#i have two scrips that i need to make up the rules for

[powdermelonkeg]

Writer woes

Been simmering on a novel for almost a year. Because I want to write it, but it's a fantasy world, and it is VITAL to my brain that the names of people and places are consistent.

So until I can name everything, everything is placeholder. Because I want to finish this conlang family first.

My hobbyist worldbuilder side is at war with my writer side. "No one will pay enough attention-" I WILL. I. WILL. It matters to ME that I know x y z about the planet. My brain relies on comprehending it as a real place.

But also. GAH.

[natalinova]

My thoughts on MoM [SPOILERS]

Seriously, a lot of spoilers. All the spoilers.

Nobody asked for my opinion but I want to share it anyway :)

I like that there's more body horror/gore in this than in any other MCU film (it's still not a lot but it is a start). The Avengers fighting without ever getting seriously injured/bleeding always bothered me (there's still some of that but, again, it's a start).

Visually, the movie is almost perfect. It looks beautiful and I love the visual effects used for Wanda's magic (like when she makes Black Bolt's mouth dissappear!!), the only thing that kind of bothered me was the first scene with "zombie strange", his face looked weird? But it got better later.

The fight scenes!! Are!! So!! Good!! This is just my opinion since I have no technical knowledge, but I went to the cinema expecting there to be a lot of cool magic in the fights and that's exactly what I got. Thank you. (Except for the fight with the music notes. I don't think I like it)

This is just one random scene but CAPTAIN CARTER DYING BY HER OWN SHIELD!! I LOVED THAT. I knew she was going to die from the moment she showed up obviously, but like that?? And showing us the bloody shield afterwards??? Amazing. Again, wish there was more blood instead of focusing on her face for that scene, but you can't have everything.

Now, onto the things I did not like. America Chavez, for instance.

*sighs* What can I even say about her? Her character makes no sense. She was introduced for no reason and has nothing to do with the original comic book character (which was expected). They changed her backstory, her race and gave her the most random power possible. Who is she? How did she get this power? Why are her portals star shaped for some reason? If they just needed a way to travel between universes, almost anything else would've worked better than just messing up a pre-existent character who has nothing to do with the multiverse.

It seems to me that Marvel just wanted to introduce a new character for the sake of it, to make more movies and TV shows. There has to be some ulterior motive, because, in the context of the story they're telling, there is no reason for her to exist at all.

Wanda could use anything else to travel between universes. An ancient spell in the Darkhold? A relic? Anything. I can't remember what they use in What If but I'm pretty sure that would've been a better option as well.

By the way, What If is so much better than this movie. If they'd just used the plot of the last two episodes but made Wanda the villain, this movie could've been so good. Why make everyone think that MoM was inspired by What If when the only real connection to it is Captain Carter? Who shows up in one scene for pure fan-service?

"Dark Strange" doesn't even show up. I'm so mad about that. We could've gotten all the "Guardians of the Multiverse", but instead we got "The Illuminati??? Why??

I get that it's fan-service and it was fun to watch, but fan-service can be done better than this ok.

I did like the "I can do this all day" scene, though. I was the fan being served.

Also, America's backstory of being separated from her family who probably died and spending years traveling across the multiverse is a little too similar to Sylvie's backstory to me. Seems a bit lazy, specially given that the same guy wrote both scrips.

I think the movie focused too much on America and Wanda.

About Wanda, I can appreciate a crazy and very powerful female villain. Not caring who she kills, just trying to find her family, I enjoy that (I'm a Regina Mills stan ok this is my thing). But she was defeated way too easily.

I mean, since Wandavision Marvel build up a lot the idea of the Scarlet Witch being very powerful and DESTINED TO RULE OR DESTROY THE COSMOS. I don't buy that a girl who couldn't even control her power fifteen minutes ago defeated her. And just by making her see her kids being afraid of her??? No. A truly unhinged Wanda would not have cared and simply found a different version of her kids, that's the amount of crazy I'd like to see.

One of the most powerful beings in the MCU was defeated by a 15 year old and then died. I hate that. I don't think it makes for a good story or for a good redemption arc or whatever they were trying to do.

Either let Wanda be actually evil and kill her or let her have some peace. The woman hasn't been happy for a day since she was 10, she deserves it.

I'm not even a Wanda stan but the way she died is terrible I hate it so much. I know she's gonna come back somehow but still.

Anyways that's it please tell me what you think and if you disagree pls don't be rude about it <3

[cawolters]

December...? DECEMBER!?

What about September?

November?

October?? What did I miss??

Yes, well, no you didn’t miss any vitals updates. I have reasons for why I haven’t been active on tumblr, and the most honest reason is that I didn’t feel like writing and posting on here since spring.

The writeblr community is so so great, one of the best in the web, but the platform is driving me nuts. Flagging, shadow bans, tag dysfunction and draft erasing/crashing, have just completely smashed my love for making fun and elaborate posts.

However, lots of updates has been made and i keep seeing wips I want to tag list and people i want to hang out with, so I’ll stick around for another decade or so! Hashtag always lurking.

The more polite reason for my absence, and equally truthful I might add, is that I was very busy the last few months —COMMISSIONS! LIFE! IRL NETWORKING!

And now I’ll tell you about it all, starting by answering the Q on everyone’s tongue:

1) Is Flash Fiction Friday Getting Revived in 2020?

In short, yup.

I need it, you need it, the world needs it. We need to WRITE folks. And the lovely prompt Friday will be back with week no 30 (!!) on:

Friday the 10th of January!

I have a capable team of creative and lovely writeblrs on the job as to how we an ensure consistent posting —and just and FYI, we might even end up with giving the FFF it’s own blog.

Run free, be with the people my beautiful prompt creature, inspire! And give me something to read!!

Stay tuned for updates and tell me is you want to be added to the FFF tag list.

Now next up is my scrip update!

2) Querying ‘The Serpent Kiss’

All is well in the land of querying.

or... well almost.

Alrighty, lemme explain below.

So, if you’ve been following me for awhile, you know my third child (whom is not currently teething or using my lipstick as a crayon) is my dark new adult fantasy trilogy —The Serpent Kiss <3

If you donno what I’m talking about, here’s a quick summery of the query process:

I finished the English first draft, two and a half years ago (I think?) and started looking into querying after my fifth draft was done.

I decided very early on that I would feel more comfortable working here in Denmark, where I already have a literary network, and actually understand the cultural unwritten rules when working with publishers!!

Since then I have been rewriting, tweaking, had beta-readers, editors, a sponsored translator (who translated the script from English to danish) BEFORE I started querying seriously in Denmark.

During the time where the book was being reviewed, I’ve kept in touch with houses who showed interest in the book from the get go (encouraging me to push onward), done a lot of social media work (especially on Instagram since the publishers all mentioned the importance of that platform) and attended books cons to physically mingle (it makes a difirence —really).

Ah, and now, finally, we’ve starting to get serious replies back from the Danish publishers.

Let’s look at what they’ve said so far.

(And mind you, this is Denmark. We’re a tiny country and we DON’T have adult fantasy books written by danish authors, so their critique is based on that. YA is what’s sellable and had been for years, buuut I also know that tendency will shift, so that’s what I’m really selling. A new trend basically. Always understand what pov the critique is coming from and don’t stop at the first rejection)

3/5: ‘no thank you, there’s no marked in Denmark for your book’

1/5: ‘we love it but rewrite it to YA and we have a deal’ — I said, no thank you

1/5: ‘we love it as is and we want to give you a deal, but we have to work out the legal kinks, and we will give you final answer by the end of January!’

So I’m awaiting the final judgement!!

But not really, it’s not the final judgement. If the deal falls through, and it might, never pop champagne before signing, I still have four more houses I could send the book to here in Denmark.

And, I could still go the international route and query over seas.

Yup! That’s the update on that!

Next up? The general writing!

3) A Year Of Author

“It’s really hard being a writer... Not on the days where you’re writing, but on the days where you’re not!”

— @CAlisaWolters, Instagram confessions

My year of full time professional writing, meaning mainly relying on my text/skill/art to heave in the cash, is six months down and going — OK!!

Here’s what I’ve learned/done so far:

I’m writing 4-7h on commissions, the second book of the trilogy, short-stories, poetry and another little YA project every day. Yes. Every day. And that’s very very cool and also exhausting mentally. My advice to others: HAVE OBLIGATORY DAYS OFF! (Oh yea and I also won nanowrimo but the project is a secret shh).

I’m somewhat alone most of the time but being a closeted introvert, I don’t mind, but I miss coworkers. That’s why Café dates and write-ins with writer pals IS IMPORTAINT.

Also! Speaking of socializing, I’ve been to five writers cons/events and I definitely recommend making it a priority for all professional authors. BRING BUSINESS CARDS!!

I have a set routine and I’m really happy with it! Early mornings is the best! And Monday is where I don’t write, but keep up with social media and answer mails and run errands! MAKE A ROUTINE!

And that’s the update on THAT!! Phew I’m getting winded, are you? Fear not we one have one last thing to cover. Promise.

4) Personal Life and Drag Kings ^_^

Where to start? Ah I know! I’ll start with the drag king storytelling event because that’s really what stands out!

I’m a mom, a wife, a bisexual, a general theatrical person and a genderfluid jellyfish who uses she/her pronounces, so when someone booked me for a storytelling event, I decided to go in drag. Naturally. Tsh duh.

I’ve really been experimenting with my gender this year, playing with apperence and comfortzones, and discovering that my real happiness lies somewhere between flooofy dresses and black buttondowns. And not just the clothes, but there attitude, the demeanor, the mental space of wearing cologne!! It might not sound dramatic, but to me it’s been A RIDE!

(I’ve been dying to go full drag for a long looooong time and I should’ve gone all out on the makeup —but next time!!! Also the event went so so well and I had the best time! I’m going to do it again!)

And NOW I’m done! Hah not really, but I won’t force you to spend all day reading my updates and this post is already so loooong 💕💕✨💕

The new year looms!! May it bring you love and confidence, and lots of new opportunities!!

Hug hug hug!!

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~Ciao

[thevoilinauttheory]

Crafter/Gatherer for Hire~

I’ve decided that everyday I work and I’m done with all of my daily routines, I will reblog this post. I’ve slowly been running out of things to do, and this really keeps me from getting too bored during my shifts. So here’s a list of rules/things I can do!

FOR CRAFTING:

I will craft leve-kit sets and gear sets 1 - 70, free of charge! Tips are appreciated, but not needed. Levekits are for crafters only, I will not do fishing levekits, please see the rule down below about fishing, if you are wanting a levekit for fishing.

Anything over level 70, I will charge for. 

I will NOT craft the new level 80 gear (Facet or Ishgardian sets), because I am not confident in my abilities to make them High Quality and the materials are expensive. 

If you would like Normal Quality of these items, any materials that require Tomestones will be on you (however, any items requiring scrips, I will pick up) - I will still be charging for the crafting of these items.

I WILL craft furniture, bardings, orchestrion rolls, etc, of any level for no charge - again, tips are appreciated, but not necessary.

Items requiring Primal Materials will require those specific materials on you. I cannot farm EXs while I am working, unfortunately - however, I will gather everything else needed. This includes Orchestrion Rolls - I will require the faded roll from you.

Items that require Grand Company Seals to be spent will be with your Seals, if you do not want to use your Seals, then your request will be put at the bottom of the list for me to gather whenever I am able to.

However, items requiring Beast Tribe tokens, Poetics, or Scrips (both crafter and gatherer, and both Yellow and White) I can gather myself.

Some crafting class quests require materia to be melded onto certain items, all materia will be your to gather, however, I can meld it for you free of charge, if need be. 

FOR GATHERING:

Prefer to do the crafting yourself, but your gatherers aren’t up to date? No problem!

I will gather any materials - including Unspoiled and Folklore nodes, free of charge up to 100 (per day) of that specific material, every material after that will be charged for the current Mateus market board price per item. 

The only exception to this is materials that require Fishing - fishing takes up a lot of time that can be used to help others, I don’t mind fishing for materials for you, but the price per material you need for fishing will be 50% of the current Mateus market board price per item. I will do this for levekits. 

I will gather Skybuilders’ Grade 2 items for you, free of charge up to 500 (per day) of that specific material - anything above that, will be charged the difference on the price of the current Mateus market board price per item.

I will gather treasure maps on the first come, first serve basis. If you want a treasure map, I will let you know if I have gathered that map today or not.

The only rules I have for this are!:

Be patient! I will let you know when your request has been gotten to - you may be waiting a day or two depending on how many requests I have. Since I will be working while I am doing these, it may take a bit longer than normal to finish.

