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hirakdesherrani · 5 years ago

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EBSS 02/08/19:

Okay the dumbass factory plot made me give up the show for three weeks, but I switched back to watch yesterday’s episode, and whatever is wrong with the show right now, credit where its due, the writers got the messaging right yesterday.

Let me just say it straight up, even if Pooja had fooled and used Dhruv for a baser motive of acquiring the Mittal property and then dumped him, she would still not deserve what being abducted, starved, and almost getting murdered.

Pooja is a relatively grey character, but even if she was a dark/negative character, it would still be wrong.

[I know a lot of people feel that Dhruv’s character deteriorated to elevate Jabir’s love story, but i don’t think so. I always found Dhruv shady, and even when it turned out that he was not shady, I expected him to turn negative. Dhruv, a person who has been always overshadowed by his younger brother, trolled by his Dad, and then again, overshadowed by his fake wife, had a festering insecurity. Jahnvi’s betrayal was the final nail in the coffin, and all of his insecurity and ego issues overwhelmed him. But that’s not relevant to this post.]

Dhruv’s actions in this track, are comparable to those acid attack culprits. It comes from shitty male entitlement and male ego. The flashback of the ‘aukaat mein reh apni” scene was relevant here.

Dhruv was not so much hurt by Jahnvi’s betrayal, as much as he felt insulted that Pooja spoke the bare facts that he isn’t good enough for her, that she humiliated him, insulted his love.

Was Pooja wrong? Undoubtedly so. Her harming Junior Mittals (+Kavya/Aarush to an extent) cannot be justified in anyway.

But the point is, that she was wrong, what Dhruv did was criminal.

[ I remember when I was a kid, I had seen this movie called Dil (my parents had actually forbidden me to watch, but of course, the reverse effect was at play, if your parents tell you not to do something, you just have to do it). I couldn’t even get through half the film, because it was so disturbing. Madhuri’s character falsely accuses Amir’s character of sexual harassment, which was wrong no doubt, but instead of trying to clear his name, Amir’s character molests her to prove the repercussions of a false accusation. The movie had left me so traumatized, more so ‘cos I didn’t understand much of it at that time, but I knew that it was something grossly wrong.

Years later, I see the misogyny for what it was (and so does Amir ‘cos he mentioned this film in one of his shows, and how he regretted doing it now) ]

Anyways, coming back to the issue, if Dhruv had raged at Pooja, confronted her, even tried to defeat her in business (like Kabir is doing atm), it would have been justified, because he did not deserve being used like pawn in Pooja’s game, and suffer for the actions of his father.

But what Dhruv sought to do was punish her. His actions stemmed from male entitlement. How dare a woman ridicule him? How dare a woman reject him? How dare a woman dump him? It was his male ego, and not his heart which was hurt. And of course, the underlying psychological issues, he had no doubt since his childhood.

Kudos to the writers for making Pooja the victor of this debacle. Rarely do we see a woman not being shamed into accepting her mistake in rejecting/manipulating a man, in ITV (haven’t seen many shows, but I’m sure it might’ve happened in few other shows too). It was more so pronounced in this case, because Pooja is a grey character.

This is a message relayed right. That NOTHING justifies punishing a woman physically and/or harassing her, because a man was cuckolded or rejected or humiliated.

Its sad that not many people watch EBSS. Yeah, its not a great show, not by any means, esp. after revamp, but this short track had an important takeaway underlying it, which I feel is quite significant considering the plethora of misogynist and supernatural trash clogging ITV rn.

I just hope they don’t ruin it in future, and make Pooja rationalize and accept what Dhruv did to her as ‘she had it coming’ because she most certainly did not. Don’t disappoint me on this, show!

#ek bhram sarvagun sampanna #ebss #misogyny #male entitlement #my stuff

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undertakinggraveshift-blog · 6 years ago

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Law at Death’s Door Pt 1

@Law AR and PI will be having a meeting at Pendleton's Parlor, Death's funeral home. AR has extended the meeting to the rest of the law force so. Scene: Death's funeral home. Death: Perplexed and vaguely bewildered Tea: On Coffee: Also on

@dilldaydreamer @lawtula @lassofthelaw @cautionarylaw @dickshalfthesolution @fishprincessofthelaw @ectocrimefighter@redstringsandpidgeons ....I probably forgot a few I’m sorry 8′B

Mabs (PI/02)Today at 8:14 PM

You enter the parlor, pick up your cat who is already waiting for you, and proceed to beeline to the pile of pillows so that you may begin the slow suffocating death of comfort.

Percy (06/💀)Today at 8:21 PM

Death is skittering about, making the parlor people friendly. It's always people friendly, actually, but now it's got a whole lot of law around and Death cannot help but worry he might have a mobster-delivered body around. Oh god, don't somehow magically know about all the real unfortunate bodies buried in unmarked graves. Ahahaha. Anxiety isn't something unbeknownst to Death but lord is it at an all time high. However, he does know the danger is over for now... and things are hopefully settling down, for now, so it eases soon enough. For the officers who have come, a short hallway leads into a large room. Death leads those who come in into the kitchen connected. Nicely lit, with a kitchen table and awaiting chairs. Coffee is in the process of being made and a kettle is on the oven. Uh... snacks are... hm. He should probably make something but, he's only oh so fast and honestly his concerns are more on Pembrooke who went off into hiding for now.

pi3shark (Eridan/AD)Today at 8:25 PM

You drive yourself and Feferi to the parlor in a slightly damaged by yourself car. You are mostly silent during the entire ride, you have turned your phone off and by this point all you want and need is a break. You aren't quite sure if you want to actually go somewhere or you are looking from solace of this mess. You could do with something to de-stress. For now you park out of the Parlor. "Lets go in shall we."

Lissaloo (Ms. Paint/Feferi)Today at 8:28 PM

"Yes sir," you hop out of the car and wat for him by the door. You keep your own phone on, just incase something happens and Eridan needs you. Or Sol. You should check on him too. Another text is shot off. Hopefully your matesprit and friend will be fine.

Percy (06/💀)Today at 8:29 PM

The door is open and waiting, but Death pops up regardless, smiling and tapping his fingers together.

Mabs (PI/02)Today at 8:32 PM

Pembrooke is currently being suffocated by his cat and will make an appearance later once he realizes this is not going to work.(edited)

Resh (NB)Today at 8:33 PM

After making the arrangements for the royalty stay at the hospital, you make sure that all the officers on duty there are up to date. Soon, Amir is texting you with coordinates for a meeting. He doesn’t necessarily soon urgent, so you deem it appropriate to acquire healthy snacks and such for everyone. Heaven knows they probably forgot. You show up and walk through the door with a few bags of food and an expression of weariness, melted only at the sight of who you assumed was Elliot.

Percy (06/💀)Today at 8:36 PM

Death gives Nuavi a mental gold star for showing up with food. A blessed woman.

fuck this shit (01/AR)Today at 8:37 PM

@Homosexual Shark (05/JH/CD) [AR>JH: [COORDINATES REDACTED] AR: if you wanted that interview.

pi3shark (Eridan/AD)Today at 8:37 PM

"Hello, thanks for the invite." Ace walks in. "Nuavi, good to have ya here too. " OH FOOD, good lord you could eat a whale.

