#in which case yes they should absolutely consider agent representation

[not-poignant]

Hi Pia

Feel free to ignore if this is unwelcome, but have you ever thought about publishing traditionally to sublimate your income and draw in new readers? I know you've self published two books already and that you didn't feel like they did very well, but maybe the experience would be different if someone else was in charge of marketing and all the other business stuff?

Obviously everyone's experience is different but as an author myself who's published both trad and self, traditional publishing has been a completely different experience and has allowed me to focus more on writing because I'm not the one responsible for advertising/marketing/financing anymore.

There are a ton of literary agents nowadays that want to represent diverse and lgbtqia+ fiction, some of them even in Australia.

Websites like Reedsy, AgentQuery and Jerichowriters have extensive directories to find literary agents.

(This is lengthy folks so I'm putting the other two parts (and my response) under a read more! Also putting it under a read more so the anon can skip my response since it's very 'here's all the reasons I can't do this' and they just might not want to read that, lmao)

(continued -> )

Trad publishing houses have better resources for marketing and helping authors get more attention than any self publishing website could.

Obviously most authors, unless they're really prolific, don't get a huge advance (the average is between $1000 - $5000) but getting your foot in the door or on the traditional publishing "ladder' so to speak can have a huge benefit for your serials. Because it gives you more exposure. Plus it's in the agent's best interest to find a publishing house that accepts stories that contain darker themes and negotiate the best deal for you.

For some reason places like Amazon and the like accept and keep up more "dark" books that are traditionally published than they do with self pub ones. Maybe because they have more respect or leniency for publishing houses? I have no idea. But you could use this to your advantage. I think I remember you mentioning that writing novels felt quite isolating to you? But you already have 2 completed novels (3 if you count the fae one) that you could potentially revisit or rewrite to your liking and get them represented by agents.

You already have a loyal readership and that's very attractive to trad pub houses and agents.

As well as trad publishing, you could also make s simple website that doesn't require much maintenance. It could be just a landing page that says something about you and then has links to your tumblr and patreon where you're more active. That way you increase the chances of getting your serials found by additional readers and also come across looking more "professional". Not that you're not professional now. You are and I admire you greatly, but the unfortunate reality is a lot of people still judge by appearances and some will be more drawn to an author's website than a tumblr page, at least at first. So I think having a simple landing page would open up another door for you to benefit from.

Trad publishing is work but definitely not as much as self publishing, and you can continue on with your serials. Getting an agent can be time consuming but I personally believe the pros outweigh the cons and I also believe that your stories would be a huge treasure to the growing lgbtqia+ market. Seriously there needs to be more!

These are just suggestions and thoughts and like I said before, feel free to ignore. But I know you've mentioned wanting to grow your career in the past and I genuinely believe you can do so with some of these pathways.

~

Okay, my response. Posting this because firstly I think the suggestions could work very well for other authors reading this! And I hope they take the advice to note, and secondly because I haven't talked about this for a hot minute so let's talk about it again.

So the TL;DR is yes I have considered traditional publishing. I have actually been traditionally published in short stories, poetry, and also had my art published on covers and re: interior illustrations. But my Fae Tales works got soundly rejected when I sent them to publishing houses that were doing open calls for that sort of material. I've never heard back from an agent and I never expect to, heh.

~

Now for a bit more detail

I have been traditionally published before (it's how I got my writing out there long before I ever wrote serials), and yes, I have approached publishers with my writing since then. In fact Tradewinds was written for the traditional publishing market, and it got soundly rejected, and then shelved. The reasons it was rejected ran the gamut from 'I don't like that these fae eat humans no one is going to relate to these people' (while the editor then went on to publish vampire books idk) to 'There's too much worldbuilding you can't expect readers to keep up with this' to 'Your stories are too long, no one wants to read characters talking all the time.'

Meanwhile in my online serials I was getting feedback like 'my favourite chapters are the ones where the characters just sit in a room and talk' lol.

The traditional publishing world is also not quite as utopian for most authors as you make it seem. I'm friends with a lot of authors who are traditionally published because that's the world I came from, and unless they're solely in KU and doing generic rapid release formula romances, none of them are making that much money. Certainly not enough to live off. It may have been that you were very fortunate, anon, but I know hundreds more traditionally published authors that left trad pub to make money, and I know about 5 in trad pub personally who are making enough to live off of.

Only one of those is really writing what she truly loves to write, and even then, publishing houses have refused to commit to her entire fantasy series (and she's regularly in 'Top 10/20 Women Fantasy Authors in the World' lists) and forced her to finish the series prematurely. Something I never ever have to worry about in self pub.

The reality is that in trad pub these days, you're still in charge of most of your marketing unless you're one of the big earners for the publishing house. In fact I'd be expected to keep even more of a social media and marketing presence than I do now. I don't do almost any of the things you're supposed to do as an author in marketing to be appealing. I don't have a Facebook author account. I don't have an Instagram author account. I don't maintain or regularly send out newsletters (which automatically puts me in the like 0.05% of authors who make money doing this lmao).

I don't know if you ever have looked that closely into what m/m publishing houses expect from most of their authors, but the newsletter swaps, cover releases, review circuits, interview circuits and more are fucking grueling. We're expected to be responsible for our advertising and our marketing to a fairly massive degree. Some traditionally published in m/m still have to pay for their release blitzes out of pocket. These publishing houses, by and large, do not offer advances. You say most authors don't get large advances. I don't think most authors in this arena get offered advances at all unless they're somehow miraculously acquired by a Big 4.

We're expected to have an already established social media presence because of that (that's why it's so appealing to publishers that we have social media presences already, anon, so we can market, they can save money, and we still see only a minimal cut from the royalties).

And you still have to focus on your finances, because publishing houses like Dreamspinner straight up didn't pay a whole bunch of authors for so long they destroyed careers. They still haven't paid some of their authors. And they're still running a business and people still buy their books.

Trad publishing houses have better resources for marketing and helping authors get more attention than any self publishing website could.

This is true if a) they're a big publishing house and not an indie publisher of which most LGBTQIA+ publishing houses are and b) they're willing to use them on you.

The authors that make the most money get the most resources. If they believe you're going to earn back your advance and move thousands or tens of thousands of units per book, then yes, you will get those resources.

I have been told so many times now - even from friends who run publishing houses, including one who works at HarperCollins - that my work will never be mainstream enough to have broad appeal. They literally told me not to keep trying re: trad pub, because that was my dream for a long time. These folks have given me rock solid advice in the past, it's one of the reasons I'm doing so well now via Patreon + Ream. But they were like (paraphrasing) 'you don't write 60-80k romances and you don't want to and that's not your strength anyway, you're multi-genre which makes you hard to market, you write psychological and literary trauma recovery which is hard to market, you write character studies which are hard to market, publishing houses often don't commit to series anymore if the first two don't move units and if they pulled the plug you'd be contractually obliged to never finish that series until your contract was up.' I could go on, but it was like yeah...actually. Fair.

For some reason places like Amazon and the like accept and keep up more "dark" books that are traditionally published than they do with self pub ones. Maybe because they have more respect or leniency for publishing houses?

They do, but most publishing houses want very formulaic dark romance which is not what I write.

I have a 300k omegaverse slowburn that still hasn't had any penetrative sex in it, anon. Publishing houses don't want that. They don't expect anyone will wait 4 full length novels to get to literally a single penetrative sex scene.

But you already have 2 completed novels (3 if you count the fae one) that you could potentially revisit or rewrite to your liking and get them represented by agents.

If I rewrote them to my liking, trad pub wouldn't want them. They'd be too long! I think agents etc. take one look at me and go 'oh god, no thank you!' I'm not an easy sell, by any means.

Plus I'm very e.e about all of that with the knowledge that they then give me only about 10-15% of the royalties on the sales, vs. self-pub where I get around 70%, or subscription where I around 80% of it. When someone subscribes to me, they don't have to worry about 85-90% of their subscription fee going to a publishing house. I don't have to think about how many thousands and thousands of books I'd have to sell to make the same amount that I do now via subscription.

As well as trad publishing, you could also make s simple website that doesn't require much maintenance.

If it was that simple, I'd be doing it. I don't mean this in a facetious way, I mean it in a: I've made a lot of websites, in fact I run one at the moment not connected to my writing (I've been running it for so long it's now in its 20s and can probably has a driver's license). I find it so tedious that I barely remember to check in on it. But forgetting about it means there's always maintenance to keep up with when I get back to it.

Running websites is simpler than it used to be, but it's still not simple. There's hosting and hosting costs, there's server changes, there's back-end maintenance etc. I'm considering it for down the track, but there's a reason I decided to go the route of Patreon over my own site. There are authors (like Christopher Hopper) who actually do subscription through their own domain, but it's a lot of work.

Even placeholder sites are still work. They need updating, details change, story titles changing etc. Maintaining my Patreon + Ream About pages is enough, they're always both a little out of date, lol.

Not that you're not professional now.

Oh no, I mean from a 'traditional publisher looking at me to see what kind of candidate I am' I'm really not though. Like I said, I don't have the newsletter (100 subscribers who get one newsletter a year is not really a newsletter), I don't have the Facebook/Tiktok/Insta/Twitter/Bluesky/Threads accounts, etc. I write multi-genre across multiple steam levels, and I'm allergic to writing serials shorter than 150k. One of my best performing original serials was an 800k contemporary story with no sex in it but a lot of BDSM. It can't be marketed as clean or sweet, it's not high steam, an entire chapter is 'boy saves snail from rain.' Also he was cruel to animals, so not exactly what I'd call a sympathetic main.

And yet that story did so well for me via Patreon + Ream, because people want the kinds of stories that publishing houses generally don't want and I happen to be writing them.

Trad publishing is work but definitely not as much as self publishing, and you can continue on with your serials. Getting an agent can be time consuming but I personally believe the pros outweigh the cons and I also believe that your stories would be a huge treasure to the growing lgbtqia+ market. Seriously there needs to be more!

Anon I just literally do not believe an agent would want to represent me. I have 0% belief in that. Not from a self-deprecating angle but from a 'I am not a good bet for the trad market' perspective. From a 'I have so many friends who are trad pubbed authors who stare at me like I'm insane for writing serials as long as I do' perspective. From a 'professionals in the industry have told me it's amazing I'm doing so well in serials because there's no way they'd take a risk on what I'm doing' perspective. From a 'just because it's queer and diverse doesn't mean it hits literally any other thing a trad pub is looking for' perspective. I've been doing this for 10 years. There are agents who represent work similar to mine who know what I'm doing and wouldn't touch me with a ten foot pole. They're not missing out on a trick, they know I'm not broad appeal, and they're right.

Also the only way I'd have the energy to manage trad pub is by quitting serials. And honestly, I never found trad pub all that much fun while I was doing it for non-novel stuff. It was fine, and it is nice to have my stuff out there, but it was a ton of admin and a lot of going back and forth between people who really only care about marketing a product, and that's great and what they excel at! But I'm too disabled to turn this job into something crushing just to potentially make more money, I'd rather just quit and go back onto a full Disability Pension. I can't see any way I still get to write the stories I want to write, in the way that I write them, and be remotely appealing to a single reputable trad pub or agent.

Also *gestures to everything in this article*

[you-cant-spell-subtext-without]

so get this. I was gonna roll around in Tombstone related fluff today - but no, no - this post came across my dash so Now We Are Gonna Discuss the Carnal Consumption of Meat as it appears on That Show Supernatural.  YEAH BUDDIES!

(also my sincere apologies to OP of the inspiration post who innocently tagged it with “lunch date!”  because I am about to go Elsewhere, cursedly).

Let’s all go meat man, after the cut!

This analysis centers primarily on 5x14 Bloody Valentine.  The title of course is a semi-homage to a 3D Slasher Film Jensen starred in circa 2009. 

Which I will be renting soon I guess.  ,[<- parasocial panda GET BACK IN YOUR ENCLOSURE]

Also Its Really Fun that the trailer for Said Cinema ends with “nothing says date movie like a 3-D ride to hell” [are you also thinking of Cas pulling Dean out of hell, or are you normal?]  ***unironically the teaser for 5x14 is -

EXT. SIDEWALK - IN FRONT OF ALICE'S APARTMENT BUILDING

RUSSEL 

First date.

They then eat each other.  Literally they eat each others flesh.  They also do it while dirty talking about it.  SPN IS A SHOW 

ALICE Ugh! I've been so alone. So empty...

RUSSEL I know. Me too.

ALICE I want you, Russel---All of you... inside me...

[they both take bites out of each other, Alice chewing on a piece of Russel's flesh]

****Remember this detail, as it is important.

ANYWAY, it’s truly Cursed that not only are we doing an homage to this 3-D Jensen Horror Date Flick but also this episode is specifically centered on Valentine’s Day.  The day honoring romance and love Now Coopted by Hallmark, everyone, that is the day spn writers chose to introduce us to 

Sir Horseman of THE Biblical Apocalypse Famine. 

Canonically, we are aware that the show is drawing from the book of Revelations in its depiction of the Four Horsemen.  Here’s what it says about Famine -

"When He broke the third seal, I heard the third living creature saying, "Come." I looked, and behold, a black horse; and he who sat on it had a pair of scales in his hand.”

-Revelations 6:5

Famine holds scales (used to weigh out grain in times of food scarcity).  Spn’s depiction is represented as hunger, a bottomless pit of need.  It consumes souls (demon and human alike).  

Cas describes Famine a little more poetically:

CASTIEL 

"And then will come Famine riding on a black steed. He will ride into the land of plenty... "

"... and great will be the Horseman's hunger, for he is hunger. "

"His hunger will seep out and poison the air. "

***Consider a prior season in which we are introduced to the Seven Deadly Sins.  Which are the sins associated with hunger?

Gluttony

and Lust.

***this is also important

Back to the episode.  Case cold open, and we find out that Alice was a Nice Girl.  In that she didnt drink, smoke or

have premarital sex.

***So Alice’s hunger for the sin of Lust caused her to succumb to it; and her demise was presented as Gluttony (literally eating her partner’s flesh). HMM

Famine’s presence is affecting the town, and Cas is not immune.

DEAN 

And when did you start eating?

CASTIEL 

Exactly. My hunger-- it's a clue, actually.

***They lay it out a little more in case you missed it ->

SAM 

I thought famine meant starvation, like as in, you know, food.

CASTIEL 

Yes. Absolutely. But not just food. I mean, everyone seems to be starving for something--Sex, attention, drugs, love...

***this is so important.  but of course because its spn and our textual narrators are generally unreliable (even in a Ben Edlund episode, yes I know)

we get a red herring

CASTIEL 

Right. The cherub made them crave love, and then Famine came, and made them rabid for it.

***but that’s not accurate.  they didn’t get married or become obsessed with each other (remember the cursed coin in 4x08 Wishful Thinking and the unconditional love wish? not what happened here). they had premarital sex.  they did the thing Alice considers wrong, and dark, and sinful.  and then they ate each others’ flesh.

DEAN 

Okay, but what about you? I mean, since when do angels secretly hunger for White Castle?

CASTIEL 

It's my vessel-- Jimmy. His, uh, appetite for red meat has been touched by Famine's effect

***mad lad Jimmy Novak’s hunger is for...red meat?  He is starving for red meat?  You are telling me that the Novaks, red blooded conservative religious midwestern Novaks, ate RED MEAT SO SPARINGLY that Jimmy Novak was LITERALLY starving for it?!?!  No way.  Absolutely no way.  This is a man who was such a religious zealot he STUCK HIS HAND IN BOILING WATER and accepted an angel of the lord into his own body but his secret hunger was for fucking ground beef?

give me a damn break.

to me this is an absolute coverup.  Because Cas’s burger consumption is not related one iota to his vessel Jimmy Novak.

it is a representation of Cas falling.  Cas’s cravings for meat represent his growing (and very much prohibited) feelings for...humanity (Dean Winchester), and they are presenting as Gluttony in the form of his downing more and more copious amounts of red meat.  

SERIOUSLY, consider this - at one point the depiction is so desperately carnal that he is eating raw ground beef with his bare hands. It is fucking uncomfortable.  and it is SUPPOSED to be.  Famine stirs up hunger for the prohibited.  For the sinful. That which we are starving for but do not believe we can ever have, so we lust and we lust and we LUST after it, but should we allow ourselves even just a taste of what we have been ravenously craving, we binge it until we ourselves disappear into the oblivion of our own sinful, dark desires.

Since You Want More Examples of why this cant possibly be hunger for Cheeseburgers and Cheeseburgers alone, Consider Famine’s effect on Dean.  Remember his doctor kink?

**when its revealed that Doctor Corman has succumbed to Famine’s poison by drinking himself to death, Dean - very uncharacteristically by the way - reacts by saying out loud

DEAN Thanks. Crap! I really kind of liked this guy.

***please note that Doctor Corman says the following to Dean in the prior scene they have together -

DR. CORMAN [to Dean]

Agent Marley, you just can't stay away.

****was that a flirtation?

***Also, Dean doesn’t want to go out and chase tail for Valentines Day.   

SAM

I mean, what do you always call it-- Uh, unattached drifter Christmas?

DEAN 

Oh, yeah. Well... be that as it may...I don't know. Guess I'm not feeling it this year.

SAM 

So you're not into bars full of lonely women?

DEAN 

Nah, I guess not. [takes a sip of his beer] Ahh. What?

SAM 

That's when a dog doesn't eat-- That's when you know something's really wrong.

