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softshelltaakos · 6 years ago

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what’s up everybody! it’s time for part 2 of my taz graphic novel review.

part one covered (most of) my beef with the writing and storytelling choices. this part is gonna cover character designs!!! you should know going into this that my opinions are not positive. this post is also a lot less analytical in tone than part 1, because art is not my forte.

disclaimer: i love the mcelroys. i truly do. taz has gotten me through some very difficult stuff and i have a tattoo. all this to say i’m not doing this because i hate them or because i like hating things. if you feel the need to message me about how i am overreacting, specifically to green taako, or about how i should just calm down and ignore it, or about how it’s sad that i’m getting so worked up instead of just enjoying the show, i’ve heard it and i don’t care. you will not be taken seriously. save yourself the energy.

there are spoilers for the graphic novel under the cut.

alright. i’m getting the elephant in the room out of the way first because it’s the most important thing to address, and once it’s out of my system i’ll feel better goofing on the rest of the designs. as i mentioned in the disclaimer: Green Taako Is Bad.

[ID: a panel focusing on taako. he’s skinny and minty green with chin-length light blonde hair and a big, pointy nose.]

now, a lot of people have made posts about this before, and i’m not saying anything new about it by any means. i’m also not the most equipped person to talk about why green taako is bad, because i’m a white gentile (i’ve heard conflicting opinions on whether or not green taako is antisemitic, but it feels remiss not to mention that there’s been discussion) and therefore not part of any groups affected by this whole debacle, but in short: when pressed for more diversity, specifically in taako’s case as a pretty large chunk of his arc involves literally inventing a mexican cultural food (fun note: that’s never mentioned in this book,) carey pietsch decided he should be green and the mcelroys were down with it. this is not an issue that cropped up when this design was released; it was something that there was already a ton of discourse surrounding, and it should never have gotten concepts drawn, let alone made it to publish.

this article by natt cuesta has been linked before on the subject, and i think it’s a good, concise explanation of why green taako is bad as well as why aracial characters in general are bad. this is a racist design.

now that we’ve gotten those ethical ramifications out of the way... i’m sorry, but it’s an ugly design, lmao. he looks like a palette-swapped version of pearl from steven universe with less character. the ONLY thing about this design that i like is the prominent lower lashes, if only because they’re the only thing that keeps him from looking entirely generic. because, like, y’all, when has anything about taako been generic?

[ID: a panel focusing on magnus. he’s a muscular fair-skinned man with auburn hair, a bushy beard, and a scar over his left eye.]

generic is a word that’s going to come up a lot over the course of this review, because i genuinely can’t think of a more apt descriptor for pietsch’s designs. it feels like she went with the lowest common denominator of every character’s design, a synthesis of all of the most popular (and most boring) ones, except in instances where that would lend any personality to a character’s design. magnus fits what brief description we’re given in the podcast: auburn hair. beard. big. and i guess that’s all you need?

i understand that by appealing to the most common and basic designs for these characters you’re inviting a lot less ire than you might by going with something more individual, so i get the motivation behind it -- or i would, if her designs hadn’t always been about this dull. but it’s bizarre to me that in a story as unique as the balance campaign, we ended up with the most basic ass Fantasy Hero lookin’ dude in the world as one of our protagonists.

i just really don’t have a lot to say about this. i’m just bored by it.

[ID: a panel of merle. he has medium-dark skin with a smooth white bun and beard.]

merle is simultaneously the design i like most out of the boys and the one that throws me the most, because i feel like he’s the most out on a limb one. which... oof. most merle designs i see give him a floral motif (i guess he has a few petals in his hair, maybe?) and big coke-bottle glasses, and i miss those things with this design, but at least it doesn’t totally feel like pietsch threw every merle she could get her hands on into a blender and poured it out on a page, although honestly, that might have been more satisfying. people do some really fun shit with their merle designs, but again, he’s. generic.

as the cuesta article mentions, with how much of an issue it was to get any of the boys to be poc in the first place and in conjunction with minty up there, this design also feels like tokenism -- an appeasement rather than an honest attempt at diversity or god forbid because the artist actually headcanons merle as a person of color. personally, i wish that she’d gone a step beyond re-coloring his skin and idk given him a natural hairstyle or something. he still feels very much like a recolor to me rather than a character who was designed as a person of color from the beginning.

i feel like he looks more like a cleric than he looks like a merle, which i feel like is pretty contradictory to who merle is.

[ID: a cutaway showing griffin, a white man with brown hair and glasses wearing a collared shirt.]

i’ve said before that it feels a little odd to talk about her design of a real person, so i’ll keep this brief, but... you know how every drawing of a basic white dude looks a little bit like griffin mcelroy? you know how that one arthur character looks a little bit like griffin mcelroy? you know how everyone is constantly messaging mysillycomics about how her avatar looks like griffin mcelroy?

how did carey pietsch manage to actively attempt to draw griffin mcelroy and miss the mark? it boggles the mind. he doesn’t not look like griffin, i guess, but he doesn’t look like griffin, either. i don’t know, man

[ID: a generic gerblin. he has yellowy-green skin, slight tusks or fangs, and weird, nubby little horn-type things.]

i hate these gerblins. they are ugly. next

[ID: two images of klaarg/g’nash. he’s a bugbear with brown fur and yellow eyes as well as a mouth full of pointy teeth. in the first image he looks pissed off; in the second he’s starry-eyed and delighted.]

klaarg is probably my favorite design in the book, and that’s just because he looks like a cute dog for most of the time he’s on the page. he’s fluffy and i love klaarg anyway, so like. did not take a lot to reach this mark. especially considering how i feel about most of the other designs lmfao

i do definitely think he keeps up the trend of looking generic, though.

[ID: an image of barry bluejeans. he looks like tom arnold, kind of; he’s square-jawed and white with thick-rimmed glasses. he also has a light brown mullet.]

i hate this. i hate the mullet. i’m sorry, y’all, i really, truly, cannot stand the mullet. i don’t feel like barry has mullet energy. i feel like it’s too powerful a move for him. it wouldn’t be a good move, mind you, but it would be a big one. i don’t know y’all it’s just bad

[ID: an image of killian. she’s a green-skinned orc woman with prominent eyelashes, eyebrows, and tusks, and straight brown hair.]

i can’t have been the only one who was hoping for a badass, visibly muscular, maybe even butch killian design, right? that wasn’t just me being a big old lesbian, that’s a pretty common theme of killian designs? i guess kudos for going out on a limb again, but then, like, take the kudos back for going out on the most boring limb possible again. i could hang with the face if her hair wasn’t so boring, but it’s... it’s so boring

[ID: an image of magic brian. he’s a drow with long white hair and an oblong face and oddly shaped nose.]

for how many of her designs are syntheses of popular ones, i..... don’t understand how this happened. i don’t understand how whimiscal and flamboyant magic brian who’s often drawn as taako-but-a-goth-dark-elf ended up looking like this. he looks like he used to play football and got his nose busted up and peaked in fantasy high school. he looks like the first quarter of a monster factory video where the thing’s just ugly but doesn’t have a personality or any endearing traits yet. he didn’t have to be the goth twink we all know he is but what.......... is this

[ID: an image of gundren rockseeker/bogard. he’s a light-skinned dwarf with dark long hair and a matching beard.]

..........listen i know they’re cousins and distant cousins at that but all of merle’s cousins are light-skinned and, like, not to say that that can’t happen but having them be anywhere near merle’s skin tone would’ve been such an easy way to help bolster the obviously inaccurate idea that this is a work concerned with diverse character designs, or rather to help ppl claim it was being bolstered, and yet

[ID: avi, a fair-skinned man with long dark hair kept up in a ponytail and slight scruff on his face.]

i feel like maybe avi is intended to be east asian so i think at this point that brings the count up to a whole two characters of color. we’re almost done with the book. cool. he’s cute, i guess, but guess what word i’m about to say again (it’s generic)

[ID: a panel of several unnamed cameo characters. from right to left: carey fangbattle, a light blue dragonborn; brad bradson, a green orc man with a long brown ponytail; and presumably lucas miller, a tan human with glasses and dark hair.]

ok. deep breaths.

first off, there’s another panel w these three as well as boyland, who looks fine, but i didn’t grab that one bc it’s harder to make out detail. carey is cute. brad is fine.

i assume the third guy is lucas miller because i’m not entirely sure who else he would be, and... oof! as you may know i can’t stand lucas miller, which has nothing to do with his necromancy or nerdiness and everything to do with the various human rights violations he commits in the small time he’s got focus as well as the fact that he’s got a theoretical redemption arc that’s not actually an arc so much as us being told he’s better now. lucas is an entitled jackass who repeatedly uses other people’s bodies and minds without their consent, from the obvious offense of using the bugbears as brainwashed chore-doers (read: slaves) to the less-oft discussed dragging of noelle and others out of the astral plane into robot bodies, again to do his chores for him. because of this, it has always sat very uncomfortably with me when people make lucas a poc, because everything about him screams Shitty White Nerd Boy to me. it sits extra uncomfortably coming from carey pietsch, given how white all of her other designs are.

it’s a little hard to tell because i took all these pics with my phone camera in my room’s lighting so they’re not super high fidelity or anything, but pietsch’s lucas is noticeably darker than any other character we’ve seen so far save merle. maybe he’s just a white guy with a tan, but all the same, it strikes me as incredibly skeevy to have one of so few characters of color be this fucking guy.

[ID: johann, a black man with an oblong face and textured dark hair.]

johann’s design is fine, although this is a similar face shape to that brian from earlier and i just. i don’t. understand it. it’s not especially interesting, but hey, at least he’s not another generic white guy.

that being said, as i mentioned in part 1 of this review, johann’s role is severely cut in this -- he’s reduced to three panels, when in the show itself he’s the one who escorts the boys to the voidfish’s chamber and inoculates them. as i mentioned in that post i understand that they shifted it some to give lucretia a more prominent entrance, but as i also mentioned in that post, they should have compensated for that. three panels.

johann is not a character with a great deal of screentime as it is, but he’s a character with a major impact. he is the reason story and song happens. his song serves as a direct foil to john’s nihilistic conversion of his own home plane into the hunger. the fact that he’s been reduced to three panels with little to no characterization at this point, especially in conjunction with the fact that he’s one of very few poc, makes me really, really uncomfortable. avi is in more panels in this book than johann is, and while i love avi and as i said i am parsing him as an asian dude, he’s also still light-skinned enough and the style is nondescript enough that there are definitely people who will parse him as white, and also, avi’s role in the story is not as big as johann’s.

it doesn’t sit right with me.

[ID: an image of davenport, a fair-skinned man with a big red mustache and slicked back red hair.]

ginger davenport with a big mustache. groundbreaking.

[ID: an image of lucretia, a slender black woman with short white hair dressed in blue layers.]

and finally, lucretia. now, i’m biased, and it’s hard for me to see a lucretia design i don’t like. i also think that this is, compared to a lot of the others at least, one of the more interesting designs in the book, at least as far as her clothes go. it’s not a long robe that would be hard to move in, and i appreciate that -- it strikes me as a pretty practical outfit while also being ornamental and wizard-y. and she’s pretty, and she’s not whitewashed, and that’s all great. i like her earrings.

all that being said, i feel like it’s not enough. luc’s hair continues a theme with merle’s and johann’s (as well as the preview we’ve seen of angus,) which is that it strikes me as very low-effort on pietsch’s part. it’s short and it’s definitely not straight, but it doesn’t feel to me like it had as much thought put into it as, say, minty green taako’s hair. we could’ve had a lucretia with a big beautiful afro, or long box braids, or so many other natural hairstyles; we got this. it’s not bad, but i do think it’s disappointing. without going looking for it and without being a person who reads a great deal about character design, i’ve seen a fair amount of discussion from black women (artists, writers, and none of the above) about the portrayal of black women as it pertains to their hair. they’re never designed to be as feminine as their white counterparts. their hair is never treated with the same amount of detail or respect as their white counterparts. it’s short, maybe curly if you’re lucky.

i’m gonna circle back quickly to killian’s hair. it’s long and smooth and kept down, despite the fact that killian is an action-oriented women and might not want it to be in her face all the time -- it could have at least been braided or in a bun. it could’ve been short! and that would’ve made sense. and i don’t mean to say that lucretia couldn’t have short hair, but she’s a very elegant woman whose dress is described as intricate. she wears business regalia. she could have any number of hairstyles, from something elaborate to something simple but more out-of-the-box than this, but she doesn’t. i found this on a quick hunt through my ref tag -- it’s a tutorial for drawing black folks with just a small selection of interesting things you can do with afrotextured hair. these resources aren’t hard to find! and i’m doing this for fun -- carey pietsch is a professional artist who was paid for these designs. if she’d put in more than the bare minimum effort, we could’ve had some really interesting shit going on, but she didn’t.

and that’s the core of the issue here. i truly do not feel like pietsch put the same amount of care into the designs for the few characters of color we see as she did into the white ones, and that’s upsetting and emblematic of a larger problem in the work: neither pietsch nor the mcelroys put in very much care at all for the fans of color who spoke up and asked for representation.i know i said i was getting taako out of the way first so the majority of the post could be goof-heavy, but goddamn, y’all, it’s hard to goof about when it’s so blatantly shitty. pietsch’s designs are boring at best and racist at worst, not to mention conspicuously lacking in anyone who is not skinny, muscular, or a dwarf. people have praised this thing so uncritically, including people whose opinions i generally really respect, as if the fact that the mcelroys signing off on green taako made it above reproach.

it didn’t, by the way. there’s no such thing as an unproblematic fav, because everybody fucks something up now and then, but even then, this is a pretty egregious fuck-up! and it was willful!

i’m not saying y’all need to burn your copies of the gn or stop listening to the mcelroys entirely or anything of the sort -- you may remember the disclaimer at the top of the post where i say i really, really love them, and more specifically, i really love taz: balance. but i am BEGGING YOU to think critically about their work. good, good boys can do bad, bad things. white people can produce work that’s racist even if they’re gay women. it’s not mean to critique the boys and it’s not homophobic (or god forbid reverse racist, which is still not a real thing) to critique carey.

¯\_(ツ)_/¯ the real kicker of this whole thing for me is that there’s a small fanart gallery in the back of the book. most of them aren’t labeled with the artist’s handles, just their names, but there are some truly beautiful pieces featuring diverse designs -- galacticjonah and milkychai both have beautiful latino taakos featured! galacticjonah’s is fat, too! but even after the backlash against green taako, even aside from that being the design that people are going to accept as canonical, there are pieces in the gallery of green taako, as if doubling down on it was the right move.

and by the way, yeah, i’ve read griffin’s apology. but i thought we all learned in kindergarten that an apology doesn’t count if you don’t act on it.

#prim.txt #tazposting #tazmeta #taz: balance #taz balance #taz graphic novel

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phroyd · 6 years ago

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Ed Schultz, a former conservative radio show host whose politics moved left before he joined MSNBC’s nightly lineup in 2009 and then shifted again when he was hired by RT America, Russia’s state-financed international cable network, died on Thursday at his home in Washington. He was 64.

His death was announced by RT America, which did not specify a cause. His stepdaughter Megan Espelien said he had heart problems.

Mr. Schultz, a burly former college football quarterback with a booming voice, ranged across the political spectrum during his radio and television career, achieving his highest visibility as a blunt-spoken liberal and champion of blue-collar America as host of “The Ed Show” on MSNBC.

In the 1990s, he had his own conservative radio talk show broadcast regionally from Fargo, N.D. But by 2000, when he announced he was a Democrat, he, and his show, had begun turning to the left, gaining listeners even while others may have dropped him.

While it had nowhere near the listenership of shows hosted by conservatives like Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity, the Schultz show grew in popularity as he established himself as a sharp critic of President George W. Bush.

In his book “Straight Talk From the Heartland” (2004), Mr. Schultz described the successful, if unusual, arc of his career.

“How did a prairie-dwelling, red-meat-eating, gun-toting former conservative become the hope of liberal radio?” he wrote. “It all started with this annoying habit I have of speaking my mind. Sometimes, when I open my mouth, all hell breaks loose. Other times I feel like a voice in the wilderness and I wonder, ‘Does anybody get this?’ ”

In 2005, he began a nationally syndicated liberal-leaning radio show with funding from a New York nonprofit organization called Democracy Radio. By then he was declaring to The Washington Post that conservative radio hosts were “meanspirited and intentionally dishonest.”

When MSNBC hired him to host his own show in 2009, he joined an unabashedly liberal lineup that featured Rachel Maddow and Keith Olbermann. He had moments of bombast, from calling Vice President Dick Cheney an “enemy of the country” to declaring President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia, or “Putie,” a hero to Republicans.