Please be kind! It is not my intention to take business from people, I only want something to do while I’m working. Sometimes I may have to tell you that I cannot complete your request, but I will give you anything I have already finished.

This is for the Crystal Data Center ONLY!

If you are not online when I am ready to give you your items, I will hold onto them for up to three days before I sell what I have made. 

IF YOU WOULD LIKE YOUR REQUEST TO BE DONE ON DAYS THAT I DO NOT WORK, I WILL CHARGE FULL PRICE FOR ALL ITEMS.

Levekits and Skybuilders’ will depend on the current market for said items, everything else will be charged at 20% cheaper than the current Mateus market board price per item.

Some of these rules may be subject to change, depending on the situation.

If you’re interested in having a request done, please message me directly here on tumblr! My messages are open to all!

Otherwise, it would be great to have people boosting this as much as possible!

[duhragonball]

Dragon Ball 067

This title card is awesome.    

Goku’s currently deep inside the Red Ribbon Headquarters, only a few floors below the Dragon Balls he came for, and Commander Red himself.   Bad guys keep shooting at him, and they either miss or he just shrugs it off and kicks the crap out of them.   Also, every fourth or fifth guy in the Red Ribbon Army is a furry, like this adorable bunny soldier Goku just crushed with a table.  Is Goku a furry?   I mean, the tail and all.   Really, with all the animal-people and the kid with the backpack, and the nervous guys in uniforms, this feels like a convention hall got double-booked, and now they’re all fighting it out.   

I just noticed the pool table over there on the upper left.    Damn shame, but those are the fortunes of war.

 By now, the men are starting to run away from Goku instead of fighting him.  Commander Red’s really pissed about the whole thing, but there’s only two things he can do about it: Jack and shit, and Jack just got killed by Goku.

Oh wait, he just found Colonel Violet on one of the closed-circuit security monitors.   For a hot minute, he’s super thrilled with Violet as the lone hero who’s willng to run towards the enemy and defend her commanding officer.   Wait, why is she headed for the vault?

Yeah, so Colonel Violet’s only sticking around so she can blow up this huge safe and clean out the Red Ribbon’s treasury.

And I mean clean.   She left a few stacks of bills behind, but I have to assume they were worthless RRA scrip or something.    I mean, she took everything else with her.  

Oh, and she even looks at the security camera while she does this, like she knows Red is watching.   Colonel Violet is the best.  

While Red blows his stack over Violet’s treachery, Black watches the soldiers openly fleeing the base.   Turn out the lights... the party’s oooo-ver...

This guy rules.

Commander Red still won’t give up.   Now here’s where the anime and manga take very different paths.  In the manga, Red never leaves this room.   In the anime, he gathers his two Dragon Balls and orders Black to defend this floor while he goes upstairs the next one.  

Black doesn’t get it, but he complies.  He fights Goku for a bit, and doesn’t do too bad, but it’s clear that he’s no match for him.    I’m not sure how strong Staff Officer Black is supposed to be here.  For all we know, Black might be as strong as General Blue was, or maybe he’s somewhere in Colonel Silver’s class?   I mean, Goku defeated him easily, but Black lasted a lot longer than you’d expect from a desk jockey.

Is it just me, or does General Black kind of look like Michael Jordan?   He was a huge celebrity in the 80′s, and maybe the tallest guy Akira Toriyama could think of, so maybe there’s something to that. 

It turns out that Red’s plan was for Black to keep Goku occupied while he activated a deathtrap that would collapse the entire floor.   Black narrowly escapes this by falling out of a window and hanging on for dear life.   It’s at this moment that he realizes that Red was willing to kill him to take out Goku.

Red heads down to what’s left of the crushed floor, and savors his apparent victory.   All he has to do now is dig up Goku’s corpse, get the four Dragon Balls he was carrying, find the seventh one, and he can finally get his wish........................................................to be taller.

As he says this, Black climbs back inside and asks him if that’s what this was all about.   Like everyone else, he assumed Red planned to wish for world domination, but instead this whole campaign was just to alter Red’s physical appearance.  

Red insists that he can conquer the world without the Dragon Balls, but it won’t do him any good to rule the world unless he looks the part.   So Step One is to get taller, and Step Two is to conquer the world.  Step Three is to get the babes. 

There’s a distinct amount of chauvinism in Dragon Ball, but there are times when I think it does serve as a kind of social commentary.    Just about everyone in this story is motivated by sex, one way or another.   Bulma wants a boyfriend, Yamcha wants to get married, Chi-Chi wants to get married, Master Roshi wants to do a bunch of perverted stuff, Oolong wants to do a bunch of perverted stuff, and Krillin wants to get good at martial arts so girls will like him.   And now this.  

And I get it.   Hell, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t writing this for the attention.   Commander Red has a lot of money and power, but he hates the way he looks, and he either can’t get women to love him, or he thinks he could do better if he were taller.  

I also relate to Black in this scene.   I’m pretty tall myself, so I don’t really get why this is such a big deal to Red.  I’m pretty sure Black’s even taller than me, so maybe he really doesn’t get it.    It’s an easy thing to take for granted.   Nonetheless, Black is disgusted with the way Red has thrown away Red Ribbon blood and treasure on a mission which would have achieved nothing for the Army as a whole.    Red insists that he is the Red Ribbon Army, so anything that benefits him personally is good for the entire organization.  He then starts to gripe about how useless Black and all the other soldiers are, and then...

Black shoots him.   This scene still gets me.   I watched this arc thinking I had a pretty good idea how it went down, because they recapped a lot of it in Dragon Ball Z when Roshi explained to Maron who the Red Ribbon Army was.   But they never showed this.    I had no idea that Red planned to wish for height, or that Black would be so offended by this revelation that he would gun down the commander in his own base.  

And it’s amazing.   I like the manga version better, because this happens in the other room, without the whole death trap thing.   I think Toei threw that in to add the idea that Red was willing to sacrifice Black for the cause, but that’s kind of how the Red Ribbon Army always worked.  I think Black understood the risks when he signed on.    What really pushed him too far was that Red was making these increasingly erratic decisions for something so trivial.   And then Goku walks into the room and Black takes off his coat and throws it over Red’s corpse.  

Thats the big irony of this conflict.    Goku and Commander Red never meet.   There is no big showdown between the hero and the Dark Lord here.   There really isn’t a “final boss” in this arc.   Goku didn’t beat General White; Android 8 did.   Goku didn’t beat General Blue; he got help from a mouse, and then Arale and Mercenary Tao finished him off.   Goku did beat Mercenary Tao, but he was always a hired gun. 

The theme to this story seems to be that the Red Ribbon’s downfall came from within.   Goku’s opposition served as a catalyst, a stiff gust of wind to bring down the house of cards, but he never really got to beat up the masterminds.    In the end, their arrogant plans and secret weapons ended up backfiring.  

And this is why I find Staff Officer Black to be such a fascinating character.    He’s the last guy standing, the eye of the hurricane, the lone voice of reason among all the blustering egos of the Red Ribbon Army.   And yet even he hasn’t figured out the moral of the story.   He’s standing alone in a nearly empty base, he just killed the guy in charge, and he still thinks he can fix all of this and restore the Red Ribbon Army to its former greatness.  

Then Goku shows up.   In the anime, Black is somewhat surprised by Goku’s survival, but in the manga, he’s expecting this.   He tries to negotiate with the kid, offering to team up with him so they can rule the world together.   When Goku explains that he needs to wish Upa’s father back to life, Black agrees to let him have the Dragon Balls, but suggests that they team up to conquer the world afterward.  

I like this, because Black (mostly) gets it.   He alone understands that Goku can’t be taken lightly.   He has to be dealt with here and now.   If Black just lets him leave, they’ll only have to fight him again someday.   His only options are to defeat him here and now, or make some sort of alliance.    But Goku isn’t interested in an alliance, because these assholes got Bora’s dad killed.   He tells Black to just turn himself into the police.    This is about as close as we’ll get to Goku saying “Call the cops, I don’t give a fuck.”

So Black pulls out a capsule containing a mech, and fights Goku with it.  This seems kind of pointless, but as it turns out, he does pretty well against Goku, and like I said, he’s got no other choice.   If Goku won’t join him, then he’ll have to be stopped here and now, or the Red Ribbon Army won’t have any future.

The dub has a line where Black plans to rechristen the army as the Black Ribbon Army, which I think is super awesome.   Unfortunately, he never said it in the original script, but I guess it would have been too soon to make those kinds of plans.  Black Ribbon Army.   That just sounds so cool.

Meanwhile, Yamcha’s team is still headed for the base, but they meet Colonel Violet flying away from the base, and they both desperately struggle to avoid a confrontation.   It’s a pretty cute scene, but kind of superfluous.   Also, this is the last we ever see of Colonel Violet.    Well, she’s in Path to Power, but that’s a long ways off...

Back at HQ, “Commander” Black is actually working Goku over pretty good.    Maybe he should have broken out that robot suit a while back, when it would have done more good?   This is sort of like how Mercenary Tao had a sword and a grenade on him when he started losing to Goku.    Up to that point, Tao had been completely untouchable, so it really makes you wonder why he bothered carrying those weapons around with him.   Oh well.

[mash-notes]

Season 6 Episodes, Ranked

23. The MASH Olympics

A cute episode. It’s fine. These sports-themed episodes are a staple of MASH and every season should have one—but something has to be placed last.

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22. The Light That Failed

Everyone tries to read a novel that’s missing the last page. It’s cold, and supplies are low. Trust the 4077th to find the quirky side of any crisis. (Funny how “Crisis” in s2, equally quirky, was ranked so high. Standards of seriousness have risen.)

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21. Last Laugh

A prank war happens between BJ and his friend from home, in a show without Winchester. Bonus points for Jamie Cromwell being goofy and funny.

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20. Tea and Empathy

Strong morality and a memorable story: the British major browbeating his men when he actually loves them.

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19. The Grim Reaper

Strong morality and a memorable story: the ghoulish colonel who keeps stats on how many men he can afford to slaughter.

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18. Patent 4077

Great seeing a medical innovation, when a new clamp is invented! Cheers to Mr. Shin for being the only competent smith around.

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17. In Love and War

Doomed lovers Hawkeye and Kyung-Soon are enough to make you swear off love forever. If only they weren’t so adorable, or so in love.

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16. The Smell of Music

It’s classical music vs body odor, and nobody wins, especially not the French horn. Good thing the whole conflict is fucking hilarious.

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15. Temporary Duty

Are you kidding me?! Get this yahoo surgeon out of here immediately. The girl can stay awhile, because she’s good for Margaret’s morale. A funny, tense episode that gains bonus points for a Sophie appearance.

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14. Change Day

Charles is such an asshole here, and he gets such a comeuppance. Losing that amount of cash would be nothing to him in the real world, but here, that scrip probably could have helped him.

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13. Comrades in Arms (parts I & II)

Sex! Thrills! Fan service! This polarizing episode is solid, and inarguably entertaining. Nevermind that the best part is the shower scene in the beginning where Hawk and BJ sing opera together.

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12. Fallen Idol

Lots of Radar, and Hawkeye knocked off his pedestal. Tears from Gary. Upsetting. I love.

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11. Major Topper

More medical innovation—it’s a nail-biter, wondering whether the doctors will really pull off their placebo scheme! The season finale delivers.

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10. Images

Nurse Campbell (Rebecca Taylor) steals the show, determined not to let Margaret destroy her for actually having feelings. The little dog doesn’t make me weep at all, no sir.

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09. War of Nerves

Automatic high score for a Sidney appearance. This one is deeply affecting, with a good performance by Michael O’Keefe as the angry patient. And fire!

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08. The Winchester Tapes

A MASH unit’s day-to-day squalor, seen through an aristocrat’s eyes. GET ME OUT OF HERE!!!!!

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07. The Merchant of Korea

Everyone loves a poker episode. When Charles is whistling throughout the game, so much the better.

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06. Your Hit Parade

Featuring another of the wonderful sitcom tropes unique to MASH: marathon surgery. And introducing your favorite and mine, Big Daddy O’Reilly.

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05. Dr. Winchester and Mr. Hyde

Mouse races! Vulnerable Charles! Radar standing up to the Marines! Need I say more? The best part of this is that they actually show the mouse race.

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04. Mail Call Three

I find this episode to be really exemplary of season 6. Everyone in camp has PMS at the same time, as a result of bad news received in the mail, and the results couldn’t be funnier.

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03. Potter’s Retirement

Under scrutiny Sherm shows his emotions, and his people rush to his rescue. A beautiful ode to Colonel Potter, and a rare look at the cracks in his dignified veneer.

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02. Fade Out, Fade In (parts I & II)

Another MASH trope: the transition show. This two-parter is a classic, introducing Charles and integrating him seamlessly. Frank Burns is dismissed with panache, but offscreen.