***oh look we are relating things to eating again.  sex/lust to gluttony.  hmmm hmmm hmmm

ANYHOW -  *takes deep breath*

 this is also the Episode Where This Scene Lives

****JACKTING JOICES

oh and speaking of jacting joices, this is also the Dean Notices Cupids Crotch Episode.

frAckles, I am once again asking why you only permit celestial beings to hug you from behi-[gunshots]

but Dean isn’t hungry.  Why? Famine has the explanation, and we get it after Dean immediately runs inside after Cas heads in to complete his portion of their plan barely giving him any time to do so because he misses him that much.

FAMINE 

I disagree. [Famine moves closer to Dean and touches him] Yes. I see. That's one deep, dark nothing you got there, Dean. Can't fill it, can you? Not with food or drink. Not even with sex.

DEAN 

Oh, you're so full of crap.

FAMINE 

Oh, you can smirk and joke and lie to your brother, lie to yourself, but not to me! 

***not Dean making all of those homophobic/homoerotic jokes every time he’s in danger or feeing uncomfortable; not that, that can’t possibly be what Famine is referencing, right?

I can see inside you, Dean. I can see how broken you are, how defeated. 

***not THIS parallel:

AMARA:

You're a mystery. I can see inside your heart. Feel the love you feel, except… It's cloaked in shame

You can't win, and you know it. But you just keep fighting. Just... keep going through the motions. 

***not the motions of performative heterosexuality!!

***Dean’s not hungry because in his heart he truly believes that he can’t actually have what he hungers for.  That Thing Which This Episode Overtly but Also Very Clearly Made Obvious.  It’s an angel riding shotgun [I did Do That and I am Not Sorry], eating a burger in the front seat of the impala.  But, I’ve deviated from the meat of this essay [gunshots] [this time just for the bad joke].

BONUS

there’s Exists another episode in which a man ravenously consumes red meat; eventually succumbing to eating raw beef with his bare hands in the season prior to this one.  

Yes Supernatural the Show That Brought Us Not One But Two Scenes of Persons Carnally Consuming Red Meat With Their Bare Hands.  

This episode is a MOTW - the man in question is a rougaru - a monster that starts out as human but due to some specific genetic disorder (hmmm hmmm hmm crack in THE chassis hmmm hmmm) soon begins to be extremely hungry - “for everything, but eventually long pig.” AKA human flesh. 

Wanna know the kicker?  

Episode’s called Metamorphosis.

(GIF by jackttwist)

I’ll see myself out.

[DOUBLE BONUS for extra credit:

if you really wanna wild out, go watch the scene of Jack the rougaru looking at himself in the mirror in 4x04 - and then meander on over to 7x01 and check out God!stiel looking in the mirror as the leviathans writhe inside him over there. It’s worth the walk.]

***oh and @lilac-void​ im tagging you in this one because in exchange for your KIND creator content nomination I guess I will respond by cursing you with an Honorary tag in this, a Meat Meta.  you’re welcome slash I'm sorry XO [but seriously thank you again for your kindness and appreciation; it really motivated me to sit down and get moving on making more content <3]

[tcm]

Reframing Films of the Past: An Interview with TCM Writers

All month long in March, TCM will be taking a look at a number of beloved classic films that have stood the test of time, but when viewed by contemporary standards, certain aspects of these films are troubling and problematic. During TCM’s Reframed: Classics in the Rearview Mirror programming, all five TCM hosts will appear on the network to discuss these issues, their historical and cultural context and how we can keep the legacy of great films alive for future generations.

Also joining in on this conversation are four TCM writers who were open enough to share their thoughts on their love of classic movies and watching troubling images of the past. Special thanks to Theresa Brown, Constance Cherise, Susan King and Kim Luperi for taking part in this conversation. Continue the conversation over on TCM’s Twitter.

What do you say to people who don’t like classics because they’re racist and sexist? 

KL: There are positive representations in classic Hollywood that I think would blow some peoples’ minds. I always love introducing people to new titles that challenge expectations. 

That said, anyone who broadly slaps a sexist or racist label on a large part of the medium’s history does a disservice to cinema and themselves. That mindset keeps them ignorant not only of some excellent movies and groundbreaking innovation but history itself. 

I think people need to remember that movies are a product of their time and they can reflect the society they were made into a variety of degrees - good, bad, politically, culturally, socially. That’s not to excuse racism or sexism; it needs to be recognized and called out as such for us to contend with it today. But it’s important for people who say they don’t like classics for those reasons to understand the historical context. In particular, we need to acknowledge that society has evolved - and what was deemed socially acceptable at times has, too, even if sexism and racism are always wrong - and we are applying a modern lens to these films that come with the benefit of decades worth of activism, growth and education.

SK: I totally agree K.L. For years I have been encouraging people to watch vintage movies who keep proclaiming they don’t like black-and-white films or silent films. For every Birth of a Nation (1915) there are beautiful dramas, wonderful comedies and delicious mysteries and film noirs. 

 These films that have racist and sexist elements shouldn’t be collectively swept under the rug, because as K.L. stated they shine a light on what society was like – both good and bad. 

CC: First off, fellow writers may I say, I think your work is amazing. I'm continually learning from the talent that is here, and I am humbled to be a part of this particular company. Similar to the prior answers, for every racist/sexist film the opposite exists. Personally, classic musicals attracted me due to their visual assault, creativity and their unmistakable triple-threat performances. While we cannot ignore racist stereotypes and sexism, there are films that simply are "fantasies of art." There is also a review of evolution. In 20 years, what we now deem as acceptable behavior/conversation will be thought of as outdated and will also require being put into "historical context."  What we collectively said/thought/did 20 years ago, we are currently either re-adjusting or reckoning with now, and that is a truth of life that will never change. We will always evolve.

TB: I would say to them they should consider the times the movie was made in. It was a whole different mindset back then. 

Are there movies that you love but are hesitant to recommend to others because of problematic elements in them? If so, which movies? 

TB: Yes, there are movies I’m hesitant to recommend. The big one, off the top of my head, would be Gone With the Wind (1939). The whole slavery thing is a bit of a sticky wicket for people, especially Black folks. Me, I love the movie. It is truly a monumental feat of filmmaking for 1939. I’m not saying I’m happy with the depiction of African Americans in that film. I recognize the issues. But when I look at a classic film, I suppose I find I have to compartmentalize things. I tend to gravitate on the humanity of a character I can relate to. 

KL: Synthetic Sin (1929), a long thought lost film, was found in the 2010s, and I saw it at Cinecon a few years ago. As a Colleen Moore fan, I thoroughly enjoyed most of it, but it contains a scene of her performing in blackface that doesn’t add anything to the plot. That decision brings the movie down in my memory, which is why I have trouble recommending it.

Also Smarty (1934), starring Warren William and Joan Blondell, is another movie I don’t recommend because it’s basically about spousal abuse played for comedy, and it did not age well for that reason.

SK: Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961): Audrey Hepburn is my favorite actress and I love her Oscar-nominated performance as Holly. I adore Orangy as Cat, as well as George Peppard and Buddy Ebsen, who is wonderfully endearing. And of course, “Moon River” makes me cry whenever I hear it. But then I cringe and am practically nauseous every time Mickey Rooney pops up on screen with his disgusting stereotypical performance as Holly’s Japanese landlord Mr. Yunioshi. What was director Blake Edwards thinking casting him in this part? Perhaps because he’s such a caricature no Japanese actor wanted to play him, so he cast Rooney with whom he had worked within the 1950s. 

CC: I cannot necessarily state that I am in "love," but, a film that comes to mind would be Anna and the King of Siam (1946). It is an absolutely beautiful visual film. However, Rex Harrison as King Mongkut requires some explanation. 

Holiday Inn (1942), and the Abraham number...why??? Might I also add, there were many jaw-dropping, racist cartoons.

How did you learn to deal with the negative images of the past? 

KL: I often look at it as a learning experience. Negative images can provoke much-needed conversation (internally or with others) and for me, they often prompt my education in an area that I wasn’t well versed in. For instance, blackface is featured in some classic films, and its history is something I never knew much about. That said, seeing its use in movies prompted me to do some research, which led me first to TCM’s short documentary about blackface and Hollywood. I love how TCM strives to provide context and seeks to educate viewers on uncomfortable, contentious subjects so we can appreciate classic films while still acknowledging and understanding the history and the harmful stereotypes some perpetuated.

SK: It’s also been a learning experience for me. Though I started watching movies as a little girl in the late 1950s, thanks to TCM and Warner Archive I realized that a lot of films were taken out of circulation because of racist elements. TCM has not only screened a lot of these films but they have accompanied the movies with conversations exploring the stereotypes in the films.  

CC: As a Black woman, negative images of the past continue to be a lesson on how Blacks, as well as other minorities, were seen (and in some cases still are seen) through an accepted mainstream American lens. On one hand, it's true, during the depiction of these films the majority of Black Americans were truly relegated to servant roles, so it stands to reason that depictions of Black America would be within the same vein. What is triggering to me, are demeaning roles, and the constant exaggeration of the slow-minded stereotype, blackface. When you look at the glass ceiling that minority performers faced from those in power, the need for suppression and domination is transparent because art can be a powerful agent of change. I dealt with the negative images of the past by knowing and understanding that the depiction being given to me was someone else's narrative, of who they thought I was, not who I actually am.

TB: I’m not sure HOW I learned to deal with negative images. Again, I think it might go back to me compartmentalizing.

I don’t know if this is right or wrong…but I’ve always found myself identifying with the leads and their struggles. As a human being, I can certainly identify with losing a romantic partner, money troubles, losing a job…no matter the ethnicity.

In what ways have we evolved from the movies of the classic era?

KL: I think we are more socially and culturally conscious now when it comes to stories, diversity and representation on screen and behind the scenes, which is a step forward. That said, while there's been growth, there's still much work to be done.

SK: I think this year’s crop of awards contenders show how things have evolved with Da 5 Bloods, Soul, One Night in Miami, Minari, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, The United States Vs. Billie Holiday, Judas and the Black Messiah and MLK/FBI. 

But we still have a long way to go. I’d love to see more Native American representation in feature films; more Asian-American and Latino stories. 

CC: There are minority artists, writers, producers, directors, actors with the increasing capacity to create through their own authentic voice, thereby affecting the world, and a measurable amount of them are women! Generally speaking, filmmakers (usually male) have held the voice of the minority narrative as well as the female narrative. I agree with both writers above in the thought that it is progress, and I also agree, more stories of diversified races are needed. 

TB: One important way we've evolved from the movies made in the classic era by being more inclusive in casting. 

Are there any deal-breakers for you when watching a movie, regardless of the era, that make it hard to watch? 

KL: Physical violence in romantic relationships that's played as comedy is pretty much a dealbreaker for me. I mentioned above that I don't recommend Smarty (1934) to people, because when I finally watched it recently, it. was. tough. The way their abuse was painted as part of their relationship just didn’t sit well with me.

SK: Extreme racist elements and just as KL states physical violence. 

Regarding extreme racist elements, D.W. Griffith’s Birth of a Nation (1915) is just too horrific to watch. I was sickened when I saw it when I was in grad school at USC 44 years ago and it’s only gotten worse. And then there’s also Wonder Bar (1934), the pre-code Al Jolson movie that features the Busby Berkeley black minstrel number “Goin’ to Heaven on a Mule.” Disgusting.

I also agree with KL about physical violence in comedies and even dramas. I recently revisited Private Lives (1931) with Norma Shearer and Robert Montgomery based on Noel Coward’s hit play. I have fond memories of seeing Maggie Smith in person in the play when I was 20 in the play and less than fond memories of watching Joan Collins destroying Coward’s bon mots.  

But watching the movie again, you realized just how physically violent Amanda and Elyot’s relationship is-they are always talking about committing physical violence-”we were like two violent acids bubbling about in a nasty little matrimonial battle”; “certain women should be struck regularly, like gongs”-or constantly screaming and throwing things.  

There is nothing funny or romantic about this.

KL: I try to put Birth of a Nation out of my mind, but S.K. did remind me of it again, and movies featuring extreme racism at their core like that are also dealbreakers; I totally agree with her assessment. I understand the technological achievements, but I think in the long run, especially in how it helped revive the KKK, the social harm that film brought about outdoes its cinematic innovations.

CC: Like S.K., Wonder Bar immediately came to mind. Excessive acts of violence, such as in the film Natural Born Killers (1994). I walked out of the theatre while the film was still playing. I expected violence, but the gratuitousness was just too much for me. I also have an issue with physical abuse, towards women and children. This is not to say I would not feel the same way about a man. However, when males are involved, it tends to be a fight, an exchange of physical energy, generally speaking, when we see physical abuse it is perpetuated towards women and children.

TB: I have a couple of moments that pinch my heart when I watch a movie. It doesn’t mean I won’t watch the movie. It just means I roll my eyes…verrrrry hard.

-Blackface…that’s a little rough; especially when the time period OF the movie is the ‘30s or ‘40s film.

-Not giving the Black actors a real name to be called by in the film (Snowflake…Belvedere…Lightnin’). I mean, can’t they have a regular name like Debbie or Bob?

-When the actor can’t do the simplest of tasks, i.e. Butterfly McQueen answering the phone in Mildred Pierce (1945) and not knowing which end to speak into. What up with that?

Are there elements they got right that we still haven’t caught up to? 

KL: I don't know if the pre-Code era got sex right (and sensationalism was definitely something studios were going for) but in some ways, I feel that subject was treated as somewhat more accepted and natural back then. Of course, what was shown onscreen in the classic era was nowhere near the extent it is today, but the way the Production Code put a lid on sex (in addition to many other factors) once again made it into more of a taboo topic than it is or should be.

One thing I particularly hate in modern movies is gratuitous violence, and it perplexes and angers me how America weighs violence vs. sex in general through the modern ratings system: films are more likely to get a pass with violence, mostly landing in PG-13 territory and thus making them more socially acceptable, while sex, something natural, is shunned with strictly R ratings. Obviously, there are limits for both, but I think the general thinking there is backwards today.

CC: The elegance, the sophistication, the precision, the dialogue, the intelligence, the wit. The fashion! The layering of craftsmanship. We aren't fans of these films for fleeting reasons, we are fans because of their timeless qualities.

I'm going to sound like a sentimental sap here, ladies get ready. I think they got the institution of family right. Yes, I do lean towards MGM films, so I am coloring my opinion from that perspective. Even if a person hasn't experienced what would have been considered a "traditional family" there is something to be said about witnessing that example. Perhaps not so much of a father and a mother, but to witness a balanced, functioning, loving relationship. What it "looks like" when a father/mother/brother/sister etc. genuinely loves another family member.

I was part of the latch-key generation, and although my parents remained together, many of my friends' parents were divorced. Most won't admit it, but by the reaction to the documentary [Won't You Be My Neighbor?, 2018], the bulk of them went home, sat in front of the TV and watched Mr. Rogers tell them how special they were because their parents certainly were not. We don't know what can "be" unless we see it.

[literaticat]

Hi Jennifer!

Thank you so much for all your time and effort. I can't say how much I appreciate your expertise. My question is about The Conversation, where an agent offers representation. I've heard about people getting multiple offers, some of which come when they withdraw queries, and it seems rude to say to an offering agent, "Thanks for the offer, but can we wait until I withdraw my other queries to make an official decision?"

Do agents expect an author might get a concurrent offer? I read that you're supposed to allow 2-3 weeks for a query withdrawal, but no indication as to why.

Thanks again!

I think you're a little mixed up here.

When an agent offers representation (aka "The Call"), they DO NOT expect an answer that minute. I, for one, don't even WANT an answer that minute -- I've probably just given you a LOT of information, I have also emailed you our agency agreement and authors for you to interview if you choose to after the call -- it's a big decision and I want you to do your due diligence. SO I expect people will want to at least take a beat to process all that.

We also absolutely expect that you have other queries out there -- unless you have told us that you don't -- most people query lots of agents! We don't expect you to WITHDRAW those queries*, we expect you to let those agents know you have an offer and see how they respond. And while obviously we hope that we get you as a client since we offered -- we are not surprised or upset if you end up with multiple offers -- after all, that would simply be confirmation of our superb taste!

[*If you really truly don't WANT any other agent to consider your work -- I guess you CAN withdraw the queries. But don't expect a response, there is not really anything to say if you withdraw -- there's zero chance we offer you rep at that point, because you've officially withdrawn the manuscript from our consideration, it's over. Anyway...]

Far from being rude, the polite and correct thing to say to the offering agent is something like, "Thanks so much for the offer, I have other queries out [and/or] I'd love the chance to do my due diligence and talk to some of your clients if that's OK; I'll aim to have made my decision by X-date."

(If you don't have other queries out, that date would be a lot faster; if you DO have other queries out, you should give them at LEAST a week, preferably a week-and-change or 2-ish weeks in the future give-or-take, unless there are major holidays or something in that time in which case, a bit more time to account for those. But if you need a bit more time than that, OK. I just wouldn't let this drag on longer than 3 weeks unless you have a MAJOR reason why.)

Then yes, you do immediately write to the people that are still considering the work -- FOR SURE anyone who has the full, but also I'd say anyone who has the query but it has been less than a couple of months (aka, it's not past the "no response means no" date kinda thing) -- if it has been a LONG time and it's JUST the query they have, I wouldn't bother.

