

WDH: I wanted to present Seon-ho as a tragic figure, so I was glad that the audience saw him the same way; it encouraged me to put in even more effort and I worked hard to build up his character. Seon-ho constantly stands on the boundary between life and death, living a life where he might die at any moment. He never manages to accomplish any of his dreams, and it is only at the very end that he realizes what is most precious to him. However, even though Seon-ho is a tragic character, if we just focused on the sadness the drama would be hard to watch and it wouldn’t be interesting at all. Therefore I wanted to show many things with him, such as him being a powerful figure, and the loneliness his power hides.

He was able to finish the drama because he was with Se-jong, his co-star of the same age.

--At what points did you sympathize with Seon-ho?

WDH: There is always a conflict in Seon-ho’s life in that he always has to sacrifice something in order to get something he wants. Seon-ho’s situation is an extreme case, of course, but I think that in our lives there are many moments like his, even if they are small and trivial. Moments when we desire what we can’t have, or throw away things we shouldn’t throw away. There are also moments when we all have to give something up for the sake of a goal that we are reaching for.  In the midst of that, I worried about the things that I should protect, so I deeply sympathized with Seon-ho, whose ideals and emotions were in conflict with each other.

--Your portrayal of the character’s emotions was well-received. When was Seon-ho the most emotional?

WDH: It would be when he heard that Seo Hwi was alive. I had a deep rapport with Se-jong in all my scenes with him. From a certain point onwards, the events in the drama truly felt real, and I fell more and more in love with Se-jong (laugh). I deeply empathized with Seon-ho’s emotions, which made me want to perform even more intensely in this work.

--Concerning expressing emotions, are you the type to do a lot of preparation beforehand? Or are you the type to perform what you feel on the spot?

WDH: I think I am half-and-half. Beforehand, I’ll think, “So we’re filming this kind of scene today”,  why is this happening, and what was the situation before this scene? However, it’s difficult to continuously hold onto emotions because there are rehearsals and blocking out our positions with the director. So I will concentrate on creating the emotion in the moment when acting.

--And what about your mutually dependent relationship with Yang Se-jong, who played the role of Seo Hwi?

WDH: I believe it would have been very difficult if Se-jong hadn’t been there. I relied on him a lot. The make-up room was set up in a large van onsite, and while our hair was being done, we would go over our lines. If one person said their lines, then the other person would just naturally respond with their own lines. We are the same age, not just in the drama but also in real life, so in both the Goryeo and modern eras, we were always communicating well, back and forth.

Se-jong always helped me, and even though we were together on location for very long periods of time, not once did we fight or have a conflict of opinion. We spent our time together as good friends, always being considerate of each other.

--There were many scenes of Seon-ho and Hwi’s friendship that brought out tears, but was there a particular scene where you especially felt the friendship between the two?

WDH: All those scenes where we rescued each other. Especially that scene in the latter half, where Hwi took Seon-ho out of Yi Bang-won’s (played by Jang Hyuk) house; that was memorable. Then in the first half, during the massacre of the Liaodong Punitive Expedition advance party, there’s a scene where we cross swords in the midst of combat and I recognize my dear friend Hwi. That scene was very good and had a big impact.

--What is your impression of Seolhyun (AOA) as Han Hee-jae?

WDH: Seolhyun was truly a “celebrity” to me (laugh). She is one of Korea’s top idols; I’ve seen her movies. When I heard that she would be co-starring with me, I was very much looking forward to it. Once we were actually performing together, I was amazed that her acting was even better than I expected. Seolhyun was the youngest on location, but she had a very mature attitude during filming. In front of a large crowd of her seniors, she played a bold and strong woman. I was impressed.

--The antagonism between Seon-ho and his father was one of the highlights of the drama. How was it like to co-star with Ahn Nae-sang, who played the role of your father?

WDH: Ahn Nae-sang sunbae was like a real father, a very interesting person. Although he’d say “Seon-ho is an impertinent son” (laugh), he worked well with me, and did a lot for me. During breaks, he tells jokes and lightens the atmosphere on set, but once filming starts, his gaze radically changes and he becomes a terrifying father. He’s not someone who hands out advice left and right to juniors, rather, he is a person who reacts kindly and looks after us. 

Extremely jealous of Se-jong’s Japanese fanmeet

--What are your thoughts on successfully wrapping up your first historical drama?

