#i have no evidence but i think that Prism is the type of person who only cries tears of rage

[stellar-collective]

Could you draw Roxana at the end of cold shoulder mourning the death of her robots?

our girl is trudging through the snow after getting brutally betrayed but she’s so mad she can’t even feel the cold. only one thing is certain: she’s getting revenge. her robots won’t be the only thing she’s digging a grave for tonight.

[allthoseotherworlds]

Ugh, vision therapy makes me so angry.

For those who are not familiar, vision therapy is basically the idea that you can do eye exercises to fix certain conditions, mostly eye related ones.

Some of the more obviously scammy vision therapy stuff comes up in situations where it's pretty clearly never going to fix the thing it says it will fix- for example, eye exercises will never make you less nearsighted because nearsightedness is caused by the shape of your eyeball.

But I mostly see it come up in strabismus communities, and it's especially frustrating for me there.

(Strabismus is misaligned eyes - one eye pointing forward and one pointing in or out, for example. It can cause double vision, vision loss in one eye, and/or lack of depth perception)

The thing that makes it so frustrating in strabismus spaces is that there is some evidence that some vision therapy can help with some specific types of strabismus, as far as I can tell. But I haven't found evidence that it can help with other types of strabismus, such as the one that I have, and some people have reported that it makes things worse for them.

It's also expensive and not generally covered by insurance, or not covered very well.

When I first sought help for my strabismus, the optometrist I saw did try to get me to do vision therapy, which I declined because it was expensive, time consuming, and I didn't think there was enough evidence that it would help in my specific situation. She also prescribed me bifocals that did absolutely nothing, but acted very friendly and understanding and knowledgeable.

I eventually did get help that was actually effective - prism lenses and then eventually surgery, which is helping so far but there's always the risk I'll need prism again in the future because we don't really know why strabismus happens in some cases.

But I feel so bad when I see people saying things like how they're paying $1,000 a month for more than 2 years for their kid to do vision therapy and it isn't working.

They're under significant financial strain because they want to do the right thing and provide appropriate medical care for their kid, and it's being offered by people in regular optometry places that give you your normal eye exams, so it seems trustworthy.

But at the end of the day it's $1,000 a month for something that, as far as I can tell as a lay person, seems pretty controversial among experts and even if it might be helpful I think people probably should have more context than they're getting about that.

It just seems frustratingly easy to take advantage of people when it comes to medical conditions that don't have clearly understood causes and where all of the methods of treatment are at least a little bit risky and uncertain. Particularly when the current gold standard is surgery, which people are understandably wary of.

I'm not judging or frustrated by anyone who chooses to do vision therapy - like I said, it can be helpful for some specific situations. But I am frustrated at people trying to sell it as a one-size-fits-all solution without providing any appropriate context and while charging people exorbitant amounts of money for it.

(Disclaimer that I'm not a medical professional and this is not medical advice. I'm just a person with strabismus who has looked things up on the internet and spoken to multiple doctors about this stuff)

[candymay]

Heya just found your tumblr, i agree with a lot of things you said about armie and hollywood's utter bullshit. what do you think about this whole shit now ? everyone is either a charmie so claim that it's undoubtedly fake or a hater so claim that it's all true. cheers

Hi thanks for coming by! Eh, I think the problem is that he has kinks and fetishes that are just so perfect to use against him; the theme, the ambiguity of the fantasies - especially under this current ‘political’ climate with #MeToo that unfortunately breeds a whole toxic-wokeness and cancel culture obsession. 

I’m gonna quote Daddy Zizek (lol) about this. 

“We should be very careful and critical with #MeToo. #MeToo is no longer what it was. It doesn’t touch the real social problems. They talk about sex all the time. But it’s not really about sex. For them, sex is only viewed through the prism of power. It’s an instrument of power and power at its worst. Why? Because even if they mostly have the right to complain against male domination, exploitation, their complaint is so clear, it’s not aimed at really helping people. Their complaint is about selling, using your victimhood as a resource of your own power. They want power. And this is such a sad thing that today in many Western society especially the United States, the one of the ways to acquire power in social relations is to present yourself as a victim. If you are a victim, you know you are beyond reproach. And whatever arguments you give against the person who claims to be a victim, you are in advance accused of brutalising the victim and so on.

So I think that #MeToo got too much impregnated with this brutal reality of American academic life, life in journalist circles, in this intellectual class circles, where it’s all about power and career, and again - to complain, to proclaim yourself a victim is one of the ways to reassert your power. I think a new approach is needed here. #MeToo is not offering men another clear positive role. The message of #MeToo should be also to the men -  (but it’s) ‘you think you are dominating us, but ultimately you pay the price, you are also not happy’. A proper #MeToo for me would have offered to men a new positive vision. But it’s about revenge, rage, rage, and revenge.

I see these politically correct protesters, how their whole identity is based on proclaiming yourself a victim and blaming others, if you take this away from them they are a nobody in a sense. When somebody complains, always be careful and try to find, identify, what type of additional pleasure, satisfaction, does the act of complaining itself bring to you. We all, when we complain, almost always we find a perverse satisfaction in the act of complaining itself.

So, #MeToo shows, on the one hand, that we have serious problems, I’m not making fun of #MeToo, this is a big movement, but how radically distorted ideologically through the prism of this late capitalist individualist ideology #MeToo movement is.

Anyway, at this point, does it matter anymore if this whole thing was orchestrated by whoeverthefuck or EVEN if the evidence is legit? Of course it was orchestrated; the timing, the people, etc. I know he’s definitely not the only person in Hollywood (and upper-class society) that has niche kinks (I think we learned a lot from Eyes Wide Shut, ha), he’s just the one getting tangled in this. Sadly the fact is that things are leaked and the public loves to cancel every little ‘wrongdoing’ for their own self-indulgment, for all we know Armie has always been walking on eggshells for his privileged identity and outspokenness.

I believe that you don’t have to be a full-on ‘manipulative liar’ to do this. You can have one truth and abuse it to achieve your goal. Being a ‘victim’ is like holding a golden ticket now - where questioning legitimacy and motives are considered evil. And that’s where it gets tricky for Armie and his team, no matter what’s actually going on, under this political correctness - what he should do is more complicated than just debunking leaked things.

Let me know what you think! or PM me.

[kylorengarbagedump]

Little Bird: Chapter 31

Read on AO3. Part 30 here. Part 32 here.

Summary: The time has come to do what you promised for the Resistance. If only it hadn't taken you so long to get here.

Words: 3700

Warnings: feelings kinda

Characters: Kylo Ren x Handmaid!Reader

A/N: I know it's not Friday, but I've been so full of anxiety about this chapter that I just had to get it out!! I'm sorry. I can promise you that next week will absolutely be up on Friday, because I have a feeling it's going to take me all week and maybe more.

I want to say--I really loved the debates/discussion in the comments? I feel so fucking flattered and excited people are having differing opinions on the characters? I love that there's so much conflict evident from the responses? That makes me feel so happy!

I am so truly lucky to have folks like you in my life, I can't say enough how grateful I am how I don't ever take any of it for granted, even if I can't respond to every comment. I love y'all so much, and thank you, please stay safe and healthy. <3

Across the hall, the Knight Templar stood at attention, blank visor of his mask trained on you, as it had been for the past forty-seven and a half minutes. The wooden walls to the Council Chambers loomed to the sky, oak canopies split with skylights, the morning sun cutting stark prisms into the hardwood floors. The only break in the dust-mote silence was the rumble of privileged discussion vibrating through your back.

Given the presence of Kylo Ren, you’d somehow expected to avoid the sting of exclusion. But even the influence of the Lead Commander was not enough to justify the attendance of a woman--and especially a Handmaid--during a Council meeting. Yet, you supposed you were thankful. The near two-week’s worth of blizzard-conditions between you and your Commander had frozen any willingness to play advisor to an arctic relic. Part of you felt confident that if you’d refused, he would’ve let you off the hook, but another part wasn’t willing to see how far you could push your absence of legal rights.

Shuffling, muffled voices rising--and the doors to the Chambers opened, a menagerie of black suits filtering into the hall. You studied your shoes, the arrival of so many power-wielding men binding your ribcage, curling your toes. Even with the Templar on guard, in the swarm of Commanders, your safety dangled by unraveling thread; you could feel their eyes wandering over you like steer wandered the plains--lazy and lingering and gluttonous.

Reluctant relief trickled through you when you caught Kylo’s boots in your periphery, his footsteps scattering their stares, scaring their own feet into the halls. Another person crossed around him.

“It was a little tense in there, wouldn’t you say?”

You recognized this man’s voice--he was the silver-haired one from the party.

“I anticipated discomfort.”

The man laughed. “Oh, well, of course you did, Ren! You’ve always been very ahead of the game, that way.” He stepped closer, inviting confidence--now his voice was a murmur. “Now, I’m not saying this, as you know. But I’ve heard others… express their concerns.”

“Concerns.”

“That Gilead’s roles were created for a reason.”

Kylo spoke flatly--he didn’t care if you heard him. “Roles exist to serve specific purposes, Enric. Should a purpose arise, then it follows that a role is created to serve it.”

“The only problem is…” Enric’s voice was mollifying, as if he were telling Kylo something he didn’t already know. “We don’t create roles. God creates them. He decided your purpose just as He decided hers.” There was a pause. You saw your Commander’s foot shift. “Other Council members--not me, of course--aren’t taking as kindly to your philosophy as I am.”

“My philosophy.”

“What you’ve done with your Handmaid. And continue to do, too. Some of them are… not very happy. They consider it…” He cleared his throat, a patronizing acknowledgement of your presence. “Inappropriate.”

Your face burned. Perhaps two weeks ago, you might have agreed. But since you’d kicked Kylo out of your room, he hadn’t so much as laid a finger on you or shared a word greater than a single syllable. His presence was now accompanied by a heavy vow of paralyzing silence--a recognition that the other existed, but only as living memory. This should have brought relief, should have forced your attachment to him to wilt like an unwatered fern, decaying in the graveyard of one thousand other hopes you’d tied to the space he occupied in your mind.

Instead, it had festered, a viney weed, writhing through your veins, its roots puncturing your heart when it dared to beat in his shadow. It was only in his deliberate absence that you could feel the pain of your reality, like he’d been opium, numbing you to the knowledge of anything but him. You ached for him more now than you ever had--you’d tried to sleep, chest cracked open, a torrent of loneliness emptying into the night--and knew that it was for this very reason that you needed to deny him.

After all, when you returned home, you’d be meeting with Rey on your walk. And you’d be handing over the switchblade to the Resistance.

“The Eyes are welcome to an investigation,” Kylo replied. “There are no reading materials or writing implements available. Her suggestions will be provided during a once-weekly meeting which my Wife will attend.”

You swallowed. You hoped you’d be free before that happened.

Enric sighed. “But the dress. Dragging her along with your soldiers.” He paused, humming in thought. “To be honest, even I think she gets special attention.”

Kylo’s tone betrayed an inch of irritation. “And even a dog is provided with a reward for its obedience,” he said. “She is in uniform today and before the Council now to provide proof of my intention.”

“Well, I’m sure the Council will begin to understand. You know how difficult it is for these types to tolerate change. The Cambridge Press decided to capitalize a single letter in First John earlier this year and they lost it.” Enric stepped away, and then doubled back with a pause. “As long as you’re not forgetting her true purpose.”

“No,” Kylo replied. “A Ceremony is scheduled for two days from now.”

Your breath shorted. If the Resistance was wrong about the value of your knife, in two nights you’d lie in Johana’s lap, and Kylo Ren would fuck you as if you didn’t exist. The thought made you dizzy, made your stomach churn.

“There you go,” he said. “As long as you’re doing everything you’re supposed to, you’ll be fine. The Eyes might be snooping around your house, but all you need to do is be prudent.” A laugh. “That shouldn’t be a problem for you, though.”

“No.” Kylo couldn’t have sounded more unimpressed if he had tried.

An expectant silence fell between the two men, and Enric coughed to clear the awkwardness. “In a couple weeks, then.”

“Yes.”

With that, he walked off, footsteps echoing from the wooden halls as he left you, your Commander, and the Knight as the only souls outside of the Council Chambers. A soft exhale escaped Kylo’s nose, and he stepped forward--the weight of his gaze was on you, but you refused to meet it.

“Go,” he said. You assumed he was speaking to the Knight, who moved without another word--what was it like being a warrior turned glorified babysitter? “Come.”

You stood, keeping your eyes to the ground while you followed his lead through the vacant, sunlit corridors of City Hall. This end of the building was decidedly older than the front--it creaked with exhaustion as you navigated its floors, as if it, too, had grown tired of the constant political discourse within its walls. Kylo Ren turned into a staircase, descending with the same pace as his stride--you struggled to keep up with him at this rate, unable to stop yourself from admiring when he reached the bottom and turned the corner into the basement hall.

Since the night at the hotel, he’d abandoned his previous attire of suits, ties and white shirts--he now wore black almost entirely, from his dress shirt to his trousers, which more often than not ended up stuffed into knee-high leather boots. He’d also taken to wearing the coat you’d seen during the Salvaging, its tapered cut somehow making his frame even larger, more imposing than it had been before. The coat in particular was a strange choice during the summer--but you knew why he wore it, keeping others uncertain about what it might or might not conceal.

In the basement, the air grew thin and cold, the halls illuminated now only by dim fluorescent lamps. Kylo stopped at a large wooden door, fishing a key from his pocket and popping the lock. He pushed inside, holding it open for you as you followed him in--he released it, and with a pneumatic whine, it slammed behind you. You squeaked, leaping back, swallowed now in darkness.

You heard the click of the lock--then Kylo’s footsteps on concrete as he crossed the room. A ceiling lamp flickered on, revealing what you could only describe as a records room. Shelves lined the walls, floor to ceiling, manila folder files stuffed into them like recycled news. Your lungs stilled looking at them--there were hundreds, thousands of these folders, all labeled with four-digit numbers. Swallowing, you thought of the tattoo at your ankle--1104--and heat rushed your skin.

These were files on Handmaids.

Dread dug into you, head on a swivel as you soaked in the enormity of the identities contained within these piles of paper. Uncountable bodies of women reduced to nothing but a combination of integers in a locked room in the basement of City Hall. Your heart thumped against your sternum. This was not something you were supposed to see.

Kylo meandered along the shelves, searching the tabs, his brow furrowed in focus. You crossed your arms, ignoring the quickening leap of your pulse, thoughts racing. Why had he brought you here? He was supposed to be proving to the Council that your relationship wasn’t inappropriate--and here you were, alone with your Commander in a room almost certainly forbidden to the large majority of Gilead.

“Five-seven-two-four.”

His long fingers plucked the folder from where it was wedged at the bottom shelf and he rose to his full height--the sight still stole your air. Stone-faced, Kylo flopped open the file, cradling it in the crook of his elbow as he flipped to the first page.

“Five-seven-two-four.” He stepped toward you--an involuntary shiver raced up your spine--and tilted it into your line of sight. “Tera Jackson.”

You blinked, looking between him and the text, inching closer to read. It was the facesheet of a dossier on Tera Jackson: birthdate, hometown, education level, allergies, Biblical violation (affair with a married man). You skimmed the document, confused as to why he’d risked both of your skins just to show you a piece of paper. Then you spotted the bottom of the page, three spaces designated to list Commander assignments. The first and only name: Armitage Hux.

“Ofarmitage,” you breathed, and gaped at Kylo. “Her name was Tera Jackson.”

He said nothing, but pushed the front page from its packet, holding it out to you. Hesitating to grab it, you gazed into his eyes. They were tired and sincere.

This was his way of apologizing. Your heart stuttered, skipped, a suffocated warmth welling in your belly. That he’d thought to do it at all was enough to fracture your resistance, but the fact that he’d done something so forbidden to demonstrate concrete proof of her identity, that he wasn’t fabricating a document to placate you, that it was his own admission that she had been a person, and she had been real--you choked on it, cheeks smothered in flames.

“Commander…” The urge to say his name lingered on your tongue; you reached for the paper--and paused. You couldn’t continue to detour down a pointless road. It would only make the inevitable more painful. You dropped your hand. “I can’t have something like this.”

“Then I’ll keep it.”

“Well.” You bit your lip, averting your gaze. “I… I don’t want it.”

“You do.” His voice was soft. “Her file will be cycled through at the end of the month. Take it.”

Frowning, you glanced between him and the paper. To deny it out of pride would be to deny Tera the chance to be remembered in tangibility--something every Handmaid, every person deserved, regardless of what they’d done to survive. You admitted that part of it was proving to yourself that you deserved it, too.

But you couldn’t take the whole page. Jaw tight, you took it from his hand, creased a line around the section with her name and birthdate and tore it free. You stuffed it into your sleeve, avoiding his eyes as you returned the rest.

Silence hung, cave crystals dripping remnants of stifled need onto your skin, small glittering droplets of iridescent understanding that stained you with shimmering agony. You ached to thank him, to tumble, broken, into his arms, to gaze intohis eyes and see yourself there, found and whole. But under Gilead, you could never have him in the ways he’d had you. And you could never be grateful to the devil for his grace.

Kylo Ren returned the folder to its shelf and stood, snuffing a sigh. “Store it in your room before your walk.”

All you did was nod.

