#k tries to interpret music and probably fails | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

sanstropfremir · 3 years ago

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would love to hear ur thoughts re. these street woman fighter's performances and who you would personally vote as the "better dance crew" in how they interpreted each other choreos and the song.

this was for their first elimination round (ep4) and it was interesting to hear from the judges + why they gave the points they did. (i'm not entirely sure if you're watching the show's episodes. they are roughly 2 hours long. so if you would like more context, pls let me know! i wrote brief comments underneath each one as well as the winners [spoilers ahead!]. assuming you are not: for this mission, each crew is paired with another crew and they have to choreograph one of the soloist songs. songs were "split" into two parts: part one [would be one song] and part two [another song]; one crew would choreograph one part and follow the other's crew choreograph for the other part.)

1. boa - eat you up (want choreo) + better (ygx choreo). dance crews: ygx vs want

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gCfK_qWAhM0&ab_channel=MnetTV

winner: ygx. boa gave 151 pts to ygx and 49 pts to want (the biggest gap in points between crews), sharing that although want choreographed eat you up, ygx was more cohesive (pointing to how want wore hats and it was messy). additionally, ygx had better stage presence and was able to capture the camera more. also, because ygx is the only crew to have a b-girl and use it in their routine, the judges applauded want for doing the best they can.

2. cl - doctor pepper (wayb) + hello bitches (prowdmon). dance crews: prowdmon vs wayb

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GEEpZ9SrvaE&ab_channel=MnetTV

winner: prowdmon. judges shared that doctor pepper's routine is a trademark of wayb and that they should have been the standout. however, they felt like prowdmon did it better.

3. hyuna - crazy (4minute) (coca n butter) + i'm not cool (hook) + lip and hip (hook). dance crews: hook vs coca n butter

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e1ikpPKEA30&ab_channel=MnetTV

winner: hook. the two dance crews are VERY different in terms of style. coca n butter is described to be more hip-hop while hook is definitely more reflective of the current/newer trends. (when hook was first introduced in the show, they were known as the crew who was famous only for tiktok dances.) the judges shared that hook was more fun and interesting, given their stylistic choice of wearing the pink wigs. whereas it seemed for coca n butter, they felt like something was lacking (they showed something but it didn't feel they did.)

4. jessi - what type of xx (lachica) + nununa (holybang) + gucci (holybang). dance crews: holybang vs lachica

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vtZzI11oyqc&ab_channel=MnetTV

winner: lachica. (this was the only battle where both crews came in v close pts. whereas for the other crews, there were huge point-gaps.) judges had a hard time choosing, sharing that for lachica they were more detail-oriented while holybang had better teamwork.

imo, i agree with the judges' choices. though i would have to say i think wayb did their routine (doctor pepper) better than prowdmon. they stood out to me then, but when it came to the second part (hello bitches), prowdmon was better. i loved lachica's performance - it was v clean + reminded me of something a kpop group would do (which like, the crew largely works with kpop acts like chungha, boa's better, etc. so it makes sense).

this was LONG. thank u if u do read it and post! i miss the kingdom "era" when u would post weekly reviews. the two are v different but this new mnet competition show is the only one i'm invested in. i'm not sure if it's big internationally? i know it is v popular in korea right now. while i've only seen i-fans talk about the show as it relates to chaeyeon (want) because she's an idol. - swf (streetwomanfighter) anon :]

omg this is so long and well organized, forget me writing reviews anon you should do it!! i'm not currently watching the full episodes but i've been catching the few clips that pop up in my youtube recommended occasionally, so i definitely don't have all the context but i'll take a crack at it!

ok so my assumption/from what i can tell, they have a bit of leeway to alter the competing group's choreo as needed to better suit numbers and formations. i also went and found the individual versions of these because why did they make them so small on the split screen, don't they know i'm old and wear glasses. also: MNET FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THAT IS HOLY STOP MOVING THE FUCKING CAMERA. WE DO NOT NEED SCROLLING VERTICAL BOOM SHOTS OF THIS. just keep the same lens at eye level it's really not that hard. this is like, one of the worst possible ways to shoot dance it is SO annoying. ok i'm done bitching about that let's go.

1. boa - ygx vs want i agree with the big point gap on this one, and i think want made a couple of choices that were not cohesive enough, and obviously they also got set up to fail by ygx. actually i think both groups made choices that were not particularly good, but ygx had more of the skills to back up what they were doing than want did. breaking is very difficult and requires a lot of upper body strength and a higher centre of gravity, which are two physical traits that are less common in women. personally i wouldn't have tried to break to better because although boa songs do have more of a beat than other idol music, it's still not at all the right type of music for breaking. it's gotta be fast, breakers rely on speed, because it's all about momentum; they're literally throwing themselves around the stage. here's the final from battle pro 2019 for example. the music is basically beats only; heavily lyric based music, like idol music, is bad for battling in general because there isn't a lot of consistency. i have more to say about this but i'm getting off track. basically by choosing to handicap the other team (because they don't have a bgirl at all) they shot their own bgirl in the foot because the song is too slow to properly show off her skills. i applaud want for making bold choices, like the hatwork and attempting the breaking, but ultimately when combined with their styling the performance looks disjointed. also they have some formation cohesion issues that make it look a bit like they'e struggling to keep up, even with their own choreo.

2. cl - prowdmon vs wayb i agree with the judges, i think prowdmon bodied the wayb choreo. i actually thought that was their choreo at first. they have the best presence that i've seen of all the groups and the performative "hard bitch" attitude fit in with their genre setting. wayb had several mistakes and synchronization issues that in my opinion made them look sloppy in comparision to prowdmon, who were sharper and had two more people to put into formations. 3. hyuna - hook vs coca n butter ok personally i don't like either of these choreos, but i'm agreeing with the judges here, i think hook's was the mildly more engaging. i can tell that they're very young and do mostly short form tiktok content because i see a lot of eye catching moves, but i don't see a lot of strong connective tissue between those moves. they have good ideas but they also really struggle with putting people into formation and balancing it out well. it doesn't help that they're a seven member crew going up against a four member one, so they have three extra people to figure out what to do with. there's a lot of empty space where there are members waiting in position for a group formation. it also doesn't help at all that they (mnet) appear to just be rawdogging the songs together without any kind of mixing, which is a huge detriment to groups that have to choreograph for two in their section. i'm not cool and lip and hip have two totally different feels and kudos to hook for at least trying to get them to at least visually be cohesive when mnet is go girl giving us nothing sonically. coca n butter has much more of an old school hip hop style, so putting these two up against each other was (probably a random lot draw) an interesting choice. personally i would have been more interested to see hook against want with the boa tracks and ygx against coca n butter with the hyuna tracks. however, i think the reason why coca n butter's stage felt like it was lacking is because they tried to emulate hyuna, without having the stage presence or the weirdness of hyuna. it feels like they're trying too hard and there isn't really any personal character in the piece, versus with hook, who embodied hyuna's weirdness a little more authentically and took a completely different direction. 4. jessi - lachica vs holybang lachica took this one easily, although their formations were a bit wonky for nununana, they covered it fairly well and i think they managed the best transition between songs (between nununana and gucci). they were sharper with good stage pictures and had a good gimmick with the double fringe on the gloves and hats. holy bang had some issues fitting their extra person into the what type of x choreo, but they did well with their own choreo. however, like with coca n butter and hook, because lachica took a new visual spin, this felt too derivative of jessi, so it wasn't that interesting for me to watch. i do think they are one of the groups on the stronger end of skills and presence. --- as far as visually what performances i liked the best, since would this even be a writeup by me if i didn't talk about design, here's a quick breakdown:

prowdmon - got some rudimentary setpieces, got a theme, got some fun variations on a uniform look; excellent for what i assume was limited budget capacity and also it's a dance crew show.

lachica - great continuity of effect in costuming with the fringe, and using the gloves as a mouth/lip effect was one of the most interesting choices of these routines.

hook - the pink wigs and the black latex on the checkered floor was a nice gimmick that was a bit of a nod to hyuna's weird without being too derivative. i'm not expecting a whole lot because these are dance crews but i think this was a decent amount of styling effort.

want - they made a bold choice with the hats and even though it didn't quite pay off for them i still respect it.

coca n butter/ygx/holybang/wayb - ygx and wayb did basic hip hop type styling and while it's absolutely fine, it's just boring. holybang went for a directly inspired jessi look, and although yes bodysuits, overall it wasn't that interesting either. coca n butter get props for doing a costume change and actually incorporating that into the choreo but it feels too much like it's trying to be hyuna weird with the caution tape strapped over their tits and asses.

---

as a final note/question to you, my lovely invested swf anon, what's the format of the show? are there stages like this every episode to review? if these were from the fourth one only, is there anything worth me reviewing in the first three? i'm not particularly interested in the aggressive competitive nature of the show and editing so i don't particularly want to watch the full two hour episodes, but if you think it's worthwhile for me to review stuff then i will. otherwise if there's a set structure (like with kingdom) i can seek out the stages specifically and review them if i know what i'm looking for.