Again -- you aren't writing to WITHDRAW THE QUERY -- you are writing to let them know that you have an offer, and would they like to also make an offer, because if so, now is their opportunity. "HI! I received an offer of representation on XYZ. I appreciate that you might not have gotten to it yet; I have told the offering agent that I will get them a reply by [date about 2 weeks from now] -- if you'd like to see more or have a call, can you let me know before then?" (or something)

Then the people will either get back to you because they are also interested and want calls, or they will step aside and say congrats, or perhaps they will even just ignore you (an answer in itself) -- but whatever happens, in that span of 2 weeks or less, you will have cleared the playing field -- either you'll have more offers, and made the best decision for yourself -- OR, you'll at least not wonder "what might have been" because you gave everyone a chance, and ended up only with that initial offer, which is fine too!

[opbackgrounds]

Hi there Sarc' ;) I am sorry if the question has already been asked but I thought it could be interesting to have your opinion about this. While I love most of the female characters in OP and think that most of them are well developed and can be truly good role models for girls I still feel that Oda sometimes has a sexist view on female characters (the jokes about the naked bath scenes for example or Kororo being considered ugly make me really uncomfortable). What do you think about it?

Ah, I wondered when I would get this question. 

When people talk about sexism in One Piece they typically are referring to two different things: How women are drawn, and how they’re treated within the narrative. While there’s some overlap here, there’s enough distinction that I want to address them as two separate points in two separate posts, because I guess I had Opinions, and by god there should be a limit to how much text one tumblr post can be expected to hold. Consider this an introduction.

Buckle up, kiddos. This is gonna be a long one. 

Nami Face Syndrome Isn’t the Problem...

An important thing to remember with Oda’s art and storytelling style is that almost everything is hyper exaggerated for effect. You don’t go into One Piece looking for realism. You don’t go into One Piece expecting the characters to act like normal people. Everything--from the art to the humor to the battles--is stretched and pulled to its absolute limit in hopes of garnering a particular reaction. When a character is sad they cry big bubbly tears with dribbles of snot coming from their nose. When they laugh their mouths take up half their face. 

And when a girl is hot, her tiddies are two great big watermelons stuck to the center of her chest.

What is often dubbed “Nami Face Syndrome” within the fandom is somewhat misleading. After all, why was Wanda, who is a literal dog that walks on two legs, decried as yet another Nami clone at her introduction? I would postulate it’s less to do with her face and more to do with the fact that from the neck down they are virtually identical, something that’s made more obvious because Wanda is literally wearing Nami’s clothes

What makes this frustrating for a lot of people, myself included, is that it’s not that Oda is incapable of drawing more diverse body types, but that he often chooses not to. Take for example the Kuja tribe

or the Charlotte family daughters (thanks to Arthur at Library of Ohara for the resource). It’s pretty clear Oda has the chops to make his women as weird as the men, and he often does! For important characters, even. And yes, as the Kokoro example given above sometimes the gonkness is brought attention to, but for others like Lola and Chiffon it’s...not. 

(more on mermaids later)

But Sarcasticles, one might protest, even Oda’s “ugly” characters have ginormous boobs! Where is my itty bitty titty committee representation >:(

To which I can only shrug. For Oda, boobs on a woman are like abs on men. It doesn’t matter if it makes sense, they’re gonna have ‘em

Seriously, Oda. What the fuck.

...So What Is?

I have a theory that’s impossible to prove, and that the problem isn’t so much Oda’s character design so much as the ratio of his male to female characters in general. It’s not that every female character is a Nami clone, but Oda has a template he uses for attractive female characters ages 16-25, the same way he uses Robin as a template for attractive women ages 26-35, which is how you get cases of mistaken identity like Viola for Robin or scenes during Reverie where one could be forgiven for thinking Nami’s supposed to be an identical triplet

 Oda does this for his men, too. It’s not as obvious because 1) Even men with similar facial features can have a wider variety body types due to Oda having a sliding scale of buffness he’s willing to attach to a pretty face and 2) There are more men. 

There are a lot more men.

In groups where the male to female ratio is more or less equal (Baroque Works, Big Mom’s kids) you get a wide variety of designs. But there’s only one female Supernova. There’s one female Warlord. CP9 only has one female agent. Only one of the Revolutionary Commanders is a woman. There are very few female background characters in crowd shots, especially among marines. Big Mom might be the only female Emperor, but she’s not young, In fact, when drawing her at age 28, Oda defaults to a much more generic “pretty girl” face before giving her much more striking, memorable features in her 40s

If you look at Oda’s male characters, the ones that are supposed to be hot are often given the same square jawline and the thin-bladed nose that at one point in time was reserved for Robin. Both Coby and Sabo had very distinctive noses before their glowups, while Ace must have had a laser treatment done on his eyebrows sometime between Alabasta and Marineford. 

But the biggest difference on the men has got to be muscle mass. The overgrown noodles of early One Piece are lost to the annals of time. Shanks alone must have gained 30 pounds of pure muscle from the time Luffy got his first bounty to his appearance at Marineford. 

Now, I will acknowledge that there is a difference between the increasing sexualization of female characters and the male power fantasy of giving Zoro bara tiddies post-timeskip. While I do think there are certain male characters specifically designed to be the Hot Dude, what I’m trying to emphasize here is that Oda works with templates for both men and women, and both of those templates have been exaggerated over time. Bigger boobs for women, more muscles for men. And when you’re only slotting for one girl in any given group, and that one girl has to be The Hot One then you’re going to have a lot of ladies that end up looking the same. 

My love for Otohime on this blog is well known, and I want to use her as an example of what Oda can do when he works beyond this template, because it’s really freaking good  

Otohime is neither conventionally attractive nor gonk. She’s dressed in very conservative, traditional clothing and has a narrow waist and small chest. 

There are no sharp edges on Otohime. Not her eyebrows, not her jaw, and most of the time not even her hands, emphasizing her gentle nature. You don’t see it as well in this panel, but Otohime’s head is often drawn wider than her shoulders, emphasizing her frailty. Oda gives her a longer neck to compensate, and the overall effect is a very soft, willowy figure. 

Her headpiece looks like a sunburst. The audience never sees her fins, so Oda gives her a scale patterned kimono-dress-thingy (my knowledge of Japanese clothing is, uh, not good) as a visual reminder that she’s not human. The sash that circles around her head harkens back to Japanese mythology as a symbol of divinity, similar to a halo in Western culture. And fun fact: Otohime is named after a god, just like Neptune, while her goals and ideals are pure enough to be heaven-sent. 

I’m not an artist, but this is a really damn good character design. A lot of Oda’s older female characters are. Dandan, Tsuru, O-Tsuru, Shakky, Kureha, Big Mom, and Nyon are all instantly recognizable and have strong designs, even if a few of them fall into the hourglass figure that Oda often defaults to. It’s just...there aren’t that many of them.

So the question becomes why aren’t there more women, and I think the answer is because, ultimately, One Piece is a series geared at boys. While I wish there were a few more important ladies, I can understand why there aren’t. 

Note, that doesn’t mean I think it’s right or that Oda is obligated to include more women. It’s just one of the facts of the shonen manga industry at this point in time. 

A more important question, I think, is why does every younger woman have to be attractive? And why do the attractive ladies have to wear outfits that are blatant fanservice? This is something I don’t have an answer for. Oda has said on more than one occasion that he writes One Piece with his twelve year old self in mind. It could be that it’s a calculated move to appeal to his audience, in which case it’s certainly worked because said Hot Ladies are constantly used in marketing and merchandising. It’s the Hot Ladies that top the popularity charts (although, to be fair, who’s there for competition?). In the most recent chapter a new Hot Lady was introduced, and the fandom went batshit crazy for her.

Even the fans who are very vocal about how Oda sucks at drawing women. It’s interesting how that works out sometimes.

Or maybe I’m giving Oda too much credit, and he’s just horny. Not having direct access to Oda’s mind, I don’t have an answer. If I had to guess I’d say it’s a little of Column A, a little of Column B, because that’s usually how life is. 

But in a vacuum big tiddies are just a design choice. An exaggerated aesthetic, in a series full of exaggerated aesthetics. It’s when that design choice is paired with in-story comments, actions, and decisions where things really start to get heated. But that’s a whole other ball of wax, and there should be a limit to how much one tumblr post can be expected to hold. I promise I’ll get to the meat of your question next time.

Thank you so much for your patience. I really do think it’s important to start here before diving into everything else, if only because it helps keep my thoughts organized. I hope you’ve found this helpful, and if not, I hope to do better next time. 

[floatingcatacombs]

Top 10 Sexiest Mechas

12 Days of Aniblogging, Day 4

Mecha is one of the most intimidating genres for anime newcomers. The plots seem overly complex, the episode counts too long, and the giant robot war settings difficult to relate to. I think that all of these are valid concerns, but that mecha often gets a bad rap when most people don’t even want to try it. What both newcomers scared of the genre and hardcore mecha fans often fail to recognize, though, is that on top of the messages of the series, mechas always represent bodies. They are giant robotic representations of their pilots, the visions of their creators, collective psyches, and/or the work’s central themes. The degree of anthropomorphism, the level of abstraction with which the pilot controls the mecha, the colors and shape and size…all of these bodily elements directly tie back to the mecha’s role in the story. Of course, if mechas are bodies, then they are also vulnerable to sexualization. So let’s take all of that into consideration and chart the top 10 sexiest mechs! I’ll be keeping it capped at one entry per series, and will talk about all media, not just anime and manga.

 10. EQUUS from Concrete Revolutio

Starting off the list we’ve got a pretty weird pick, but I wanted to make sure that I shouted out this show. Concrete Revolutio is a kaiju and superhero-deconstructing delight, but when it comes to mechas it really plays things by ear and aims for the coolest setpieces possible. The protagonist’s mecha is essentially a Transformer that unfolds from a car into a centaur mecha. While the car body middle leaves a little to be desired, overall the design is a very good synthesis of Car and Horse. It’s certainly a better implementation of the centaur mecha design than say, Overwatch’s Orsia, who has a very visually muddled walking pattern because her legs are far too tiny and packed closely to each other. I’m especially a fan of the wheel joints on the knees and hooves on EQUUS, as well as the unicorn horn. Much as a centaur is an identity crisis between man and beast, Jiro is constantly in self-conflict over whether he can be a heroic protector of all superhumans or if he’s just a monster in disguise.

 9. Metal Gear Zeke from Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker

Metal Gear Solid is one of the most iconic mecha series out there, so picking one specific Metal Gear over all the others proved challenging. The classic boxy REX, the smooth aquatic RAY, the upright Sahelanthropus, the arachnid EXCELSUS…there’s lots of good ones to pick from! It was a tough battle, but ultimately I had to go with ZEKE, the first named Metal Gear chronologically. Designwise, the railgun and Z-shaped legs are a nice touch, but it’s the story arc around ZEKE that interests me the most. A lesbian-sourced war crime machine, ZEKE was created by MSF, the nationless nation of soldiers run by Big Boss. It ended up being hijacked by terrorists from within and nearly caused a globally eradicating nuclear exchange, which is as good of a metaphor as they get for why deterrence is a fucked ideology. Accidents happen, stockpiles become more and more sunk costs, and sometimes anime girl triple agents infiltrate your military base and steal your cool robot.

8. Char’s Zaku II from Mobile Suit Gundam

Confession time: I haven’t actually seen any Gundam. I’m more of a Macross gal myself. But I felt like not having any Gundam on this list would be like ignoring Star Wars on a space opera list. Anyways, Char seems like one of the most awful bastard characters of any series ever, so I’m happy to use a spot on this listicle for his mecha. The Zaku II is infamous for being “three times as fast” as its generic counterparts despite its only difference being its red paint, but c’mon – that’s Char’s absolute moral purity buffing his ship. You deserve that stat buff if you’ve Never Betrayed Anyone In Your Entire Life, Ever.

7. Deus Ex Machina from Promare

--Promare spoilers ahead--

Promare ends, as all Trigger works should, with a whole lot of Act 3 Bullshit. Plot twist after plot twist until all of the themes dangled at in the first half no longer matter, with nonstop fighting getting more ridiculous by the second. At our protagonist’s darkest moment, their problems get handwaved away and they are handed a deus ex machina of a mecha literally known as….Deus Ex Machina. A fusion of Lio’s jet black triangle armor and Galo’s knightly firefighter mecha, the design of this mecha represents their connection and understanding of each other. Yes, of course they’re gay. Why else would it be glistening in rainbow colors?

6. Terminus typeR909 from Eureka Seven

Another mecha anime I’ve hardly seen.. but one that I definitely want to get around to! Eureka Seven just seems like a genuinely delightful time, and I’m a sucker for romance-based mecha shows as well. Anyways, the piloted mechas in Eureka Seven are named after Roland drum machines, with the typeR909 is named after the classic TR-909. They’re nicely proportioned and there’s something sweet about the cutesy magenta robot of the fleet being piloted by a 30-year old man. I guess I’m just a sucker for the gentle undoing of gendered associations and music gear.

5. Eva Unit-01 from Nylon Genesect Evangelical

All of the Eva units are quite tall and bestial and wonderful, but it’s Eva-01 in particular that really stands out due to its conspicuous tendency to disobey its pilot and go berserk, fully unhinging its jaw. NGE takes the “mechs as bodies” thing pretty damn seriously, but throws in the delightful wrench of “what if it’s not your body that’s being represented?”

4. VF-1 Valkyrie from Macross

Macross was the first popular mecha series to utilize transforming robots. What makes Valkyries so sexy is that they’re not just limited to Spaceship and Gundam forms – they have an intermediary form. In GERWALK mode, the cockpit remains exposed having not folded into the mecha headpiece yet, and the wings are still popped out. However, the Valkyire has sprouted its arms and legs already, making it capable of landing, walking on the ground, and wielding a gun pod as a rifle.  It’s kind of adorable! Stuffed to the brim with weapons and tech, Valkyries are the perfect blend of stylized and realistic robots. The Itano Circus will live on forever in our hearts as the go-to tactic when you have plenty of talent on your animation team and your mechas are armed with way too many missiles.

3. Jehuty from Zone of the Enders

While the VF-1 mecha is sexy because of its utility and folding form, the Orbital Frames of Zone of the Enders are sexy because…they’re designed with a sexual angle. They’re famous for their literal cock pits, but combined with their broad shoulders, slim hourglass waists, and pronounced thighs, they exude a strong androgynous energy. Jehuty is one of the most recognizable frames simply by virtue of being the playable mecha, but definitely one of the hornier ones too. Case in point: at the end of Zone of the Enders 2, it receives an upgrade after absorbing its sister frame to become Naked Jehuty, a stripped-down but ridiculously powerful mecha with gold sections emulating bare skin. Yoji Shinkawa’s brain is simply too big.

 2. Bohrok Pahrak

Look, I can’t just not include any Bionicle on this list. They’re some of the most formative lil’ robots to me. But which one is the sexiest? That’s not really something I’ve had to consider before. While some of the titan sets such as Roodaka and Axonn have a certain sexual angle to them, it feels contrived, carrying the same kind of creepiness as horny OC designs. The Great Spirit Robot might be the super robot of the series, but its design is rather barebones and reminds me too much of The Iron Giant. So I ultimately settled on the Bohrok, the hivemind villains from 2002’s story. While most Bionicle are a combination of biological and robotic, the Bohrok are strictly mechanical – and piloted by the masklike Krana, making them mechas! You really shouldn’t fuck the Bohrok, but there’s just something so perfect about their design. They’ve got it all – not only transformability and an orb design, but transformability into an orb design. Their hunched-over stature reminds me of GERWALK Valkyries – it’s cute and functional! As for why Pahrak in particular, well, the shields it wields are vibrators. Just ignore the fact that they’re powerful enough to seismically level mountains, and you’ll be set.

1. The Entirety of Heaven Will Be Mine

You can tell that Aevee Bee and Mia Schwartz did their homework for Heaven Will Be Mine. They understand better than anyone else that a mecha is a representation of the pilot’s psyche and body, and that damage to the mecha is indistinguishable from that to the pilot. This is reinforced by the mechas being referred to as Ship-Selves – they are literally an extension of oneself more than anything else. By looking at a ship-self, you can almost immediately infer what kind of person the pilot is, what her position in bed is, and what her fetishes are. The layer of abstraction between pilot and mecha ranges from wafer-thin to nonexistent depending on the character. The side effect of this is that since HWBM is about a bunch of gay girls in space having sloppy ideologically charged hookups, the mechas have to be designed just as sexually as everything else. And by god did they deliver on that front. Some of the ship-selves, such as Mare Crisium and String of Pearls, take clear direct inspiration from Zone of the Enders frames. The Krun Macula takes some inspiration from Char’s Zaku II in terms of color and shape, but its face chimes give it a uniquely divine and powerful feeling with no mecha parallel. This perfectly mirrors Pluto’s powerlevel advantage over all of the other pilots, and her humanoid-but-not-quite ship-self perfectly represents her faction’s goals. On the other hand, the assimilationist Memorial Foundation believes in ending the space program and grounding all ship-selves to prevent the splintering of humanity. Their mission manifests literally in that each member of the faction wears some form of bondage gear to represent their shackles to the Earth, and even their Ship-Self has a spreader bar. Heaven Will Be Mine is ridiculously horny, and it has the vision, design, storytelling, music, and everything else to back it up. Truly, the best of all worlds. And if anyone who worked on the game is reading this post.,.thanks.

[ratshorts05]

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After that why rule out our whitening membership plan, which is aimed to keep you topped up and spectacular. For clients that experience a level of sensitivity, there are methods to combat this to aid you lighten and also brighten your smile. Enlighten is the only whitening brand name to give you assured lasting whitening results and also reduced sensitivity.