WDH: I wore hanbok, long wigs, and armor--I got to experience all of these things for the first time. I’ve also never done things like swordsmanship, archery, or horseback riding, so each one of those was a new challenge. Because I have never lived in that time period, I worried about how I should portray it. Despite that, I enjoyed everything. The remote locations that I visited were very beautiful, and during breaks it was a wonderful experience to enjoy the scenery and watch the seasons change instead of sitting in the dressing room. I’ve heard from my seniors that once you’ve done one historical drama, you’ll want to do another, and now I know what that feeling is like for myself.

--What was the most memorable location?

WDH: In the opening scenes, I often went to the countryside, but first I filmed the waterfall scene and the cliff scene. That cliff scene was absolutely terrifying. I scaled the cliff and did the action scene, but I thought...I might actually die if I fall (strained laugh).

--Watching the behind-the-scenes footage, you seem the quiet type but at the Japanese fanmeeting, I feel that you were skilled at speaking onstage. What is your actual personality?

WDH: Do I look like someone who doesn’t say much? I’m definitely not the talkative type, though. Hahaha. I talk a lot when I’m with Se-jong, but the interesting thing is, how much Se-jong and I will say changes depending on the day. On some days Se-jong speaks more than I do, and on other days I won’t shut up (laugh).

--Since filming continued for about a year, was it difficult to break free from the role of Seon-ho?

WDH: Honestly, I wouldn’t have thought about Seon-ho without today’s interview. However, Seon-ho’s sword is in my living room, so whenever I see it, I’m going to remember (laugh). But because I can’t use historical speech in the drama that I’m currently filming, I try to forget as much as possible.

--Currently you’re in the middle of filming the drama “The King”, right?

WDH: In “The King”, one person plays two different roles. The show depicts parallel worlds. In one world, Lee Min-ho sunbae plays the emperor and my character, Jo Yeong, has been by the emperor’s side since childhood and is the captain of the Royal Guard. In the other world, I am Jo Eun-seop, a social service worker whose personality is the complete opposite to Yeong’s. I’m having a lot of fun filming this, so please look forward to it.

--What does “my country” mean to you?

WDH: I believe it’s the people around me. I have family, I have friends, and I also have colleagues. A life where I can live happily with all of them, that is my dream country, I guess. No one goes on without desire, so I want to live together while caring for each other.

--You’ve been called the “Monstrous Newcomer”. With this kind of recognition, do you feel pressured?

WDH: I’m always under pressure. However, I tell myself I can’t lose to it, I have to work harder to overcome it.

--Finally, a message to your Japanese fans.

WDH: 2020 was the year I definitely wanted to meet all my Japanese fans, but filming for “The King” started earlier than expected and hasn’t finished yet. I was incredibly jealous when I heard that Se-jong held a Japanese fan meeting at the end of 2019. When “The King” finishes, I would like to meet you all. Until then, please take care of yourself and be happy. I will do my best to finish my work and greet you in good form. If you haven’t seen “My Country” yet, I definitely invite you to watch it.  I also hope you look forward to “The King”.

You can direct fan mail to:

KEYEAST / 30, 11-Gil, Hakdong-ro, Gangnam-gu, Seoul 06042 Korea

[kdramafeminist]

Performative Badassery & Women in Kdramas

When I said I wrote an essay, I meant essay. This is a long one! Grab a snack and venture below the read more. I’ll see you at the end!

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You know the feeling. The drama begins. Our female main lead walks onto screen. She’s a successful businesswoman, a hotshot detective, clever lawyer, smartass retail worker, etc, etc. She stares down a random man to prove she’s the powerful one here. Or kicks some ass. Or rattles off a bunch of demands to her workers. Or talks fast to show off her intelligence.

Then she meets the male lead. There’re fireworks. Slowly we find our female lead has a softer side. Good to know. 3-dimensional and complex characters are important. It’s nice to see women on-screen who are both capable and emotional. Kick ass and feminine. 

But slowly... something starts to go wrong. She seems to be crying more than showing literally any other kind of emotion. And is it just me or is she getting saved and manhandled and flustered quite a lot for a woman who we were told was so well put together? Sure, the circumstances are extreme. But they’re extreme for the male lead too and he seems to be managing just fine for some reason. Also, if both of them are ordinary people with no on-screen fighting experience, how come he’s so great at throwing fists out of nowhere and she’s busy keeping hidden or needing rescuing? Exactly how many times can one person just faint like that without anyone checking to see if she has a medical condition?