Homosexual Shark (05/JH/CD)Today at 8:38 PM

(JH>AR: RIGHT AWAY SIR over I WILL BE THERE IN 10 over)

Percy (06/💀)Today at 8:38 PM

"Not a problem." He motions down the hall, taking a step while offering to help Nuavi with the bags, jumping right into funeral director mode. "There's coat hangers if you would like to shrug them off. I'll have the doors locked behind you once everyone is here, not to worry. Follow me into the main room and we're settling in the kitchen."

Lissaloo (Ms. Paint/Feferi)Today at 8:39 PM

You enter as well, quiet which is abnormal for you, but you're in a mood and your worried. You go to stand out of the way, leaned against a wall and watch the people around you.

Percy (06/💀)Today at 8:40 PM

(Pokes Mabs into the RP-DMs first!)(edited)

Mabs (PI/02)Today at 8:42 PM

(woops! So much chats!)

Skippy (13/John)Today at 8:44 PM

When you arrive you see some of the others are already here. Oh yay, no awkward being early or last stuff, thank god. You walk up just as Death finishes speaking. "Hey. Officer Egbert reporting for the meeting." You shrug off your jacket and hang it on a coat hanger. "Don't worry, I come prank free." Not really, you have a joy-buzzer in your pocket but that's just because you forgot to take it out earlier. Still, you don't exactly plan on using it. This is serious so it's time to get into serious mode. You follow Death, giving a friendly wave towards Fef.

Percy (06/💀)Today at 8:46 PM

"You're a blessing, Officer Egbert." Death's lip tugs to the side, an amused smile. He leads them towards the kitchen, motioning to the seats if anyone so wished. "Officer Ra... mm, I'm using first names. Amir will be down shortly to speak with you all. I have coffee, and can make tea. Water, milk, and apple juice are options too. For tea there's-- well, I'm not sure how much everyone knows on tea, but feel free to use a descriptor and I'll surprise you I suppose ahaha. Floral, fruity, mint."

pi3shark (Eridan/AD)Today at 8:49 PM

"If you got one of those spicy teas I'm down for that." You are slightly peppier with the mention of possible nutrients. Ace needs nutrients. "If you need setting with anything I'll be glad to help." You say at Death as you are basically tail him around. Thats a way to put that you are nervous and hungry.

Resh (NB)Today at 8:51 PM

You nod at Ace with a smile and let Elliot help you with the bags as you follow the rest of the crowd over to the table. After setting down the snacks, you take everything out and just, dump it there. “F-f-“ You cough, casually, “Free for all sustenance here, if anyone would c-care to indulge.”(edited)

Homosexual Shark (05/JH/CD)Today at 8:51 PM

You had no idea if you were supposed to bring something, it was an interview so you thought colombian coffee package was a good gift, would that be considered bad? to bring a gift to your future boss?. You thought so but also you realize that the address wasn't the police station and so maybe this was a bit more personal, besides who makes interviews at this hours of the night. You drive yourself to the...parlor? what. You check the message twice to make sure this is the place. >knock on the door and wait.

Percy (06/💀)Today at 8:56 PM

Spicy, spicy, did he have spicy. Now that was an interesting one he didn't partake in often. Desth watches Ace play the nervous role, and he keeps the smile, brows knitted down. If the man wanted to get to work, he could do that. "Middle shelf, over there-" Death motions in the direction of the cabinet, "There's a number of mugs, cups, and what have you. Please bring enough to the table for everyone, if you could? Now do forgive me, some of you are new faces, and some are those I've only met online... I am Death, or Elliott, Amir might have introduced m-- ah..." Door knock. "One, one moment." He shifts to go answer that real quick.

HandyToday at 8:59 PM

Latula had kind of been privvy to what was going on, but just barely. She'd been outside when everything happened, doing the sk8ter gorl thing before everything went to shit. She spends a good long time marveling at the sight in the sky before the message sends her towards Death's. She kicks her board up into her arms and begins in a walk before approaching the dude waiting outside. He must be new! She stops right next to him and gives him a nudge with her shoulder. "Sup my dude. You here for the big sleepover?"

Percy (06/💀)Today at 9:02 PM

"Hello-- oh! Latula! And ah, a new face I see." He knew the troll thanks to Amir, he talked of her occasionally. The skateboard gave her away, and the well, everything else. "Do come in, Amir will be down shortly I'm sure."

pi3shark (Eridan/AD)Today at 9:02 PM

"alright." Ace follows the instructions as requested, he goes back and forth bringing all those dainty cups and mugs, this are particular of ... huh Elliot as he said. Its interesting. ACe raises an eyebrow, thats the first time you've seen that troll. Ace shoots a look at Feferi like trying to get an explanation before noticing that obviously not all trolls know eachother. Idiot.

Homosexual Shark (05/JH/CD)Today at 9:05 PM

"Ah- Jude! i'm Jude It's ah- very nice to meet you " Stretch your hand to salute then don't then again. Try again Jude "T-thanks - over". Don't trip on your own feet when you enter the place.You say on a corner like a god damn spider.

HandyToday at 9:10 PM

Latula giggles at the new guy, turning to beam brightly at the person she recognized as Elliot by description. "Thanks so much for hosting our lil' meeting! It's super awesome of you." She's sure to leave her board by the entrance before following them inside with a tip of her shades.

Percy (06/💀)Today at 9:11 PM

Death chuckles softly at the stumbling. "And I am Death. Pleasure- I think I've seen you about." He makes sure to lock the door behind them, before leading them to the kitchen with the others. "Make that too more cup if you could."

Lissaloo (Ms. Paint/Feferi)Today at 9:12 PM

You eye your phone for any messages, then seeing none, fetches the extra cup for Death.

Homosexual Shark (05/JH/CD)Today at 9:14 PM

"Death?...." DO NOT ASK WHY HIS NAME IS DEATH JUDE TAHT'S RUDE "You have? ah- I don't remember you but ah. It's good to meet new people"duck duck duck you follow as tense as a board

fuck this shit (01/AR)Today at 9:15 PM

AR, feeling very. Very tired. Lets the ducklings mingle while he finishes coffee cup number two, silently closing the door behind him as he returns downstairs. He picks out Elliott in the crowd, giving him as soft a look as he can manage. He cannot thank the man enough. What an excellent host.

Mabs (PI/02)Today at 9:16 PM

Pembrooke finally makes his entrance, holding the tiny potato of a cat in his hands. Bastet immediately wiggles free, new people meant new pets. As she beelines for the one that smells a wee bit fishy, Pembrooke zombies his way to the coffee.

Homosexual Shark (05/JH/CD)Today at 9:18 PM

Jude is separated from the crowd holding the coffee hoping somebody would take it.