Teeth naturally yellow and also discolour with time, however smoking cigarettes as well as some food and drinks can likewise trigger hard-to-shift stains. Teeth can also be discoloured with polychromatic enamel, white banding or coloured areas, and also can be discolored throughout advancement by particular medications. At Tiwari Watson Dental Treatment, we only use dental items that are sustained by considerable scientific studies and that we would more than happy to have in our own mouths.

High-tech new toothbrushes designed to make you smile - Daily Mail

High-tech new toothbrushes designed to make you smile.

Posted: Tue, 29 Dec 2020 01:49:00 GMT [source]

These types of discolorations are typically an outcome of injury or exposure to high levels of fluoride and also tetracycline antibiotics while your teeth were still creating. Just like all the services we give at Revitalise, your treatment does not quit when your therapy is full.

Some Frequently Asked Questions Regarding Teeth Whitening At Elmsleigh House

No, sometimes you might need to change several of these after whitening. In some cases extremely white crowns can look wrong because they are made from porcelain. Outcomes differ, yet if utilized properly all teeth will certainly lighten significantly. Enlighten is widely recognized as one of the most efficient whitening system on the planet. It's the just one that guarantees a Vita color B1 for every single client. Your Enlighten dentist will certainly prepare a bespoke mold to fit your teeth completely.

Is professional teeth whitening worth it?

Professional teeth whiteners are safe, effective, and done under the supervision of a dental professional. In most cases, it is worth the extra cost to visit the dentist to get long-lasting, safe results. Yes, teeth whitening is very safe when done correctly.

Our teeth undertake a lot of difficulty from our contemporary eating routines, with all the red wine, tea and coffee discoloration you may subject them to each day. Discolored teeth are absolutely nothing to be embarrassed of, however they are additionally really simple to fix with our special whitening representative and also Blue Range LED light solution. Really amazed with just how very easy the process was as well as the difference it made to my teeth in such a brief area of time.

Because of this, we are proud to give our clients with a tried and also examined 'Take House Teeth Whitening Package' from Optident ® called White Dental Beauty. It typically only lasts for a couple of days after the duration of the whitening period. Due to this sensitivity, you might select to put on the trays every various other day or much less, to achieve a steady adjustment in look.

Does lemon whiten your teeth?

Yet another great fruit that works also as a great teeth whitener is lemon. Lemons contain high acid level in the peel, which is a great whitener or even bleaching agent. You can use the lemon in two different ways; use the lemon peel to rub on your teeth or squirt the lemon juice on your teeth.

Unlike external spots, these kinds of stains are much less likely to reply to dental bleaching due to the fact that the discolor is inside the tooth rather than externally where it is easier to reach. Innate discolorations describe stains that create within the tooth itself.

Global Teeth Whitening Devices Market Proceeds To Witness Huge Upswing Over Assessment Period by 2025 - NeighborWebSJ

Global Teeth Whitening Devices Market Proceeds To Witness Huge Upswing Over Assessment Period by 2025.

Posted: Mon, 28 Dec 2020 08:37:00 GMT [source]

At Colosseum Dental we're pleased to supply every one of our clients a variety of alternatives to spend for therapies. Often we take a look at our representation and wonder exactly how our smile has faded. Over time our teeth stain as well as discolour naturally, especially if we often consume or drink tarnishing foods like tea, coffee, curry and also blackcurrant. It is completely natural, yet it can make you feel like not showing off your teeth. BDA members can access BDA adviceTooth whitening, covering comprehensive details on the lawful levels of hydrogen peroxide, supply and also usage, charges, whitening methods and unmarked items. Then the real lightening gel is used and delegated rest for upwards to half a hr. While you have the whitening formula on, there might be a laser light used, to heighten the outcomes.

If you desire that incredibly white star look that is normally possible however takes far more effort as well as time from us both but is constantly worth it. Typically, you will certainly have a wanted shade in mind prior to you start whitening as well as we constantly work our best to obtain that result. You can, however, "top up" your tooth color in the future using extra gels should they start to discolour. This allows you to control the final color as you can select to stop when you reach your wanted color. This normally takes around 2 weeks so is substantially slower than in surgical procedure whitening. By reserving an appointment, we will be able to assess you as well as offer you good indicator of what therapy you need and also how effective the procedure can be for you. Occurring within the dentin, or the inner layer, of a tooth, innate spots are much harder to treat and are an even more irreversible discolor.

A 2nd appointment at Ash Dental completes the process with a follow-up lightening therapy for outcomes that'll really wow. Prior to beginning we will constantly ensure that you are suitable for the therapy. Some individuals may discover that their teeth end up being conscious chilly throughout or after the therapy. This is only temporary and ought to go away within a couple of days after the treatment. We have actually supplied numerous wedding celebration events with brilliant white smiles, all set for the happiest day of their lives. Teeth whitening is an oxidation strategy similar fundamentally to bleaching your hair.

During the treatment a safety barrier is positioned in between your teeth and your gums as well as the teeth whitening gel is put on your teeth.

In Residence Whitening is executed by your dental medical professional after an examination to assess the viability of your teeth for therapy.

During the initial totally free consultation with our cosmetic dentist, your needs will certainly be totally reviewed, so we can understand what you are intending to achieve.

Are you trying to find the most effective teeth whitening sets available today?

The results are prompt and also laser therapies can make your teeth five or 6 shades whiter.

Once finished and all the whitening representatives have been washed off, your whiter smile will certainly be disclosed.

Our cosmetic dentist will give you a fast oral examination and also will then discuss the appropriate teeth whitening therapies for you.

Our oral group can supply you customized made, pain-free, secure and also efficient teeth whitening sets that include specialist teeth whitening gel as well as bespoke whitening trays.

Laser Teeth Whitening In Our Hr.

A barrier is placed to secure the gums and cheeks and keep the soft cells off the beaten track. The lightening gel is blended and also applied to the teeth, which is then can be activated with or without specialized light depending on material utilized. However the results are considerably enhanced when combined with some house whitening. This is done in Surgical procedure and a residence kit would certainly be readily available on a special cost. is a very simple and efficient treatment for those that want to lighten teeth swiftly. Some clients like to rejuvenate their smile for an unique birthday celebration or various other considerable celebration. We provide budget-friendly interest-free & low-cost payments plans (0% APR normal) to patients taking into consideration cosmetic, visual, orthodontic or dental job.

Your dental professional has specialist tools to do the task better. If you locate the residence packages have trays that don't fit or are uncomfortable, you might find on your own out buying brand-new ones that are more comfortable. access powerwhitening best teeth whitening surrey here! of the dental practitioner or even a limited spending plan can be really solid arguments for trying the whitening packages at home. But they may not be as convenient or as economical as you first believed. Do you grin with your mouth closed because of discolouration or tarnished teeth? We need to all take pride in our teeth and also show off those teeths!

The superior aftercare we provide concentrates on making certain that your treatment achieves success and the results are long long-term. BlancOne ® STICK is a whitening stick releasing active oxygen to remove pure nicotine, coffee, tea, food and drink stains. It bleaches the teeth, protects the gum tissues, strengthens the enamel. Teeth whitening is not irreversible and a touch-up maybe called for every several years, or perhaps more frequently if you smoke, consume coffee, tea, or wine. Our Bright Smiles, Bright Futures program brings oral health and wellness education and learning to more than half a billion youngsters worldwide. This is performed in the surgery utilizing a strong solution and often a specialized light and also takes approximately 40 to 60 mins.

We guarantee Vita shade B1 for each client and also long lasting whitening results with low sensitivity. Inform Advancement Whitening is the globe's ideal executing teeth-whitening treatment.

[astudyinfreewill]

wasn't Maggie Stiefvater's husband....a cop..... :/ according to a 2016 interview: "He was a cop for ten years, but he loves helping people and so now he has a tow truck, which is kind of the same thing as being a cop, except you don’t have to wear a vest." ma'am. pls. i understand she isn't the one to speak on this and i have long ceased to look at her for social commentary outside of the books. but i hope she meant it when she said she's learning.

i did not know about this, but yes, after a quick google search, that seems to indeed be the case. my question is -- what am i meant to say to this? her husband’s not a cop anymore so we can’t accuse him of currently being complicit or ask him to quit -- bc he already has. can she go back in time to before he quit and un-marry him on grounds of being a cop? doesn’t seem likely either. 

i think it’s a good choice not to look to a celebrity for social commentary - and please note this is not just about maggie stiefvater but about celebrities in general. it’s never wise to idolise people, especially people we objectively do not know, because we can’t vouch for their morals and they are extremely likely to disappoint.

has stiefvater been a great ally? historically, no.

is stiefvater learning? i think she is. her new work, and her recent attitude on social media, seem to me like she has been listening. there’s more inclusivity, and more explicit representation (not that the lgbt rep in trc was subtle imo, but for example, people complained about her not using sexuality labels -- so now she is using them).

has her progress been perfect? no, there’s been bumps in the road (e.g.: the confirmation of blue being biracial, even if it’s technically good, definitely came across like “pulling a dumbledore”, and thus is not good rep); and obviously she could, and should, be doing more now. but i hate to break it to you, progress is rarely quick, rarely easy, and almost never perfect. and yes, that’s frustrating, but if we cancel, out of suspicion, everyone who does not immediately unlearn all their privileges and flawed attitudes at once... not a lot of people will be left. we want more allies, not fewer. even taking baby steps (even though they are clearly not enough) is better than openly and aggressively refusing to learn (*ahem* jk rowling anyone?).

as i mentioned before, i’m not interested in scrutinising how much celebrities are doing/not doing on social media right now, because it’s ultimately unproductive and i would rather expend my energies actively helping the cause. obviously this doesn’t apply to celebrities who are actively being hateful and bigoted, again see jkr. i wholeheartedly condemn anyone spewing divisiveness and prejudice. however i’m not interested in speculating on how celebrities feel/don’t feel about a certain issue.

but more to the point: i am not affiliated with maggie stiefvater, i don’t speak for her in any way, nor am i her agent/publisher, and therefore i have absolutely no way of influencing what she posts about on social media. if you wish to address her behaviour there (or her private life, though i don’t advise it) perhaps you should consider approaching her directly. 

[badchoosey]

Red Carpet Diaries, Book One. Chapter 1: Hello, Hollywood!

The limo rumbles gently underneath you as it rolls up to the theater. You can hear the chatter of the crowd outside. 

Jester: (No matter how many times I do this… it never gets old.)

With a deep breath, you throw open the door… And step out onto the red carpet! People clap, lights flash, and voices call your name!

Fan: We love you, Jester!

Fan2: You’re the best, Jester!

You walk forward with a smile and a wave. One reporter waves you down…

Pippa Majors: Jester! Jester! Pippa Majors, Fashion Network… can I have a word?

Jester: Of course, Pippa! You’re looking as radiant as ever!

Pippa Majors: Well, I’ve got nothing on you! You’re absolutely stunning! How are you feeling about the premiere of your latest film?

Jester: Who cares? I’m just here for the after-party! I heard they’ve got trained penguins serving the cocktails!

Pippa Majors: Ha! There’s the Jester we all know and love! I have to say, you have quite the crowd here! I’m pretty sure I’m looking at all of Hollywood’s A-list!

You turn back around, and even now, it’s a little hard to believe just how many incredible people you see. There’s legendary movie star Chris Winters, brilliant director Thomas Hunt, and your all-time hero, legendary actress Victoria Fontaine!

You turn back to Pippa with a smile.

Jester: Yeah… it’s pretty amazing. 

Pippa Majors: I’ll let you go, but one more question first….

Jester: Of course!

Pippa Majors: You’ve built up an incredible career in the last few years… broken all box office records… Won three Best Actress awards… started an acclaimed clothing line… and even released a chart-topping album!

Jester: What can I say, Pippa? I’m prolific!

Pippa Majors: So I just have to ask… is it true there’s a special someone in your life? Has Jester finally found love?

Jester: I… I…

A rough jolt snaps you out of your dream! You wake up to find yourself on a coach seat in a crowded plane, arriving in LA. 

Pilot: Welcome to Los Angeles, where the local weather is 75 degrees and sunny… pretty much always! From this Des Moines based crew, thanks for flying with us. Enjoy your stay!

Jester: (Oh…. just a dream… But hey, as far as dreams go… not bad!)

You make your way out of LAX Airport into the bright California sun. 

Jester: I can’t believe I’m really here… Hollywood… 

A car horn grabs your attention. Across the street you spot an expensive convertible, and the man driving it is waving… at you!

Chazz: Hey beautiful!

It’s Chazz, an old friend from high school, now a Hollywood agent!

Jester: Chazz? Wow… You’re really giving me the star treatment!

Chazz: Hey, around here, it’s not just ‘dress for the job you want’. You gotta drive for it too!

Jester: Let me guess, you’re applying for… millionaire playboy?

Chazz: Perpetually.

You climb into Chazz’s convertible, and the two of you take off down the streets of LA. 

Chazz: So! I want to hear everything that’s going on with you. 

Jester: Besides moving to Hollywood and trying to make my dreams come true?

Chazz: Aren’t we all? So dish-a-lish… what are those dreams? What are you hoping to do now that you’re in Hollywood?

Jester: I want what everybody wants.

Chazz: Money? Fame? A pool full of cabernet that you can just sorta soak in?

Jester: No, dummy. To fall in love!

Chazz: Oh my god. You are PERFECT for this town. Even your dreams sound like something out of a movie! We are so on the same page. It’s totally decided already. I’m representing you!

Jester: Really? But you haven’t even seen me audition! I’m pretty sure the last time you saw me act was our class production of Oklahoma… where I was ‘Cowgirl #3’. 

Chazz: I still remember you in that… an adorable dorky sophomore with braces and a huge crush on Mark Pomodoro…

Jester: Like you were any better… a loud-mouthed senior attention-hog with an even bigger crush on Mark Pomodoro…

Chazz: And to think… he chose Jenna Tromboli over both of us.

Jester: No accounting for taste.

You reach over and squeeze Chazz’s hand. 

Jester: For real, though, Chazz… your friendship got me through the hardest years of high school. 

Chazz: Right back atcha… which is precisely why I’m offering you representation, no audition needed! Besides, you’d be doing me a favor. Every agent wants to be representing the hottest new actress in town, after all!

Jester: Chazz, that sounds too good to be true. Don’t you think that’s aiming a little high? I can’t be the only wannabe actress in this town. 

Chazz: You don’t think I can pull it off?

Jester: Of course I think you can do it! I just don’t want to let you down!

Chazz: Oh, if that’s all, then we have nothing to worry about. You could never let me down, Jester!

Jester: Thanks, Chazz! That makes me feel better. 

Chazz: What are friends for?

Chazz turns onto a winding drive lined with palm trees. At the end is the biggest, most luxurious manor you’ve ever seen! He parks and walks around to help you out of the sports car. 

Jester: Is this your house?

Chazz: Well, I don’t like to brag…

Jester: This place is… alright, I guess.

Chazz: Oh come on. I know you’re impressed. We grew up in the same town, Jester. Where the most impressive building was the Corn and Corn products museum. 

Jester: You think this compares to CaCPM? Seems a little meh after the glories of ‘the hall of seed varietals.’

Chazz: Can’t argue with that!

Chazz walks confidently through the door. Inside, the manor is even more opulent. Framed movie posters line the walls. The two of you wander through the entrance hall, peering at each one. 

Jester: Wow, is that poster for Kingmaker signed by the entire cast? That movie was huge!

Chazz: What can I say, I’ve got a nose for a hit. 

Jester: Oh, and The Warmest Winter! I have always adored Victoria Fontaine. 

Chazz: She’s brilliantissimo. One of the best. 

Jester: I haven’t seen her in anything for a while though…

Chazz: Yeah, well, the shine can come off anything around here. 

Chazz’s phone rings. 

Chazz: Damn, I have to take this. Why don’t you check out the grounds and meet me back here in a few minutes?

Jester: The grounds? How very ‘to the manor born’ of you. 

Chazz rolls his eyes and answers his phone, pointing down a hallway that leads to the back of the mansion. 

Dozens of beautiful people lounge on chairs or float in the water, drinks in hand. 

Jester: Wow…

Feeling starstruck, you turn back to a sleek, fully-stocked bar. 

Waiter: Mimosa, miss?

A waiter offers you a tray filled with champagne flutes. You smile and pluck one off the edge. 

Jester: Uh, thank you. 

He walks off towards a cluster of women in bikinis dangling their legs in the pool. Feeling awkward, you lean against the bar and sip your drink. As you do, you notice a movie poster framed under the bar of ‘The Devil’s Canyon’ with Matt Rodriguez…

Jester: (The biggest action movie of last summer… and Matt Rodriguez was amazing in it…)

Guy’s Voice: Excuse me… 

You turn to say hello to whoever has joined you at the bar….

Matt: Could I get a gin and tonic?

It’s Matt Rodriguez! From the poster! In the flesh! And totally shirtless.

Matt flashes his multimillion-dollar smile at you and reaches for his drink. Somehow it makes his abs look even more cut. 

Matt: I don’t think we’ve met. I’m Matt. 

You smile politely and sip your drink. 

Jester: I’m Jester. NIce to meet you… Matt, right?

Matt: Yes. Matt. Matt Rodriguez. You… haven’t heard of me?

Jester: I’m not sure. Should I have?

Matt: Wow, uh… no. I guess there’s no reason you should have. It’s frankly refreshing to meet someone who hasn’t. 

Jester: Well, then you’re welcome for the refreshment… but I have to be honest. I was just playing around. I’ve definitely heard of you. I mean, there are literally posters of you all over the house. 