The walk to the building and drive home was spent without words. Only twice did you sneak a glance at Kylo during the ride--the first was when he rolled the edge of the wheel against his large palm, face drawn in focus as he downshifted into a tight turn. The second was when he pulled into the driveway, the muscle under his eye fluttering and brow falling for split seconds, an acknowledgement that here was where you parted ways.

You swallowed, peeking at his hand still rested on the gearshift, then stared at your own, imagining the strength of his grip enveloping you, grounding you to something other than misery. The gentle grumble of the cooling engine died in the air.

Would a true devil place his own power at risk for the benefit of another? Perhaps it just seemed unfair that the only man who had ever made you feel sacred was the same man who’d desecrated you, too.

“Thank you,” you mumbled, and before he could think to respond, you opened the door and escaped into the house.

As you returned to your room, your hands trembled with the impending reality of your decision. A few days after Tera’s death, you’d received a message in the market from Rey and arranged for this meeting. There’d been no earlier time available--which was fine, you imagined that as one of the main women in the movement, her undercover operations were in high demand--and now that the day had arrived, you were floundering with anxiety. Certainly, some of it was the fear that you’d be implicated, too, though the Resistance seemed confident they could protect you from that.

Most of it was that despite your resolution, guilt sat like mercury in your belly, heavy and viscous. Kylo Ren deserved this--he deserved retribution, deserved whatever condemnation his future might hold.

But still you craved, as you might forever, a reality where the only condemnation he would receive was to your bed, where the rays of his future would merge with yours, coalesce in a brilliant spectrum of light, ultraviolet and perpetual. In true reality, those rays crashed ephemeral for jagged, resplendent moments--only to streak alone through the sky, parallel for eternity.

In your room, you stowed the slip of paper with Tera’s name and birthdate between the tiny crevice in your dresser where wood joined wood. In that same drawer under your spare undergarments was the switchblade, in the space you’d placed it over three weeks ago. Kylo had never come for it or sought its return. You supposed he considered it yours. Swallowing the wad of betrayal in your throat, you grabbed the knife and stuffed it up your sleeve.

After adjusting your boots and wings, you skipped down the steps and headed toward the kitchen to grab your shopping bag. When you crossed the threshold, you were met with Johana, tending to the little garden she kept above the sink. She spun at the sound of your feet, her blue eyes glowing against the stark cobalt of her dress, and she regarded you in silence, as she had for the past two weeks. You knew she was no idiot--she must have known you and the Commander were no longer speaking, but it had done nothing to thaw the frost between you this time.

“Just coming to get my bag, ” you muttered, stepping past her and toward the pantry.

“Did you--” She paused, lips tight over her teeth. “There’s an addition. To what we need today.”

You cleared your throat, forcing a smile in an attempt to be congenial. “Oh. Um. Well… I sure hope it’s not butter.”

She raised a brow. “Butter?”

“Yeah...” Your cheeks blazed with embarrassment. Why had you expected her to remember that? “I just. Forgot it. One time…”

“Ah.” Johana scanned you, releasing a sigh through her nose. “I’m sure whatever I said at that time was only half-warranted.” Her cheeks went pink, and she glanced at the wall. “Not that it matters.”

Her awkwardness was making your heart race. “Um. Yeah.” You chewed your lip. “So… the addition…”

She blinked. “Oh. Right.” Shaking her head, she stood on the tips of her toes, opening the cabinet above the stove. “I noticed we’re out of vegetable oil. Emma forgot to dictate it. So. Vegetable oil.”

“Right.” You nodded. “I’ll get it.”

“Good.” Johana considered you again, gaze traveling from your feet to your eyes, then breaking away. “Anyway.” She shifted, returning to the sink. “I suppose I’ll see you for the Ceremony in a couple nights.”

Another wave of nausea washed over you. You hoped she wouldn’t. “Yep. I… I guess so.”

“I know you might not...” She paused, and shrugged a shoulder, pruning a leaf from one of her herbs. “It’s what God wants. It’s nothing personal.”

You swallowed. “I know, Ms. Johana.”

If you remained on this subject any longer, you absolutely would throw up. Johana glanced over her shoulder, meeting your eyes--almost pitying. You bowed your head, ears hot, striding toward the front door.

“Wait--”

Johana grabbed your arm--her eyes widened, and she froze, face screwed in confusion as she squeezed you. Terror crashed through your spine. You both stood there, paralyzed, each now keenly aware of her accidental discovery of the blade inside of your sleeve. Throat closing, you didn’t dare to breathe, instead forcing your gaze from where her hand clutched you to meet her eyes.

“What is that.” Her nails pinched your forearm as she jerked you forward, surprising strength in her little body. “What is that--”

You wrenched back as she tried to dig into your dress, flailing as you tossed her off. Exhaling, you stepped away, holding your hands up in submission as she gazed at you in horror.

“Hold on!” you said. “Hold on. I’ll…” You had no other option. “I’ll show you.”

With two fingers, you slipped into your sleeve and revealed the knife, rotating it like a showpiece in a museum. Her jaw tightened, brow drawn low.

“Why do you have a switchblade?”

Your chin trembled. “For protection.”

“Protection. Sure.” She snorted, holding out her palm. “You’re not killing anyone in this house. Hand it over.”

Shaking your head, you took a step back. “No.”

Her face scrunched in anger, and she swatted for it. “Give it--”

“No!” You shielded it with your palms, raising it above your head. “I--I can’t!”

She huffed in dismissal, raising an eyebrow. “What do you mean you can’t?”

Your fingers quaked, the weapon wobbling in your grip. “It’s…” You weren’t sure of what you were about to say. But you couldn’t think of a single lie that she would believe. “We staged the coup. The Commander and I. This is the one of the only things that… that proves it.”

Johana blinked, drew her hand back as she gazed at you, thoughts loud behind her eyes. Her lips parted in disbelief. “You’re working with the Resistance.”

“Yes.” You swallowed your fear. “I am.”

Breath rattled in her chest, and she stared. “You’re turning him in.”

“I am.”

Her face fell into a scowl. “Well. How--how could you?” She fumbled for the words, like they stung her tongue. “He’s… He isn’t... the most kind man, perhaps, or the most Godly--”

You rolled your eyes. “He’s not Godly at all.”

“But he still deserves respect.”

“Respect? For what?”

“For being your Commander.”

You threw your hands into the air, exasperated. “Why are you defending him?” you exclaimed, stepping closer. “You deserve more than this! More than how he treats you!” As you spoke, you weren’t sure who in the room those words were actually meant for. “Help me bring him down. Work with me. We don’t have to live like this.” A pause, voice falling to a murmur, and your hand fell to your side. “We can be free.”

Johana paused, as if she had never considered the possibility, and stepped back, gaze falling. For long, motionless moments, she stared at the blade gripped in your loose fist, the fire in her pupils guttering to cold, empty desperation. A slow breath escaped her nose, her throat knocking as she swallowed. Another breath, and tears glossed her eyes--she blinked them away, pinning her lips together.

“I…”

She shivered, looking at you. For a flicker, you saw her--the woman who existed, wholived before you, before Kylo Ren, before Gilead--treading deadly water, gasping for respite. Johana’s focus drifted over your dress, then wandered to hers. Like a match, fury flashed her face, and in a swift snake movement, she snatched the blade from your hand.

“--will never betray Gilead.”

You squealed, grabbing for it, but she darted underneath you, skittering toward the hall, popping the blade free and thrusting it toward you. Her face was tight with bitter rage.

“I don’t care what happened with him. You’ve only known him for a few months,” she hissed. “I’ve been married to him for three years.” Her hand was shaking, her voice cracking like plaster. “You have no idea what I’ve endured. And I’ll be damned if you screw it up for me.”

“Johana,” you pleaded, “wait--”

“Don’t force my hand,” she said, jabbing the air. “If you even breathe another word about some Resistance nonsense, I’ll have you taken by the Eyes. I don’t care what the Commander says.” She glanced over you one final time and pushed the blade back, shoving it in her pocket before turning to leave. “And remember the vegetable oil.”

You stood, empty-handed, listening to her footsteps disappear down the hall, mind a miasma. There’d be no escape from this, now, not from this house, not from that man, not from the hovering humiliation of the Ceremony in two nights. She’d taken your only lifeline to freedom. And you somehow doubted that another one might appear.

[falseh0od]

So I had the idea... what if the boys were Pokemon trainers?? I know the idea of a Pokémon/Sanders Sides crossover has been done by many (I’m particularly partial to the one by @sugarglider9603- I name my eeveelutions after the boys respectively 😅)

But! I decided to take the Pokémon they chose as the ones they’d be in the Q&A video and give them 5 more Pokémon for a full team! Only three of the boys have a specific typing, but each one has a trait that sets their team apart!

I ALSO included Janus, Remus, Emile, and Remy in this. Janus and Remus’s partners are straightforward as Arbok and Alolan Raticate respectively, but I chose a possible oddball for Emile in Ditto. I’ll elaborate more! Remy’s partner is Snorlax though, which I think is also a perfect match.

I’ll also be explaining the backgrounds of each of the boys and how they caught each of their Pokémon.

Anyway, here we go!

Logan Berry

(TW for mentions of abuse)

Logan was born in Hoenn, way back before any of the events of the games happened. Steven Stone is still champion of the region and is very, very well known. However, Logan’s parents were abusive and very strict, and absolutely hated Pokemon. They weren’t very secretive of their abuse, though, and one day it got bad enough that the neighbors came to investigate and called the police. This was when Logan was officially taken from their custody and sent to live with his Grandma in the Galar region... aka, Professor Magnolia. In this AU, Logan takes the place of Sonia. Which means he becomes a Pokémon Professor, which shouldn’t surprise anybody lmao. He does also end up being Leon’s rival in the gym challenge too! He also decides to specialize in Psychic-Type Pokémon.

Alakazam

Logan found his Alakazam when it was just a baby, a young Abra. This Abra was his first Pokemon, and one of the only two Pokémon he caught in Hoenn. In fact, this Abra is what set off the argument with his parents that led to them being arrested in the first place. His parents forbid him from having a Pokémon, despite the fact that Logan loved Pokémon with all his heart and it was his dream to be a trainer. This resulted in them becoming furious when he came home with his Abra. However, Abra actively protected Logan from the blows of his parents (using its psychic powers ofc) and is the main reason why Logan wasn’t in worse shape after that. Because of this, Alakazam isn’t just Logan’s partner, but is also his emotional support Pokemon, and Logan hates to be away from him for too long.

Metagross

This is the second Pokémon Logan brought with him to Galar from Hoenn, and it just so happens that this Pokémon was a gift to him. Steven Stone himself heard that there was a young boy who had been abused by his parents, and took it upon himself to come visit Logan before he was sent to Galar. The two struck up an immediate friendship, and Steven decided to gift him with the one thing the boy loved more than anything- a Pokemon. A Beldum, to be exact. He told Logan to take good care of the young Pokemon and Logan promised he would- and he would keep that promise.

Espeon

Espeon was the first pokemon Logan caught in Galar. It was just an Eevee at the time! Professor Magnolia had taken him with her when she went to visit Milo at one point, and when passing through Route Four Logan had found the Eevee. Professor Magnolia gifted him with a Pokeball to use to catch it, and Logan had his third Pokémon!

Xatu

It was in the wild area as an older teen that Logan found his fourth team member. He found a little Natu hopping around in the grass, minding its own business. Logan initially didn’t think much of it, and went on with his business... but the Natu thought MUCH of him, and ended up following Logan all around the Wild Area. Logan eventually caved in, catching the little bird and forming such a close bond with him that he added him to his team when he evolved into Xatu.

Galarian Rapidash

Logan found the Galarian Rapidash when he was in the middle of his Gym challenge with Leon, as he was on his way to Ballonlea. It was a Ponyta at the time, and it was actually injured. Logan quickly caught it and ran back to Wedgehurst to have Professor Magnolia take a look at her, almost missing his sixth gym. However, the Ponyta made a quick recovery and Logan added her to his team.

Reuniclus

Logan’s final team member was also found in its unevolved form, Solosis. He found Solosis in the wild area as well, in after he had beaten every gym and before he went on to Wyndon for the finals. There wasn’t much fate about the meeting- but Logan felt a connection from the moment he saw the Pokémon. He caught it, trained it, and it joined him in Wyndon, a Duosion, and Logan’s final team member.

Roman Prince

Roman (and Remus, his twin ofc) was born and raised in Alola. He had his mom, a kind and caring woman who loved her sons deeply. His dad had died when he was very little, so he didn’t remember much about him. His mom was also friends with Professor Kukui and Professor Burnet, and Roman was close friends with their adopted son... Remy. In fact, Professor Kukui was the one who gifted Roman his first Pokemon, and we’ll get into that story right now!

Wigglytuff

Wigglytuff (an Igglybuff at the time) was Roman’s first pokemon and has since been his loyal partner. He received the Pokémon as an egg, a gift from Professor Kukui when he, Remus, and Remy were all old enough to start training Pokémon (Remus originally thought Pokémon were stupid, however, and would change his mind and get his first Pokémon later). After he got the egg, Roman spent every waking hour working to hatch it, and three days after receiving it, it hatched, much to his delight, and Igglybuff was brought into the world. He and his now Wigglytuff have an incredibly close connection, and Roman almost never puts her in her Pokeball.

Gardevoir

Gardevoir was Roman’s second Pokemon, the first wild Pokémon he ever caught. It was just a Ralts, but Roman was super excited to find a rarer pokemon, and immediately struck up a lasting friendship with Ralts. It evolved quicker than any Ralts Professor Kukui had ever seen.

Alolan Ninetales

It was during a ski trip to Mount Lanakila that Roman stumbled upon a lost and scared Alolan Vulpix. Roman didn’t hesitate to bring it back to the group, and helped it calm down. It was plainly evident not long after that the Vulpix was destined to be Roman’s. He caught it, and went to the ends of the earth to find the ice stone that eventually she evolved with when she was ready.

Aegislash

(tw for killing mention and technically animal abuse?)

Professor Kukui was beyond shocked when a teenaged Roman barged through his door holding a Pokeball that held a Honedge, another incredibly rare Pokémon. Roman told the dashing story, how he rescued it from a hitman who was trying to catch it to make it kill for him against its will. Kukui still doesn’t know how true the story is... but between me and you, Roman didn’t exaggerate a word.

Altaria

Roman’s Swablu was another gift, from a traveling friend of Professor Kukui. After hearing the professor speak so highly of the three kids and their dedication to Pokemon (Remus had decided to be a trainer by this point) the stranger gifted all three with a Pokémon not normally found in Alola. All three of the boys added said pokemon to their teams. Roman fell in love with the Swablu and was elated when it evolved into the majestic Altaria.

Milotic

Roman was traded Milotic. There’s not a big, fluffy story to his 6th pokemon, really. It was his first trade ever and when the other person traded him a Feebas holding a prism scale, he was super excited to watch the Pokémon evolve into Milotic. And so he added Milotic to his team on the spot.

Patton Hart

Patton is from Kalos, and doesn’t have much to his backstory. His mom died when he was ten, and his Dad raised him. His dad was a doctor and also Patton’s hero, so Patton ended up also going on to go to med school to become a doctor as well. He would eventually decide to move to Galar for a change in scenery, but not until he was in his mid-twenties. However, Patton has a major quirk to his Pokémon team. Patton decided to become an expert in training Pokémon to their full extent while they were still in their basic forms, aka not fully evolved... but not just any kind of Pokémon. You’ll see what I mean!

Togepi

Some of you might already have noticed the specific kind of Pokémon Patton specializes in. Anyway, Togepi was hatched an egg Patton found in the wild. His dad wasn’t terribly thrilled with the idea of Patton raising a wild egg since they had no idea what it would be, but after persistent badgering from Patton eventually gave in and let him raise it. Let’s just say he was relieved when it hatched into just a baby Togepi!

The rest of Patton’s team were gifts from various people who had eggs they were looking to give away. There’s not a whole ton of background so I’ll just list off each of the Pokémon in order of when he got them!

Pichu

Munchlax

Magby

Azurill

Riolu

Yeah, if you haven’t noticed, Patton specializes in baby Pokémon! Each holds an everstone and an eviolite, and each was given specialized training with Patton to make them as strong as possible! He holds a close relationship with each one! Patton is incredibly proud of his team, and is even one of the strongest trainers in Kalos!

Virgil Storm

Virgil was born and raised in Galar, and he loves the region more than anything and never plans to move. He’s also a close friend (and *cough* boyfriend- I’ll go into that more at the end of the post) of Logan! Both his parents are alive and are super awesome. They almost become like a second family to Logan. Virgil also has a fascination with ghost Pokémon, and as such, decided early on to be a trainer specializing in Ghost type Pokémon.

Haunter

Virgil met his Haunter before he ever even met Logan. He was wandering in the woods, and was hopelessly lost. Scared and crying, he caught the attention of a young Gastly, who approached the boy and helped him find his way out of the woods. It was when they had finally made their way out that Virgil found an abandoned Pokeball on the ground, and decided to catch the Gastly, who had at that point basically adopted the small human and was more than happy to be his partner. While it eventually evolved into Haunter, Virgil has vowed that he will never give away his Haunter, pretty much making it so the Pokémon will never evolve into Gengar. Logan has offered to try and find a way to get Haunter to evolve without a trade, but Virgil denied. He prefers Haunter over Gengar anyway (though he won’t deny that Gengar is his favorite gigantimax form).

