#fisk is best in that environment

[jinxquickfoot]

@badthingshappenbingo prompt: Trying Not to Cry

Find the fic on Ao3

“Morning, Boss.”

Kate’s tone is chipper. Upbeat, happy, top-o-the-morning chipper. Clint definitely isn’t going to suspect that a single thing is wrong.

Clint squints up at her over the coffee he’s just poured. “What’s wrong?"

“Literally all I said was good morning.”

“Uh-huh.” Clint’s eyes travel down to the Daily Bugle clutched in Kate’s hand. “Good read?”

“No, actually.” Kate hastily balls up the paper, lobbing it towards the trash. It bounces off the rim. “It was so boring that I’ve forgotten what I read.”

“Kate, you just missed a shot from three feet away.” Clint moves to pick the paper up.

“No, don’t! You don’t want to read that.”

Clint takes her in again, then relaxes. “What is this time? That archery is a ridiculous superpower? That I’m the most useless Avenger? That no one knows why I was even on the team to begin with?”

Kate tries to distract him as Clint starts to uncrumple the paper. “All of which would be cleared up if you agreed to do just one interview.”

“I don’t waste time on reporters. Never have, never will.” He succeeds in unfurling the pages. “Kate, I've been hearing that kind of stuff for years. Jesus, I agree with half of it—although not with the Bugle, everything that comes out of Jamison’s mouth is garbage. So don’t bother trying to spare my feelings, at this point I just ignore…” He trails off, finally finding the page that had slapped Kate in the face that morning.

“It’s fine,” Kate says, too quickly. “Like you said, garbage.” Her voice cracks on the last word, and Kate has never been more embarrassed in her life.

Clint slowly lifts his head from the article to her face.

“Just forget it.” She’s not going to cry about this. She’s not. “I have.”

She hasn’t. The words are seared into her.

The world is approaching a new generation of superheroes. From arugula green lawyers in California, to a rather womanly Thor sighting in Norway, to what some are calling a controversial and nepotistic choice of Captain America’s successor, to a brand new Iron Man struck down too soon in the form of Quentin Beck, it seems we do not need to fear a lack of superheroes in our future—whatever their quality may be.

The world has come a long way from the first battle for the planet in 2012, when six unlikely heroes gathered to rid New York of aliens. While it may be a relief to some that their titles are passed on, others—this newspaper included—argue that it is time for some mantles to be retired, if they ever should have been held to such high esteem in the first place.

Residents of New York would have spotted a purple-clad archer in their midsts over the Christmas period. The vigilante responsible for destroying the beloved Rockefeller Christmas tree has been identified as Kate Bishop, nepo-baby of Bishop Security, whose stocks have plummeted after the arrest of its CEO, Eleanor Bishop, in December.

While it may be comforting to hear that the younger Bishop is not planning to follow in the footsteps of her criminal mother, her other choice of career must be called into question. We are in the heyday of superheroes, from Captain Marvel to Doctor Strange, with powers beyond reckoning. Is this really an appropriate environment to be resurrecting the Hawkeye name? A bow and arrow versus the cosmic forces of time and space?

‘Superhero’ is now the number one job aspiration of anyone under eight years old, and it is tempting to believe that we could all put on a silly costume and run around saving the day from otherworldly monsters. And with a lack of scientific genius or enhanced abilities, it seems Bishop has reached for the easiest to imitate Avenger and given it her best shot. However, unlike her namesake, she is not hitting the bullseye.

With multiple counts of destruction of public property, the daughter of a known associate of Wilson ‘Kingpin’ Fisk, and an extremely superfluous choice of mentor to boot (really, what does Hawkeye even do when he runs out of arrows? Stand around and wait for the rest of the heroes to do the actual work?), perhaps it is time for Bishop to leave the play-pretend game to the children, and allow herself to grow up.

Clint is still watching her. Kate turns beet red as she feels him take in the tiny quiver of her lip, the way she knows her eyes are overbright and shiny.

Then he’s moving. “Stay here. I’m going out.”

“Where?” Kate demands.

Clint downs the rest of his coffee, then scoops up the entire pot for good measure. “Out.”

“You’re not going to the Bugle,” Kate protests. “You just said you don’t talk to reporters!”

“I’m going to talk to one today.”

“No, you’re not, don’t even worry about— Clint. Clint!”

But Clint and the coffee pot are already gone.

It’s hours before he comes back.

Kate’s curled up on the couch with Lucky, watching some rerun of a show she doesn’t particularly care about. She’d expected to finally cry the second Clint had left her apartment, but the tears hadn’t come. It’s as though they’re sitting in a block in her chest, weighing her down, refusing to shift.

The front door finally clicks open, Clint shucking off his rain-soaked jacket as he carefully places a now empty coffee pot by the shoe rack.

“So,” Kate calls from the couch. “How was your first time talking to the press?”

Clint’s answer is to lob a sheaf of paper across the room, where it lands perfectly on the coffee table next to her. “A copy of the article they’re running tomorrow. Page seven.”

Kate picks up the newspaper, scanning the first few opening lines before she tosses it away. “So you went down to the Bugle, pulled out your I used to be a very scary assassin act, and forced Jameson to write something nice about me.”

“I thought about it,” Clint admits. He makes his way over to the armchair opposite her, sinking into it with a relieved sigh. “But as tempting as it was, no.”

Kate frowns over the new article. “Then how—”

“Well, I started by pulling up the footage of you rescuing that cat from the burning building last week. And then I gave him the number of that couple whose bakery you stopped from being robbed on Tuesday. And then I called in a favour with a certain superhero in Hell’s Kitchen to remind Jameson just what a big deal it is that you took on Kingpin, alone, and won. Among other things. Why do you think I was gone all day?”

That block in Kate’s chest finally feels like it’s thawing. “So much for the press not mattering.”

Clint shrugs. “It doesn’t. And I can’t promise that you won’t have to get used to the constant jabs about why a non-powered human with a paleolithic weapon is running around with Avengers. And maybe those quips about being superfluous or whatever were true for me, but they are never going to be true for you.”

Kate’s lips twitch. “Well, you’re biased.”

“Yeah, that’s true.”

Kate fiddles with one of Lucky’s ears. “You’re not superfluous, Clint. If you hadn’t been at the Battle of New York, my mom and I would have died. A lot more people would have died.”

He offers her a smile “Well, lucky I was there then. No one else could possibly annoy me into wearing a costume.”

“If your branding was on point, maybe they wouldn’t be throwing around words like superfluous in the first place.”

“No, they still would.” Clint seems entirely unbothered by the idea. “That’s not what I care about. What I do care about is when they make my partner cry.”

Kate ducks her head. “I didn’t cry.”

“Uh-huh, sure.”

“It wasn’t just…” Kate pauses, clearing her throat. “All that stuff they said about me, that wasn’t fun. But I was actually more upset about what they said about my mom. Because maybe what they said about me is just opinion, or whatever, but what they said about her. It’s real.”

“I know,” Clint says softly. “But it’s not the whole truth. Like how she did it all to protect you.”

“Doesn’t make it right.”

“No, it doesn’t.” Clint clasps his hands together. “I know I’m meant to be flying back to the farm tonight, but I can stay.”

“I’m fine,” Kate says quickly. “Go back to your family. I pull you away from them enough.”

Clint considers her for a few more moments. “Or,” he offers. “You could come with me. The kids would love to see you.”

Kate pictures a weekend at the Barton farm, cooking with Laura, shooting a bow with Lila and Cooper, reading books to Nate. A little break to be around family for a while. “Do you get the Bugle delivered out there?”

“I can promise that we absolutely don’t.”

Kate sits up straight, making Lucky wag his tail at the potential for a walk or a snack. “Then a weekend at the farm sounds perfect.”

[kits-ships]

💕 with ur spiderman si ?? 😏

by GOD did i infodump. thank u sm for the ask!!

holly is my s/i that has gone thru the most atrocious experiences. not that the other's haven't experienced anything awful, but with holly they dont stop coming and they dont stop coming and they-

she has three major au's; one for the raimiverse, one for the mcu, and one for the spiderverse. you can typically tell the difference by their hair colors if i don't mention which one i've drawn! spv holly has a short, brown bob, rv holly has longer, dyed hair, and mcu holly is bleach blonde.

for all three versions, her "great responsibility" moment took place in psych ward and was originally in reference to her art, but it took a new meaning when holly failed to protect the nurse that she'd grown attached to. it felt like she'd lost so much at this point, so she was determined to change her destiny from that point on. that's what drove to become the night-web!

she managed to find herself living in nyc (greenwich) after her mentor passed and left her home to holly. the woman's son had already passed away prematurely and didn't have many other people to put in her will, so she decided to hand it off to the closest thing to a child she had left. of course holly graciously accepts the property- even if she hates the city environment- because who can afford a home in this economy??

however, it branches off a lot!!

before graduating, raimiverse holly finds herself working in the shadow of spider-man. she's not too much of a fan of this dork, but her college internship gives her an excuse to go to the city and fight crime, so she does her best to deal with him. of course peter is excited by the presence of someone just like him, so he's a little upset when she goes out of her way to avoid him.