Matt: Oh, right. I kinda… try to tune those out. Kudos on your acting chops, though. You actually had me going there. 

You give him a quick half-bow. 

Matt: So, I haven’t seen you around before. New in town?

Jester: Just flew in this morning, actually. Kind of hard to believe I was in Iowa less than twelve hours ago…

Matt: Time flies when you’re flying, right?

Jester: Hold up… did you just reference the theme song to Pegasus Squad?

Matt: … Maybe?

Jester: The obscure Canadian kid’s show about a gang of high schoolers who turn into magical space pilots? Because I’m like 95% certain I’m the only one who ever watched it. 

Matt: Well, you clearly weren’t the only one, because I loved it as a kid. 

Jester: Matt Rodriguez is a Pegasus Squad fanboy. You do know I’m going to blast this all over the Internet, right?

Matt: Dear god, no! Tumblr will eat me alive!

The two of you share a laugh, his eyes sparkling softly in the warm light. 

Jester: So… is there a special occasion why everyone’s hanging out here? I feel like I’m crashing the party. 

Matt: See, you’d have to be unwelcome to crash. And I’m having way too much fun talking to you for that to be the case. 

Jester: I’ll consider that my official invitation, then. 

Matt: But no, there’s no occasion. My agent lives here, and he has kind of an open-door policy. He thinks a lot of beautiful people hanging around his house all day is good for business. 

Jester: This is your agent’s house? We must have the same agent!

Matt: Well, that’s lucky. 

Jester: Yeah?

Matt: I want as many excuses to run into you as possible. Not every day you meet another Pegasus Squad fan!

Just then, a pair of voices shouts your way from the far side of the pool. 

Chris Winters: Hey, Rodriguez! C’mere, I need to settle a bet. 

Thomas Hunt: Lose a bet, you mean. 

Chris Winters: Me? Never. 

Matt: Sorry, I think that’s my cue. Hunt only gets more cranky if you make him wait. 

Jester: We wouldn’t want that. 

Matt: I’ll see you again, though, won’t I?

Jester: If you’re lucky. 

Matt flashes you one last smile and walks over to his friends. 

Jester: (Chris Winters, Thomas Hunt, and Matt Rodriguez? Am I sure I’m not still dreaming?)

You finish your drink and walk back through the house to find Chazz. You’re too fizzy with excitement to stand still any more. He’s just finished his call. 

Chazz: Perfect timing as usual. Did you like the pool?

Jester: Like it? It was stunning. But you’ve been holding out on me. 

Chazz: What?

Jester: How could you not tell me that Matt Rodriguez in your client? I’d have come out here way sooner if I’d known you could introduce me to him!

Chazz: Oh… well I… It’s not something I like to brag about. 

Jester: You have clearly changed since high school then. The Chazz I knew would have tattooed it on his forehead!

Chazz: Ha. Yeah. Listen, we… uh… should probably get going…

Jester: Why? Your house is so nice, I thought we could hang out a little longer…

Chazz: Yeah… about that… you see… I…. 

Just then a man in a perfectly tailored suit bursts into the entryway. He storms over to Chazz and sticks a finger in his chest. 

Man: Took you long enough, Chazz. I was ready to tell the police you’d stolen my Bentley. 

Chazz: Sorry, boss. You know LA traffic. 

Jester: (‘Boss’?)

Chazz’s Boss: Don’t let it happen again. Time is money, and you’ve wasted too much of mine already today.

Chazz: Yes, sir. 

Chazz’s Boss: And who’s this?

Jester: Oh, I’m… I’m Jester sir. 

Chazz’s Boss: And what are you doing in my home?

Jester: Your home?

Chazz: Jester, this is my boss, John Castle, head of Castle Agency. He was kind enough to let me borrow his car to pick you up. 

Jester: Oh, well… thank you. I appreciate it. And I’m excited to be joining the Castle team. 

John Castle: And why the ell would I want someone so hopelessly generic?

Jester: … What?

John Castle: Let me guess, Chazz told you he’d turn you into the next big thing?

Jester: Well…

John Castle: He probably didn’t tell you that he’s the most junior agent we have. We leave him in charge of… 

Castle grimaces.

John Castle: Internet stars. 

Jester: Look, I don’t know about Chazz. I just know I want to make my mark somewhere a little more… impressive. 

Chazz’s face falls. 

Chazz: … Right. 

Jester: Look. The Castle Agency’s clout can only help me, no matter who I sign with. 

John Castle: I don’t know what bus stop of 24-hour diner Chazz found you in, but I’d recommend you lower your aspirations. That, or get very used to waitressing. 

Chazz: Sir, with all due respect… you’re wrong about Jester. She’s the real deal. The next big thing. She’s going to light this town up. I know it. 

John Castle: And I know that you’re one bad day away from being fired. And getting closer by the minute. 

Mr. Castle’s phone rings. He raises a finger at the two of you and puts the phone to his ear. 

John Castle: Can you at least manage to show yourself out? Or will I have to stare at that eyesore you call a vehicle indefinitely?

Chazz: We were just leaving. Thank you again for letting me borrow your car, it was--

Castle turns on his heel and starts barking into the phone. 

John Castle: He what? For the last time, Celeste, he’s a glorified sitcom star! He doesn’t get to demand anything, much less a bigger part! You tell him that if he bothers me one more time, he’s donezo! DONE! ZO!

Castle stalks away. Defeated, Chazz leads you out to his actual car, a beat-up old clunker with a dented fender and one window covered in duct tape. 

Jester: Yikes. 

Chazz: It’s not as pretty, but I promise it still does the job. 

Jester: Right…

Chazz speeds out of the driveway, obviously eager to be away from his boss. 

Jester: So… that wasn’t your house. And that wasn’t your car. And you’re … a junior agent?

Chazz: Technically, all true. 

Jester: You lied to me?

Chazz: I prefer the term ‘tactically misled’. 

Jester: God, this is so you. It’s just like sophomore year when you promised everyone you’d get us into a college party… but the best you could do was a lecture on macroeconomics!

Chazz: I’m sorry, okay! I screwed up. 

Jester: I just don’t understand why. I’d already signed with you. What did you have to gain?

Chazz: Look… I’m not exactly living the dream out here. I sleep in a crappy apartment, my car’s a clunker, and I haven’t had a date in six months. But… when I talked to you… I just… I couldn’t bear to share that. 

Chazz lets out a long sigh. 

Chazz: I just didn’t want you to think I was a loser, Jester. Everyone else already does. 

Jester: I’ll give you one more chance. 

Chazz: Really?

Jester: Really. But you have to be honest with me from now on. I expect nothing less from my agent. 

Chazz: So… you’re not firing me?

Jester: Of course, dummy. Just don’t lie to me again, otherwise I will show your boss that photo of you during your ill-advised emo phase. 

Chazz: I promise, I won’t! Anything but that!

Before long, Chazz pulls you up in front of a run-down looking concrete building. 

Chazz: TA-DA! Welcome to your new home-sweet-home! I know, I know, it’s not exactly a mansion… but I promise you’ll love it once you get used to it. 

Jester: Do people really get used to Soviet Bloc architecture?

Chazz: Think of it this way. Maybe you could use it as motivation?

Jester: For what?

Chazz: For ‘getting enough work to move out of this craptastic apartment.’

Jester: Sounds like I’ll be studying The Method whether I like it or not, huh?

Chazz: I’ve always liked to go above and beyond for my clients. Speaking of which, I went ahead and set up a bunch of the stuff you mailed out. Nothing slows down a big Hollywood debut like unpacking, right?

Jester: Thanks, Chazz. 

Chazz pops the trunk, and helps you with your bag. He leads you up to a depressing beige door, the number half falling off, and hands you the keys. 

Chazz: Alright, I’ve gotta dash, but I’ll call you soon. And seriously, I can’t wait to work together. We’re gonna do great things. 

Jester: … Right.

You’re just heading into the building when you hear a wobbly voice from behind you. 

Old Lady: Oh my! It pours off you in waves! It’s a veritable miasma!

Jester: I’m sorry, who are you?

Old Lady: They call me… Gloria the Glittering… But you can just call me Gloria. I’m your neighbor. 

Jester: Nice to meet you, Gloria. Now what exactly was I… miasming?

Gloria: Why stardom, my dear. You glow with its mystical aura. Unless you’re oozing it. It’s rather hard to tell with auras, you know. 

Jester: An aura of stardom? That’s ridiculous. Pretty sure those auras you’re seeing are just smog. 

Gloria: The third eye is never wrong! And besides, they took care of the smog years ago. Trust me, this is stardom. 

Jester: Do you tell this to all the girls who move into the building, Gloria?

Gloria: Oh, heavens no. Only the ones who might one day thank me in an awards speech. 

Gloria whisks away in a cloud of perfume and grandiosity. Alone again, you open the door to your apartment. You walk inside, set your bags on the floor, and take a deep breath. 

Jester: I guess this is it. Maybe Chazz was hoping to provide a ‘struggling young actress’ story to tell down the line?

The apartment is definitely a bit run down, but clean and bright, with a huge window and… A live raccoon?

Jester: Dear god why?! AHHHHHHHHH!

Raccoon: SKREEEE!

The raccoon runs into an open cupboard, knocking several pots and pans over on its way. 

Jester: Great! How do I disinfect my dishes for rabies?

Just then, a man’s head pops around your open door. 

Guy: Hey, is uhh… everything alright in here?

Jester: Oh, it’s peachy. You know, except for the live raccoon in my apartment. 

Guy: Ah, so you’ve met Rocket, huh? He’s kind of a fixture around here. Back in a shortly!

He dashes out the door, reappearing a few minutes later with a giant cooler and a half-eaten bag of chips sitting on top. 

Jester: Were you planning on inviting him to a barbecue?

Guy: Only if he’s bringing the beers. 

The guy sets the cooler down nearby, pries off the lid, sprinkles some chips in the bottom, then tilts the cooler on its side. 

Guy: I figured this trick out a little while back. Works way better than flailing around wildly, which was my previous go-to. 

After a few minutes, the raccoon sneaks out, grabs a chip… then hops into the cooler for the rest! The guy slams the cooler lid over the top, tilting it upright and locking it in place with the handles in one swift motion. 

Guy: If you want me to turn him back into a prince, that’ll be an extra $20. 

Jester: I’ll pass. 

Guy: Alright, but you owe me a bag of chips. 

You follow the guy as he takes the cooler out onto the front lawn, unlocks the handles, and knocks off the top. Within minutes, the raccoon has scampered off into the nearby dumpster. 

Jester: That was amazing! I can’t thank you enough… Mysterious Stranger?

Seth: Seth. I live across the hall. 

He extends his hand. You shake it. 

Jester: I’m Jester. 

Seth: Nice to meet you. 

He squints, taking you in. 

Seth: Let me guess… Fresh out of Ohio… dreams of stardom… and a poster of Matt Rodriguez on the ceiling of your childhood bedroom?

Jester: You’ve got it all wrong. I’m from Iowa. 

Seth: Ooooh, I stand corrected! As a fellow flyover-zone transplant, let me welcome you to fair Los Angeles, City of Angels…

Jester: And home invasion by rodents!

Seth: I see you’ve already gotten the tour. 

Jester: Just the highlights. And thank you. I’m pretty sure I’d have been spending my first night in town getting a rabies vaccination without you. 

Seth: The rabies clinic is on my top-five list of greatest LA hotspots… But… if you’re looking for something closer, I know a little place that’s worth checking out… 

Jester: Oh?

Seth: Here’s the pitch… A six pack of craft beer… sparkling conversation…. And the best view in the city. What do you say?

Jester: Is that where you take all the girls you rescue from raccoons?

Seth: Nope. Just the pretty ones. 

Jester: That sounds great and all but I really need to start unpacking. Would you take a raincheck?

Seth: Sure, but only if you take some advice, Iowa. 

Jester: What’s that?

Seth: Call it a ‘suncheck.’ Didn’t you know it never rains here?

Jester: Thank goodness I have you to show me the ropes. 

A little while later… you’re busy organizing the kitchen when there’s a sudden pounding on your door!

Jester: Who’s there?

Chazz: It’s me! Open up! Open uuuuuuuup!

You open the door and Chazz rushes in, practically bouncing off the walls. 

Jester: You are a veritable miasma of energy right now. 

Chazz: I don’t know what that means, and I don’t care! I have the BEST. NEWS. EVER! I don’t know what kind of magic you worked by the pool… But you just got us both invited to Matt Rodriguez’s birthday party!

Jester: Wait, are you kidding? I thought I made a total fool of myself!

Chazz: Apparently not, because Matt specifically asked that you be there. Are you fainting? Because I’m fainting. Don’t faint, btdubs. He’ll never let me in without your gorgeousness on my arm. 

Jester: This party, it’s… a big deal?

Chazz: The biggest. VIP central. Networking nirvana. The perfect chance to make the biggest Hollywood splash. Put on your best dress, babe… We are going out in STYLE!

[amandajoyce118]

2020 In Review

I used to end the year with blog posts highlighting 100 things, or 50 things if I wasn’t that ambitious, that I loved about the year. Usually, those things were pop culture things. 2020, however, is a special year, no? I mean, a pandemic, quarantines, political unrest, massive bread lines, natural disasters, refugees seeking better lives, stressful elections, etc. For most people, to make a blanket statement, this year sucked.

Most of the people following me know that I’m a freelance writer, but I have a full time day job as a fresh merchandiser for a food service distributor. That means I never “shut down” or worked from home or any of the other things people have been forced to do. I work a full day pretty much every day with customers who don’t understand why distribution has slowed, why I have “long term outs” of items like cases of hard boiled eggs or fresh ginger, why there are certain days of the week when they just can’t get chicken wings. I have people who refuse to wear masks, employees who forget to disinfect work stations, and a questionnaire I have to fill out before every shift as to whether or not I think I’ve been exposed to covid. And when I’m done there, I escape by writing.

As a result, I haven’t been doing much for fun. Outside of my day job, the media I consume is generally for freelance work, which has made this year really exhausting, no matter how much writing/stories is an escape for me. That’s why, instead of just things I loved this year, I’m going to give you a list of 10 pieces of media I’ve consumed - over and over and over again - that I’ve somehow not gotten sick of when writing listicles about the subjects. I feel like we all need to feel like we’re getting lost in a good story, or with characters we genuinely enjoy, even if, like me, we’re getting lost in those worlds with those characters to be able to write about them.

The Baby-Sitters Club

I was obsessed with the books, the ‘90s show, and the eventual movie as a kid, so it’s no surprise that I was counting down the days until the Netflix adaptation premiered - and I loved it. I’m not going to lie, I’ve watched this show from beginning to end four times this year. It’s such a quick watch and there’s something really great about watching these girls grow up.

Nancy Drew

Again, obsessed with Nancy Drew as a kid. More specifically, obsessed with the ‘80s case files as a kid. I read all of them I could get my hands on. The new television show is a little more Riverdale than the novels are, but it’s an interesting spin on the characters and stories we already know - and the representation of a diverse community on the show is fantastic.

Anne With An E

I’m still holding out hope for a movie to close out this show since there are something like seven books in the original series and the show basically only covered the first one? Where is the justice? But, this is another show I think I’ve watched three times from beginning to end because Anne Shirley Cuthbert is someone you want to be friends with, no matter how old you are. You also want her to come to her senses within about 30 seconds of being introduced to Gilbert Blythe, so you know, it’s a fun and angsty time.

Agents Of SHIELD

One of my favorite Marvel properties ended this year, and… I should probably be more sad about it? Like, I absolutely would have watched more episodes of this show if it had kept going, but I’m also incredibly satisfied with how the show concluded this year, which is rare for me. I’ve gone back and rewatched a handful of episodes for articles, and Agents Of SHIELD feels like a show that I’ll end up rewatching yearly because it’s one of the few shows where I’ve actively engaged in fandom for years and still genuinely love.

Timeless

Yes, I rewatched this gem this year while writing a handful of listicles, and I’m bitter that this didn’t get more seasons. The cast chemistry, the stories of those often overlooked by history, and the twist of a shady organization being closer than you think? It’s pretty perfect. I miss it. It’s a yearly rewatch already.

Pitch Perfect Trilogy

Every so often, I find myself in the mood to hear Anna Kendrick belt out a few songs. Pitch Perfect tends to win out over Into The Woods, and I can’t ever seem to stop at just the first movie. Pitch Perfect is cheesy and not as perfect as its title implies, but it always puts me in a good mood. I want more comedies about a capella groups, please.

Mighty Morphin Power Rangers

If I had to say where my love of serial storytelling, or my ability to engage in fandom, started, it was with Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. I had friends who would create their own team of Rangers when I was little, and we’d trade kicks on the playground (which got us in trouble), and yeah, as an adult watching a show made in 1993, this show is ridiculous. Full stop. But it’s also the kind of show that makes you remember that a whole generation was raised on the idea that even if the good guys don’t always win, they keep trying. They never give up. And that’s just as important today as it was then.

Teen Wolf

I recognize that this show is sometimes a mess and that continuity is not always its strong suit. Does that mean I love it any less? Nope. And neither does the rest of the internet since some of my articles still get heavy rotation even though the show has been off the air for years. It’s the kind of show that pulls me in, even when I already know what’s about to happen.