Mr. Schultz was suspended by MSNBC for a week without pay in 2011 after calling the conservative commentator Laura Ingraham, on his radio show, a “right-wing slut.” (He was responding to her criticism of President Barack Obama for drinking a pint of beer in Dublin instead of flying to the scene of a tornado disaster in Joplin, Mo.)

Mr. Schultz apologized, and Ms. Ingraham accepted the apology.

The ratings of “The Ed Show,” which was broadcast on weeknights, never soared, and he moved to weekend duty before being given a weekday slot. His and other underperforming shows were canceled in 2015. In April, he told a National Review podcast that he had been fired for supporting Bernie Sanders in the Democratic presidential primaries.

At MSNBC, Mr. Schultz was known for his embrace of the labor movement at a time when the mainstream media was all but ignoring it, said David Shuster, a former MSNBC host, in a Twitter post on Thursday.

“Ed,” he said, “focused on American blue collar workers most of the MSM had long forgotten.”

Edward Andrew Schultz was born on Jan. 27, 1954, in Norfolk, Va. His father, George, was an aeronautical engineer; his mother, Mary, was a schoolteacher. He played quarterback at Minnesota State University, Moorhead, where he led the N.C.A.A. Division II in passing in 1977. After graduating he tried out for teams in the National Football League, including the Jets, and the Canadian Football League without success. He then began his career in radio, originally as a sportscaster.

In addition to his stepdaughter Ms. Espelien, his survivors include his wife, Wendy (Noack) Schultz; his son, David; two other stepdaughters, Greta Guscette and Ingrid Murray; two stepsons, Christian and Joseph Kiedrowski; and 15 grandchildren. His marriage to Maureen Zimmerman ended in divorce.

Several months after losing his job at MSNBC, Mr. Schultz re-emerged as the anchor of an 8 p.m. program, “The News With Ed Schultz,” on RT America.

“I could have retired,” he told The West Fargo Pioneer, a North Dakota newspaper. “That’s not Ed Schultz; I’m not ready to do that. I got a lot of tire left. I have a lot of desire. This gives me a chance to do something that I haven’t had an opportunity to do in my career.”

And, he declared, the network’s Russian backing would not influence him. “Nobody is going to tell Ed Schultz what to say,” he said.

But his new show seemed to reflect a course correction from his MSNBC days. At RT, he adopted a friendlier tone toward Putin and President Donald J. Trump, whom he had once called a “racist” for questioning whether President Obama had been born in the United States.

In 2017, he criticized CNN’s reporting on Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election.

And, in the National Review podcast, he sidestepped his past comments about Putin’s “nasty” human rights record by saying: “I think the United States has a nasty human rights record. I do think that every superpower on the globe has a very poor record on human rights.”

In a statement, Margarita Simonyan, chief editor of RT, recalled a displeased Mr. Schultz’s strong reaction when the Justice Departmentrequired RT America to register as a foreign agent.

“Ed set an example for all of us,” she said, “saying: ‘Let them call me what they want. I am going to speak the truth no matter what.’ ”

His last broadcast was on May 31.

Alain Delaqueriere contributed research.

Phroyd

#ed schultz #rip #msnbc

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bnrobertson1 · 4 years ago

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The Cleansing Comedy of “Cum Town”

To paraphrase a point Canadian All-American Hero Norm MacDonald laid on a then-alive Larry King, comedians used to aspire to be funny, now they aspire to appear smart. While political humor, ostensibly a stage to show off one’s intellect and humanity by the empathetic tackling of modern topics, has been a thing as long as humor itself, there was time in the not-so-distant past where the goal was the display of comedy chops, not compassion*. This significant shift in the mainstream started with Jon Stewart’s reign as host of The Daily Show. A far departure from the wackier Craig “Dance Dance Dance” Kilborn’s approach to the Comedy Central staple, Stewart treated TDS as a megaphone in which he could espouse his political views. Nightly challenging W’s hawkish take on foreign policy, liberals the country over championed their new clever-if-not-amusing hero- but at some point during Stewart’s ascension, reflecting a certain acceptable viewpoint became more important than reflecting a sense of humor.

*Back in the early SNL days Chevy Chase suggested that Gerald Ford sustained significant brain damage playing football to mock Ford’s bumbling persona, not excoriate him on the tenets of his agenda.

Consider Last Week Tonight with John Oliver or the zeitgeist-shifting Nanette. The former features some of the best reporting on the planet, displaying a willingness to cover potential viewership-poison like prison reform or, on a recent episode, black hair and its connection to the systematic racism African Americans face daily. The show is relentless, passionate, and is about as funny as that sounds. John Oliver is clearly a witty person, but even he often acknowledges how “Erudite Brit Shames Americans over Racism” isn’t exactly the blueprint for a yuckle factory*. Much like his old boss Stewart, Oliver is more dedicated to espousing the correct viewpoint over a funny one. To this point, most “jokes” in the show feel jammed in like a satirical sausage, often coming across as after-thoughts that can mess with the tone**. As a show it is unquestionably a success, opening myriad eyes to plights once unknown. As a comedy show, which is what it at least originally marketed itself as, it is a failure.

*It is, however, pretty perfect Monday Morning hiding-in-cubicle watching

**While he does try to infuse some zaniness into the program by talking about fucking animals or whatever, I don’t think Oliver realizes how genuinely funny it is watching a bookish Brit get upset about coconut oil hair products, although not in the way he probably hopes it would be.

An even purer example of Norm’s point is Hannah Gadsby’s Nanette. The buzzed-about stand-up special is essentially a takedown of white male-ism, albeit one that seems allergic to laughing. Gadsby is trying to woo you with her intellectualism, not her ability to make you chuckle. Some called this approach brilliant- turning a male-dominated form on its head to put its practitioners on blast for things ranging from sexism to transphobia. Widely decorated around the world for its innovative and sharp honesty, Nanette asked the big question: is the next wave of comedy not meant to be funny? Is cutting edge humor not humorous at all? Are we entering a Metal Machine Music era of comedy? And if so, is merely criticizing the perceived powers-that-be now considered comedy?

More like No-nette

This desire to display empathetic enlightenment has gone well beyond the world of stand-up and political comedy. It can be seen by the yanking of episodes of comic cornerstones such as It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia and 30 Rock that feature blackface, or animated programs recasting characters so that voices are both more inclusive and representative. Even The Simpsons has all but abandoned its once trademark balance, its current form essentially the wet-blanket Lisa, a far, far cry from the Homer-centric past of the show’s glory years.

All of these decisions have been made by the shows’ respective creators, a mea culpa for insensitive liberties taken in the recent past. Blame the internet for the long, indelible digital footprints, but people are now more worried about how the future will remember them, in some enlightened far-off utopia where comedy is really about nothing being funny, and everybody is judged by the language you used when no one really gave a rat’s ass about what you had to say.

Entertainers are far more concerned with looking good fifteen years from now than making people laugh now. Ironic detachment- the reason a lot of the questionable humor existed in the first place*, isn’t a big enough distance for comics to get away with racism, sexism, and other forms of bigotry, chuckles be damned.

*Racists have been the butt of the joke- and not the jokesters- for as long as I can remember. I find it hard to believe that anyone could watch an Always Sunny and think they’re mocking minorities. While the meme-ification of America has robbed many of these jokes of context, it’s a waste of time to criticize creators for devolving consumption habits, especially in the name of inclusion, compassion, etc.

It’s not my place to say whether this is good or bad. As self-censorship isn’t really censorship, it’s hard to argue that an artist willfully pulling their work from the marketplace is some sort of injustice. It’s their reputation (read: livelihood) after all. There are things I would probably delete/hide if anybody gave enough of a shit to do a deep dive into my past babblings. But while I certainly applaud the idealistic efforts to make a more welcoming society for all, it does kind of suck that it comes at the expense of comic mana such as Lethal Weapon 5 (and 6).

At the risk of kicking dusty horse bones, this does boil the whole “cancel culture” debate down to one consideration: what is acceptable to laugh at?

Insert the podcast “Cum Town.” Starring the trio of Nick Mullen (the bitter one), Stravos Hilias (the bigger one), and Adam Friedland (the butler?), “Cum Town” is the least political of the “Dirtbag Left”* wave of offerings*. If you can’t tell by the name, “Cum Town” isn’t for the crowd that regularly uses the word “problematic.” Employing a fairly new media in the podcast, the three NY-based comics shoot the shit on pretty much all matters, keeping the atmosphere loose and the unapologetic laughs flowing.

*Which also includes the hugely popular “Chapo Trap House” and “Red Scare,” shows that are both fairly funny... and can often be accurately described as “permanently congested neck-beards talking tough about revolution or whatever in between rhapsodizing about time-old yet currently posh talking points (distribution of wealth, liberalism vs. leftism, etc.)”.

As bad as the Olivers and the Gadsbys of the world want to change your mind, the trio at “Cum Town” are much more focused on tickling your funny bone (and/or prostate). Its setup gives the show an air of Howard-Stern-in-the-90s danger, where things that probably should never be thought are said with glee. They’re the type of guys who find the humor in places that make others uncomfortable, such as the connection of the Clintons to Jeffrey Epstein’s murder or, in one particularly great skit, how Trump would undoubtedly try to smear Robert De Niro as a non-Italian homosexual.

youtube

Devoid of the pretension other “enlightened” modern comedy wears so proudly, the show can focus on being being funny in ways that spur a gut laugh, not a guffaw.

“Cum Town” works because its as self-aware as it is fearless. These aren’t Andrew Dice Clays winding up the Islanders stadium with bits about “the brothers.” They’re not just reliving old Stern bits, asking alcoholic little people and other societal pariahs to make fools of themselves. The show wouldn’t work if it was merely “saying racial slurs with the EdgeLord Crowd.” "Cum Town” operates like a savvy boxer- throwing shots, usually at modern idols, knowing that it leaves them open to counter punches.

The genius of this approach is that they know what the counter punches will be (being called “racist,” “sexist,” “fascist,” etc.)... and have a counter-punch for that!* It’s not like it takes Ali-esque anticipatory vision to know what the criticisms will be. While calling a (probably white, cis-gender, straight) male “racist!” or “sexist!” or “fascist!” surely feels empowering to the counter-puncher, the reality is a lot of those terms have absolutely lost their meaning or the damaging heft that used to accompany their utterance. With the mass acceptance of systematic sexism/ racism as prevalent in everyday life, all the (bad) -isms are supposedly so ingrained into the white male psyche that they’re bigots no matter what. Especially when you consider that laughing- actual laughing- is more of a neurological reaction than a considered response. Put another way: a skit depicting Tony Soprano as an Indian may not confuse anybody into thinking Stav is on a first-name basis with Noam Chomsky, but it is infinitely funnier than all the “Donald Drumpf”s shouted together combined.

*Sorry, Mike Tyson’s Punch Out is about the extent of my boxing knowhow.

The show operates in a world where performance compassion is a hell of a lot worse than genuine feeling. Where Donald Trump gets mocked- but less so than Hillary Clinton, who’s president campaign’s attempt to make her “cool” was, let’s say, ill-fitting. It gets mean and nasty because comedy does. So, did Adam Friedland get called out by Chelsea Clinton for calling her ugly*? Yep. And many came to Chelsea’s defense calling for Adam’s sexist, disgusting head, I’m sure in only pro-Semitic ways. Does Nick’s archaic (though quite good) impressions of various ethnicities to a certain trope? Or does Stav talking about pornography and getting ass with a somewhat slimy tone? The three “Cum Town” hosts know that the list of the “powerless” has changed considerably in the last few decades, and that those who pay service to liberal ideals should be mocked just like the rest of us.

The tweet in question.

Juvenile? Sure. Insensitive? Yes. But God Dammit, isn’t humor supposed to be that way? If there’s a killer joke where the punch-line is “bigotry is bad,” I’m not aware of it. “Cum Town” generates a type of laughter that feels liberating- like you’re shaking off the oppressive scowl of a world that blames you- person who has been around for about one one billionth of the world’s life- for all its ills. The more modern society weighs us with new considerations on language and decorum, conjured rules that dictate what you may have a reaction to and what you may not, the funnier the humor in its opposition flies. Breaking rules is inherently funny- thumbing your nose at society is at the core of comedy’s release. And the more it becomes taboo to say words like “tranny,” “fat,” “dumb,” “midget,” etc., the more comedic release will be given when we say the words that I’m not going to type right here. Because the further the joke is from the norm, the more space there is for laughter to form.

Some believe this humor can lead to hatred which can lead to violence. That the Capitol’s riots were a warped result of the Rogans of the world. That by hearing Dave Chappelle say the n-word, white people will start to adopt it, and chaos will surely follow. But there’s another school of thought that says being able to laugh at something is the genesis of being able to process something and eventual acceptance.

I realize this is hardly a surprising point from a straight white guy, one who has said (regretfully and not recently) on more than one occasion that “I don’t get offended, I don’t understand why others do?” But I also think that a lot of the “hurt” these societal infractions cause are more of a smokescreen or diversion from bigger problems. It’d be easier to distract people with discussions over whether James Bond should be black or if Dr. Seuss books featuring offensive illustrations should be banned as opposed to, I don’t know, actually try to combat some of the systematic problems that propagate systems that truly stun growth? Telling people they should feel guilty about something is a slippery slope as we have around 8 billion people on earth, there’s plenty of misery to go around. We should all probably feel bad about something.

In conclusion, “Cum Town” knows that just because something is bad doesn’t mean it can’t be funny. As mentioned before, humor is often how people cope with the hypocritical, values-starved planet we find ourselves on. Humor should delight our soul, not display our sophistication.

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floggingink · 7 years ago

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Riverdale, “Chapter Seventeen: The Town That Dreaded Sundown”

SOME TENSE SHIT!!!!! SIT BACK!!!!!

Jughead should definitely know that a serial killer needs to have a body count of three to earn that sobriquet, so what Riverdale has is a sort of obstinate murderer

I LOVE his serial killer thought-mannequins

“Damn good coffee”: of course the Riverdale library has one light bulb per shelf and of course the librarian is dressed like that, with a big, big flower pin and half-moon readers

Jug should probably NOT say things like “Research, not for school,” unless he wants to be put on a list, like in Se7en (he has to raise flags verbally as it appears the library is offline)

Cheryl’s hair: there is very little Cheryl in this episode, but I take heart from the fact that her hair looks as bouncy and incredible as always, in the background

Alice rolling her eyes at Hal putting in a stronger lock seems to encapsulate much of Alice’s particular joie de vivre: She hoovers up every grisly bit of information, draws the most macabre conclusion possible, and spreads her vision to the masses for others to panic, but dares the danger itself to try and affect her, Alice Cooper

another slide transition wherein Alice and Jughead are more or less doing the same thing!

one of these days Jughead is going to cautiously open the door of his trailer and get absolutely pummeled

Archie made a little target out of printer paper with a Sharpie

I really like the long, serious, universe-appropriate fallout of the video. people are like, What the FUCK were you thinking? because it was a fucking insane thing to do!

Hermione is ON THE MONEY about Archie right now. Archie was a bumbling hero last episode, but at the end, VIA HIRAM, took it to “the streets” and is now “threatening violence,” because he has PTSTunnel Vision

Veronica’s hot pink miniskirt? seconded

Hiram beaming as he ticks off the “chaos and confusion” spreading around Riverdale, half of it brought about by his bequest, wishes he had a glass of port to swirl menacingly

the Coopers seem to have a centerpiece on their dining room table of a big bowl filled with napkins

Best costume bit: Betty’s cut-out paper snowflake shirt???

The Blossom spawn: REMEMBER THAT POLLY RAN AWAY AGAIN? it was like the fourth time she ran away

Mädchen Amick, MÄDCHEN AMICK: Alice’s HUGE DRAMATIC inhales as she cry-scolds Betty. “AND THEN YOU TRY AND MAKE ME THE MONSTER.” PUNCH THE TABLE

Hal’s extremely calm, blue American Eagle sweater

okay when Archie said he took the original video down on his own, I was slightly mollified, but you know, YOU KNOW HE WASN’T DONE OKAY

at Betty’s request that Jughead leave Southside, during lunch, to go to Riverdale, during lunch: “Betty, I have to try and at least maintain a semblance of being a student here.”

Sexy, aesthetic Southside: Sweet Pea’s computer is such a piece of shit, he is amazing

Toni has on some sort of incredible elastic headband from Claire’s

Gay?!: Fogarty wants to earn his “Serpent stripes,” which apparently means you need to...take something to the streets…

he and Moose would probably get along. they seem to be built from the same mold

Sweet Pea LOVES this idea and pounds the table!!! gerrymandered violence!!!! meanwhile Jughead is panicking because he is really bad at violence

Gay.: “I know this guy,” AKA I slept on his bedroom floor for a couple weeks

Jughead calls Archie “a milquetoast,” a word Archie would not understand

there is a BEAUTIFUL, eye-rolling Serpent along the wall behind Sweet Pea, with a nose ring, who does not care that Jughead does not like this

Sweet Pea’s sort of caustic bluster comes from someone who has probably never shot anybody. I think he is still trying to figure out Jughead, whom he just calls, proprietarily, “Jones”

Archie > Dawson: Archie strutting down the hallway, revelling inwardly at how badass his callout of the Black Hood was, crashing into a Veronica who does not give a shit, is almost perfect except that there isn’t literally a record-scratch sound effect

there is a girl in a pink sweater, by the way, who gives Archie what would be my expression, which is like, Don’t you, like, play the guitar?