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01. What’s Up, Doc?

Margaret rules, for the second season in a row. This episode (1.) skillfully deals with her marriage problems and the bigger picture of her life, as well as her and Hawk’s intense friendship. We also have (2.) Winchester placed in mortal danger and (3.) meticulous care of an extremely cute bunny. If that’s not a number-one episode, I don’t know what is.

[giannisbct-blog]

I “LIKE” programming

Well just like this blog, when it came to the like system, I wasn’t entirely sure where to start. I had started working on this before we had decided to go with AR built in Unity so I figured I would get the mechanics working and then be able to transfer them into Unity. Initially when we were thinking of building a physical model or projection mapping, I was going to have the like button on a webpage so that anyone could access it, an inherently thats where I started. I had the thought of using a python script to build the whole back end mechanic of the system and that data would be passed from the user via the webpage, and after quickly running this by Liam (who has done something similar before) he agreed that it would be the easiest way and we could have multiple users at once which is what we wanted. I built the most basic version of the “front end” part so that someone could input their name and then like it so the likes would be attributed to them, just like it is on social media.

Liam recommended using the flask module for Python to host the server (and webpage for testing). Once I had installed that I managed to get a connection between the two and even by complete fluke was getting it to receive data from multiple devices and be able to register that it was from different devices. I personally was stoked about this because it was 90% of the like system working but then Liam pointed out, as we don’t know why it worked, if it stopped working we also wouldn’t be able to pick out why. I figured it was in my best interests to learn the best practice for this rather than get the minimum working version as it would be great reference material for the future. In these early stages, Liam helped me a lot by explaining why one way was better than another and generally guiding me through which was super helpful as I was almost coming from no coding background. The main think I am super grateful for is him introducing me to JSON, which I’ll be honest was an absolute pain at first but I now realise it was definitely the best way to go as it was far more reliable and actually made sense. So essentially what was happening is that the HTML page was passing the name that was submitted by the user, to the python script every time the like button was clicked. The script would then add a new value to its own defined variable “like” and count them like that. The bonus of doing it like this is that if someone played once and then after a while came back too have another go, their “score” would compound and keep increasing. On that note though the downside is that if two users input the same name they will have a super score rather than two separate scores. While this would be a downside for an actual game where the score would need to be counted from just one game at a time and not an overall total, for our project it sort of just adds to it. The idea is that the more people “like” the disaster that happens, the more it proves our point that social media is building a screen which separates people from reality and that they can simply click a button to show their support, and the more they do that, the more they are helping? Or at least thats the theory.

In the past when it has come to doing small code projects I have looked up how to do something, found code that suited my need, copied it and then tweaked it to properly fit my programme. However, this doesn’t mean I necessarily understood it which is something I wanted to do differently this time. As this was basically my main role in the team, I wanted to make sure I would be able to explain to other people how it worked rather than have a piece that worked but just because it did. Which I guess relates to this whole degree itself, nothing is really taught to us (especially in studio) and its all self directed so we need to learn the skills ourselves and in this day in age when you don’t need a computer science degree to become a developer but simply be able to copy code from different places to suit your programme, I believe it is quite important to know what you are doing because I the future it will make me far more efficient. And its the learning by doing thing that works really well for me that I like. For example when it came to having to deal with GET requests from both the server and user side, I had done something similar before with the instagram location finder programme that I had had a play with earlier in the semester, and because I had used it before I sort of knew how it worked but then I had the code itself I could look through again and figure out why it worked and what parts I could omit for this different programme. I have to say, I think this semester I have learned more about programming from simply trial and error, Liam and online tutorials than I did in all of last year where I did both programming papers. It was also great to learn this in a group setting where the other team members also are not super coding savvy as trying to explain what I was doing or why I couldn’t do something that we wanted to do due to the nature of the system that I was writing in non technical terms helped clarify what I was doing for myself. I would certainly like to keep doing more programming projects in the future to further develop my skills and learn new things.

Transferring the user side to Unity was a whole different box of frogs though. First of all Unity is all scripted in C# which I have never used before (but luckily is similar to java which I had dabbled in with processing last year) but the whole mechanic of connecting to a server is made a lot more difficult as all requests need to be sent through a Coroutine. Which I’ll be honest, I had never heard of until I stumbled across a million Stack Overflow forums that explained that that is what you have to use. I think I have got my head around them mostly but there are still some things about them that elude me, for example everywhere (including the Unity manual) it says that they end when they hit a “return”, but I have coroutines that have functions or call new functions still enclosed in the coroutine but after the return type and it still calls them (see below).

They also supposedly run for their specified length (of time) regardless where they are called, i.e will run for 6 seconds if told to after being called from the Update( ) function. However, I have found that in some of my code this works, in other parts it just sort of ignores that rule and sometimes it waits for a wee while longer than the instructed time. So its not totally something that I fully understand but I know it enough to be able to use it in the right places and the majority of the function of the Unity scene is run by coroutines so I am clearly doing something right. I like to think of it as a poorly trained animal, I know the commands and the animal knows what they mean but sometimes chooses to do its own thing.

Another major challenge I had was dealing with JSON, for starters sending the exact same data as I was from the webpage but through unity, it was as if it was parson the data into JSON and then parsing the JSON into more JSON even though the commands where almost the same, so on the python side I had to update it so that it decoded the incoming JSON properly so it was then actually processed logically. This brought in a whole world of problems in itself as then the data that was being sent back to the user was all jumbled and messed up which was less than ideal as it felt I had actually gone backwards rather than made progress. But as I have learned from this project, every new error you get means that you are making progress as you have made it past the previous error. After all of that though, I did get it working.

Once I had done all of that, I realised that it was a perfectly functioning Like system that recorded multiple user’s scores and could compound them and it was perfect, but only once. There was no way to restart it without stopping the whole application and going again. So there was the next challenge which proved a lot more difficult that initially suspected mainly due to how referencing different Game Objects is from a script and even harder, referencing the scripts of those Game Objects which is what caused me many hours of strife. To make matters more difficult as well, Unity doesn’t appreciate all the things you could normally do in a C# script so you have to find ways around its very stubborn walls which in my case lead to many, many scripts. Doesn’t sound like such a terrible thing but to make sure each was working correctly I was logging things to the debug console from almost every script so then when I wanted to look for a specific message I was sending to try and get something working, it became a whole lot harder because there were 20+ scripts that were all printing to the console. But once again, I am a champion and figured it out.

As I write this I realise that it doesn’t sound that difficult and didn’t take that long but the code for the like system has been haunting me at night and has been an ongoing saga for weeks . I certainly have learned heaps and am happy with my process that I undertook. However, if I was to do it again knowing what I know now, I would skip out the HTML part and just go straight for the C# scrips because I think that transition was the hardest part of this whole process. In HTML (with javascript) it is easy to do everything all in on document but with C#, you can’t send data and also receive it in the same script, you need to separate them into multiple scripts which is where confusion starts manifesting as you try and think across multiple scripts and have to remember what each one is referencing and how it will then affect the other one. The issue with backend systems as well is you don’t overtly see your mistake as you would with front end because either something happens or it doesn’t and if it doesn’t you then have to comb through your code to find the broken section and find out what is messing you up. Overall I think this is what I found the most frustrating as I have only really done mainly front end development rather than back end, but this project was certainly a great insight into it. Now as for this whole project once we got on a roll, I obviously stopped blogging as I got so engrossed in the work which I do understand is not the best practice but as we were pushed for time (having left it so late to start doing something) I focused solely on getting the work done and from an outsider’s perspective the final product doesn’t really show how much work went into the programming of it, so I have uploaded all my scripts to GitHub so you can have a look at them, and also see how things work if you are interested: https://github.com/JabronusMaximus/ARcde-Scripts

[agl03]

(1/2) Sorry for all the asks (I think I submitted three now but my mind keeps racing). I didn't read much into it before IW, but now with IW I am slightly panicked that there could be something to Lil's remark at the con in Australia where someone sent you and ask that she said she loves working with Iain and that's why filming the finale was hard. Do you have some more reassurance?

I hate IW’s end cause it doesn’t impact MCU much cause they’ll pick up where they left off. But with AoS. Would be a disservice to the show. IF they tie in I’d almost prefer both of FS disappeared cause I don’t think I can handle one being left behind again. It’s not fair to the characters or fans. Fitz would crumple if he lost Jemma (and hallucinating her again to keep Lil wouldn’t work either imo) & pregnant Jemma left behind? No. I know it doesn’t make sense but worried nonetheless.

How unrealistic is it for them to stay in shield after all of that? how selfish is it to want them to stay? Let these poor agents leave, they’ve suffered, sacrificed enough, they deserve so much better than shield. Let them rest and retreat. Let Fitzsimmons live far away, where they have a future, a family, helping the public with their science and never come back. Let them far away from plots that would ruin them like getting powers, dying or kidnapping/accelerated pregnancy etc. Let them live!

Hi Anon,

I understand this is a scary time in the season and Infinity War did not help that.  This is my third finale time and every year Fitz and Fitzsimmons seem to have the brunt of the worry when it comes to the end of the season be it them getting separated or dying.  Deke has joined his Nana and Bobo in that honor as well.

Based on reactions from the cast I don’t think they knew the ending of Infinity War before they saw it, and Lil herself saw it between the two panels she did in Australia.   Also bear in mind Marvel didn’t give any of the movie’s cast full scripts or in some cases fake scrips all to keep things secret.  

Lil has said that the finale was emotional to film and one of the most physical things she’s ever done, which has me totally intrigued when you consider what she went through filming 4722 Hours (could have something to do with fighting Graviton).   However, had something awful happened to Fitz and Fitzsimmons in a way one or the other was gone and they wouldn’t be working together for Season 6 I think her attitude would be a lot different.  She’d and the rest of the cast/crew be a lot more upset.  

The other word that has been used for the finale was rewarding, that it would be rewarding to fans and half the team poofing away or Fitzsimmons getting separated most certainly doesn’t fit into that category in my book.  Rewarding was also the word they used when describing the 100th and they totally delivered on that.

I have no doubt the finale was emotional.   Coulson’s life is in the balance, the world’s fate is in the balance, I won’t rule out a baby bomb drop, and on a personal level the cast filmed those last scenes not knowing if that was the last time for the season or the last time forever as they still don’t know about renewal.  There are other theories in play that could make it emotional, Fitz in peril (because that happens ever finale) or if the theory that the team splits up and goes their own way at the end would also be emotional to film.   

I feel like every season I’ve had the theory that the writers were setting up Fitzsimmons to step away.  And this season is no different.  The stakes are raised even higher now that they are married…and if they do have a baby on the way they will want their daughter to have a better life and be safe…and with the loop broken there are no guarantees.  Adding to their decision to leave could be another close call in the finale, wanting Deke to see the world, flat out needing to heal from all the crap that has happened, and the fracture in the team.  They might come together to save the world but those wounds are going to run deep and take a lot of time to heal.  Them stepping away gives a satisfying end but at the same time the door is open for Season 6 that the new threat forces them back in, one of the easiest ways to do that is that Fitzsimmons are targeted and have to go back to Shield for protection.  

I think one of the hardest things for me about Lil’s panel comments is I don’t personally have the context, I don’t know what they were talking about before and since the panel wasn’t allowed to be filmed I can’t see or hear how she was reacting.  And those go a long way in reading those answers for me.  I am also keeping in mind  that she was trying not to spoil things for the Australia folks who are only on 5.09….they haven’t had 5.14 which was a major episodes for Fitzsimmons.  Very emotional.  

I’m holding tight until Friday and until I get evidence otherwise am gong with the Multiverse theory.

[frederickwiddowson]

The writings of Luke the physician starting with his version of the gospel - Luke 22:21-38 comments: at the "Last Supper"

Luke 22:21 ¶  But, behold, the hand of him that betrayeth me is with me on the table. 22  And truly the Son of man goeth, as it was determined: but woe unto that man by whom he is betrayed! 23  And they began to enquire among themselves, which of them it was that should do this thing. 24  And there was also a strife among them, which of them should be accounted the greatest. 25 And he said unto them, The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and they that exercise authority upon them are called benefactors. 26  But ye shall not be so: but he that is greatest among you, let him be as the younger; and he that is chief, as he that doth serve. 27 For whether is greater, he that sitteth at meat, or he that serveth? is not he that sitteth at meat? but I am among you as he that serveth. 28  Ye are they which have continued with me in my temptations. 29 And I appoint unto you a kingdom, as my Father hath appointed unto me; 30  That ye may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel. 31  And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat: 32  But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren. 33  And he said unto him, Lord, I am ready to go with thee, both into prison, and to death. 34 And he said, I tell thee, Peter, the cock shall not crow this day, before that thou shalt thrice deny that thou knowest me. 35  And he said unto them, When I sent you without purse, and scrip, and shoes, lacked ye any thing? And they said, Nothing. 36  Then said he unto them, But now, he that hath a purse, let him take it, and likewise his scrip: and he that hath no sword, let him sell his garment, and buy one. 37  For I say unto you, that this that is written must yet be accomplished in me, And he was reckoned among the transgressors: for the things concerning me have an end. 38  And they said, Lord, behold, here are two swords. And he said unto them, It is enough.