Chandelure

Virgil found Chandelure as a Litwick when he was on a walk in the same woods, this time with Logan by his side. He immediately felt drawn to the Pokémon, and while Logan was terrified that something horrible would happen, the Litwick felt the same connection, and decided to let Virgil catch it. Eventually evolving into Lampent, Virgil was elated when he found a Dusk Stone lying around in the Wild Area, and helped the Pokémon to evolve into Chandelure.

Trevenant

Virgil found his Trevenant as - you guessed it, a Phantump. It was in a forest, but this time, in the forest leading up to Ballonlea. He was on his way to watch Logan’s gym match with Opal! It took some coaxing to get the Phantump into a Pokeball, but the little Pokemon eventually decided to go with Virgil. Though Virgil was resigned to having the Pokémon be a Phantump forever, the incredible connection Phantump made with Virgil led to it surprising Virgil with an evolution out of nowhere one day. (I know- don’t fight me on this, I just have a major problem with trade evolutions and Pokemon needs to make it so there’s another way to evolve those Pokémon 😡).

Dragapult

To no one’s surprise, Virgil found his Dragapult as a Dreepy. It was actually in a Max Raid battle, one that he and Logan did together. Virgil was elated when they found one for Dreepy, because he had been dreaming of getting a Dreepy for years.

Mimikyu

Mimikyu was one of the weirder encounters Virgil had. It was in the wild area, and Virgil was wandering in the fog alone when he noticed movement. It took some time to track down the movement, but it was then that he found the Mimikyu, one of the smallest Mimikyus anyone would ever see. He fell in love and his connection with Mimikyu is incredibly strong, seconded only by his connection with Haunter.

Dusknoir

Dusknoir is the only pokemon any of the boys found in the wild as-is. Not a Duskull, not a Duskclops, a full-out Dusknoir. While the encounter got rocky because the Dusknoir was big and formidable, after Virgil won a battle against it, it let Virgil catch it. That is still one of Virgil’s proudest accomplishments.

Janus Sawyer

Janus is a wandering soul at heart, and never stays in one place for terribly long. He was raised in Kanto, but not being able to travel made him miserable. As soon as he turned 18 he left home, and has never settled down since. He also has a connection with Pokémon that resemble snakes (and no one should be surprised by this).

Arbok

Arbok was the first pokemon Janus ever caught, when it was just an Ekans. Janus found the Ekans in the wild, and though his mom was terrified, he immediately was drawn to it, and begged his mom to let him catch it. His mom finally relented and gave him a Pokeball to use. Janus loves his Arbok more than anything.

Dragonair

Dragonair was the only other Pokémon Janus found in Kanto before he left. He found it as a Dratini, and will never let it evolve into Dragonite as he prefers Dragonair and finds it ridiculous that Dragonite looks nothing like the snake-like Dragonair and Dratini.

Cofagrigus

Cofagrigus is the only non-snake-like Pokemon on Janus’s team. He found it in Unova, the first region he went to after he left Kanto. He wasn’t originally gonna have it on his team, but eventually realized that he had too close a relationship with the Pokémon to not keep it on his team. He loves Cofagrigus a lot.

(AN: I included cofagrigus because arms.)

Serperior

Serperior is another Pokemon Janus found in Unova. He found it as Snivy. He’s especially proud of the odd coloring on his Serperior, as it is a lighter green, and has blue accents. (Yes, it is shiny!)

Zoroark

Zoroark is the last Pokemon Janus caught in Unova. After hearing of the pokemon, he became obsessed with Zoroark and vowed to catch it before he left Unova. He did find it, but it took a few weeks before Zoroark would let him catch it. In those few weeks, Janus stood back to observe Zoroark. Finally, Janus saved Zoroark’s life when it was attacked by a Pokemon hunter, and it decided to allow Janus to catch it. Janus and Zoroark are very close.

Salamence

In the second region he ever travelled to, Hoenn, Janus found a Bagon- he wasn’t entirely down to catch it, but Bagon desperately wanted to be catched by him. Janus eventually relented and caught the Pokemon, and with some research realized he would love to have a Salamence on his team. The two eventually grew closer and closer, and by the time it evolved into Salamence, they had a bond close enough for mega evolution- so when Janus first heard about the concept, he put all of his effort into finding a key stone and a mega stone for Salamence, which he eventually would.

Remus Prince

Remus, Roman’s twin, originally thought that being a Pokémon trainer was a stupid idea, and vowed never to be a trainer nor to own a single Pokémon. This changed when he was a teen, and he now loves Pokémon and is one of the strongest trainers in Alola (ironically enough). He completed the entire island challenge, and Kukui ends up asking him to be in the Elite Four when he creates the Alola Region Pokemon League. He doesn’t have a specific type, though a good portion of his team is Poison type, so he primarily uses the Poison Z-Move.

Alolan Raticate

Alolan Raticate was the Pokemon that made Remus change his mind about being a trainer. He found the Pokémon, a small rattata, being attacked by a Gumshoos who was way stronger than the Rattata. Remus chased the Gumshoos off, and then Roman handed Remus a Pokeball as if to say “you know you want to”. Remus gave in and caught the rattata. Now, Raticate is his partner, and he is closer with Raticate than with any of his other Pokémon.

Garbodor

Once Remus had given in to being a Pokémon trainer, Kukui finally got to give him an egg for him to raise. It took some time because Remus wasn’t sure how to go about raising the egg, but eventually it hatched into Trubbish. Remus loves Garbodor a lot, and though there’s no real way for him to figure this out, Garbodor is also gigantimax.

Alolan Muk

Muk was a Pokémon that, once he decided to be a trainer, Remus had his heart set on catching. It took a few years, but he finally found a Grimer, and added it to his team. Muk and Garbodor are very close.

Alolan Exeggcutor

Remus has always loved the concept of Exeggcutor- it’s long neck, the egg shaped heads, everything! Yet once he saw how they looked everywhere but Alola, Remus realized just how special the Alolan variants were. He spent three months trying to catch an Alolan Exeggcutor once he decided he wanted to, and was eventually successful.

Swalot

You remember the story of how Roman got his Swablu? That also happens to be how Remus got Swalot. Swalot was merely a Gulpin when he was gifted it. Remus instantly fell in love with the Pokémon and loves that he’s one of the only trainers in Alola with one.

Weezing

It was during a short trip to Kanto that Remus found his Weezing. Professor Kukui was visiting Professor Oak, and had also booked a ticket for Burnet, who unfortunately got sick last minute. With Roman and Remy both busy, Kukui offered to let Remus tag along, and Remus was more than happy to come. It was a chance encounter with Koffing, but Remus instantly fell in love, and Weezing was added to his party as his 6th pokemon.

Remy Burnet-Kukui

Remy was orphaned at only a year old, so he has very little recollection of his parents. Kukui and Burnet were not exactly looking to adopt at the time, but after hearing of Remy’s story, decided they had nothing to lose. They didn’t keep it a secret from Remy that he was adopted, not wanting to lose his trust at a later date. Remy is still incredibly close with his adopted parents and loves them with his whole heart. He became obsessed with the idea of moves Pokemon can use while asleep, and once he became a trainer, decided to specialize in using sleep to his advantage. He only has five Pokémon on his team, but if you saw him battle, you would see that that’s all he needs. He made it most of the way through the island challenge, but was never able to defeat Hapu.

Snorlax

Snorlax was Remy’s first Pokémon, the Pokémon gifted to him by Kukui while it was just an egg. It hatched into Munchlax and Remy was ecstatic. His Munchlax and Burnet’s Munchlax were always close, and while Burnet’s Munchlax never evolved, Remy happily evolved his when they became close enough.

Komala

Komala was the second Pokémon Remy caught, the first one he caught in the wild. It was in the middle of a busy street, sleeping as usual and just barely avoiding getting trampled. Remy rescued it, and Komala let him catch it.

Slaking

Remy found Slaking in the wild, just a Slakoth. Remy had the absolute worst time wrangling the Pokémon when it evolved into Vigoroth, and he will tell you that the day it evolved into Slaking was the happiest day of his life.

Slowbro

Another wild encounter, Slowbro and Snorlax became very close very quickly, when Slowbro was just a Slowpoke. They can often be seen napping together, and occasionally Remy will join them.

Musharna

Musharna was gifted to Remy as a Munna when Kukui’s friend from a different region visited. Remy fell in love with Munna and Kukui helped him locate a moon stone to evolve it into Musharna.

Emile Picani

Emile is Patton’s cousin, and also his best friend! Also raised in Kalos, he moved to Galar when he turned 18, much to Patton’s chagrin. He was also one of the main reasons Patton himself decided to move to Galar. Emile is a therapist, and is also close with Logan and Virgil. He’s also Logan’s therapist! He prides himself in being a normal-type trainer.

Ditto

Ditto was the first Pokémon Emile found. It was a wild encounter, and it terrified Emile at first because it had shapeshifted into Gengar. Once he realized what it was though, Emile was fascinated, and decided to catch it. It became his partner and helps Emile in his therapy sessions too!

Stoutland

Emile found Stoutland when it was just a little Lillipup. It was hurt, and Emile rushed it to the Pokémon Center. After waiting anxiously to see if it was alright, Nurse Joy gave him a Pokeball to use to catch it once it was fully recovered. Stoutland is one of the gentlest Pokemon Emile has ever seen, and he cares for each of the other Pokémon on Emile’s team, almost like a Dad friend.

Blissey

Blissey was gifted to Emile as an egg. He vigorously cared for it, and was elated when it hatched into Happiny. He made sure to form a close friendship with the Pokémon, wanting nothing more than for it to evolve fully, which it eventually did.

Poryon 2

Emile’s Porygon was an odd gift, given to him by a stranger he had a Pokémon battle with who was intrigued by Emile’s strength and bond with his Pokémon. Emile never saw the man again, but he loves his Porygon and went to the ends of the earth to get it to evolve into Porygon 2.

Smeargle

Another wild encounter, Smeargle was the last Pokemon Emile caught one Kalos before he moved- in fact, he caught Smeargle on his 18th birthday! Smeargle is incredibly loyal to Emile, and doesn’t particularly like other trainers. He gets incredibly competitive during battles.

Dubwool

The day he moved to Galar, Emile immediately knew he desperately wanted a Wooloo. They were cute, they were fluffy, and they were incredibly strong once evolved. He caught one within his first week in Galar, and it evolved within the first year.

And that’s all folks! I hope you enjoyed each of these stories and explanations! I dunno if I’ll ever write this AU, but if anyone else decides to I’d be elated, just please tag me! Also, this would be a great LAMP AU, in my opinion, but if nothing else I really want it to at least be an analogical AU. If ya wanna do something different from there then be my guest!

[curupiracue]

A Bunch of Unimportant Ramdomness

...That was odd.

It’s true that I, Ienorb Yenruoj escaped with my life thanks to a sudden evolution in my methods… However. There is something quite strange about these events.

First they wanted me away… And then I was attacked. And that person attacked alone: it took a while before those two went after me. A conflict of plans, of interests? Then the three were not working together.

That is good and all, but what about now?

If they didn’t know each other, then they’re definitely working together now. Almost a 100% guaranteed. But… Could it really be, a duo of incredibly powerful psychics discovering evidence of my crimes at the same time another psychic does the same? Or could it be that the second one was just passing by? That doesn’t seem very likely either…

Which means they probably did know each other, but there is some sort of conflict between them that stopped cooperation. Though, well, now that they experienced first hand the consequences of not working together, it might be that they decided to form an alliance… I really can’t say without knowing more.

“And I won’t be able to know more, because they’ve got me cornered in that sense...”

Thank goodness I decided to check that crow and kill it. I couldn’t really see much, but now that I know all about what’s presumably that woman’s construction, I understand my situation much better. Though I ran away, it should be the opposite: since the more time passes, the more they (or at least she) will discover about me, and the more at a disadvantage I’ll be, it should be best to stop them dead on their tracks right now.

Of course, I’m shaking in fear, quite literally. Perhaps because of that, I decided to give it a day or two. Thought it’s also because, if they’re working begrudgingly… then it’s possible that they won’t be staying together.

If so, there is my chance. All I need to do is go after those two… not only do I know where they live already, but I also admit that a bout against that woman is not something that I look forward to.

“But… If they prove too strong… Then I’ll need a plan b. And for that...”

(The prism spins, and senseless light is reflected with a different sense)

“...Wake up, sleepyhead.”

(dreaming...)

“Hey! Nim! Wake up already!”

AAAAGGHGGGGGHGHGHHHHHHHHHHHHRRR!!!

“Ugghhhh… What time is it…?”

“Doesn’t matter. It-”

“If it doesn’t, I can go back to sleep… ahhh...”

“...We have things to do.”

“Uuuuuh… Goddammit...”

Novalue sat in the bed besides me and caressed my hair.

“(sigh...) Come on. You’re taking even more time than I do getting out of bed.”

“Mmmm… fine...” I replied, feeling as if my head was about to burst open, and someone punched me in the stomach. Also, heavy eyelids, but that is SO cliché.

“Hey, Novalue, can you like, open the window?”

“Sure.”

His action was followed by the radiant rays of the sun, alongside a most pristine breath.

“...Lindíssimo!” I said, looking through the window.

“...Stop referencing Dom Casmurro and get out of bed.”

“Oook~ But like… What’s the thing we have to do again...?”

Novalue seemed as if he could facepalm, but then suddenly figured it would be too much of a bother, and just stared blankly at me before answering:

“We’re meeting up with Wims to hear ab-”

“Oh, fuck no!”

“Wh-”

“Yeah, you’re going alone. See- ciao, adios! Hell, why did you even wake me up?! For fuck’s sake! UGH!”

(The prism spins, and senseless light is reflected with a different sense)

...Unreasonable, as always. I thought, while reminiscing over the events of the morning.

...In retrospect, I should have seen this coming.

Well, not like I care.

“Yo!” I’m suddenly greeted by a familiar voice

“...Well, aren’t you in a good mood.” I turn towards it, finding Wims looking at me.

“Well, I don’t have to meet Mr. Imsogreat, so that is certainly a reason.”

“Oh, good. I thought someone had died.”

Wims grimaced in response:

“Mind your tongue!” She said, clearly having took umbrage.

“Journalism is the work of gods! To spread the truth is like a sacred duty passed through universities by those who had mastered it! Life is just one big flow of events, and a society is a flow comprised of all the minor flows of the people living on it! It’s impossible, IMPOSSIBLE I say, to be able to witness the TRUE flow of a society, even when looking at large scale events! However, if you look at the individual flows of enough people living in it, and sum them up, then you’ll be able to reach it! A complete understanding! It’s got nothing to do with merely looking for drama and polemic like a damn vulture!” She then promptly summoned a guitar Hallucinogen, and started playing it:

“We are the fourth power, we rule this world!”

“Ever since people started talking, everything has whirled!”

“But some may seek it, a truth most priiiistiiiiine!”

“And among all of these, I’m the indisputable queen!”

“Oooooooooh YEAAH!”

(Guitar solo)

“Just try and stop it, the endless flow!”

“Fucking hell, go ahead and make a row!”

“But sorry to say this is the status quo!”

“Compared to information, you’re all slow!”

“Slow slow slow slow!”

“To be a journalist, one must dare to be a badass.”

“And this is a test, that not all may pass!”

“Countless obstacles await you...”

“If you wish to be part of the highest class!”

“Journalism! IS! Awesome! Journalism! IS! Awesome! Journalism! IS! Awesome! Journalism! IS! Awesome! WOO-HOOO!!”

…Wow.

“Did you write the lyrics beforehand?”

“Course not, dumbass. I’m a goddess, no, more than that, I’m an entity gods and goddesses envy. Improvising these was child’s play.”

“Ugh… Please, just… stop. It’s bad enough when it’s Nim, but now I have to deal with another egocentric...”

“Bah. We’re different types of egocentric, sucker.”

“Yes, and I much prefer his.”

Wims glared at me for a moment before shrugging.

“Well, look at me. Can’t even stop myself from picking a fight with you. How am I gonna’ cooperate with you two like that? I guess it’s better to just skip straight to business.”

“Indeed.”

“So. I’ve been getting lots of suspicious activities with my crows, but… that’s all par for the course. When I go to read the memories of those involved with Film Tape, I don’t get anything related to the killer.”

“Don’t you know of a little thing called “privacy”?”

“Don’t you know of a little thing called “bullshit”? Anyways, I don’t really have much to report… though that in itself is a report. Seems as if the killer is scared of us.”

“I wouldn’t say that’s good.”

“Because it isn’t. But it’s not all bad either: I’ll find him, eventually, but surely. And without a escape route, he’s doomed.”

(The prism spins, and senseless light is reflected with a different sense)

I, Ienorb Yenruoj, am walking towards work.

...Then all of a sudden, I pass through a trash can, and slip on a banana heel, falling inside.

“WAAAAAAUGH! FUCK!”

(The prism spins, and senseless light is reflected with a different sense)

“Meaning… There are two worst case scenarios. ...If he manages to do something while you’re not looking… or if he decides to attack us suddenly.”