Lissaloo (Ms. Paint/Feferi)Today at 9:18 PM

Feferi, seeing the cat, kneels and pets like crazy. Nothing like a soft creature to help sooth one's mind

Percy (06/💀)Today at 9:19 PM

"Apologies for that. The door is locked by the by, to let everyone know. I assume there may be others coming, I'll handle that as you all get comfortable." Death offered a hand towards the coffee with a soft inquiry? If given, he'll take that up and incorporate it into the coffee going on. After, Death moved to the tea cupboard, rummaging before finding a spicy chai for Ace. "Introductions, as I was trying to go for, to help me familiarize." He spots Amir and Pembrooke, perking some, but in the process and not about to break it even if he wants to.

fuck this shit (01/AR)Today at 9:28 PM

Zombieing for coffee is the exact verbage applicable. AR steps into the kitchen silently, maneuvering around the crowd of officers, and interrupts Elliott's tea process, looping his free arm around the man's chest to hug him from behind. He needs to convey his gratitude just as much as he needs the scent of chamomile to calm him. He stays like that a bit too long, sluggish from the days events. He breaks the hug with a soft peck and whispered 'thank you' to the side of Elliott's hair. Fuck it. He's too tired to pretend. He proceeds to move past him, settling in front of the counter. The dersite leans for a long moment, looking over the gathered crowd. He assumes they are waiting for him to speak. Hm. ...... A long sigh. A turn behind him to pour another cup of black coffee. And a returns to face his team. "Good evening."

Percy (06/💀)Today at 9:30 PM

Death dies.

fuck this shit (01/AR)Today at 9:30 PM

.......................... He proceeds to quietly, slowly, drink the entire cup of coffee in one go. A fourth is poured. "Let us start with a debriefing."

Homosexual Shark (05/JH/CD)Today at 9:31 PM

Jude looks very confused. Why is he in such an important meeting.

Resh (NB)Today at 9:32 PM

Nuavi gets comfortable leaning against one of the walls with a bag of dried fruit. This was her first meeting with Amir, so she was almost excited to see how much of his character she had guessed right.

Percy (06/💀)Today at 9:34 PM

Death's entire momentum is thrown off and he's not sure what to do at this point. Okay so. He was making... a thing. What was he making. Oh, the thing is in hand. Chai tea. ...How make tea. Oh fuck, he didn't say thank yo-- er, you're welcome. You're welcome is what you say to thank you. A noise is made. It's probably a 'You're welcome', and Death then goes back to making the tea for Ace.

pi3shark (Eridan/AD)Today at 9:39 PM

Well thats a thing. Ace just kinda takes a seat.

fuck this shit (01/AR)Today at 9:41 PM

The coffee. It does nothing. "Earlier today, as many of you witnessed..." He pinches the bridge of his nose. "Many of you witnessed, our very own white queen had been located, followed by an outburst from the white king, who made arrangements with Snowman of the felt to make an exchange for the queen, completely disregarding proceedings of the law, and if I am being frank, embarrassed our outfit as a whole." He observes particularly the prospitians, making note of their reactions. "I brought you here, and not to the precinct, because I wanted to address you without....the royals. I am surprised to see most all of you. Though will admit I do not know half of you."

Homosexual Shark (05/JH/CD)Today at 9:42 PM

Jude is even more confused, also , take notes.

Resh (NB)Today at 9:43 PM

As soon as the outburst is mentioned, Nuavi seems to shrink in on herself. Disappointed and visibly ashamed of how the king had acted towards the situation and everyone involved.

Percy (06/💀)Today at 9:45 PM

A hot cup is placed near Ace, murmuring a quiet, 'Be careful, it's hot' as to not interrupt Amir's speech. He makes sure to set the pot of coffee on the table on a cozy to keep it from damaging the table, along with a pitcher of water. Everyone could pick from the finger foods and drinks while they listened during the meeting before Death went off to park himself next to Pembrooke.

Skippy (13/John)Today at 9:45 PM

John leans back in his chair and resists his usual habit of propping his legs up on the table. Don't forget your table manors Johnny boy.

fuck this shit (01/AR)Today at 9:47 PM

"We have taken a blow tonight. The law as it stands now is just a puppet of prospit's 'missionary' services. The media knows we answer to the dime of thugs. There is nothing we can do if we do not work together." "I want to start with your names. I need to know you. You need to know each other. Consider this a team building exercise." John is picked out of the crowd for those rude table manners. "Egbert. Proceed. State your name and rank and where you are from."

Percy (06/💀)Today at 9:48 PM

Death gives Amir a double thumbs up!!

pi3shark (Eridan/AD)Today at 9:52 PM

Ace whispers a 'thank you' back to Death before sipping onto the tea. It is hot in all ways possible, you love it.

Skippy (13/John)Today at 9:54 PM

John perks up when he's called upon and then grins wide. "John Egbert. I'm a standard patrol officer. I was born and raised on Earth, till Dad and I moved to Derse a few years ago."

fuck this shit (01/AR)Today at 9:55 PM

"Next.""Which of you was briefing me earlier on the computer."

Percy (06/💀)Today at 10:01 PM

Death was about to point someone out to help people choose since... in a large room, and telling everyone to make their own line, generally ended in disaster. Understandable for Rashid to make that hiccup- or any of them. It's been a night. Amir continues though and Death hesitates briefly, side eying Pembrooke before looking around the kitchen. "Ace, would you like to go?" Death looks to the man, knowing him well enough. It was easy to make guesses for some of them when he put two and two together with how they behaved online and how they behaved face to face.@pi3shark (Eridan/AD)

fuck this shit (01/AR)Today at 10:03 PM

"Shit." Amir rubs his hand over his face. "Scratch that, I do not need your ranks. Those are on paper. State your name. Where you are coming from. And why you joined the law."(edited)

Homosexual Shark (05/JH/CD)Today at 10:05 PM

Oh no this makes Jude sweat even more. he haven't yet.

pi3shark (Eridan/AD)Today at 10:12 PM

"Sure why not." Ace gets up and leaves his tea on the table. "Name is Ace Dick... Bullock." Besides WQ and PS no one knew that little extra tibit. "I'm form prospit and huh....I just wanted to make things right you know. Its cheesy as heck but I was made to be the Enforcer what a better way to enforce an protect my huh... citizens than being a cop. Make them follow the law, all of the laws make this place safe. So when the offer and eventual move happened I got here late I figured this was going to be the hardest thing any of us ever had done... and intuition was right. And after the archagent got fuckin stabbed it got reafirmed on what i wanted to do, thats about it. I will protect everyone who deserves to be, thats what I am."

Percy (06/💀)Today at 10:15 PM

Death nodded. "A noble wish if I ever heard one. Thank you, Ace. You do a wonderful job. ... Nuavi?" Death picked her up quick, catching that controlled stutter when she spoke. @Resh (NB)Death also sounded a little unsure. New-ah-vee? He looks apologetic. Sorry.

fuck this shit (01/AR)Today at 10:23 PM

"You did not have to stand up." He mutters, but Ron Swanson nods at Ace. Good answer.(edited)

Resh (NB)Today at 10:36 PM

Nuavi perks up at the mention of her name, mid fruit grab, and slides off her spot on the wall. She was already standing, so Amir’s correction wasn’t of much use to her. After nodding at Elliot’s correct pronunciation of her name, she speaks. “Greet-tings. My name is Nuavi Bakul, agent of Prospit and servant of the innocent. I joined the law bec-c-cause I knew that I could do it better then the fools that kept being assigned to it. Up t-to that point, every time I had seen an officer do their duty, they did it sloppily. Simple, obvious steps were skipped, and I couldn’t bare t-to see that kind of incompetence within a profession that demanded perfection.” She looks miffed, angered by something, or maybe someone? “That’s why, when I was asked t-to come here by my Queen, to make a difference in a place that needed it more the prospit could ever c-care to have, well, it’s no wonder I couldn’t t-turn her down.”

fuck this shit (01/AR)Today at 10:37 PM

"Do you want to do this job well to protect people."