#street woman fighter #swf #swf reviews #i dont really know what the international reception is. the very few people ive seen talking about it on twt #have been insane kpoppies disrespecting boa. so not the best ifan showing so far #am i back in my review era already???? we shall see #(while i still have like EIGHT different asks left. if you wonder why im taking so long to get to some of them. that is why)#(OH plus the first half of the stylings post. and the fabled fave choreos post. so many things in my drafts rn)#(but also please dont stop sending me questions it makes me very happy. the gerbil in my brain is just slow)#dear anon who just asked me about red lights and kink. mwah you are welcome to slide into my dms anytime you like #wait by putting kink in the tags did i just invite a bunch of pornbots onto this #whatever lmao #might need to start a new organizational tag for this because it's only kpop adjacent. thoughts for later #text #answers #ngl these group names are gonna drive me insane. why are all dance crew names so fucking weird

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tmp-jatp · 4 years ago

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so it’s encouragement day or something i think

most of you guys have already heard this from me but i’m gonna do it again, this time in public, so that you can hear it again and everyone can know how much i love you. this is by no means an exhaustive list so if you don’t see yourself on here please know it’s not because i don’t like you, just bc i’m human and can’t remember everyone all the time. but for those i am naming today, i want to share with you what i think your niche in the fandom is as a writer, or at least what i know you best for. you all do all of these things but to call out one unique thing for each of you, this is what i offer as my gift

first off: @pink-flame k. my friend. my bestie here in jatp land. you already know all this, like i said, but girl. fliomea was the first jatp fic i ever read and i wouldn’t have had it any other way. i remember reading every single chapter of wfw each night it came out and it was the highlight of my day, every day. and then the chapters spread out further bc fair, daily 4k chaps is an insane schedule, and each new chapter was a surprise present. the way i say to everyone is this: you write the epics. that’s your signature here in the fandom. that’s your “thing”. you create entire worlds and it feels like i’ve opened my eyes again i’m reading a ya novel. even when it’s not an epic, like the bodyguard au, it’s still so good. fliomea and wfw are two of the most iconic fics in this fandom and two of the most memorable fics i’ve ever read in my life. hello?? beatrice, anyone? queenie? sammi? josie? wonderland??? iconic. one of the other “things”, i wanna note, is how much you write bobby, and you write him so well. you’ve made all of us love bobby, and you’ve made me love you.

@thedeathdeelers immy i love you so much. you’re my other jatp bestie. i love saying good morning to you at midnight and then again at nine. you have so many wonderful ideas for stories, and you make the best headcanons. that is your “thing” in the fandom. also the way that you’re always shouting about soulmates. i couldn��t imagine this place without you here, and we’d all be worse off if you weren’t. your reggie and ray drabbles bring fresh air to my lungs. whenever i see that someone’s reblogged something from you, i go through the notes to see your rb so i can read all your tags, because i can’t get enough of what you have to say. your headcanons are basically canon to me. you’re my number one rubber duck and i love you. don’t stop screaming about juke. ever. (<3)

@pearlcaddy your “thing” is the pining. also your dialogue. that’s pretty clear to all of us, i think. but i love the way that you put the jatp cast of characters into places that you’ve lived. you use what you know to write stories that feel so rich and alive. wizarding world, usc, ireland. these settings come to life and you solder the plot and characters’ emotions to the settings in a way that makes them unable to exist without one another. not only your worldbuilding and your pining, but your dialogue is stellar. (haha i didn’t even mean to do that) there’s always something that sticks out and has stayed with me, and i’ve told you before, but now for the benefit of anyone else reading this: remember “cold or frozen”. remember “string obedient woman”. remember “julie stellar molina”. you write some of the best alex and reggie, too. you've made me laugh, you've made me cry, you’ve made me start listening to jukebox the ghost, i love you.

@blush-and-books chloe you’re the one i spoke to most recently but i wanna say basically the same things (and more) again for the world to hear how much i love your stories. while pearlcaddy’s settings feel huge and awesome, your settings all feel small, like home. everything you write, i can feel. i’m there. i’m sitting in the auditorium while auditions for the music man begin, feeling the excitement for the new show and smelling that smell of the seats and the walls and the air. i’m standing on the loose gravel in the alley out to the side of the orpheum with the buzzing red light of the “ex-t” sign glowing up there and it feels humid. i’m in the library at my own table, trying hard to hide my own smile as i watch the looks being passed between the boy reading to the kids and that girl who is clearly not studying even though she’s trying to make it seem so. i’m in julie’s room and i see the ring on her finger and the fanny pack on the chair and the leather jacket hanging in the closet. your “thing” is that you have such a unique attention to detail that captures the scene and the feeling of what’s going on impeccably. perfectly. something about your way to capture the literal air of every room, i can feel it, i can smell it. i can’t get enough of what you write, and i love you.

@lydias--stiles ophelia i’ve never said a word to you ever except for in the ao3 comment box and that changes today. you’re so good at fluff but you’re right when you say that angst is where you excel. i haven’t read as much of your stuff as i’d like to have (read: all of it), but that’s definitely gonna change in the future. calm in the storm is such a gritty story but it also feels so real. you don’t hold back. i don’t know your work well enough to definitively say what your “thing” is. i’d like to, though. all i know is that today i was thinking of the way that soul and love tasted purple at anima and i went back to that fic to ctrl-f for every time you said “purple”. your stuff might not be on the front of my mind all the time, but it’s there, in my memory, and it won’t ever leave.

@bluefirewrites your stuff is good as canon to me, even though most of it is au. like ophelia, i don’t know your “thing” because i don’t know your writing well enough to say, even though i’ve read most of it. stupid cupid and doodled shoes have me on the edge of my seat right now and i love reading every new chapter. your juke’s dynamics are so uniquely you and even though they’re different across your fics, your julie and your luke are so perfect and somehow always the same, but different. do you feel me? probably not. i think i’m trying to say i love the way you interpret the characters. they feel canon, but also they don’t in the best way possible. exmas is another iconic fic, and knock three times, too. you do so many things so well that i can’t pick just one that stands out above the rest.

i love so many of you guys that i haven’t listed here. so many fics i read i just wanna shower you with all the love but it’s late so i go to sleep and i leave the tab open so in the morning i can comment but by then i’ve lost most of the specific things i wanted to say. so know that i’m always trying to be profound and all that stuff like i tried to be here, but sometimes i fail terribly. happy jatp appreciation day or whatever today is, everyone.

#mine

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idontworkforsega · 5 years ago

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Hii! ^^ My first time asking for a promt here :3 I'm a big fan of you and cutegirlmayra's work! Could you maybe if you'd like, make a fic about amy turning into a boy or something from a machine tails made? Like gender blend. How would sonic react? Make it sonamy ;>

Hey! Thank you! I’m so excited this is your first time asking for a prompt. I hope to see many more from your beautiful mind, Cherry-chan ^^

I don’t know… Cutegirlmayra is kinda hard to beat… but since we’re setting the bar, I’ll jump as high as my writing can take me! :Db

Prompt:

It was supposed to help Tails understand the female mind more… but instead, as Amy sat in the chair with the strange waves moving up and down her body from the helmet attached to her head, a new–stranger–sensation set in.

Suddenly, she didn’t feel like herself.

In fact, her stomach hurt. But it was a different kind of hurt.

She needed to pee.

“Are we done yet, Tails?”

She covered her mouth instantly, “T-Tails!?! Why is my voice so low!”

She felt something move under her hands and touched what felt like a… “Adam’s apple!?” she jumped up, “MY BOOBS!” her dress looked deflated. Instinctively, she covered her chest with her arms, almost hugging herself, and realizing nothing but a broad chest was there.

“AaahhhhaaAAAAHhh….” she made a sound that could only be interpreted as uncomfortable as she lifted a leg up and crunched her body in.

Tails was still analyzing some things, not having turned around. “Huh. That’s funny. It seems instead of putting information in to counter-play the male brain dynamics… the machine ended up downloading information out… but that’s odd, information can’t download into-” he slowly turned around as Amy was waving her arms about, trying to get his attention as he gasped.

He fell back and gripped the edge of his lab desk, his engineering pieces falling everywhere behind him. “Oh, Chaos!” he shouted out, “What… who… Amy?!”

She whimpered…. he whimpered???

Tails shook his head, “That’s impossible.” he turned back to the computer, typed some things in, then shoved the entire keyboard and turned back to walk up to Amy, “How is this possible?!”

Amy frantically tried to place her hands anywhere that wouldn’t be touching her newfound body, “I don’t know, but I care, so fix this and give me back my cute girlish charms.” she was surprisingly trying to keep herself relatively calm but was failing drastically.

“Huh. I think I’m gonna have to reverse the polarity-” Tails looked away for only half a second, but Amy’s now manly hands grabbed at his chest fur and hoisted him up to her/his face.

“Don’t leave me like… This!” Amy used her eyes to gesture to herself.

Her now, baggy, dress fell flat and barely moved with her. With the figure change, so did the clothes…

“A-Amy…” Tails tapped her hands, “You probably have a lot more testosterone in ya then you’re used too! It’s causing you to be violent… just… set me down… deep breaths.” Tails lightly tapped her hand, as though saying ‘uncle, uncle!’ at her new found strength.

She was always strong, but with more muscle and bone mass, she was even more of a destructive powerhouse… probably more than she was used to having.

“O-oh… Deep breaths… right.” she put him down.

Her boyish form moved over to the most reflective surface she could find, gripping her now spiking hair as it wouldn’t fully lay flat–the object she chose was a steel plane cover that had been taken off one of Tails’s earlier planes for refurbishment.

She looked at her mouth, her eyes, the now angled and sharpened three bangs she had.

Nothing looked soft anymore… She wanted to cry but tears weren’t coming.

Why was that?

She looked at her dress, now looking ridiculous on her as it didn’t hold its same ‘hoop’ look. She was like wearing a huge, basketball t-shirt with a tight band at her waist.

She then saw something she never knew she’d like.

Her gentle look.

She was amazed to see that her eyes, although different, still held her emotions well in them.

“I-I’ll fix this, Amy! I’ll do… do something!” Tails was clearly flustered, but had no idea that whilst he talked to himself, Amy began to smile, and flexed in the reflective steel.

“Take your time…” she chimed, registering her voice a little higher than a man would normally carry it. There was some music in her voice, as she made a duck face and turned around, looking at her new–flatter–butt. “Well that’s a shame.” she stated, but then rolled up her dress to see her tail. “Interesting…” she lowered that and let the fabric flop back into place.