“The first case is possible, but too unlikely. He won’t want to risk himself, and if he does, it’s highly likely I’ll catch him, since I have crows at most points of interest of this city… As for the second one...”

...Yeah.

It can’t possibly work. The obvious counter-measure.

“If we stayed together, the killer would be the least of our worries.”

“Yuuuuup. Glad you’re understanding… Incidentally...”

“?”

“Can’t you track him?”

“...Even a homing missile needs to have a target set.”

“Pfff, useless as always.”

“Yes, perhaps.”

Unexpectedly, Wims seemed to feel a bit bad.

“Oh, come on. Don’t say that. You’re an amazing person, and not a dick.”

I simply shrugged. This wouldn’t lead me anywhere.

“There’s something else that I wanted to ask you.”

“Hmm?”

“Do you have a crow around us?”

“Nah, I don’t. Ni- that stupid little shit, I mean, already does the crow’s job, and probably better. Or… are you saying you two would need my help?”

“I wasn’t saying anything. I merely asked.”

“Hah. Well… anyways, I don’t have enough crows for that. I need to spread them out and keep them as sentinels at various points, as well as have them conduct ordinary research. Speaking of that, Shiva found a demolition man slacking off on his job to go have sex.”

“Why is that important?”

“Well, it tried to peck the guy to death, as usual, and I had to stop it.”

“...Again, why is that important?”

“Ah, whatevs. Go away, shoo. Gotta’ feed some crows.”

Craa!

“See? I bet Nim’s waiting for you, too.”

(Time passes...)

“Oh hey!” Nim greeted me.

He was enjoying the armchair while drinking what I think was grape juice. Though, once he saw me, he immediately went out of his relaxed position. Almost seemed like he would get up.

“I’m back. Nothing new, before you ask.”

Nim frowned.

“Man, c’est una desgraça. How much time will grand me have to wait before I get to the most awesome interview ever?”

“If I’m going to be honest…” I start saying while I sit in the armchair “I think you already did it that one time with radio host. You’re not topping that.” Nim perked up:

“Mm! True that. Hey, want some juice?”

“...You know I hate grapes.”

“...And I also know that my knowledge of the gustatory arts is ultimate and supreme. Here, drink!”

“Sigh… Fine- ! ...!” Nim suddenly forced the cup on my lips “...Huh. Ignoring you being you being you, that was actually pretty good...”

(The prism spins, and senseless light is reflected with a different sense)

“Viu? I told you, Novalue. Jeez, I’d figure eating my cooking every day would create an- H-Hey, don’t drink it all! I wanna’ drink too!”

“? You’ve already drank thou-”

“Shut up!” I picked the cup out of his hands and downed the rest of the juice. “Pronto! Nada más, nihil grape juice! Now let’s get to work!”

“It isn’t work, though?”

“Novalue, do you want me to defenestrate you?”

“Hah.” He gave his usual joyless, poker faced laugh “Should I start boarding up the windows?”

“No, you should start stopping the string of stupid dumb shit coming out of your mouth just to tease me!”

“Nah. You’re adorable when you’re mad. ...Well.” He added in consideration “Assuming you’re not ACTUALLY mad.”

“I am gonna’ be, if you keep this u-gah!” Suddenly, he hugged me.

“See? Not mad anymore.”

“...That’s cheating.”

“When you’re actually mad, this doesn’t work. So, not really cheating.” he said, letting go of the hug to my disappointment.

“Anyway…! We should get going. Though we don’t have a construction useful for this, we still need to prove our superiority! March!”

“Where to, though?”

I opened the door, jumped outside, opening my arms and laughing maniacally.

“Worry not, my little disciple! For I, the great Nim, whose greatness is uninterrupt, devoid of any and all transience, have a ploy that will breach the heavens, teaching to all who is the almighty being in this world, and striking a most deep fear in the depths of that vile killer’s mind!”

“...What’s your plan?”

“Secret~ Just follow meeeee~!”

I could tell Novalue was bothered, but he still followed me when I started walking.

(The prism spins, and senseless light is reflected with a different sense)

I could tell that Nim could tell that I was bothered, and he probably could tell that I could tell that. Yet he still went on walking… Sigh… So selfish…

Well, for now, I might as well follow him.

On our way, we passed through a large building which I barely recognized. And just a few more steps afterwards, we came face-to-face with a man.

He was of average, though quite healthy build, with above average height. Blond hair and green eyes, the very epitome of bishounen, wearing an ordinary white suit, a striped green and red tie, a wristwatch and a horrified expression.

(The prism spins, and senseless light is reflected with a different sense)

...Oh…?

This is…

“Hey, you’re the killer, right?” I asked. In response, the man dropped his jaw even more and ran away. “Yup, sure is~ So, Novalue, let’s drop the ploy that will breach the heavens, teaching to all who is the almighty being in this world, and striking a most deep fear in the depths of that vile killer’s mind and instead run after him!” I started running after the killer, but a hand grabbed me:

“Hold on. Shouldn’t we communicate with Wims?”

Communicate with her… Neither of us has her cellphone number (if she even uses one) and any psychic messages will be too flimsy and random: these can probably be intercepted by the killer, and he could even use them to pinpoint her location.

A crow? But, alas, there were neither a crow nor a drunkard in sight.

“Damn. Guess not.” Novalue said, having followed my train of thought and started running after the killer.

“H-Hold on!”

(The prism spins, and senseless light is reflected with a different sense)

...Out of all the moments! Out of ALL the moments!

But then again… This could be good. I’ll have my opportunity to take them out. I might be a little inexperienced in combat, but I’m stronger than both of them. And inexperienced I may be, but uncreative I am not. Just wait and see… I won’t be running away to escape you… I’ll be running away to make sure you can’t escape me…

I already have a plan. And the first step…

...Is to enter this apartment building uninvited!

(The prism spins, and senseless light is reflected with a different sense)

“Where is he?”

“D-Dumba-”

“Save your breath.”

“...He went... in there...” ...How… How the hell can people keep this up…?

“That apartment? That’s odd...”

We bust the front door open and looked at the attendant.

“Wher-” Novalue started.

“Upstairs, room 216” I finished for him.

“I know it’s efficient, but you sure are lax with mind reading...”

“Shuuush. He can’t... escape now...!” Then again… Why would he come here if he can’t escape? ...Better stay cautious…

We ran up the stairs, with me feeling like I would collapse at any moment, although, mercifully enough, room 216 was just after a turn in the corridor near the stairway. I could also feel a presence inside it, and the door was evidently unlocked. With that obvious fact, Novalue moved his hand towards the doorknob… but…

(The prism spins, and senseless light is reflected with a different sense)

I put my hand on the doorknob to open the door, but I am suddenly interrupted by a screaming Nim:

“Don't!” I looked at him to find his face filled with panic “That doorknob is a trap!”

I look back at the doorknob, confused, and find that the doorknob was actually a knife.

And looking back at my fingers, I discover that they were bleeding.

“...What...? ...He... Took out the doorknob, put a knife on the then empty hole and created an illusion…”

“Yeah... I only realized it because of the design. The door had a very distinct design that was quite famous 40 years back, but the doorknob, while following the design, was flawed. The lines were too thick, and it's body too big…”

Perceptive. But more impressively...

“...Though he could only do it because it was a small sensorial thing, he still infiltrated an illusion on our minds... What power... And this knife... Looks like a pretty sharp butcher knife. If you hadn't warned me... I might have lost these four fingers…”

“Yeah, no shit dumbass! Try and pay more attention for fuck's sake! I'd pummel your head in if that were any other situation!”

...Yeah, as if. Still, he's got a point... This serial killer is way more than I bargained for. I can't keep underestimating him...

“What? You worried?” ...though that wouldn’t stop me from having fun.

“I’m not worried! You should be worried! UGH, shut up!”

“Um, if you didn’t fall for my trap, can you get a move on? It’s not really time for romance and all, and I’m afraid I might end up being late to my night shift...” we could hear the serial killer’s voice coming from the other side of the door.

“Oh, shut up.”

“Oh, shut up!”

[worklabournewsresearch]

LABOR’S LAST STAND

"[T]he Janus decision may have the ultimate effect of moving unions toward “a more activist base.” The same may be true even of workers outside of unions or whose unions are weak. Notice how the recent wave of teacher strikes and protests has taken place mainly in “red states” (West Virginia, Oklahoma, Kentucky, Arizona) with right-to-work laws on the books.”

“It is no accident that the present focus of the right’s anti-labor agenda—in Janus, in Friedrichs, and most notoriously in Governor Scott Walker’s 2011 attack on municipal unions in Wisconsin—is on public-sector unions.”

“Public-sector unions make convenient targets for whipped-up envy, cast as parasites “living off the rest of us,” a role once filled by “welfare cheats.” That most of their members are women and many are women of color probably makes the transference easier.”

“Of course, unions have been under attack in this country for as long as they’ve existed, and for self-evident reasons. “Historically, organized labor is the only movement that attempts to participate in virtually every type of collective action, from hiring lobbyists to shutting down cities,” writes labor scholar Gabriel Winant, a distinction better understood by the Koch brothers and the Trump White House than by many to their left.”

‘“The right wing recognizes the labor movement as a barrier to the achievement of its reactionary goals,’ says Gene Bruskin, who led the campaign to organize Smithfield Foods in 2008. “That’s why they’re going after us so bad. But the progressive forces many times write it off as stodgy and old-fashioned. That’s a big mistake.”The costs of that mistake are increasingly borne by workers. Widening income inequality has kept steady pace with declining union membership.”

“In addition to better wages and benefits than their US counterparts enjoy, workers in union-friendly Europe now have a greater statistical likelihood of seeing their children live more prosperous lives than they do. The United States was once ranked in the top tier of nations for collective-bargaining rights by the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC). There are five tiers, with the fifth consisting of such countries as Mexico and Iran. The United States is now in the fourth tier, with Peru and Argentina.”

The author:“I grew up with the assumption that there was labor and there was management,” I tell him, “and they’d always be locked in this struggle, and sometimes labor would win, and sometimes, probably most of the time, management would win, but they’d be wrestling back and forth, and that’s how it would go on, and in some ways that would be how society progressed. And now I’ve started to wonder whether that’s the right way of thinking about it, whether it isn’t a wrestling match but a fight to the death, and that there are only two possible outcomes. One is that labor, not by itself but in coalition with other groups, prevails to the extent of being able to restructure society in some basic ways. Or management, or whatever you want to call it—the One Percent—will destroy all unions and basically there will be masters and helots.”

Peter Knowlton, President United Electrical Workers(UE): “Granted, a lot of it is brute force, but in terms of being innovative in how to make a better widget, there’s something to be said for competition. The problem is that our form of capitalism, of competition, is cannibalistic. I remember when companies used to compete in quality, service, durability. Then, starting under Reagan, it became profit for the sake of profit. The idea of making a fair profit got tossed aside and was replaced by the idea of making whatever you could make.” The social ramifications are even worse. Knowlton says that former congressman Barney Frank’s call for “capitalism with a human face” is like speaking of “submarines with screen doors. The very nature of capitalism is to ignore the human face, and the human condition, and just to make more profits for the person who owns a particular enterprise.”

“’You don’t need to be a socialist or a Marxist to see that capital today is resulting in absurd inequalities that are also making the system grow less and less able to sustain itself,’ says Héctor Figueroa, the head of SEIU Local 32BJ, whose self-description as ‘a strong, sober, old-fashioned, hostile trade unionist who values social justice’ may be more pertinent to the legacy of the UE than any political label. In the broadest sense, all labor unions are leftist in their implicit acknowledgment of two basic principles: that capital exploits labor and that labor’s only hope lies in collective action informed by class consciousness.”

“In public discussions of labor, capital, and the laws that govern both, what inevitably slips from view is the work itself. What work means and what it might mean. The dignity of it and the degradation of it. We may think we know, but most of what we know is what we’ve been conditioned to think. Capital doesn’t just exploit labor; it defines labor. It uses the law to re-create labor in its own image. When the Taft-Hartley Act stipulates that unions can bargain only over “terms and conditions of employment” (and not, say, over the uses of technology or the control of pollution), it is saying in effect that workers are motivated by the same aims that motivate capitalists. This in turn authorizes the slander that unions care about nothing but money.”

“Even the pro-union National Labor Relations Act (also known as the Wagner Act), by excluding supervisors, farmworkers, and domestic workers from its protections, all but defined who does and doesn’t belong to the working class—in imagination no less than in law. Say “working class” and people still picture a white guy with a lunch box heading toward a manufacturing plant. As for those workers authorized under the law to form federally recognized unions, more than 90 percent currently work under contracts with “no-strike clauses” that remain in effect for the duration of the contract. Imagine a truce in which one side is required not only to lay down its arms but to throw them away. This, too, is a matter of identity and definition: the combatant in this case hasn’t just agreed to cease hostilities; he’s agreed to cease being a soldier.“

“James Pope, who teaches labor and constitutional law at Rutgers, might object to the military analogy. ‘One of the terrible words in the English language from my point of view is ‘strike,’ Pope says, ‘because it connotes something aggressive.’ The term actually derives from ‘sailors striking sails on a ship,’ which eighteenth-century sailors did in labor actions that were misnamed ‘mutinies.’ When workers go on strike, Pope explains, ‘all they’re doing is withholding cooperation in their own exploitation.’ They’re using the only asset they have: their labor. In France, the right to strike is codified in law and belongs not just to unions but to all workers. In the United States, the right to strike is on shakier ground than the right to own an assault rifle or distribute hardcore porn. Pope is among those legal scholars who think the Thirteenth Amendment of the Constitution is “under-utilized” in labor disputes. ‘Involuntary servitude doesn’t only pertain to situations where someone is pointing a gun at you and telling you to work.’”

"Like climate change and pollution, issues of social justice compel unions to act at the gritty level of the workplace. Their frequent failure to do so was underscored by the Trump victory, though labor people differ on how best to interpret the upset. Bill Fletcher Jr., a leading African-American scholar on the labor left, rejects the analysis that the election of Donald Trump was a white-working-class revolt against economic hardship and sees it rather as a result of the way whites “perceive economic issues through the prism of race.” He contends that “if economic issues and the revolt against neoliberalism were the main drivers, then blacks and Latinos ought to have been warming up to Trump. And that sure as hell didn’t happen.”

“In serving as a consultant to the Washington State Labor Council’s recent initiative on racial justice, Fletcher emphasized how race has been used to divide workers. He contrasts his approach with the usual “diversity trainings—singing ‘Kumbaya,’ you taste my food, I’ll taste yours, we’ll hug each other and cry and be friends forever. Which is basically crap. When you really talk about race, you talk about capitalism. It’s why race was constructed from the very beginning. What the union must do is help to build class consciousness.”

Harper’s Magazine, September 2018:”Labor’s Last Stand: Unions must either demand a place at the table or be part of the meal,” by Garret Keizer (please contact the CIRHR Library if you wish to read the complete article)

[planabee]

Alolans from various regions

This is almost entirely speculation and unconfirmed theories. I just wanted to draw some connections between the Sun and Moon characters and the rest of the Pokemon world based on what is known so far. 

Kanto

Pokespe Sun came from Pallet Town (or Viridian Forest). Reasoning: he uses "Orecchi" for first person which is Shizuoka dialect, and Shizuoka = Pallet. source

Game Sun/Moon’s hometown is more nebulous, but with observation I’ve narrowed it down to three: Celadon, Saffron or Vermillon City. Evidence includes the gym leader's autograph (which appears to be a Rainbow or Surge badge), the possible location of the Scratch Cat girl (my guess is a lass named Miki/Andrea on route 8) and where Meowths are catchable (routes 5, 6, 7 and 8). 

Ryuki may be a Lt. Surge fanboy.

Wicke travelled around Kanto during the Team Rocket days.

Hoenn

Hau's dad is most likely Brawly. Going by that assumption, when Hau goes off to look for him he’ll eventually wind up in Dewford. I’d like to believe there’s a parallel world where Hau grows up with his dad in Hoenn and becomes a contest star.

Mallow may have visited Hoenn at some point because she has a Sceptile on her Battle Tree team. 

Sinnoh

Pokespe Moon works in Sandgem Town. Pretty strong possibility she’s a Berlitz, although as yet it’s unconfirmed.

Lusamine (I don’t believe this but I’m including it here anyway), some fans theorize that she’s Cynthia’s sister. For fanfiction’s sake that would be kind of interesting. Sinnoh being such a knowledge seeking and research friendly region, it would’ve been a great place for a branch of Aether at the very least.

Unova

Burnet and Fennel are friends from college. She started her dream research in Unova, before moving on to dimensional research in Alola. 

Some Aether employees used to work for Team Plasma. That’s confirmed with in-game dialogue.

Some fans think Lana and Marlon might be related. I’m not so sure, but it’s a cool idea? If this is true, chances are their family’s originally from Hoenn (Marlon speaks in Kyushu dialect, after all).

Kalos

Ilima mentions he studied in Kalos for a time. Some fans noticed his mother resembles Diantha, but that it’s odd she was an unnamed npc. Personally, I think this gives her the appearance of a retired actress trying to be incognito.

Ultra Recon Squad might be from Kalos. There’s a theory that the Ultra Megalopolis is Lumiose City in a parallel world, and that tall structure you climb at the center was Prism Tower. (However there’s also the case of Black City, which seems to share the same style of architecture.)