Resh (NB)Today at 10:39 PM

She gives him a surprised look of disbelief. “Of course! Why else would I w-want to do this job?”

fuck this shit (01/AR)Today at 10:42 PM

"How is your coding handling this." He has never beat around a bush in his life, addressing both NB and AD. "I ask to all whiteshells. I do not know if there are more here."

Resh (NB)Today at 10:52 PM

Nuavi raises a brow, not suspicious, just curious. There is a very dull and aching pain that hums throughout her nerves, but that’s just because she’s had years to perfect her ability in dulling the sensations she gets through her connection to the Queen. “It’s fine. I c-can control what I receive from it. Granted, as long as long as the Queen doesn’t wish t-to override my commands. Which has only ever happened near t-two or three times over the many years I’ve worked with her, ergo, it-t’s not an issue.”

pi3shark (Eridan/AD)Today at 10:58 PM

"Aside form the obvious stress nothing too particularly bad. A headache that is gone was the worst part of it. Even during overrides I can work around it, I've had to train to not let emotions take me over since everything is at 200% all the time so it aint that complicate to flush all extra things out. Also an emotional cop is not a fuckin' good idea."

Percy (06/💀)Today at 10:59 PM

Also Death gives Nuavi two thumbs up for her part. That was wonderful, I'm so proud.

Resh (NB)Today at 11:00 PM

Nuavi’s trying her best not to show it, but, at Elliot’s silent encouragement, she’s immediately filled with pride.

fuck this shit (01/AR)Today at 11:01 PM

Nods at those two. Will go with coding workarounds later. "Egbert clone. Who are you."

Percy (06/💀)Today at 11:01 PM

Death clears his throat lightly, "Possible family member, humans don't have clones."

fuck this shit (01/AR)Today at 11:02 PM

"Oh."

Homosexual Shark (05/JH/CD)Today at 11:02 PM

Jude just look all around see if anybody reacts to the call then points at himself.

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i-breathe-therefore-i-read · 7 years ago

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Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard Series by Rick Riordan

Magnus Chase has always been a troubled kid. Since his mother’s mysterious death, he’s lived alone on the streets of Boston, surviving by his wits, keeping one step ahead of the police and the truant officers. One day, he’s tracked down by a man he’s never met—a man his mother claimed was dangerous. The man tells him an impossible secret: Magnus is the son of a Norse god. The Viking myths are true. The gods of Asgard are preparing for war. Trolls, giants and worse monsters are stirring for doomsday. To prevent Ragnarok, Magnus must search the Nine Worlds for a weapon that has been lost for thousands of years. When an attack by fire giants forces him to choose between his own safety and the lives of hundreds of innocents, Magnus makes a fatal decision. Sometimes, the only way to start a new life is to die . . .

*What I thought: 5 out of 5 stars

read: 01/18

This was just as good as the books with Percy Jackson in it. Magnus is a great character. He has the sass but not as much and the jokes, were the best. I laughed a good bit with his dialog. His life was a crappy one. It only seemed to get better after the “incident.”

Hearth, Blitz, Samirah, and even Jack was the best. They make a good group. Each very different but yet they work out the best. His hall mates were cool but I wished they were in it more.

I don’t know much about Norse mythology but what I watch on Vikings (lol) but I like the different funny way RR talks about them.

Annabeth made a small appearance! Yay, that made me happy. I like how they were related. I was trying to figure out how when I first heard about this book happening.

Uh Jack was freaking funny. I’m still laugh about it when I think about it. It’s so weird but yet so appropriate.

Loved this and can’t wait to read the rest of the series.

Thor's hammer is missing again. The thunder god has a disturbing habit of misplacing his weapon--the mightiest force in the Nine Worlds. But this time the hammer isn't just lost, it has fallen into enemy hands. If Magnus Chase and his friends can't retrieve the hammer quickly, the mortal worlds will be defenseless against an onslaught of giants. Ragnarok will begin. The Nine Worlds will burn. Unfortunately, the only person who can broker a deal for the hammer's return is the gods' worst enemy, Loki--and the price he wants is very high.

*What I thought: 4.5 out of 5 stars

read: 02/18

Magnus is still the best. Humor is still spot on.

I was happy that Alex was in the book. We need more characters like Alex. Alex was rude at first but it was because of reasons; questions to where loyalties lie, who she/he (depending and Alex let them know which) was and having to explain.

I want to try falafel because how much it was mentioned. It made me hungry every time.

Hearth and Blitz give me life. Such great added family.

Sam is a badass and I loved that she didn’t do things that went against what she believed. And Amir is coming to terms which is amazing itself.

Thor’s goats were too much. Not bad too much but way funny too much.

I love what they did to get Thor’s hammer. So much crazy adventures.

More gods appear and they personalities are just as funny and great as the others.

I wanted to see more of Annabeth but I have a feeling that there will be more of her and maybe Percy in the next one!

Magnus Chase, a once-homeless teen, is a resident of the Hotel Valhalla and one of Odin's chosen warriors. As the son of Frey, the god of summer, fertility, and health, Magnus isn't naturally inclined to fighting. But he has strong and steadfast friends, including Hearthstone the elf, Blitzen the dwarf, and Samirah the Valkyrie, and together they have achieved brave deeds, such as defeating Fenris Wolf and battling giants for Thor's hammer, Mjolnir. Now Magnus and his crew must sail to the farthest borders of Jotunheim and Niflheim in pursuit of Asgard's greatest threat. Will they succeed in their perilous journey, or is Ragnarok lurking on the horizon?

*What I thought: 5 out of 5 stars

read: 02/18-03/18

Omg I about died...well not really. The very start reading it, I laughed hard and choked on my spit. lol Love the humor in these books.

Yay Annabeth and Percy

Jack’s weird with hitting on other weaponry lol. Found out the gender of Percy’s sword was very interesting.

I like that his friends on floor 19 was more in it. It was about time! The people in other books always got a smorgasbord of friends helping but not Magnus....it could be he has a small group that is just as awesome as a whole group? That’s probably it but glad that all of his friends helped.

His quests are always amusing. Like how can you get such bad luck getting into those situations? lol

Finally the kiss I’ve been waiting for!

Love how diverse all the characters are.

I loved the moment he brought Loki down. That was such a great moment. It made my heart explode with happiness on what Magnus said.

I thought it ended great. Love RR books.