Leverage

Oh, Leverage. How do I possibly explain how excited I am that you’re getting a revival? I don’t think I can. Also, I don’t know why I’m talking to Leverage directly when I haven’t to anything else on this list. Leverage is about a group of criminals who steal from the corrupt to give back to their victims. I mean. It’s Robin Hood for the modern age. It’s a found family. There are love stories. There are redemption arcs. It’s just chock full of greatness. And Aldis Hodge as Alec Hardison.

RWBY

I only really got into RWBY last year, and it’s fast becoming one of my favorite anime, though admittedly, I don’t watch a ton of anime. I love the references to fairy tales, mythology, and history mixed into this crazy fantasy world. I love that the villains are as compelling as the heroes. I love that in such a large cast of characters, I want to know more about everyone. It’s a fascinating show and some of the episodes are only five minutes long. 

Sailor Moon

I grew up in the ‘90s era of television, so, of course, I watched Sailor Moon after school. The English dubs because I’m a heathen, what do you want from me? I’ve really enjoyed revisiting the ‘90s series after watching Sailor Moon Crystal because, obviously, the ‘90s anime is not exactly the story that was told in the manga. It has such a rich mythology and fascinating characters not to mention beautiful designs.

Naruto

I’m going to be honest, you guys. I never thought I would be into Naruto. But something about it just hooks you. I got into it because there were always listicle topics that editors created for the show on the sites I write for, and I was curious. Unlike manga purists, I actually really like the filler episodes. I think they add a lot to understanding the characters. Also, there is no anime character I love more than Shikamaru in Naruto Shippuden.

New Girl

Okay. New Girl has really been the saving grace of 2020. I know this show ended a few years ago. I know that people should be ready for other things. But here’s the truth: I’m not really a sitcom person. I was as a teenager, but as an adult, I like my serial storytelling to be completely unrealistic and dramatic, usually. But 2020 has been so heavy that I needed the lightness New Girl provides. 

And I love each and every resident of the loft - even the ones I would never be able to stand hanging out with in real life. I love how much they all grow up over the course of the show. I love the one-liners. I love the running jokes. I love the musical numbers. I love the Nick and Jess of it all. In 2020 alone I have watched the first five episodes of this show about ten times. I’ve watched the show from beginning to end twice in just the last three months of the year. I love it so much I’ve even considered writing fanfiction for it (though I really don’t have the time and haven’t even finished old works over the last year). When this pandemic is behind us all, I’d actually consider playing the (arguably dangerous and would likely give everyone alcohol poisoning) game of True American just to see if my friends and I could get through it. 2020 has been rough, but at least New Girl is still on Netflix.

There you have it, a baker’s dozen of the things that got me through this year - mostly in television format. There’s something I just love about serial storytelling, and when it looks like the world is falling apart, it’s nice to have the comfort of happy endings and stories you can plot out yourself. Here’s hoping 2021 is kinder to all of us, and has plenty more stories for us to get lost in.

[victor-d-lopez-blog]

Smashwords Author Interview

Published 2015-05-07.

Do you remember the first story you ever wrote?

Yes. Alas, it is lost along with much of my early work done on typewriters with no backups. I will rewrite it some day as it still speaks to me and, like many of my later stories, it delved into the interplay between the conscious and subconscious mind, life lessons and redemption. My second short story, Eternal Quest, survives in my latest short story collection, Mindscapes, and is still a favorite that is little changed from the one written by a young old man of 19 who had already learned some of the most vital lessons about the things that matter that he would ever learn. My philosophy, too, has changed little over the intervening decades.

What is your writing process?

For both my fiction and non-fiction I tend to compose at the keyboard. I do no outlining and seldom work on plot lines ahead of time. Also, my first draft is usually also my final draft with only minor changes. During the day, I almost always have a cup of coffee on hand as I write. At night, it may be tea, diet Coke or Pepsi or a glass of wine. Less often, when writing late into the morning, especially after a particularly good or bad day, the glass of wine may be replaced by a snifter of brandy or an Absolut vodka martini with olives. (No more than 2 drinks a day on average as a rule, though.) 

I like to work in significant blocks of time without interruption other than fetching coffee or pestering my wife during very brief breaks until she yells at me and I slink back to work.

Do you remember the first story you ever read, and the impact it had on you?

I'm not sure what the first story was but it was certainly Disney and about Donald Duck. (In my native Spanish--just like my first Superman comic books and child's version of Homer's Odyssey). I still love these, though I have not read a Superman comic since I was 12 or 13. 

My love of fiction was inspired by Disney, Homer, Hans Christian Anderson, Aesop, and blossomed into an even greater love of Shakespeare, Milton, Dickens, Poe, Wordsworth, Keats, Blake, Niven, Zalazny, Koontz, King, Clarke . . . in a gloriously meandering line that is the only yellow brick road I ever need to walk.

How do you approach cover design?

I like to use my own photographs when possible. Even when using stock photographs or public domain designs, I like to incorporate a photograph that I've taken that means something to me. I've done that in my book of poems, my intellectual property book and in two of three short story collections. (Even my latest audiobook collection cover incorporates one of my photos in the montage of individual short story covers.) Of course, I don't have that luxury with the trade books and textbooks through my traditional publishers--on the upside, they do a far better job of editing my work than I. :)

What are your five favorite books, and why?

It is impossible for me to answer this. So I'll just list the first five that come to mind that have had a significant impact. 1, Intimations of Immortality by William Wordsworth. I love Wordsworth above all other poets of all times--even more than Shakespeare and Milton. This lengthy Ode encapsulates him for me, and links him to my favorite philosopher, Plato. It has had a profound influence as the first among my beloved Romantic poems.

2. Bleak House by Charles Dickens. "If that is the law, the law is a ass." What more need I say? (A case that drags out for generations until the last farthing is spent and then is finally resolved. That's not fiction. That's an ETERNAL TRUTH! And yet I still went to law school. Maybe I should list Freud next.)

3. Plato's Republic. (And the Socratic Dialogues.) There is Plato's idealism, Aristotle's realism and the rest is largely a historical footnote.

4. Shakespeare's complete works. The comedies. The tragedies. The sonnets. The inferiority complex for the rest of us who dare write anything at all after reading him.

5. Roger Zelazny's Amber series. I know, I know. It's absurd to list it here but it is still my favorite fantasy series of books from one of my favorite writers. I've read thousands upon thousands of pages in favorite fantasy series, including every word in the trillion page (it seems) absurdly long "Sword of Truth" series of books by Terry Goodkind (whom I love). At times I literally screamed in frustration at the repetitiveness GET TO THE F*^%$*#G POINT! George RR Martin (another favorite writer) in his lengthy Game of Thrones series of books (all eagerly digested--likewise the HBO series) also made me squirm and/or skip ahead from time to time lest I tear out the few remaining hairs on my head. I will buy the next long-overdue installment as soon as it is available, though. Likewise many other favorite authors like Stephen King (I almost died of boredom on my way to the Dark Tower on many occasions) -- and on very, very rare occasion even Dean Koontz whom were I pagan I would worship as a demigod. But Zelazny never had that effect on me, especially in his Amber series. Not a single skipped word. Not a single needless, redundant description. Were it not nearly 2:00 a.m. and need I not get up in less than six hours to attend Commencement ceremonies I'd probably rummage through my library for my Book Club two-volume Chronicles of Amber right now.

What do you read for pleasure?

Everything. But mostly science fiction and fantasy--classic and new. I also enjoy non fiction, of course. Just finished Killing Patton by Bill O'reilly, and Charles Krauthammer's Things That Matter. (Krauthammer is a national treasure. All of O'reilly's books are good reads and his Killing Lincoln, Jesus, Kennedy and Patton books are really terrific.) Now I'm working through a couple of anthologies and listening to the audiobook version of Dean Koontz's "Tick-Tock."

What is your e-reading device of choice?

I don't own a dedicated reader [no longer true]. I use a couple of Android tablets that can read anything out there and downloaded audiobooks too. A small laptop works well too.

What book marketing techniques have been most effective for you?

Book giveaways have been best at generating interest in my books. I do very little marketing other than an occasional Goodreads ad campaign and short story giveaways through Smashwords from time to time.

Describe your desk

Cluttered.

Where did you grow up, and how did this influence your writing?

Queens, New York mostly. The working class neighborhoods exuding the incredible diversity (ethnic, racial, lingual, political, cultural) that exists everywhere in New York City have enriched my life and broadened my perceptions beyond anything that would have been possible had my parents raised me in their native, homogeneous Galicia (Spain) of the 1960s and '70s. 

My writing reflects the vast multicultural soup in which I was thoroughly steeped and slow-cooked. So does my trilingual upbringing (Spanish, Galician, English) with their separate rich roots and very different cadences, sensibilities and predilections. These have informed my poetry, fiction, non-fiction and life in indelible ways at levels beyond conscious thought.

When did you first start writing?

Almost as soon as I learned to write. I was writing (bad) poetry when I was eight years old, and "stories" before that. I kept a journal before I knew what a journal was--and burned it when what it contained was too painful, troubling, embarrassing, or simply too real to deal with at a tender age. I wish I had not for I can't remember what that precocious child found too troubling to keep around. This (no longer precocious) adult would like to know--and smile (mostly) and perhaps shed a tear or two for the unrequited love, frustrations or deep truths learned too young in life to process in a more productive way. 

I wrote a lot back then. Doubtless it was full of sound and fury, signifying nothing (apologies to The Bard). Some things don't much change.

What motivated you to become an indie author?

There are a number of factors that led me to explore the indie route after publishing two trade books and five textbooks with traditional publishers (Irwin/Mirror Press, McGraw-Hill, Prentice Hall, McFarland & Co. and Textbook Media Publishing).

First, I wanted to publish a typically short book of poems for which there is essentially no significant market and which no traditional publisher would be likely to consider. Along the same lines, I wanted to publish a short story collection. Because I am not known for my fiction or poetry, I knew that finding a traditional publisher to take on either project would be a very difficult task, if not an impossible one. Most traditional publishers these days won't even read manuscripts from unagented authors, and I was not likely to find a good agent to handle my fiction and poetry without a past track record of success in these fields. Agents that charge up front reading fees (or any fees, for that matter, other than a percentage of the book's royalties/advances) are not agents I would consider in any case, any more than I would consider publishing through a vanity press masquerading as a small press. (Any publisher that requires an author to purchase a minimum number of books at a "discount" is a vanity press by any other name.) I could easily find an agent to represent me as to my non-fiction, especially my textbooks or law-related trade books. But I do not need representation as to these since I've never had difficulty interesting traditional publishers in such projects. When I complete my first novel, I will very likely search for a literary agent as it is a prerequisite for submitting it to most of the leading publishers today. For other projects, I'll go it alone or self-publish. 

But I digress. During the summer of 2011, I needed a break from my heavy research agenda that included research for a scholarly article and work on the instructor's manual and test bank for one of my new textbooks. So I decided to collect selected samples of my poetry spanning some 30 years and my favorite short stories written during the same time period and self-publish two books. I used CreateSpace to produce the paperback versions of my first two indie books and Kindle Direct Publishing for the Kindle version of these, later also ported to Barnes & Noble and still later to Smashwords for even wider distribution. Moreover, I wanted to experience complete freedom to publish precisely what I wanted and charge a low price to encourage as wide a distribution as possible. I also wanted to offer the book in both paperback and eBook formats. That was a particularly important consideration for another work that I was working on that summer, my intellectual property general reference work. Ultimately, I published all three books. Finally, I wanted to experience publishing on my timetable with complete editorial control for the first time. There is no question that all three books would be better had they undergone the vetting of the traditional editorial process; I am not the best editor of my own work and without question each work is less perfect than it would have been with an editor to help guide and rein me in when needed. Although it is equally true that at times even the best editors can be difficult to work with, especially when their preferences conflict with a writer's style and voice. The perfect is indeed too often the enemy of the good.

What are you working on next?

I'm winding down a sabbatical leave as I write this. This semester I completed research on usury laws in all 50 states and how these are in effect undermined by federal law. The research was started last summer and completed in late January, with a paper completed in early April and presented at the NEALSB annual conference in late April. It is now out for a first round of reviews in selected first-tier journals and law reviews. I am also currently in the process of researching "good Samaritan" statutes in all 50 states, a project that will continue beyond the summer and will form the foundation for a paper completed before the end of the fall 2015 semester. 

This summer, I will also work on a new, expanded 3rd edition on my Business Law and the Legal Environment of Business for my current publisher, Textbook Media Publishing. It should be out early next year. Not much time for fiction or poetry projects in the coming year, I'm afraid, nor for work on my first novel that has been mostly on hold in mid-stream for the better part of a decade due to time constraints.

[dontshootmespence]

Becoming Real: The Consulting Intern

In this installment of Becoming Real, Spencer and Luke come home from work. They’re stuck on a case. Diana asks them to explain, and she gives them a tip that puts them on the right path. @coveofmemories @the-slytherin-ice-queen @cosmicjennifer @mxolh @ultrarebelheart @remember-me-forever-silent-angel @tinyplanet-explorers @burnbrightdoll

                                                             ----

Diana had just started her first week of classes in her fourth year. The years were falling by quickly, with no chance to slow down and take things in. After graduating from medical school, she thought about possibly taking a year off to enjoy the smaller things. It was nearly 11 PM, she was drowning in medical texts and slowly losing focus, so when her fathers came home, she decided to take a break, talk with them for a few, and then probably go back to sleep. “Don’t overwork yourself.” Her daddy always told her. “That’s never good. No matter how much you think you need to cram. It always backfires.”

Sleepily, she nodded. “I know. That’s why I decided to take a break. Did you solve your case?”

They both reluctantly shook their heads. “We’re stuck, so Emily told everyone to go home for the night.”

“What’s the case?” Diana asked. She hadn’t asked them about their cases in the longest time. Although she thought their jobs were admirable and considered them her heroes, she never really wanted to dive into the world they lived in. 

Spencer grabbed a glass of milk from the refrigerator and passed the orange juice to Luke. “We only have one victim,” Luke said. “But he was left in a warehouse that was made up to almost look like a surgical environment. He was operated on while he was alive. The shock killed him. His kidney was missing.”

Spencer shook his head. “I can’t help but feel like we’ve seen this before, but I can’t place it,” he said, his voice tight with frustration. 

Diana asked them to look at the files. “You have seen this before, I think,” she said after about an hour of staring at the pictures. “Last year, that homeless man that was found a town over. It was in the paper, but it was never given to you, probably because he was homeless and the department sucked.”

Spencer’s eyes went wide, remembering the story of the old man. He had been a doctor in the military and had come home with severe PTSD. Unable to hold down a job, he ended up losing everything he had and ended up on the streets, only to end up found in a warehouse with his kidney missing. “The guy was left with a pair of forceps keeping the wound open,” Diana said. “So was this guy. The forceps are normally used for more delicate procedures, which makes me think there is a connection to these in particular, because he could use more accurate forceps for this type of surgery. Those are commonly used in pediatric surgeries. I’ll be using them soon.”

Luke took the file from his daughter, once again scanning the contents for clues. “So this guy kills one person a year, leaves the forceps attached to the body, takes a kidney, and doesn’t return until the next year?” he questioned, his voice raising in pitch from confusion. 

“Maybe there is a connection...” Spencer said softly, taking another sip of milk. “But it’s highly unlikely that someone would remain dormant for a year, killing only one person.”

Suddenly, Diana’s mouth dropped open. “Daddy, the homeless guy, when did he die?”

“2:38 AM,” he said quickly.

She shook her head. “What was the date?”

“Yesterday, September 27th,” he replied. Immediately, he looked at Luke. “And the homeless man died on the same day last year.”

“It’s the day that’s important to him,” Luke said, a small smile forming on his face as he looked at Diana. “My little genius.”

Diana silently pumped her fists in the air. She didn’t have class in the morning, thank god, just the start of the internship in the afternoon. “We’ve gotta go back,” Luke said, texting Emily with their new developments. 

“I don’t have class in the morning,” Diana said. “Let me come with you.”

“You sure?” Spencer asked. 

She nodded. “I wanna see if I’m right.”

“You are your daddy’s daughter,” Luke laughed.

By the time they got there, it was nearly 1:30 in the morning. “Hey sweetie,” Emily said to Diana, her eyes heavy with sleep as she looked toward the rest of the team. “So it’s the day that’s important to him?”

“Yes,” Spencer replied. “He killed a homeless man last year. That was probably his practice run. And this year he perfected the method.”

“The victim was a doctor, right?” Diana asked. When they nodded, she immediately formed a theory. “Well, I don’t know whether it would be him or if he was a representation for another doctor, but my guess would be that your killer lost a child during some kind of kidney-related surgery on September 27th. That’s why the pediatric forceps even though more appropriate ones are more readily available to be used for adults surgeries.”

Everyone’s eyes lit up. Garcia sleepily ran to her niece, giving her a giant sloppy kiss before running toward her office. “You two,” she said to Luke and Spencer, “Raised a genius baby!”

“Truth,” Luke said, giving her a kiss. She was practically falling asleep where she stood. “There are going to be another couple agents here. Go to sleep. We have work to do.”

“Okay,” she yawned, poking them both as she headed toward the small couch in the round table room. “Wake me up if you need my help.”

“Ha ha ha,” Spencer snarked. 

---

Nearly six hours later, Diana woke up to see her fathers, aunts and uncles just returning to the office. “What happened?”

“You were right,” her Aunt JJ said. “David Sanchez Jr. lost his son, David III, during what should have been a routine kidney transplant surgery because the doctor was drunk while he was operating and the boy died on September 27, 2030. After years of grieving, he snapped and started killing doctors, but only on that day, and only after practicing on the homeless man. Before Emily shot him, he said he’d kill one doctor a year until the year he died. He was...a mess.”