Olivia and Grant look like they could be related. They’re both strong rock type trainers who love to accessorize with precious stones. Who really knows?

Kukui and Sycamore, another fan theory suggests, met at college and were at odds with each. Hence why many Alolan dex entries paint a horrific picture of Mega Evolution, likely stemming from Kukui’s personal disgust at the practice.

[mediamonkey29]

Album Review: “Witness” by Katy Perry

Katy Perry’s latest album “Witness” was released on June 9, 2017 and it was accompanied by a three day live stream event on YouTube, which captured every single moment of Katy Perry’s life in a house outfitted with cameras, and culminated in a concert for fans where Katy performed songs from her album. “Witness” received a mixed bag of critical reviews with a lot being on the less favourable side, however, I disagree with the critics. There is a certain expectation for Perry to continue to release hit songs that are widely marketed on Top 40 radio, but an artist has to keep progressing and “Witness” is evidence of Katy’s musical progression and life journey. Katy’s fans (the amazing Katycats) seemingly agreed by making this yet another #1 album, debuting with 180,000 sales plus streaming on the Billboard 200. Read on for a track-by-track review of the album.

1. Witness

The album kicks off with the title track and the simple introduction is accompanied with a heavier bass beat, which ensures that the focus is on Katy’s vocals and her lyrics. In a world where we’re all pretty much staring at screens 24/7, Katy’s message about being a witness in life and with each other is a much needed reminder that we need to create actual connections. The chorus is one that draws you in and is one that always gets me to sing along (which does make it harder when you’re trying to write a review…).

 2. Hey Hey Hey

Always one to create power anthems, Katy Perry continues the trend with the song “Hey Hey Hey”. The song is catchy and could be a potential single off of the album. Lyrically, it is filled with descriptive juxtapositions that highlight the multiple layers in any individual’s personality, as well as the true strength that one possesses that the external world doesn’t always realize. Katy. Another strong song and even stronger message.

 3. Roulette

This is quickly becoming a fan favourite. There is a throwback vibe with the percussive beats and the overall vibe of the song is fun but edgy as well. The lyrical flow and imagery created all comes together and creates a pretty great song.

 4. Swish Swish (featuring Nicki Minaj)

This was one of the singles that have been released from this album and it is the one that the media has focused on the most. It is a response to Taylor Swift and her “Bad Blood” but Katy also said it is applicable to anyone that tries to tear you down in life. The track features Nicki Minaj, who always brings it when she features on a song, and this was no exception. The beat is strong and makes it a great song to play at the clubs, and I think Katy’s vocals shine. I thought this would be a bigger hit on the radios.

 5. Déjà Vu

This is another track that is infused with the electronic sound that is currently taking over Top 40 radio. My only critique is that by the 5th track, the beats are starting to meld together and the songs are sounding very similar. This track doesn’t stand out as much for me but one of Katy Perry’s strengths is her use of creative descriptors to get her message across and this song is another example.

 6. Power

I love this song. The Jack Garratt produced song, begins with a strong drum solo that just gets you hyped and this is the kind of empowerment track that I absolutely love from Katy. If you’re going to name your track “Power”, you better back it up with strong lyrical content that makes you feel empowered and Katy does just that. You can’t help but feel like an absolute boss when you’re listening (or singing along) to this track.

“The song is about taking back your power if you feel like you aren’t treated the way you should be because we’ve got that power.”

 7. Mind Maze

Lyrically, I love this song. It’s about the struggle that goes on within the mind when we’re navigating the world. I’m not a fan of the vocal effects on the chorus of this track that create a very synthetic sound and masks the power and vulnerability that could have elevated this track. However, the overall track is pretty good and like I said, I love the lyrics and the message conveyed in the song.

 8. Miss You More

This track is so vulnerable and you can just feel the lyrics in your heart. Katy’s voice is able to convey emotions so well and this is the perfect example of her often overlooked vocal abilities. Songs like this don’t always get heard on the radio but it is the type of song that just makes you slow down and listen. Great track.

 9. Chained to the Rhythm (featuring Skip Marley)

This is one of my favourite songs on “Witness”. This song was the first single released from “Witness” and relayed the “purposeful pop” message that Perry wanted to convey. Many speculated that the entire album would be political, however, that has not been the case. This track and “Bigger Than Me” are the only tracks that are a response to the election results (Katy was a Hillary supporter and appeared at numerous Clinton campaign events). This song is more reminiscent of the sound that we are used to hearing from Katy and it stands out musically from the rest of the album. That is to say, it’s not as cohesive sonically with the overall album, but it is still one of my favourite songs and I’m glad that it was included. The track features Skip Marley, the grandson of Bob Marley, who does a fantastic job with his verse.

 10. Tsunami

Katy loves her double entendres and (sometimes) subtle messages in songs that aren’t so in your face. This track is packed full of them and it’s also an indication of Katy’s growth and liberation. The way that the song is sang is reminiscent of ocean waves, which is absolutely perfect for this song. This is another great song.

 11. Bon Appétit (featuring Migos)

As we already discussed, Katy loves double entendres and this track is no exception. This is a little more lyrically in your face, than the previous track “Tsunami”. It has a great beat and it’s catchy. You can’t help but sing along/dance along to this track. The track features Migos and is continuing with the current Top 40 trend of combining pop and rap.

 12. Bigger Than Me

This is another one of my favourite tracks. Billboard stated that this track was inspired by the 2016 presidential election, specifically Hillary Clinton’s loss. However, don’t think that this is a political track. The lyrics convey a message of struggle in one’s self-evolution in life and in striving to find their purpose. The beats are strong, the production is perfect and Katy’s vocals shine. I love this song and I think it is very underrated.

 13. Save as Draft

“Save as Draft” is another song that is filled with vulnerability and you can hear it in Perry’s vocals. She has stated that this is one of the harder songs for her to perform on her Witness World Tour. One of my favourite parts of the song is when she says “So I take a deep breath…” and she pauses for breath and you feel that tension and emotion building up, then it continues with “and I save as draft”. You can feel the emotions are still raw and this song is very personal to Katy. She shines in songs like this and “Save as Draft” is no exception.

 14. Pendulum

Turn this track all the way up. I love, love, love this song. So much so that I had to listen to it in full once and then repeat to write the review because it is so hard for me not to join in when this song gets playing. The song has a gospel inspired feel to it with a full choir and the production is perfect. I love the uplifting message as well, which is one of those inspirational, you’re going to be okay, kinds of songs that immediately lifts you up from any kind of bad mood. Katy does not currently sing this song on the Witness World Tour and #JusticeForPendulum is a thing. I, for one, hope that she includes it in one of her two Toronto stops…please.

 15. Into Me You See

“Into Me You See” is a play on the word intimacy and it is about a relationship in which Perry’s partner broke down the walls and the guard that she had put up. This created an evolution for her where she is more willing to show her vulnerable side and her true self. This is a really powerful and personal song that shows a lot of strength. It’s not easy to put yourself on display like this and through the Witness World Wide live stream and this album, we know that Katy is no longer afraid to be as vulnerable, although she does have her insecurities (what human being doesn’t?). It’s a very stripped back song and wraps up the standard version of the album perfectly.

16. Dance with the Devil (Target Special Edition Track)

Katy Perry described this track as her battle with alcohol, which got bad during her depression. It’s another glimpse into the personal life of Katy and her vulnerability on full display. The sound is a more electronic inspired, edgy, darker track, which reflects the lyrics of the track very well. It’s a really well produced song and hopefully will be released on Spotify so that fans who can’t get a hold of the Target special edition can listen too.

17. Act My Age (Target Special Edition Track)

Another song that I absolutely love and I wish it would’ve made the standard version of the album. This song could easily be a radio single because it is an anthem. I love it. The production, the sound, the lyrics. It’s all amazing. It’s a shame that most people won’t hear the song unless they can get their hands on the Target Special edition. This is one of my favourites from “Witness”.

Final Thoughts

The progression of the album from “Witness” to “Into Me You See” is a look into the personal life of Katy Perry and her evolution over the past few years, since the release of her previous album “Prism”. The album is packed with a few strong radio singles but it seems like this was more of an artist adventure for Perry and one that I was glad to witness.

Overall, I think Katy does a great job of showing her musical progression and a more vulnerable side to her, with songs like Save as Draft, Miss You More and Into Me You See. It’s not easy being vulnerable on a daily basis and it must be even harder to do it in front of millions of people watching, but Katy has managed to do so and released an album that, in my opinion, should have received a better critical reception. The focus was placed on “rivalries” that the media continues to perpetuate and place all their attention on, rather than giving the album a fair chance. Is the album filled with big hits like “California Gurls” and “Teenage Dream”, no. But if you have heard Katy’s entire catalogue, and not just the released singles, you know that she has always written and recorded songs with more depth to them, such as Lost, Pearl, and By the Grace of God. This is just an album with less frills and more depth. I predict another album in the future that carries forth in this direction, and what many seem to overlook is that Katy has the voice to do an album with more depth. I look forward to the future but in the meantime, I will be enjoying the “Witness” era and I hope you’ll take a listen to the album and judge for yourself.

You can purchase “Witness” on iTunes or stream it on Spotify, and you can also catch Katy on her “Witness” tour (Click here for dates and tickets). I will be going to her concert tonight and tomorrow night, so check back here for the full review. 

[cinful-stories]

50 Interesting Questions- Tagged

(I was tagged by @widzzicles to do this! I really appreciate it! I haven't really mentioned much about myself on this platform, so this will be the first look at my quirky, strange personality. Here goes nothing!)

1. What kind of food can't you stand? Even though I’m not a strict vegetarian, I loosely consider myself to be one because of my hatred for meat. Seafood and ham are particularly horrid to me, but on rare occasions, I can handle small amounts of bacon, sausage, and chicken if prepared well.

2. If you could choose one minor inconvenience to never have to deal with again, what would you pick? Acne. I’ve struggled with it for nearly eight years, and it’s been the root of my insecurities.

3. Have you got any useless talents? I’m double-jointed in my right wrist and three fingers. I can also wiggle my right ear and nose.

4. If you could be really good at one thing, what would it be? Writing. I have a strong perfectionist mentality when it comes to my artistic creations, and it often gets in the way of completing any projects; therefore, whenever I sit down to work on my original novel, it becomes a stressful task for me.

5. Name a few people you think are extremely good-looking? Eddie Redmayne is my ultimate celebrity crush. I think he’s absolutely adorable, and he’s the main inspiration for the male protagonist of my novel. I also find Dan Avidan from Game Grumps and Benedict Cumberbatch really attractive.

6. What was your favorite way to pass time as a kid? I often watched Hetalia and YouTube gaming channels during middle school, so I wasted a lot of time on the internet. I was also a major SuperWhoMerLock fan. I suppose not much has changed as far as interests go...

7. What is something you are proud of? Before I started posting my fan creations on Tumblr, I was highly active on Quotev for four years. One of the stories I posted (a Hunger Games fanfic) was received extremely well, and it has over 1,200 favorites.

8. What's one character flaw in people that you just can't tolerate? I can’t stand people who are unreliable and only make an effort if they need something from me. My biggest languages of love are Quality Time and Acts of Service, so when someone doesn’t want to put in some of their time for me, it’s a major turn-off.

9. Do you consider yourself to be more of a leader or a follower? It depends. I’m typically more of a follower when I’m insecure about my own abilities regarding the task at hand, but if it’s something I’m confident about doing, I instinctively take on the leadership role.

10. What kind of student are/ were you? I’m incredibly studious, and I’m almost anal about receiving good grades. I tend to procrastinate when I let myself relax, so I make sure to keep myself busy during the school year as much as possible.

11. Butterfly effect question! Has there ever been a seemingly minor decision you've made (at the time) that ended up having a profound influence on your life? Sitting at an unfamiliar lunch table on the first day of eighth grade. It was a seemingly insignificant choice at the time, and I thought it would be a temporary thing, but it later became the event that led to meeting my best friend of five years. If I hadn’t chosen that table, I wouldn’t be nearly as confident, independent, and honest as I am today – all attributes that came from her importance in my life.

12. Name your most irrational fear/ aversion: I’m petrified of settling. I have a horrible habit of not being able to say no to people; therefore, I end up settling for relationships and activities I never wanted to do in the first place. I’m afraid that I won’t get the chance to live my fullest life before I die only because I wanted to please others or take the easy route.

13. Are there any fiction characters you find especially relatable? As basic as this sounds, I find myself relating to Belle from Beauty and the Beast. Her thirst for a thrilling life somewhere unfamiliar is something I crave. She doesn’t fall in love with a person’s outward appearance, which is something I do as well, and she loves reading too!

14. If you drink, what kind of drunk are you? Alternatively, what sort of person are you at parties? I don’t drink, but at parties I’m fairly social, regardless of whether or not I know the people in attendance. Sometimes parties are uncomfortable for me, but other times they’re not. It just depends on the type of people at the gathering.

15. Do you fall in love easily? Or does it usually take a long time for you to trust someone? I tend to trust people rather easily, but that doesn’t mean I fall in love quickly. I’m actually really reluctant to get into another relationship. It’s hard for me to find someone I truly love. I’ve only ever been in love once, and that relationship was two years ago.

16. Would you rather have one close friend or 100 casual friends? I prefer having one close friend. I have two best friends, and roughly five or six casual friends. I’ve always gained a lot more out of my bonds with my two closest friends than I ever have with those more distant from me.

17. Do you consider yourself to be more of a slob or a neat-freak? I’m a total neat-freak. I take great pleasure in organizing my bedroom and cleaning my car, and if I’m trying to keep myself busy for whatever reason, I often find something to organize. I’m a Virgo, so that explains it.

18. Describe a place (imaginary or real) that you find incredibly cozy: I imagine myself in a wooden loft in an attic of a house, surrounded by potted plants, art canvases, and towering bookshelves. Hand-woven dreamcatchers loom above my bed, and prisms capture beams of iridescent light on the walls. There’s a skylight on one of the ceiling panels, and a sliver of moonlight is bathing the room in an eerie, azure glow. Particles of silver, feathery dust are swirling around my head, twinkling like the blanket of stars above. I’m lying prostrate on the floor, gazing up at the heavens as the full moon smiles down upon me. A symphony of crickets fills the air, and the scent of old parchment wafts into my nostrils. It’s a tranquil night, and I’m alone with my thoughts. A porcelain cup of scalding, raspberry tea rests idly in my hand, and a warm smile is toying with my lips. I am at peace.

19. Do you have kids? If not, do you want them someday? I don’t have kids, and I’m hesitant about the idea of having them with the career I want to pursue, but I could see myself with two sometime in the future. Boys’ names: Elijah or Benedict. Girls’ names: Roslyn or Margot.

20. What was your favorite book as a child? Eggs by Jerry Spinelli was my absolute favorite book, and I remember reading it several times. I also really enjoyed The Sisters Grimm and N.E.R.D.S. books by Michael Buckley.

21. Name one thing you just don't get what all the hype is about: Going on cruises. The idea of being trapped on a giant boat with a timed schedule of mind-numbing, preselected activities to do doesn’t sound remotely fun to me.

22. Name one thing you think is tragically underrated: Crushed potato chips in bubblegum ice cream, mixed with marshmallow syrup and topped with rainbow sprinkles. Don’t knock it until you try it.

23. If you had to be glued to a person for a month, real or fictional, who would it be? I would choose Dick Van Dyke, who has always been my favorite actor. He’s currently ninety-one years old, so I would jump at the chance to walk a mile in his shoes before he dies.

24. What's something you'd like the chance to do someday? I’ve always dreamt of travelling Europe. I especially want to visit London, Dublin, Madrid, Amsterdam, and Rome.

25. Do you typically speak your mind when you have a controversial opinion? Or do you generally prefer not to rock the boat? I’m actually really vocal about my opinions. I’d like to think that I’m a gifted debater, writer, and public speaker, so I never shy away from sharing my perspectives in a controversial conversation if I have the evidence to back it up.

26. What's the dumbest fad you've been caught up in? I don’t think this was ever a fad, but I used to wear those Hot Topic rubbery wristbands up and down my arms like tattoo sleeves in middle school.

27. What's something you thought was cool as a kid, but now cringe at yourself for? See #26. I also thought that getting bad grades and bragging about being vegetarian for a day was cool.

28. What's a trait you consider to be very admirable? I value having intellect and good communication skills above all else, and it also makes my heart flutter if I meet someone chivalrous. I also love humor. I’m a sucker for anyone who can make me laugh.

29. Is there a particular kind of item people always tend to give you as gifts? My closest friends always buy me astrology related things. Other friends typically buy me Doctor Who merch or something feminine and monogrammed.

30. Do you speak multiple languages? Not fluently, but I studied French for three consecutive years and won a bronze medal for the national French exam.

31. Would you rather live in the big city or the countryside? I’m a city gal. I’ve grown up in an urban family town for far too long. I’ve always wanted to live in a flat in central London.

32. Has there ever been something you were certain you'd hate, but ended up loving? Marching band. I was terrified of joining originally, but here I am four years later serving as my band’s historian and the Mellophone section leader.

33. Do you mind being the center of attention, or do you prefer the spotlight to be on someone else? As far as group conversations go, no. I hate being in charge of the dialog, but if I’m speaking publicly or performing in front of a large audience, I don’t mind. I enjoy the adrenaline rush!