#Magnus chase and the gods of asgard series #my bookish thoughts #the sword of summer #the hammer of thor #the ship of the dead

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anxiousdemifaemess · 5 years ago

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The prophecy they are following was old when their father's grandfather was born, and no emissary or stranger had picked a seventh-seventh in all those years. Their family had never tried to fill it, but Zayne and Amir's grandmother had wanted a large family, and so she had one. Their father had not meant to have twelve children, but Brynn and Kendrick's mother Lynna had passed after giving birth to the triplets, their father had married Tara, who already had Sarah, Diana and Sammy-or-Sandy. The rest of them had each been accidental, but welcomed.

Zayne had grown up hearing about the prophecy, how worried his mother was, how maybe it would pass them for an unbroken line of sons. And yet Zayne had also grown up dreaming of the prophecy, of fulfilling it. And he had always seen Amir in those dreams, always together. A child's dreams, he had assumed and dismissed. Except. Except a child's dreams do not show an exact happening years in advance. Except he is no longer a child and he still has these dreams.

The emissary, who they still call Stranger, had looked at Zayne when he stood next to the newly named Amir and just. Shrugged. After a week passed on the road, and Zayne had dreams. A fork in the road, and their party turned left. They turned left, and came out with three less people, scars, and a missing eye. Or they turned right, and no one died, no eyes were lost, and the only scars were cooking accidents. Or they would take another route- or make a wrong turn- or stay an extra day somewhere- and any one thing would tip that balance of safety and death.

He would tell Amir, late at night, after waking from dreams that felt more like nightmares, of how if they got delayed in the next town instead of this one that half their party would be caught by bandits, or trolls. How if they took a wrong turn by a road with lavender and bluebells they would make powerful allies. How if they didn't make that wrong turn those allies would not care about them, and how that would doom them mere days before the quest was completed.

How his head feels full with possibilities and knowledge, how the pressure of it feels as though it will shatter his mind sometimes. He wishes he were able to send letters, or use that communication spell the wizard knows, just to talk to Brynn. Brynn, he thinks, would know what to do. Because it's been getting worse than he's told Amir, because he isnt just Seeing while he's asleep anymore.

It is never much, not right now. It's just that sometimes, he glances someone from the corner of his eye and everything they could ever do is stretched before him. Sometimes, he looks someone in the eye and knows all that could have been, all that will be, and all that was. And he remembers his mother's tales, of her druidic cousins, of her prophet ancestor, of how she is the seventh daughter from an unbroken line of the seventh daughter from an unbroken line. He remembers his mother's small magics, remembers the big ones too.

He remembers Aunt Kate, who clawed her own eyes out and died of infection months later.

He thinks he knows how she felt. He has woken up from dreams that leave him screaming his throat raw. He has Seen people who will do terrible or great things. He has Seen a child who would either die young or grow to be a killer.

He wishes he did not have eyes to See with. He tells Amir, and in the next town, there is a hood and blindfold tucked among his things.

Stranger, he knows, sees him come out with eyes covered and hood up, because he says the first thing directly to him since the day they left.

"I knew you would come around, Little Seer."

There’s a prophecy going around about “the seventh son of the seventh son”. So, of course, in the entire country, all seventh son of a seventh son are sure it’s about them, and they train for the quest. And one day, at the house of a seventh son, there’s a knock and, this is it right? The seventh son of the seventh son is ready, bag packed, head high… Until the emissary passes right in front of him, going up to one of his siblings. The one born just before Bryan. Long hair, pretty dress, sitting in the corner, not looking at anyone, nammed “Amelia”. And the emissary just looks at the child, and says “The seventh son of the seventh son”.

#my writing #writing prompt #sometimes #i do one of these and thats that #OTHER times #my brain latches the fuck on and doesnt let go #also #i know i changed his name #i just realized #but im attached to him being zayne now #so im pretending he wasnt named in the prompt

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gibsongirlselections · 4 years ago

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Another MEK Sock-Puppet? Conservatives Should Care About Pro-War Disinformation

There is at least one more foreign policy opinion writer from the Mujahideen-eKhalq (MEK) whose existence is dubious, based on a study by a social media analyst and statements from a defector from the group. Amir Basiri, who contributed to Forbes 9 times, the Washington Examiner 52 times, OpenDemocracy, Algemeiner, and The Hill once also appears to be a fabrication.

The MEK is an Iranian exile group for which John Bolton, Rudy Giuliani, and other foreign policy luminaries have given paid speeches. Dems like Joe Lieberman and Howard Dean have also spoken on their behalf. But the group has American blood on its hands, has been accused of practicing forced sterilization, and their belief system has been described as a mixture of Marxism and Islamism. Its supporters claim they, and their front group the National Council of Resistance of Iran, are a sort of government-in-exile, despite nearly nonexistent support for the group within Iran. They also have waged a substantial disinformation campaign in the Western press, in particular targeting conservative media.

“Amir Basiri and Heshmat Alavi are two fake accounts,” Hassan Heyrani, an MEK defector told TAC. “At Camp Liberty, near the BIAP airport in Iraq, I was in the political unit of the organization with some of the persons who grew up in America and Canada. We worked as a team to write the articles analyzing the Iranian regime. The MEK put them in The Washington Post and all the newspapers in Western countries.”

Basiri’s op-eds focus on the need for regime change in Iran which he claimed is “within reach.” The thrust of Basiri’s writing – last placed at the Examiner in October of 2018 – is to encourage American readers to take an interest and sympathize with the plight of Iranian protesters and dissidents. Basiri consistently argued against the Iran nuclear deal, downplayed terrorism against Iran, called for tougher sanctions as a method of regime change and highlighted the necessity of Trump working with the Iranian opposition.

“We are currently looking into the matter, so I won’t comment on this specific byline,” Philip Klein, Executive Editor and Commentary Editor of the Washington Examiner told TAC. “But I will say that we have recently instituted more rigorous vetting of outside contributors, including but not limited to asking for photo identification if necessary. We are especially on guard when it comes to unsolicited foreign policy commentary.”

A request for comment from OpenDemocracy, a site greatly concerned about disinformation campaigns, has not been returned as of press time. Basiri’s articles on Forbes are no longer online.

The list of MEK disinformation tactics also includes fake online since-deleted sites such as PersiaNow and ArabEye and questionable sites such as Iran Focus whose domain was formerly registered under the name of an NCRI spokesperson and is now anonymously held.

MEK’s recent influence campaign on Facebook spearheaded by the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) was recently reported on last year by Lachlan Markey at the Daily Beast. Markey explained how NCRI lobbyist Soheila Aligholi Mayelzadeh has helped place paid ads on Facebook reaching between 500,000 to 1.4 million users as part of the campaign to sway US public opinion in favor of MEK and intervention in Iran.

The list of outright fakes recently in the realm of foreign policy analysis is significant: there is the apparent Emirati fabrication Raphael Badani to MEK sock puppet Alavi, first revealed by The Intercept, to deepfake non-existent anti-Palestinian activist Oliver Taylor, whose work was placed at highly-respected publications in the United States and Israel.