She touched her teeth, checking for fangs, before making cute faces and realizing… “You know what, Tails?”

“I’m sorry! I’m really, truly sorry, Amy! This wasn’t supposed to happen…” Still oblivious to her new found discovery, Tails was continuing to work rapidly on his computer.

She side-glanced him, frowned to the side of her face as though deciding not to tell him, and smiled at herself in the reflection. “I look pretty good.” she placed her hands on her hips and grinned brighter.

She tried to sneak away from Tails… but her usual 'hip movement’ now seemed blocky and caused her slow down her steps. 'Do men really not move with a figure-8?’ she was making a lot of discoveries, taking more 'straighter’ steps and realizing that her arms didn’t need to move so much anymore. 'Huh,’ she tilted her head, 'This man-body is well-portioned. I wonder if it’s because I take care of my diet..?’ she continued to move swiftly and stealthily out of Tails’s home.

As she made her way outside, everything still felt the same. 'Wind? check.’ she moved her gloved hand out into the air, then stepped forward. 'Balance? A little different… but not by much.’ she jumped around, “Ya-hoo!” she charged ahead, summoning her hammer, which was now enormously larger than before, and much heavier. “Yikes!” she adjusted her grip with two hands and then spun herself, charging towards a zone to test out her new self.

It was strange, she felt different, but it wasn’t bad?

Besides, she trusted Tails to fix it… after all… he had to fix it… right?

That’s when it dawned on her.

“Hey…” she put her hammer down by her side. “If I’m a boy now… I wonder…” She placed a hand on her chest, and looked excitedly towards what looked like a flash of blue blur…

She grinned, a bit mischievously. “Hmmmm….”

A devious new plan…

Was forged.

Sonic sped by Metal Sonic, goofing around as he placed his two hands to the side of his face, sticking his tongue out, and taunting Metal Sonic on.

Metal Sonic’s engine revved in fury, but Sonic just chuckled and ran through one of Eggman’s collapsing base doors, extremely thick and made of titanium, meaning that Metal Sonic crashed into it–unable to break in time.

With the explosion behind the closed door, Sonic dusted off his hands and made his way back to the zone. “Trashed a wannabe-robot, raced a loser, and… explosions. Yep. Full day, as usual.” he flicked his nose, walking on until almost bumping into somebody.

“Woah!” He stepped back.

Amy had revamped the dress, making it look just like a thrown-over, long t-shirt tucked enough so in that it looked to resemble a lazy attire, but still a boy’s look. She had manipulated her headband into a 'sweatband’ and placed it in front of her bangs, making them swoop back a bit and change her iconic look.

Her spikes now stood more up and pointed outward, mimicking male hedgehogs but still retaining some soft bends towards their crook.

She rolled down her boots to match the dress’s 'baggy’ look and winked to Sonic. “S'up dude!” she coughed, clearing her voice and placing the new designed Piko-Piko Hammer, the much bigger and heavier one too, on her shoulders.

“…Ummm…” Sonic tilted his head, then tapped his foot. “Do I know you?”

“Oh!” Amy grew a bit flustered, but pointed to the heap of robots behind her. “I-I-um, ehem- saw you were chased by some no-good robots and thought I’d help out!” she tried to keep the deeper range on her new voice, but it still came off a bit fake…

“…Uh…huh.” Sonic folded his arms, squinting. “I thought I noticed some robots trailing off at the end there… Thanks! I guess.” He gave the boy a wave and walked up to him, patting his shoulder. “What’s your name, pal?”

Thinking him a fan, Sonic shrugged off the similar and familiar vibe he was getting, and took it as just 'stranger danger’ for a moment.

Amy felt a tinge from the touch, the same excitement she felt before was different now in this body, but it still felt like her heart was giddy. 'Strange,’ she looked at his hand, 'I’m still happy to be around him… but it feels… somewhat different now. But I can still recognize how I feel.’ Amy closed her eyes, relieved that even in her boy body, she could still feel her girlish wonder for Sonic.

“I’m A-” she cut herself off, “I-I mean-” her more feminine tones came out as she took the hammer in front of herself and shifted her eyes about, “Amil… Amil the Hedgehog.” she cleared her voice and tried to keep it at a normal, still deeper than her usual voice.

Sonic raised an eyebrow, feeling something off about this dude and removed his hand. “Ohh… k?” he didn’t feel comfortable with this guy. “You okay there, Amil?”

“Oh! Just excited to meet a real hero! That’s all!” Amy twirled her hammer, attempting to lean on it but it whacked her in the face, “Ow!”

'Geez, I can’t control my own strength!’ She silently cursed her new, muscular body and poofed the hammer away.

“Rrrriight.” Sonic smiled, but a sweat-drop had appeared on the side of his face. “Well, I should be off…” He began to move on, “Take care!”

“W-wa-wait!”

Surprisingly, Sonic did.

Why did Sonic stop when a dude asked, but not when she asked him too?

Trying to play off the fact that she could be mistaken as a young boy, she decided to play the part of an awkward new kid in town. “Mind if I train a bit with you? Fighting robots?” she pointed to the field, having some of Eggman’s robots still littering the zone.

Sonic looked to the boy and then the zone,… after a double-take, he smiled and gave her a thumbs up. “Sure thing, pal! Want to fight along a hero?”

“Absolutely!” Amy’s eyes shined.

She was able to see a different side of Sonic, one more relaxed but still trying to keep up appearances in front of a fanboy… She liked that even though he didn’t know it was her, she could still feel his kindness and friendship towards her.

“Woo! You sure know how to swing that hammer!” Sonic stretched out on a low-riding tree branch, still having his feet planted on the ground, as Amy watched him with happy admiration. “Harder and more violent than someone else I know.” he yawned.

'This is my chance!’ Amy’s eyes lit up at that.

“R-really?” She tried to play it cool, leaning on the branch with her arm up by her head, but it looked way too much like she was leaning into him.

Sonic didn’t notice though, so she quickly grew nervous and moved back to folding her arms and facing forward.

“Yeah, just an old friend.”

She frowned. 'I’m not that old…’

“W-what is he like?” Amy played along, tilting on her heels which … as Sonic adjusted his gloves, made him look down and suspiciously look back up at the boy.

'That’s something Amy does when she’s trying to be sneaky about something…’ he thought, but shrugged it off. 'Amy couldn’t pull off such an elaborate ruse. There’s no way she could hide those long eyelashes, or even glue them down.’ he snickered, but Amy wondered what that was about.

“Not… a boy?” She thought he might be laughing at the fact that she said 'he’.

“Nah, but can rough it out like the rest of us.” he finished adjusting his gloves and smiled back to him. “Hey, Amil. Ever had a girl you liked?”

She felt her whole body shoot up with fire. Strange, as a girl, this felt like bubbled lightning…

“W-w-wh-what do you mean?” She was acting extremely suspicious, and Sonic began to see more and more Amy in this dude…

He narrowed his eyes, 'Is it Amy..?’ he leaned closer. “Yeah…” he smirked, turning his body more towards her, and tilting his head back. “Is that a yes?”

“I-I mean… W-where did this come from?” She grew nervous. 'If I say the truth, he’ll think I’m a dude who likes him or something! I-I-I don’t want to make this awkward for him…’

As the boy looked down, clearly nervous, Sonic decided to play it smooth. He did the exact same stance Amy had pulled moments before, with his arm up and his hand supporting his head as he leaned against the branch, turning more towards her…

“You just seem like the romantic type.”

Amy suddenly felt a strange sensation and grabbed at her stomach, 'Oh my Chaos…’ she sweat nervously, looking up at his face.

With such a clear sign coming off of Sonic, she almost felt like she was about to spit out in a gasped shock, 'WHAT IF HE’S GAY!?!?!?’

Amy moved away, shaking her hands out. “H-aafahsahbah-!!” she couldn’t speak right, her head was reeling. 'Does he know it’s me??! Is he actually flirting with some stranger!? Oh no… what if he is gay!? What if that’s why he’s always so charming and sincere, but never available!?!?’ Amy’s head reeled as she didn’t realize she was blushing in real life… nor keeping up her 'manly facade’ very well.

“Got'cha.” Sonic pretended to 'fire’ with his hand, which he had formed into a gun-like position, and tapped her forehead. “You’re Amy, aren’t ya?”

Her knees wobbled, before she slowly fell to her legs. 'What’s going on!!?!?’ her eyes were wheeling.

“Hahaha! Knew that was you. Nice try, Ames. But there’s no way I wouldn’t notice you.” He waved a finger, thinking himself very clever before…

He picked the bloke up and felt the strange weight difference.

Then…

He noticed the shape of the dude in his arms… the different body suddenly made him drop Amy and speed back.

“What on earth!?” He thought maybe she had chest-binded, but that wasn’t the case now. “Are… Are you not…?” Now Sonic’s head was clearly reeling.

“I-I can explain-” Amy began, but Sonic immediately bowed in apology, then looked away extremely nervous.

“Woah, sorry dude! You act exactly like a friend of mine. I mistook you for a second as her, but you’re clearly not.” He offered him his hand. “Seriously, really sorry! You two have a lot of similarities… hope that doesn’t squash your ego, though. Girls love a man in pink!” he winked, trying to recover from what he thought was a blunder.

Amy’s eyes seemed to shrink, “You… mistook me?” She suddenly burst into laughter.

Sonic felt all his pride dwindle away then, his head hung low and his spirit almost seemed to be escaping the embarrassment by flying out of his mouth, having three spikes in it’s ghostly form to show it was him.