“I can imagine,” Diana said. It was always tough when you felt bad for the unsubs. But just because they had a tragic past didn’t excuse what they did. “But I’m glad I could help.”

Spencer walked up to her, tired as all hell, but just as proud. He kissed her on the cheek and pulled away. “You could do absolutely anything you put your mind to,” he said, pulling her back into his embrace. 

“When I’m a world-famous doctor, I will absolutely consult for you,” she laughed.

Luke pulled her away from Spencer and gave her a hug of his own. “You’d honor us with your presence?”

“Only for you,” she smiled.

[carnivaloftherandom]

The Critical Eye: Wonder Woman

NB: spoilers will be preceded by an asterisk line break, and are very, very mild. I’m attempting to address critical questions that have been asked regarding representation and a very thorny question of political significance, though by no means do I think my read should be considered definitive.

There’s a lot of weighty expectation being shouldered by Wonder Woman. Which is not an unfamiliar thing for any woman. There are also some very valid critical questions of representation being asked, and I think it’s useful to parse the difference between the extremely biased demands and the things that are substantive.

I will first say that after waiting 40 years from the first time I picked up a comic, Wonder Woman on the big screen far exceeded my expectations and avoided nearly everything I feared could go wrong. It has an unshakeable heart and sense of how so many of us struggle to reconcile our humanity and the incomprehensibly inhumane things our species is capable of. Living in a time when so little makes sense in the day to day and there is so much vicious, hateful, violent rhetoric and behavior, seeing that reflected in Diana’s experience, was validation I wasn’t expecting.

The film doesn’t shortchange it’s characters in allowing them to be people, within a sharply-defined mission set against the backdrop of WWI’s Industrial Revolution-fueled leap forward in destructive, mass-produced mass casualties, and it is a solid, charming, moving and adventurous narrative. It’s just not one without flaw.

One of the questions consistently asked of the film is whether it would be another case of the mythological setting of Themyscira and the period setting of WWI London and the German front, to engage in mass whitewashing. Another is whether Diana would be straightwashed.

**************** really really mild spoilers

It doesn’t, yet it is far from executing an intent to :not: do those things as well as it could have. There are barely any speaking roles outside of the lead and main supporting cast.

Where the film falters, is in not giving much context for the Amazonian society and social relationships outside of Diana, Hippolyta, and Antiope, (who are all white) and for perhaps spending a little too much time on the clothing montage with Etta Candy (who is white) outfitting Diana for the streets of London instead of IN the streets of London.

That said, there are a few things that I read as evidence of work being done vs not: 1. Black and Asian women are visibly present on Themyscira, and not just as warriors. As there are very few speaking roles at all, the fact that at least one is a Black woman (Florence Kasumba as Senator Acantha,) and that two of the Senators are Black women, does illustrate that the participation of WOC in Amazonian society is not limited to subordinate or servile positions.

2. The WWI setting is not ahistorically whitewashed. Though most of the visible PoC are men, we do see South Asian soldiers, a Black civil servant, and Turkish workers, as well as Sameer and Chief ( Saïd Taghmoui and Eugene Brave Rock) who are 2/3 of Diana and Steve Trevor’s allies on their mission.

3. White supremacy is explicitly addressed in narrative by both Sameer and Chief.

Is it perfect? No. Could it have been done better? Maybe. Should it be done better? Absolutely. Does the film clear the bar of typical period whitewashing? Yes, it does. Does the film clear the bar of typical fantasy-setting whitewashing and supremacy? Yes, it does. Tragically, this is a really low bar. As in, Agent Carter, in two seasons, literally tripped over it and fell on its face in a setting 30 years later than Wonder Woman. As in, the LoTR/Hobbit franchise literally has zero visible PoC in a fantasy setting even AFTER the LoTR trilogy took heat for years before The Hobbit was made.

In regard to queer representation… it’s not explicitly confirmed that Diana or any of the Amazons are queer, though it is explicitly alluded to. However, Spanish actress Elena Anaya (Dr. Isabel Myra/Dr. Poison) is an openly queer woman.

******* End of mild spoilers

Here is the sticky part. Yes, Gal Gadot is Israeli (of European Ashkenazi heritage, she is not a WOC, stop that,) and served in the Israeli Army as a combat trainer. As every Israeli citizen over the age of 18 is required to provide 21 months of service and for example, The Mummy's Ardeth Bey, Israeli actor Oded Fehr served in the Israeli Navy for several years while Natalie Portman was exempt as a non-resident with Israeli citizenship. Based on what coverage I’ve seen, I cannot say that yes she is a Zionist or no she is not. Israeli/Palestinian relations have been quicksand for as long as the modern state of Israel has existed. Could she conceivably have posted the sentiment as an Israeli national who felt fear for and solidarity with the IDF as fellow citizens in service? Yes. Could she be a person who feels no sympathy with the plight of Palestinian civilians? Yes. Do I think we have a definitive answer from her own mouth? In my opinion, we don’t. Can people play heroic roles with absolute conviction while being monsters? Obviously. I can’t make a call on where Ms. Gadot’s thoughts and politics lie, and so I’m reserving judgment until I have more information. Each of us has to make that choice, and it is a valid question and subject of criticism. I personally have a long history in human rights and political activism and this is a situation that often turns into two rights making a hellish wrong for everyone, while politicians and the military keep doubling down on both sides. I wish I had an easy answer here and I don’t.

What Wonder Woman does, beautifully, is deconstruct the idea that strength means aggression, that gender defines character, that caring is a weakness, and it puts forth, front and center, that women are no less complex or capable than men. It demonstrates that men are no less capable of emotion that isn’t based in aggression, than women, and that people are, in all our flawed complexity, in all our superficial differences, worth saving, from ourselves and each other, because of love. It posits one singular notion above all: that if we are to fight for a better world, what we fight for and who we fight for, even this enormous, messy thing we call the human race, it must be with, for, and rooted in love of each other as humans.

And it does it BRILLIANTLY.

[glassofgaytea]

FYI: A Case for Johnlock: Why SHERLOCK Should Embrace Its Ship of Dreams | ScreenSpy

Thank you!

Article link…

A Case for Johnlock: Why SHERLOCK Should Embrace Its Ship of Dreams - By Chris. B

Modern television has more “ships” than the Pacific Ocean. Virtually every character on the airwaves has been matched with another, fancied relationships dreamed up by eager fans, either to generate laughs or to satisfy personal passions.  Every fandom has its favorite pairs, but if you’re a follower of the BBC’s Sherlock, the most discussed coupling by far is that John and Sherlock, or Johnlock.  The desire to see these two together in more than a simple platonic friendship is one that is played out in blogs and fan fiction regularly, but is this something fans will ever see developed on screen? 

There are many factors to consider here.  Sadly, in 2017, there is still a certain amount of controversy about showing a gay couple in an everyday relationship, one that is not present for purposes of comic relief or sideline plot support.  Would the network and affiliates allow it?  How conservative are its politics and those of its advertisers?  Given the overwhelming popularity of the show on an international scale, I would wager their wallets would easily trump any qualms that might exist.  It is amazing how capitalism can solve all manner of perceived ills. 

Regardless, do Mark Gatiss and Steven Moffat even want this to be the dynamic of their characters?  According to them, the answer is no.  In an interview with Valerie Parker in July of last year, Gatiss claimed, “…we’ve explicitly said this is not going to happen – there is no game plan – no matter how much we lie about other things, that this show is going to culminate in Martin and Benedict going off into the sunset together. They are not going to do it.” 

That sounds pretty final.  Maybe. 

Since these two have made the most of The X-Files philosophy that a lie is most conveniently hidden between two truths, there is always room for doubt.  (Really, how likely is it that a seasoned professional like Gatiss suddenly mistook the names of his characters for those of the men who portray them?) 

In any case, I think an openly romantic relationship between John and Sherlock would be well worth it.  Consider the following points and determine for yourself if this match is a just a forgettable fantasy, or if it could be an ultimate destiny. 

 5. The characters are already tightly bonded 

No one would argue with the idea that Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s original characters of Holmes and Watson are best friends; through each of the numerous variations presented over the intervening century plus, this is one of the few facets has remained consistent.  They are a team. Individually, though, each member of the team is lacking.  At one point, Sherlock confesses in “The Great Game” that he’s been “reliably informed” that he has no heart, going so far as to declare several different times that he is a high-functioning sociopath.  John, on the other hand, is “abnormally attracted to dangerous situations and people”; he misses the war that left him behind.  Both have a hole that they need to fill, and that is exactly what the other satisfies. 

In Sherlock, this is reinforced repeatedly.  John and Sherlock are clearly presented as two halves of the same whole, each needing the other to be a complete version of himself—John, the heart and inspiration; Sherlock, the excitement and intellectual challenge.  When Sherlock is baffled why a woman would be upset about her child’s death after fourteen years or when he too gleefully investigates a child kidnapping, John is there to mediate his reactions.  Then, when Sherlock returns in “The Empty Hearse,” he insists correctly of John, “You have missed this…the thrill of the chase, the blood pumping through your veins, the two of us against the rest of the world.”  Later, in “The Abominable Bride,” John quips to Moriarty, “There are always two of us.”  There must be.  Inevitably, all roads they take lead to Baker Street, back to their roots together.   

4. There is already plenty of precedent for it 

Sherlock has never shied away from the suggestion that Sherlock and John are more than friends.  From the outset, John is mistaken for Sherlock’s date, and the man who will “outlive God trying to have the last word” makes no correction, nor does he when a reporter in “The Reichenbach Fall” asks for a quote about whether he and Dr. Watson are “strictly platonic.”  Further, the two gay owners of The Cross Keys Inn from “The Hounds of Baskerville” assess John and Sherlock as a pair; and Mrs. Hudson, who lives just a floor below them and knows them very well, refers to one of their arguments as “a little domestic” and is shocked when John is ready to move on (to marry a woman?) a full two years after Sherlock’s supposed death.  Then, Irene Adler, who sizes people up as adeptly as Sherlock, calls out John’s jealousy about the 57 unanswered texts that she’s sent (yes, John kept track) and flatly counters John’s insistence that he and Sherlock are a couple:  “Yes, you are.”  Finally, in “The Abominable Bride,” when John saves his other half from the precipice and Sherlock gushes about John’s intelligence, Moriarty himself rolls his eyes and scoffs, “Oh, why don’t you two just elope, for God’s sake!” 

There are innumerable instances of extreme devotion shown to us as well.  In “His Last Vow” Sherlock literally restarts his own heart because John is in danger, then commits murder to protect John from the thumb of Magnussen’s extortion.  In “The Great Game” John throws himself on Moriarty to allow Sherlock to escape the bomb he wears, and in “A Scandal in Belgravia,” he dumps his girlfriend and their holiday plans to stay home and look after Sherlock, a choice he makes easily after she demands, “Don’t make me compete with Sherlock Holmes!”  (Oh, he won’t, dear; there’s no contest.)  Further, images abound of the intense and meaningful stares shared by these two, traded like stocks on internet forums and social media, all screaming of something bubbling beneath the surface.  Thus, to transition to an official couple would not be much of a stretch.  

3. It fits the transformational model of the show 

Gatiss and Moffat have shown a penchant for pushing the envelope with their version of Doyle’s characters. Would Doyle have raised his eyebrows over John’s sibling being a divorced lesbian who’s taken to drink?  I doubt the original author could have imagined Mrs. Hudson as a former exotic dancer who had been married to the head of a drug cartel.  And certainly no one anticipated that the lovable Mary Morstan would turn out to be a former intelligence agent and ruthless trained assassin. 

The creators have not been afraid to add their own special spice to these characters.  In a 2014 interview with Phil Ittner, Gatiss and Moffat asserted, “Most of [the series] is actually completely new, so there’s not a drying-up of the source…we’re slightly broadening out the world a bit and being slightly more heretical than we probably would have been at the beginning. But then that’s good, it feels like this is our version…”   To go all-in and apex this concept with the core pair would allow them to make a truly indelible mark on the enormous canon of Sherlock Holmes iterations. 

After all, side characters are only so revealing; in this universe, John and Sherlock are the only ones who matter.  The series has been proposed as the story of the development of a genius, hence its very specific title, so building Sherlock Holmes to the point where he can freely give and receive love, achieving true intimacy, would be the greatest development possible.  Gatiss and Moffat could provide that humanity for him, to create their own warm center to the notoriously melancholy sphere of the private life of the world’s only consulting detective.   

2. Proper representation matters 

All segments of society can and should have a right to see themselves recognized unabashedly by the media they consume, whether it is fiction or non-fiction.  In the twenty-first century, this should not still be the struggle that it is, yet any in the LBGTQ community know how resistant this practice is to change in the machine of social institutions.  Too often, gay characters are used as statue pieces or comic relief, sidelines or after thoughts; they are not permitted to be real and valuable human beings, but are stock characters and stereotypes, extras who inevitably get the axe if the Grim Reaper comes calling.

 Steven Moffat has been most emphatic on the issue that the showing of gay or bisexual characters in popular culture should not be approached with triviality, that it is a serious issue that should be offered (particularly to young people) in a way that denotes true acceptance.  In his Parker interview, he asserted, “You don’t want to essentially tell children that [being gay is] something to campaign about. You want to say this is absolutely fine and normal. There is no question to answer. You want to walk right past it, in a way. You don’t want to…say, as sometimes other kinds of literature or movies might, we forgive you for being gay. You’re just saying you’re gay and it doesn’t matter. There’s no issue.” 

Essentially, one’s sexuality is just an average, marginally interesting, non-personality-defining, run-of-the-mill reality.  Thus, no matter what your sexual bent, it is not odd; it is not special or different, wonderful or terrible.  It just is, as mundane to one’s whole character as eye color or shoe size.  Indeed, until this matter does not flutter pulses with its rakish novelty, true acceptance has not yet occurred.  Having Sherlock and John integrate their sexuality seamlessly into the roster of the other attributes that the audience has witnessed, to roll it into the entire picture of who they are, we would be granted a relaxed and genuine portrayal of a devoted couple that happens to be gay, one from which we could all ultimately benefit.   

1. It would count Sherlock is a global phenomenon.  

According to the Radio Times, it is shown in 224 countries and territories around the world, making it the most watched of any of the BBC’s programs, surpassing even Dr. Who, which has decades of history.  It has spawned blogs and merchandise and a number of Sherlocked fan events, which are major affairs to rival the most popular comic cons, where every artifact, set detail, and image from the show is cherished and applauded. 

The series’ leads, Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman, are beloved international stars.  Thanks in no small part to this show, they are in constant demand and headline massive studio projects, like The Hobbit series of films and Marvel’s Dr. Strange.  Each has a immense following of fans, and rightly so—they are award-winning craftsmen, extremely versatile talents who deserve every bit of success they’ve acquired. 

This degree of influence and appeal leverages a lot of power. 

What this show brings to the table, the world eats; what it points to as its guides, people would notice, and what’s more, follow.  What, then, could be accomplished in social terms if Sherlock were to subtly demystify gay relationships?   What might result if a stellar product and the highly popular individuals involved indicate that a homosexual relationship is every bit as complicated and trying and boring and wonderful as every other kind? 

Respect. And with luck, progress.

Thanks, Chris. B

[dmellieon]

Why SHERLOCK Should Embrace Its Ship of Dreams

By The Screen Spy Team on January 10, 2017 By Chris B. 

Modern television has more “ships” than the Pacific Ocean. Virtually every character on the airwaves has been matched with another, fancied relationships dreamed up by eager fans, either to generate laughs or to satisfy personal passions.  Every fandom has its favorite pairs, but if you’re a follower of the BBC’s Sherlock, the most discussed coupling by far is that John and Sherlock, or Johnlock.  The desire to see these two together in more than a simple platonic friendship is one that is played out in blogs and fan fiction regularly, but is this something fans will ever see developed on screen? There are many factors to consider here.  Sadly, in 2017, there is still a certain amount of controversy about showing a gay couple in an everyday relationship, one that is not present for purposes of comic relief or sideline plot support.  Would the network and affiliates allow it?  How conservative are its politics and those of its advertisers?  Given the overwhelming popularity of the show on an international scale, I would wager their wallets would easily trump any qualms that might exist.  It is amazing how capitalism can solve all manner of perceived ills. Regardless, do Mark Gatiss and Steven Moffat even want this to be the dynamic of their characters?  According to them, the answer is no.  In an interview with Valerie Parker in July of last year, Gatiss claimed, “…we’ve explicitly said this is not going to happen – there is no game plan – no matter how much we lie about other things, that this show is going to culminate in Martin and Benedict going off into the sunset together. They are not going to do it.” That sounds pretty final.  Maybe. Since these two have made the most of The X-Files philosophy that a lie is most conveniently hidden between two truths, there is always room for doubt.  (Really, how likely is it that a seasoned professional like Gatiss suddenly mistook the names of his characters for those of the men who portray them?) In any case, I think an openly romantic relationship between John and Sherlock would be well worth it.  Consider the following points and determine for yourself if this match is a just a forgettable fantasy, or if it could be an ultimate destiny.   