 This is a fascinating and informative passage for us. Jesus states that his betrayer, Judas, is right there and makes an important point about evil. Even if an event is predetermined and ordained by God, such as Christ’s crucifixion, the person or persons involved in it are still guilty. For instance, we can say that World War Two was inevitable and God was going to use it for many and various reasons, but that does not eliminate the guiltiness of those who caused it on both the Allied and Axis sides.

 Matthew 18:7  Woe unto the world because of offences! for it must needs be that offences come; but woe to that man by whom the offence cometh!

 We ask ourselves then why or how is a certain person used for evil in an event of great or small importance. It would seem that our inclination to do evil makes us a candidate for a particular job in God’s plan of history just as our inclination to obey Him makes us a candidate for another job. In the first we cannot blame God because of the fact that we choose to serve ourselves and by that choice are chosen for our evil task. In the second case, God honors our determination to obey Him with the blessing of being part of His plan of redeeming mankind to Himself, or at least the part of it who will and whom He knows will.

 The character of Judas, as we have seen, was one part in making him be selected as the traitor. Evil is going to happen in a fallen reality because of man’s rebellious spirit. But, it is not necessary for you specifically to be a part of it. You choose whom you will serve but the how is not up to you or often at least not in the way you think it should be.

 In the next section Christ defines servant leadership. A person fit to lead must be one who is willing to and, in fact, does serve. A true Christian leader is a servant. Throughout history many people have felt called to lead by virtue of what their society called a noble birth or perhaps they obtained status with money and power or military prowess without coming from an aristocratic lineage. But the Bible sets certain parameters for a leader. One is found in 2Samuel.

 2Samuel 23:3  The God of Israel said, the Rock of Israel spake to me, He that ruleth over men must be just, ruling in the fear of God.

 Christ left us the example of a leader, in this case God in the flesh, humbling Himself to serve others, those weaker than Himself clearly but also those who should be serving Him.

 Here also is a hint of who twelve are seated around the throne of God are in Revelation.

 Revelation 4:4  And round about the throne were four and twenty seats: and upon the seats I saw four and twenty elders sitting, clothed in white raiment; and they had on their heads crowns of gold.

 Perhaps Judas is replaced by Paul. But, these Apostles will suffer with Christ and are worthy to sit in judgment with Him.

 This brings us in verse 31 to the significance of using thee, the singular you, and you, the plural, something more modern Bibles do not have. The use of the singular thee, thou, and thine was dying out by the King James translators’ time. They were used in intimate forms in Shakespeare such as, “O Romeo, Romeo, wherefore are thou Romeo?” and resigned to dialects in Northern England and Scotland, finally held onto by religious groups like the Quakers. However, distinguishing between the singular you and the plural you can be important to understanding as in this passage.

 Jesus tells Simon Peter that Satan desires to harm the Apostles, the plural you. But Jesus has prayed to the Father for Simon, that his mind would be fully onboard with Christ’s mission, that he would strengthen his brothers in the Lord.

 Peter’s tongue then writes a check that his faith cannot cash. But, Christ foretells that Peter will soon deny that he even knows Jesus.

 The next part of this passage justifies a distinct dispensational approach to the Bible and God’s way of dealing with mankind at different times. Jesus had sent out His disciples, as reported in Luke 9, to preach depending solely on the benevolence of the Jews to whom they would preach, trusting in God for their needs.

 Luke 9:1 ¶  Then he called his twelve disciples together, and gave them power and authority over all devils, and to cure diseases. 2  And he sent them to preach the kingdom of God, and to heal the sick. 3  And he said unto them, Take nothing for your journey, neither staves, nor scrip, neither bread, neither money; neither have two coats apiece. 4  And whatsoever house ye enter into, there abide, and thence depart. 5  And whosoever will not receive you, when ye go out of that city, shake off the very dust from your feet for a testimony against them. 6  And they departed, and went through the towns, preaching the gospel, and healing every where.

 Now, they are to provide for themselves the things he had formerly told them not to carry, even to a sword for self-defense. Brigands and robbers were a common threat when traveling through the countryside. So, preachers must be careful about picking out a passage and insisting that it applies directly to their time and instructing their congregations that this is the model they should go by.

 Verse 37 alludes to Isaiah 53 and when Jesus does that as he does with Psalm 22 from the Cross itself it is good to read the entire passage. But, here is the direct verse He is referring to;

 Isaiah 53:12  Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.

 Read Isaiah 52:13 through chapter 53. Here, Jesus affirms this is about Him. In the 11th century a Jewish commentator nicknamed Rashi began insisting that the passage in Isaiah was about the Jews as a whole rather than the Messiah in an attempt to counteract Christian teaching. To accept Rashi’s viewpoint is to call Christ a liar. While not the first teacher to suggest it Rashi was the first to teach it as a doctrine of Jewish belief. Scholars note that while the interpretation of the suffering servant in Isaiah as Israel itself was not unknown among the Jews as far back as the third century typically the servant was the Messiah until the Middle Ages and the time of Rashi. Writing after the massacres of Jews during the First Crusade Rashi was the first to seek a unifying meaning for the entire passage as a reference to the suffering of the Jews.(8) Rashi is so influential that I’ve read that some Jewish Bibles in their commentaries predominantly reflect his opinions. The Jewish Study Bible, edited by Adele Berlin and Marc Zvi Brettler notes that, "...the ArtScroll Tanach follows rabbinic interpretation rather than a more literal rendering of the biblical text itself..." and explains how the Biblical translators of that Bible relied heavily on Rashi.(9) 

 (8) Joel E. Rembaum, "The Development of a Jewish Exegetical Tradition regarding Isaiah 53," The Harvard Theological Review75, no. 3 (1982): 294. http://www.jstor.org/stable/1509755.

 (9) Adele Berlin and Marc Zvi Brettler, eds. The Jewish Study Bible (New York: Oxford University Press, 2014), 2017, 2018.

[kittensjonsa]

Some thoughts on season 7 plot leaks, general GOT, jonerys and Jonsa (Meta)

Hi, first of all I wanted to say thank you for your tumbrl. It’s always full of nice and positive quotes, articles and metas. I’m a sucker for ships, I guess I just like to see people happy. Jonsa has quickly become one of my favorite ships. I don’t have a tumbrl or any real platform to express my opinions about it but if you allow me I would like to share some of my thoughts with fellow shippers. 

Well, first I have to say I didn’t watch GOT since the beginning, actually I started watching after season 6 was out. My first introduction to the show was a clip of jonsa, I thought it was the clip of a couple and then I read they were siblings (this was confusing and disturbing…. until the pilot, I’m talking to you J/C). If you want to keep watching GOT you have to get over incest issues or…. family sexual intercourse, so I got over it. Then I watched the whole show, I haven’t read the books cause I don’t want to confuse myself with information that has not been revealed in the show yet or may never be.

I was surprised to see how many people hate Sansa in the fandom, I find her character and story arc very interesting. I love her story, and I love Arya’s, and Bran’s, and Jon’s. Why is people comparing them? Why is people pitting them against each other? Specially the 2 sisters. One is not better than the other, they both make mistakes, very stupid mistakes but they also survive in their own right. Arya is not strong because she knows how to fight (physically), she is strong because of who she is. Fighting is an skill, just like playing an instrument, sewing, drawing or being good with numbers. I’m a terrible athlete and I can only do maths for daily use but that doesn’t make me weak, stupid or less awesome. I have other abilities and those are my strengths. You are strong when you know what are you good at, that’s how you play your part in a larger picture, that’s how you fight. Sansa has her witty, her courtesy and her words, she is fighting from inside (by the way she has no blame on what happened to Ned, she is responsable for getting herself stuck in Kings Landing which she fully knows and understand)

Then I saw a very vocal group of people shipping jonerys and after 6 seasons I have to say…. I still don’t see it. Yes, I see the parallels but there are so many parallels with so many other characters. I do believe a meeting between these 2 characters is inevitable and needed for the story to progress. But this is not a romantic love story between the 2 heroes. This is a story about power. D&D said it 6 years ago when they started the series. This is a story about people who wants power ( Littlefinger, the Tyrell’s, The Frey’s, Daneyris and so on), the ones who have power and want to keep it (the Lannisters) and the ones stuck in the middle (the Starks and the realm).It’s about what power do to people, all that they loose in the process and the pain it causes them. It’s very well explained in the first season.

What I love about GOT is that everybody can be the hero or the villain, it all depends of the lent with which you see it. You are a hero if you play for your family and a villain if you play against them. Honor is not that simple either. Why is an oath-breaker less honorable for saving millions of lives? why is an oath-breaker better for following his heart? Do you ever really win? There’s no absolutes in this world. 

I know this is long but I have a lot to say, bare with me please. Which leads me to the leaks and promo pics. There’s been endless discussions about them, I’ve heard all kind of opinions, pro and anti. That’s why I write about them now. The leaks came very early on and with them set pics that corroborate most of them. Jonsa shippers where pissed off and disappointed. I know I was but mostly cause those weren’t little hints or clues of what’s to come but entire plot lines and episode scrips. But here are the good news. Plot lines don’t give us real context or understanding of how the characters are feeling about their situations.

- Littlefinger is plotting and pitting Sansa and Arya against each other ( doesn’t tell us if this is working, it’s setting a dramatic conflict. Guess what? This is a drama)

- Jonsa is having arguments and they are separated the whole season (doesn’t said in which terms, we haven’t seen any dialogues there)

- Jonerys is having sex (according to the leaks they meet in the second episode, get separated at the third and reunited and have sex in the seventh. It took Jon and Igrytte 10 episodes with no separations to finally get in bed together…. and they were in love) And since the structure of the show gives us an average of 10 minutes per character each episode, sometimes even less. How are they gonna develop a real relationship there?

Lots of characters haven’t been mentioned in the leaks either. I doubt they don’t have story arcs this year. Also most of the leaks were predictable and very plausibles. Jon meeting Theon and being super angry at him (we all saw that coming). Jonerys meeting (at this point of the story it’s necessary). Arya and Bran coming home, also very necessary. Sansa is taking care of littlefinger…super necessary. Euron is siding with Cercei, yeap, very predictable. All the signs are in the last season.

JONSA  AND JONERYS THOUGHTS

I’m a jonsa shipper. I’m a shipper but I love good stories more. When one of my ships don’t work on a narrative level I understand. What frustrates me is when writers try to fit a ship  as fan service. Now, I’m not a Danerys fan. The only moments I get to enjoy her story is when she learns something and show some humility. Unfortunately this is not very often. I love Tyrion and Jorah. Her best moments so far has been with them cause they are actually smarter than her and humble. Danerys has been since season 2 very entitle, very proud, she even crowned herself (until you get to Westeros and you are appointed you don’t have a real crown, otherwise everybody can be crowned). Saying you are king or queen doesn’t make you either of them as the show has proven so far. Dario said last season she wasn’t born to sit in a palace and give orders, she is a conqueror (very different from being a ruler). She lacks humility which Jon has in spades.                             Her story has been very separated from all the important ones and that’s everybody complain, mine too. That’s why excite me she is finally making it to Westeros, her story will actually matter. It can be argue that Jon story has been separated from everybody too but he is a Stark (ok, %50 Stark) but a Stark nevertheless and all that happened in Kings landing and the North affects him for that reason. I love Jon, he is my guy.

Putting aside my feelings for Danerys, having J/D falling in love doesn’t do any real service to the story, at least not from my point of view. They would be a terrible couple. She is power hungry, wants the Iron throne more than anything and will do anything for it. Jon wants to serve the people, fight for their lifes. Danerys wants a king just in title, she wants to rule alone. Jon doesn’t want power but he knows he wasn’t born to be a submissive husband either. They would be fighting to be on top all the time. Two people on the top at the same time is physical and mentally imposible. As I said before the plot leaks don’t give too much room for a romance development there, everybody is busy doing their thing, but we won’t know until we see. If what the show is trying to do is a political alliance by marriage then why jonerys would have sex first and soo quickly? It can only go downhill from there ( that’s actually good news for jonsa shippers). Also Jon parentage revelation will be huge. It will change everything for whoever makes it into the final season. That’s what excite me the most. If jonerys hook up I really hope it serves the story somehow and not be just fan service.