34. Favorite holiday? It’s a toss-up between New Year’s Eve and the Fourth of July.

35. Are you more of a go-with-the-flow type of person, or do you need to have things planned meticulously? I prefer having a plan, but I’m not going to throw a fit if I have to play something by ear.

36. Is there something you loved so much you wish you could forget it and experience it all again? I once took a family trip to Bar Harbor, Maine in 2011, and I firmly believe that it’s the most tranquil, serene place I’ve ever been to. Luckily, I’m going back to visit during the summer of 2018!

37. What hobbies do you have? Writing, sketching, blogging, reading, watching anime or YouTube gamers, astrology, gardening, playing the French horn, and playing Otome games obsessively

38. If you could have a superpower, but it was only mildly useful, what ability would you want to have? I would love to be able to harness the four elements somehow, even if my powers were minor. Just being able to generate a puff of smoke or grow something from the ground with my hands would be amazing.

39. Something people are always surprised to learn about you: I’m allergic to peanuts. Even after I tell my friends, they frequently forget.

40. Something that took you way too long to figure out: I don’t need to rely on other people to find the source of my happiness. I’m wonderfully made, just as I am.

41. Worst injury you’ve had? I’ve never had any injuries other than your typically bumps and bruises.

42. Any morbid fascinations? I love horror films and video games, especially the gory, psychological ones.

43. Describe your sense of humor: I make a lot dorky puns and niche references, so it’s rare when I get a genuine laugh out of people.

44. If you had to be born in another era/ place, which would you choose? Late 1960’s America. The country was in a state of social and political turmoil, so a movement of independent thought swept the nation’s youth for the first time since the Revolutionary War. Rock, which is my favorite genre of music, was also becoming immensely popular. I would’ve loved to have participated in an anti-war rally and go to Woodstock.

45. Something you are irredeemably bad at: Science. I have a passion for astronomy and psychology, but I’m terrible at any other science subtopic.

46. Something that sucked but you’re glad you went through: My first breakup. It’s corny, I know, but that emotional time in my life really helped me evolve into who I am today. I used to be pretty spineless, naïve, and dependent on others for my happiness. I may have lost someone I loved dearly, but I learned to love myself in the process, and I became a lot more confident because of it.

47. Would you rather have a really godawful, ugly tattoo in a place that is only slightly inconvenient to conceal, or the coolest, most beautiful tattoo ever in the middle of your face? I’ll take the ugly tattoo. At least I can hide it if I need to.

48. Are you more of an optimist or a pessimist? I’m an optimist. I don’t always see the silver lining in dark times, but I always persevere and convince myself that there’s something better coming.

49. What would be the most flattering compliment someone could give you? “You mean the world to me.”

50. Something you feel people often misunderstand about you: People seem to think that they can take advantage of me since I’m easily forgiving and kind. I may forgive, but I never forget.

(This took a lot longer to answer than I anticipated, but I had fun! @phantomchou @confused-tofu @princessofwysteria @rimalupin @lustfullyleocrawford @rizosrojizos @yukarinova @leorysxi @mariyukimu I'm sorry if y'all have already been tagged!)

[maria-zolts]

The Fog Rolls In

It was a clear evening in Kugane, and Maria traversed the markets in good cheer. She had made some headway with the research and now had evidence that the prism enchantment worked in the unique fashion that it did due primarily to blood magic. Specifically blood sigils known by the Qayagahara. That was the mix of blood and earth magic, as the sigils took pages out of the art of geomancy, making it a type of fusion magic. That was why she couldn't figure out why only the Qayagahara could utilize the enchantments - it was because they were the only ones who knew the sigils and they were passed down among clan members.

Unfortunately, the sigils were not in the papers that this Torgan had given Maral. Likely, they would have to figure out a way to find the woman, or wait for her to deliver the rest. It wasn't really Maria's call nor did she care one way or the other. The mystery was solved for the most part. It also explained why the prism would crumble if removed from anything they had been attached to - the sigils would become damaged, breaking the structure of the prism down.

She had all of this written in her notes in her bag, which she had planned to give to Maral the moment she returned to the workshop. For now she decided to splurge a bit on some fabrics she had been meaning to purchase for a while, and after tucking her materials away she turned to head back to the office.

The malevolent presence rolled in before that familiar fog did. Maria suddenly recalled Dusk's expression when it was first mentioned, and about how spirits or those with ill intent could track someone through such means. Her sharp gaze spied that no one noticed anything out of the ordinary, and if she attempted to act out she would draw undue and unwanted attention to herself. The last thing she needed was her notes confiscated by the Seisekigumi.

Usually the 'Watcher' had been content to do just that, but the intensity and degree of hatred she sensed around her suggested tonight would be different from usual. She shifted from her usual path, taking the darker alley as her hand moved to the sword at her hip. While she itched to have her staff at her back instead, she would just have to make do with the unmastered skills she had with her untested discipline.

As she continued down the path the fog deepened, until she could barely see in front of her and the buildings had all but disappeared. The spike in aether was strong, and Maria knew the Seisekigumi would not be interrupting whoever was controlling the fog anytime soon. Tossing aside her bag she unsheathed her sword and her lips began to move as she pointed the tip toward where she felt the densest surge of aether...

Only to throw up a manashield as a bolt of lightning arced in her direction. It slammed into her hard, knocking her off her feet, and sending her to her knees. She retaliated by throwing out a ball of fire herself, using the focus in the rapier to channel the spell.

The spell flew wild into the fog, dispersing into nothing. The hairs on the back of her neck stood on end. Scrambling back to her feet she took off running into the direction of where she believed the enemy was, right as a sharp spear of ice slammed into where she had been kneeling. The area immediately grew cooler as the ice began to spread along the ground, but Maria ignored that to pursue her 'target'. Darting to the side she stopped and quickly chanted another spell, throwing a denser ball of fire, before chanting a high speed ice spell immediately after...

Both of which disappeared...only to come flying back out at her from both sides of her flank! Maria dodges the ice but is unable to dodge the denser fireball. At that point her manashield had nearly been spent and since she had not expected any sort of magical battle within the city, she had not worn clothes able to withstand high magical abuse. Heat is the only thing that consumes her, and then nothing.

When she finally manages to open her eyes, she sees a dark silhouette of a young woman. Pale skin, she looked no older than Maral at best. Cold eyes that reminded her of an abyss stared down at Maria, a book in one hand as the other hovered over her burned and tattered body.

"You've gotten rusty Maria Zolts." the woman says in a sing-song voice. "Or is it soft? If you'd been a lit~tle younger, or a lit~tle colder, maybe you would have fo~und me. Maybe it's because you're happy now? But that won't do. Not for a mur~derer. That's a sin, and sinners have to be punished!"

The world shifts, tilts. Grey fills her vision and taste leaves her tongue. Everything has become a foggy haze, and Maria struggles to maintain consciousness. That woman was...doing something to her. She could feel something slimy and heavy coating her mind.

There's the sound of the heavy tome closing, and then out of her peripheral she sees the woman crouch down, reaching out to stroke what remained of Maria's singed hair. "It took me so long to find you, and then even longer to track you down a~ll the way here. But it's not enough. Doing this won't be enough. You've hurt a lot of people, Maria, and someone like you doesn't get to walk away and live happily ever after." she leans in close to whisper in her ear, all traces of the cheerful sing-song voice gone, turned into a hiss.

"Suffer, you murderous trash."

And then she's gone.

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

When Maria opens her eyes again, everything hurts, and she can barely move. Nothing seems familiar and even blinking seems a momentous effort. The bedsheets feel wrong, the ceiling was wrong, and the familiar weight of her dagger could not be felt under her pillow.

She hears a door slide (slide?) open and a familiar person walks through the door, but even seeing Maral brings only confusion.

"Maral Qa-" No "Oronir?" Everything feels wrong and she cannot place the why of it, only that she had been about to say her name wrong, and yet...not? She scowls, trying to shift into a position where she could see the au ra woman better, only for her to hurry over to Maria's side, setting down the glass of water she had brought in.

"Ah, Maria, please, do not move around so much." Maral sits down by Maria's bedside, reaching out to take the older woman's bandaged hand. "You were attacked last night and the healers were able to do their work but it will take time."

"Your Eorzean's gotten better, I see." for some reason it felt like a dumb thing to say under the circumstances, but everything felt fragmented and scattered, and it was too difficult for her to keep one thought in place. All she could understand at the moment was that Maral wasn't traveling for some reason, even though she had left her side cycles ago. And that she had been attacked for whatever reason. But when Maria tried to recall the event, there was nothing but fog and pain. Which made sense since that was all her body felt presently.

"Ah...thank you?" Maral blinked owlishly at Maria, tilting her head. "Um, I will not ask how you are feeling as I am sure the answer is 'awful', but, can you remember anything?"

"No, I..." Maria attempts to sit up but Maral shakes her head and gently places her hands on her shoulders.

"You have been burned badly. We have been instructed not to allow you to move around much until another healing session. Would you like for us to call Gilawafe? You are not allowed visitors but I am sure -"

"Who?"

This time Maral just stares at her, as if she couldn't believe Maria just asked that question. But she honestly didn't know who Maral was talking about, even though the name sounded vaguely familiar. Everything was a huge jumble in her head, and the more she tried to think on it the more everything slipped away.

"I'm sorry Maral, I...I'm not sure what's going on. Why are you even here? Aren't you supposed to be traveling Eorzea? Are you stopping by for a visit? What happened last night? Am I in a clinic?"

"Oh..." Maral looks lost for a moment and then leans back in her seat. "...Hm. I think I see. I will attempt to answer your questions, but I think there is a bigger issue on our hands, now. After we speak I will need to contact Voren and speak with him on this..."

[thesinglesjukebox]

KATY PERRY FT. NICKI MINAJ - SWISH SWISH [3.36] *types "sports" and "feuds" into subhead, gets 100000000 pageviews*

Mo Kim: "Cartman is introduced to Katy Perry's songwriting staff, who turn out to be a group of manatees. The staff, who live in a large tank, pick up "idea balls" from a large pile of them, each of which has a different animal, quote from direct-to-DVD sleeper hit Bring It On 4: The Bringing On Of The It, or gentrified black slang term written on it, and deliver them, five at a time, to a machine that then forms a verse based on those ideas. Katy Perry refuses to sing if any idea ball is removed from their tank, making critique an unfeasible practice with her. Cartman secretly removes a ball from their tank, causing Katy Perry to stop working, and then convinces the Capitol Records president that she is spoiled and abusing the executives' generosity. Cartman convinces the president that they need to show them what is what. The president decides to pull the new Katy Perry album before its release. Cartman feels victorious, but Taylor Swift shows up, saying that she just convinced the president to tack a 2014 Nicki Minaj verse he found in his Recycle Bin onto the end and release the damn song anyway." [2]

Thomas Inskeep: If you thought "Look What You Made Me Do" was petty, you haven't heard nothin' yet. Clumsy lyrics, a bad early '90s house retread track, a guest verse so phoned-in that Minaj sounds bored doing it, and worst of all, Katy Perry herself, the saddest virus in pop music. Fortunately, it seems that pop fans have developed an immunity to her, based on the pathetic chart performance of her current album and its attendant singles. That sound you hear isn't a "swish," it's Perry's career circling the drain. [0]

Ryo Miyauchi: Genius insists with all its investigative power that this hater-pop is personal, but Katy Perry throws limp jabs that rings anonymous as the dance beat behind her. At least Duke Dumont's wheelhouse is more reliable to entertain. [5]

Crystal Leww: How is it that Duke Dumont is credited as a producer for basically taking Maya Jane Coles and Fatboy Slim production and then somehow making it bad? [1]

Katherine St Asaph: "Walking on Air" was the best track on Prism, and I'm still not sure how Maya Jane Coles isn't everywhere for how much she's influenced pop, so the synthesis was bound to be both good and ascribed to no one involved. "Things have changed from true believers of the music to a more commercialized version of what used to be," said Roland Clark about his infinitely sampled "I Get Deep," so I'm sure he's just thrilled about his words trickling up uncredited, via Fatboy Slim via Duke Dumont, to a Katy Perry song. (He's not disowning it, at least.) If you're very charitable you might see this as Duke Dumont trying, as all pop-house producers do, to prove he Knows His History, but perhaps not, given the aforementioned infinite samples and how Katy's team uses it as a reaction GIF. But at least it belongs in a house track -- unlike the hook (probably Starrah), which belongs in a track that draws out its menace, or the verses (probably Sarah Hudson; evidence), which belong in Pink's "Can't Take Me Home" and in the care of several more editors. (Editors one and two: "what the fuck?" Editor three: "And every bad lyric has nothing to do with basketball anyway. If you're going to keep glomming onto sports because they're now the monoculture that music is not, at least stick to the metaphor." Managing editor: "STOP BEING MUSIC GEEKY.") Everything suggests the kind of song that only coheres with the memes and fake context. Yet somehow it works: the unsweet tea to Meghan Trainor's Arnold Palmer of "Me Too," a machine that looks inexplicably polished. [7]

Madeleine Lee: Finally, a pop single with a house beat that I don't like! I mean, the beat is fine, but I can't enjoy it over the lyrics, which are supposed to be fierce but just sound silly in their mix of bizarre analogies (my personal favourite: "a tiger...don't need opinions from a shellfish") and parroted clapback phrases. Even the robo-voice sample is bad -- that long pause inserted before "what the fuck" is the sound of an air ball. [2]

Nortey Dowuona: A thin, slipping bassline over flat drums. Katy sings blandly. Nicki spits a sharp-toothed verse that is there and then gone. [5]

Frank Kogan: Swish kiss plish, wish the lyrics were different from this. Aside from them, the sound is weird and emphatic and grabby as if she were a Rick James protégé, and jolts me to happy attention. Of course Teena Marie, the Rick James protégé, would've run a thousand rings and wings and epicycles around this. But this track is great for using just a touch of Teena and then continuing to bear down on that little touch, getting all it can out of its little somersault. [8]

Maxwell Cavaseno: The "dance like dubstep" line by Nicki is the perfect thing to overstate as to why both artists have been failing to hit their marks. In Perry's case, there's been an insistent attempt to change what's working for her and mimic other people's successes when, considering how the personality-bleached "Rise" was a home run for her, that's the last thing she needed to do. And Minaj's verse-by-numbers, complete with unnecessary sung outro and dustbin bars, feels like someone who's been sleepwalking since 2012. It's a bitter irony: someone desperate to change who never needed to, and someone too stubborn to recognize how antiquated they've become. Plus, this bad Duke Dumont hijack of Maya Jane Coles doesn't even sound like anything plugged into what was hot at any particular time. From the melodies to the cloying attempt at a catchphrase, it feels so disconnected from any real attempt at a hit to the point you wonder why this was released as it was. Greater songs have been kept out of sight. [2]

Will Adams: In the aftermath of Perry's promo campaign for Witness, a fever dream of live streams and awkward celeb collabs in feeble support of Katy's Great Awokening, "Swish Swish" doesn't look so bad. On first glance it seemed as noxious as it read on paper: more references cherry picked from a position of privilege smooshed together with more reverse engineered memes, from Backpack Kid to the cameo sopped video. Yes, the song itself still isn't great. There's still too much reverb, and there's still some unfortunate scansion and even more unfortunate use of the English language. But the sonic references make a difference; Maya Jane Coles' continued influence on pop is a trend I warmly welcome, and if "I Get Deep" needed to get a reboot for the mid-late '10s, keeping it tied to its house roots is a thoughtful choice. "Swish Swish" is at its best when the excess surrounding it is ignored. [5]

Alfred Soto: Apparently this is an "anti-bullying" track! It's not my job to learn intentions, not when "Swish Swish" is a mishmash of incongruous and unhappily cobbled samples, strange vocal choices, and an inapposite Nicki Minaj cameo.  [2]

Alex Clifton: Look, I tried to give this a point for Nicki Minaj singing "I already despise you" in the sweetest way, but I can't do it. "Swish Swish" is the blandest Katy Perry song I've ever heard, which is really saying something. Much as I loathed "Bon Appetit," at least that had, er, memorable moments. Nothing here stands out, a sin for a diss track: the beat is half-assed, the insults are weak ("you're 'bout as cute as an old coupon expired" -- what on earth does that mean, Katy?), and the delivery is emotionless. A song about being the baddest bitch on the block who kills people needs swagger, which has never been Perry's strong point. Say what you will about Taylor Swift, but at least in "Look What You Made Me Do" she sounds icy and in charge. Perry doesn't even have that going for her. [0]

Stephen Eisermann: Nicki's verse is a blast -- quick-witted, fun, and catchy -- and deserving of a much better song. But here, it's just a silver lining on a dark ass cloud. Nothing about this song comes across as sincere -- where Taylor's vindictiveness comes from a place of actual anger, I just don't think Katy cares enough to fight with her. And that's totally fine, but there is no need to fake it! Also, the release of this song feels so weird considering she went on a reconciliation press tour earlier in this album cycle, no? [3]

Joshua Copperman: Swap the two artists around, replace the video with literally anything else, and it's much better - all the pieces are there, including the Duke Dumont-produced beat, but the "old coupon expired" lines aren't iconic; they're dumb. Same with the video, which tries to be a mess and succeeds too well. At least Nicki seems to know what is what. Katy, on the other hand, does not know what is what. She just uses dated memes in her already overblown video struts. What the heck? [5]

[Read, comment and vote on The Singles Jukebox ]

[chiminicricket-blog]

DuroStar DS4000WGE Review.