she can't even escape him as she works under otto octavius, because he shows up anyways! holly is just trying to work on designing the man's arms and fusion reactor- not talk to some random guy that harry brought in. but, in the end, they grow a bit closer after otto passes away. after all, watching ur man boil in the manhattan river is a great bonding exercise. unfortunately for them, tho, this friendship is kind of shattered during spider-man 3. holly will NOT allow some nerd to bully her- especially with some emo bangs.

after college, mcu holly finds herself working alongside matt murdock to take down fisk. she learns of his identity one night after he was especially roughed up- doing her best to take care of him with the help of claire. she doesn't quite know how the woman knows him, but it's nothing, right? from then on, holly often finds herself taking heavier blows for matt as she knows her healing factor and resilience make her a tougher target to beat down.

unfortunately for her, though, things change when elektra enters the picture. suddenly, matt is avoiding her, he kissed his coworker, and he's hanging out with some murderous gal?? it breaks her heart knowing that she was putting so much effort into their relationship, so she has a bit of a meltdown once frank castle catches the two of them and gives them his little speech from the rooftop. holly decides frank has a point, matt is a prick, and so she swings off to do some thinking. but, in holly's saddened state, she bonds with a symbiote named malice and ends up doing a little bit of murder to try and grab matts attention. she ends up needing dr strange to exorcise it from her body and, after a bit of research, becomes penpals with eddie brock <3

i don't have much about spiderverse holly, but i love her. she's the most optimistic of the three and is also absolutely enamored by the younger spiders. like, she would probably break someones legs to protect them.

much like the others, holly ended up in miles' timeline and was found by peni. it was all very confusing to her- everyone was named peter or something parker- but she felt better when gwen stacy showed up. there isn't a peter parker in her universe, but she quickly begins to wish did after meeting spider-noir. i mean, the man likes to punch fascists?? sign her UP. but, besides that, i don't know much about her story. i do know that she confesses to noir right before returning to her universe and is thoroughly embarrassed by the others' reactions, but she's still happy she got a lil kiss <3

[vgrc-llc]

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[withinthe-mind]

UNI STUDENTS, LISTEN UP!

We know who you are based on your dorm room…

Whether you’re freshly starting university, or entering your last year, dorm life is a big part of the whole University experience! Despite how nerve-wracking it may be, being able to decorate your own room to your taste has to be the best part. But what if this blog could predict you, your social life and personality based on your room decorations? Let’s begin…. 

The Psychology of Belonging

Leaving home for some can be scary, a place that holds all your favourite possessions and so many memories. Some may choose to leave everything behind as a reminder of childhood, I know when moving to University I left my beloved trinkets at home! Some research such as Russell Belks study highlight the importance of our possessions related to curating our own identities. Evidence had suggested that our understanding of our own identities are quite fragile, yet surrounding ourself with items with significant meaning can help strengthen the sense of self. This means that items that may seem meaningless to bring to University, such as that one boy band poster or stack of CDs actually may help you carry on the identity your curated while a t home, ultimately aiding the transition into University life Identities are integral to our personal and social lives, they allow us to connect with others and often form relationships. 

In addition, identities are scaffolded through likes and dislikes, many we display through decorations. Researchers such as Duncan and Duncan 1947 correlated losing the items we hold close as an entire loss of self, as if we’re missing a piece of our extended self. For instance, losing a trinket holding a lot of memories e.g from a family holiday or a gift given by someone special can have negative impacts on our mental health mimicking the real feelings of loss. Consider this when deciding what to take, University is a new situation for many of us, so exaggerating the feelings of loss may make your experience less enjoyable.

The Personal Living Space Cue Inventory (PLSCI) was created by Gosling et al., to measure reoccurring themes in personal spaces such as dorm and bedrooms. Finding that those with many posters or photos were regarded as highly decorated supporting the ideas that a personal living space supports the idea of safety, continuity and self-representation and often are the hub for regulating social interactions. So again this may prove the idea that our identities are directly impacted by our surroundings, in this instance boosting social skills as peoples room decorations can be a point of interest and friendships may flurry from these interactions as well as again regulating our own self image.

Theories have been created from research such as the Interactionalist theory (Buss 1987 and Synder & Ickes 1985) that place important on social environments such as friendship groups to reinforce crafted physical areas that reflect who we are. 

Your personality is complex

Quickly, a Introduction to The Big 5 Personality!

Often considered the fundementals of personality in Psychology, people are measured on these scales to predict how they may think or act

Openness- curiosity and creativity

Conscientiousness- organised and dependable

Extroversion- seeking company of others

Agreeableness- trusting and affectionate

Neuroticism- disposition to stress

The Big 5 Personality Traits (D.W. Fiske 1949) are often used in psychology to explain life outcomes, our responses to social situations and generally who we are as a person and our dorm room décor may to influenced by these traits. 

These examples come from results in Goslings and Sei Jin Ko ‘A Room With a Cue’ study! 

If you strive to have a neat and clean room, perfectly organised and always presentable you’re more than likely high in Conscientiousness. This is due to the personalities strive for perfection and seeking a dependable external view of themselves.

Those who enjoy expressing their favourite interests such as books and CDs are shown to be high in Openness to Experience, being able to appreciate the small things and take enjoyment out of discovering more about themselves. 

For Neuroticism it is important to note that this trait is not inherently negative nor has a predisposition to anti-social behaviour as seen in Harrison Goughs study into this trait. In this context, Neuroticism may be seen to be unorganised or messy, yet is proven to be high in those with increased anxiety levels and may be suggested to take some time and redecorate your room. University is a stressful time and having a safe environment to return too after a long day of lectures is exactly what these people need.

So, how should you decorate your room?

The choices are endless, decorate however you wish too. Stigma may surround certain choices but that does not limit you to one design- whether you cover your walls in boy band posters or bring the bare essentials, the choice is yours. Make the most out of the new environment and have fun!

Check out these links for more on the studies and evidence suggested in the article:

References

(PDF) Possessions as the Extended Self. (n.d.). ResearchGate. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/24098554_Possessions_as_the_Extended_Self

APA PsycNet. (n.d.). Psycnet.apa.org. Retrieved December 7, 2023, from https://psycnet.apa.org/record/1955-04468-001

Gosling, S. D., Craik, K. H., Martin, N. R., & Pryor, M. R. (2005). The Personal Living Space Cue Inventory. Environment and Behavior, 37(5), 683–705. https://doi.org/10.1177/0013916504274011

Gosling, S. D., Ko, S. J., Mannarelli, T., & Morris, M. E. (2002). A room with a cue: Personality judgments based on offices and bedrooms. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 82(3), 379–398. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.82.3.379

Matthews, G., Deary, I., & Whiteman, M. (n.d.). The nature of personality traits -Personality Traits, Third Edition Introduction: conceptions of traits. http://static.booktopia.com.au/pdf/9780521716222-1.pdf

[impossible-rat-babies]

Fisk Lavellan aka the “world’s best Seneschal to Elvhen affairs of the Inquisition” and the most stereotypical chaotic good rogue.

Ze/zem/zir pronouns only!

[ceterisparibus116]

Daredevil scenes / plot points you would have done differently? (I get a suspicion a lot of them have to do with the law stuff, Frank Castle's trial especially. 😉 )

Aaaaa I love this question! Warning: VERY long response:

DEFINITELY the Frank Castle trial. Man, it could’ve been SO GOOD. I have a lot of issues with it, obviously, but the main one is that Matt treating Frank as a hostile witness could’ve been amazing (character-driven, emotionally-charged, also at times hilarious), and we were ROBBED.

 I also wish Matt could’ve been involved in more trial prep. The show makes it seem almost like Matt’s skill is limited to courtroom antics, but charisma and the ability to think on your feet in the courtroom mean next to nothing if you haven’t laid a foundation with good legal research and legal writing. I would’ve loved it if the legal plotlines showed us more of that. Like, you know Matt and Karen’s date night in S2 where she helps him come up with witness questions? I would’ve loved it if: a) they’d gotten, like, ANY part of that scene correct from a legal standpoint, and b) if we could’ve gotten MORE. I know that kind of thing might seem boring, but I don’t think it would be. You can really show off characters’ personalities in that kind of environment, and then the audience gets the reward of seeing that hard work pay off at trial.

 Speaking of, I know we’ve talked before about S3 splitting everyone up. I still think that could’ve maybe been worth it if we’d gotten a S4 where we could see how everyone learned from how disastrous the S3 isolation was, but without S4, everyone’s isolation in S3 is really unfortunate. I would’ve loved to see Nelson, Murdock, and Page working together for at least half of the season, instead of just the last 3-ish episodes. It would’ve been fascinating to watch, since Matt would still not be in a great headspace, and Karen would still be hurt, and Foggy would be just Trying To Deal with his idiot best friends. (But since we don’t have that, at least we have my S3 canon-divergent retelling thing: Take A Deep Breath – shameless plug.)