Fifth period is AP English: Archie read Lord of the Flies but missed the part where it’s not about human nature in general but rather the nature of spoiled boys

Veronica is slightly stunned that Archie does not have a plan more intricate than basically what he outlined in the video. basically that Hermione was right

I don’t think Betty/Jughead and Veronica/Archie interact this episode, which means we do not get to read the screen of Archie’s phone receiving Jughead’s text: “nice video, YOU DOLT. ARE YOU HAVING SOME SORT OF PSYCHOTIC BREAK.” five minutes later: “is this because I stopped sleeping on your bedroom floor? tell me the truth.”

someone transcribed the audio of Archie’s video into Principal Weatherbee’s olive Moleskin dayplanner

if Episode 1-5 Archie saw what Episode 17 Archie has done to his music and football career, he would have a coronary

Kevin has “reupped” his membership to a hookup site for blue-state people in red-state states

OOH the soundtrack when Betty talks about getting the Black Hood letter was SORT OF opening-credits Se7en, but like, by way of the Riverdale theme

Betty makes a classic horror movie decision (good or bad TBD by the outcome) of deciding not to tell anyone about The Test

Kevin makes a valid point that Betty is not unionized FBI Special Agent Will Graham, or even trainee Clarice Starling

50 Shades of Betty: Betty’s eyeliner manipulates Alice’s dramaternal instincts

Alice assumed the Black Hood is “terrified” of her so he uses the second-best Alice, which is Betty

in another Zodiac move, Alice publishes the cipher in case an old retired couple takes a crack at it and solves it over breakfast (this is a great movie)

Reggie’s world is collapsing around his ears: “PLEASE, BRO. SIGN THE LETTER.”

Archie is taking Alice’s spin seriously that the killer must be a Southsider, like he took Hiram’s word to form…….I’m exhausted

this episode’s Archie is the same Archie as “The Outsiders” when he outs Jughead’s father as a Serpent, which was awful, except the awfulness this episode entertains me

Dilton just wants to watch the world burn, which at this point Archie should recognize since he says things like “The hunter becomes the hunted” and “And then there was one”

Summer + Blair = Veronica: Veronica quietly confronts her father, Slytherin to Slytherin, about Archie’s simpleness being both a pro and con

is it weird for her to have to sit facing a portrait of herself? (probably not)

the CW website dims when you pause it, so I can’t read Jughead’s notes, but he’s taking notes longhand, which is probably, like, calming

I want to say he’s put up a few of his movie posters! Jughead has a bedroom!!!!!

Toni prefers Jake Gyllenhaal’s Zodiac book from the movie (this is a great season of Riverdale for David Fincher)

Jughead is kind of adorable in this scene. he has never had a friend, EVER, who has not given him a weird look when he drops a reference to H. H. Holmes’ murder hotel or Dahmer’s sex zombies or whatever (Archie does not know who they are). his big blue-eyed gaze up at Toni is because he finally found someone else who listens to The Last Podcast on the Left

though Albert Fish stuck pins up his dick, so there’s a time and a place for all quips

“True crime is my crack” is an understatement

“True crime is my JJ” would work

the lock screen on Betty’s phone is like a pink Versailles print because Betty is a French Rococo princess

in a twist I never saw coming, Jughead chooses the “__ - __” version of a dash instead of an em dash

Veronica supports Archie’s dangerous side-project because right now it’s just Archie and his “comely crew” picking up Ethel on the side of the road. she does not know of the plan to go TO THE SOUTHSIDE, LIKE A MORON, for a confrontation no one else wants

I’d like to know what secret fund Archie is dipping into to buy Ms. Grundy $300 cello bows and $500 tactical Army gear

Jughead 1) brought his beanie with him to the door and 2) doesn’t bother putting it on when it’s Betty, because he is a special young man

Betty wants to see Jughead EVERY DAY

Jughead becomes the second television character in history to admit to having morning breath, after Sookie St. James

Fwoopy hair is the best hair: Jughead’s freshly slept-on mop of hair, Jughead’s bedhead, reinforcing the lesson that seeing him without his hat on is a privilege reserved for the few, the proud

Jughead eats: Jughead’s breakfast of coffee and cereal feels right, true

consider that Jughead could have lied and not told Betty that he’s been doing research on the side—and it’s not even on the side! it’s on his own time, at his school—with his ONE OTHER FRIEND, leaving her to “discover” this fact later when Toni “lets it slip,” what we might call the Gossip Girl route. instead Jughead’s like, I’ve been doing X with Z, by the way

Betty very cannily proposes a group project to steer this train barrelling down a hill and makes sure to haul in Kevin, an ally

Jughead’s resistance to fully embracing Kevin continues

“Are you saying I’m not rocking the scoop-neck look?”

Veronica was rich: Veronica’s late-night planning is impressive, as was someone’s ability to come up with a wholly original logo for a downtown office space converted into a restaurant only open for brunch and happy hour for her

Cheryl’s a chaos angel from hell: Cheryl agreed to help distribute the T-shirts, I can only assume because she knows she is spreading Hiram’s chaos and confusion

WHAT’S UP, TONI?

Kevin knows where his platonic bread is buttered: “ICONIC AND BEYOND REPROACH”

Kevin looks SO MUCH like his father in this scene!

Betty TAKES DOWN her ponytail, in an incredible soft-power move!

God bless jingle-jangle: Toni is right that people need to stop TOTALLY ERRONEOUSLY forcing themselves to assume everything bad is from the southside and Betty is right that Toni is TOTALLY ERRONEOUSLY forcing herself to assume Betty is Betty’s mother! it’s not Toni’s fault that she didn’t get that Blue & Gold issue with Betty’s huge “FP JONES PURE AS FRESHLY FALLEN SNOW” headline. however I do wish Toni’s defenses of the southside, that mostly it’s patriarchs like Clifford Blossom who are involved in drugs and that Archie’s Red Circle IS A GANG, were not so couched in obnoxious SJW verbiage

Every triangle has three corners, every triangle has three sides: also I agree with other very eloquent, thoughtful people that what Toni probably wants is for Jughead to just be a fucking Serpent already and that Betty, to the Serpents, is an almost out-of-nowhere anchor to the preppy, ancien régime northside who needs to go so Jughead’s transformation will be complete

CAN PEOPLE STOP TELLING JUGHEAD’S GANG SECRETS FOR HIM? CAN JUGHEAD LET PEOPLE KNOW THINGS HE WANTS TO TELL THEM ON HIS OWN TIME? CAN JUGHEAD HAVE ONE SINGLE THING TO HIMSELF?

Archie going to the southside, completely unbidden, is GLORIOUSLY HORRIBLE, OH GOD

if Jughead knew Archie was strolling around graffitiing vintage barn doors on his side of town just to intimidate the locals with a giant defacing threat of baby police state violence, Jughead would actually, literally kill him

some sorta sweet green muscle car parked there though!

I’m writing a scene where it’s gay.: as it is, Sweet Pea would be honored to do Jughead’s dirty work for him, except that Archie is PACKING HEAT

These students are legally children: Sweet Pea’s feelings look hurt that Archie escalated this so insanely and Archie’s hand is shaking because he wants to be a big scary guy but really he is an infant

Allison Anders’ camera pans so lovingly up Betty and Jughead’s semi-entwined bodies as a sort of cool-down exhale, like Everything is fine

Jughead confirmed big spoon

“Exhaustion. It’s not easy being us.”

Cheryl’s sheaths: Don’t miss Cheryl’s low V-neck in science class!!!

she’s partnered with Kevin, so...to be a fly on the side of that table…

Archie can TRY TO PRETEND like he’s still writing songs!

VERONICA’S READING GLASSES ARE BACK

HERMIONE IS GREAT AGAIN

“Let me tell you something about loyalty. AND I KNOW WHAT I’M TALKING ABOUT.”

YOU KNOW I LOVE THE HUGE THEMATIC THUNDERSTORM

YOU KNOW JUGHEAD HAULED HIMSELF TO THE COOPERS’ AFTER HE READ THAT LETTER

Jughead CANNOT BELIEVE he was not immediately included in the intimate circle of two who knew HIS GIRLFRIEND got a PERSONAL LETTER from his PET SERIAL KILLER

oh my god, oh my god, someday I will be a good enough writer (@nimmieamee) to sit down and with cool confidence articulate all the ways that Jughead’s scene with Archie in the second episode, when he grabs Archie by the lapels and shakes him, with his words, begging him to TELL SOMEBODY, is Jughead’s defining, most fantastic, saddest, righteous moment, from a kid who screams at the sky that he doesn’t care about anything yet cares EXTREMELY about EVERYTHING. it gladdens me...it is my JJ...that Jughead does the same here, to someone else he loves, who is sitting on explosive information that is putting, you know, lots of people in danger, just because the information is too close or too scary. you know, Jughead can be on whatever side of the town he wants. but Jughead is a fucking moral compass. Jughead is like the Zodiac killer’s target symbol, except that his target IS JUSTICE

“I’ve been gone for two days.”

Jughead doubts it: at this point I honestly can’t tell if I think Archie would absolutely know that Betty isn’t to blame for anything or if he’d be like….But is it possible…

goddamn fucking Jughead like when Betty was like, AM I CRAZY, Jughead is like, GET IT TOGETHER

it was too much when he sat next to her and rubbed her shoulder. his signature move. can you believe this. it even calmed Archie once. Veronica, you’re next. sit down on a couch built for two and let your eyes start to fill. I need a Jughead right now because of all the emotion I’m feeling about Jughead

HE EVEN TRIGGERS ANOTHER BLUE & GOLD BRAINWAVE I’M HAVING A HEART ATTACK

Veronica makes an instinctively uncomfortable face reaching into the tank, but the tank water is clean, for the record. I want to stand up for these bathrooms because they are so much immeasurably fancier than my high school bathrooms

Archie’s blackout speech to Veronica in his living room is the apex of his insanity, so it’s all going to be okay, but Veronica has to do all the work to get him there

“No, you just asked me to fetch your loaded gun.”

a Reggie will always defuse tension

Penelope’s looking good at the town hall! you can only barely tell her face is fucked up

“In the Book of Reg, that makes you a top-tier loyal badass.” basically what Serpent Daddy told Jughead about his father

GET IT? BECAUSE THE RED CIRCLE IS BASICALLY A GANG? they’re both gangs. case dismissed

Sweet Pea just gets cuter and cuter

SWEET PEA AND REGGIE, TOGETHER AT LAST?!

“You have crap timing, bro.”

Veronica calls them all “troglodytes,” which I think isn’t giving troglodytes enough credit

everyone promptly concedes to Veronica, who is far and away the most natural leader amongst them

Jughead and Betty break into the library to stop an actual killer and Veronica breaks into the school to get Archie’s gun, so you tell me who’s a better boyfriend (they are both excellent girlfriends)

okay maybe they go to the library, which is just open late, and calmly check out a Nancy Drew book, but once again Betty&Jughead’s plot is like THE SKY IS FALLING, meanwhile Archie is like, THIS PROBLEM I CREATED IS GETTING OUT OF HAND!

The 2001 Josie and the Pussycats movie was a masterpiece: Mayor McCoy is about done with Alice

What damn high school in America: I don’t think Alice means that the Southside kids should integrate into Riverdale High so much as they should just end up on the streets like the hoodlums they are

THIS “PIT OF VIOLENCE WAITING TO ERUPT” IS A RED BUTTON LABELED DO NOT PRESS THAT ARCHIE ANDREWS CAN’T LOOK AWAY FROM

Certified pedigree: “Alice, you’re the one holding the cleaver.” WHERE IS YOUR SON FREDERICK

Fred saying “Meanwhile there’s a guy out there with a gun and a hood” overtop Archie, a guy with a gun and a hood, “bringing out the worst in this town”

Archie’s haymaker is really good, though

Sixth period is Intro to Film: the pullback along the line of Serpents and Bulldogs crashing into each other is straight out of Captain America: Civil War because it cannot be improved upon

does Hiram WANT Riverdale to get divided into two different towns so that he can buy one of the towns?

I’ve seen Brick like thirty times: Veronica, in a cape, fires a gun into the air to stop the gang fight, because out of everyone there she is actually impressive

Dilton Doiley is a canonically great dancer: Does Dilton—stab himself? is Dilton ACTUALLY a psychopath?

Betty and Jughead with their post-investigation wet hair is classic

I am breathlessly waiting, BREATHLESSLY, for Alice’s hammer to come down on Jughead

Veronica uses the word “fraught,” which Archie will write down for later

The female gaze: Archie’s torso and Veronica’s thighs

the warm summer rain of perspective starting to mist in on Archie’s garden of trauma

Betty answers her the call from “Unknown,” because I suppose she’s never answered one and it’s turns out it’s from the car dealership in the state you don’t even live in anymore trying to tell you that the warranty on your Corolla is about to expire soon when you know very fucking well it expired like ten years ago and they just want YOUR MONEY

Please protect Betty: BETTY PLEASE BE CAREFUL!!!!!

NEXT WEEK: Cheryl waves at me

#riverdale #i say #commentary #tropes

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nfl2sevensummits · 4 years ago

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Former Heisman Trophy winner, Danny Wuerffel was not only an amazing quarterback for Florida back in the day but has taken that same drive and energy & made helping others his life's mission. He is the executive director of Desire Street Ministries and t

178: Danny Wuerffel: Former Heisman Trophy Winner and Executive Director of Desire Street Ministries shares his path to going from being an amazing quarterback in Florida and transformed that energetic drive and desire into making a meaningful impact in the lives of those less fortunate. Danny Wuerffel also is the force behind the Wuerffel Trophy which recognizes the top college player in the United States who is also involved in community service efforts.

Danny Wuerffel

Danny Wuerffel discusses growing up with his family in Florida as one of the top quarterback recruits. “I definitely have to thank my family and sort of the foundation of my parents. I remember being young winning something, bragging about it. My dad, I will never forget a look he gave me in fourth grade when he found out I was bragging in a sense. He was like, ‘That is not how we do things.’ So, there was this tension of always wanting to win. But at the same time trying to be humble about it and recognize that it is not all about you.”

On this episode of Finding Your Summit Podcast, we talk with Danny Wuerffel, Former Heisman Trophy Winner and Executive Director of Desire Street Ministries, who also emphasizes the role his spiritual faith has had in his life. “A lot of my understanding of the world and not seeing yourself as the center comes from my faith, and there is a long line of Christian faith in my family. My dad was an Airforce Champlain, and a lot of other folks and families. So, a part of the way that we understand our faith is to live it in a way that really impacts other people. So, I think that was very foundational for me. At different points as I got older, kind of recognizing that and embracing it for myself.”

What You Will Learn:

Danny Wuerffel talks about how humility has continued to be important to himself and his family. “You never want to be around somebody who thinks that they are better than you are. My son is on a soccer team and there is a couple kids on the team that are really good. But, he just struggles because they walk around like they know they are good. So, he immediately doesn’t feel connected to them. So, I think the ability to be honest, and to be real, and share your own struggles, and to walk with people, and to listen, you know? I was going to write a book. It was kind of a joke. Sometimes when you are successful, it can stunt your growth as a human being.”

Danny Wuerffel discusses getting involved in Desire Street Ministries as the executive director. “I was drafted by the Saints and I felt like I wanted to be a part of something to help people. So, I was kind of looking around and I didn’t have anything specific that I was looking for. Just a unique coincidence if you will, or perhaps divine intervention if you believe that led me to a small organization in the 9th Ward of New Orleans working in the Desire Housing Project called Desire Street Ministries. It was working with families and kids in the neighborhood trying to raise up leaders with the goal really, it sounds insane, but to help transform at one time the worst neighborhood in the country to a desirable, wonderful place to live.”

What is the moment that pushed him towards the work that he does? “As I drove by these empty buildings, I saw a girl walk out with a doll, a little girl, and then I realised that she was living there. That ever so often in these projects you see an air conditioner and there were people living in these neighborhoods. My heart was broken. I definitely wanted to be a part of helping and making something better. So, Desire Street is very holistic. At the time we started an after school program and then we started a school. We had started building houses. We had started helping people get into jobs and businesses. We started a health clinic and a church.”