By the drama’s end our lead has gone through trials and tribulations. She’s fallen in love too, I’m happy for her. But... now that the story’s ending and she’s getting in one last chance to show us she’s a “badass”, why am I left feeling hollow? She’s showing us how tough she is but... we ALL spent this whole drama watching her have absolutely no agency or such a little amount that she might as well have been trying to put out a fire with a water-pistol. It’s almost like her previous badassery (in whatever form it may have been - I don’t mean badass only in terms of being able to throw a good punch) was just a façade. A way to hook in female viewers like me who want to see something more than a wilting wallflower or one-trick Cinderella. But the tiniest knock and the cardboard house collapses.

And no matter how many times we get throwaway lines about her being “the smartest/toughest/scariest/most capable one here” it doesn’t ring true compared to the actual character we’re watching.

Rom-coms, melos and sagueks especially (but many more genres besides), have a real problem when it comes to performative badassery in their female characters. The writers give us a female lead they claim is hyper competent, but the reality is totally different. Any plot that features romance, almost always features this. Honestly the way the start of the relationship in dramas actively MURDERS the female character’s agency could be its own essay so I won’t go deep, just know the two are 100% linked.

The “Faux Action Girl” Problem 

A Faux Action Girl happens when a writer wants the popularity that comes with having a cool action girl character, or they want the praise that comes with writing a lead that breaks gender norms, or they want to be lauded for writing a FL whose more capable & progressive than the female kdrama lead we’d imagine, but they don’t end up actually giving us her. Instead we get the fake or faux version. The reasons are usually a combination of:

Relying on outdated tropes. Wrist grabs, damsels in distress, a girl fainting so she misses some vital plot related moment to increase runtime etc...

Sexist worldviews. As a by-product of being Korean which is still a heavily sexist country because of the holdover of Confucianism mixed in with the Christianity westerners brought over that leads many writers to (often without even realising) inserting moments that inadvertently reduce their female leads because they think that’s what correct or natural for the female character based on their opinion of women in general. Even if it doesn’t actually fit the type of character they’ve set out to create.

Executive meddling. Producers who think their demographic wouldn’t be able to handle a real badass but also know their female viewers want more complexity and agency in their FLs these days and so give us the paper-version instead of the 3D model.

This character’s more “badass” traits are nearly always just an Informed Ability (the writers tell us via other characters what she can do but never actually show us on-screen these same things) or we only ever see her utilise them once/twice at the beginning and maybe if we’re lucky once at the end, but never again. 

It really hurts.

The “Badass Decay/Chickification” Problem

Sometimes she really is a legitimate action girl though. She’ll be a cop whose good at her job or an ordinary citizen whose well-versed in taekwondo. She has actual moments on-screen to prove herself. 

Well. She has moments in episodes 1 and 2. Then she almost always goes through Badass Decay/Chickification. Which means that writers (& producers) believe that if we don’t see her having a softer side, she’ll become unrealistic or unlikeable. 

They fix her. So she becomes more vulnerable. As the only girl on the team (usually), she becomes the one who ends up injured more often or needs rescuing most. Her life begins to revolve entirely around her romance and nothing else. (Meanwhile the male leads gets to have the romance and keep his side-quest - have you noticed that? If the FL is really lucky she gets to keep one side-quest too, maybe a dream job or solving some family mystery. Never more though.. only men get to be complicated here). Once she was competent... now it feels like she legitimately had a personality transplant. 

Is this even the same person we began with?

The “Worf Effect” Problem 

Worf Effect is when the danger/power level of a villain is shown to the audience by making him successfully attack/hurt/ruin the plans of someone that the audience knows is skilled. This isn’t a bad thing alone and writers use it all the time. We need to acknowledge the villain as a proper threat and this is a useful way to do it!

But in kdramas it’s something used almost always against the lead female character. The one we’ve seen is intelligent, or strong-willed or quick-witted. 

And because it’s always her, this character begins to look weak. If this writing trope is abused, her reputation as the "biggest, toughest" etc. begins to look like it never existed and we’re back to her having an informed ability. 

That this is something that happens to the female characters not only more often but almost exclusively is a sign of sexism. Plain and simple.

Competent, Real Badass Female Characters Aren’t Scary

 If you’re going to sell me a capable woman, give me her. 