 I also would’ve generally kept the stakes lower in S2 and S3. I think you agree with me that both seasons would’ve been more powerful if we’d had more lower-level villains. But one of my favorite things about S1 is that we get to know the people who are at stake. Unlike in the Avengers where it’s just “the world” or “New York” or something, S1 showed us a little boy who wanted to go back to his dad, and Elena, and that one juror who was being exploited, and Melvin, and even a bad guy like Vladimir, and they’re ALL sympathetic. We really understand who Matt’s fighting for, but with the exception of Grotto, Jasper Evans, and Julie Barnes, I don’t feel like we really get that in S2 and S3.

 Related: our S2 ninjas needed a clearer motivation. (That goes for Defenders, too.) Imo, they needed personal stakes. Fisk’s mission to clean up Hell’s Kitchen was personal. Frank’s mission to take out bad guys was personal. Everything about Elektra was personal. Dex’s desperate attempt to find a place for himself and find people who care about him was VERY personal. But the Hand? Not personal at all.

 With Elektra…I’m torn. Part of me really wishes Matt could’ve told her no and maintained his boundaries all along, because a) I hate love-triangle-type drama and drama that could be resolved if people just stopped keeping secrets, and b) it would’ve been so refreshing to see the femme fatal trope subverted, and c) it would’ve given Elektra more agency. That being said…that might be veering too far away from comics canon. Matt is canonically a disaster with relationships, and he and Elektra have this whole…epic…magnetic…thing. I personally would argue that the show isn’t beholden to the canon in this specific way, but I can see how people would be upset if Matt and Elektra hadn’t turned out the way they did in S2.

 I would’ve liked Marci to have a smidge more character development. She was so sweet and supportive in S3and I don’t…quite…know where that came from? Oh, well.

 Speaking of character development: I wish Matt and Foggy could’ve had some real conversations. Aside from when Foggy found Matt at the gym in S1 and they talked about moving forward, I don’t feel like they had deep conversations that weren’t arguments. Matt’s S3 apology is good, but I would’ve loved to see Foggy apologize for how he contributed to the problems in their friendship. I also wish we could’ve seen Foggy explicitly thank Matt for, y’know…SAVING HIS LIFE.

 As for Karen, I wish her revelation scene to Matt had been more about HER. It says a lot about how selfless she is that she used her own pain to try to convince Matt not to kill Fisk. But even though I know Matt’s super depressed and everything, I would’ve loved to see him put his own angsty issues aside for a sec and just be there for his friend and the woman he loves. Even the fact that she is the one who crosses the room to be close to him is telling; he should’ve gone over to her when she started crying and been there for her.

 Although if I’m talking about Matt’s romantic relationships, I wouldn’t have minded if the show went a Clairedevil route. Although that would require A LOT. I do wish, if I’m being really fanciful, that we could’ve seen Claire in S3. Or, at minimum, seen Matt and Claire interact in Defenders.

 FATHER LANTOM TELLING MATT THAT GUILT IS A SIGN THAT HIS WORK IS NOT DONE. I cannot with that scene. I love Father Lantom, but that? Really? I mean, I get it. That’s a common way that Catholic doctrine is interpreted, and it’s what Matt basically wants to hear anyway, but it is SUCH a dangerous thing to tell Matt (and I feel like Father Lantom should’ve known that???) and it’s also, as I understand it, not even the technically correct Catholic interpretation of guilt. Like, that’s literally not what guilt is or how it’s supposed to work. (Although who knows. I’m not Catholic, and as I understand it, Catholics themselves vary a lot in their interpretations of doctrine. So idk.) If I were writing that scene, I would definitely not have written Father Lantom to say that.

 On the religious theme, I wish S3 had circled back to Matt’s original objections related to the book of Job. He gets quite a few things wrong in his recap, and I’m not sure if Maggie didn’t correct him because she didn’t know better, or because she didn’t think a Biblical literacy lecture was what he needed at the moment, OR because the writers couldn’t be bothered to read the book. (In fairness…it’s a long and complicated book. But they couldn’t have been bothered to read a commentary on it?) I wish S3 had not stopped at giving Matt an abstract tapestry analogy to heal his faith when it also should’ve addressed his specific complaints.

I wish we’d had more time to see Matt and Maggie repair their relationship, or start to. And I wish she’d hugged him at Literally Any Point.

I wish the whole Matt-hallucinating thing had been clearer. Was he actually hallucinating? Or was that just his internal monologue manifested through other characters? If he was hallucinating, did he just...stop? Is he not freaked out about that? What was going on????

Oh, and if only they could’ve gotten Dex’s psychological diagnosis right.

 Other than that, there are a couple scenes that I feel like drag on way too long (S3 especially has an odd amount of monologues that generally strike me as OOC anyway—except with Fisk; he’s just Like That) but I don’t want to go into all of them. It would be hypocritical, given how long this reply is. :P

 So yeah, I think I’ll stop there, although I’m sure there’s more, haha. Thank you again for the ask and the excuse to ramble about Daredevil! I look forward to your thoughts as well.

[aechlys]

GUYS SIGN THIS!!!! Gentrification and stupid motherfucking transplants have been quickly devouring not just East and North Nashville, which have been predominantly Black neighborhoods, but also ALL of our historic buildings throughout the city. Nashville IS its 1920s and 30s houses!!!! And this one is especially important for the incredibly significant Black family who lived here and who not just shaped the city and the South, but the country. Here is the text of the petition because there is just so much::

“Stop the scheduled demolition of the home of Henry Allen and Georgia Boyd and hold conversations with the community about the best uses for this important part of North Nashville's built environment.

Why is this important?

As concerned citizens of Nashville, historic preservationists, students of African American History, and individuals and families who have been directly impacted by the lives and careers of Henry Allen and Georgia Bradford Boyd, we ask that you stop the planned demolition of their home at 1601 Meharry Boulevard.

Since its construction in 1938, the home has stood as a symbol of one of the most powerful narratives in this city’s history, the ongoing struggle of African Americans to make the transition from enslaved persons to full-fledged citizens in Nashville. The two occupants of this home, Dr. Henry Allen and Georgia Bradford Boyd’s lives and careers impacted countless African Americans in this city, nation, and other groups around the world.

There was not a segment of Nashville’s African American community that was not touched by this couple. Dr. Boyd served as president of Citizen’s Bank in this city; served as of the National Baptist Publishing Board of the National Baptist Convention of America; was the publisher and president of Nashville’s African American newspaper, The Nashville Globe; and served as a director of Supreme Liberty Life Insurance Company. Dr. Boyd was also executive secretary of the Nashville Colored YMCA as well as secretary of the National Sunday School Congress of the National Baptist Convention of America.

Last, Dr. Boyd was a Fisk Trustee and part of the group of influential black men who convinced the Tennessee General Assembly to bring Tennessee State University to Nashville.

Georgia Boyd was a part of Nashville’s vibrant Colored Women’s Club Movement and for more than half a century, she dedicated her life to improving living conditions for African American women and by extension all African Americans in the Music City. Her membership in and work alongside organizations such as the Tennessee State Federation of Colored Women’s Clubs, Day Home Club, Phyllis Wheatley Club, and the National Association of Colored Women Clubs places her among the most active warriors in the struggle for gender and racial equality in this city.

Every brick, block, shingle, and beam that continues to hold up this house is a testament to their lives and stands as a monument to the triumphs, joys, and sorrows that define the African American experience in Nashville. This home is a sacred part of North Nashville’s built environment and should not be demolished.”

Please help us save this vital piece of our city’s history. I honestly cannot describe to you in accurate words how much my hometown has changed in just seven years because of all the bullshit highrises, and the running ironic joke is we genuinely have no idea what any of these people are even doing for a living to move here. But the cost has been massive. These shitty construction projects are constantly destroying our historic buildings to replace them indiscriminantly by the armfulls— just for whatever new building to be knocked over instantly by the first strong storm. It’s such a waste and the city’s doing nothing. I could ramble on forever in distraught desperation but with this building, we have at least SOME CHANCE here of not just saving it, but also saving a truly vibrant piece of Black history in the city of Nashville. I hope. I pray. So please sign, and share. Thank you.

[blackkudos]

Jesse Russell

Jesse Eugene Russell (born April 26, 1948) is an African American inventor. Trained as an electrical engineer at Tennessee State University and Stanford University, and working in the field of wireless communication for over 20 years, Russell has helped to shape the wireless communications industry direction through his leadership and perspectives for standards, technologies as well as new wireless service concepts.

He holds patents and continues to invent and innovate in the emerging area of next generation broadband wireless networks, technologies and services, which is frequently referred to as 4G. Russell was inducted into the United States' National Academy of Engineering during the Clinton Administration for his innovative contribution to the field of Wireless Communication. He pioneered the field of digital cellular communication in the 1980s through the use of high power linear amplification and low bit rate voice encoding technologies and received a patent in 1992 (US patent #5,084,869) for his work in the area of digital cellular base station design.

Russell is currently Chairman and CEO of incNETWORKS, Inc. a New Jersey-based Broadband Wireless Communications Company focused on 4th Generation (4G) Broadband Wireless Communications Technologies, Networks and Services.