How long has Danny Wuerffel been the director of Desire Street Ministries? “In the years since (Hurricane) Katrina, I became the director in 2005, and we moved our headquarters to Atlanta to expand. What we do now is we basically, instead of starting and running new Desire Streets, we found that there are already heroes living and working in neighborhoods all over the country. But, so often they don’t have the resources they need, the training, the support. So, rather than these heroes having an incredible effect on their neighborhood, they are often burning out or just hanging on.”

How does Desire Street Ministries expand their reach? “Really what Desire Street does now is we partner with leaders to establish thriving and sustainable works in the inner city. Our new mission is to develop 20 sustainable ministries in the next five years and we are really excited about how that works and the things that we can do to support them.”

African American Leaders

Danny Wuerffel talks about being committed to work hand in hand with African American leaders to make change a reality. “I feel a little bit more like a proud brother, someone who is there right alongside and doesn’t always have all of the answers, but is committed to walking the walk with them. Also, in particular, my heart has been in what happens to be often African American neighborhoods and leaders and just over the years of getting to know and listen and be in deep relationships with people. It also makes me extra encouraged that so many of our leaders, our people of color that so often don’t get the same levels of trust from donors that I would get, or the same opportunities. To see them rise up and be so successful is extra special as well.”

Succeed with Humility

During this episode of Finding Your Summit Podcast, Danny Wuerffel speaks about how important it is to be humble. “Whenever you are successful, people like to say, you know, anybody can do anything if you just try hard. There is some truth to that. But, I also think there should be a little bit more humility with those of us that have succeeded because a lot of times we are just fortunate, you know? My dad was supposed t o move to Minnot, North Dakota when I was going into high school. Instead, at the last minute they switched it and moved to the panhandle of Florida where football is amazing.”

Links to Additional Resources:

Mark Pattison: markpattisonnfl.com

Emilia’s Everest - The Lhotse Challenge: https://www.markpattisonnfl.com/philanthropy/

Danny Wuerffel’s social media: Instagram Twitter

Danny Wuerffel’s website: DannyWuerffel.com

Mark Pattison: Instagram

Check out this episode!

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char27martin · 7 years ago

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The #SavePoetry Campaign, by Aaron Poochigian

Today’s guest post from Aaron Poochigian shares his activity with the #SavePoetry campaign. He says, “People should be encouraged to regard reading and hearing poetry as an aesthetic experience similar to listening to a song.”

Aaron Poochigian earned a PhD in Classics from the University of Minnesota and an MFA in Poetry from Columbia University. His book of translations from Sappho, Stung With Love, was published by Penguin Classics in 2009, and his translation of Apollonius’ Jason and the Argonauts was released October 2014. For his work in translation, he was awarded a 2010-11 Grant by the National Endowment for the Arts.

His first book of poetry, The Cosmic Purr (Able Muse Press), was published in 2012 and, winner of the 2016 Able Muse Poetry Prize, his second book Manhattanite was released in the Fall of 2017. His thriller in verse Mr. Either/Or was released by Etruscan Press in Fall of 2017 as well. His work has appeared in such journals as The Guardian, Poetry, and The Times Literary Supplement.

*****

Master Poetic Forms!

Learn how to write sestina, shadorma, haiku, monotetra, golden shovel, and more with The Writer’s Digest Guide to Poetic Forms, by Robert Lee Brewer.

This e-book covers more than 40 poetic forms and shares examples to illustrate how each form works. Discover a new universe of poetic possibilities and apply it to your poetry today!

Click to continue.

*****

The purpose of the #SavePoetry campaign is to treat poetry as an endangered species—endangered because, however many people might be writing it, very, very few read it outside of classroom assignments. To build on the analogy, while I am grateful for the “preserves” of colleges and universities, I want to release poetry “back into the wild” by making it a part of daily life.

As a young Classicist, I was inspired to learn that such great poetry as Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey and the plays of Sophocles were originally popular entertainment. I want the same for my culture. I imagine an America in which people quote poetry in everyday conversations and where it is just as common to see someone reading poetry on a city bus as listening to music on headphones.

Making More People Comfortable With Poetry

The main way the campaign is working to bring this change about is by making

Aaron Poochigian

more people comfortable with poetry. One part of this burden falls on the poets themselves who, whatever else they may write, should present in public poems that engage, fascinate, even ravish audiences. The other part involves managing reader expectations.

Most people find poetry alienating, as if it were a foreign language to decipher, a code to crack, a riddle to solve. People should be encouraged to regard reading and hearing poetry as an aesthetic experience similar to listening to a song. Everyone, by virtue of being human, is qualified to respond to, enjoy or even criticize it.

As Matthew Zapruder explains, poetry “is our communal language. Poetry is not written for experts and it’s not written for scholars and it doesn’t belong to the priests of literature, it belongs to the people.”

The campaign is also working to bring poetry to a non-academic audience by encouraging the reading of poetry at a variety of occasions (parties, weddings, funerals, etc.) and at off-campus venues. I was excited to read that the Ness Book Festival in Inverness, Scotland hosted a reading of football-themed poetry in a football stadium. Why not poetry at Madison Square Garden and the Hollywood Bowl?

Expanding the Audience for Poetry

I wrote my verse novel Mr. Either/Or for many reasons, one of which was the concern with finding a broader audience for poetry. Fun, snappy, accessible narrative verse seemed a good way to do it. The “action” mode was appealing to me for a number of reasons. First, because it is the opposite of most of the poetry that is being written today—it is not static, observational, meditative. Second, the adventures of the hero gave me, I confess, a purely escapist pleasure.

More specifically, I wanted to write poetry that would engage millennials. Because the hero “you” is a 20-something, I had to charge up the book with his slang and idioms—with living language, the language of today and tomorrow, and his way of thinking and speaking brought my whole poetic style up to date. The book embodies one of the central tenets of the #SavePoetry campaign, that poetry can be about anything—anything from shopping at Walgreens, to molemen living in subway tunnels, to alien invaders.

Thus it is that the #SavePoetry campaign is working to take poetry, which has survived in the “refuges” of Academia, and repopulate America with it, so that it becomes an integral part of our daily lives.

*****

If you’d like to share your voice on any poetry-related topic at Poetic Asides, please send an e-mail to [email protected] with the subject line “Poetic Asides Guest Post” with a brief idea of what you’d like to cover or send along a 300-500 word post on spec. And be sure to include your preferred bio (50-100 words) and head shot. If I like what you send, I’ll include it as a future guest post on the blog.

*****

Find more poetic posts here:

10 Best Poetry Podcasts for Poets.

Poetry Is Not a Competitive Sport: Pooja Nansi.

Jaswinder Bolina: Poet Interview.

The post The #SavePoetry Campaign, by Aaron Poochigian appeared first on WritersDigest.com.

from Writing Editor Blogs – WritersDigest.com http://www.writersdigest.com/whats-new/savepoetry-campaign-aaron-poochigian

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millythegoat · 1 month ago

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I was cleaning my room while listening to this podcast

Almost tripped with my broom when the guy said: "the media will slot-shaming him if he start losing"

#heroes and humans of football #podcast #that is awesome #especially it's comes from dutch people #arne slot #lfc #Spotify

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junker-town · 5 years ago

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All hail Andy Reid, the NFL’s most quotable coach

Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

He’s given us some infinite wisdom on coaching, Mozart, cheeseburgers, and more over the years.

Andy Reid won his first-ever Super Bowl as a head coach when his Kansas City Chiefs beat the San Francisco 49ers. Reid, who has been a head coach since 1999, entered the game at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami as the NFL’s winningest head coach without a Lombardi Trophy. A win in Super Bowl 54 completed his impressive coaching legacy.

Reid is known for his innovation on offense, most recently with Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs’ high-powered offense. But coaching styles aside, the man nicknamed “Big Red” is also known for his big personality.

With that comes a lot of great quotes from him throughout the years. These are just a few of his greatest hits.

Rei has offered a lot of insightful wisdom in his years of coaching.

Reid is one of the longest-tenured, and most respected, coaches in the NFL. He started his head coaching career with the Philadelphia Eagles in 1999. He was then hired by the Chiefs in 2013 after the Eagles moved on from Reid following the 2012 season.

After his first season in Kansas City, he gave some advice to prospective coaches.

“Respecting people is an important part of life whether it’s the person doing janitorial work or the person above you,” Reid said, via the Associated Press. “It doesn’t matter who you are, I’m going to respect you.”

He’s expressed that sentiment other times, too, including after the Super Bowl win:

Andy Reid on reflecting on the last 30 years: “I’ll tell you, it’s awesome. I’m not sure it’s completely settled in… we all know that it’s not a one-man show. It takes a team together. Not just the players, not just the coaches. Everybody."

— Arrowhead Pride (@ArrowheadPride) February 3, 2020

And for those who might be getting older and need to be composed in big moments — like the 61-year-old Reid — he had a PSA about heart health:

“My heart’s racing. I’m getting older, can’t let it race too fast.” Andy Reid with the quote of the night!

— Liz Gonzales (@TheLizGonzales) February 3, 2020

He’s always ready with a great one-liner, too.

The morning after winning the Super Bowl, Reid was asked if he slept with the Lombardi Trophy. He responded with a shoutout to his wife, which probably would have been a lot creepier if it was anyone other than Reid saying it:

Reid: "I didn't spend the night with the trophy. I spent it with my trophy wife."

— Adam Teicher (@adamteicher) February 3, 2020

Reid and his wife, Tammy, have been married for 38 years. Goals!

He’s also had some pretty good quips about football. Now I’m not exactly sure what a tiddlywink contest is exactly, but it’s apparently not something you want to do during a football game:

Andy Reid quote of the day, in any context: "We're not in a tiddlywink contest. There's a certain amount of pressure that comes with the sport."

— Brooke Pryor (@bepryor) November 28, 2018

As Reid and other head coaches know, not every game will be flawless. After Kansas City won a sloppy game against the Detroit Lions in Week 4 of the 2019 season, Reid said “not all of Mozart’s paintings were perfect” because, sure?

How bout those Chiefs! pic.twitter.com/qv7wq28BuT

— Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) September 29, 2019

This other football quote from him about a four-point stance really needs no comment:

Favorite no-context needed quote from Andy Reid this morning: "You don’t come out of the womb in a four-point stance. Well, you kind of do. But you don’t stay there very long." Btw, this was also the second time he said womb at the coaches breakfast.

— Brooke Pryor (@bepryor) March 26, 2019

He also once compared himself, unfavorably, to Von Miller:

Andy Reid on @VonMiller’s athleticism: “He can bear-crawl faster than I can run.”

— Nicki Jhabvala (@NickiJhabvala) October 24, 2018

I’d like to see this race happen in real life, just to be sure this is correct.

The man really loves his cheeseburgers, and talks about this love A LOT.

After the Chiefs’ Super Bowl win, Reid said he was ready to “get the biggest cheeseburger you’ve ever seen ... might be a double.”

Andy Reid's going to get the biggest cheeseburger he can find, might make it a double pic.twitter.com/BjTeYvtPsb

— CJ Fogler (@cjzero) February 3, 2020

He expanded further on his cheeseburger plans at his postgame presser, adding that he was going to get one with extra cheese:

It’s cheeseburger time for Andy Reid. pic.twitter.com/IOblwkIDxU

— USA TODAY Sports (@usatodaysports) February 3, 2020

Following up big wins with cheeseburgers is kind of Reid’s thing. It’s how he celebrated the Chiefs’ AFC Championship victory over the Tennessee Titans:

“I had a cheeseburger and went to bed.” - (Classic) Andy Reid on how he celebrated last night.

— BJ Kissel (@ChiefsReporter) January 20, 2020

He doesn’t just crave burgers after games — he wants them before games, too:

#Chiefs coach Andy Reid gets to work around 4:30 am for a noon home game, and he wants a hamburger. pic.twitter.com/E2g4Rzgt2y

— BJ Kissel (@ChiefsReporter) December 7, 2018

Reid knows exactly how he likes his burgers. Via Arrowhead Pride, from 2015:

“I like it medium,” Reid said on 610 Sports (24 minute mark here). “It’s hard, I mean, you have to execute that thing the right way. You have to get it to where it’s perfect and juicy when you cut it open but not raw. Then a nice slice of good, fresh Vidalia onion on it. Some mayo and ketchup. A little squirt of mustard but not too much. Pickles, lettuce and tomato and I’m ready to roll. The bun becomes very important. To put all that together and make it perfect, there’s some time involved. That’s where it comes in. You practice, you get it right and then when you bite into it baby, it’s ecstasy right there, so that’s like a good play.”

Speaking of food, Reid often discusses his love for various cuisines.

In the week leading up to Super Bowl 54, Reid compared having his nine grandchildren to ... wait for it ... sweet and sour pork:

A wise man once said that grandchildren are kind of like sweet and sour pork. pic.twitter.com/4U7yB0ZSOd

— Arrowhead Pride (@ArrowheadPride) January 30, 2020

“Those nine grandkids are awesome. They make you feel young, and at the same time, they make you feel old. It’s kind of like sweet and sour pork.”

Seeing a pattern here? Reid is a big red meat guy, and as someone who probably eats more red meat on a regular basis than a human should, I really appreciate this about him.

On a related note, please know that Reid apparently once ordered three steaks at one sitting. In 2017, five years after Reid had coached in Philadelphia, Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie said Reid did it the first time the two met at dinner:

Lurie says the first time he went out to dinner with Andy Reid, Reid ordered 3 steaks at once #Eagles

— Eliot Shorr-Parks (@EliotShorrParks) September 7, 2017

A regional VP of Del Frisco’s steakhouse, Rich Furino, amazingly confirmed the story to NBC Philadelphia:

“Basically, when the server comes up and gives their speel, they describe the different cuts of meat, flavor profiles, and textures, he described them to Andy and said, ‘Would you like the ribeye, the New York strip, or the filet mignon?’” Furino said on a radio appearance. “And Andy said, ‘Yes.’ Like yes to all three. That’s kind of how it got started. They put all three in front of him. He put down about 90% of them.”

Reid is officially my hero after reading this story. As for the head coach’s side of the story, he claims he doesn’t remember doing it, but will take credit for it anyway:

“That’s what he said? He’s too funny,” Reid said on a podcast with Adam Schefter. “Well, I might have. It might have been for Joe, Jeffrey, and Andy. Other than that, I don’t remember ordering three steaks. I’ll take credit for it though.”

Years before that, he put down a 40-ounce steak in 19 minutes when he and current NFL Network analyst Steve Mariucci were assistants with the Green Bay Packers.

“When we were rooming together at Green Bay, our wives weren't moved there yet, so we’d go out to eat every night,” Mariucci said on the Rich Eisen show in 2015. “We went to this one place, this Prime Quarters, a steak place, and if you could eat a 40-ounce steak and the salad, and garlic bread, and other stuff around it — if you could eat it under an hour, you get your next meal free, and you get your picture on the wall with a big bib, and that baker’s hat or whatever it is. Andy finished his meal in 19 minutes, and I finished mine in 30 and we are still on the wall over there at that restaurant.”

Amazingly, that photo exists on Twitter:

As promised, @SteveMariucci photo with @Chiefs HC Andy Reid after they destroyed 40oz steaks when they both were @packers assistants. pic.twitter.com/VLMUkGWMBz

— Rich Eisen Show (@RichEisenShow) December 6, 2016

He doesn’t exclusively just eat or talk about red meat, though.

Before his 2019 Super Bowl-winning season with the Chiefs, Reid’s biggest offseason accomplishment was eating chile relleno, which is a Mexican dish:

Andy Reid was asked if he did anything fun or exotic this offseason: “I attacked a couple Chile rellenos.”

— Jeff Darlington (@JeffDarlington) July 23, 2019

In 2013 when Peyton Manning was still in the league, Reid compared what Manning can do in football with what Reid can do at a buffet.

youtube

“I would tell you he’s talented. There’s talent. You and I could do this at a buffet, but he does it on the football field, and there’s some athletic ability that takes place there.”

Same, Andy. Same.

How he eats Snickers bars is especially innovative, just like his schemes:

More Andy Reid being Andy Reid: 'It's like a Snickers bar in the freezer, right? I mean, it's treasured.' #Chiefs #NFL

— Sean Keeler (@SeanKeeler) June 5, 2014

Who doesn’t want to try that now?

It’s really hard not to love a coach who can crank out one-liners like these. He’s not going anywhere, and neither are the Chiefs, so expect more of the ever-quotable Andy Reid in the future.

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2cannon20 · 4 years ago

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Every Day. For 35 Days. I Ran…….. For like 15-60mins. Not like 35 days all day or anything like that. Lets not get carried away.

Even so, this probably raises a few questions like: Why? How? Did you get hurt? How did you feel after all that running? What did you learn? Are you crazy?

The last question is up for debate, and will continue to be as such for the rest of my life I am sure. You will get different answers depending on who you ask.

The others I will do my best to answer.