I needed to get through jonerys first so I could explain why jonsa makes more sense narratively speaking. Sansa and Jon started being so idealist and they had a hard awaken to the world. They endured so much to be who they are right now, they were the last people they expected to rely on at the end, and that makes it even better for me. While everybody was hyped for a reunion between Jon and Arya (that would be awesome) I found jonsa more suitable.Two characters we have never seen interacting with each other but with previous history. Both really free for the first time, both damaged, both carrying their scars and still feeling the pain. Jon needed purpose and Sansa had a big one. All their scenes together were a delight to watch, from their first meeting, through the fights and the “we have to trust each other” moment. That’s how you develop a relationship. No sex there, no making out session, that last one was a real intimated moment. Aside from my enjoyment of Kit Harington and Sophie Turner on screen chemistry and the way their scenes were edited and directed, jonsa works narratively as an end game. Jon could die at the end, that’s a real possibility, I know. But damn, Jonsa getting married at the end for political reasons, for duty, to keep the North and the realm together is far more satisfying. Cat said this to Robb once, what Ned and she had grew stronger and lasted longer than passion. I’m team Stark all the way, that’s the family we spend more time with, we are rooting for them, for Ned’s family. 

Me:

A lovely meta was sent by a nonny and just had to share it for the Jonsa perspective.

Oh yes my kink is seeing ppl happy and enjoying themselves and letting them ship whoever or whatever they want because honestly if my tumblr could be anything, it’ll be for anyone to have a good time, a good laugh and just see that there’s always a silver lining no matter what. Life is hard and can’t let that get to you. If any of my silly posts made you smile then my work is done 😊 Oh and sorry for the bad jokes/puns lol. Also, for this less than eloquent reply.

And I ship JonSa like it’s the air I breathe lol I have been since the books (low key) - their POVs and values are so similar like how a couple should be.

So imagine me when S6 came, I pounced on it with everything I had in me, that ship gives me life!! And so I am glad to have found a fantastic fandom right here on tumblr and Jonsa shippers are just the best! (really they are!)

Thank you for the mail Nonny!! Bless you and hope you’re having a great day wherever you are!! And yes, Jonsa for life babyyy!! 😘

[mbtizone]

Sarah Manning (Orphan Black): ESTP

Dominant Extroverted Sensing [Se]: Sarah is constantly scanning her surroundings for potential. Her first instinct after watching Beth commit suicide is to steal her purse and run. She seizes the opportunity in front of her. Sarah goes to Beth’s apartment, does her hair like Beth’s, dresses in her clothing, mimics her accent, observes her behavior from video footage she finds of her, and learns to forge her signature. When she requests a large sum of money from Beth’s bank account, she’s told she can’t withdraw that much immediately. Noticing the trophies behind the teller, she asks if she can expedite the process by sponsoring his next charity run, to which he agrees. Sarah is extremely resourceful and street smart. She destroys the magnetic strip on Beth’s bank card so she can replace it at the bank. When Paul returns from his trip and begins an uncomfortable line of questioning, Sarah distracts him by initiating sex so she doesn’t have to continue the discussion. Sarah has a keen awareness of her environment and knows how to use what she notices to her advantage. She tends to react to things physically and she can be very violent. When Sarah asks Alison to teach her how to shoot, she picks it up quickly. Her reflexes are very good, too. While following a lead at an apartment, Sarah notices a person watching from outside with a gun, and pushes Art onto the ground just as the attacker shoots. When Helena tries to kill her later, she’s able to keep her talking just long enough to grab a nearby rebar and impale her with it.

Auxiliary Introverted Thinking [Ti]: When Sarah is in a bind, she is very good at analyzing her situation and coming up with the best solution. Her process is internal, though. She doesn’t think aloud. When Felix points out Sarah can only take over Beth’s life for so long, since Beth’s body will eventually be identified, she becomes very quiet, thinking intensely. When he continues to talk, she tells him to shut up and that she’s thinking. She sees the news report about Beth’s suicide on television as she’s contemplating the situation and is struck with the perfect idea: She’ll have Felix identify the body as her, leaving her free and clear to continue impersonating Beth. When a man pulls her into his car, she has no idea who he is or what’s going on, but she notices a paper in his car with the name “Arthur” on it, and remembers that someone named “Art” has been calling Beth. She instantly realizes this is the same person and casually refers to him as “Art” which allows her to evade suspicion (Se-Ti). When “Beth” isn’t to return to work, Sarah meets with her therapist. When she hears the therapist talk about how Beth claimed to be “glitched” and how she was “missing herself”, she successfully gets the therapist to change her ruling after threatening to speak out about how she was prescribing Beth a lot of medication, which Beth may have been high on at the time of the shooting that she was suspended for.

Tertiary Extroverted Feeling [Fe]: Although Sarah isn’t a particularly emotional person, she is good at picking up on other people’s feelings and using them for manipulation. She knows how to turn on the charm to get what she needs from people, and can tailor her approach to the specific person she’s trying to manipulate. Though she isn’t very direct with her feelings, she does care about the people in her life very much, especially Kira and Felix. Sarah is also pretty good at slipping into the lives of her clones when she needs to impersonate them. When she impersonates Alison to interrogate Donnie, Sarah admonishes him for the way he’s speaking to Alison (even though she’s torturing him). She’s fiercely protective of the people she cares about and will do whatever it takes to keep them safe from harm.

Inferior Introverted Intuition [Ni]: Sarah lives moment to moment and doesn’t have a clear plan for her future. She survives, and that’s about it. Once she discovers the clones, she begins to utilize her inferior function more frequently. Although she initially toys with the idea of just taking Alison’s money and running off with Felix and Kira, she can’t. She understands that there’s a bigger picture. When it comes to protecting the people she cares about and getting to the bottom of who she really is, Sarah can be extremely goal-oriented. When Sarah and the rest of the Clone Club come up with plans, Sarah is good at remaining on target and not getting sidetracked.

Enneagram: 8w7 Sp/Sx

Quotes:

Siobhan Sadler:: I’ve seen your elaborate ruses and guises before, but how do you do this, how do you fake your own demise beneath a train? Sarah: Wouldn’t you rather know why? Siobhan Sadler:: I don’t care to know why. Sarah: Because I saw a way to dump Vic and get out of that life and get away with Kira. Siobhan Sadler:: Ha! Take her on the run with you? Brilliant. New clothes and a Jaguar do not a mother make.

Sarah: Bloody Mrs S. She’s right. Felix: Really? Sarah: What kind of mother am I if I snatch my own daughter? Felix: A crap one, I agree. Sarah: And if I rob Alison, run now and never tell my… Felix: Clones? Sarah: Oh, God, we do have to find another word for that.

Alison: This one’s some kind of lowlife grifter! How do we know she didn’t push her? Sarah: Oi! I already told you… I didn’t want to be her. I got stuck! I was running from my own shit. Alison: [Alison sarcastically replies] I can only imagine. [Sarah punches Alison for pointing a gun at Felix] Sarah: You point a gun at my brother again, I will kick the living shite out of you!

[Dr. Bower tells Sarah she’s unfit for duty as Sarah argues back] Dr. Anita Bower: By your own admission of blackout or psychotic break, I can’t recommend you for duty. Sarah: That’s not going to work for me. Dr. Anita Bower: I understand, you’re a cop, but this is my job. Sarah: Can you read that back again? That, um, ‘I’m missing myself. I glitched.’ Does that sound stoned to you? Dr. Anita Bower: ‘Glitched’ sounds stoned? Sarah: Tweaked, gakked, spun. Ahem! Allevia, Superprax, Draxifil. What’s the difference between a mood stabilizer and an antipsychotic, again? Dr. Anita Bower: Beth… Sarah: Oh, no, I’m sorry, I’ve been confused. I mean, it’s very confusing. Um… Antidepressants, antianxieties, SSRIs. Serotronax… That one’s a stimulant. Dr. Anita Bower: We have known each other for a while, now, Beth… Sarah: Yeah? That’s where you’re wrong. Dr. Anita Bower: You have constantly tested me with your personal appeals for prescriptions. Sarah: I know. My bad. So I’ll just explain to the board that I shot this poor civilian after mixing up all your overlapping scrips. Or am I making progress? [Sarah smiles]

[Sarah shows Felix the $75,000 she took out of Beth’s bank account] Felix: Is this evil twin’s money? Sarah: Yeah, $75,000 in cash. That’s enough to lose Vic, lose the twin-sister weirdness, just somewhere safe with my daughter. Is that so much to ask?

Sarah: I do have one really idiotic idea. Felix: Oh, good. Sarah: I need to be in two places at once, yeah? Felix: Yeah… Sarah: Well, if anybody can do that, we can. Felix: Are you effing serious? Sarah: Yeah, suddenly, I am.

Sarah: Look, Art’s already looking for the killer. I shadow him as Beth, I let them figure out what’s happened to her, and then, when I find that out, I can jump off and deal. Felix: ‘Deal’? I’m beginning to realize crazy’s genetic.

Sarah: Something really weird just happened at the train station. Felix: What? Sarah: I saw a girl kill herself. Felix: Ew! A jumper? Sarah: Yeah, and she looked exactly like me, Felix. Felix: What you mean? Felix: Oh! You robbed her body. Sarah: No, she left her bag on the platform. Felix: Isn’t that essentially robbing her body?

Sarah: I’m going to shoot Paul’s balls off. Cosima: Wait, just, um, just squeeze them, ok? He’s our way into this whole thing.

Sarah: [Sarah sits with Kira] You’re so independent, aren’t you? Hmm, monkey? Little monkey? Siobhan Sadler: Remind you of anyone? Sarah: Yeah, but I was much angrier, wasn’t I? Even small. You were the one who introduced me to punk rock, though. Siobhan Sadler: Yeah. You took all of the attitude, none of the politics.

Sarah: He’s a bastard. Felix: Who? Sarah: Paul. Beth loved him, but he wouldn’t love her back and he wouldn’t leave her. Felix: Mm. Well, he’s certainly changed his tune now, hasn’t he? Sarah, he’s falling for you. Sarah: God, what a mess.

Sarah: Of all the things that scare me right now, Fe, this one’s the heaviest. Felix: You know she can’t wait to see you, right? Sarah: Yeah, thanks. She’s the only thing that really matters, you know?

Sarah: [Sarah tells Paul that he’s a mole and killed the woman who loved him] You’re a plant, and she killed herself because the man that she loved turned her whole life into a lie. She knew you didn’t love her and she couldn’t understand why you wouldn’t leave. And, now, she figured it out. Paul:[Paul holds his gun on Sarah] This isn’t true. It’s a sick test. Isn’t it? Isn’t it? Sarah: She trusted you. How could you do that to her? Paul: You think I had a choice? Sarah: Just tell me why. Paul: They don’t tell us why.

[Donnie is questioned by Sarah who’s impersonating Alison] Donnie: [Donnie hears the voices of the neighbors] The whole neighborhood is here? What kind of irrational nonsense is going through that head of yours? Sarah: Hey, watch your tone, Donnie! Donnie: Alison, get your frazzled, PMS shit together! Sarah: Hey! You watch your tone! Your wife is the rock of this family! You will no longer speak down to her! Am I clear? Donnie: Yeah.

Paul: I’m not doing any of this by choice. Sarah: Right, so, they forced you to be Beth’s monitor for two years, without ever knowing why. Paul: You’re some kind of hustler. You understand leverage, right? The difference is, you chose to infiltrate Beth’s life, to screw her boyfriend, right on this counter. Sarah: And you weren’t even you. Paul: And you weren’t you, either.

Vic: So, you faked your own death so… You could move on to a new scam, hmm? Who are you now, Sarah? Sarah, it must be so confusing. Sarah: You have no idea.

[Sarah tries to convince the drinking Alison that Donnie is not her monitor] Sarah: Look, Paul’s military. He’s a professional. You’ve known Donnie since, what? Alison: High school. Sarah: Right, high school, yeah? So how could he be your monitor?

Art: Sarah, my partner killed herself. I didn’t see it coming. Help me. Help Beth. I know you care. Sarah: There’s a reason we look exactly the same, Art. Art: Okay. Sarah: [Sarah starts to cry] Why the prints match, and the DNA’s all screwed up. But you have to promise to protect me and my daughter. Art: I will. If that’s what you need, I promise.

Sarah: I just want to know who I am. Siobhan Sadler:: You’re still you. Remember that. You’re a survivor.

Cosima: Sarah, what are you going to do? Walk into the Dyad with a gun and just start shooting people? I mean… Sarah: Yeah.