“Hahaha! That wouldn’t be the first time. You’re okay. A lot of people mistake me as looking kinda girly.” She scratched the back of her head, then narrowed her eyes in a smirk, 'Who’s got who?’ she disguised her victorious, devilish laugh as just part of her mocking him. “Anyway, what’s this girl like? Someone special to you? Must be if you think she would dress up just to trick you.” She waited with sparkling eyes as she got up to hear something romantic slip from his mouth again–and this time–no jokes!

Sonic scratched his nose, looking away with a frown. “Well,… she’s a handful. I’ll say that much.”

A shot fired through her heart. She could literally fell it sinking. “W-what?”

“Well, you know girls.” he shrugged then, “Kinda emotional.”

Amy’s eyes bounced down, “O-oh… you think she’s clingy then?” something hard was stopping her from swallowing… something fierce was forming in her fist… was this… rage?

Normally, the first emotion would be devastation, right? Being rejected so openly and bluntly… but that emotion swept by and was immediately replaced with some form of anger and shame.

Was she not good enough?

She dipped her head, darkening out her expression.

“Clingy? I wouldn’t say that. She just gets lonely sometimes… understandable for the lifestyle I live.” He walked by, but Amy grabbed his arm before he moved too much away. “H-huh?”

“Ever thought that maybe that could hurt too?”

Sonic was a bit weirded out again, now thinking this wasn’t–in fact–Amy. “Umm…”

“Maybe she just feels things differently… maybe girls… feel differently about things than you do…”

“Then… I do?” He noticed a strange mix-up in the boy’s speech, and slowly turned back to him. “…Amy..?” he questioned it again, as Amy released his arm.

“There you go again… just cause a dude’s a little more sensitive doesn’t mean he’s a-”

Sonic grabbed her by the shoulders, spinning her around and digging his eyes into her own, studying her.

She tensed up, freezing in place…

“…Tell me, honestly.” He narrowed his eyes, “…Are you in there?”

Amy felt herself let go of the facade, “Tails’s machine changed me… he said he’d change it back, but I wanted to see you…” Finally… there was finally tears forming. Her old emotions kicked in, but violently pushed her.

She grabbed him, a little too strongly, back into her arms and gripped him there. “Being a boy is so confusing!!!” she cried out, her voice turning back into a higher register. “Why can’t I make sense of my emotions anymore!? It’s like, they’re not all at once, they’re different and happening at different times. I don’t like this anymore! I don’t want you to being so chill with men and not me! I want you to be like this and honest without tricking me like I’m something different! WHAAA-HAAA-HAAA!!!”

The signature cry made Sonic’s eyes widened.

“You’re not kidding…” He sweatdropped, moving her away, “A-Amy,… if you really are in a different body now then…”

“But I’m still me.” she sniffed, her usual look suddenly coming through the sharpness of her new, angled features and face. Her hands were bundled up by her chest now, and Sonic could see his memory flash between Amy and the boy standing in front of him now.

“Alright,… Alright, just… take a deep breath.” he was much kinder now, something Amy had missed.

“Why do you and Tails say the same things.” she rubbed her eyes, “Boys can still cry?”

“Of course we can cry.” Sonic smiled, putting an arm around her shoulders and winking into her, moving her towards Tails’s direction. “But let me ask you something… you haven’t… you know..?”

“What?” Amy looked up, quite innocently at him.

“Needed to… well… nature’s calling, or anything… right?”

She gasped, blinking and understanding what he was saying. She put her hands up to her face, “I’ve been holding it this whole time!”

Sonic, again, very awkwardly offered his arms, “Let’s get you Tails… I think you look a lot cuter as a girl, though…” He blinked, rather innocently at her new body, “You’re so much scarier as a boy! You were savage towards those robots!”

“Oh, you.” She fanned a hand out, “I’m still tried from crying. Why do boys tire so easily?”

“What? Women don’t?” Sonic joked, scooping her up.

“We handle it a lot better… cause it’s not all at once.” She stuck out her tongue.

“I guess you can’t really say things like that, Amy.” He began to take off, “Besides… you’ve only been a dude for a half a day, right?”

“R-right.” Amy blushed, embarrassed to be making so many comparisons.

“There’s one thing we can kinda agree on though, right?” Sonic sped up to Tails’s door, then struck a confident, flirty pose. “Boy or girl… I still got it.”

“D'oh! You-!!!”

Amy was changed back, and though glad to pee as she always had, still kinda wished she could have continued talking to Sonic as a boy.

It felt different, but it wasn’t so bad.

(This isn’t really my forte, it’s hard to write these, but Genderbending is fun regardless! I was about to call out a rule that Cutegirlmayra has on you, but I let it slide ;) might not happen in the future tho!)

Fanfiction Entry 608 (x)

#sonamy #sonamy genderbend #sonic au #sonamy au prompt #sonamy prompt #amy rose genderbend #Idontworkforsega #cutegirlmayra #sonicxamy

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anarchy-n-glitter · 6 years ago

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Angel of Music Chapter 1

Lucille

She awoke in a cold sweat in the early hours of the morning, the bed cold and the room dark. Her hand reached out to her right, only to feel the cold emptiness of her missing partner. Her eyes lazily glided toward the digital clock on her fiancé’s nightstand, which read six thirty. With a sigh she sat up and stretched, running her hands through her nearly-white, curly hair. She began to hum a quiet tune as she swung her legs over the mattress and slipped her feet into the fuzzy, pink slippers that sat beside her bed, perfectly lined up so that when she woke up all she had to do was step into them.

The blinds let in tiny blue slivers of light through the gaps, and Lucille peeked through them to see if her beloved was sitting outside, looking at the lake behind their home. She furrowed her eyebrows when she saw that he wasn’t.

Lucille didn’t believe herself to be a good housewife, like Roger’s sister or even her own mother. Lucille often slept in later than him, she couldn’t cook, nor did she know how to work an iron. However, she loved him, and she supposed that was all that mattered. She opened his closet and set out his white, button-down shirt along with a black tie, before looking on the floor for his work shoes, which she couldn’t seem to find. She furrowed her eyebrows in confusion before circling around and looking under the bed. She let out a deep sigh when she realized that they probably weren’t in the bedroom, which meant that she had forgotten to bring them in from the living room.

She stood, straightening out her white nightgown and huffing at the amount of dirt on her elbows. She really was a bad housewife.

Roger stepped into the room, a towel wrapped around his waist and his brown hair darker with water and soaking wet. Little droplets of water traced down his neck and chest and Lucille couldn’t help but think about how she would have to clean up the water later before it ruined the wooden floors. He looked at her with a small, innocent smile that made her heart melt.

“You’re up early.” He said to her while moving toward the bed. She put up her index finger as a way to say wait a minute while she moved toward the drawers and pulled out his underwear and slacks. She smiled at him lovingly while placing the items of clothing on the bed.

“Do you really think you’re putting on that nice, white shirt with your hair soaked like that? It’ll be see through by the time you’re out the door.” She joked, prompting a small laugh from him. He grabbed onto his underwear and pulled them up his legs before handing her his towel.

“Then clean me up, my love.” He said teasingly. She threw the towel back at his chest in a playful way.

“Do it yourself, stud. We both know that you won’t make it to work if I do that for you.” She told him before walking off. He watched as she left, but before she got to the door he spoke.

“Where are you going?”

“I’m putting on a pot of coffee. Why?” Roger placed the towel atop his head, rubbing furiously and sprinkling water atop their grey sheets. Lucille, in that moment, could have sworn she was going to snap due to how reckless he was, but she knew that he was better than where she was in the past.

“I already got it.” And there it was. The reason for her staying with him, despite how obliviously sloppy he was. In all honesty, Roger was like the human equivalent of a puppy dog. He meant well, and he loves you unconditionally, even if he destroys everything in his path.

She smiled at him.

“Just get ready, baby.” She told him before feeling the anxiety that she was forgetting something wash over her.

“Are you buying lunch today?” She asked. Roger nodded as he buttoned up his shirt. Lucille simply gave a thumbs up as she began to walk down the hall.

She made her way into the kitchen and grabbed a mug that was left out on the counter, and she felt a wave of disappointment and mortification wash over her. All she could think about was how she was failing at being a housewife before they got married, and she was left wondering what would happen to them once they did. Part of her was afraid he’d leave her, and the other part was worried that she’d leave him, though it wouldn’t entirely be her choice.

She began pouring the bitter, black liquid into her mug when she felt Roger’s arms snake around her waist.

“Am I a bad housewife?” She asked, somewhat jokingly to hide her self-consciousness. She felt Roger’s head shift on her shoulder and felt his breath tickle her neck.

“Yes…” He trailed off, feeling her slump in his arms.

“But it isn’t entirely your fault.” She felt her heart drop. Suddenly she felt like she was going to vomit.

“Then who’s fault is it, Roger?” She asked, a certain dangerousness in her voice. She felt Roger’s hands leave her hips as he turned her around, his brown eyes gleaming with, what she interpreted as, pity.

“Not yours.” He said in a tone that told her to stop asking. His hand found hers and he squeezed it reassuringly. They didn’t say another word to one another until he left, and even then she didn’t speak to him.

Lucille felt as if her poor choices in the past had finally caught up to her. She was finally getting to control her own life, yet as time went on she felt more and more out of control of herself and her life. No matter how many times people tell her it wasn’t her fault, no matter how many times they try to reassure her, she’ll always feel guilt.

Her hand came up to grasp at the ring around her neck, and she smiled, despite the tears that fell down her cheeks.

Roger came home to Lucille, sitting on the couch, waiting for him. She was dressed up, with her hair pulled back and her makeup done. She wore the pearls that she had gotten from him on their one-year anniversary, and the white dress with black lace on the end that she had gotten from her mother that Christmas. She made sure to look perfect for him after cleaning the house all day and cooking. Although, the cake she tried to make didn’t seem to come out right, she knew that she couldn’t go wrong with a TV dinner.