Lets start with WHAT I did over the 35 days of running. I started on Monday, April 27th and finished on Sunday, May 31st. I ran over 130km and amassed almost 12 hours of running over those 35 days. I ran in the snow, the rain, some decent heat (for Canada considering we had just come out of winter, or so I thought….), and in some pretty nasty winds too. I ran at least 3km every day and never more than 10km in any day. I always did the entire distance in one run, no stops, no walking. While I was doing this running I also mixed in some heavy Squats for some of it, a few days of Weightlifting, and was doing 4-5 CrossFit WODs per week. The CrossFit WODs were dumbbell based and generally were light load (50# dumbbell) or body weight and high reps. On day 27 I also did the Hero WOD Murph (with Ring Rows instead of Pull-ups).

Day 13 of Run Every Day

It was +11 and sunny yesterday

That might be all neat and some fancy numbers but you likely are still asking WHY run EVERY day for 35 days?

There are a few pieces to this. The first is that I needed a challenge. This was about a month and a half into things more or less shutting down from COVID-19 and I needed something to get me going again as I was losing motivation and steam fast. But thats not the only reason.

When I was younger I used to actually enjoy running, and I used to be good at it too. Most of the sports I played growing up (Football, Ultimate Frisbee, Soccer, Baseball, Lacrosse, Track and Field and others) required me to be a good runner. I wasn’t big by any means so what I lacked in size I often had to make up for in intelligence, but also speed and endurance. After finishing University and traveling for 6 months I decided I wanted to give CrossFit a try. I instantly fell in love with it and the type of people it drew. I was the speedy, gymnastics guy at the local Crossfit. But as soon as you threw a barbell in there I was screwed. Once I realized that, I immediately started focusing on the lifting aspect of fitness, and trying to get bigger and stronger. Fast forward 6 years and all my strength and gymnastics numbers have increased (along with my bodyweight), but I felt my running had gotten much worse. I was for sure more fit overall but there was a glaring gap in my fitness and that was partially cardio in general but mostly running. I now had flipped almost entirely and now pretty much any workout with running in it destroyed me. It was getting to the point that I would say any workout with running in it I actually hated. But with the gyms being closed and getting tired of lifting in my windowless basement I decided I would take on something outside that would hopefully make me a better, more well rounded athlete and human. So I guess point two on why I ran for 35 days straight is: I was sick of feeling like I was a terrible runner, was sick of lifting in my windowless basement, and saw an opportunity to improve running as the weather was getting much nicer as spring started to take it’s hold. So, point two is basically a collection of points that resulted in me needing to do something different.

Also at this time, I heard Ben Bergeron say something on a podcast that really made sense to me. It was basically that if you lost a point in one area of fitness and it dropped from an 8 to a 7 but at the same time increased another area of fitness from a 3 to a 6 you actually became more fit overall. So in the interest of becoming more fit and a more well rounded athlete we find my third reason why I ran for 35 days straight.

There are two distinct events that influenced the EVERY DAY part of this though and make up reason four for why I ran every day for 35 days.

60 minutes. Row for Distance. That was it. That was the workout.

When I was living in NZ I was attending a CrossFit that did not have rowers. We either ran or skipped, or did burpees or box jumps as our only “cardio”. One month we went really wild on burpees. Every day. For an entire month. We did burpees. They were either in the warmup or the workout. For an ENTIRE month.

Both of these taught me something similar. That if I do enough of something I potentially no longer hate it. I still DO NOT like Rowing or Burpees but when they come up I know I will survive and be able to get through the workout in a decent time. I have come to terms with them being there and don’t really react or care if they are in the workout.

So taking those thoughts, ideas, and experiences I decided that I was going to run every day for a month. Which then turned into 35 days because I have mild OCD and needed it to end on a nice number. 5 full weeks. Also when I made my spreadsheet to track everything I put in 5 weeks for some reason…….Copy and paste got a little carried away…… The hope was that by the end of the 5 weeks I would not hate running anymore, stay healthy, not lose too much strength, and if I was lucky I would be a better runner and a more well rounded athlete.

Now another big part. HOW did I put it together?

The first thing I did was set a minimum and maximum distance I would run on any given day. The minimum I set as 3km because the only other running I had done that year (both in the month before) were 3km runs and they weren’t too bad. I figured even on a really sore and tired day I could jog, or more likely waddle, 3km. The maximum I set at 10km because it was the farthest I had ever ran in one go in my life. I had only ever done it once in my entire life. The other distances I picked were 5km and 8km. I picked 5km because it seemed to be a pretty standard distance that was ran a lot. I picked 8km because it was long enough I knew it would be challenging… but it wasn’t 10km. Also 5+3=8 so……math.

The next step was to designate what days I would try to run what distances.

PLAN 1 Monday -> 3km – because I was squatting that day Tuesday -> 3 or 5 or 8km – depending on how I felt after my squats Wednesday -> 5 or 8km – there wasn’t really much logic behind this but it was what I wrote down Thursday -> 3km – because I squatted this day as well Friday -> 3 or 5 or 8km – depending on how I felt after squats Saturday -> 10km – it’s the weekend. I got time. Go for a long run. Sunday -> 3km – recovery run

That was the initial plan anyway. It made it to Saturday. The first week went 3/3/5/3/3/3/3=23km. Part way through the week I made the decision I would ease into it. I was feeling much better than I thought I would but wanted to give myself the best chance at actually finishing the 35 days. That is when I made the second version of the plan.

SIDE NOTE: At the end of week 1 I realized my FitBit was not tracking distance properly and left me a bit short on every run. I then used RunKeeper after that. I also used RunKeeper to calculate out roughly how much of each run I was missing. All the 3km runs were closer to 2.7 and my 5km run was more like 4.5. I also recalculated all my paces for each run knowing that I had not ran as far as I thought.

PLAN 2 WK1 -> 3/3/5/3/3/3/3 WK2 -> 3/3/8/3/3/3/3 WK3 -> 3/3/10/3/3/5OR3/3 WK4 -> 3/3/10/3/3/5OR8/3 WK5 -> 3/10/3/5/3/8/3

SIDE NOTE: At this point some of you may now have a new questions. It might be something along the lines of “What the hell kind of plan is this?” Let me explain. I have never actually followed any sort of running program in my life. So the structure of this challenge may look a little different than most running programs. I would say still to this day I have not followed a running program because I did not follow the distances I had set out at the start and I had at least 3 different versions of this plan by the time I was done. I do however feel that the changes I made were appropriate and still kept the overall intent of the plan intact.

The second version of my plan saw the end of squats in week 3. The volume of the running plus the squats was adding up. Plus I was at a nice spot in the squat program to stop. The second version also saw the addition of a 3km Vest (30#) run on the Friday of week 3. The second version also saw the creation of… the third version.

Version three looked like this:

PLAN 3 WK3 -> 3/3/10/3/3Vest/5/3 WK4 -> 3Vest/3/3/3/3/3.2(Murph)/3 WK5 -> 5/3/10/3/8/3Vest/3

When I came to week 4 I was feeling pretty good considering I had gone from running once a month to every day this month. But I wanted to gear up for a big final week so I decided to chill out a bit on week 4. The idea was I was taking week 4 easy because I wanted to do all the runs in week 5 and be able to give very high effort on all of them. This meant I was going to try to PR my 3km, 5km, 8km, 10km, and 3km Vest (30#) runs all in the span of 7 days.

SIDE NOTE: I counted the runs from Murph as my minimum 3km. Murph starts and ends with a mile run. 1 mile = 1.6km, so 1.6km+1.6km=3.2km. I figured the 100 Ring Rows, 200 Push-ups, and 300 Air Squats was an okay reason to stop running part way through my 3km. This was the first and only time I stopped running during any of my runs. That includes not walking during any of them either.

Results

WEEK 5 Monday -> 5km – Time – 23:36, Pace – 4:42min/km (PR by 1:54) Tuesday -> 3km – Time – 14:33, Pace – 4:49min/km (1 second slower than best) Wednesday -> 10km – Time – 52:31, Pace – 5:14min/km (21 seconds slower than best) Thursday -> 3km – Time – 16:05, Pace – 5:19min/km (Recovery run) Friday -> 8km – Time – 41:18, Pace – 5:09min/km (PR by 4:31) Saturday -> 3km Vest(30#) – Time – 17:12, Pace – 5:42min/km (PR by 19s) Sunday -> 3km – Time – 14:27, Pace – 4:46min/km (PR by 5s)

Week 1: Total Distance = 20.7km, Avg. pace = 6:00min/km Week 2: Total Distance = 26km, Avg. pace = 5:41min/km Week 3: Total Distance = 30km, Avg. pace = 5:36min/km Week 4: Total Distance = 18km, Avg. pace = 5:22min/km (+3.2km from Murph) Week 5: Total Distance = 35km, Avg. pace = 5:06min/km

I ran my best times in my life in the 3km, 5km, 8km, and 3km with a Vest. I also got within 21s of my best 10km run ever. My resting HR dropped from 66 to 60 and my average pace per km went from 6:00 to 5:06 despite running MUCH further in the final week. On average I slept 7 hours and 20mins each night. I weighed 182-185 lbs throught the 35 days.

Final Thoughts, Findings and, Key Points

The 8km and 10km runs were always done on days I did nothing else. While I was doing this run month I was working 3-4 hours each day, centered around lunch, Monday to Friday. The 3km runs were often just fillers and I generally did not care how fast or slow I ran. I was just doing it to get in the run to meet the EVERY DAY part and used it to focus more on the WAY I ran.

I honestly was not very confident in my ability to actually finish this challenge. I felt there was a very good chance that this much running would leave me injured before Week 1 was done. But I was pleasantly surprised that I did not get injured and had very few runs that felt bad through the whole run. I had many runs where the start did not feel good. I would have aches in my shins, hips, feet, or calves. Or I had a few runs where I started off with pretty rough headaches. For whatever reason though, those things seemed to go away after the first km or so. On the days that I rolled out my legs (most importantly my calves) I always felt better the next day. So if I do something like this again I need to make mobility and foam rolling a staple of the program as well.

Through this I also feel like I found my stride. There is a sweet spot for me that is just back from the balls of my feet. If I can focus my contact point there I found I ran faster and my legs (most noticeably my calves) were not as sore the next day.

The day after I finished my run every day I rested completely. The second day I lifted. I was very interesting to see how lifting heavy-ish a couple times a week while running every day would affect my strength. I think I lost some strength through it but to hit 90% on my Snatch and 94% on my Clean after 35 days of running I was more than happy.

SIDE NOTE: During the 35 days I did Snatches 2 times, Cleans 4 times, Squats 5 times, and Deadlifted 1 time. So that is 12 TOTAL days that I lifted a barbell in the 35 days of running.

I am very interested in creating/trying/testing something similar with more lifting involved. This time was very light weight and body weight based training outside of the running. So now I am quite curious as to how it would work with something like this if I was lifting heavy more often throughout.

If I do try to create another challenge like this with more lifting involved there are some key points I will need to keep in mind: 1. STRETCH and MOBILIZE: Every day I will need to stretch and do some mobility (typically I stretch approximately never….). When I stopped squatting heavy I no longer got lower back pain while I was running. I believe this is due to less tightness in the quads, glutes, and hamstrings. 2. If I run more than 5km it needs to be done on a day that all I have to do is run. 3. Remember to focus the foot strike just back from the balls of my feet and think about long relaxed strides. 4. For me I need to have a plan BUT I also need to have flexibility within the plan. Just the way my brain works.

So all in all the 35 days of running turned out pretty good I would say. I got faster. My resting HR went down. I didn’t get hurt. I learned how to run better and relax into it even when I was tired or sore. I stayed pretty strong relative to where I started. I believe I am more fit because of it. I don’t hate running anymore (still wouldn’t say I like it). I have grown to hate running less enough that I am thinking of doing something similar while lifting weights as well.

Run Every Day Every Day. For 35 Days. I Ran........ For like 15-60mins. Not like 35 days all day or anything like that.

#Challenge #Have Fun #Learning #Run #Workout

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rayman-25 · 6 years ago

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Podcast Adventure Episode 2 Into the Light (2eme partie)

Warning

I do not have the characters of Gravity Falls, Phineas and Ferb, the Loud house, Teenagers mutant ninja turtles, Tekken and youtubeur (Moketo, Squeezie and Kirbendoworld) except John, Marc and Alice.

In the previous chapter

While Lincoln and Clyde were playing their game "Battle Moles," Lincoln's big sisters, came in from the house with a newspaper. He writes: "Manhattan's monster hunt contest which states that anyone who can find monsters wins a $ 100 00 reward"

One night, Lincoln, his sisters, Jean Wendy and the others, have to find his monsters and win $ 100,000. But April is hiding some things.

Arriving at the park, April received a text message from Leo. She went in search of her brothers. The Loud and the Podcast (except Mabel, Lincoln, Dipper, Irving and Marc) make a meeting of Pyronica.

Meanwhile in the old playground, April found her brother, but she does not know how to take it. That's when Lincoln saw them and the turtles. He went to warn his sister, but Leo looks at him and says, « You're just a kid! »

« AAAAHHHHH! » Lincoln screamed back to panic about it until he fainted.

« Oh no, » April says, worried that Lincoln spotted her turtles.

Now here is the sequel.

Arc 1: Heroes in a Loud-Shell! Episode 2

"Into the Light (part 2)"

« When I saw this kid fainting towards these creatures, I took pictures of them. I do not know how they became like that. When I left the park, I saw again it was a creature who jumped from roof to roof. Before going home, I first went to the police station to show them pictures of it's creatures »

Lincoln had fainted after seeing the turtles for the first time and April decided to help him, « Lincoln! » The turtles, on the other hand, were stunned by this intrusion, confused.

« Wait, April, do you know that little old man? » Mikey asked, her voice surprised by the fact that she knew a middle-aged person, or at least he thought so.

« Mikey, he's not a senior, » Donnie corrected.

« He is 11 years old » corrected April.

« So what about his white hair? » Mikey asked again.

« He must have a rare congenital malformation, » Donnie theorized.

« Guys, that's not the problem at the moment! » Leo shouted to his brothers and was slightly disappointed to let him see. « Our blanket has just been blown by an 11 year old kid! Do you know how many problems we are going to have now? »

Mikey, however, tries to think more about the positive note, « Oh, but how can this cute little guy get us into trouble? » Thought Mikey. So, he had an idea: « Wait, can we keep it ?! »

« You know it's called human trafficking and there will be a bigger research team for children! » Donnie had told Mikey.

Mikey, however, had taken the wrong path. « I have no idea what you just said Donnie, though I did understand ‘party’ so that would be great! »

Of course, Donnie just moans about Mikey's disillusionment. Leo, meanwhile, wonders about the child. « Well apart from that, again how do you know him, April? »

« He is part of the Loud family I told you about. »

« Wait, he's the only boy in his family, I thought you said the family was made up of girls? » Asked Mikey in amazement.

« Composed mostly of girls, » corrected April

« Does that mean that his sisters are here ?! » Donnie said, worried about her phobia acting.

« I do not think, I only saw it by anyone, » Leo said, trying to calm his brother.

As soon as someone was about to answer, Lincoln had finally woken up and was right next to April, « A-a-April? »

« Hey Lincoln, how are you feeling? » His emphatic and maternal tone.

« Stunned, I had a stranger dream where you were there and there were ... » Lincoln looked at the brothers. He was as stunned as panicked

« We come in peace, » Mikey said to Lincoln with a bright smile. But Lincoln screamed in fear, « Huh, it usually works. »

« In the movies, » says Donnie.

« Giant turtles! » Lincoln was panicked as he was before fainting, « It must be a strange and endless dream! How are they standing ?! How can they talk ?! Who or what are you guys ?! » Lincoln shouted.

April puts her soft hand on Lincoln's shoulder. « Relax, Lincoln. They do not want to hurt you. »

« H-h-how do you know that ?! » Lincoln shouted again, confused by the news.

« Because she is our sister, dude ». Mikey said absently to Lincoln.

Leo gave Mikey a whim. Lincoln looked questioningly, « Your Sisters ?! »

« It's a very long story, » April told the boy timidly.

« So, these turtles are your brothers !? How is it possible?! »

« You certainly ask a lot of questions. As she said kiddo, it's a long story, » said Leo.

Dipper, Mabel, Waddles, and Irving, ran before the entrance where they had heard Lincoln, Cree. Arrived in front of the place where April and Lincoln are, they saw three giant turtles in front of April and Lincoln. Dipper looked at it's creatures, « What's it creature? »

Irving was nervous for something « Guys I'll explain everything to you »

« Groinc, » squealed Waddles.

« Wait, do you know those monsters? » Mabel asked.

« Uh ... »

While April tried to tell Lincoln about his brothers, Leo lives in the distance, three children and a little pig « tell the guys, who's down there? » Leo asked.