Early life and education

Jesse Eugene Russell was born April 26, 1948, in Nashville, Tennessee in the United States of America into a large African-American family with eight brothers and two sisters. He is the son of Charles Albert Russell and Mary Louise Russell. His early childhood was spent in economically and socially deprived neighborhoods within the inner-city of Nashville. During his early years, he focused on athletics and not academics. A key turning point in Russell's life was the opportunity to attend a summer educational program at Fisk University in Nashville, Tennessee. Russell participated in this educational opportunity and began his academic and intellectual pursuits. Russell continued his education at Tennessee State University where he focused on electrical engineering. A Bachelor of Science Degree (BSEE) in Electrical Engineering was conferred in 1972 from Tennessee State University. As a top honor student in the School of Engineering, Russell became the first African American to be hired directly from a Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) by AT&T Bell Laboratories and subsequently became the first African-American in the United States to be selected as the Eta Kappa Nu Outstanding Young Electrical Engineer of the Year in 1980. Russell continued his academic pursuits and obtained his Master of Electrical Engineering (MSEE) degree from Stanford University in Palo Alto, California, in 1973.

Innovations and patents

Russell's innovations in wireless communication systems, architectures and technology related to radio access networks, end user devices and in-building wireless communication systems have fundamentally changed the wireless communication industry. Known for his patented invention of the digital cellular base station, that enabled new digital services for cellular mobile users, Russell continues to innovate in the emerging next generation broadband wireless communication technologies, products, networks, and services as well as "Mobile Cloud Computing" which are shaping the forefront of the 4G Communication Industry.

Over 100 patents granted or in process, thirty years of experience in Research and Development at prominent institutions and pioneering technologies such as the invention of the first digital cellular base station and fiber optic microcell utilizing high power linear amplifier technology and digital modulation techniques, which allowed the beginning of the digital cellular evolution, digital cellular standards, personal communications networks as well as the emergence of "Mobile Cloud Computing" within 4G broadband wireless networks are only some of the accomplishments that have forged new directions for the wireless communication industry. Listed below are significant patents.

Professional accomplishments

Russell joined Bell Labs as a Member of the Technical Staff. He was one of the first designers to embrace the use of microprocessor in the design of equipment for use in the telecommunication network for monitoring and tracking calling patterns within the Bell System Network. The system was referred to as the traffic data collection systems, which using a microprocessor-based portable data terminals for interfacing to electro-mechanical switching systems.

Russell served in the following positions; Director of the AT&T Cellular Telecommunication Laboratory (Bell Labs), Vice President of Advanced Wireless Technology Laboratory (Bell Labs), Chief Technical Officer for the Network Wireless Systems Business Unit (Bell Labs), Chief Wireless Architect of AT&T, and Vice President of Advanced Communications Technologies for AT&T Laboratories (formerly a part of Bell Labs).

As the Director of the AT&T Cellular Telecommunication Laboratory (Bell Labs), this Bell Labs Group formally managed by Russell is credited with the invention of cellular radio technology and received the United States' Medal of Technology for the invention.

Russell continued to develop his expertise as he established and led an Innovation Center focused on Applied Research in Advanced Communication Technologies that enabling AT&T to extend its existing portfolio of services and expand into new businesses and markets. As a key decision maker in the selection and development of emerging communications technologies, Russell's efforts lead to the rapid realization of new access network platforms that enable AT&T to expand its broadband communication network options (i.e., Specialization: Cable Access Networks, DSL Access Networks, Power-line Carrier Access Networks, Fixed Wireless Access Networks, Satellite Access Networks and Broadband Wireless Communications Networks). The applications of these access technologies were one of the keys in expanding AT&T's interest in re-building it local access services business.

Acknowledgements

Elected as IEC Fellow for contributions in the development of Broadband Communications Access Technologies into the International Engineering Consortium (IEC), 1999.

Inductee into the National Academy of Engineering (NAE) for the development of and contributions to digital cellular communications, 1995.

Elected to IEEE Fellow grade for technical leadership in the development of digital wireless communication concepts, technology, systems and standards, 1994.

US Black Engineer of the Year for best Technical Contributions in Digital Cellular and Microcellular Technology, 1992, US Black Engineer Magazine.

America's New Leadership Class Award 1985, Esquire Magazine.

Outstanding Service Award 1983, Eta Kappa Nu.

Outstanding Scientist Award 1982, National Society of Black Engineers.

Eta Kappa Nu Outstanding Young Electrical Engineer of the Year, 1980.

Scientist of the Year Award 1980, National Technical Associations Inc.

Professional memberships and affiliations

Board of Directors Advisor, Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA)

Board of Governors, IEEE Vehicular Technology Society

Chairman of the Board, Electromagnetic Energy Association (EEA, Third term)

Chairman, Mobile & Personal Communications Division of TIA

Chairman, Telecommunication Industry Association (TIA) -Wireless Communication Standards Organization

Fellow member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc (IEEE)

Fellow member of the International Engineering Consortium (IEC)

Inducted Member of the National Academy of Engineering

Member of the Technological Advisory Council (TAC), U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC)

Member of Eta Kappa Nu Honor Society

Member of International Regulatory and Standards Committee on Third Generation Wireless Communications Systems

Member of the Congressional Subcommittee on Technology Member, National Academy of Engineering (NAE), Electronic Engineering Section and Computer Science & Engineering Section

Member of the Information & Technology Council of the American Management Association

Member of the National Academy of Engineering

Member Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society

Member Tau Beta Pi Honor Society

Past Chairman, Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) Cellular Radio and Common Carrier Section (1987–1992)

Technical Program Chairman, 38th IEEE Vehicular Technology Conference, Philadelphia

Technical Program Chairman, 43rd IEEE Vehicular Technology Conference, Secaucus

Testified before Judge Green on Bell System Divesture

Publications

"Universal Personal Communications: Emergence of a Paradigm Shift in the Communications Industry", International Journal of Wireless information Networks, Vol. 1, No. 3, 1994.This paper examines a major paradigm shift in the communications industry across four dimensions, analyzes the factors influencing the shift, articulates a vision of universal personal communications under the new paradigm and presents several service environment and transmission hierarchy models supporting the vision.

"The US Evolution towards Personal Communications in the '90s" (with A. T. Kripalani), Proc. Pan European Digital Cellular Radio Conference, Rome, Italy, 1990.This paper proposes and describes a set of strategic technology platforms to assist the migration of the existing US cellular network to an all digital personal communications network.

"AT&T Next Generation Digital Cellular Base Station Technology" (with R. W. Henn and R. S. Kerby), Proc. International Switching Symposium, Stockholm, Sweden, 1990.This paper describes the first all digital cellular base station system utilizing linear radio technology to support multiple radio air interface methods such as FDMA, TDMA and CDMA in a single system.

"Design of Mobile Satellite System Architecture as an Integral Part of the Cellular Access Digital Network" (with E. S. K. Chien and J. A. Marinho), Proc. the Mobile Satellite Conference, Pasadena, 1988.This paper provides an overview of the interoperability aspects between digital cellular access networks and mobile satellite systems.

"Emerging Cellular Access Digital Network" (with E. S. K. Chien and D. J. Goodman), Proc. World Telecommunication Forum, Americas Telecom, '88, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 1988.This paper describes the characteristics of an all digital cellular access network that supports integrated voice and data services (cellular ISDN). It is an expansion of the concepts put forth in publication 11 below.

"Evolution Toward Digital Cellular Network in the U.S." (with E. S. K. Chien), Proc. 1988 Pan European Cellular Radio Conference, Amsterdam, Netherlands, 1988.This paper provides a vision for the migration of the existing US cellular network towards an all digital wireless access network.

"A Systems Approach to Indoor Wireless Communication" (with E. S. K. Chien and D. J. Goodman), Proc. GLOBECOM '87, Tokyo, Japan, 1987.This paper describes an approach to in-building wireless communication and examines the interoperability with cellular mobile communication.

"Cellular Access Digital Network (CADN) Wireless Access to Networks of the Future" (with E. S. K. Chien and D. J. Goodman), IEEE Communications Magazine, June 1987.This paper describes a scenario for the evolution of a digital cellular access network towards providing personalized wireless voice and data communication services.

"Network Foundation for Providing Personal Communications", Proc. Digital Mobile Workshop on Personal Communications, Melbourne, Australia, 1987.This paper puts forth some original concepts, such as personal telephone numbers, logical network addressing and universal wireless access service protocols related to personal communications.

"Cellular ISDN: New Interface for Wireless Access" (with E. S. K. Chien), Proc. International Conference on Communication Technology, Nanjing, China, 1987.This paper describes the benefits of mobile communications as an effective means to modernize the telecommunications infrastructure for China.

"Cellular Access Digital Network" (with E. S. K. Chien), Proc. International Telecommunications Symposium, Taipei, Taiwan, 1987.This paper describes cellular integrated voice and data services access network (cellular ISDN) as a complement to the wire line ISDN.

"Extension of ISDN Capability to Cellular Wireless Access" (with E. S. K. Chien and D. J. Goodman), Proc. Second Nordic Seminar on Digital Land Mobile Radio Communications, Stockholm, Sweden, 1986.This paper describes the original concept of an integrated voice and data services cellular access network (cellular ISDN) and establishes the important role of intelligent network in the cellular context.