Sarah Manning (Orphan Black): ESTP was originally published on MBTI Zone

[trenchkamen]

[book review] Earthseed duology (Parable of the Sower and Parable of the Talents) by Octavia Butler

"In order to rise from its own ashes, a Phoenix must first burn.”

So I find myself with a massive backlog of potential book reviews, although I’ve been doing a fair amount of re-reading and many of those are old classics (does the world need another review of The Brothers Karamazov? Or Siddhartha? Ironically Hesse would find the idea appalling as he is a firm believer that the more you try to discuss something to death the less power and truth it holds). I am of a similar mind about the Earthseed books (Parable of the Sower and Parable of the Talents) as they are very well acclaimed indeed and aren’t in desperate need of visibility. But I have things to say. Lucky you.

Parable of the Sower opens in 2024, when civilization has collapsed (the same year, as it happens, as the Bell Riots, so two sets of writers saw in the nineties the road headed on a thirty-year course to hell) to differing degrees depending on one’s socioeconomic status. The last of the middle-class holdouts live in self-policed, self-contained walled neighborhoods crowned with razor wire and glass. Groups only venture outside the walls armed. Despite this, people struggle to maintain some degree of normalcy and forward momentum—a local college still holds online classes (as it is too dangerous to travel to and from campus) and the community keeps holding church services and teaching its children in a living room-based school. Even as an adolescent Lauren Olamina realizes this is not sustainable, and that soon, the walls will be torn down and they will have to face the outside world as one of the dispossessed. Her realization that change is constant and inevitable, but that one must shape it, not try to hold to the old order, forms the basis of her personal philosophy she dubs “Earthseed”. It is partially her experiences as a “sharer”, or a person with hyperempathy syndrome, that informs her philosophy. When she sees others in pain, she feels it, as surely as if she herself was hurt. It is a handicap in a brutal world but she learns to live with it. In 2027 her prediction is fulfilled and she escapes the burning and plundering of her neighborhood and goes north—toward the Pacific Northwest, toward rain and opportunity. In contrast to her younger brother, who made his way in the outside world on cruelty and guile, she gathers a group of travelers and ex-slaves for mutual protection and support and from them forms her first Earthseed commune.

I found Sower at one of those clearance book sales that are frequently held outside Ackerman. The version they had has a rather bland, white-light background cover that tries to make it very clear that this is Serious Literature and worthy of consideration by people of intellectual fiber and not just the sort of riffraff who are mesmerized by the flash-bang tripe of sci-fi, but, at the very least, the protagonist is (correctly) portrayed as black. Unfortunately this often leads to the book being marketed or shelved as “special interest” but that is a whole other rant.

The broad socioeconomic changes predicted in the book are not surprising. They’re evident as imminent possibilities to many people. What always shocks me most in the writing of the most visionary speculative fiction authors – William Gibson, Margaret Atwood – is the correct prediction of small details. They predict tiny, sharp, and accurate vectors of future movement within the larger one. In the book Southern California is parched and dying and overcrowded and everybody wants to flood up to the Pacific Northwest, where there is water and the air is clean and there is space. This is exactly the trend I have seen now, twenty years after the book was published and ten years before the book takes place, and after several of the hottest, driest seasons on record (not counting that lovely burst of heavy rain this past winter). I’ve shot around vague “what are you going to do after graduation/in the future” etc conversations with various friend groups, who have no knowledge of each other and therefore no influence over each other, and with the exception of people who have personal ties elsewhere they almost all mention a vague tug toward “Seattle” or “Vancouver”, words that evoke greenery and cooler air and oxygen in place of dust. I’m no exception to this, despite the fact that almost all of my friends wound up in the LA area (many of us from Phoenix), but the way conversations are going we might all end up in the same place again anyway. In the books, Oregon, Washington, and Canada have sealed and armed borders to keep out floods of “California trash” hiking up I-5 looking for a better life. The flood has gotten bad enough that shoot-on-sight has become the accepted rule for guards. (And, from what I’ve heard of people currently living in those areas, that spirit is certainly there. It is understandable – their lovely area is being flooded with crowds of people driving up rents and costs of living, the rich buying up properties, the area choked with traffic. In short, it’s becoming SoCal. There’s a Tragedy of the Commons analogy here somewhere.) Given that communications infrastructure has collapsed most migrants are not aware of this, but even those who are feel it is worth the desperate attempt, because there is nothing left in SoCal for anybody but the rich. (In this case, ‘nothing’ really does mean complete anarchy and mob rule—the government has essentially become a privatized and parceled enforcement corps for the wealthy.) In the Real World LA we’ve had drought and relentless summer heat and given how overburdened the grid is the power goes out almost every time the temperature goes above 90*F. Even in the five years I’ve lived here traffic has gotten much worse (quantitatively—based on drive times) and rents have spiked dizzying amounts. The entire demographic character of neighborhoods around me has shifted in a matter of years. It all makes people feel like so much cattle and ferments a great deal of resentment and economic unrest.

In the first book the president runs on a populist platform that, at the time of publication (1993) might have sounded rather farfetched and Machiavellian, even though the country was coming out of the Regan years backlash, but at the current time sounds rather familiar. You know exactly where I’m going with this and I am far from the only person who has drawn parallels between President Donner and President Trump. Again, an example of prediction of ‘small’ details—a populist charlatan winning a desperate public is a common dystopian trope, but Butler correctly predicted the details of Donner’s plans and the rhetoric he uses to pit industry regulations and worker protections against this nebulous idea of “freedom” and “opportunity”. Company towns are a major part of the national fabric, and we see how they attract people (with promises of security and a constant source of food, no small offer when you grow up having to go around the neighborhood in armed groups) and the end result of (legally) indenturing people to their service through the use of payment in scrip. It’s a privatized debtor’s prison system. But, in the rhetoric of the elite, this represents “opportunity”, and the disgusting part is that they’re not wrong. To many people it’s more attractive than being murdered or raped on the road—until they realize that once they are legally ‘indebted’ (slaves), they will be treated that way anyway. But it’s the only “opportunity” offered to the masses. At this point in the story a good portion of the population is completely illiterate, and with that loss comes also the loss of their ability to learn about the past, to read and understand contracts and laws, to read newspapers. The school system collapsed, so you have a generation of young, angry people with no knowledge and no literacy. Hopeless, easy to inflame, easy to mislead. Butler is not coy in implying that this is a direct result of the end of the public school system and the collapse of public youth programs—money-saving measures touted as things that will ultimately lead to a more ‘efficient’ system (privatization). Surprise of surprises, though, once private those schools and youth programs no longer want to go where there is no money.

Donner also runs on a platform of returning to an idealized past – making America great again, if you will. (I almost did not add this because it’s too on-the-nose but fuck it. EDIT NOTE: I hand-to-God wrote this paragraph before I started reading Talents and I rescind my previous statement. Just keep reading.) When things are getting worse it’s only natural to want to turn back to when things are better. A savvy politician realizes this and uses it in his rhetoric—a vague promise. Lauren realizes that there is no turning back and that energies must be used to shape the future. As a leader, she is his direct foil.  

Overt racism has again spiked in the wake of populist anger. Interracial couples are particularly likely to be attacked by mobs and in-group tribalism proxied by the marker of skin color is brazen. Lauren’s father points out (correctly) that their suburb is too black and brown to be of interest to authorities to try to re-claim, despite “respectable” middle-class status, and, indeed, it is one of the few white families in their neighborhood who is accepted to a company town on the coast. People get mean and scared when resources are few. Honestly as I am white I realize I am only made aware of overt shows of racism, so it is difficult for me to say how much worse things have gotten in the past few years (I do think that is the direction it has gone), but racists have certainly gotten bolder and more outspoken. It’s this ancient division tactic to keep the masses fighting each other for the few crumbs the rich leave for them, instead of focusing on the rich themselves. Again, not a new observation, but I am pleased with how accurately Butler predicted (or remembered, to anybody who reads history) that overt shows of racism and other forms of in-group/out-group behavior spike with hardship. People seem to think we’ve moved past that and become truly post-racial. Odd, that. People show their true prejudices under stress.

Women and children, especially, are vulnerable, and find themselves either disguising their sex (like Lauren, who is tall and angular in build) or finding men to travel with, often in exchange for sex—and condoms are rare, so this often leads to more pregnancy, more vulnerability, more dependency. (Aside – this is mentioned in the Saga comic, that women and children suffer most in war, even considering battlefield violence against drafted men.) Something Andrea Dworkin said – conservative women find the traditional marriage model attractive in that it is better to be raped by one man instead of by all men, and to get a roof and food in the deal. This is the origin of patriarchy. Lauren is well aware of this and is terrified of getting pregnant. In this book there is no Mad Max-like group of women acting in solidarity for mutual protection, but the concept of strength in numbers is proven in Lauren’s nascent Earthseed traveling group. Atomization – of the marginalized, of the weak, of minorities, of women – is what leads to death in a hostile world.

Lauren also learns that she is not the only person with hyperempathy syndrome (colloquially, ‘Sharers’) – it is a common result of in utero exposure to a new ‘smart’ drug, and it is a trait much prized in slaves and workers, as it makes them easier to control. The doctor in her traveling group points out that it would not be advantageous for healthcare workers, etc, to be paralyzed by another’s pain, but concedes that a greater prevalence might control a lot of the wanton violence. Sharers are also a uniquely vulnerable people; when they are in the minority, they are easily controlled, but were they the majority, the world would be a better place.

A designer drug (not the above mentioned) that makes people start fires, rape, and torture, is widespread and highly addictive, and provides a source of transcendent joy to a dispossessed and hopeless people. Seeking that happiness itself could be as powerful as seeking to alleviate withdrawal symptoms. The concept that dispossessed, impoverished, trapped people turn to drugs to numb their pain and crushing boredom is not new, but, again, is true, and is accurately portrayed as causing cascading ripples of destruction and pain around the primary user.

Parable of the Talents takes place (the mainline story, anyway; it is presented as a collection of diary entries with commentary) five years after the events of Sower and was published in 1998. Sower ended on an uplifting note and the book would have worked well as a stand-alone, but Talents goes the direction of The Handmaid’s Tale really quick. Or, and I don’t think this counts as much of a spoiler, America has gone from what anarcho-capitalists say would not happen in their system but honestly would, to what honestly to the average person makes little difference but this time when they’re being raped and held as slaves their captors have the pretence of saving their souls while doing it. Yes, a theocracy. With re-education camps and electronic slave collars and all that dystopian stuff. Oh, let it not be lost on the reader that this theocracy was elected into place by a populace responding to strongman posturing and a promise to bring the country back to order. There was no violent coup. And as always it’s the people who are (desperately) trying to mind their own business and live their lives who suffer the most. Not even just incidentally, as collateral damage, which happens plenty, but they are also directly targeted for having the audacity to want to exist on their own terms, hurting nobody. (I get that the Bible says that suffering sinners to live in your nation without crushing them brings down God’s wrath, so, by that interpretation, it is not a victimless crime. Very convenient, politically, for the authors and supporters of the Bible to include that as a stipulation, but this review is already running far too long.)  

Lauren discusses the changes in the political landscape that have occurred since she founded the Earthseed commune. A presidential candidate has been advocating a return to some halcyon days of socio-ethno-religious homogeny, and clearly something in his message resonates or he is merely a mouthpiece for an undercurrent of fermenting backlash, because the anarchist gangs are largely replaced by paramilitary self-styled Crusaders (crosses and tunics and all) who have taken it upon themselves to wipe out anything that would ruin that. The candidate, Jarret, winkingly-but-not-super-openly advocates these activities by not-really condemning them, but using this as an opportunity to hint that if only people would fall in line, this would not need to happen.

Oh, his entreaty is, literally, not metaphorically, ‘Make America great again.’ That’s when I stared at the book for a good ten seconds.

Had this book been written post-Trump I would have found the use of his direct slogan too on-the-nose and overbearing, but this book was published in 1998. This is not just a freak prediction in a literalist sense. That slogan was effective because it evoked that already-fermenting resentment and vague desire to return to something ‘past’ and better, and that is what Butler predicted.

Ultimately it’s irrelevant whether or not Trump resembles Jarret in that he actually believes all the Christian right claptrap he spews or is just an opportunist. The end result is the same. It’s a tacit endorsement that resonates with an already-existing, simmering resentment and hatred in the populace. That is why half-veiled innuendos are understood. The idea is already there. Butler had predicted this, in a slightly different form, in Sower—life goes to shit for the previously-privileged or majority class, so they look for scapegoats, and the scapegoat becomes especially infuriating if it has the audacity to do well while they are not, and those in true power encourage this because better to channel that energy into infighting among the dispossessed instead of risk an alliance against them. But it becomes refined, in Talents, five years later, from aimless hedonistic anarchy to something ideological and disciplined.