April looked down and, but, he saw people. Waddles began to approach him from Lincoln and lick his face « yuck, Waddles stop! » Lincoln shouted.

Mikey approached Mabel and he looks smiling « ahhhhh » Mabel shouted.

"Ahhhh," Mikey shouted in turn. Mabel began to panic and started panicking, shouting, « ge-Get away from me! Don’t eat me! »

Mikey sending Mabel answered him: « why would I eat you? »

But Waddles jumped on Mikey to save Mabel's life. But instead of biting him, he licked his face « Help guys! April! Lincoln! »

Mabel staring at his little pig who was licking the face of the giant turtle « Do not worry, Mikey he's not mean, » Lincoln said.

« Wait, do you know that monster? » Mabel asked.

April puts her soft hand on Mabel's shoulder. « don’t worry, Mabel. They do not want to hurt you, they are my brothers »

Dipper looked at April « Wait, so that means it's creature ..."

« She's already said, Dipper, » Irving interjects.

« It's a very long story, » April said timidly to the children and Waddles.

In front of the big lake, Pyronica threw her fireball in front of John's chest. He fell into the lake.

« John! » Shouted Luan and Alice.

Pyronica ran to elico, but Wendy used her foot to knock her down.

« Are you going like that ?! » She asked.

« Ok change of plans: Wendy, Alice, Squeezie and Thompson kick the backside to this pink, ugly woman and any disgust. We are going to find these creatures. I hope they do not hurt Lincoln and April, » says Lori.

Sisters Loud, Robbie, Tambry, Albert and Moketo left the park to find Lincoln and April. Pyronica stood up and start fighting. Wendy found a stick and hit the pink woman on her face. Pyronica was angry in his eyes. « Oh no, it's not over yet. You thought you could fight without Dipper and Mabel? I am powerful than you »

Pyronica rushed to Wendy. Both fell to the ground. Pyronica hit Wendy in the face again, and Wendy grabbed her head. Wendy pushed the pink pyro woman above him and the two got up. Alice, Thompson and Lucas went back to the hot dog stand and found things. Then they went back to Pyronica and Wendy « No people will interrupt us! » They said.

Lucas jumped in front of Pyronica. Alice gave him a knife on his chest. But the latter, dodged. Pyronica started giving him the coup de grace, but Wendy with the stick gave her a big blow on the head and Alice stabbed on the chest. Thompson by the belly with a blow of ball and Lucas the foot by the head.

« Double Reppuu Ken! » Alice shouted, giving Pyronica's right leg her feet. Thompson ran and jumped to Pyronica, but Pyronica threw him a small fireball in front of his stomach. Thompson fell to the ground and Pyronica gave him the coup de grace. But this one, still alive, evaded his attacks. The latter ran towards her, but the pink woman teleported and Thompson fell to the ground again. Pyronica is now teleporting in front of Alice.

Alice jumped « Double Rep ... » But Pyronica used her fists of fire to steal her.

« Take this, Pyrowoman! » Squeezie shouted, jumping in front of his chest. The pyro woman screamed in pain.

But she burst out laughing « ah ah ah ah ah, you! You are only fools! » Alice crushed her, but Pyronica teleported behind her. Angry Alice ran towards her and Wendy gave Pyronica the final blow. Pyronica avoids it and teleports. « Fire bomb! » Cried

Pyronica. She teleported to them again to make them fly « ah ah, you women of the earth, you are too weak for my taste. You thought you could beat me? » Pyronica asked with a happy face.

Squeezie ran to her « Shoryuken! » He shouted with an uppercut.

In the areas, Pyronica went down to Squeezie, but Thompson also gave him an uppercut « Rashomon! » He shouted.

My will to fight the knight

Face the Knight

In a world of evil light

And I'll survive

On my own

Overthrown yet not alone

And I'm alive...

My will to survive

My will to fight the knight…

Thompson and Squeezie ran to her. But she was still standing « fire sword! I call you! » Pyronica shouted. And the sword of fire appears by his hand. She turned around ten times and sent the two teenagers to the hot dog stand.

« Thompson! » Alice shouted. But Pyronica teleported to her, took Alice by her chest and she threw it on the floor.

Thompson ran to Alice for help. But Pyronica teleported behind him and sent him to the areas. The latter fell in front of the tree. Squeezie arrived. He intended to eliminate the woman's flame, but he was scared and started running towards the lake « I do not intend to kill, that boy » she thought. Alice Arriva. But Pyronica hit Alice's face and used the sword of fire on her forehead « But you're going to give me the pleasure of cooperating with me. » And together, we will be able to destroy the turtles and the football clan! She shouted.

Suddenly someone ran towards her. It was Mark, « who are you? » Pyronica asked.

« You better kill him, » Marc said. He started to hit his face « Where is my brother ?! »

Pyronica hit Mark's face. « Nooo, Mark! » Alice shouted.

« I've never heard the clan of foots, but killed giant turtles, will you do, » said Alice « and for cooperation, never! »

Wendy runs to her and prays to him by the chest « Squeezie quickly! » She shouted.

« Ok, I'm coming ! Lucas said running towards Pyronica. But before he arrives, he sees someone moving in the water. It was John « John! You are alive! Give me your hand, » said Squeezie, giving him his hand to John.

« What are you doing, damn it ?! » Wendy shouted.

« It's the perfect moment for the final shot! » Pyronica gave Wendy a little ball of fire and sent her to the park exit. Wendy ran past the park entrance to warn Squeezie.

« Finally, I do not think you're that bad, » John said with a happy face.

Squeezie Smile too. But he looked at Pyronica who used his magic sword to give him the final blow « John! Watch out! » He shouted.

Lucas pushed John and Pyronica sent him to the areas. She used the sword, giving her twenty shots, and she sent him a huge fireball and threw it to Squeezie, and the ball fell with him into the big lake.

« Noooo! » Jean shouted. He plunged into the lake to save Lucas. He came to the surface with him.

« I think I'm done here, » Pyronica said. She saw a little fog in the park. She left the park without her henchmen and the helicopter.

Wendy, Alice, Marc and Thompson ran to them « Are you all right? » Wendy asked.

« Yes. But you have to go home, » says Jean « it's way too dangerous »

« We must act quickly. Otherwise, the fog will be disciple, » said Thompson.

But Wendy found a stupid idea: « very well returned home, me and Squeezie we will wait Albert »

As they walked, Alice looked at Marc: « Tell me, were you or did you see the helicopter? »

« Well, I was at the store buying popcorn, » Marc explained to Alice.

« Listen to me, if you want Wednesday, we'll buy popcorn, » Alice said.

They arrived towards the exit and took the camper.

A minute later in the motorhome, Thompson told the group, « We're going to eat in a Mcdo and we're going home to do our free time. »

Alice called Soos : « Hello Soos? Yes, it's me, Alice, what do you eat at home? »

« Kirb and I are going to eat roast chicken with green vegetables. If you want, you can go eat with us. »

« Yuck. No question Soos, » said Alice, disgusted. « We're going to eat in a mcdo. But don’t worry, we promise you to come back »

Meanwhile, Raph was finally out of the garbage truck that had stopped completely and headed for an alley. But he was not more than happy: « I'm going to kill Mikey once we get together. And now, I feel the garbage! I mean seriously that this idiot would get killed if there was not me, Donnie or Leo who saved his ass! »

As he shook himself off the garbage and took a banana peel, he pulled out his T-Phone to call his brothers. Unfortunately, he had no signal around the area. « Well great just great! Is there anything else that could go wrong ?! » Raph shouted, he did not know someone had heard him.

"Guys, I think I heard something! "

Raph heard a voice and quickly understood: « Shit! » He decided to hide in an emergency exit. As he jumped straight ahead.

While he was hiding, the girls Loud, Albert, Moketo, Robbie, Tambry and Clyde entered the alley and began to look around him.

« Are you sure you heard him? » Lola asked Lynn.

Lynn replied, « I'm sure I heard something! It comes from here! »

Luna said, « Maybe he was just a random New Yorker, sister. They are always noisy like us. »

« What would a New Yorker do at random in an alley at night? » Clyde said suspiciously.

« Uh, get mugged, » Lana told them a little nervous.

They all seem a little nervous. While Raph was watching, « These are just a bunch of stupid girls, a nerdy boy, a guy with carpet on his head, a girl phone and a black punk, » he murmured.

Tambry answered Clyde, « So tell me, Clyde. How do you find us? »

« Well, uh … »

« Well, well, look what we have here. » A pair of Purple Dragon thugs headed for Clyde, Albert, Moketo, Robbie, Tambry and the girls, catching Raph's attention.

« What do you want, guys ?! » Luan asked, trying to sound brave.

« We just hope to catch punks who are joking with our-! »

One of the other thugs hit him on the back of his neck, « Do not tell them! He glanced over the Louds. « Let me make it as easy as possible, give us your things now! »

« No way ! » Lola shouted.

« In your dreams ! » Lynn said.

« I would like to live better! » Lucy says mecholony.

« Let me ask again! » He takes a gun from his pocket, « Give us your things!"

The girls Albert, Moketo, Robbie, Tambry and Clyde started getting nervous and the hooligans just smiled with their faces.

« Come on, I hate ruining your pretty faces. » Then, out of nowhere, a shuriken came towards the shooter's hand. The thug started screaming with pain in his hand. « Aaahhhhhhhh! »

« Was it a star that comes spear ?! » Asked one of the thugs with a blue scare.

« No idiot, it was an insect, of course, it was not a shooting star! » The leading gangster shouted.

« Does not that mean that one of them is here ?! »

Lynn used her baseball bat which she originally used for the monsters to hit the leader on the other side of her face, « Take this, Punks Purple ?! »

« I think that made him crazy. Ah ah! » Plaisanta Luan and the girls and Clyde tried to run away.

But some of the other thugs were on the other side of the alley.

« I do not think so ! »

Moketo, Albert and Robbie start fighting « Get out, guys. We'll take care of the thugs, » says Robbie

« You know it's easy to pick on children, » everyone heard the voice from above. Raph then fell from his hiding place. « Why do not you try someone your size !? Or at least my size! ? »

Everyone looked at Raph, his appearance stunned them, considering that he was above all that was normal. « What is this monster ?! » One of the thugs shouted.

« Hey, I'm not the one carrying a bunch of stupid hair dye, » Raph remarked. Raph took out his sakes and glared at all the members of the Purple Dragons. « Now, which of you would like to meet my sakes! »

The thugs just tried to squeeze him and hit a lucky shot or two, unfortunately everything went as planned. Raph started to wipe the floor with the thugs.

He did not stop to hit the faces, to hit on the belly and stab one on the thigh. This performance really shows that Raph is a fighting power.

The girls Loud, Moketo, Tambry Clyde and Robbie discover him, without Albert « were is Albert? » Tambry asked.

« I do not know, » Robbie said.

« So you believe me now, Lisa? » Lucy asked her self-sufficiency, evidently even in her monotonous voice.

« I am obliged to answer! »

« Are we just ignoring the fact that this Kappa knows how to kick your ass ?! » Clyde shouted.

Meanwhile, Raph was currently holding one of the conscious thugs of the purple dragons. « Tell me where is your hiding place! » The Purple Dragon thug was so lost in his words that he fainted, which irritated Raph: « Come on! Spoken-! » His interrogation was interrupted when he heard a camera flash.

The sisters turned to the culprit, Lola, who was holding the camera and now smiles. « Uh, sorry? »

Raph then poses the unconscious thug and looks towards Clyde, Robbie, Moketo, Tambry and the girls with a black look and growling at the same time, « Give me the camera! »

For the first time in a long time, Lola made him one by throwing it in his face. « Run ! »

But before they could run and scream in fear, some Purple Dragon hooligans blocked their way, made them nervous. As it happened, Raph felt something sting his neck, « Owwwww! » He pulls it out and turns out to be a tranquilizer dart. « Ohhh, Shhhh-« Raph falls on the stunned concrete, while the girls look at the other thugs with fear.

« Call the boss and tell him we had one of the monsters, as well as some prizes. »

Albert, seeing his friends answered them murmuring, « I'm sorry, I can not help you, friends » and he took out his disposable to take the picture to Raph and he went to Central Park to find the others. But before that he looks at them « I always told you that you were part of the plant »

Meanwhile, April and the turtles explained to Lincoln, Dipper, Mabel, Irving and Waddles how they were supposed to be April's family and that they meant nothing wrong.

« Wow, that was messed up. So they took you in and you’ve been living with them ever since. »

« That's right, » April said calmly.

« So, how did you spend so long unnoticed guys? » Lincoln asked the turtle brothers

« Believe it or not, we were trained in the art of ninjutsu. Train to melt into the night and disappear completely ... until now, » said Leo dryly.

« So you guys are Mutant Turtle teenage ninjas »

« Essentially dude! » Mikey said. « We are TURTLE POWER bro! »

Lincoln burst out laughing at Mikey. Soon he heard his phone ring. « Um, could you leave me a second? I need to answer. »

« Go on, man, » Leo nodded.

As Lincoln answered the call, Donnie looked at Mikey with an impassive face. « Turtle Power? »

« It's catchy. » Mikey has summed up with a smile.

Dipper looked at Donnie, saying, « If I'm okay, are you one of April's smart brothers? »

"If you talk about me, yes I am, » Donnie replied.

Leo looked at Irivng, who was looking at Mabel feeding Waddles with the caramel love apple, « Say, don, you. We have not already saved you in a metro station? » Leo asked Irving.

« Um ... no, » Irving said.

« Maybe he lost his memory, » Mabel said, teasing the stick of the love apple as Waddles looked at Leo and Irving.

« But I know who you are. You are one of the characters in the series of the 80s, 90s and 2003! » Said Irving to Leo and Mikey « you are Leonardo, you Michelangelo, the turtle who discussed with Mabel's brother is Donatello »

« Wow, do you know our name? » Mikey asked.

« Of course, I know all the names of the characters in the series, including April and Splinter »

« Waddles can say « TURTLE POWER, » Mabel added to her little pig.

« Groinc, groinc, » Waddles squealed.

Mabel had a smiling face, « Your face is so fat!, » Mabel said.

Mikey, looking at Irving, said, « Tell me, Irving, you're in love with Mabel, seeing that you love this little pig, » and he spoke in front of Irving, "From now on, I'm not eating pizza with Pepperoni anymore. »

« Uh, you know, Waddles also eats pizza »

« What? Waddles, eat his peers, » Mikey shouted.

« Hey, guys, what's going on? » Lincoln asked.

« Ah, so you're the brother these girls were talking about. » A voice unknown to Lincoln.

Lincoln was confused, knowing that the caller's ID said Lori, but it was not she who called: « Uh ... who is it? »

« Oh, just a concerned person. Your sisters have a lot of problems. You know, that they saw me, with some of my friends, doing dubious business. »

Lincoln seems a bit nervous. « Okay girls, if it's a joke you're doing, it's not funny! »

"Ohh, do you want proof? » The phone was silent for a moment.

« Lincoln help! » Lana shouted.

« Let us go! » Lola asked

« If I had my bat I would bang your head, guys! » Lynn threatened.

« Girls ?! » That was proof enough to scare Lincoln.

« Tell him we met some hooligans and a Kappa with a red mask! » Lana shouted loud enough for Lincoln to hear.

« Shut up ! »

« What do you want ?! » Lincoln asked with fear and rage.

« Wait, she said a Kappa wearing a red mask ?! » April asked surprise, as did the other turtles.

« Now, listen to me kid, why do not you go see your mum and dad and tell them that if they pay us a little money, your sisters will be free. But if you tried to contact the police, they will be dead! » The voice threatened Lincoln and soon hung up.

« They have my sisters! Lincoln was scared. April decided to come to his comfort by taking him in his arms.

Turtles also seemed worried and a little guilty. « Raph got caught, how ?! » Mikey said worried.

« Let's ask him that after saving him, we must now save the sisters of Lincoln and Raph, » said Leo firmly, « Donnie, can you find Raph's T-Phone? »

« Yes, but it might take a little while. »

Dipper had received an email from Tambry « We are in danger save us quickly »

Dipper sent him a text: « I'm running through Linky's phone. Is Wendy with you? »

Tambry's message then sent her, « No, she is not with us, there are Linky's sisters, Clyde, Moketo, Robbie, and me. »

Dipper sends him a text: « Do not worry, we're coming »

Lincoln, however, hardly heard that. " What am I going to do ?! How am I going to explain to Mom and Dad ?! And if they end up killing my sisters ?! How can I save them ?! "

"Oh do not worry. If they're dead, you're going to stay with your animals, get a room all yours alone, "Mabel said.

"It's not funny, Mabel," Irving said.

Leo saw how scared Lincoln was, knowing that his sisters were in danger like his own brother. He then walks over to him and puts a hand on his shoulder, « Lincoln? »

« Yeah? » He looked up at Leo, tears in his eyes.