Major addresses

Keynote Speaker, Excellence Through Education and Achievement 2008, Missouri Legislative Black Conference Foundation, St. Louis, Missouri

"Migration to Broadband IP Based Wireless and Wired Networks-May 2006" Wireless and Optical Communications Conference (WOCC) Mr. Jesse E. Russell, VP, Advanced Communications Technologies, AT&T Labs

SuperComm99-Chairman., SuperComm99 Plenary Session, Atlanta, GA – 1999. Where is the Network Headed? Panelist on the Convergence of Global Voice and Data Networks, Wired & Wireless Networks, and Global Wireless IP Networking.

Keynote Address, Rural Telecommunications Association, Arizona/Mexico Telecommunications Conference – 1995. This address introduced the vision of wireless communications as a key to the revitalization of local access within the US and its use to provide connectivity from rural communities to the national information Infrastructure.

Keynote Address, National Communications Forum – 1995. Expanded on the evolutionary trends in wireless communications and presented a visionary projection of them in reshaping the local access aspects of future telecommunications in the US.

Keynote Address, European Commission, Spain – 1995. Discussing the emergence of breakthrough communications technologies such as digital radio processing, power-line communications, satellite communications and free space optics and projecting their impact in revitalizing the global telecommunications industry through the expansion of markets and services.

[wwwps4]

Spider-Man

Marvel's Spider-Man from Insomniac Games is one of the most anticipated games of 2018, but did the developers manage to create the best project in the history of video games about this defender of new York and, most importantly, meet the expectations of players? Let's take it all in order. It is worth noting that the author of the review played on an ordinary PlayStation 4 (Slim), so the screenshots are made on it, and the impressions are based on this version. The article was written after receiving the platinum prize, which means that the opinion will be weighted as much as possible.

Marvel's Spider-Man, an action-adventure game developed exclusively for the PlayStation 4, was first unveiled on June 13, 2016 at E3 electronic entertainment. And now, after a little more than two years, we can enjoy it on our own.

You don't need wings to fly

The game greets newcomers with a smooth transition from the opening cut scene to the gameplay, resulting in you being in the air while flying on a web. After learning which button is responsible for throwing the web in the direction of buildings (R2), there is an instant habituation to this method of movement. It seems that you have not just launched the game, but are a veteran of it. Swinging on the web works exactly as it should in terms of convenience and realism. At this time, the character moves in an arc and maintains inertia, so you can slow down the flight or, conversely, increase its speed by using a jump at different times. If you constantly hold R2, Spider-Man will automatically release a new web and move forward. Similarly, it is easy and fast to change the direction of movement: when you press the jump button during a free fall, the main character will perform a jerk on the web, which will allow you to accelerate in the right direction. As previously stated, the web clings strictly to real objects, not to air, unlike many previous Spider games. Therefore, in places with low buildings, you will have to go down, and in Central Park you will have to cling to trees, being on the verge of hitting your heels on the ground. By the way, in order not to wait for the protagonist to fall to the height where it will again be possible to use the web, you can accelerate in the fall by clicking on the left stick.

The movement system is designed so that the dynamics of movement around the city is maintained at the same pace. Thus, if the character runs into a skyscraper, then when holding R2, it will continue to move along it in the selected direction without stopping. While running on a horizontal surface, the same button will allow you to overcome obstacles using parkour without additional manipulations. Jerks on the web, among other things, while running vertically will help to reach the roof as quickly as possible, and immediately after push off from it, continuing the path. Some of these techniques can be opened as you level up spider-Man, acquiring the appropriate skills.

The project is completely translated into the great and mighty, and in General, the Russian voice acting is not so bad, but in some places its quality is greatly reduced. But the fact that it will not be changed separately from the subtitles will probably shock some players. The only option left is to change the console language, but the whole game will be in English.

No longer a novice

Insomniac Games Studio decided to focus on an experienced superhero, who has more than one year of practice, but the plot of the game is independent. Of course, you will meet familiar characters here, but the story will develop in a new way. However, on August 21 of this year, the official prequel of this game was released in the form of a novel authored by American writer David Liss, which was subtitled Spider-Man: Hostile Takeover. Unfortunately, at the moment the book is only available in the original, in English. It tells the story of Wilson Fisk's return to new York, where he appears as a philanthropist to the public. Peter Parker knows very well the true face of Kingpin, so he will have to bring it to light. But not everything is so simple, because at the same time in the city there is a double of Spider-Man under the pseudonym Blood Spider, with a similar costume and abilities, which substitutes the hero, committing crimes. The game's plot begins at the very moment when the book ends.

Avoiding disclosure of details of the plot, so as not to spoil the impression of the readers of the article, I will only Express my opinion about it after full passage. The scenario is generally good, but, unfortunately, quite predictable and not surprising. But the animation of the characters and the environment is very lively, and the setting of plot tasks is performed at the highest level. Because of this, it is quite interesting to take a direct part in the development of history. However, the boss battles were somewhat disappointing. They look spectacular, but feel too scripted and ordinary, unlike the rest of the game. It is clear that the project puts a lot of emphasis on cinematography, but it would be possible to implement them more rich in gameplay terms. Sometimes you have to fight several strong mutants at the same time, which looks pretty cool, but again, the gameplay seems to be in the background. It is not surprising that the health scale is displayed only for the protagonist, even during a boss battle.

Peter Parker and his alter ego Spider-Man is not the only playable character in Marvel's Spider-Man. In the story, you will also have to take control of a couple of other actors, which radically changes the gameplay and makes the game more diverse. As a rule, in scenes with them, you need to act covertly. It should be emphasized that the control between the characters is also transferred during the same episode to, say, help your friend. This is not new in video games, but nevertheless, this solution is quite interesting. During the game, not so often, but there are QTE, and the transition from cut scenes to the gameplay is performed imperceptibly.

During tasks and in the lab at Peter Parker's place of work, there are two types of puzzles. In the first, it is necessary to make an electric chain of components, where the voltage often has to be taken into account. The latter are aimed at recognizing an unknown substance by the absorption spectrum. In them, you need to take fragments of an unknown substance and try to combine its absorption lines with the template.

The storm of the underworld

Battles in Marvel's Spider-Man are one of the most important components of the gameplay. When creating the combat system, the developers were probably inspired by the Batman: Arkham series, since they have obvious similarities. However, unlike Batman, Spider-Man uses more acrobatic techniques, relying on his enviable dexterity. However, he often uses a web and lifts opponents into the air, continuing the battle there. What is important, fights look like a continuous dance, in which one movement smoothly flows into another.

You can instantly eliminate enemies when they don't see you, or when you accumulate a concentration scale, use the suit function, or use the Spider's cunning devices, which will be described in more detail later. Several types of knockouts are used for undetected elimination. To perform a silent knockout, you need to sneak up on the enemy from behind. For a web strike, you must be above the target. In addition, you can discreetly eliminate an opponent by wrapping it in a cocoon and hanging it, for example, on the edge of a roof or on a street lighting pole.

[murderwasthecase]

Showcasing Marvel’s Daredevil - The Crown Jewel of MCU

Quick rant about the situation

So this shit just happened and of course I wanted to say something. Daredevil has been CANCELLED by Netflix. Honestly, if you follow this kinda stuff, I think you all saw it coming after they did the same thing to Iron Fist and Luke Cage, but this shit hurts because the show’s third season which was, in my opinion, maybe the best one yet still hasn’t cooled off, people are still talking about it, it received many praise from critics and audiences alike, and it just came off as a really cold thing to cancel the show now especially if you’re a fan of the series.

There are already millions of videos and essays on what this kind of Thanos-snapping his fingers action that Netflix just did with Marvel’s heroes could mean and I will not talk about them in this particular piece. Instead, I’m gonna pay a tribute to the show by going through some of my favorite moments of the three seasons that we got. We definitely deserved a few more and as of now it could theoretically happen on some other network, but the Netflix era of Daredevil is over and during that time, it made it the best superhero tv show that was ever created and probably the best thing to ever come out of MCU alongside Infinity War. And now you’ll see why. By the way, the idea is to showcase the genius of the series through some of its best scenes so if you haven’t seen it, you are warned.

Writer’s room of Daredevil has blessed the MCU with some of its richest characters. Their actions are well-thought, striking and every one of them has some kind of dilemma going on in their heads which makes them more human and more interesting for the viewer. They have personal demons and individual values which are fleshed out to the maximum. That characteristic just brings those fictional people closer to the audience, resonating with their own lives. While MCU’s movie characters are more concerned with battling aliens and saving the planet, ones in Daredevil fight the battles of the ordinary people. 

The drama in Daredevil is mainly based around the clashes of polar opposites in the lives of its main characters. The best example of this is, of course, Matthew (brilliant Charlie Cox), whose ever-lasting moral fight with his Catholic faith and God is one of the running themes of the show. The crescendo of it comes in the series’ third season when Matt, much more pessimistic than before, considers taking another man’s life which he earlier swore never to do, running away from the fundamental principles of his religion which earlier guided him through his vigilante mission.