Openly publishing customer evaluations is an entire brand-new ballgame of transparency that several big brand names view as frightening. If you like your problems hardcore, agitating and punishing, _ PRISM is not it. I am seeing a couple of reviews of let down gamers, and a ton of appreciation. The Knowmedge Internal Medicine inquiry bank includes over 900 board testimonial questions. You will desire the potential customers to purchase an increasing number of gadgets from these online stores after reviewing your review which will indicate more money for you. Numerous tools have actually been developed for the function of item and also evaluation assessment. In between shooting my 7mm mag Version 70, (Search for that review soon) and various other hand guns I possess. Even if this WorldVentures review doesn't respond to all of your questions, the secret to outstanding monetary success online is understanding effective marketing methods. Beginning in 2014, the ABIM now keeps a record showing if ABIM Board Qualified physicians are satisfying MOC needs". There can not be any kind of business contracts (paid or otherwise) to offer doubter reviews in between the content service provider as well as the examined service. Project reviews would be carefully handled to guarantee that they are much more timely. Go through numerous medical professional testimonials that have been created prior to composing your personal testimonial. Dagny Reardon is a mobile modern technology consultant and also writer who helps a selection of mobile and wireless modern technology internet sites, most recently writing this as one of several Verizon Android assesses. A lot of phony evaluations have the tendency to have a particular tone and voice - either positive or exceedingly vital. I'm still at a loss for exactly how people can validate givingUpdated Evaluation after completing the video game (took me 30 hours, I did all side quests). No-one truly likes to put together playthings, but it's a required wickedness, so mentioning it in your evaluation will certainly be really valuable. However, the process of creating publication evaluations is normally tiresome and time consuming. Do this by nesting the testimonial or scores within the markup of one more type-- such as/ Reserve or/ LocalBusiness-- or by utilizing that typed aspect as a worth for the itemReviewed residential or commercial ReviewsFromHeaven property. The review provides some great objections that need to be dealt with for this to be more than that. The most current reports of reviews of higher education companies are released below. You will certainly should look alphabetically by the name of the institution. Via syndication, PowerReviews distributes genuine evaluation web content collected on brand name websites to ecommerce merchants, reaching buyers anywhere they are. James Hicks examines this firm and provides you the realities you should know prior to signing up with. Rheumatology is a topic that shows up daily in clinical method, and is a favorite on the ABIM Internal Medicine board exam. On the various other hand, if the game was unplayable or attempted to scam you out of cash we might both agree that the game should have a poor review. I'm mosting likely to modify that for this review: I would certainly've preferred it to either be darker to balance out the chocolate or to actually be milk chocolate as well as be indicated to be extremely pleasant. It's evident they either surrendered and also shipped this crap item or wanted to satisfy some deadline as well as determined they 'd try as well as grab your 40 dollars without allowing any kind of evaluation websites get their practical it initially. A common mistake during learning the best ways to write a write-up review is thinking that your viewers already recognize this service. I was buying via Amazon.com, and also they are pretty good at dealing with returns, and also there didn't appear to be any adverse reviews on Amazon or other websites where you could purchase their guitars, such as ebay.com. The net has a great selection of review websites to assist you do your research before you obtain an auto seat that you are mosting likely to have to cope with for a number of years. Nonetheless, it is just as vital to contrast this list with any type of patient-submitted testimonials of the very same physicians. Any testimonial that takes place just yearly can leave a staff member sensation blindsided, specifically if he discovers that his supervisor believes there is space for improvment. Consists of over 25 international customers who come from all profession and also that review all style.

[nicholemhearn]

NATIONALISM AND XENOPHOBIA, REDUX

Morgan Marietta’s and Will Wilkinson’s replies to my essay on nationalism could hardly be more different. The differences bear not only on how we account for Donald Trump’s surprising political success, but on the purposes and procedures of social science.

Like my essay, Marietta’s extends the principle of interpretive charity to Trump supporters. In my view, interpretive charity should be the first principle of social science. If anything, however, I think that Marietta takes interpretive charity a bit too far by endorsing nationalist sentiments as morally legitimate. It’s true that if we use interpretive charity to try to understand ideas with which we disagree, we might become proponents of those ideas. Indeed, one of the advantages of interpretive charity is that it can change our minds. Conversely, if a scholar of nationalism, for example, fails to agree with the ideas of nationalists, it seems at least possible that this is because he has failed to understand those ideas. If I really comprehended why you believe X, I would have to understand all the considerations that led you to believe X, and I’d have to understand them in the same way you do. But, having achieved this mind meld, shouldn’t I, too, believe X?

Not necessarily. I may know of counter-arguments against X that you don’t know about, and these may lead me to disagree with X even when I completely understand your reasons for agreeing with it.

I think this is the case with nationalist beliefs. One can be fully charitable toward these beliefs even while noticing that they tend to be inculcated very early, among children, through symbols (such as the national flag) and biased information samples (such as the media’s massive overweighting of attention to the citizens of one’s own cfdountry rather than people who live elsewhere). By the time someone is capable of thinking critically about her own nationalist assumptions, she may find it hard even to identify them—and unnecessary, too, since everyone around her will tend to take the same assumptions for granted.

Thus, while I argued, in the spirit of interpretive charity, that nationalism is distinct from xenophobia, I also maintained, and continue to maintain, that nationalism is morally indefensible: most nationalists have simply failed to think about the arbitrariness of the group loyalties that were pre-rationally constructed for them long ago. 

Interpretive charity is not Wilkinson’s project. He argues that a significant proportion of Trump supporters are xenophobes beholden to an irrational hostility to foreigners. I’m suspicious of such explanations because they tend to demonize “the other”—in Wilkinson’s case, Trump supporters—which is exactly what Wilkinson accuses Trump supporters of doing (when it comes to foreigners).

Demonization amounts to a confession that one has failed to understand the other on his or her own terms. This usually means that social science has failed. Not always, though. It’s possible, in a given case, that people’s behavior or their ideas are so irrational that they can be explained only by appealing to influences of which they are unaware, and which they would deny if they were asked about them. In such cases, we may need “deep” psychological theories to explain “the other.” Like the authoritarian-personality theory of Trump’s support, which I discussed in my last post, the xenophobia theory posits a subterranean psychological force that has erupted in the form of Trumpism.

This isn’t inherently unbelievable, but the evidence for it is weak; and there is strong evidence against it. My essay advanced nationalism as an alternative to xenophobia in partial explanation of Trump’s support. Nationalism fits the available evidence better, and it’s interpretively charitable. A good test of interpretive charity is whether those whose actions or beliefs you’re trying to explain could accept your explanation. It’s doubtful that many Trump supporters would accept Wilkinson’s explanation of their actions and beliefs, but they would probably accept the nationalism explanation. For this explanation suggests that support for Trump is consistent with the “commonsensical” nationalist presuppositions of everyday politics. The xenophobia theory, in contrast, is not only interpretively uncharitable and weak in evidentiary terms, but it conveniently locates Trumpism far away from the “liberal” traditions of everyday politics—where it can safely be vilified without threatening the status quo./span>

Trump as Deep Nationalist

Marietta’s essay begins by underscoring the fact that Trump constantly and unreflectively appeals to the interests of “America” as the supreme good. Marietta is willing to call the basis of these appeals an ideology: “deep nationalism.” By this, Marietta means that Trump’s nationalism is the prism through which he seems to view nearly every policy issue—at least those issues in which he takes an interest.

The four most important of these are immigration, U.S. relationships with foreign allies, military policy, and international trade. All one need do is listen to what Trump says, as Marietta has done, to discover a connective ideological thread among these issues: nationalism. At the same time, Trump’s “deep nationalism” explains his lack of interest in a host of policy issues that preoccupy conservative and liberal ideologues, such as Obamacare, the minimum wage, regulatory policy, global warming, income inequality, tax rates, etc., ad infinitum. These latter issues do not easily lend themselves to “America-first” analyses, and thus are not clarified by the deep nationalist lens through which Trump (and, both Marietta and I suggest, many of his supporters) view politics.

I think Marietta is making an excellent point. Nationalism does seem to function for Trump in an ideological manner, at least in the sense in which political scientists tend to use this term: as a master heuristic that orients the ideologue politically, organizing most or all of her political ideas. However, at the risk of quibbling, I think Marietta dilutes the power of this analysis of Trumpian nationalism by describing it not only as an ideology, but also as a branch of conservatism, as a symbol, as an identity, and as a value. Let me say a few things about each.

Trump and Conservatism

Marietta’s conception of conservatism strikes me as too schematic. I know many conservatives who do not see society as fundamentally fragile and in need of social glue, and many who do not care about anything like “ordered liberty” or a golden mean between freedom and authority. Marietta’s description fits certain conservatives, such as Straussians, but they are a tiny band of intellectuals without any discernible popular influence. At the mass level, standard journalistic depictions of three main groups of conservatives—Tea Partiers (small government/constitutional conservatives), cultural conservatives, and foreign-policy conservatives—do not seem to be in need of updating, at least not yet.

What Trump’s surprising popularity does show, I think, is that nationalism unites many conservatives of all three types—along with many non-conservatives, too. The transcendent appeal of nationalism makes considerable intuitive sense, as nationalism is more elemental than the ideologies that attract well-educated and politically literate adherents. It’s so basic that small children can understand it. Indeed, no matter how little you know about politics, it is likely that you were indoctrinated with nationalism when you were a small child. Trump, indoctrinated in the same way, and having learned little else about government, policy, or history in the meantime, is the ideal exponent of the most simplistic possible political ideology: that of “America first.”

This ideology offers its adherents a key to understanding the otherwise-confusing world of politics, even if they lack much interest in or knowledge of it. The key is to ask oneself whether a politician intends to put the interests of “Americans” before those of “foreigners.” The question of whether the mere intent to help Americans will accomplish the objective (let alone the question of whether Americans deserve priority over non-Americans) goes unasked. This immensely simplifies what would otherwise be a complex world of public policy: the world of policy debate. In policy debate, what is at issue is usually whether a given proposal that sounds as if it will serve the interests of Americans (for example) will actually do so. The answer is rarely as straightforward as deep nationalists believe. But this is part of the appeal of deep nationalism, which has little to do, as far as I can tell, with conservatism.

Nationalism and Symbolism

Part of the way nationalism gets inculcated is through the apotheosis of symbols such as the American flag. These symbols acquire emotional resonance, and this emotional resonance may help to explain why people turn “naturally” to their nationality when they think about politics (especially insofar as they know relatively little about it). So a full analysis of the cognitive role of nationalism might very well need to explore the emotional power of nationalist symbols. Such an investigation would have to go beyond both hyper-rationalist (rational-choice- inspired) theories of political heuristics and the irrationalist, psychological understandings of politics that I’ve been trying to challenge in my ongoing series of essays, where I have pushed back against accounts of Trump voters as xenophobes and authoritarians.

For this very reason, however, it is important to spell out carefully how the emotional or a-rational appeal of nationalism is connected to its cognitive function. Until we succeed in doing that, I worry about the confusion that might be created if we use the language of “symbolism” to describe nationalism, since this language currently connotes the groundlessly emotional. My position is that nationalism is illogical, but that the lapse in logic is not apparent to people who have been indoctrinated with nationalist presuppositions. It would be unfair—uncharitable���to say that they are irrationally clinging to nationalism, in the sense that they somehow know it is wrong. But to say that nationalism is symbolic may suggest something similar: that nationalism is merely an empty screen onto which people project their irrational desires. I don’t think Marietta is saying that, but it’s a connotation of calling nationalism “symbolic” that I think it’s best to avoid.

Nationalism and Identity

The same worry colors my reaction to using the language of “identity” to describe nationalism. There’s no denying that nationality is probably the central “identity” of most people in the modern world—at least in the bare sense that, if asked “who they are,” they are likely to answer “an American,” “a Mexican,” etc. Yet, without doubting the existence of national identities (in people’s heads), I wonder how important “identities” are to people who have not been influenced by academic discussion, where identity politics has been extremely important for several decades.

National identity can be very important in helping people to organize their thoughts about politics. Yet thinking about politics isn’t all that important to most people. So we may mischaracterize the situation if we project onto such people an obsession with their national identity. Similarly, identity itself may not be important to most people. Non-intellectuals’ answer to the question of “who I am”—namely, that I am the person behind my eyeballs—may feel so unproblematic that the very question of identity is a non-issue for them. The language of “identity” may inappropriately import the preoccupations of academics into our understanding of mass politics.

Nationalism and Values

Unquestionably the ideology of nationalism takes certain values for granted, but I don’t see the sense in calling nationalism a value, as Marietta does. Nationalism—the ideology—is not itself valued by nationalists (except perhaps by those who derive so much meaning and purpose from it that they love it for its own sake—members of the alt-right, for example). Nor, at least in the American context, does it seem right to say that “the nation” is valued, as such, by nationalists. There is no tradition of extolling “the American nation” as if it were an end in itself. But that’s what I take a value to be: an end in itself.

Nationalism and Egalitarianism

Even more important than Liah Greenfeld’s distinction between civic and ethnic nationalism, cited by Marietta, may be her observation, in Nationalism: Five Roads to Modernity, that nationalism is inherently egalitarian—within the borders of a given nation-state. Thus, the end in itself that is presupposed by nationalism is the equal worth of the lives of one’s conationals. In this view, rather than being a value, nationalism is premised on a value: the equal worth of one’s fellow citizens. (The causality may run from the establishment of a nation-state to the presumption of equality among its citizens, but this is probably because the idea of nationality implicitly contains the presumption of equality.)

Since I share Greenfeld’s view, I resist Marietta’s suggestion that nationalism embodies a value that competes with egalitarianism. It seems to me that nationalism is a form of egalitarianism; and that it is, in fact, the form that egalitarianism almost always takes in the modern world.

However, nationalist egalitarianism is self-contradictory in limiting itself to equality among the human beings who happen to live within historically arbitrary national borders, while treating the lives of those outside those borders as if they have no worth. This is what makes nationalism illogical. Its tacit definition of who should be treated equally is arbitrary.

Wilkinson’s reply illustrates the illogic. So let me analyze his response before turning, in conclusion, to Marietta’s qualms about the psychological practicability of cosmopolitanism.

The Nationalist Scapegoat: Xenophobia

Wilkinson is an egalitarian and extols the egalitarianism that nationalism makes possible within the borders of a nation-state. Yet, according to nationalism, equality stops at those (arbitrary) borders. Viewed from outside of those borders, nationalism is inescapably inegalitarian.

Wilkinson is aware of this problem but does not really address it. Instead, he presses hard on the distinction between nationalism and xenophobia, with xenophobia taking the rap for inegalitarianism. But even if xenophobia did not exist, nationalism would remain inegalitarian from the perspective of those outside a given nation-state’s borders.

This isn’t just a philosophical issue. Non-xenophobic nationalism can easily justify the immigration restrictions that Wilkinson opposes, as well as the trade restrictions and the foreign-policy isolationism that Trump advocates (or used to advocate, before being enlightened about its adverse consequences by his generals). Such policies can be seen—indeed, are seen, every day, in the normal state of our political discourse—as serving the interests of our fellow citizens, not as punitive exercises directed at despised outsiders. This is the political discourse that I am trying to get us to examine critically. Insisting that Trump is set apart from this discourse, because instead of nationalism he appeals to xenophobia, inadvertently blocks an examination of the discourse itself. It entrenches the complacency with which nationalism—“good,” non-xenophobic nationalism—is typically viewed, because it contrasts this type of nationalism against its evil, xenophobic twin. Yet both types of nationalism can produce the same policies—the very ones Wilkinson opposes.

How Non-Xenophobic Nationalism Works

A nice example of how this works is suggested by Wilkinson’s odd paean to the GDP growth that could be unleashed by open borders. It almost reads as if Wilkinson thinks that open borders are justified by the contribution of migrant laborers to the stock of global wealth. (There’s gold in them thar migrants—trillions and trillions of dollars of it!) But what if migrants contributed little to GDP? What if they reduced it? By Rawlsian standards at least, their contribution to or subtraction from GDP does not matter. What matters is that migrants, frequently among the least advantaged people in the world, would be helped by open borders. I think Wilkinson means to say this, because he asserts that most of the GDP gains would go to the poor. It is that fact that matters, not the sheer fact that “trillion-dollar bills” are allegedly being left on the proverbial sidewalk by closed borders.

Why, then, do developed countries close their borders? Wilkinson points out that closed borders are “constantly re-affirmed” by the democratic polities of the West. But what exactly is the political dynamic of “liberal-democratic institutions” that accounts for this?

The answer, I believe, is nationalism, which is taken for granted in the politics of Western countries (and all other countries). From a nationalist perspective, the welfare of one’s conationals is what matters; the welfare of “foreigners” does not. To sustain the high wages of one’s conationals, then, closed borders, tariffs on manufactured goods, and trade wars are often thought to be justified—not because nationalists want to hurt workers or would-be workers in other c from nicholemhearn digest https://niskanencenter.org/blog/nationalism-ethnocentrism-redux/

[bigstrongturtle-blog]

3.2 Care

1.     What are the first things that come to your mind when you think about the idea of ‘care’

Family, friends, doctors, co-workers

2.     How do you ‘approach’ something you currently really care about? What would you say you take care in doing in life today? How does this make you feel? What does it say to others about you to others and the way you live your life?