« We are going to save your sisters, I promise you. »

« Really, even after capturing you, guys? »

« You do not know us as much as we do, we can not judge. In addition, they also have our brother, so we are together in both cases. »

Lincoln smiles at Leo. « Thank you Leo, you're pretty cool for a giant turtle. »

« Hey, I know I am, » said Leo with a confident smile and a friendly pose.

« It's not friendly, Leo, » April said sarcastically. Leo was slightly deflated by April's comment.

« Guys I found it! » Donnie exclaimed. « They seem to be in the decrepit Chinese food factory. »

The others were excited to know where everyone was. « Ok, now April, can you take Lincoln home? »

« What ?! But I want to help, they are my sisters. Besides, I can not go home without them, I can not say exactly that to my mom and dad. » Protested Lincoln.

« Kid at one point, » Mikey nodded.

Leo thinks about it for a moment and then tells Lincoln his decision.

« Okay, but stay with April and she'll help you free your sisters. »

« Okay »

« Ok, we'll save everyone except Robbie » Dipper say. Everyone looked at him « no, I'm kidding. We'll save everyone, Robbie too »

« What do we do? » Asked Mikey pitilessly.

« You, me and Donnie are going to try to distract the purple dragons, » Leo told Mikey.

« Oh, I know how to distract them! We will do like a holiday rap routine! »

April and the turtles are palpated.

But Irving had an idea « I have an idea! We're going to make a metal gear solid »

« What is Metal Gear Solid? » Mabel asked.

« Oh that's right, you never play the games, Mabel, » Irving said.

« Do you want to do the Solid Snake, Irving? » Leo asked.

« Yes. Moreover, we will do everything Solid Snake! Irving shouted.

Suddenly, they saw fog he tries to prevent the passage « Oh no » says Leo « quickly, run before they see us » the others followed the advice of Leo

In the park, the fog knows how to dispel. Albert lives Wendy and Squeezie « Where are John, Thompson and Alice? » Asked Albert.

« I think John, Alice, and Thompson have already gone to Kirb and Soos, » Wendy explained « with Marc »

« Well ... it does not matter. For now, I have a picture of one of the giant monsters, look » Wendy and Squeezie looked at the image of the creature

« What the fuck » says Squeezie

« I'm sure Dipper is fine » Wendy said with a worried face

« Do not worry about him, » said Albert, approaching the latter with his hand on his shoulder « for the moment, I have to go home and show my mother this. »

Meanwhile, at the hiding place of the purple dragons, things were not going so well.

All the girls, including Clyde Robbie Tambry and Moketo, were all tied to a chair and Raph was unconsciously undergoing a serious operation until he started waking up. « Where am I ? »

« Oh look who decided to wake up, » Lola said with deep sarcasm.

Raph hears Lola and looks at the group. He looked less than satisfied, « Hey, you are those idiots who tried to capture me on your disposable! »

« Yeah, you'll have to apologize to Lola's loan, she may be a little tired » Lori politely told Raph to try to get on her side while she was still intimidated by her appearance.

« U-uh, so ... what exactly are you, Mr. Green Monster? » Lana asked with a hint of fear.

« I'm the ... fucking rope! » Raph raises his shoulders, then tries to free himself from the straps to which he is attached: « I ... urgh ... would have ... urgh ... need ... of ... something. ..urgh ... GO OUT OF HERE! »

« I've seen this monster somewhere, » says Moketo

Tambry interrupted him: « Have you seen this monster before? »

« Yes, he was a cartoon character, » says Moketo. « But, I do not know what his name is anymore. »

« You're going nowhere the monster! » Soon, Dragon-Face and Nelson entered the room and headed for Raph, « What are you? »

« Yo mama! » Raph replied.

Dragon's face was unaffected by Raph's comment but by Nelson.

« Watch your mouth, the reptile. Nobody plays with Dragon-Face! »

« Shut up, Nelson, » Dragon-Face ordered. « So you had to have a lot of courage to save those girls from us, huh? »

« It does not really take the courage to stand up to his idiots. »

« And I'm actually a boy » Clyde trying to fix it.

« Shut up before I cut you off. » Warns Dragon Face to Clyde.

« So, this ad in the newspaper was saying something about a Monster Hunter contest to capture the dead or alive monsters, think we could use the $ 100,000 prize. »

« Why not get money and a problem less to fear? »

So I guess you chose the dead option eh? » Raph then said he was struggling with his left arm without realizing that « Well, go! »

« Okay, Nelson is going to get him. » Commanded Dragon Faces.

« I just have a question. Dragon-Face, it can not be your real name? » Raph asked in the hope of distracting them.

« Do you want to know why I have this name? »

« Oh, of course, I'm a sucker for backstories! » Raph said as he was undoing the strap.

« Easy when I was young, I was stung by the rattlesnake. » He points a rather big scar on his face.

« I can not see it, approach so I can look good! »

Raph frees himself from his links.

« Oh, shit! » Nelson shouted before Raph caught his face with Dragon-Face and knocked them out.

Both fell to the floor and seemed unconscious.

« What do you mean by cartoon? » Asked Robbie

« Well, it's named after the painter and sculptor of Italian renown » says Moketo

« Pfft, idiots! » Raph walks over to them and goes to a table where his sai and T-Phone are. « Donnie would kill me if I leave that, » he was about to leave until he glanced at the girls and Clyde.

He wanted to leave them because it was their fault he was caught, but that would be against his training and Leo would probably harass him for that.

Plus, it would not be the right thing to do, because Splinter thought he was better at it. So he walked towards them with a sai on his right hand.

« Uh, you're not going to kill us, are you? » Lori asked.

Raph just raised his right hand with a sai that seemed to want to kill them and everyone closed their eyes with fear. But when they opened them, they see that the rope that tied them was cut off, which freed them. They then looked at Raph as he said, « If I were a killer, I would have already killed those two cats! »

« Ok, thank you for helping us, sir ... » Leni said, trying to give him a name.

« As if I give you my name! » Said Raph sarcastically, « Now lift your asses and move us!

Raphael's little remark started ticking the girls. « You know, he may not be monstrous, but he's a bit twat, » Luna whispered to the others. Despite this, the girls and Clyde did what Raph said, but the lights went out.

« Oh my god, I became blind ?! » Leni said scared.

« Tambry, in your purse you do not have a weapon? » Moketo asked.

Tambry tries to break away and she finally succeeds to free herself. She frees Moketo and Robbie « quickly, before they coming » she told Moketo and Robbie.

They soon heard steps to come. Raph then stood on his ground to prepare for what was coming. « Ok, did any of you fight? » Raph asked the group of girls.

« The eldest sibling, » Lori replied.

« Karate, black belt, » Lynn told him.

« I've already fought against the alligators, » says Lana.

« Pretty good, » Raph and some of the girls took their position.

Moketo, Robbie and Tambry join them « Ok we're coming too, » says Moketo

« Holds so. The carpet, the black punk and girl phone sound on our side » says Raph.

« You're going to shut up the red turtle! » Tambry shouted

As it was dark, the people entering the room looked like thugs, the girls, Moketo, Tambry, Robbie and Raph waited for Raph to shout.

« Now ! » He and the girls rushed.

However, when they jumped on one of the people, they heard the voice of a familiar blunderer, « Oh! Hey, brother! »

« Mikey ?! »

Then someone presses the switch, revealing to be Donnie, « Raph ?! He reveals that Lincoln, April, Leo, Donnie, Dipper, Mabel, Irving, Waddles and Mikey, who is currently pinned, have arrived.

« Girls ! » Lincoln screams before running to them and hugs them.

The girls were happy to see their brother, especially Leni, « Linky! You're okay ! » She takes him for a hug.

Lincoln blushed just in front of Leni's act but was happy anyway.

« So you too » Lincoln hugged and looked at Raph. "So, did you meet Raph? »

« Who is Raph- ?! » Lori and the others see the other turtles, « Are you more numerous ?! »

« Great ! Your sister is pretty, Lincoln! » Mikey declared that he is still stuck on the ground.

« Of course I am » Lola laughed. « Although I'm weird to talk to a giant green thing! »

« How-what-who ?! » Lisa stuttered trying to think logically.

« Girls, relax. They are cool » Lincoln tried to calm his sisters, « do not you guys? »

« Raph? Raph. Wait, Raph to a painter's name! Raphael! I found your name! » Moketo shouted.

« Yeah, I can attest, » April told the girls, trying to calm them down.

But this was interrupted when purple Dragon thugs entered the building.

« Tell me this is a joke ! » Leo said with complete discontent that their entire blanket had been blown away by the ordinary crooks of New York.

« That's the end of Kung-Fu lizards! » Ria One of the dragons. « You're not going to walk on us now that we put you cocks where we want you! »

« We are the ass of the Jack turtles! » Shouted Raph.

« Yeah! Leo and his brothers pulled out their weapons, « We are Ninja Turtles! »

« Anyway, get them! »

Turtles press the thugs to clear a path for the Louds and Clyde. Moketo, Tambry and Robbie help them.

Leo was kicking his face and even using his katana blades to cut their clothes and give them some minor cuts.

Raph used his strength to push them away or hit them unconscious, he used his sakes to give them painful shots leaving future scars.

Donnie used his stick to turn and give huge bruises to thugs. He even electrocuted some using the two electrical circuits located at the ends of his staff.

Mikey was fine, being ... Mikey and mainly confused the rogue wholes by getting shots. Most of these shots landed in the crotch area of the thugs.

« Dude, I never had to fight head-on! I feel so constipated! » Mikey shouted absently.

Tambry used her bag to eliminate the limbs.

« Hey you, the carpet! » Shouted Raph. He took one of the leo katana blades to give him to Moketo

« Thank you Raphael! » Moketo shouted.

The Louds are content to look a little further from him. « Sorry, he just does not know what this word means » tried to apologize for Mikey's lack of vocabulary. As for the Louds, they seem to be quite obsessed and confused about everything that's going on. The fact that they witnessed four giant tortoises attacking a group of criminals with ninjutsu skills was not a daily occurrence. But one hand reached out and grabbed Lincoln by the arm.

« Hey ! » The person turns out to be Dragon Face and he looked completely angry.

« Lincoln! » « Linky » shouted The Girls, Mabel, Dipper, Irving, Moketo, Tambry, Robbie and Clyde while Lincoln was within reach of Dragon-Face.

« You're going nowhere, stupid kids! » Dragon-Face pulls out a knife and sits near Lincoln's neck.

April then releases a strange metal and throws it in front of Dragon Face. She first uses the Ninajato so that Dragon Face frees Lincoln.

She then gives him a hard blow on the face and makes him fall the knife. Then she hits him violently in the belly. And then catch him by the collar: « You said, creepy! » April looked at him in the eyes. Dragon Face said nothing but turned around.

She gives him a huge whim on his face and knocks him unconscious, then grabs Lincoln's hand to help him get up. « Are you ok Lincoln? »

« Yes » Lincoln said, still more in love with April than before.

« Can you teach me how to do that? » Lori asked.

Leo then goes to the group. « Maybe later, let's get out of here guys! »

The group leaves the building and continues running until they find a place to hide. When they left, some of the hooligans found themselves unconscious and Dragon-Face woke up, « Well, it was flawed »

« I'll even say more, » Nelson agreed. « If the boss discovers-»

« Find what ?! » The voice came from a tall, slender but muscular figure, who wore a gray coat over a black top, blue trousers, red sunglasses, blond hair and a dragon tattoo on his left arm.

« We ... we were ... attacked by ... four monsters instead of one. » Dragon Face said the muscled man.

« Yes, and they knew the boss Kung Fu! » Nelson added.

The tall man then grabbed the two by the collars and lifted them up, « Kung Fu panic huh ?! »

« I swear boss! » Nelson said fearing for his life.

« They seemed like a rather honorable group, none of our men were killed, » Dragon said to the man.

« And they escaped you? » He said angrily in his voice.

« It was an accident ! »

« So maybe I should stop you from doing other « accidents! » After announcing the news to Master! » The two men turned pale.

To be continued...

So now, the turtles and the Louds have finally met.

Sorry I had waited eleven months for gemturtles to face his fanfic. Stay tuned for the third part.

Meanwhile, in front of Albert's house, he found the keys and opened the door crying: « Mom! I am home »

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marcusssanderson · 6 years ago

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50 Inspirational Neil Degrasse Tyson Quotes About Endless Life

Looking for the best Neil deGrasse Tyson quotes?

Neil deGrasse Tyson is a known American astrophysicist and science communicator who’s also the director of the Hayden Planetarium at the American Museum of Natural History in New York.

Tyson, who earned a bachelor’s degree from Harvard and a Ph.D. from Columbia, is a popular TV science expert today with a fanbase of more than 12 million followers on Twitter. Over the years, he has written columns for popular magazines, published his own books, hosted podcasts and served in government commissions.

Tyson discovered his love for the stars at an early age and has made it his mission to encourage science and space exploration. In 2015, the U.S. National Academy of Sciences awarded the Public Welfare Medal for his “extraordinary role in exciting the public about the wonders of science”.

A cheerful and vibrant character who loves to share his knowledge and enthusiasm for astronomy, Tyson has clearly managed to tap into his Everyday Power. In that respect, here are some beautiful Neil deGrasse Tyson quotes that will inspire, entertain and teach at the same time.

Inspirational neil degrasse tyson quotes about endless life

1.) “The Universe is under no obligation to make sense to you.” – Neil deGrasse Tyson

2.) “Curious that we spend more time congratulating people who have succeeded than encouraging people who have not.” – Neil deGrasse Tyson

3.) “For me, I am driven by two main philosophies: know more today about the world than I knew yesterday and lessen the suffering of others. You’d be surprised how far that gets you.” – Neil deGrasse Tyson

4.) “Rational thoughts never drive people’s creativity the way emotions do.” – Neil deGrasse Tyson

5.) “The only way you can invent tomorrow is if you break out of the enclosure that the school system has provided for you by the exams written by people who are trained in another generation.” – Neil deGrasse Tyson

6.) “If you want to assert a truth, first make sure it’s not just an opinion that you desperately want to be true.” – Neil deGrasse Tyson

7.) “No one is dumb who is curious. The people who don’t ask questions remain clueless throughout their lives.” – Neil deGrasse Tyson

8.) “Passion is what gets you through the hardest times that might otherwise make strong men weak, or make you give up.” – Neil deGrasse Tyson

9.) “Knowing how to think empowers you far beyond those who know only what to think.” ― Neil deGrasse Tyson

10.) “We are stardust brought to life, then empowered by the universe to figure itself out—and we have only just begun.” – Neil deGrasse Tyson

Neil Degrasse Tyson quotes to inspire and motivate

11.) “Where ignorance lurks, so too do the frontiers of discovery and imagination” ― Neil deGrasse Tyson

12.) “There is no greater education than one that is self-driven.” – Neil deGrasse Tyson

13.) “During our brief stay on planet Earth, we owe ourselves and our descendants the opportunity to explore — in part because it’s fun to do. But there’s a far nobler reason. The day our knowledge of the cosmos ceases to expand, we risk regressing to the childish view that the universe figuratively and literally revolves around us.” – Neil deGrasse Tyson

14.) “It’s the inspired student that continues to learn on their own. That’s what separates the real achievers in the world from those who pedal along, finishing assignments.” – Neil deGrasse Tyson

15.) “Creativity is seeing what everyone else sees, but then thinking a new thought that has never been thought of before and expressing it somehow.” – Neil deGrasse Tyson

16.) “The more I learn about the universe, the less convinced I am that there’s any sort of benevolent force that has anything to do with it, at all.” ― Neil deGrasse Tyson

17.) “Ignorance is a virus. Once it starts spreading, it can only be cured by reason. For the sake of humanity, we must be that cure.” ― Neil deGrasse Tyson

18.) “Even with all our technology and the inventions that make modern life so much easier than it once was, it takes just one big natural disaster to wipe all that away and remind us that, here on Earth, we’re still at the mercy of nature.” ― Neil deGrasse Tyson

19.) “Sometimes I wonder if we’d have flying cars by now had civilization spent a little less brain energy contemplating Football.” ― Neil deGrasse Tyson

20.) “Everyone should have their mind blown once a day.” ― Neil deGrasse Tyson

Neil Degrasse Tyson quotes about science and the universe

21.) “The very nature of science is discoveries, and the best of those discoveries are the ones you don’t expect.” ― Neil deGrasse Tyson

22.) “Perhaps we’ve never been visited by aliens because they have looked upon Earth and decided there’s no sign of intelligent life.” ― Neil deGrasse Tysonnature

23.) “Science literacy is the artery through which the solutions of tomorrow’s problems flow.” – Neil deGrasse Tyson

24.) “Math is the language of the universe. So the more equations you know, the more you can converse with the cosmos.” – Neil deGrasse Tyson