As Adam Rawnsley wrote for the Daily Beast, “Badani is part of a network of at least 19 fake personas that has spent the past year placing more than 90 opinion pieces in 46 different publications. The articles heaped praise on the United Arab Emirates and advocated for a tougher approach to Qatar, Turkey, Iran and its proxy groups in Iraq and Lebanon.”

Geoff Golberg is the founder of Social Forensics, which tracks and monitors online social media networks and disinformation campaigns. Golberg’s run-in and exposure of various pro-MEK personas, sock puppets and boosters came just prior to his Twitter suspension in July of 2019, the official reason for which was calling an account he believed to be fake and interfering in Canada’s elections a “moron.”

“Rather than suspending accounts that blatantly violate Twitter Rules, Dorsey instead opted to silence my voice. Specific to Iranian-focused platform manipulation, along with The Intercept, I helped out ‘Heshmat Alavi’ as a sockpuppet propaganda operation run by the MEK. Remarkably, despite initially suspending the fake account, ‘Heshmat Alavi’ has been reinstated by Twitter and continues to disseminate propaganda,” Golberg said, adding that Basiri – whose account is currently suspended by Twitter – is another fake persona which has been on his radar for some time. He produced the following graphic demonstrating the interconnectedness of the two accounts:

Golberg said he knows little of geopolitics or political aspects and was led to investigate sock puppet accounts fomenting war with Iran because he noticed many oddities about their networks, followers and tweeting patterns. His further research and analysis led him down a rabbit hole of connections and resulted in death threats, mass reporting of his account and accusations that he sympathized with the Ayatollah’s regime.

Rather than the hype over Russian bots, the real danger on platforms like Twitter is fake accounts and troll farm accounts which amplify hashtags, spread lies and bolster the desired propaganda of their paymaster, Golberg says.

“Despite media coverage that tends to focus on ‘bots,’ which simply means fully-automated accounts, Twitter’s much larger problem is actually fake accounts. There are more than 100K fake accounts that exist solely to create the illusion of widespread sentiment that the US should go to war with Iran,” Golberg told TAC, adding, “Take ‘Sheldon,’ @patrick_jane77, for example, an account that reflects having nearly 120K Followers. Very few of the account’s Followers are authentic accounts, yet given Twitter refuses to enforce their own rules, it is easy to mistake “Sheldon” for being a popular account. Twitter’s entire platform is propped up by misleading or inflated Followers/Following counts. Twitter’s CEO, Jack Dorsey, has built a house of cards and continues to commit ad fraud at a massive scale.”

Golberg sued Twitter earlier this year, alleging that the platform engaged in “deceptive practices” and hasn’t stood by its own terms of service.

Accusations from MEK supporter Hanif Jazayeri that The American Conservative itself and senior editor Daniel Larison act as a mouthpiece for the mullahs are part of a broader campaign aimed at maligning the reputation and integrity of anyone who opposes regime change in Iran. Tweets calling for investigations of TAC also came from noted MEK sock puppet Alavi, MEK spokesman Shahin Gobadi and NCRI’s Ali Safavi.

A barrage of accounts retweeted Jazayeri’s accusations, many with only a few followers and which solely tweet boosting the MEK and supporting regime change in Iran.

It’s worth noting that Amir Basiri was following Heshmat Alavi prior to his suspension, as were others closely connected to the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies such as Jerusalem Post Iran hawk Seth Frantzman, @sfrantzman, Jazayeri and a number of other pro-MEK shills. It is a hall of mirrors amplifying the case for war with Iran, and the ad money from NCRI and pro-MEK accounts seems to have dampened Twitter’s desire to crack down. A request for comment from Twitter was not returned as of press time.

As a matter of journalistic ethics any organization engaging in systematic dishonesty like this has provided a very good reason to blacklist them. Failing to do so will encourage other foreign interests to do the same in the future, so conservative publishers should decline all content and interviews from the MEK in the future. This is not a matter of foreign policy differences: if you wish to see the U.S. pursue regime change in Iran, the MEK does not help make that case. Any publishers or think tanks who are aware of this dishonesty and still treat them like a legitimate opposition group should be considered part of a campaign not wholly different from the last time we were lied into a Mideast war.

Arthur Bloom is the managing editor of TAC.

Paul Brian is a freelance journalist. He has reported for the BBC, Reuters, and Foreign Policy, and contributed to The Week, The Federalist, and others. You can follow him on Twitter @paulrbrian or visit his website www.paulrbrian.com.

Arthur Bloom is editor of The American Conservative online.

The post Another MEK Sock-Puppet? Conservatives Should Care About Pro-War Disinformation appeared first on The American Conservative.

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flauntpage · 6 years ago

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Jimmy Buckets – Observations from Sixers 113, Jazz 107

Jimmy Butler’s home debut did not disappoint.

Hell of a game last night, featuring a jacked-up crowd, big buckets from both squads, and a nice 4th quarter turnaround for your team, your town, your 76ers.

It looked like they were headed for another disappointing collapse after opening with a 14-point 1st quarter lead, but Brett Brown’s team executed when it mattered, going on a 8-2 run over the final two minutes to claim a six-point win.

Jimmy Butler scored on a key sideline out of bounds play to put the game away. Ben Simmons, who did not have his best night, got a tough bucket at the rim just one possession prior.

Let’s start with that, because there was a point in the third quarter where Simmons had a line of 6 points, 6 rebounds, and 6 assists, aka 666, the number of the beast. He’s been a little slow to figure out how to connect the dots as the point guard with Butler now in the starting lineup.

Simmons turned the ball over at the 1:45 mark in the 4th quarter with a lazy pass as Ricky Rubio overplayed a JJ Redick dribble-handoff. Jae Crowder was able to get a layup to fall on the other end to put the Jazz up two. Rubio tried the same overplay on the next possession, but fouled Redick and the Sixers tied the game on a pair of foul shots.

Even after the sloppy execution, Brown showed trust by going to Simmons again on the very next possession, bringing Redick off the baseline as a screener and resulting in this:

Ben Simmons hitting a clutch shot over Donovan Mitchell? You can’t write a more fitting script.

The Sixers came back down the floor and tried the very same set on the next possession, that sort of inverted pick and roll with Redick setting the screen, and Utah was able to knock the ball out of bounds.

That setup a sideline out of bounds play where Simmons was able to find Butler at the rack for the basket that would put the game away:

Just great stuff there, a bang-bang play for a guy who had only been with the team for 72 hours. You can see Embiid doesn’t screen for Butler but comes across the arc towards Redick instead.

Here’s what Ben Simmons said about his connection with Butler on that play:

“He knows how to play the game at a high level, his IQ is very high. He’s the kind of guy where, the inbounds play where I threw it to him, that was going to happen before I even threw it, just because I looked at him. Some guys you can just look at and you already know what’s going to happen before it happens.”

Great quote. Here’s Butler on the same play:

“I tell him before every game, I think I’m a wide receiver. So if you throw the ball up in the air, I’ll probably Antonio Brown it. Except I won’t take off running with the ball cause it’s a travel. But I’ll definitely catch it and he gave me one of those (looks) and put the ball in there.”

Nice to see chemistry between two guys playing just their second game together.