Subtle, it is not. But that is because the distortions in the book are only in scale, not in a sideways or backwards distortion of the direction things are going. It is a direct vector from where we are now to where the world is in the book. There are no side-steps required. It is a situation in which were you to jump directly to the center of the book, you’d be tempted to find it heavy-handed and melodramatic and self-discrediting, but reading through from the beginning of the story it becomes very easy indeed to understand how things became as bad as they did. It’s the boiling frog principle.

This is already a heinously long review and I could pick apart the books almost line-by-line with political commentary and adulations for Butler’s Cassandra-like clarity of vision, but that would ruin the primary experience for you, gentle reader, and I must respect the white space left in the book to contemplate subtleties and parallels. Ultimately, these stories are about rising from the ashes of your past life, no matter how many times your world burns down around you. Lauren’s God as Change is not intrinsically a merciful or a cruel god, but in this world change takes the form of complete and utter devastation more often than not. She loses everything, scrapes her way through, builds up from the ash and blood a community, and has it all taken from her—again. And, even when she rebuilds her life, some of the things she lost can never be regained. She has to carry that sorrow the rest of her life and keep going. I’ve heard it said that losing a child breaks something in you, forever. And yet people choose to keep living, even if they’ll never be truly happy again. It is not a happy tale, in that there is no closure for many of the characters, and people bear the most terrifying and complete forms of sorrow for decades without relief, but they survive. Usually in these stories people are able to hold on because there is that one thing they get back, or that one thing they can count on. In this story, it’s all burned away. Children are killed or sold into the most sadistic forms of sexual slavery. Spouses are killed. Second spouses are killed, again. Second batches of children are killed, again. People who were outcast and unwanted in their own families of origin find a new home and it’s ripped from them. It keeps happening. But they survive and shape the world by guiding change.

And, it’s well worth saying all this misery is wrecked on people by other people. There is enough misery in the world without having to cause any of it. That is what is so heartbreaking. And then broken people want to spread their misery. It never stops until somebody—probably a broken and hurt somebody—is willing to say stop. And live with the misery stoically and still shape the world for the better.

In some ways, I am glad Butler died before the housing crash and the socioeconomic fallout that is still shaking the world apart (she died in 2006), as she would not have to witness her vision come closer to fruition, but what I wouldn’t give to talk with her about current events. She died far too young of tragic circumstances but at least there’s peace in death. I know she would not appreciate me saying that—she always valorized survival—but I guess I’m trying to find some redeeming aspect of a shit situation. And that, I think, she might appreciate more. Cassandra was not a happy person.

[lorenzobreid]

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[alexlaw00]

The Law of Attraction

The Secret is a thought-provoking documentary-style cinema roughly manifesting and how to utility the Law of Attraction to create whatever you shortage in your life. What do you really want?

Sometimes we focus our concept on what we don't like in our existence or what we don't want; this simply creates more of the same results. The Secret film helps you understand how important it is to consciously choose the thoughts you hold each day; to accordance your thoughts and effect focused on what you really want to attract into your life. It is all up to you. For a long time tribe have weighed evidence, analyzed and taken measurements to analysis the question, "What do I want?" It is now clear that this was the mistake question. The right inquest is, "What concept will create what I want?" Take charge of your thoughts, and you'll income levy of your life.

There are 100 poignant declaration which embodies "The Secret" intimation that everyone lifestyle the life they choose.

1. We all work with one infinite power.

2. The Secret is the Law of Attraction (LOA).

3. Whatever is going on in your skulls is what you are attracting.

4. We are like electromagnet - like attracts like. You become AND attract what you think.

5. Every idea has a frequency. Thoughts send out a magnetic energy.

6. People pondering roughly what they don't desire and attract more of the same.

7. Thought = creation. If these thoughts are attached to powerful emotions (good or bad) that speeds the creation.

8. You attract your dominant thoughts.

9. Those who speak most of illness have illness, those who speak most of accomplishment have it, etc.

10. It's not "wishful" thinking.

11. You can't have a world without the mind raid into it.

12. Choose your concept carefully; you are a masterpiece of your life.

13. It's OK that concept don't manifest into reality immediately (if we saw a picture of an pachyderm and it instantly appeared, that would be too soon).

14. EVERYTHING in your life you have attracted-accept that fact--it's true.

15. Your thoughts broker your feelings.

16. We don't obligation to complicate all the "reasons" seat our emotions. It's scads simpler than that. There are two categories--good feelings and injustice feelings.

17. Thoughts that bring closely good feelings mean you are on the privilege track. Thoughts that bring roughly transgression feelings means you are not on the prerogative track.

18. Whatever it is you are comprehension is a perfect thought of what is in the currents of becoming.

19. You get exactly what you are FEELING.

20. Happy feelings will attract more happy circumstances.

21. You tins begin understanding whatever you desire (even if it's not there)-the universe testament correspond to the feathers of your song.

22. What you center on with your thoughts and feelings is what you attract into your experience.

23. What you pondering and what you sense and what actually manifests is ALWAYS a match--no exception.

24. Shift your awareness.

25. "You create your own universe as you go along" -Winston Churchill

26. It's important to feel good ( ( ( (((good))) ) ) )

27. You tins innovations your sense immediately-by thinking of something joyful, or music a song, or remembering a happy experience.

28. When you get the hang of this, before you know it you will KNOW you are the creator.

29. Life can and should be phenomenal--and it will be when you consciously apply the Law of Attraction.

30. The Universe will re-arrange itself accordingly.

31. Start by using this verdict for all of your desires: "I'm so happy and grateful now that."

32. You don't poverty to know HOW the humankind is going to rearrange itself.

33. The Law of Attraction is simply figuring out for yourself what will generate the positive feelings of owning it NOW.

34. You resolve get an inspired thought or intention to assistance you move towards what you memory faster.

35. The world preferences SPEED. Don't delay, don't second-guess, don't doubt.

36. When the chances or impulse is there--ACT.

37. You evidence attract universe you require - money, people, connections-PAY ATTENTION to what's entity set in front of you.

38. You tins start with nothing-and out of nothing or no way, a WAY testament be provided.

39. HOW LONG??? No rules on time--the more aligned you are with positive feelings the quicker belongings happen.

40. Size is nothing to the humankind (unlimited abundance if that's what you wish). We make the rules on extent and time.

41. No rules according to the universe--you provide the feelings of having it now and the universe testament respond.

42. Most clan offer the consensus of their theory in response to what they are observing (bills in the mail, creature late, owning mistake luck, etc.)

43. You have to find a different approach to what is through a different vantage point.

44. "All that we are is a result of what we have thought" - Buddha

45. What can you do advantage now to turn your life around?? Gratitude.

46. Gratitude evidence bring more into our lifestyle immediately.

47. What we pondering roughly and THANK about is what we bring about.

48. What are the belongings you are grateful for?? Feel the gratitude--focus on what you have right now that you are grateful for.

49. Play the snapshot in your mind--focus on the end result.

50. VISUALIZE!!! Rehearse your future.

51. VISUALIZE!!! See it, emotion it! This is where claim begins.

52. Feel the joy-feel the happiness!

53. An affirmative thought is 100 times more powerful than a negative one.

54. "What this force is, I cannot say. All I know is that it exists." --Alexander Graham Bell.

55. Our place is not to worry closely the "How". The "How" will market up out of the promise and religion in the "what."

56. The 'How's' are the zone of the universe. It always knows the quickest, fastest, most harmonious resources between you and your dream.

57. If you turn it over to the universe, you evidence be surprised and dazzled by what is delivered--this is where magic and miracles happen.

58. Turn it over to the world daily--but it should never be a chore.

59. Feel exhilarated by the whole process--high, happy, in tune.

60. The only unlikeness between people who are really stronghold this medium is they have habituated track of being.

61. They remember to do it all the time.

62. Create a Vision - Board-pictures of what you sanity to attract-every day look at it and get into the comprehension ground of already having acquired these desires.

63. "Imagination is everything. It is the preview of life's coming attractions." -Albert Einstein.

64. Decide what you desire--believe you tins have it, believe you deserve it, believe it's possible for you.

65. Close your eyes and visualize owning what you already desire--and the comprehension of having it already.

66. Focus on entity grateful for what you have already--enjoy it!! Then independence it into the universe. The cosmos will manifest it.

67. "Whatever the mind of man can conceive, it can achieve." -W. Clement Stone

68. Set a goal so big that if you achieved it, it would strikes your mind.

69. When you have an inspired thought, you must trust it and presentation on it.

70. How tins you become more prosperous?? INTEND IT!

71. "Checks are coming in the mail regularly," or change your riverbank statement to whatever percentage you desire, and get behind the feeling of owning it.

72. Life is meant to be abundant in ALL areas.

73. Go for the sense of inner joy and quietness then all outside belongings appear.

74. We are the inventor of our universe.

75. Relationships: Treat yourself the medium you recollection to be treated by others--love yourself and you evidence be loved.

76. Healthy respect for yourself.

77. For those you work with or interact with regularly--get a notebook and write down positive appearance of each of those people.

78. Write down the belongings you like most approx them (don't expect innovations from them). Law of lottery evidence not put you in the same breach together if your frequencies don't match.

79. When you realize your potential to emotion good, you evidence ask no one to be different in lineup for you to sense good.

80. You evidence free yourself from the cumbersome impossibilities of needing to mastery the world, your friends, your mate, your children.

81. You are the only one that creates your reality.

82. No one else can think or emotion for you--Its YOU--ONLY YOU.

83. Health: thank the humankind for your own healing. Laugh, stress free cheerfulness testament agreement you healthy.

84. Your immune outline will heal itself.

85. Parts of our mass are replaced every day, every week-etc. Within a few days we have a brand new body.

86. See yourself living in a new body. Hopeful = recovery. Happy = happier biochemistry. Stress degrades the body.

87. Remove stress from the mass and the corpse regenerates itself. You can heal yourself.

88. Learn to become still-and profits your attention away from what you don't desire, and job your consideration on what you longing to experience.

89. When the voice and imagination on the inside become more profound and clear than the outlook on the outside, then you have mastered your life.

90. You are not here to get the world to be just as you opinion it. You are here to create the world around you that you choose.

91. And allow the world as others choose to see it, to exist as well.

92. People pondering that if everyone knows the power of the Law of Attraction there won't be enough to go around. This is a fib that's been ingrained in ourselves and makes so dozens greedy.

93. The truism is there is more than enough love, creative ideas, power, joy, geniality to go around.

94. All of this resources begins to sheen through a brain that is aware of its own infinite nature. There's enough for everyone. See it. Believe it. It will show up for you.

95. So let the blend of your reality thrill you as you choose all the belongings you recollection and get seat the good feelings of all your desires.

96. Write your script. When you see things you don't desire, don't pondering closely them, write about them, talk about them, push against them, or join groups that hubs on them-remove your attention from 'don't desires' and instead situation them on 'do desires'.

97. We are mass energy. Everything is energy. EVERYTHING!!!

98. Don't define yourself by your body......it's the infinite creature that's connected to everything in the universe.

99. One determination field. Our torso have distracted us from our energy. We are the infinite field of progression possibilities-The creative force.

100. Are your thoughts worthy of you? If not--NOW is the time to change them. You tins begin privilege where you are right now [ https://www.alexanderlawgroupplc.com/employment-opportunities.html ]. Nothing affairs but this importance and what you are focusing your consideration on.

[vegas-glitz]

Stock Marketplace Astrology

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W D Gann was a person of the greatest traders of all time and he utilized astro charts in buying and selling. He designed a lot more than 50 thousands and thousands dollars from the stock marketplace. His principle was centered on Cycles that history repeats alone.

He asserted that stock industry movements are cyclical and that stock sector dynamics is pure maths! Just one working day the Market goes up by 2% and future working day it comes down by 2%. What else can the motion be, apart from maths ? Mathematical and astrological concepts are the basis of all.

The Cyclical or the Periodic Law

Every little thing is cyclical. Shelley's "If Winter comes, can Spring be significantly at the rear of?" corresponds to the inventory marketplace equation "If Recession comes, can Increase be far guiding?". The Legislation of Bipolarity in Character - increase & drop, circulation & ebb, day & night time, enjoyment & soreness, start & death - corresponds to the achieve and decline in the inventory market place. Complex examination factors out that all scrips exhibit regular and recurrent patterns of rate behavior. If you observe India' s leading stock Reliance, you will arrive to know that it went up in the course of boomtime and registered a sharp drop all through economic downturn.