Not someone who has one very unique, specialised skill but otherwise can do nothing else except for that one time when her one skill is useful. 

Or has built up her own empire, implying a certain level of smarts, business ability or networking skills, but then once she’s removed from it she becomes so utterly useless it begs the question how she built that empire in the first place. 

Or has a rep as the detective whose taken down the toughest guys off-screen, but whatever skills she used to do that seem to disappear the moment anything really challenging happens on-screen. 

I’m not saying she needs to win all the time. Of course she doesn’t, how boring is that? All I’m asking is that when she loses, it’s in keeping with the character I’m supposedly watching. A woman that can kick ass can still be outwitted. A clever woman can be physically beaten. A street-smart girl can be foiled by rules and regulations. A leader-type can be beat by someone whose more unconventional.

It’s not difficult to write someone like this. I know the writers can do it because every male lead is written this way. I’ve never once, whilst watching a badass male lead lose, get beaten and cry, thought “oh no, his badassery was fake all along!”

Because when he loses it makes sense. It’s in character. There’s a solid plot reason behind why it happens.

Meanwhile my ladies who are meant to be able to kick ass and take names somehow just got kidnapped out of nowhere?

Make it make sense!

Consistent Characterisation is Good Writing

I get wanting moments where one is injured and the other fusses over them. I love those moments! All I ask is more imagination taken to get us to that point. Make it in-character. If my taekwondo black belt is kidnapped, I want to see her really fight. I want the kidnapping to be shown as genuinely tough on the people trying to nab her. Imagine how much more satisfying it would be to see her fight off all these bad guys, yet still end up losing? How much more heart-breaking?

We’d be so much more invested in the mind games or politics the villain is playing if the female lead we’ve been told is good at that stuff is playing the game just as hard. When she loses it’ll hurt more.

Writers need to stop being afraid that her remaining capable in some way diminishes the masculinity, attractiveness, prowess or “hero” status of the male lead. Trust me. It doesn’t. Ever. 

It’s not a case of either/or. We don’t think less of the male lead because his partner is as capable as him in whatever way that may be. Instead, we think more of them both. Once a romance begins, the heightened worry both characters have for each other should only make both of them stronger in whatever area they’re skill lies in. Not just make the man a sudden defence wall and the woman a worrying mess. 

I’m sure everyone who reads this can immediately think of at least one drama with a FL who is a Performative Badass. I know I had about ten in mind as I wrote this. 

There are exceptions. Cases where the badass gets to stay a badass. Usually these cases happen in genres without romance because like I said above, those problems are linked. But I can think of a few romcoms/sageuks/melos where it happens too. 

But those are the minority.

Women in kdramas. Give them agency. Make their characterisation genuine, not just a bit-part for the sake of a cool trailer. Not just one moment someone can edit into a “badass multifemale” video edit - only for us to watch the drama from the clip and discover we’ve been sold a lie. 

How satisfied would we be?

Writers! Give us a story we enjoyed because of the excellent characterisation. A new female character we can add to our lists of faves. Women who proved themselves as consistently badass as their first scenes claimed. Women in kdramas who, no matter what problem they faced, don’t become echoes or paper-thin versions of who we were promised.

Actual, complex, layered, enjoyable, KICK-ASS AND BADASS female leads.

Wouldn’t that be a miracle.

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PS. This is an open notice that it’s OKAY to reblog with added commentary/thoughts/rambles of your own. I would *love* to see it if you have anything to add.

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(Disclaimer: This essay was written with a specific female character type in mind. I am not saying every FL needs to be a badass or hyper competent. Soft, shy, physically weak female characters exist and can be just as realistic and complex. There’s a few I can think of who I adore. Instead my essay is very specifically about characters who are *meant* to be badass from the start but then... don’t end up being. So, yeah, before anyone claims I’m some angry feminist who needs every FL to be some tough martial artist or something. Absolutely not! Diversity is amazing and interesting. All I ask is that when I am told I’ll be getting a badass in a drama I get her. Not have my heart broken by the fake wilting flower I find in her place. Ok. End disclaimer. ^^)

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Also I’m tagging a bunch of you because you reblogged my post saying you wanted this so here! TY for making it to the end ^^

@kdramaxoxo​ @islandsofchaos @storytellergirl @vernalagnia-blog @lostindramas @salaamdreamer​ @planb-is-in-effect​