He took one look at her before throwing his briefcase to the side and smashing his lips to hers, smearing her lipstick slightly. Her eyes were wide and her hands were up between them in shock. She wasn’t sure why she was fighting it, but she knew that something didn’t feel right about this. She worked hard that day because of the way he was acting toward her, not because she wanted sex.

She pushed him away gently, smiling awkwardly at him while he stared in confusion.

“I made dinner.” She watched as his face fell.

“It’s a TV dinner. All I had to do is microwave it.” She admitted, bringing the smile back to his face. He kicked off his shoes and made his way into the kitchen, where the microwavable meals were sitting on the table. Lucille couldn’t help but let out a laugh.

“Is my cooking really that bad?” She asked, astonished.

“Yes.” Roger answered as he sat down at the table. Lucille sat in the chair across from him with forks and napkins in hand. She placed his fork and napkin in front of him before doing the same for herself, and awkwardly watched as he dug in. Her hand went back to the necklace again, clasping around the ring that hung from it.

“Roger, I have a question.” She spoke up finally, yet this brought her no relief. She wasn’t even sure whether she wanted to bring this up, but now she had to say something, even if she decided not to go through with asking. He looked up from his meal, his innocent eyes melting her heart again. He swallowed before speaking.

“Yes, my love?” Lucille took in a sharp breath, finding it hard to put the words together. She knew what she wanted to say, what she needed to bring up, but she was afraid. She was afraid that if she were to mention it then he’d return; then she’d betray herself and go back to him.

“Have I been… acting strange?” She finally asked. The room suddenly fell silent. Roger stared at her, his brown eyes wide with shock. Lucille looked down at her untouched dinner, feeling as if she were going to puke at any moment. She heard the clank of metal against their wooden table and knew that he had put down his fork. His hand reached across the table to grab hers, and once her cold hand was in his grasp he began to stroke it with his thumb.

“I didn’t want to alarm you…” That was when she snapped. She stood up, the chair falling backward and banging on the wooden floors, tears falling from her face, smearing her makeup down her cheeks as she completely let go. Her fists were balled and she felt her long nails digging into her palms.

“Didn’t want to alarm me?” She asked, her voice chillingly calm for someone who looked as enraged as Lucille.

“Didn’t want to alarm me?” She shouted, repeating the same sentence over again. Her hands flew up to her hair, her fingers raking through her platinum locks as she began to panic.

“What have I been doing?” She asked, her voice uneven and scared. Roger shook his head.

“Y-you’ve been waking up in the middle of the night. It wasn’t that big of a deal… I just figured you were-”

“Roger!” She shouted, completely hysterical by that point. Her breathing was uneven as she sobbed.

“Please tell me that you didn’t give her your name. Tell me that you put her back where she belongs so she can’t hurt you.” She demanded. Roger looked down, and suddenly she felt her whole world shatter. She couldn’t remember a damn thing he was talking about, but she knew what had happened.

“Sometimes I’d wake up and you were next to me, but sat up…” Roger began, looking down in shame and fear. Lucille couldn’t seem to wrap her head around his thought process, she was too hysterical to try. He was in danger now and she knew it, they both were. She walked over to him, and although he didn’t cower she could tell that he was uncomfortable. She knelt down, placing a kiss on his lips before slumping into his chest.

“Roger…” She wept. He held her close.

“Other times you’d be in here, next to the phone.” He said, knowing that he was dooming himself. Lucille looked up, her face even more alarmed.

“But when you… she… was in here I knew not to try anything.” Lucille nodded, her hand clasping around his tightly.

“I know, Rog, and I’m proud of you for trying.” She began to sob again. He cradled her head next to his chest, holding her there securely, thus giving her the security she thought she had when she met him.

“But we don’t know if she…”

“We do, Rog, it’s too late. We gotta get outta here.” Lucille whimpered. All Roger could do was hold her, and that’s what he did. She loved him because he was sweet, because when he found out about what had happened to her he didn’t turn away. Most importantly, however, she loved him because she believed he could protect her from both herself and the man from her past.

However, Lucille knew this wouldn’t last.

#fanfiction #bad times at the el royale #billy lee x oc #billy lee

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lifejustgotawkward · 7 years ago

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365 Day Movie Challenge (2017) - #348: Blade Runner 2049 (2017) - dir. Denis Villeneuve

As the end credits rolled on Blade Runner 2049 last Sunday night at the Regal Union Square multiplex, I turned to my friend and asked her my usual question, “So, what did you think?” She groaned out, “that was really boring,” and the wave of relief I felt at her response was the perfect summation of my feelings.

How did Blade Runner 2049 disappoint me? Let me count the ways.

I watched Ridley Scott’s original Blade Runner (1982) back in September. I was impressed, though not bowled over, by the theatrical cut, but I still wanted to give the final cut a chance. When I got around to watching that “definitive” version, I found that I actually missed Harrison Ford’s gruff, noiresque narration from the earlier edit of the film, but overall my appreciation for Blade Runner had grown and the second viewing allowed me to focus less on the plot and to better appreciate both the acting and the technical aspects of the production.

My expectations for Blade Runner 2049 were fairly high. I was eager to see how Denis Villeneuve built on Scott’s (and, of course, writer Philip K. Dick’s) visions of dystopian Los Angeles by pushing the narrative thirty years further into the future from the first Blade Runner’s setting in 2019. Although I missed the chance to see this new installment in IMAX - hey, those tickets are expensive when you don’t have spare cash to throw around! - I knew I still had to take the time to watch the film on the big screen. No TV could possibly do justice to an epic sci-fi tale of the Blade Runner variety, at least not for an introductory experience.

Bear with me, now, when I say that Blade Runner 2049 was a massive letdown. Yes, Roger Deakins’ stunning cinematography is practically guaranteed to earn him an Oscar nomination. And yes, the art direction, production design and set decoration further supports Denis Villeneuve‘s strengths regarding compelling visuals. I would also be totally fine with Renée April getting an Oscar nomination for costume design since the coat that Officer K (Ryan Gosling) wears throughout the film is incredible. Unfortunately, for the third year in a row (after Sicario and Arrival) my hopes for Villeneuve’s work have been dashed. For three years running he has fallen short of his ambitious ideas, whether attempting to concentrate on an idealistic DEA agent (Emily Blunt in Sicario), a linguist simultaneously mourning the death of her daughter and trying to make contact with aliens (Amy Adams in Arrival) or a Replicant Blade Runner (Ryan Gosling in Blade Runner 2049) who unravels a mystery about a female Replicant who was able to bear a child. All of these protagonists should be worthy of my undivided attention. Instead, Gosling - like one of Nexus’s new edition of Replicants - is just another in a continuing line of failed leads.

Part of the issue is Ryan Gosling’s own fault. In interviews I find him absolutely delightful, a funny and self-deprecating guy with a nicely offbeat sense of humor; in movies he is unremittingly bland. Whether we’re talking about The Notebook or Crazy, Stupid, Love or The Big Short, he never seems to have any discernible personality on film. It makes sense, then, that he would be chosen to play an android in Blade Runner 2049. But what does it say that he didn’t even play Officer K well? Replicants can be portrayed with emotion, if you recall Rutger Hauer, Sean Young, Daryl Hannah, Brion James and Joanna Cassidy in the original Blade Runner. Each actor breathed life into their characters in unique styles. So why couldn’t Villeneuve and screenwriters Hampton Fancher and Michael Green find a way to inject some flavor into their film’s characters?

The posters for Blade Runner 2049 imply that Harrison Ford and Jared Leto play important roles in the film, but in actuality, Leto’s “antagonist,” Niander Wallace, barely has any screen time and Ford’s returning antihero, Rick Deckard, doesn’t show up until the last third of the film. I enjoyed every moment he was onscreen, spitting his dialogue out with the same jaded sarcasm he had in the first film, but I wish the character had had more time to develop in the film. Wallace bears an undistinguished aura of evil, but what was supposed to be so special about him? Given the spotlight often put on his sightless eyes during “creepy” closeups, was his blindness really intended to be read as part of what defined him as bad (in which case, uh, what is that saying about disabilities)?

Next we have to take a look at the women of Blade Runner 2049. There are six notable female characters: Joi (Ana de Armas), a hologram who is a product created by Niander Wallace and who functions solely as K’s live-in girlfriend; Luv (Sylvia Hoeks), a Replicant who acts as Niander Wallace’s right-hand woman; Lieutenant Joshi (Robin Wright), K’s supervisor on the police force; Mariette (Mackenzie Davis), a "pleasure model” Replicant; Dr. Ana Stelline (Carla Juri), who works for the Wallace corporation in a capacity that I shouldn’t spoil for those who have not seen the film; and Freysa (Hiam Abbass), who plays a role that I similarly should not divulge. Of these six, Joi and Ana Stelline are the most sympathetic characters, but regardless of how these women’s actions are meant to be interpreted, the designs of these ladies are problematic.

Joi is an immediately likeable character, but since she is a product (and one who does not initially have a corporeal form), she does not have autonomy. With the push of a button, K can turn her off any time he wants, which I’m sure is an option a lot of dudes wish they had available for their girlfriends. Joi exists only to serve K, telling him how wonderful he is when he gets home from a long work day and providing whatever eye candy he desires (she can shapeshift to alter her clothing, hair and makeup). Should I ignore the fact that Joi has zero character development and applaud Blade Runner 2049 anyway for highlighting the ickiness of a future society where Joi-models are prevalent (thus eliminating the need for actual human women)? Maybe, but the film doesn’t bother to make a statement about this element of social interaction, other than the fact that it exists.