Butler finished with a team-high 28 points while adding 7 rebounds and 3 assists. He shot an incredible 80% on the evening, hitting 12 of 15 field goals and 2 of 3 three pointers. He was 2 for 5 from the foul line.

He looked more assertive out there, for sure, and Brett Brown said he could have even tried more shots.

“I actually thought he could’ve, if he chose too, shot about seven or six more shots,” the head coach said. “You know, we put him in some stuff and you could see, like he’s trying to walk that line of taking control and being proactive versus passing the ball and getting other people involved. I can only imagine the interesting dynamic he feels coming to Philadelphia and playing in front of a Philadelphia crowd for the first time.”

Yep, they did “put him in some stuff.” They tried that three-man flare and double screen again, which was used in Orlando on Wednesday. They used him in an “elbow” look with Amir Johnson before halftime, which is the bread and butter Redick and Joel Embiid handoff play. They got him on the SLOB bucket at the end of the game.

It was a message Butler heard from his new head coach:

“I came out gunning, I can tell you that. They just told me to be me. Coach Brown called me last night, like, ‘Hey, I remember one time you were in this building and you scored 50,’ and he was like, ‘Do that.’ I was like, ‘OK.’ Then when we got in the little walkthrough this morning, he was like, ‘You remember what I told you?’ I go, ‘Yep.’ ‘Do that.’ And I was like, ‘OK.’ So I came out a little more aggressive.”

High-quality home debut from Jimmy Butler. That’s why you made the trade for him, for big buckets against good teams.

Markelle’s new form

Playing his second-consecutive game as the second unit point guard, Markelle Fultz finished with six points, three rebounds, and two assists in about 15 minutes of play.

He nailed a smooth-looking foul line jumper to start things off, and when he got to the foul line for the first time, we saw a new routine:

Fultz doing his little shimmy….it drives the ladies wild here in Philadelphia! pic.twitter.com/Up41iQuKFv

— CogginToboggan (@CogginToboggan) November 17, 2018

That shot went in. The next one didn’t.

He hit two of four free throws on the night and it still looks like he’s really over-thinking his mechanics when he gets there.

The hot potato routine looks funky, and Crowder gave a reaction that I think a lot of us in the crowd gave:

Jae Crowder trolling Fultz’s new free throw routine. pic.twitter.com/Nwqs93Xwe7

— House of Highlights (@HoHighlights) November 17, 2018

Markelle also had a couple of “big boy” moments with Donovan Mitchell getting up in his grill in the early part of the second quarter. There was a touch of shakiness there, but I didn’t think he looked overmatched or out of his depth, I think Mitchell just did a nice job of disrupting the offensive flow with some aggressive perimeter play against Fultz. It reminded me of the first game of last season, when Patrick Beverly was playing super-tight on Lonzo Ball as a “Welcome to the NBA” type of thing.

We’ll see if Markelle gets to the line tonight and does the same thing with his shot.

Joel’s hand and minutes

23 and 7 for Joel last night in just 26 minutes of play.

He was sidelined for the entirety of the third quarter due to foul trouble and also banged his hand again, the same one was giving him issues during the early part of last season. After the game, he said the hand was swollen but affirmed he would play tonight in Charlotte.

“It goes back to the game against the Suns last year in Phoenix,” Embiid said. “I dealt with that, but it’s been on and off. But we take care of it, I get treatment every day to make sure that the swelling (doesn’t) come back. But at the beginning of the game today, it was pretty bad, especially for the rest of the game.”

Hmm, really? That was a long time ago.. How could he still be dealing with a hand issue that first popped up 11 months ago?

Anyway, here’s Brett Brown’s thinking on keeping Embiid out the entirety of the third quarter:

“It comes with pain, I will tell you that. I have learned that you’re not going to lose a game in the third period, I don’t believe. If the game starts to sail out, I can revisit it. My intention the whole period was I hope I can sit him the whole period. We talked about (him) maybe coming in toward the end of the third, and I think it’s overrated. I think if he gets a quick foul, I’m back to where I started so we just needed to buy time.”

I can understand that. The other side of the coin is trusting your guy to play a disciplined game and keep himself out of trouble. Embiid took a technical after arguing a call earlier in the game, so maybe Brown was thinking that it was just safer to keep Joel on the bench until he really needed him.

Other notes:

There was a basket interference call in the first half that drew intense boos and a wild reaction from Brett Brown. The ball is not sitting on the rim in this still shot:

Furkan Korkmaz was the victim of a horrible foul call in the 1st quarter, when he basically just put his arms straight up in the air and got whistled anyway. It was a ghastly call.

Amir Johnson made two three pointers last night and finished with 11 and 5, but he was still a -12 on the night. Mike Muscala went for 9 and 4 and was a -7. I still feel like backup big is an issue on this team, and the lineups with both of those guys on the floor seem to have trouble scoring the basketball.

The Sixers only shot 62.5% from the foul line last night. They really could have helped themselves by getting that number up. They are hitting at 77% this season, so last night was a pretty dreadful performance in that department.

And last, but not least, Jimmy taking a shot at Andrew Wiggins and Karl-Anthony Towns in his post game interview with Serena Winters:

Jimmy G Buckets never misses a chance to take a shot pic.twitter.com/sWdNHvaZlZ

— The Crossover (@TheCrossover) November 17, 2018

Enjoy your weekend.

The post Jimmy Buckets – Observations from Sixers 113, Jazz 107 appeared first on Crossing Broad.

Jimmy Buckets – Observations from Sixers 113, Jazz 107 published first on https://footballhighlightseurope.tumblr.com/

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pauldeckerus · 6 years ago

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Social Media is Ruining Photography

In the U.S. and most industrialized nations, we have a collective infatuation with technology but a poor understanding of its effects – both intended and unintended. We love asking Siri to play our favorite song, but don’t fully consider the privacy implications of allowing the device to persistently listen to us.

We love the convenience of smartphones, so much so that we’re willing to engage in destructive behavior like texting while driving. And we love the connectedness of social media but are virtually powerless to the dopamine-dependent culture of likes and comments.

At this year’s Photo Plus Expo, I had the opportunity to participate in a panel discussion along with Adriana Teresa Letorney (CEO and Founder of Visura), photographer Dusty Wooddell, photographer Rhynna Santos, and moderator Greg Scoblete of PDN to discuss the role and value of social media in photography, and it sparked a lot of competing thoughts.

Is social media ruining photography? A simple yes or no answer is unhelpfully reductive because the answer depends on the context. As the year comes to a close, I thought it would be beneficial to give the topic a more nuanced look on a complex topic that permeates both photography and life in general.

Remember, we’re the product

Sociologist Katherine Cross explained the confounding reality of social media on The Verge’s Why’d You Push that Button podcast:

You are the product being sold by Facebook, Twitter. It shapes not only how we use social media, but what we do to each other on social media. It creates an environment where people are incentivized to turn other people into content b/c the currency of social media is attention. It’s getting likes, followers, raising one’s profile.

How do you raise your social media profile? You have to create content. And the nature of social media is such that it creates these perverse incentives for people to farm each other for content regardless of consent. Regardless of the ethics of doing so b/c that’s what is salable in that attention economy.