25.) “Science is a cooperative enterprise, spanning the generations. It’s the passing of a torch from teacher, to student, to teacher. A community of minds reaching back to antiquity and forward to the stars.” – Neil deGrasse Tyson

26.) “We are part of this universe; we are in this universe, but perhaps more important than both of those facts, is that the universe is in us.” – Neil deGrasse Tyson

27.) “I am trying to convince people — not only the public, but lawmakers and people in power — that investing in the frontier of science, however remote it may seem in its relevance to what you’re doing today, is a way of stockpiling the seed corns of future harvests of this nation.” – Neil deGrasse Tyson

28.) “The good thing about science is that it’s true whether or not you believe in it.” – Neil deGrasse Tyson

29.) “We are all connected; To each other, biologically. To the earth, chemically. To the rest of the universe atomically.” ― Neil DeGrasse Tyson

30.) “Whenever people have used religious documents to make accurate predictions about our base knowledge of the physical world, they have been famously wrong.” – Neil deGrasse Tyson

Thought-provoking Neil Degrasse Tyson quotes that will make your day

31.) “Principles of modern law assert that you’re innocent until proven guilty. Yet airport security is the exact opposite of this.” – Neil deGrasse Tyson

32.) “If each dead person became a ghost, there’d be more than 100-billion of them haunting us all. Creepy, but cool.” – Neil deGrasse Tyson

33.) “Geek e-mail signoff: No trees were killed to send this message, but a large number of electrons were terribly inconvenienced.” – Neil deGrasse Tyson

34.) “Without physics there’d be no Fashion Channel — there’d be no TV. But w/o fashion, physicists might just be naked. Not good.” – Neil deGrasse Tyson

35.) “Dreams about the future are always filled with gadgets.” – Neil deGrasse Tyson

36.) “I never want you to quote me citing my authority as a scientist for your knowing something. If that’s what you have to resort to I have failed as an educator.” – Neil deGrasse Tyson

37.) “A bullet fired level from a gun will hit ground at same time as a bullet dropped from the same height. Do the Physics.” – Neil deGrasse Tyson

38.) “Just an FYI: If scientists invented the legal system, eye witness testimony would be inadmissible evidence.” – Neil deGrasse Tyson

39.) “We spend the first year of a child’s life teaching it to walk and talk and the rest of its life to shut up and sit down. There’s something wrong there.” ― Neil deGrasse Tyson

40.) “We all want to Make America Great Again. But that won’t happen until we first Make America Smart Again.” ― Neil deGrasse Tyson

Other inspirational Neil Degrasse Tyson quotes

41.) “If the surviving miners are heroes (rather than victims) then what do you call the NASA & Chilean Engineers who saved them?” ― Neil deGrasse Tyson

42.) “We think scientific literacy flows out of how many science facts can you recite rather than how was your brain wired for thinking. And it’s the brain wiring that I’m more interested in rather than the facts that come out of the curriculum or the lesson plan that’s been proposed.” ― Neil deGrasse Tyson

43.) “Not enough of us reflect on how modern civilization pivots on the discoveries of just a few intellectually restless people.” ― Neil deGrasse Tyson

44.) “Kids should be allowed to break stuff more often. That’s a consequence of exploration. Exploration is what you do when you don’t know what you’re doing.” ― Neil deGrasse Tyson

45.) “If your Personal Beliefs deny what’s objectively true about the world, then they’re more accurately called Personal Delusions.” ― Neil deGrasse Tyson

46.) “When students cheat on exams it’s because our school system values grades more than students value learning.” ― Neil deGrasse Tyson

47.) “Things you might say if you never took Physics: ‘I’m overweight even though I don’t overeat.'” ― Neil deGrasse Tyson

48.) “Every living thing is a masterpiece, written by nature and edited by evolution.” ― Neil deGrasse Tyson

49.) “Science needs the light of free expression to flourish. It depends on the fearless questioning of authority, and the open exchange of ideas.” ― Neil deGrasse Tyson

50.) “Just because you can’t figure out how ancient civilizations built stuff, doesn’t mean they got help from Aliens.” ― Neil deGrasse Tyson

Which of these Neil deGrasse Tyson quotes was your favorite?

Tyson remains one of America’s best-known scientists. He has amassed a huge following thanks to his extraordinary ability to present complex cosmic concepts into ideas the layman understands and finds entertaining.

Known for his love of the universe and his cheerful and vibrant character, Tyson has spent much of his career sharing his knowledge with others. Hopefully, you have enjoyed reading and gained some interesting insights from these quotes just as much as we have.

Did you enjoy these Neil deGrasse Tyson quotes? Which of the quotes was your favorite? Tell us in the comment section below.

The post 50 Inspirational Neil Degrasse Tyson Quotes About Endless Life appeared first on Everyday Power Blog.

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trendingnewsb · 7 years ago

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This Is Ajit Pai, Nemesis of Net Neutrality

In March, Ajit Pai, the 45-year-old chair of the Federal Communications Commission, took to the internet—a community he joyfully inhabits and grudgingly regulates—to pay tribute to his favorite movie. “It’s not just, like, my opinion, man: 20 years ago today, #TheBigLebowski—the greatest film in the history of cinema—was released,” Pai wrote on Twitter. “Decades on, the Dude still abides and the movie really ties us all together.” And sure enough, the response to Pai’s cheerful tweet was united.

You’re out of your element Ajit. —@JohnsNotHere

Yes, Ajit. Stop trying to mingle with humans. —@Douche_McGraw

I hope you enjoy watching that movie alone since you have zero friends —@aseriousmang

No one likes you dork —@chessrockwell_

The insults, hundreds upon hundreds of them, accumulated in his replies. Some took the form of incredulous Jeff Bridges GIFs, others mimicked famous lines of Lebowski dialog. (“Shut the fuck up, Ajit.”) People debated whether Pai was more like one of the movie’s nihilist kidnappers or its corporate stooge.

The WIRED Business Issue

The competition is stiff, but Pai may be the most reviled man on the internet. He is despised as both a bumbling rube, trying too hard to prove he gets it, and a cunning villain, out to destroy digital freedom. (As one mocking headline put it: “Ajit Pai will not rest until he has killed The Big Lebowski, too.”) The anger emanates from his move, shortly after being appointed by Donald Trump, to repeal Obama-era net neutrality regulations. He called his policy the Restoring Internet Freedom Order, an Orwellian touch in the view of his critics, who see it as a mortal threat.

In the simplest terms, the principle of net neutrality prevents internet service providers, such as Verizon or Comcast, from manipulating network traffic for discriminatory purposes. Defenders contend that, without such rules, those companies could exert nefarious powers. They might slow down Netflix, making movies like The Big Lebowski unwatchable, in order to push captive subscribers to their own properties, a prospect that becomes more plausible as telecoms like AT&T and Verizon expand into content. They could charge tech companies extra fees to reach customers, giving a competitive advantage to those that pay. They could starve a startup or stifle a voice of dissent. Pai discounted such scenarios, calling them “hypothetical harms and hysterical prophecies of doom,” and pointed out that there was little evidence of such behavior before the Obama administration imposed the regulations in 2015. But the opposition, drawing energy from the broader anti-Trump resistance, was not persuaded by his reassurances. “If you’re not freaking out about net neutrality right now,” the activist group Fight for the Future warned its followers last year, “you’re not paying attention.”

Pai sought to defuse suspicions by presenting himself as an affable nerd, dropping conspicuous references to Star Wars and comic book heroes. But the internet wasn’t buying it. Last May, after satirist John Oliver delivered a scathing monologue ridiculing what he called Pai’s “doofy, ‘Hey, I’m just like you guys’ persona”—he focused on Pai’s habit of drinking from a giant novelty coffee mug at meetings—and calling on viewers of Last Week Tonight to stand up for net neutrality, the FCC’s website received an onslaught of comments against the repeal. Most simply voiced support for Obama’s policy, but some spat racist vitriol at Pai, who is a child of Indian immigrants, or even threatened his life. Trolls tracked down review pages for his wife’s medical practice and filled them with abusive one-star reviews. Perhaps unwisely, Pai kept trying to fight back on the internet’s own terms. He jousted with celebrities and nobodies on social media. He staged self-conscious stunts, like appearing in a video entitled ��7 Things You Can Still Do on the Internet After Net Neutrality,” in which he posed as a Jedi and danced to “Harlem Shake” with a bunch of young conservatives. But the video just inflamed the internet. On Twitter, Mark Hamill—Luke Skywalker himself—jeered at Pai, calling him “profoundly unworthy” to wield a lightsaber. Someone else quickly identified a young woman dancing next to Pai as a right-wing conspiracy theorist who had helped spread “Pizzagate,” a hoax scandal from the lunatic fringe that linked Hillary Clinton to a child-abuse ring.

At a meeting of the FCC in November 2017, Ajit Pai drank from the novelty cup he finds so amusing—and his critics love to hate.

Zach Gibson/Bloomberg via Getty Images

On December 14, as that spectacle of Pai cavorting with the far right was zipping around the world, the FCC commissioners met to consider the fate of net neutrality. Demonstrators rallied outside the agency’s headquarters, but Pai appeared unperturbed as he and his four fellow commissioners filed into a fluorescent-lit chamber. By Washington tradition, the FCC’s membership is divided, with two seats picked by the opposition’s congressional leaders. His two Republican colleagues spoke in favor of the repeal, while the two Democrats offered harsh dissents. The chair had the final word. “The internet has enriched my own life immeasurably,” Pai said. “In the past few days alone, I’ve set up a FaceTime call with my parents and kids, downloaded interesting podcasts about blockchain technology, I’ve ordered a burrito, I’ve managed my playoff-bound fantasy football team. And—as many of you might have seen—I’ve tweeted. What is responsible for the phenomenal development of the internet? Well, it certainly wasn’t heavy-handed government regulation.”

As Pai spoke, there was furtive commotion in the back of the room. A hulking armed guard stepped forward. “On advice of security, we need to take a brief recess,” Pai said abruptly, and then stood up and hurried out a side door. A murmur went through the audience: bomb threat.

The room was evacuated and searched. Eventually everyone returned and Pai called for a vote. The repeal passed, 3–2. Pai took a satisfied sip from his much-maligned coffee mug.

People who know Pai swear that his nerdy persona is authentic. And even his adversaries will admit that he’s an anomaly in the Trump administration: a skillful practitioner of the Washington game. Pai has spent his entire professional life in the capital, acquiring influential patrons (Mitch McConnell, Jeff Sessions) and insider expertise. As Harold Feld, an ardent critic who works for the consumer advocacy group Public Knowledge, laments, “Why was my area of policy the one that got the guy who actually knows what he’s doing?”

Behind Pai’s brainy, technocratic mask, though, is an alter ego: ruthless conservative ideologue. In this sense, he is emblematic of Trump’s Washington, where all debates—even the bone-dry bureaucratic ones—have become so heated that they are fought like matters of life and death. Pai’s competence has allowed him to make quick work of undoing the Obama administration’s legacy at the FCC. But his polarizing politics assure that the battle over internet regulation will keep raging. “I like Ajit Pai personally, although I don’t want to defend him in public,” admits another net neutrality supporter. “But you’re not allowed to try to destroy the internet and then be treated well by the internet. The internet should hate him.”

Pai may be a creature of Washington, but he still presents himself as a provincial at heart. He grew up in the small town of Parsons, Kansas, where his parents, both Indian-born doctors, practiced at a county hospital. Pai’s connections to the wider world were AM radio and his family’s satellite television dish. Today many rural communities are without broadband internet access, an issue Pai often addresses publicly. “I’ve been to many, many towns around this country, and I’ve seen how people are on the wrong side of that digital divide,” Pai told students at his old high school in Parsons last September. (He declined to be interviewed for this article.) He told the assembly about a momentous occasion: meeting Trump in the Oval Office for the first time. “You walk out and you see the grandeur of the White House and you think about the fact that you just met the most powerful person in the world, and I couldn’t help but think about a kid I used to know 30 years before,” Pai said. “He was a shy kid, bushy mustache, bushy hair, really awkward talking to people, just didn’t quite know what was going on. He was, candidly, a dork.”

Pai could argue, though, that dorkiness was his ticket out of Parsons. He was a top-flight debater in high school and, later, at Harvard. He arrived in Cambridge as a Democrat, but under the influence of a professor, Martin Feldstein, who had advised Ronald Reagan, he adopted a conservative free-market philosophy. Pai was also put off by the racial politics on Harvard’s campus. After the 1992 race riots in Los Angeles, his residential house invited students to post their feelings on a wall—a literal, brick-and-mortar one. Though a minority himself, Pai was skeptical of liberal identity politics, and he wrote that “the real problem” when it came to race at Harvard was “voluntary segregation.”

“Pai is very much casting his lot with this Trump revolution.”

Pai graduated from Harvard in 1994, a year in which two developments emerged that would shape the course of his professional life. That October, Netscape released the first commercially successful web browser, opening the way for the modern internet. A month later, the Republican Party won control of Congress. The spirit of Newt Gingrich’s “Republican Revolution” was strong at the University of Chicago, where Pai had just started law school. He belonged to the Edmund Burke Society, a vocal conservative group, but also studied with Cass Sunstein, a brilliant liberal scholar of administrative law. (Gigi Sohn—a Democrat and net neutrality advocate who worked at the FCC when Pai was there—told me that after a controversial vote, she saw Pai vehemently arguing with someone who had disparaged his knowledge of administrative law on Twitter. Explaining his anger later, he told her: “I got an A in Cass Sunstein’s administrative law class!”)

When Pai later moved to Washington, he joined a cohort of young conservatives who were impassioned about curtailing regulation. “Ajit was a type, as were a lot of his friends from Chicago, that would geek out about the differences in originalist philosophy of Scalia and Thomas,” says a friend from the time, Ketan Jhaveri. “And how to use that to get the government to do less.”

In 1998, Pai joined the Justice Department as a junior attorney in the antitrust division. He was assigned to a task force overseeing the telecommunications industry, which was going through a period of upheaval. Deregulation had contributed to a boom in dot-com stocks, huge investment in broadband, and a wave of telecom mergers. In 2000, Pai took part in an investigation that eventually blocked the proposed merger of WorldCom and Sprint, partly because it stood to give one company a dominant percentage of the internet’s “backbone” infrastructure.

Protesters, like these in Chicago, came out in force to support Obama-era net neutrality regulations. But the Republican-majority FCC repealed the rules on December 14.

Scott Olson/Getty Images

The concern, then as now, was that the company that owned the pipes could also manipulate the flow of data. For practical purposes, some traffic management was essential, but the academics and engineers who pioneered the internet could already foresee how that control could lead to abuses such as blocking access to websites and “throttling”—or deliberately slowing—the connections of certain consumers. In 2002, a young law professor named Tim Wu wrote a short paper that he titled “A Proposal for Network Neutrality.” He framed the issue in modest terms, suggesting a standard that regulators could use to decide which methods of network management should be permitted (for the valid purpose of directing traffic) and which should be banned (for distorting the fundamental openness of the internet).

“I was sure it was a complete waste of time,” Wu recalls of that paper. But the phrase “net neutrality” caught on. Over time the concept has come to mean something far more sweeping, invoked to protect not just bits of data but free speech, personal privacy, innovation, and most every other public good associated with the internet. (Pai has called it “one of the more seductive marketing slogans that’s ever been attached to a public policy issue.”)

The world of telecommunications law is small, and Wu says he crossed paths with Pai around the time he came up with the concept of net neutrality. “Back in the day, he used to throw pretty good parties,” Wu said. Pai was active in the Federalist Society, the intellectual center of the conservative legal scene, but he was a bipartisan networker. He used to arrange large happy hour events, sending out mass email invitations that took the form of clever limericks. “Everyone knew his politics, but it was kind of like a joke,” says Jhaveri, who worked with Pai at the Justice Department and is now a tech entrepreneur. “A lot of our close friends were liberal and would give him a hard time about it, but all in good fun.”

After the Justice Department, Pai went to work at Verizon as a corporate attorney, but his foray into the private sector lasted just two years. He went on to Capitol Hill as an aide to two of the most conservative members of the Senate: first Sessions, from Alabama, and then Sam Brownback, who represented Pai’s home state of Kansas. Unlike his bosses, Pai was not a fire-breather on social issues, but he could see who was on the ascent in Washington during George W. Bush’s presidency. Finally, in 2007, Pai found his natural place at the FCC, taking a midlevel position in the general counsel’s office.

Established in 1934 to oversee radio airwaves and the Bell telephone monopoly, the FCC is one of those government institutions that conceals its importance behind an impenetrable veneer of boringness. The agency has historically had a dynamic of symbiosis—to put it politely—with the companies it oversees. FCC staffers deal mainly with lobbyists, and often become lobbyists, shuttling back and forth between K Street and the “8th Floor,” as the commissioners’ suites are known in Washington.