I approach something that I care about by doing a lot of research, asking questions and discussing it with those who are close to me. What I am trying to take care right now in my life is focusing on my health and specifically my diet.   I approach 40 and realize the medical history and test results are showing that I’m at risk for certain diseases. It makes me feel vulnerable and a bit mad that I need to not indulge as often as food and drink have always been a celebration escape for me.  For some others it says that I’m not as engaged with the world that we have been sharing in, and to others is says that I’m trying to move into a better place in my life.

3.     How is the idea of ‘care’ changing now that life is increasingly taking place online and through machines?

More access to data items and capabilities to remove tedious tasks and allow a person to actually make decisions quicker. It also is showing a premium on becoming better at in-person interactions vs just communicating using technology.

4.     What is the power of people taking care with the way they do things in the world today? What does taking care with the way one does things do for the individual and the world around them? Please share an example to bring your thoughts to life.

The power of people taking care is that it forces them to be engaged and can force them into connecting with others (at least attempting to). This can grow the person or force them back into themselves. An example is my wife’s best friend who always thought of Chicago based on the news reports of violence, and we got her to visit us and showed her the entire city with various food and cultural items.  She was nervous the entire time and questioned everything we did and how safe it was.  We learned from that experience that she wasn’t willing to challenge her assumptions and view the world through a bigger prism.  However, on that same trip, her husband did expand his views and has become more engaged in events around the world and has expanded his  curiosity on food.

5.     Finally, we’re interested in hearing examples of ‘care’ in the world at large. a.     What celebrities do you see approaching things in life with real care that you admire. How do they demonstrate this care? Please think of a couple of examples in your response

Anthony Rizzo - his willingness to engage with those who are affected by cancer.  He donates tickets, his time and advice to kids who have cancer and never rushes through a discussion with a kid or parent when talking about the disease. He is open with his own experience (Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma) and what he did to survive and find enjoyment.

Lindsey Graham -  willingness to care for the institution of our government and look beyond his ideology. He has demonstrated that by calling for investigation into the 2016 presidential election and sticking to his belief that regardless of party, our democracy and freedom depends on us being willing to question ourselves and showcase any hint of interference.

b.     How about brands? What brands approach things in life with real care that you admire? How can you tell? What do they do to show an admirable level of care? Please think of a couple of examples in your response

Chipotle -  their showcase for sustainable food is evident in their advertising and honesty when they don’t have a product that meets their usual needs.  They are realistic in that they need to still have product to sell and let the customers know when it may not meet all of their standards for a specific time. Example was when their normal supplier was not able to provide  their normal  meats that they went to a non-organic/sustainable supplier and posted it in front of the store and counter.  They are also showing care by having all nutrition available in an easy format on their mobile app and website.

Starbucks -  being willing to acknowledge that they needed to make their drinks better and take care of their employees with education and health benefits.  During the ACA they were adment about highlighting this need to improve and one of their improvements was to publicly commit to developing their own people. Their current advertisements showcase how they have sent people to college, planted trees and sourced their products from smaller farms.

Examples of Care:

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10154892597804938&set=t.792592719&type=3&theater

Being with friends to celebrate their anniversary and the holiday season. Shows care in that you are connected and not alone.

Actually going to the farm and picking blueberries instead of going to the store. Captures a willingness to support others and get out from just mindless shopping and actually see and experience how our food is obtained.

[nicholemhearn]

NATIONALISM AND ETHNOCENTRISM, REDUX

Morgan Marietta’s and Will Wilkinson’s replies to my essay on nationalism could hardly be more different. The differences bear not only on how we account for Donald Trump’s surprising political success, but on the purposes and procedures of social science.

Like my essay, Marietta’s extends the principle of interpretive charity to Trump supporters. In my view, interpretive charity should be the first principle of social science. If anything, however, I think that Marietta takes interpretive charity a bit too far by endorsing nationalist sentiments as morally legitimate. It’s true that if we use interpretive charity to try to understand ideas with which we disagree, we might become proponents of those ideas. Indeed, one of the advantages of interpretive charity is that it can change our minds. Conversely, if a scholar of nationalism, for example, fails to agree with the ideas of nationalists, it seems at least possible that this is because he has failed to understand those ideas. If I really comprehended why you believe X, I would have had to assemble all the considerations that led you to believe X. But, having assembled those considerations, shouldn’t I, too, believe X?

Not necessarily. I may know of counter-arguments against X that you don’t know about, and these may lead me to disagree with X even when I completely understand your reasons for agreeing with it.

I think this is the case with nationalist beliefs. One can be fully charitable toward these beliefs even while noticing that they tend to be inculcated very early, among children, through symbols (such as the national flag) and biased information samples (such as the media’s massive overweighting of attention to the citizens of one’s own country rather than people who live elsewhere). By the time someone is capable of thinking critically about her own nationalist assumptions, she may find it hard even to identify them—and unnecessary, too, since everyone around her will tend to take the same assumptions for granted.

Thus, while I argued, in the spirit of interpretive charity, that nationalism is distinct from xenophobia, I also maintained, and continue to maintain, that nationalism is morally indefensible: most nationalists have simply failed to think about the arbitrariness of the group loyalties that were pre-rationally constructed for them long ago.

Interpretive charity is not Wilkinson’s project. He argues that a significant proportion of Trump supporters are xenophobes beholden to an irrational hostility to foreigners. I am suspicious of such explanations because they tend to demonize “the other”—in Wilkinson’s case, Trump supporters—which is exactly what Wilkinson accuses Trump supporters of doing (when it comes to foreigners). Demonization amounts to a confession that one has failed to understand the other on his or her own terms. This usually means that social science has run aground. Not always, though. It’s possible, in a given case, that people’s behavior or their ideas are so irrational that they can be explained only by appealing to influences of which they are unaware and which they would deny if they were asked about them. In such cases, we may need “deep” psychological theories to explain “the other.” Like the authoritarian-personality theory of Trump’s support, which I discussed in my last post, the xenophobia theory posits a subterranean force that has erupted in the form of Trumpism. This isn’t inherently unbelievable, but the evidence for it is weak; there is powerful evidence against it; and there is an interpretively charitable alternative, nationalism (as opposed to xenophobia), for which the evidence is compelling. The nationalism theory can explain Trumpism in terms that its own adherents would probably accept as accurate. Another advantage of this theory is that it shows how Trump’s support is congruent with the nationalist presuppositions of everyday politics. The xenophobia theory is not only weak in evidentiary terms, but it allows us to conveniently locate Trumpism far away from “liberal” traditions, where it can be vilified without threatening the status quo.  

Trump as Deep Nationalist

Marietta’s essay begins by underscoring an important and neglected fact: that Trump constantly and unreflectively treats the interests of “America” as the supreme good. Marietta is willing to call the basis of these appeals an ideology: “deep nationalism.” For, in addition to being pre-rational, Trump’s nationalism seems to be the prism through which he views nearly every policy issue—at least those issues in which he takes an interest. The four most important of these are immigration, U.S. relationships with foreign allies, military policy, and international trade. All one need do is listen to what Trump says, as Marietta has done, to discover a connective ideological thread among these issues: nationalism. At the same time, Trump’s deep nationalism explains his lack of interest in a host of policy issues that preoccupy conservative and liberal ideologues, such as Obamacare, the minimum wage, regulatory policy, global warming, income inequality, tax rates, etc., ad infinitum. These latter issues do not easily lend themselves to “America-first” analyses, and thus are not clarified by the nationalist lens through which Trump (and, both Marietta and I suggest, many of his supporters) view politics.

Marietta makes an excellent point. Nationalism does seem to function for Trump in an ideological manner, at least in the sense in which political scientists tend to use this term: as a master heuristic that orients the ideologue politically and organizes most or all of her political ideas. However, at the risk of quibbling, I think Marietta dilutes the power of this analysis of deep nationalism by describing it not only as an ideology but also as a branch of conservatism, as a symbol, as an identity, and as a value. Let me say a few things about each.

Trump and Conservatism

Marietta’s conception of conservatism strikes me as too schematic. I know many conservatives who do not see society as fundamentally fragile and in need of social glue, and many who do not care about anything like “ordered liberty” or a golden mean between freedom and authority. Marietta’s description fits certain conservatives, such as Straussians, but they are a tiny band of intellectuals without any discernible popular influence. At the mass level, standard journalistic depictions of three main groups of conservatives—Tea Partiers (small government/constitutional conservatives), cultural conservatives, and foreign-policy conservatives—do not seem to be in need of updating, at least not yet.

What Trump’s surprising popularity does show, I think, is that nationalism unites many conservatives of all three types—along with many non-conservatives, too. The transcendent appeal of nationalism makes considerable intuitive sense, as nationalism is more elemental than the ideologies that attract well-educated and politically literate adherents. It’s so basic that small children can understand it. Indeed, no matter how little you know about politics, it is likely that you were indoctrinated with nationalism when you were a small child. Trump, indoctrinated in the same way, and having learned little else about government, policy, or history in the meantime, is thus the ideal exponent of the most simplistic possible political ideology: that of “America first.”

This ideology offers its adherents a key to understanding the otherwise-confusing world of politics even if they lack much interest in or knowledge of it. The key is to ask oneself whether a politician intends to put the interests of “Americans” before those of “foreigners.” The question of whether the mere intent to help Americans will accomplish the objective (let alone the question of whether Americans deserve priority over non-Americans) goes unasked. This immensely simplifies what would otherwise be a complex world of public policy: the world of policy debate. In policy debate, what is at issue is usually whether a given proposal that sounds as if it will serve the interests of Americans (for example) will actually do so. The answer is rarely as straightforward as deep nationalists believe. But this is part of the appeal of deep nationalism, which has little to do, as far as I can tell, with conservatism.

Nationalism and Symbolism

Part of the way nationalism gets inculcated is through the apotheosis of symbols such as the American flag. These symbols certainly acquire emotional resonance, and this emotional resonance may help to explain why people turn “naturally” to their nationality when they think about politics (especially insofar as they know relatively little about it). So a full analysis of the cognitive role of nationalism might very well need to explore the emotional power of nationalist symbols. Such an investigation would have to go beyond both hyper-rationalist (rational-choice- inspired) theories of political heuristics and the irrationalist, psychological understandings of politics that I have been trying to challenge in my ongoing series of essays, where I have pushed back against accounts of Trump voters as xenophobes and authoritarians.

For this very reason, however, it is important to spell out carefully how the emotional or a-rational appeal of nationalism is connected to its cognitive function. Until we succeed in doing that, I worry about the confusion that might be created if we use the language of “symbolism” to describe nationalism, since this language currently connotes the groundlessly emotional. My position is that nationalism is illogical, but that the lapse in logic is not apparent to people who have been indoctrinated with nationalist presuppositions. It would be unfair—uncharitable—to say that they are irrationally clinging to a viewpoint that (in some sense) they know is wrong. But to say that nationalism is symbolic may suggest that it is merely an empty screen onto which people project their irrational desires. I don’t think Marietta is saying that, but it’s a connotation of calling nationalism “symbolic” that I think it’s best to avoid.

Nationalism and Identity

The same worry colors my reaction to using the language of “identity” to describe nationalism. There’s no denying that nationality is probably the central “identity” of most people in the modern world—at least in the bare sense that, if asked “who they are,” they are likely to answer “an American,” “a Mexican,” etc. Yet, without doubting the existence of national identities (in people’s heads), I wonder how important “identities” are to people who have not been influenced by academic discussion, where identity politics has been extremely important for several decades.

National identity can be very important in helping people to organize their thoughts about politics. Yet thinking about politics isn’t all that important to most people. So we may mischaracterize the situation if we project onto such people an obsession with their national identity. Similarly, identity itself may not be important to most people. Non-intellectuals’ answer to the question of “who I am”—namely, that I am the person behind my eyeballs—may feel so unproblematic that the very question of identity is a non-issue for them. The language of “identity” may inappropriately import the preoccupations of academics into our understanding of mass politics.

Nationalism and Values

Unquestionably the ideology of nationalism takes certain values for granted, but I don’t see the sense in calling nationalism a value, as Marietta does. Nationalism—the ideology—is not itself valued by nationalists (except perhaps by those who derive so much meaning and purpose from it that they love it for its own sake—members of the alt-right, for example). Nor, at least in the American context, does it seem right to say that “the nation” is valued, as such, by nationalists. There is no tradition of extolling “the American nation” as if it were an end in itself. But that’s what I take a value to be: an end in itself.

Nationalism and Egalitarianism

Even more important than Liah Greenfeld’s distinction between civic and ethnic nationalism, cited by Marietta, may be her observation, in Nationalism: Five Roads to Modernity, that nationalism is inherently egalitarian—within the borders of a given nation-state. Thus, the end in itself that is presupposed by nationalism is the equal worth of the lives of one’s conationals. In this view, rather than being a value, nationalism is premised on a value: the equal worth of one’s fellow citizens. (The causality may run from the establishment of a nation-state to the presumption of equality among its citizens, but this is probably because the idea of nationality implicitly contains the presumption of equality.)

Since I share Greenfeld’s view, I resist Marietta’s suggestion that nationalism embodies a value that competes with egalitarianism. It seems to me that nationalism is a form of egalitarianism; and that it is, in fact, the form that egalitarianism almost always takes in the modern world.

However, nationalist egalitarianism is self-contradictory in limiting itself to equality among the human beings who happen to live within historically arbitrary national borders, while treating the lives of those outside those borders as if they have no worth. This is what makes nationalism illogical. Its tacit definition of who should be treated equally is arbitrary.

Wilkinson’s reply illustrates the illogic. So let me analyze his response before turning, at the end, to Marietta’s qualms about the psychological practicability of cosmopolitanism.

The Nationalist Scapegoat, Xenophobia

Wilkinson is an egalitarian and extols the egalitarianism that nationalism makes possible within the borders of a nation-state. Yet, according to nationalism, equality stops at those (arbitrary) borders. Viewed from outside of those borders, nationalism is inescapably inegalitarian.

Wilkinson is aware of this problem but does not really address it. Instead, he presses hard on the distinction between nationalism and xenophobia, with xenophobia taking the rap for inegalitarianism. But even if xenophobia did not exist, nationalism would remain inegalitarian from the perspective of those outside a given nation-state’s borders.

Thus, non-xenophobic nationalism can easily justify the immigration restrictions that Wilkinson opposes, as well as the trade restrictions and the foreign-policy isolationism that Trump advocates (or used to advocate, before being enlightened about its adverse consequences by his generals). Such policies can be seen—indeed, are seen, every day, in the normal state of our political discourse—as serving the interests of one’s fellow citizens, not as punitive exercises directed at despised outsiders. This is the political discourse that I am trying to get us to examine more critically. Insisting that Trump is set apart from this discourse, because instead of nationalism he appeals to xenophobia, inadvertently blocks an examination of the discourse itself. It entrenches the complacency with which nationalism—“good,” non-xenophobic nationalism—is typically viewed by contrasting it against evil, xenophobic nationalism. However, both types of nationalism can produce the same policies—the very ones Wilkinson opposes.

How Non-Xenophobic Nationalism Works

A nice example of the inegalitarian logic of non-xenophobic nationalism is contained in Wilkinson’s odd paean to the GDP growth that could be unleashed by open borders. It almost reads as if Wilkinson thinks that open borders are justified by the contribution of migrant laborers to the stock of global wealth. (There’s gold in them thar migrants—trillions and trillions of dollars of it!) But what if migrants contributed little to GDP? What if they reduced it? By Rawlsian standards at least, their contribution to GDP does not matter. What matters is that migrants, frequently among the least advantaged people in the world, would be helped by open borders. I think Wilkinson means to say that, because he asserts that most of the GDP gains would go to the poor. It is that fact, not than the “trillion-dollar bills” left on the sidewalk by closed borders, that matters.

Why, then, do developed countries block the world’s least advantaged from migration?

Wilkinson points out that closed borders are “constantly re-affirmed” by the democratic polities of the West. But what exactly are “the political dynamics of the liberal-democratic institutions” that account for this?

The answer, I believe, is nationalism, which is taken for granted in the politics of Western countries (and all other countries). From a nationalist perspective, the welfare of one’s conationals is what matters; the welfare of “foreigners” does not. To sustain the high wages of one’s conationals, then, closed borders, tariffs on manufactured goods, and trade wars are justified—not because nationalists want to hurt workers or would-be workers in other countries, but because they want to help their fellow citizens at home.

Foreign workers, as such, are invisible in the political discourse of the nationalist status quo. The policies to which Wilkinson objects are of long standing; Trump did not implement them. These policies display a callous indifference to foreigners (nationalism) but not hostility toward them (xenophobia). The fact that closed borders hurt potential immigrants is never praised, as it surely would be if substantial numbers of voters supported closed borders out of xenophobia. The fact that closed borders hurt “foreigners” simply goes unnoticed—just as we would expect if from nicholemhearn digest https://niskanencenter.org/blog/nationalism-ethnocentrism-redux/