K is finally able to experience physical contact with Joi when she “syncs” with Mariette, a prostitute, to combine their bodies for a sexual encounter with K, resulting in my favorite shot in the film: an unsettling image of Joi and Mariette’s four blurry hands wrapping around the back of K’s head and caressing his hair. While this interlude incorporates an interesting degree of romantic intrigue - to what extent do K, Joi and Mariette understand what love is? - there is something a little too weird in the film’s dependence on the Madonna and Whore tropes, suggesting an either/or dichotomy where the only time a woman can possess both attributes is when she finds another person (technically a Replicant) who can temporarily provide the missing skills.

Luv is probably the best-developed female character, although since she is Niander Wallace’s servant, it is impossible to say where her allegiance to him ends and her own taste for violent retribution begins. Luv seems to genuinely savor hurting people, but I suppose that attitude was programmed into her by Wallace, which somewhat minimizes the cool factor in her badass fight scenes. It’s kind of odd, though, that she manages to outshine the film’s other resident tough gal, Lt. Joshi (I didn’t think anyone could outdo Robin Wright in this department, especially after Wonder Woman). Villeneuve and his writers couldn’t settle on how best to represent Joshi, so the character fluctuates between a generically butch stereotype and a leering boss who drinks too much and flirts with K. Again, not that women have to be only one thing, but I like consistency in characters rather than mixed messages. I wonder how much of Blade Runner 2049′s muddled and archaic depictions of women are thanks to Hampton Fancher, who also co-wrote the original Blade Runner’s screenplay, which was full of troublesome approaches to womanhood, sexuality and sexual consent.

In the end, the difference between Blade Runner and Blade Runner 2049 is like the distinction between a human being and a Replicant. 2049 tries to live up to the originality of that which inspired it, but it lacks the soul of its predecessor. It really says something that the most heartfelt moments in Blade Runner 2049 are two references to Ridley Scott’s film: a pivotal scene in Wallace’s lair that conjures up the memory of Rachael (Sean Young) from the film, and a moment in the penultimate scene that reuses a key piece of music from Vangelis’s original Blade Runner score. I recognize that many viewers see Blade Runner 2049 as a masterpiece, and I have tried many times in the past week to understand why, but I’m hard-pressed to comprehend why I should have spent close to three hours sitting through such an unsatisfying project, other than being able to say I bravely weathered this particular storm.

P.S. (because I couldn’t figure out where else to write this): I don’t know how many viewers will know where I’m coming from, but for the cult classic freaks out there, let me propose this theory: Blade Runner 2049 is trying to be like Paul Morrissey’s notoriously wild horror-satire Flesh for Frankenstein (1973). Check it out: a really bizarre and wealthy man (Udo Kier/Jared Leto) and his devoted assistant (Arno Juerging/Sylvia Hoeks) endeavor to construct a set of superhumans (FfF) or humanoid robots (B42049), entities that will give birth to a new generation of superbeings that will take the place of their inferior progenitors and obediently do their master’s (Kier/Leto) bidding. In fact, there are two specific scenes that reminded me of Flesh for Frankenstein while watching Blade Runner 2049: when Niander Wallace kills the naked, infertile Replicant woman (ugh, what a terrible scene), it mirrors a moment in Flesh when Arno Juerging, the loyal assistant, tries to commence sex with Baron Frankenstein’s female zombie-monster by punching her in the stomach and fatally damaging her internal organs, resulting in a grotesque display of violence similar to what we see in Blade Runner 2049.

Secondly, when Luv battles K at the sea wall and she kisses him, she is mimicking an action that Niander Wallace carried out when he killed the Replicant woman; this is also reminiscent of Flesh for Frankenstein since the Arno Juerging character often does horrible, perverse things - like conflating his lust for the female zombie with a disturbingly compulsion for violence - because he is following his master’s patterns. Take all that analysis for what it’s worth, Blade Runner fans!

P.P.S. I am also convinced that Blade Runner 2049′s Las Vegas wasteland scene was either an homage to or a ripoff of Nastassja Kinski’s desert dream sequence from another of 1982′s finest cult offerings, Cat People. Even in the slightly faded YouTube upload of the clip, the orangeness cannot be overlooked.

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nattytumbles-blog1 · 8 years ago

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Ketamine for Depression Parts I and II: Thoughts on God and Kanye

It is the Monday following a weekend I spent receiving two infusions of ketamine. Here’s how it went.

Day 1: Getting to Know the Doc, Infusion #1

I was so nervous about my first infusion — would my husband find the place okay, and on time? Would my FSA work, or would I have to put a grand on my personal credit card? Most importantly: would it work, or be another waste of my time and money, like Prozac, Lexapro, Celexa, Cymbalta, Effexor, Wellbutrin, Abilify, Latuda, Lithium, et. al. were?

The doctor put many of my anxieties to rest. He explained how ketamine worked, vs. other medications. Whereas most antidepressants basically dump a bunch of serotonin, norepinephrine, dopamine, or GABA on your nervous system, “If I took a biopsy of your neurons,” he said, “there’d be sad-looking dendrites, a worn-out myelin sheath — it would be useless to add more neurotransmitters because the physical structures needed to communicate across nerves would be broken.”

“It’s like putting a brand new car on a broken highway,” I suggested, thinking of the giant “crack” in the bridge I sometimes use to commute home from work — a bridge closed for repairs for the next few months.

“That, or putting new software on a broken computer,” he said.

Too much cortisol, especially during developmental years, can cause actual structural damage in the nerves, he explained. After you reach adulthood, it’s popularly thought that you can’t regrow those nerves and pathways — but that’s not exactly true. Neurogenesis is possible, and exercise is thought to benefit depression because of the growth of new nervous infrastructure.

Ketamine speeds up that process considerably, though. It’s almost like being a teenager again, but only in terms of brain development.

None of this is definitive, of course — brain science is still very much new terrain — but as that MDD patient who hasn’t responded to anything else, the perfect candidate for ketamine therapy, I was encouraged by this explanation.

“You won’t hallucinate at all,” he said. “There’s an out-of-body experience that most patients find pleasurable, but we can stop the infusion at any point if it grows uncomfortable.” I interpreted this as a nice way of saying, “You’re gonna get high, but you won’t be in the k-hole.”

Not long after he hooked me up to the drip, however, I realized my interpretation was conservative. To put it mildly, I tripped balls.

No, I didn’t hallucinate. There were no visuals. But I did experience a strong sense of euphoria, as well as the sense that everything was connected. “God is here,” I said. “God’s been here all along.” I was crying. I felt important, like an irreplaceable part of the Universe. It was a beautiful notion, but the experience was almost unbearably intense, even in a good way. After the doctor removed my IV, I thought to myself, “How do kids do this recreationally? And at such huge doses? Can I even handle this intensity tomorrow?”

On the way home, I didn’t feel much except tired. Profoundly tired. I slept off the rest of the afternoon.

Day #2: Second Infusion, And Noticing How Beautiful the Sky Was

The second infusion was much less intense than the first, thankfully. Yes, I was still euphoric. Yes, I was still thinking things I wouldn’t necessarily think while sober. For example, I asked my husband if he thought Kanye would be friends with me, if we had a nice chat over lunch or something.

“He’s so creative,” I said. “I think we could make cool music together. Do you think he’d like my ideas? He’d like me, right? Kanye and I could be friends, right?”

I forget how my husband responded, but I imagine he was probably just laughing. I did email my friend a message including the sentence, “I have a lot of thoughts about Kanye!” I then remembered that I really shouldn’t communicate with the outside world while on ketamine.

It was on the way home that I first started noticing things. Subtle things. How beautiful the sky was, sunny. How handsome my husband is — something I intellectually recognize every day, but also don’t really appreciate on a visceral level, as depression murders my ability to enjoy things.

That’s the thing with depression: it’s more than just the addition of sadness. It’s also the subtraction of joy, a very real hollowing out of everything that makes life worth living. I’ve had drugs make me feel less desperate to kill myself, and reported those results to my therapist excitedly.

“So you’re starting to enjoy things again?” my therapist asked me once. I was bowled over by the question. No, my piano still held no promises of joy as it once did, and I still felt no real desire to be physically close to my husband (or any human, really). I was just relieved not to be literally on the edge of a cliff.

Cautious Optimism

I don’t want to try my luck. I don’t want to call things too soon. “I’m sure you’ve encountered plenty of patients too scared to be optimistic,” I told my ketamine doctor. Every new drug or therapy I’ve tried came with a week of hopeful placebo effect — just the notion that I wasn’t completely out of options gave me a temporary lift.

One which, inevitably, failed to last more than a week or two. Consider that most antidepressants take four weeks to kick in chemically, and that data was pretty dismal. I’d ride it out the full four to six weeks, and then bury any hope I could get better.

I have three more infusions left in the initial beginning load, after which I’ll get “booster” infusions every four weeks or so. It’s thought that getting six infusions out of the way in the first 12 days maximizes the neurogenesis and other antidepressant effects of the treatment. Because the clinic has weekend hours, that means only two sick days, which I appreciate. I’ve mentioned this before, but I really love my job. Strange thing for such a depressed person to say, isn’t it?

But that’s how I know this is, to borrow a tragically flawed term, a “chemical imbalance.” I love my job, my husband, my little family of kitty cats and doggo, my actual little family of three little siblings, their wonderful partners, and my hilarious and loving parents. I’ve certainly endured more trauma than someone my age can be expected to emerge from healthily, but that’s in the past, and intellectually, I’ve made sense of it all.

Now that my thoughts are right, my emotions fail to follow. And that, I hope, is what the ketamine therapy patches up. Therapy modalities like CBT and DBT promise that by fixing the thoughts, you fix the emotional state, and my inputs haven’t resulted in the targeted output. I have a great attitude, plenty of gratitude, but a lousy mood.