While the aforementioned third season takes that battle inside the mind of Matt Murdock, in the previous one, we can see that fight literally taking place with another person. Enter Frank Castle, aka The Punisher, played by the amazing badass that is Jon Bernthal, who does the same thing as Daredevil, except he TAKES lives because of his beliefs. Psychological clash between these two broken men takes it’s heights in the third episode of the show’s second season, where Daredevil confronts Frank Castle and tries to reason with him, eventually planting the seeds for clash in his own head a season after that.

That is exceptional writing and phenomenal acting right there. Even though I think the second season of Daredevil is the least good one from all of them because of the tiring ninja subplot, the Punisher arc is one of the strongest things that happened in these series. That’s another polar opposite for you.

Dialogues like that are one fantastic way to flesh out characters and their essence, to show us who they are and what goes on in their heads. Daredevil isn’t overcrowded with quips and sarcastic insults like the movies are, the time it’s not wasted on melodramatic, soap-opera style love triangles which occur in the CW shows. Compared to them and even to other Netflix superhero TV series, Daredevil brings a deeper meaning to its characters by including philosophical arguments that connect us to their dilemmas, layering the story in the process. For instance, take a look at this scene (can’t embed it because of Tumblr) from season 1, when father Lantom tries to answer Matthew’s question about the existence of Devil.

Have you heard the last question in that clip? This scene not only brings a thought-provoking anecdote to the table - it’s much more than that. It serves as a great MOTIVATION for the main character to link the speech to his real-life situation, to try and stop the evil, even if its power seems impossible. This is superhero mythology at its finest.

And it works for antiheroes as well. Like the situation from season two, where Punisher refuses to deny his radical beliefs, taking a piss on the whole judicial system in the process, packed with another great Jon Bernthal performance.

Talking about great acting, it would be a sin not to showcase the ability of Vincent D’Onofrio who gives a role of his career as the main villain Wilson Fisk, the pinnacle of excellent writing on this show.

His portrayal of this crime lord is so menacing. D’Onofrio plays Fisk who with his posture and gestures reminds you more of a shy child than a criminal mastermind, but he’s at the same time almost harrowingly dominant and explosive.  This makes for an extremely unpredictable villian who is layered, complex and whose character development is, as a result, ever-lasting. Just watch as he transforms the scene by delivering this great analogy about the good samaritan.

To all you aspiring writers, actors and directors who want to work in the superhero medium - take notes.

When talking about Daredevil I obviously have to talk about action scenes. I would argue that Marvel’s Daredevil is probably the best action series of all time considering how it balances good writing and exhilarating fighting sequences, but I’ll let someone more experienced to prove that hypothesis.

The action in Daredevil has reached almost a mythical point by now, with fans making memes about their duration and ridiculously coordinated and well-executed stuntwork and camera work. Hallway fights have become a norm on the show and there are lots of good YouTube videos that analyse them so I won’t get in detail here and dissect them even though that would be fun - I will rather point out the one geeky detail about them which is key to why the most talked about action scenes in Daredevil are so good.

You know what was my all-time favorite action scene on tv for a long time? Let’s take you back to the first season of True Detective, precisely, to the end of fourth episode, when Rust Cohle infiltrates this biker gang and goes on a mission to the hood with them - just to blow his cover and capture their leader. This is one of the best scenes I’ve ever seen in tv series, ever. Director Cary Fukunaga decided to film this as a TRACKING SHOT.

By placing the camera directly behind Matthew McConaughey’s back he placed US in the perspective, almost creating a 3D, video-game like environment in which we get close to the situation as much as possible. Doing this, he creates tension, the feel of urgency and danger which resonates with audience and makes everything more interesting. That raid scene was six minutes long without visible cuts or edits. Fukunaga used a long take which made episode end on the high note. In my opinion, this is how grounded action should be made. It has to communicate with viewer, it enhances the atmosphere.

When I saw something similar in the hallway fight in Daredevil’s first season, I was hyped. It wasn’t exactly that as we watched everything from the hall, not from “behind Matt’s back” perspective, but it reminded me vividly of Fukunaga’s take. And in the second season, when they filmed the Staircase scene, they used that exact method which they pushed it to the limits in the prison sequence in the third season which is as of right now definitely my favorite action scene in any tv series, of all time, period. And another thing which is mind-boggling is how they make it longer every season. Hallway fight from the first season was three minutes long, Staircase was five minutes, while Prison was around eight. All in single take. By that, you can see how the cast and crew tried harder and harder every season, pushing the boundaries of not only superhero genre, but the tv series making in general. Do you know how hard it is to film something like those scenes? You can look it up online, it’s an extremely difficult work.

DAREDEVIL has created a perfect mixture of drama and superhero crime story, presenting us a gritty world of crime-ridden New York. Of course, as everything, it has a few problems here and there, but it’s by far the most mature thing to come out of MCU. I don’t know who’s really responsible for the cancellation, is it Disney or Netflix or both of them, but I hope they’ll realize what stupid move they’ve made and let the cast and crew continue their magic. Because if not, our dear MCU has just lost one of its crown jewels.

[ilikethequiet]

Fic: Sharing is Caring (Drakgo)

Morning fam! Another fic cuz my head is filled with these two (Can’t stop, won’t stop wooo) So here is my take on there only being one bed in the lab, I might write a second part to this one cuz fun times. Feedback is as always appreciated 😘

Summary: For reals, why was there only one bed?

"What are you doing?"

Dr. Drakken pulled off his boots. "It's been a long day Shego, what with the escape and everything, I think a good night's sleep is in order, one where I am not abruptly woken up at five in the morning for daily exercise. They made us run around in the snow, Shego." That was it's own special kind of punishment.

"Yeah okay but that is my bed, you can't sleep in my bed." Where was she supposed to sleep? The Throne? "Sleep on the floor."

"Why isn't there another bed?" Drakken asked curiously, had he not been expected? She hadn't just bailed him out on the fly, it had been a planned effort.

Shego sighed heavily, she wasn't going to mention this but he had forced her hand. "The truth is, we're broke. After you went to prison they froze all your assets; I stopped getting paid, nada, zero, zilch. What you see here is what I managed to get with the money I earned working for Fiske and Killigan and Senor Senior Sr." And boy were those jobs a grind. "So I'm sorry there is no bed for you; my name is on the lease, my bed."

Drakken frowned, he didn't realize she had been having such a hard time of it; He smiled inwardly, she could have left him there to rot and yet she had freed him from prison and set up this lair so he could continue his efforts to both rid himself of Kim Possible and achieve total world domination, no mere henchman would do that. He nodded and glanced at the floor, it hardly looked comfortable; his bed in prison would have been better than the floor. "What if we share?"

Shego gave a good hearty laugh but stopped abruptly when she realized he wasn’t doing the same. "Oh, you're being serious? We are not sharing!" It was only a single bed, he would be all up in her space, she couldn't have that.

"Just for one night Shego, please? I need this." The environment he had come from had been cold and sterile, a soft warm bed would help bring him back to his full potential.

Shego rolled her eyes. "Ugh, alright. One night then tomorrow it's the floor for you. Move over."

"Excuse me?" Drakken blinked, he felt like he had missed something.

"Well, I ain't sleeping down there." She shucked off her own boots and got into bed beside him, as she had guessed because of his size it made getting comfortable on the small bed a chore.  After much squirming Shego managed to find a comfortable spot with her back to her boss if she couldn't see him, maybe she would forget he was there.

Drakken, however, was finding it much harder to forget as his comfortable spot was almost spooning Shego. She was so close, he had the urge to wrap his arms around her like a teddy bear but he valued his life too much to try.

Shego's breathing slowed and she was almost asleep when she heard Drakken's voice say something in a low register that made her very aware of his presence and how close his lips were to her ear. "Thank you for coming to get me."

That was a first, Shego never recalled Drakken actually thanking her before. She was glad that she had her back to him otherwise he would have seen how flushed that simple statement had made her. She sucked her lips and tried her best to sound annoyed. "Go to sleep, Drew."

[vgrc-llc]

Soft Washing: The Beauty Salon for Spokane's Homes with The Roof Ninja & Kc from VGRC

👋 Hello, Spokane County! The Roof Ninja, aka Fisk, here! 🌟 Along with Kc 👷‍♀️, we're excited to bring you the ultimate beauty treatment for your home: Soft Washing! 🏡✨ 

At Veracity Gutter And Roof Cleaning, LLC (VGRC, LLC), we believe every home deserves to shine like a star. 🌟

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Stay tuned for more tips, fun facts, and great services from The Roof Ninja, aka Fisk, and Kc 👷‍♀️! Let's keep Spokane shining bright! 🌟

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[theoneyouseecoming]

Moon Knight #8: “Scarlet”-Review

With Marc Spector in jail, Dr. Badr, aka Hunter’s Moon,takes the spotlight in the strongest issue to date of Jed MacKay’s run on Moon Knight.

With Mayor Wilson Fisk cracking down on the role of vigilantes in New York City, Marc Spector sits in jail leaving the Midnight Mission under the temporary management of Dr. Badr, also known as the other Fist of Khsonshu Hunter’s Moon. Badr’s tenure as “Dr. Moon” doesn’t last long though before things get complicated. A former associate of Moon Knight appears to have reappeared leaving a trail of death with her. Stained Glass Scarlet has returned.