5. The characters are already tightly bonded No one would argue with the idea that Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s original characters of Holmes and Watson are best friends; through each of the numerous variations presented over the intervening century plus, this is one of the few facets has remained consistent.  They are a team. Individually, though, each member of the team is lacking.  At one point, Sherlock confesses in “The Great Game” that he’s been “reliably informed” that he has no heart, going so far as to declare several different times that he is a high-functioning sociopath.  John, on the other hand, is “abnormally attracted to dangerous situations and people”; he misses the war that left him behind.  Both have a hole that they need to fill, and that is exactly what the other satisfies. In Sherlock, this is reinforced repeatedly.  John and Sherlock are clearly presented as two halves of the same whole, each needing the other to be a complete version of himself—John, the heart and inspiration; Sherlock, the excitement and intellectual challenge.  When Sherlock is baffled why a woman would be upset about her child’s death after fourteen years or when he too gleefully investigates a child kidnapping, John is there to mediate his reactions.  Then, when Sherlock returns in “The Empty Hearse,” he insists correctly of John, “You have missed this…the thrill of the chase, the blood pumping through your veins, the two of us against the rest of the world.”  Later, in “The Abominable Bride,” John quips to Moriarty, “There are always two of us.”  There must be.  Inevitably, all roads they take lead to Baker Street, back to their roots together.   

4. There is already plenty of precedent for it Sherlock has never shied away from the suggestion that Sherlock and John are more than friends.  From the outset, John is mistaken for Sherlock’s date, and the man who will “outlive God trying to have the last word” makes no correction, nor does he when a reporter in “The Reichenbach Fall” asks for a quote about whether he and Dr. Watson are “strictly platonic.”  Further, the two gay owners of The Cross Keys Inn from “The Hounds of Baskerville” assess John and Sherlock as a pair; and Mrs. Hudson, who lives just a floor below them and knows them very well, refers to one of their arguments as “a little domestic” and is shocked when John is ready to move on (to marry a woman?) a full two years after Sherlock’s supposed death.  Then, Irene Adler, who sizes people up as adeptly as Sherlock, calls out John’s jealousy about the 57 unanswered texts that she’s sent (yes, John kept track) and flatly counters John’s insistence that he and Sherlock are a couple:  “Yes, you are.”  Finally, in “The Abominable Bride,” when John saves his other half from the precipice and Sherlock gushes about John’s intelligence, Moriarty himself rolls his eyes and scoffs, “Oh, why don’t you two just elope, for God’s sake!” There are innumerable instances of extreme devotion shown to us as well.  In “His Last Vow” Sherlock literally restarts his own heart because John is in danger, then commits murder to protect John from the thumb of Magnussen’s extortion.  In “The Great Game” John throws himself on Moriarty to allow Sherlock to escape the bomb he wears, and in “A Scandal in Belgravia,” he dumps his girlfriend and their holiday plans to stay home and look after Sherlock, a choice he makes easily after she demands, “Don’t make me compete with Sherlock Holmes!”  (Oh, he won’t, dear; there’s no contest.)  Further, images abound of the intense and meaningful stares shared by these two, traded like stocks on internet forums and social media, all screaming of something bubbling beneath the surface.  Thus, to transition to an official couple would not be much of a stretch.   

3. It fits the transformational model of the show Gatiss and Moffat have shown a penchant for pushing the envelope with their version of Doyle’s characters.  Would Doyle have raised his eyebrows over John’s sibling being a divorced lesbian who’s taken to drink?  I doubt the original author could have imagined Mrs. Hudson as a former exotic dancer who had been married to the head of a drug cartel.  And certainly no one anticipated that the lovable Mary Morstan would turn out to be a former intelligence agent and ruthless trained assassin. The creators have not been afraid to add their own special spice to these characters.  In a 2014 interview with Phil Ittner, Gatiss and Moffat asserted, “Most of [the series] is actually completely new, so there’s not a drying-up of the source…we’re slightly broadening out the world a bit and being slightly more heretical than we probably would have been at the beginning. But then that’s good, it feels like this is our version…”   To go all-in and apex this concept with the core pair would allow them to make a truly indelible mark on the enormous canon of Sherlock Holmes iterations. After all, side characters are only so revealing; in this universe, John and Sherlock are the only ones who matter.  The series has been proposed as the story of the development of a genius, hence its very specific title, so building Sherlock Holmes to the point where he can freely give and receive love, achieving true intimacy, would be the greatest development possible.  Gatiss and Moffat could provide that humanity for him, to create their own warm center to the notoriously melancholy sphere of the private life of the world’s only consulting detective.   

2. Proper representation matters All segments of society can and should have a right to see themselves recognized unabashedly by the media they consume, whether it is fiction or non-fiction.  In the twenty-first century, this should not still be the struggle that it is, yet any in the LBGTQ community know how resistant this practice is to change in the machine of social institutions.  Too often, gay characters are used as statue pieces or comic relief, sidelines or after thoughts; they are not permitted to be real and valuable human beings, but are stock characters and stereotypes, extras who inevitably get the axe if the Grim Reaper comes calling. Steven Moffat has been most emphatic on the issue that the showing of gay or bisexual characters in popular culture should not be approached with triviality, that it is a serious issue that should be offered (particularly to young people) in a way that denotes true acceptance.  In his Parker interview, he asserted, “You don’t want to essentially tell children that [being gay is] something to campaign about. You want to say this is absolutely fine and normal. There is no question to answer. You want to walk right past it, in a way. You don’t want to…say, as sometimes other kinds of literature or movies might, we forgive you for being gay. You’re just saying you’re gay and it doesn’t matter. There’s no issue.” Essentially, one’s sexuality is just an average, marginally interesting, non-personality-defining, run-of-the-mill reality.  Thus, no matter what your sexual bent, it is not odd; it is not special or different, wonderful or terrible.  It just is, as mundane to one’s whole character as eye color or shoe size.  Indeed, until this matter does not flutter pulses with its rakish novelty, true acceptance has not yet occurred.  Having Sherlock and John integrate their sexuality seamlessly into the roster of the other attributes that the audience has witnessed, to roll it into the entire picture of who they are, we would be granted a relaxed and genuine portrayal of a devoted couple that happens to be gay, one from which we could all ultimately benefit.   

1. It would count Sherlock is a global phenomenon.  According to the Radio Times, it is shown in 224 countries and territories around the world, making it the most watched of any of the BBC’s programs, surpassing even Dr. Who, which has decades of history.  It has spawned blogs and merchandise and a number of Sherlocked fan events, which are major affairs to rival the most popular comic cons, where every artifact, set detail, and image from the show is cherished and applauded. The series’ leads, Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman, are beloved international stars.  Thanks in no small part to this show, they are in constant demand and headline massive studio projects, like The Hobbit series of films and Marvel’s Dr. Strange.  Each has a immense following of fans, and rightly so—they are award-winning craftsmen, extremely versatile talents who deserve every bit of success they’ve acquired. This degree of influence and appeal leverages a lot of power. What this show brings to the table, the world eats; what it points to as its guides, people would notice, and what’s more, follow.  What, then, could be accomplished in social terms if Sherlock were to subtly demystify gay relationships?   What might result if a stellar product and the highly popular individuals involved indicate that a homosexual relationship is every bit as complicated and trying and boring and wonderful as every other kind? 

Respect.  And with luck, progress. 

(via A Case for Johnlock: Why SHERLOCK Should Embrace Its Ship of Dreams)

[michellelewis7162]

Capital Allowances Claims for Commercial Residential Property in the UK - The Basics

Capital Allowances Claims for Commercial Residential Property in the UK - The Basics

 Commercial Property managers or those that have actually repaired leased residential property in the UK need to look into the option of a capital allowances claim. There is actually no downside to creating a claim as well as or even created managers and renters will certainly carry on to spend way too much tax yearly.

This post looks for to respond to a few of the questions that a well hesitant residential or commercial property manager may ask just before hoping to create a claim London Bridge St.

Is this Legal?

Yes. Capital allowances regulation goes back to the 1870's but the present laws is The Capital Allowances Act 2001 which is actually generally changed every year by the Government of the moment. Therefore capital allowances are actually an income tax alleviation enshrined in statute. Moreover the legislation is certainly there to motivate industrial homeowner to invest in property by supplying a resource of tax obligation relief. https://www.innovationtax.co.uk/

What are Capital Allowances?

Capital Allowances may be claimed on any sort of expense which carries right into existence (or even enhances) a possession with a long-lasting perk for the business. This is a legal definition originated from case-law. The function of these allocations is actually to shield the owner's revenues from taxes and also lessen their tax obligation bill. It is actually certainly not unusual for a capital allowances claim to produce a significant tax refund as well as generate significant tax financial savings within the first five years after the case has been produced London.

Exactly how performs this apply to business home including equipped holiday permits?

Business building has components/ indispensable functions which may be valued for capital allowances functions. This features power systems, furnace, scorching & chilly water units, kitchen devices and various other items which sustain the stock inquiry. On investment or even refurbishment a bookkeeper may have valued what are actually described the loose chattels including furniture as well as carpetings yet these might work with a tiny portion of what may be claimed. The reality the bookkeeper does not case substantially even more is actually a representation of the complication of the regulations. Fortunately having said that is there is actually no time limit for producing a case so you have not failed regardless of whether you bought the residential property some years back and also professional agencies exist that devote on their own to creating claims Hatfield.

A beneficial instance

In 2005 an accommodation is actually bought for ₤ 500,000 leaving out goodwill as well as loosened effects actually professed for due to the financial advisor. Within this instance it would not be unusual to locate that 25% of the investment as capital allowances so ₤ 500,000 x 25% = ₤ 125,000. At the moment of creating in April 2012 this could create a tax discount for 2010/11 of approximately ₤ 5,000 for a 20% tax obligation payer or ₤ 10,000 for 40% citizens.

The tax obligation costs for 2011/12 might additionally be actually reduced by ₤ 4,000 for a 20% tax obligation payer as well as ₤ 8,000 for a 40% taxpayer. There will likewise be actually the benefit of paying less tax obligation for a long times to find.

Why hasn't my bookkeeper updated me regarding this?

This is actually the absolute most common question asked and also there is no person response.

Bookkeepers possess several myths on the topic which includes:-.

i) making a capital allowances claim influences the volume of resources increases tax which might be actually owed for sale of the residential property. Actually they are controlled through 2 separate pieces of tax regulations and also however it is a mistaken belief which continues without manner in reality Hertfordshire.

ii) the purchase agreement consists of market values for installations as well as installations which are tiing. Usually we will assume deals of this particular attributes to become tiing but with capital allowances asserts they are actually not as capital allowances cases are regulated through statute and certainly not due to the acquisition contract. For the purposes of the Capital Allowances Act 2001 cases have to be actually produced on the basis of a "realistic apportionment" based on the realities related to the investment or renovation of the property Leicester.

iii) any sort of tax obligation perks are actually clawed back for sale of the property. Once again a mistaken belief. Provided that the seller is actually provided the appropriate advise either by their current expert agents or even through talking to an expert capital allowances states firm then this must certainly not hold true.

What should I perform if I intend to check out better?

If you contact a respectable capital allowances declares expert they are going to provide you a quote of the most likely end result of carrying out a case in addition to the manner of their costs. This enables you to make a thinking as to whether you wish to make a case or certainly not. It is actually also worth talking to the business whether the person who will definitely take on the work is both a qualified property surveyor and also tax obligation certified i.e. a participant of the Association of Tax Technicians or the Chartered Institute of Taxation SE1 9SG.

If your accountant has reservations the capital allowances professes business will definitely speak with all of them to answer any type of inquiries they might possess. There is actually no negative aspect to making a claim and big providers that have office property percentage this job as a concern of course.

 The latest modification complying with on from the decline in the yearly reduction to twenty% is to lower the Annual Investment Allowance (AIA) coming from April 2012 to ₤ 25,000 from the existing ₤ 100,000. That is actually a notable reduction as well as business ought to recognize the secrecy income tax and also program as necessary.

These allotments carry out certainly not differentiate between certain trades and also careers and also along with higher ranch profits expected as a result of the boost in corn rates and the overall planet lack of food, alongside the green result it is actually twice as necessary for farmers particularly with their profession devices being so expensive AL10 9NA.

The length of ladies skirts fluctuate with fashion and capital allowances are the taxation equivalent.

You may profess capital allowances on qualifying expense accumulated in the chargeable time period. They are actually accessible in several conditions and the best typically fulfilled is for the investment of vegetation as well as machines for your service.

In the frequently quoted situation of Yarmouth v France (19 QBD 647) vegetation was described as featuring whatever network is actually made use of by a businessman for proceeding his business, not his stock which he purchases or helps make for resell, however all products as well as goods, dealt with or moveable, live or dead, which he maintains for irreversible job in his business.

Considering that 1887 the courts have helped make numerous attempts at coming to a definition of plant as well as right now CAA 2001 sections 21 to 23 effort to define the borderline between plant and properties and also restrict the growth of the "vegetation" category.

Lord Cameron in your house of Lords opinion in the scenario CIR v Scottish and Newcastle Breweries Ltd. (55 TC 252) pointed out: "the inquiry of what is effectively to become considered as vegetation may just be answered in the circumstance of the specific field concerned as well as probably in the lighting also of the specific circumstances of the personal taxpayer's personal field".

A current scenario including the pub chain Wetherspoon has helped make clear the posture. It has actually pertained to mean that vegetation is actually any sort of possession that participates in an operational duty in a company that is actually not equipment or aspect of the property. To ensure might be a sink or a palm rail to assist individuals with reduced wheelchair. Finally identity of plant is actually less complicated yet comfort is additionally provided for the price of altering a building to enable vegetation to become set up AL10 9NA.

As the cost of such jobs is actually incorporated to the price of the resource and also with capital allowances being actually professed on the complete price there have actually been actually disputes with HMRC finishing in the Wetherspoon case which recently finished after 5 years LE1 3BH.

For the price to be allowable the structure change should stay a separate establishment within the building. In the Wetherspoon instance they managed to declare capital allowances on the expense of the blocks, mortar, tiles, and the work in placing these all together to develop a lavatory cubicle SE1 9SG.

The lavatory work area was conveniently pinpointed separately coming from the building and in Wetherspoon it implied that they additionally were actually allowed to claim capital allowances for the expense of the reared floor leading up to some machines as well as the splash-back tiles bordering the sinks and so on

. Keep in mind that the cost of the affiliated expert fees such as intending charges and also the expense of the engineer must be featured in the insurance claim; the Tribunal stated that it was permitted to estimate the portion of the overall costs.

 The R&D Tax Credits scheme was offered in the year 2000 by HMRC (Her Majesty's Revenue and also Customs). HMRC is the United Kingdom's federal government team accountable for the administration and compilation of all kinds of income tax. These consist of VAT, earnings tax, and import tax customs. HMRC integrates the duties of pair of formerly separate departments, the Inland Revenue and HM Customs as well as Excise.

The entire aspect of the R&D Tax Credits plan is actually to urge advancement, because experimentation are critical to the healthy and balanced growth of service and organization. There are actually numerous pounds readily available to UK agencies each year, yet only a minority are claiming. There are actually also organizations with their own devoted experimentation teams that are actually not in the program.

Professional experts for R&D Tax Credits discover their work an actual joy, as a result of the perks it gives their customers. Their clients get sizable amounts of cash back coming from Taxes they have spent. They additionally typically happen to acquire development awards, which carry status as well as publicity Leicester.

You do not need to be actually carrying out top-level analysis in to a remedy for cancer or even the future generation of this or even that. All you must carry out is actually display development. Numerous of our customers are producers making normal items. Before our company became included they were actually not aware that they had helped make an advancement whatsoever Hertfordshire.

As in any kind of location of organisation, your best option is to acquire an expert professional to help you on your R&D Tax Credits experience. Certainly not just your existing financial advisor either, as this is actually an expert place. There are an amount of R&D Tax Credits organizations, as well as these are individuals to assist you. The most effective ones service a "No Win No Fee" basis, therefore you only have to spend them a small deposit to cover their work in the direction of your claim article and nothing at all even more if a case performs certainly not happen. If the insurance claim achieves success, they obtain a percentage of the payout.

 Her Majesty's Revenue as well as Customs (HMRC), the UK Tax authorization, is presently paying in the region of GPB150 thousand yearly to business that can easily show they have actually been innovating. HMRC possesses a Large Business Service for handling R&D Tax Credit declares for the extremely largest social companies. All various other claims, for SMEs (small and medium-sized organizations) are dealt with through a system of committed offices around the UK. Released in 2006, these workplaces are actually positioned in Manchester, Leicester, Cambridge, Cardiff, Croydon, Maidstone as well as Southampton. Together these workplaces are actually right now taking care of around 5,000 cases for R&D Tax Credits each year Hatfield.

The UK Government has been building and enhancing this system because the year 2000, to motivate technology, which in turn improvements Britain's company and consequently the UK economic climate overall. The problem is that many hundreds of providers in the UK are actually still missing out on out in a major method through certainly not asserting their R&D Tax Credit title. This results from a number of elements.

Several firms strongly believe that R&D Tax Credits may simply be actually asserted through huge providers along with devoted R&D departments along with constant research study researchers and also professionals. As a matter of fact, firms that have actually profited from the plan feature developers of video game and also synthetic notice courses, sports vehicle producers, cheese manufacturers, food items testers, plant dog breeders, as well as maker security testers London.

Lots of average accounting professionals throughout the UK are themselves certainly not properly knowledgeable about the R&D Tax Credits plan, thus when inquired by their customer, they say they will certainly not be entitled. Actually, the area is therefore intricate that a brand-new generation of specialist consultants for R&D Tax Credits have actually sprung up over latest years. These companies are actually properly clued up with all the intricacies of R&D Tax Credits, and also remain in the procedure of teaching the company market spot about the scheme.