I grow new neurons as I type this. Hang on, little dudes. I haven’t given up on you yet.

#ketamine #ketamine therapy #major depressive disorder #depression #hope #kanye #god #neurogenesis

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lazyupdates · 7 years ago

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On this day, 26 years ago, Indian cinema got one its biggest superstars of all time. Yes, we are talking about the King of Bollywood, Shah Rukh Khan. Shah Rukh Khan had faced film cameras for the first time for Hema Malini’s directorial debut Dil Aashna Hai (1992). But it was Raj Kanwar’s Deewana (1992) that got released earlier and became his debut film.. Along with Shah Rukh Khan, the film also starred Rishi Kapoor and Divya Bharti. Shah Rukh Khan showed up in the film after the interval and yet he managed to make a strong impact and gave a glimpse of his incredible potential. It was also the first time he gave his signature pose of standing with his arms wide open, an act that was to become synonymous with his performances in later years. The first film can give jitters to any actor, especially when he is required to perform along with established actors. But, Shah Rukh Khan appeared comfortable on screen even when performing with stars like Rishi Kapoor and Amrish Puri. His performance in the film also earned him the Filmfare Best Debut Award (Male). In the same year, Shah Rukh Khan was seen in films like supernatural comedy Chamatkar, drama Dil Aashna Hai, and the social comedy Raju Ban Gaya Gentleman.

In 1993, Shah Rukh Khan challenged the boundaries of a hero in Bollywood and earned great appreciation for essaying two villainous roles in Darr and Baazigar. Darr also marked the first of many collaborations that Shah Rukh went on to have with Yash Chopra. In Darr, Shah Rukh played the role of an obsessive stalker who would stop at nothing to get what he wanted. Shah Rukh’s iconic dialogue from the film, “ I love you K-K-K-Kiran” is liked by fans even today . Shah Rukh Khan also earned a nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Actor in a Negative Role (Male). With Baazigar, Shah Rukh Khan turned traditional Bollywood convention on its head as he played the vengeful Ajay Malhotra in this Abbas-Mastan film. Baazigar also marked Shah Rukh Khan’s first on screen appearance with Kajol. His performance in the film earned him his first Filmfare Award for Best Actor.

In 1994, Shah Rukh Khan played a love struck musician in Kabhi Haan Kabhi Naa which was directed by Kundan Shah. With this film, Shah Rukh again veered away from the tried and tested path. He played a slacker named Sunil who was head over heels for a girl named Anna (Suchitra Krishnamurthy) who unfortunately was in love with Chris (Deepak Tijori). Traditionally, the underdog would ultimately get the girl as seen in most films. But, in Kabhi Haan Kabhi Naa no such thing happens. In the end, it is Anna and Chris who live happily ever after because Sunil bows out gracefully. His performance, which was way different from what he did in Darr and Baazigar earned him a Filmfare Critics Award for Best Performance. But in the same year, he got back on the bad guy bandwagon with Anjaam. In fact, he was so good being bad that he won the Filmfare Best Villain Award for his performance in Anjaam.

1995 was probably the year that made Shah Rukh Khan the man he is today. It was the year in which Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (DDLJ), a landmark film in the history of Bollywood, got released. It changed perception about him yet again and cemented his position as the numero uno lover boy of Bollywood. The edgy path-breaking disruptive outsider of the early ’90s had become the ultimate poster-boy of the Bollywood romance. Even though DDLJ played a big role in making the star he is today it is interesting that he wasn’t keen on doing the film at the time he was offered. He felt that the role was too typical and it took a lot of convincing from the director of the film, Aditya Chopra, for Shah Rukh Khan to come on board. It’s said that in Aditya Chopra’s office there is a poster of DDLJ which is signed by Shah Rukh Khan which reads, ‘Thank you for making me the star that I am today’. DDLJ went on to become the longest running film in Indian cinema after completing more than 1000 weeks at the Maratha Mandir theatre in Mumbai. The film won ten Filmfare Awards, including the second Best Actor trophy for Shah Rukh Khan. In the same year, Shah Rukh Khan was also seen in Rakesh Roshan’s reincarnation drama Karan Arjun which went on to be the second highest grosser that year.

In 1996, Shah Rukh was seen in four films which failed to impress the critics as wells the audience. His next mega hit came towards the end of 1997 with Yash Chopra’s musical romance Dil Toh Pagal Hai. The love triangle received massive praise from the critics as well as the audience and earned him his third Best Actor Award at Filmfare.

In 1998, Shah Rukh Khan won critical praise for his performance as an All India Radio correspondent who develops an obsession for a mysterious woman, who turns out to be a terrorist (Manisha Koirala) in Dil Se… Karan Johar’s directorial debut, starring Shah Rukh Khan, Kajol and Rani Mukerji, titled Kuch Kuch Hota Hai too came out in 1998. Kuch Kuch Hota Hai is regarded as one of SRK”s best films to date. It presented him in a designer avatar in the first half and also had him playing a character closer to his real age in the second half. It earned him another Best Actor nod at Filmfare.

Shah Rukh Khan turned to production for the first time 1999 with Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani. The satire, which talked about the current state of our country however failed to perform at the box office.

Shah Rukh Khan made his Tamil debut with Kamal Haasan’s Hey Ram (2000) in which he played the role of an archaeologist named Amjad Khan. It was a brief role but carried an impact. In the same year, Shah Rukh was seen in Aditya Chopra’s Mohabbatein as well. Although the film didn’t impress the audience much, Shah Rukh Khan’s performance received massive praise from all over and earned him his second Filmfare Critics’ Award for Best Actor.

In 2001, he was seen in Karan Johar’s Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham, a movie that he cites as a turning point in his career. With a star cast comprising Amitabh Bachchan, Jaya Bachchan, Kajol, Hrithik Roshan, Kajol and SRK, K3G, as the film was popularly called, was a casting coup of sorts. Mounted on a massive scale, it was Karan’s version of The Ramayana and the audience instantly fell in love with it. The film managed to break many records at the box office including the title of the top-grossing Indian production of all time in the overseas market for the next five years.

In 2002, Shah Rukh Khan played the role of an alcoholic in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s period romance Devdas, based on Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay’s iconic novel of the same name. The film earned numerous accolades including 10 Filmfare Awards, with another Best Actor trophy falling in Shah Rukh Khan’s kitty.

The following year, Shah Rukh Khan starred in another Karan Johar production titled Kal Ho Naa Ho (2003). The film discussed the vagaries of life and death and Shah Rukh Khan’s moving performance in the film as Aman Mathur, an individual who knows he’s dying and yet has his sense of humour intact got highly appreciated.

In 2004, Shah Rukh Khan started Red Chillies Productions and got Gauri Khan onboard as the producer. In the company’s first production, he starred in Farah Khan’s directorial debut, Main Hoon Na. It was Farah Khan’s homage to Manmohan Desai and Prakash Mehra’s brand of cinema and was full of in-jokes about films and film folks. Her comedic interpretation of the cinema tropes of the ’70s met with a good response from the audience. In the same year, Shah Rukh Khan played an Indian Air Force Pilot who falls in love with a Pakistani girl named Zara (Preity Zinta) in Yash Chopra’s cross border love story Veer Zaara. Veer Zara and Main Hoon Na were some of India’s highest grossing films that year. In his last release of 2004, titled Swades, Shah Rukh Khan played a NASA scientist who returns to his motherland in order to make his own people gain from his knowledge. He was nominated for the Filmfare Best Actor Award for all three of his 2004 releases and eventually won the award for Ashutosh Gowariker’s Swades.

In 2006, Shah Rukh Khan collaborated with Karan Johar again with Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna. The film boldly depicted a story of two people who end up having an extra marital affair after being unhappy in their respective marriages. It was his most grey-shaded character in ages but he surpassed that with his next release Don, where the villain was actually the hero. The Farhan AKhtar venture was a remake of the 1978 iconic film starring Amitabh Bachchan.

In 2007, we saw Shah Rukh Khan portray the role of a hockey coach in Chak De India! which was directed by Shimit Amin. The film is said to be inspired by the life of Mir Ranjan Negi, India’s former hockey player who after facing a lot of criticism for his performance in a game against Pakistan came back out of nowhere and helped the Indian Women’s Hockey team to a Commonwealth Gold. In an interview with a leading daily, Shah Rukh Khan spoke about how the film took him down the memory lane. He said, “I feel hockey as a sport has been monstrously neglected in our country. I used to play the game during college. In fact, I was quite a good hockey player. So the role was a lot like going back to my past.” The film earned Shah Rukh Khan another Filmfare Award for Best Actor. In the same year, Shah Rukh Khan starred alongside Arjun Rampal, Deepika Padukone and Shreyas Talpade in Farah Khan’s reincarnation drama Om Shanti Om. Shah Rukh developed six packs for his role in the film. Although the film received mixed reviews from the critics it went on to have a phenomenal run at the box office.

In 2008, Shah Rukh Khan starred in Aditya Chopra’s Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi. The film marked the debut of Anushka Sharma. It was a dance musical and SRK was able to showcase his versatility even in this hitherto unexplored genre.

Khan began shooting My Name Is Khan (2010). Set in the backdrop of the September 11 attacks on American soil which saw the destruction of the World Trade Center towers, Shah Rukh plays a man suffering from Aspergers Syndrome who is determined to prove that even though his Name Is Khan, he is not a terrorist. To prepare for the role, he spent several months researching his role by reading books, watching videos and talking to people affected by the condition. My Name is Khan became one of the highest grossing Bollywood films of all time outside India and also earned Shah Rukh Khan another Filmfare Best Actor trophy.