Mr. Henry Hall, in his current reserve devoted much space to 'Cycles of Prosperity and Depression' which he found recurring at regular intervals of time. The mathematical legislation which we have utilized in Zodiac Inventory Market Astrology will give these cyclical swings, pinpointing the most important, secondary and tertiary traits. The resistance and the assistance levels of the Sensex and all key scrips can be recognised by these mathematical techniques.

The Fourfold Economic Motion

The fourfold motion of an Financial Cycle are - Revival, Growth, Economic downturn & Contraction.

Gann averred "If we want to avert failure in speculation, we should deal with results in. Every thing in existence is dependent on actual proportion and great marriage. There is no probability in mother nature, mainly because mathematical rules of the optimum purchase lie at the basis of all matters"

90% of the traders now are " Lottery Traders" basing more on luck than on investigation. Inventory buying and selling is pretty rewarding and sad to say there are no shortcuts. It is explained that trading is uncomplicated but buying and selling for profit is not ! A great deal of time really should be invested in research and examine. Lottery traders believe in reading through just a guide and turning into a millionaire the up coming day.

Like acquiring a lottery ticket and...tests one' luck (where by the probability of the investor finding the to start with prize is one out of 2 million). 90% of all traders reduce money for the reason that of a lack of discipline, tolerance and expertise. All you need to have to realize success is just frequent perception. If you know standard maths, you can convey residence the bacon. As W.D. Gann states: "If you can include, subtract, multiply and divide, you can do what I do".

"It is so uncomplicated and quick to address issues and get suitable responses and success with figures that it looks peculiar so few folks count on them to forecast the potential of business enterprise, stocks and commodity markets. The basic principles are uncomplicated to understand and comprehend. No make any difference irrespective of whether you use geometry, trigonometry, or calculus, you use the very simple regulations of arithmetic. You do only two matters: You improve or reduce." W.D. Gann (From his Inventory Industry Trading Class)

Elliot Wave Idea & Inventory Market place Astrology

Elliott concluded that the movement of the stock market could be predicted by observing and pinpointing a repetitive sample of waves. We meant the similar when we talked about planetary cycles in our previously articles or blog posts. In actuality, Elliott believed that all of man's pursuits, not just the stock current market, have been influenced by these identifiable collection of waves. We intended the exact that man's actions can be predicted by these planetary cycles.

Astro-Economic Cycles

Inventory Industry Astrology states that Planetary Cycles do impact Economic Cycles. When we combine the two we get the phrase Astro-financial cycles. The transit of the economical world Jupiter do influence a nation's financial system. An adverse Jupiter in US' horoscope is responsible for the drop of the Dow. We obtain that global indices are down. Only in India is there a inventory current market boom and this is owing to the favourable posture of Jupiter in the lunar fifth.

By 2020, if we go by GDP progress , the No 1 nation will be China, second US & 3rd India !

Secondary reactions are normal & the industry is bound to bounce again after the correction is above. Grasim, Satyam Pcs & Bharti Tele had reported superb success. Amongst the cement companies, Grasim sales opportunities. Forbes contains Satyam, Infosys & Wipro in the checklist of the most effective companies of India in their magazine. Also Bharat Forge. Information, tolerance and self-discipline by yourself can earn the match for us, as Gann remarked!

Source by Govind Kumar

[ask-de-writer]

SEA DRAGON’S GIFT : Part 78 of 83 : World of Sea

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SEA DRAGON’S GIFT

Part 78 of 83

by

De Writer (Glen Ten-Eyck)

140406 words

copyright 2020

written 2007

All rights reserved.

Reproduction in any form, physical, electronic or digital is prohibited without the express consent of the author.

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Copyright fair use rules for Tumblr users

Users   of Tumblr.com are specifically granted the following rights.  They may   reblog the story provided that all author and copyright information   remains intact.  They may use the characters or original characters in   my settings for fan fiction, fan art works, cosplay, or fan musical   compositions.

All sorts of fan art, cosplay, music or fiction is actively encouraged.

///////////////////////

New to the story?  Read from the beginning.  PART 1 is here

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Kurin smiled, “Did you give helmswoman Darkistry the idea to ride the eye of the Coriolis storm north?”

“No, Little Fish, that was her own idea, and an excellent one.  At that time they did have to hide but I could not allow them escape over the Dragon Sea to another fleet.  I still regard the Naral fleet as my fleet and it had done a terrible injustice.  If the fleet was not given the opportunity to undo the injustice, a new Captain of Captains could arise.  War and ruin could follow.  It has before.”

“When and where did you have your talk with Barad and Tanlin?” Kurin asked Mecat.

“In the eye of the storm, as the Grandalor rode it north.”

“Besides barring them from flight,” Kurin wanted to know, “what else happened during that talk?”

“I found out why the Lady Tanlin was so highly regarded by such a rough-cut crew.  That led me to give her a Dragon’s Gift.”

“What was the nature of the Gift, if you will tell us?” asked Kurin with high interest.

“Singularity of self, acceptance of loss, internal peace, an end to nightmares. She deserved no less,” said Blind Mecat quietly.  “She made many hard choices.  The Wide Wings, Skye and Thunderhead, got included in the Gift by accident.  That may have far reaching ecological consequences.  I urgently wish to find out.”

“I think that you will have that chance, Mecat,” said Kurin.

Turning to face the Court, Kurin paced as she talked.  “The incident with the Fauline is now closed and all the charge of piracy dealt with. We have the word of Dragons who were direct witnesses.  By the Tenth Great Law the facts as described by Captain Barad are incontestable.

“The matter of the poison plot has been exposed, not as the action of a whole ship, nor even of a large cadre, as it indeed did appear.  It was the work of a very limited circle.  It is probable that at least one murder, Master Selked’s apprentice, Merk, was committed solely to reduce the size of the circle even further.  Captain Barad, having changed his mind about the plot, tried energetically to prevent harm to me or any other.

“Mister Morgu and Silor Elon, who are being held prisoner aboard the Grandalor for Council trial, were the sole attackers.  On them alone lie the charges of murder, attempted murder and mutiny.

“As to the matter of unlawful flight, it was the Council itself that broke the Second Great Law.  The Grandalor had both a duty, now discharged, to seek proper justice and the necessity to preserve the lives of the innocent against the blatant injustice involved.

“Neither Barad nor Tanlin can be held accountable for the piratical attack by the Longin on the Grandalor.  I personally ordered the counter attack in defense of both the lives of the crew in my care and the ship itself, my sole property.  Effort and care were exercised to minimize the damage to the Longin while still putting her out of action.”

That revelation caused consternation among the Court and spectators.  A shocked Sula demanded, “You ordered the attack on your own ship?”

“The ship that I grew up on, yes,” said Kurin softly.  “And it was the hardest thing that I’ve ever done.  I had to, Sula.  These lives were in my hands.”  From her pile of notes, Kurin pulled out the book entitled ‘Grandalor Adoption Register.’  She handed it over, with the simple explanation, “I’ve confirmed the whole lot, personally.  There’s not one person on board, except for the two prisoners, who did not adopt in.  They did it after they knew what kind of trouble they were in.  Captain Barad had saved many of them and they were determined not to let him down in his need. Barad and Captain Tanlin have that loyalty from their entire crew.  Few Captains do.”

“I petition the Court to dismiss all current criminal charges and actions against the Grandalor, her crew, officers and Captains.  They acted as reasonable people.  Their assessment of the situation was proved accurate on all counts but one.

“They had no need to flee from the Honored Huld and the Soaring Bird.  He was seeking to enforce their rights and would have fought Sula herself if necessary to do so.”

This bombshell caused consternation among the audience.  The Great Sea Dragons were regarding each other and nodding their agreement.  It made sense of confusing reports from Iren’s Orcas.  Sula turned to Huld and said, “You said that we must pursue.  That’s part of the reason that I did.”

Huld thought for only moment before saying, “Indeed, necessary it was. Injustice obvious was.  Rights protected and enforced was need. Found them not.  Error found you for yourself and correction made without help.  Way of adult, not child.”

Sula turned to Kurin and asked, “How did you know?”

“I long ago asked him what Honored meant,” Kurin replied.  “If what he told me were true, and I believed him, then he could not act in any other way.”

Sarfin concentrated on the petition that accompanied the revelation.  He consulted Sula for a few minutes of whispered conference.  Both gestured and remonstrated, at the last asking, “Captain Farrol, do you have anything further to add to your case?”

“An hour ago, you could not have changed my mind about Barad or any from his ship.  Guilty, I would have said.  Since then, I have heard Dragons testify in Court.  I have heard things that make sense out of things that I have accepted without question.  We, the Court, still have much business to address.  The Grandalor case though, I concede. They are innocent of these charges.”

Sarfin stood and raised his hands for silence and got it.  “The decision of the Court in this matter is final and may not be appealed.  The Grandalor and her entire crew as represented in this document,” he held up the ‘Grandalor Adoption Registry’, and her Captain at the time of the charges, are innocent.

“I am not done.  Captain Barad shows many qualities that are, now that we understand them, admirable.  He has saved lives that would have been lost.  He is right.  We did not look into many matters as well as we ought to have.

“Unfortunately, that does not excuse the civil matter of the counterfeit scrip and many other infractions of conduct.  His Master’s Certificate is revoked.  In five Gatherings, he may petition the Council for reinstatement.  During the penalty, he may not hold any position of command.

“Captain Tanlin, subject to approval by the full Council at the next Gathering, is instated as Captain of the Grandalor.

“This trial is now over.”  He sat.

Kurin stood and held up her hands for recognition.

Captain Urson sarcastically said, “What, isn’t it enough that you got that load of scupper trash off?”

“No,” said Kurin with deceptive mildness, “it isn’t.”

Turning to Captain Sarfin she stated, “There are Council charges that must be brought against the Fauline.  As the owner of the Grandalor and her advocate before the Naral fleet, I am the proper person to bring these charges for the ship.  

“The Fauline dodged share tax.  She knowingly brought false capital charges against another ship. You have the Word of Dragons on those. She has willfully lied to the Council.  She could not have got to the Arrakan fleet and then to her Spring waters in the time that she had.

Kurin smiled slightly and added, “In addition, she has not yet filed the quitclaim on the Grandalor’s hull secured loan, as an integral part of her deception of the Council.  Until all the parchments are signed, the Grandalor, remains out of the Naral fleet and cannot legally collect what is due to her.  Thus, her loan reverts to the fleet and the Grandalor will cheerfully leave it with the fleet as partial payment of her fines.  That makes the entire 12,306 Skins, 209 blocks of arrears due for immediate payment.

“If they produce the quitclaim, the date will prove it to be false, because their Log will show them to be in Arrakan fleet waters at the time.  The loan will have to be paid up to current.  If the date is any other than what the Court has heard from the Great Sea Dragons, the entire document is void due to forgery and the loan must still be paid.

“However it falls out, Skua, by Naral fleet Law, must lose his Master’s Certificate for life because he willfully allowed his ship to become bankrupt.  Also by Law, the bankrupt vessel must be Scattered.”

Captain Urson slammed both hands down on the table and launched herself to her feet in a rage.  “You little Ord!  How can you do that to somebody like Captain Skua!  What did he ever do to you?”

Kurin looked at her as if she were a particularly noisome bit of offal. “To me personally, nothing.  To my fleet, he’s a liar, cheat and tax dodger.  To my friends, the Grandalor and her crew, he’s a scoundrel who doesn’t pay his debits, a rapist and an attempted murderer.  I try to take care of those that I like.”

Captain Urson was about to sit again when it hit her.  “What do you mean, rapist?” she asked uneasily.

Kurin once again spoke with that deceptive mildness that Captain Urson was now beginning to dread, “Captain Sarfin, I have a few parchments here that may be of interest.  These are fleet certified copies of unaltered Grinna Log entries.  They detail a trial held some Gatherings back.  You will find my copy of the same entries, for comparison, marked and highlighted for witness’ names and certain other information.”

She handed over another set of parchments with the explanation, “These are fleet certified, unaltered crew duty rosters for the time periods noted in the trial record, along with the whole Wohan before and after.  Please note that every crewman or woman in that whole time who is absented from duty for more than a few minutes is noted.

“A simple comparison of the witness list and the duty roster proves that this trial was never held at all.

“The charge was seduction in violation of the Marriage Laws, a potentially capital offense, if no ship will take in the one found guilty.

“Captain Macom, now deceased,  First Officer Skua Calin Grinna, Second Officer of the First Night Watch, Kotance Warn Grinna, Harpooner Miklot Moen Grinna, now dead from a Strong Skin attack, and one other conspired to the rape, attempted murder and denial of Great Law rights to one Darkistry Colm Grinna, now Darkistry Colm Grandalor.”

TO BE CONTINUED

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