Of the many inspired choices in Jed MacKay’s take on Moon Knight, the introduction of Hunter’s Moon may be the most striking and likely most permanent. While he originally began as a rival and occasional enemy to Marc Spector, functioning as a zealot supporter of Khonshu rather than Marc’s lapsed faith, MacKay has smartly transformed Badr into something more complex and nuanced. He’s most definitely doesn’t see eye to eye with Marc Spector, but their goals do align and he even has demonstrated the ability to grow and change as his faith is challenged. Rather than abandon his religion, Badr focuses the world through it, allowing it to bend with new information rather than fracture under it. If the conclusion to “Zodiac” functioned as an extended lore dump on this new addition to the Moon Knight supporting cast, “Scarlet” sits as a welcome character study that is steeped in Moon Knight lore and mythology.

As always, the continued fidelity to Moon Knight’s complicated narrative history is appreciated. Detective Flint reappears and brings with him news of the supposed return of long absent anti-hero Stained Glass Scarlet. Given her persistent role in Moon Knight’s universe prior to the new millennium, it’s honestly a surprise that it has taken this long for a writer to return to her character. What MacKay does with her here is inspired though, not only reincorporating a key figure in Marc’s past to the current narrative but also creating something new that plays out as an inventive challenge to Dr. Badr in particular. What results is a battle over the concepts of faith, godhood, and storytelling and their intersections. It’s heady stuff but filled with the bone crunching action that Moon Knight stories seem to demand.

The confrontation between Hunter’s Moon and Scarlet is a visual standout and easily the best work that Alessandro Cappuccio has done on this comic so far. Cappuccio’s character designs continue to thrill and for a series that plays as heavily with concepts of faith, mental health, and the supernatural, it’s nice to see how he complicates reality itself with his settings and environments. Not since Declan Shalvey has the visual language of a Moon Knight comic been so inventive and it’s impressive to see Cappuccio’s creative work extend with each passing issue.

Fans looking for a tie-in to Devil’s Reign, the actually rather good crossover event spinning out of Chip Zdarsky’s Daredevil series, may find themselves disappointed as the ongoing struggle with Wilson Fisk is only given the slightest of lip service here. But this is a welcome move on the part of MacKay. He finds a nice middle ground. Spinning a narrative that doesn’t feel like it fully interrupts the ongoing story he’s been telling in this series while still acknowledging that Moon Knight is serving time in a state prison at this moment. It nods towards a larger universe without feeling beholden to it.

This issue ends with a tease that is a bit of a headscratcher, hinting to a connection to one of Jed MacKay’s former comics that probably hit harder in his head than it does on page. All the same, it does little to undermine what is easily the best issue of this book to date.

Score: A

[sillytails-blog]

Marvel’s Spider-man Ps4

You swing me right round baby

This will be my longest review yet broken up into three sections. Spider-man sections, MJ, miles, and peter sections. and the open world exploration sections. Sorry in advance for how long this review will be!

Jumping into Marvel’s Spider-man my expectations could not have been higher. I wanted this game with every fiber of my being. Let me tell you boy oh boy did it live up to and far exceed my expectations. Taking control of a seasoned 24 year old spider man is a pure joy. No rehashing of a backstory, no uncle Ben death scene, no learning your powers. You start this game having fought and beaten most of all your iconic enemies and having formed many alliances already. Most all of your enemies are in the Raft prison and a few haven't even been realized yet such as Doc Oc and Green Goblin. You are still a poor man trying to scrape by and eek out a living, all the while saving New York from constant threats. Aunt may is in charge of the F.E.A.S.T organization which feeds and shelters the homeless around New York. You volunteer your spare time with her there and work for Dr Otto Octavius trying to find a way to help people with crippling disabilities.

Open world sections

This game has a bevy of side quests and objectives to tackle. Ranging from the repetitive to the ultra unique. At first you will only have access to finding backpacks hidden around the city, filled with objects from your past with brief little snippets of amazing dialogue attached to them. Finding radio towers to open up the map is the other activity you have from the get go. As the story progresses you will tend to research stations for Harry Osborn that will see you collection smog samples out of the air, curing fish in the ocean, busting open pipes with to much pressure. There are various bases to take on much in vain of Batman Arkham challenge rooms. Waves and waves of enemies will come at you and there is countless ways to dispatch of them. Random car chases, and criminal beat em ups are littered around the city. Unique side quests such as capturing pigeons, or bringing down the notorious gang leader Tombstone are a rare treat. The hardest challenges by a mile are the Taskmaster challenges and they made me insanely mad at times. You are expected to chase a drone in the air and hit his air waves, disarm three bombs in time, stealthily take down a number of guards. All these are on a heavy time constraint and seemed unfair each and every time. I did them but man was i raging when i was.

New York city itself is absolutely stunning. This could be called the best character in the game. From the top of real locations such as the empire state building, to the peak of fictional sections such as the avengers tower. Literally around every single corner there was something to marvel (ha get it) at. Swinging thru the concrete jungle was my favorite part of the game bar none. I could get lost hopping from roof top to roof top and taking in the sights for hours. The landmarks scattered around the city were numerous and wonderful.

Spider-man sections (story)

The game starts off very light hearted as you fill spider-mans tights for the first time. Wilson Fisk is your first target and you bring him down spectacularly. As you lock him up and send him off to the raft he warns that with him behind bars the city will turn to chaos and disorder. Does it ever. A brief fight with shocker follows inside a bank and the city seems at peace for a small while. Then the demons invade led by a mysterious leader you come to find out is Mr. Negative A.K.A Martin Li. The game becomes so dark and morbid so fast. I was blown away at a section of the game where a hero cop is awarded the medal of honor in a beautiful ceremony and Mr. Negative orders suicide bombers to blow up the affair, ruble and screams permeate the environment and my jaw was on the ground. Even at this games darkest the writing is unbelievable. I do not think this is a game for kids but as a fan of comics since i was little i could not help but love the more mature direction. The game eventually sees you at the Raft prison which is in total chaos and sees the Sinister Six escape. On full display is Scorpion, the Vulture, Electro, Rhino, Mr Negative, and Doc Oc. Each of their fights is astonishingly well done and i wish they lasted longer.

Scorpion’s section reminds me of Scarecrow sections from Batman. Rhino was a horrifying mass of super human barreling towards you with devastation in his eyes. Mr. Negative had one of the best boss batles ever, only toppled by the final fight with Doc Oc. The most interesting thing about all of these fights is the past that is shared between Spider-man and the villains. 

The game tugged on my heart strings way more than any other game since The Last of Us. You deeply care about Peter Parker and his friends and family. The game has two end credit scenes that i will not spoil for anyone as this is a must play game and you must see them for yourself! Insomniac did and amazing job of setting up the sequel though!

Human character sections

Playing as Peter, Mj, and Miles were for me the low point of the game. I say low point but a low point in a mountain of gold is still very much so gold. It was a lot of sneaking around as Mj and Miles waiting for the right time to make a move. The story aspect of the sections added a lot to the game itself but the game play sections of them were bland. At the end Mj gets a taser and that offers some fun tasering the crap out of silver sables guards (by the way silver sable is in the game she alright). Miles has the best story elements in his sections really adding depth to his character. There is one section with Mj also where you direct spider-man to attack enemies and that was pretty amazing. Playing as peter was the most fun of the three because of the side objectives in Doc Oc’s lab. Piecing together DNA fragments to find a chemical was so much fun as was the re-circuting mini-game. Also Peter’s relationship with Mj was full and enriching to see play out, As was his heartbreak at watching his mentor and idol Doctor Octavius become evil.

Verdict

Marvel’s Spider-man is as of this writing my Game of the year (Which i believe Smash bros ultimate will beat but only time will tell). It is everything i wanted in a video game and so much more. I cannot say anything else about it other than go and play this yourself!

Platinumed

I did platinum this game and it only took me 30 hours to do so. Decent amount of time i think and i cannot wait for the DLC.

Final Score 10/10

Positives

Graphics

New York

Story

Combat

[hallsp]

Dalkey and Environs

If you follow the swerve of shore south of Dublin city, you eventually wind up in Dalkey village, a small heritage town known largely for its three small castles and pretty main street, but also for its artisan shops, independent cafés, and popular pubs.

A sleepy suburb, the area is occasionally referred to as “the Beverley Hills of Dublin,” because of the number of celebrities living in the area — Bono! — Van Morrison! — or as “Ireland’s Bay of Naples,” because of the spectacular views, particularly from the top of nearby Killiney Hill. The village itself isn’t far from the border with Wicklow, a county known as “the Garden of Ireland.”

The town is heavily associated with writers. George Bernard Shaw was born in Torca Cottage; James Joyce taught in Clifton School, on Dalkey Avenue, and stayed in the nearby Martello Tower in Sandycove; Brendan Behan learned to mix explosives (chlorate of potash with paraffin wax and gelignite) in an IRA safe-house up the hill, now Fitzpatrick Castle. (In the 1950s, ownership of the Castle went to Seán Russell, then-IRA Chief-of-Staff. This is the same Seán Russell who died aboard a Nazi U-Boat in 1940.)