In 2011, Shah Rukh Khan tried his hand at the superhero genre with his home production Ra.One. The film didn’t perform as well as expected though he was appreciated for his zeal of trying to push the envelope.

Shah Rukh’s only release in 2012 came with Yash Chopra’s swan song Jab Tak Hai Jaan. The film re-established the fact that nobody does romance better than Shah Rukh Khan.

After Jab Tak Hai Jaan, Shah Rukh Khan was seen in a bunch of commercial masala flicks like Chennai Express (2013), Happy New Year (2014) and DIlwale (2015). Although these films received mixed reviews, they did go on to do bumper business at the box office.

He then played a double role in Maneesh Sharma’s thriller titled Fan (2016). He played himself and his biggest fan in this exciting thriller, which was way ahead of its time as far as it’s idea is concerned and didn’t appeal to the audience. Though he was again appreciated for doing something out of the box. In the same year, Shah Rukh Khan was seen in Gauri Shinde’s Love You Zindagi which also starred Alia Bhatt. The film revolved around a budding cinematographer Kaira (played by Alia) who meets Jehangir Khan or Jug (played by Shah Rukh). Jug is a psychiatrist and helps a heartbroken Kaira gain a new perspective on love and life.

In 2017, Shah Rukh Khan went back to being the badass with Rahul Dholakia’s Raees, which showcased the rise of a gangster in the Prohibition hit Gujarat. The film was a hit at the box office and Shah Rukh Khan’s performance received praise from all over. Shah Rukh Khan had another attempt at the romantic genre with Imtiaz Ali’s Jab Harry Met Sejal which came out the same year. The rom com failed to entice the audience.

This year, we will see Shah Rukh Khan reunite once again with Anushka Sharma in Aanand L Rai’s Zero which also stars Katrina Kaif. Zero is without a doubt one of the most hyped films of the year as for the very first time we will see Shah Rukh Khan as a dwarf on the big screen. Shah Rukh will also be seen in the Rakesh Sharma biopic, tentatively titled Salute.

26 years down the line and he’s still pushing the boundaries. Here’s wishing for many more years of King Khan’s reign.

#lazy #lazy updates #Updates #trending #news #bollywood #recipes #entertainment

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benrleeusa · 7 years ago

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[John K. Ross] Short Circuit: A roundup of recent federal court decisions

Please enjoy the latest edition of Short Circuit, a weekly feature from the Institute for Justice.

New on the podcast: offensively Big Pimpin', age limits for judges, a tyrannical wiffle ball tournament, and losing your driver's license over court fees. Click here for iTunes.

Allegation: Days after LabMD, a cancer-screening lab, publicly criticized the FTC's yearslong investigation into a 2008 data breach at the lab, FTC staff recommend prosecuting the lab. Two staffers falsely represent to their superiors that sensitive patient data spread across the internet. (It hadn't.) The FTC prosecutes; the lab lays off all workers and ceases operations. District court: Could be the staffers were unconstitutionally retaliating for the criticism. D.C. Circuit: Reversed. Qualified immunity. (Click here for some long-form journalism on the case.)

Nine women sue comedian Bill Cosby for defamation. The defamatory act: publicly denying he sexually assaulted them. Cosby: My homeowners insurance and umbrella coverage cover defamation; my insurer must pay to defend the defamation claims. Insurer: Ah, but there's an exclusion for claims arising out of sexual misconduct. Cosby: The claims arise out of my public statements; any sexual misconduct is a separate issue. First Circuit (in opinion by Justice Souter): Not an easy call, but the insurer must defend Cosby.

Woman catches her shoe in groove in pavement at Tewksbury, Mass. gas station; she falls, is injured. Woman: The station had a duty to warn me of the danger, perhaps by painting the grooves (which are mandated by state law to contain spills) brightly. First Circuit: There is no such duty. But here's a Judge Selya vocab quiz for your trouble: pellucid, behoof, animadversions, and rescript.

Allegation: Skippack Township, Penn. prison guard rubs his erect penis against inmate's backside (both men are clothed). The inmate complains to a supervisor, who smashes the inmate's head into a wall. Third Circuit: For the first time, we hold that a single act of sexual abuse by a guard can violate the Eighth Amendment's prohibition on cruel and unusual punishment (even absent force or injury). The inmate can amend his sex abuse claim against the guard. Moreover, his excessive force claim against the supervisor should not have been dismissed.

Three attorneys representing plaintiffs in a class action about high-interest loans challenged the authenticity of a loan agreement for two years before revealing—surprise!—they'd gotten an identical copy from their client before the lawsuit even started. Fourth Circuit: And the trial court did not abuse its discretion in sanctioning the attorneys $150,000 for their lack of candor.

Mississippi Gaming Commission firearms instructor accidentally shoots, kills fellow instructor. Fifth Circuit: Qualified immunity. The Fourth Amendment protects against intentional seizures, and this was unintentional. The widow may have better luck with her state court tort action.

Allegation: Inmates beg officer driving them to Ionia, Mich. prison to slow down and stop swerving. The officer laughs and accelerates; they hit a bump in the road; the inmates go airborne. Plaintiff lands on his head, neck, and back. He complains of extreme pain to a nurse, who gives him ibuprofen. He files a grievance; the nurse won't see about getting him pain medication unless he withdraws it. District court: Qualified immunity for the officer and the nurse. Sixth Circuit: Vacated. The district court must take another look.

"The best laid schemes o' mice an' men/Gang aft a-gley." So said Robert Burns, regarding a mouse's nest disturbed by a farmer's plough. And so says the Seventh Circuit, regarding a contractor who bribed the CEO of Chicago's public schools. No need to shorten the contractor's 84-month sentence.

This wrongful arrest and malicious prosecution action is a "hornbook example of how to waive an argument on appeal," says the Seventh Circuit. The plaintiff made a "bizarre argument" in the trial court, pressed an "irrational argument" on appeal, and then raised a new claim on appeal that was never raised below.

Much of the world's cocoa bean supply comes from the Ivory Coast, where child and slave labor is common. Plaintiff: California consumer protection law requires Mars to inform consumers that such labor is part of its supply chain. Ninth Circuit: Nope. The law imposes a duty on manufacturers to disclose when products might pose a safety hazard. And the chocolate isn't hazardous. (Click here for some long-form journalism on the topic.)

Man convicted of 1989 murder learns, years later, that his appointed counsel was virulently racist. (To cite but one example, counsel referred to one of his clients as a "nigger" who "got what he deserved"—a death sentence, later overturned.) Man: I have a Sixth Amendment right to effective counsel, which I didn't get. I should get a new trial. Ninth Circuit: No. You didn't show his racism adversely affected his performance. All three judges, concurring in their own judgment: We think an attorney who shows contempt and indifference to a minority client is not providing competent representation. Unfortunately, we're bound by Ninth Circuit precedent.

Contrary to company policy, a billing manager at LabMD—a cancer-screening lab—installs music-sharing application on her work computer; a file containing patient data gets included in the music-sharing folder. In 2008 a cybersecurity firm finds it and tells LabMD the file has spread across the internet. (Which is false.) When LabMD declines to hire the cybersecurity firm, the firm reports the breach to the FTC, which prosecutes the case before its own FTC judge. LabMD does not settle; the expense of fighting forces the company to shutter. The FTC orders LabMD to adopt "reasonably designed" cybersecurity measures. Eleventh Circuit: The FTC's vague order is unenforceable because it doesn't tell LabMD how to improve its cybersecurity.

U.S. Coast Guard intercepts vessel with the Colombian flag painted on its hull. The crew gets nailed on drug offenses. But wait! The relevant statute says that if Colombia's flag was "flying," the Coast Guard was obligated to check with the Colombian gov't before taking control of the ship, and they didn't. Eleventh Circuit: A painted flag doesn't fly.

Hollywood, Fla. officer makes to pull man over at 3 a.m. for allegedly running a stop sign. The man, Livingston Manners, drives slowly for a tenth of mile to a well-lit gas station. Officer: Manners struggled when I tried to cuff him; he punched me and choked me. Manners: Not true; the officer lied on his report, resulting in bogus attempted-murder charge. (The charge is dropped before trial; a jury acquits Manners of resisting without violence, battery on an officer.) His defense costs $30k; he loses his job while awaiting trial. Can he sue the officer? Eleventh Circuit: Even if Manners didn't run a stop sign, there was probable cause to arrest because of his tenth-of-a-mile flight. And video shows he struggled. Qualified immunity.

Gratiot County, Mich. officials foreclose on 35-acre parcel worth $100k over unpaid $2k tax debt. They sell the property for $42k and keep $2k to cover the tax bill—and keep the other $40k as well. District court: "In some legal precincts that sort of behavior is called theft." Motion to dismiss denied.

Mississippi Supreme Court: Because the Mississippi Constitution assigns courts, not executive agencies, the duty to interpret statutes, the Court announces "we abandon the old standard of review giving deference to agency interpretations of statutes." Besides, when we deferred, we were all over the place: Sometimes we gave "great" deference, sometimes our deference was "illusory." (H/t: @KeatsTabby)

Can the government require you to obtain a license to work and insulate its requirements from constitutional scrutiny simply by declaring your work "professional"? Yes, says the Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court. Last year Airbnb property manager Sally Ladd filed suit against the Pennsylvania Real Estate Commission after an investigator warned her she was engaged in the unlicensed practice of real estate. Sally argued that subjecting her to the same onerous licensing requirements as traditional brokers violated her right to earn an honest living under the Pennsylvania Constitution. But according to the court, Sally failed to state a claim because she offered "professional" services having to do with real estate—no further facts or analysis required. IJ will appeal the dismissal up to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court. Read more about the case here.

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