In other words, connecting people is the byproduct of a system that collects user-generated content and provides an incentive (likes and comments) for us to literally become addicted. This addiction leads us to behave in ways that often flies in the face of standard kindergarten-fare morals and ethics. This reality is the starting and end point for any discussion over the value of social media. Now let’s add some nuance.

Exposure

Social media creates a direct line of communication with an opt-in audience – rendering traditional gatekeepers less important and less potent. In the print days, the gatekeepers were comprised of a narrow band of publications – with historically white photographers, editors, and publishers – that led to a homogenous gaze.

Digital publishing effectively drives the cost of publishing to zero. Unfortunately, distribution isn’t as egalitarian. Anyone with a Facebook page is aware of the “pay-to-play” dynamic and algorithms that opaquely decide what content gets seen.

Nevertheless, voices that would otherwise be marginalized, ignored and never be seen can be accessed in fractions of a second through the Internet. And social media enables potential virality. Projects like the various incarnations of “@everyday[insert place name]” have become important to dispel stereotypes of exoticism and otherness.

View this post on Instagram

Every time I am in Nairobi I get lost, it changes so fast. photo by @guillaumebonn #nairobi #kenya #dispatchesfromatraveler #architecture #modern #guillaumebonn #buildings

A post shared by Everyday Africa (@everydayafrica) on Sep 12, 2018 at 11:57pm PDT

The ability to directly amass an audience has led to the rise of the influencer class. As pundits debate the rise and fall of influencer marketing, it is clear that photographers like Chris Burkhard, Brandon Woefel, and Murad Osmann wouldn’t otherwise have built such massive followings, which allows them to make a living through photography in non-traditional ways.

View this post on Instagram

Followmeto the night temples of Chongqing with @natalyosmann..love shooting them with a central perspective, so that these temples look like endless stairway to heaven…places like that fill me up with creative energy and gives me ideas. What are your secret places that broaden your creative mind? #Chongqing #CQIFS Следуйзамной в ночные храмы Чунцина. Люблю снимать с центральной перспективой – они всегда кажутся как бесконечные лестницы в небо. Такие места наполняют креативной энергией и идеями, а какие у вас любимые секретные места?

A post shared by MURAD OSMANN (@muradosmann) on Oct 10, 2018 at 9:15am PDT

The exposure potential provided by social media means that we can instantaneously notify our followers about new work or a new exhibit. We can collect RSVP and admission online. We can use social proof (e.g.” Your friend Amir is going to this event”) as a way to hook other people’s interest. These tools are both powerful and damn convenient. We don’t need to argue the counterfactual because we know what the pre-social media world was like: a postcard, a fax, a flyer and a prayer in hopes that people showed up.

Gatekeepers

The art world provides a perfect example of a twisted world of gatekeepers where a handful of galleries have largely determined what is valuable (see art critic Jerry Saltz’s commentary on The Price of Everything).

youtube

The phenomenon is paradoxical. On the one hand, we rely on curators to help us filter all the noise, and a handful of platforms to amplify (e.g. TIME’s 51 Instagram photographers to follow in the US). We need what are hopefully well-informed domain experts to help curate the world. But many Buzzfeed-esque sites use the same information to generate their own lists leading to a frustrating sameness. Surf photographers can’t possibly the only genre of photographer in Hawai’i.

On the other hand, the cost of digital publishing is virtually zero. So for better or worse, we can all have a voice. Washington Examiner commentary writer Becket Adams told Vox, “Social media has given us the power to spread nonsense further and faster than ever before.”

With everything accessible at our fingertips, we still need a way to access information. On the web, SEO is the basis for discovery. Social media platforms from YouTube to Facebook to Instagram tend to be much less sophisticated. Algorithms help with discovery (as do geotags, hashtags, etc). What you “like” influences what you see leading to bubbles of reality.

Community

Social media has fulfilled a potential to connect disparate people around the world around shared interest. This ability to build community is true for Neo-Nazis as it is for photographers of different ilk.

From a marketing perspective, the question photographers should ask themselves around social media participation is “Who is your audience you have, and who is the audience you want?” If building a social media audience around your intended audience won’t lead to more paid work, then spending hours trying to build a following is a dubious proposition. But for photographers selling prints, books, workshops, etc, having a big social media following allows for very inexpensive marketing opportunities.

Community extends beyond marketing because a community can support a photographer in non-financial ways. A community is resilient. A community is there for the long haul. You participate, ideally, as an equal member of a community vs a client/service provider relationship. Online photographer communities regularly assist its members with pricing questions, copyright infringements, and other business concerns. I’ve seen more than a handful of photographers ask for financial support through social media for things not connected to their photography (e.g. health issues, natural disasters, personal causes, etc). Social media makes these types of interactions possible.

The weaponization of photography

I’ve written about the weaponization of photography in the past. Suffice it to say, the climate has only gotten worse with the public’s increasing distrust of the media and the misappropriation of photography on wedge issues by both political parties and trolls alike.

For every warm and fuzzy dog photo, there’s a meme-ified migrant photo used out of context and designed to provoke outrage and fear. Social media amplifies messages of good and hate alike and the gatekeepers (i.e. Facebook, Twitter, etc) have barely acknowledged their responsibility, let alone figured out how to solve the problem of weaponized misinformation.

A glut of photography

Social media isn’t responsible for the glut of photography. As with all creative fields, the emergence of digital technology has driven the cost to produce content to fractions of the analog counterparts.

Social media does contribute to visual sameness and environmental degradation.

But it also allows niches of photography to build passionate communities. Astrophotography, for example, has grown increasingly popular over the past few years, undoubtedly fueled by Milky Way photos on Instagram. Participating in astrophotography necessarily makes the photographer aware of a range of environmental and natural phenomena like dark skies and moon phases. It generates the sale of specialized gear from fast wide-angle primes to tripods.

The ability to find inspiration and cultivate creative agency through social media is enormous.

I’m pro social media

Social media can often cause me unnecessary anxiety. I was a very inactive participant on Twitter until recently, and have found that the increased knowledge on certain issues has largely been outweighed by the noise and anxiety it has induced. We can’t be outraged at everything. We can’t live our lives in search of a snarky response that reaffirms our worldview. We can’t be invested in what some cute person that we have a parasocial relationship with ate for lunch.

But despite this, I’m inspired by the ability to give a voice to the minority, and I’m not just talking about racial or socioeconomic minorities. I mean every photographer who wants to go off into their corner and shoot bugs, bird feathers, cosplay, the Bronx, or food.

The community you deserve is the one you help build. Our participation in social media should be reflective of the real-life world we’d like to live in. Finding creative inspiration and constructively critical voices that help evolve both the business and artistry of photography make social media a powerful, but imperfect tool.

About the author: Allen Murabayashi is the Chairman and co-founder of PhotoShelter, which regularly publishes resources for photographers. The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author. Allen is a graduate of Yale University, and flosses daily. This article was also published here.

from Photography News https://petapixel.com/2018/11/09/social-media-is-ruining-photography/

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