Hugh Leonard, known locally as Jack, was born in Dalkey; as was Maeve Binchy. The local pubs were once a playground for Samuel Beckett, and Flann O’Brien, who published The Dalkey Archive in 1964 — the story of a quirky scientist by the name of de Selby. Howard Marks, the famous drug-dealer (and author) hid out here in the 1970s, with crazy Jim McCann – another IRA connection. Salman Rushdie spent part of his decade in hiding, from the long reach of the Ayatollah Khomeini, living with Bono. Robert Fisk, the most eminent journalist of the Middle East, has had a home in the area for a number of years.

In fact, the history of writing in the village goes way back. In the late 18th century, a bunch of young wits and poets came together to take the absolute piss out of everything they could set their sights upon. They crowned a man named Stephen Armitage, who styled himself King of Dalkey, Emperor of the Muglins, Prince of the Holy Island of Magee, Baron of Bulloch, Seigneur of Sandycove, Defender of the Faith and Respector of All Others, Elector of Lambay and Ireland’s Eye, and Sovereign of the Most Illustrious Order of the Lobster and Periwinkle.

Thomas Moore, “the Bard of Ireland,” and author of the Minstrel Boy, among much else, was a willing subject of this petty kingdom. Moore’s friend, the poet Henrietta Battier, wrote a number of odes, including the line: “Hail, happy Dalkey! queen of isles, Where justice reigns in freedom’s smiles.” Then came the ’98 Rebellion. The Government moved to quell any expression of dissent. Thankfully, the tradition has been restored in our time: the sacristan of the local church, Fionn Gilmartin, currently occupies this exalted throne.

So august a reputation has Dalkey for all things literary, the inaugural Dalkey Book Festival was organised by the economist David McWilliams in 2010, and has since attracted hundreds of writers, including Seamus Heaney, John Banville, and Amos Oz. I saw Salman Rushdie speaking in St. Patrick’s Church in 2014.

The pubs and restaurants are also second-to-none. Finnegan’s is the best-known: great for a pint of Guinness. Try King’s Inn for the banter, the Magpie for craft beer, DeVille’s for steak, Queen’s for the beer garden, Benitos for the service, McDonagh’s for live music and pool, and the Vico for shots before hitting town against your better judgement. Further up the hill you have the aforementioned Fitzpatrick Castle Hotel, and the Druid’s Chair, a gem of a little spot.

Close to Dalkey, along the coast back towards Dublin, you’ll find Dun Laoghaire. It’s got three sailing clubs, two piers, and one impressive library. You can walk along the promenade, the piers, or go for a swim on Sandycove beach, or in the 40 Foot bathing-place. Make sure you get yourself a 99 from Teddy’s, the ice-cream is famous all over Ireland. There’s also one or two decent pubs, particularly the Whiskey Fair and Gilbert & Wright’s. Like it or loath it, Wetherspoons have taken over the 40 Foot pub, which means cheap booze.

The Martello Tower, now the James Joyce Museum, was once rented by the writer (and doctor) Oliver St. John Gogarty. Joyce, having stayed with his friend for six nights in 1904, eventually used the experience in the opening pages of his masterpiece, Ulysses.

Dun Laoghaire was once known as Kingstown, so-named in 1821 after the visit of boozy King George IV, the first reigning monarch to visit Ireland since the Battle of the Boyne in 1690. In Howth, just north of Dublin, the king disembarked from his yacht on his birthday, already “in high spirits,” meaning inebriated, and you can still see his tiny footprints, preserved for all eternity. He departed from Dun Laoghaire eighteen days later. In fact, a nearby memorial marks this auspicious stop-over. William Mackepeace Thackeray, the famous English novelist, described it as a “hideous obelisk, stuck upon four fat balls.” That’s a fairly good description.

The best way to get to Dalkey and Dun Laoghaire is to use the DART (Dublin Area Rapid Transit), though there’s nothing “rapid” about it. Actually, the train journey from Dublin to Dun Laoghaire is the oldest in Ireland, built in 1834. It was used by Thackeray in 1842, Carlysle in 1849, and Dickens in 1867. In 1882, having arrived by boat into Dun Laoghaire, Lord Cavendish, the newly-appointed Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, took this train into the city on his first day on the job, only to be murdered that evening in the Phoenix Park. The park is somewhat safer these days.

The train was slowly extended around the rest of the coast over the coming years. There are stunning views of the sea between Dalkey and Greystones, where the track tunnels through solid rock and clings to precarious sea cliffs. It was designed by famous engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel.

[globalmedialife]

                                                             LEBANON AN EXAMPLE OF WHAT?

A THIRD WORLD COUNTRY’S RISE FROM HELL.

In the early nineties, I found a book at the public library written by the late British journalistRobert fisk titled ; Pity the Nation: The Abduction of Lebanon.

Being a Lebanese American citizen, I couldn’t help myself, so I checked it out of the Library and read th entire book. It was a detailed account of the Lebanese civil war as well as other matters , but based on facts, Robert traveled to Lebanon and lived through it all.

After reading it ,a simple question came to my mind:

Who provides the human intelligence information gathering so that our policy makers can make sound, logical decision away from emotions, especially in the Middle East.

What concerns me is the Middle East and especially Lebanon. I wish I can still limit my thinking to Lebanon, but now this tiny country, my birth place, where my family still olives, where my ancestors are ,is a part of an axis. The Lebanese people cannot separate themselves from the struggles that are going around them in Syria, Iraq and Palestine/Israel. Lebanon is still realing from the burden refugees , from Google:

July 31, 2019, 3:39 PM Since 2011, Lebanon has taken in 1.5 million Syrian refugees. Officially, the country’s policy has been to host them until the war in the neighboring country has ended. In reality, it has recently started coercing them to leave.

Lebanon also hosts more than 17,000 refugees of Iraqi, Sudanese and other origins, and more than 200,000 palestinian refugees under UNRWA’s mandate. The presence of such a large refugee population in a small country facing an economic crisis, high unemployment, pressure on infrastructure, and environmental challenges increasingly risks . (Google search 10/02/2021).

The new government of Najib Mikati promises the poor Lebanese people some releif, but what releif is about to arrive when the root causes of corruption, political elitism/nepotism, and an old ragged constitution based on religious divisions can offer the Lebanese anything other than temporary releif from oppression and victimization.

When will the USA that delegated France of dealing with the Lebanese crisis that were started frst by the maximum pressure policies during the Trump era to theoretically according to the brilliant minds of the Trump white house and staff, back then to squeeze the life on the environment of Hezbollah causing Lebanon to implode form within, and cause a civil war that will uproot Hezbollah out of Lebanon.

To increase the pressure Lebanese bankers stole all deposits of Lebanese people, which no can be done without the knowledge and consent of us authorities since the Lebanese banking system, including the Central Bank Of Lebanon, is tied to American banking and the SWIFT network. That in addition to the depreciation of the Lebanese Lira, up to 19.000 Liras to the US dollar. The formation of the government caused the dollar to drop ( as of today 10/2/2021 one USA dollar equals 1505.70 Lebanese Liras.

This caused the Lebanese tremendous hardships since essential goods, including food, that had to be imported and paid for with US dollars became very expensive. The result was massive shortages in critical supplies including medical supplies and medications, which means there is no official estimate how many Lebanese people died from hunger or the lack of medications.

So for those advocates of the maximum pressure policy, whether it is towards Lebanon or any third world country, the American people must know that it is the people of these countries that pay the price not the rulers, and as far as Hezbollah in Lebanon, they are just fine, they weren’t affected with any policies, since they are an independent country, that has it own economy, with the support of Iran of course, as the whole world knows.

The US government officially supports Lebanon and urges reforms and rooting out corruption, but at the same time corrupt Lebanese officials stash the Lebanese people’s money in American and French banks, as well as other offshore banks etc...We pick and choose who’s Lebanese official we expose his or her corruption based on their political affiliation or whether it agrees with “our” interests. Then how can Lebanon rid itself of corruption while the superpowers of the world provide heavens for the Lebanese and other third world corrupt officials?

About two years ago I emailed president Trump and presented my argument for a strong prosperous Lebanon with American and international focus on massive infrastructure projects that will employ the youth , supplying them with wages that they can sustain their families on. I also argued that this will guide them away from terrorist activities militias and other criminal activities. I also argued that a prosperous Lebanon, and well armed /equipped Lebanese armed forces is the best guarantee for Israel’s safety since that is the always the primary concern of the White House.

I also indicated that as ling as the Palestinians do not have a homeland, and they are refugees all over there will never be peace in the Middle East, as I am sure all sane minds in Israel who are away from racism have finally realized. That days is coming, since I personally beleive that the laws of physics apply to foreign policy, and that when you toss a marble in stainless steel bowl, it will revolve all around it, but will finally settle in the middle-if the bowl is perfectly designed and manufactured, but since perfection belongs only to God, it is our task, and your task foreign policy makers to keep adjusting that bowl until it is perfect, relying on credible, signal and human intelligence, not on so called Middle East experts, or a couple of guys that go camping in the desert for two weeks.