#man 2021 was like three years ago??? what simpler times
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Remember those kiddos looking for their mom in…wait hold on *shuffles through papers* 2021?
Well I redrew them! And I’m redefining their story!
Older sister Marylin and her little brother Adrian, the Piper children who somehow end up gaining the trust of the experiments while trying to look for their mother, who went to Playtime Co. after a mysterious letter appeared in her mailbox…
#I don’t support mob games#those kiddos keep getting into trouble! like almost being attacked by a rampaging school teacher!#or somehow unraveling a one-man church headed by a purple cat toy who can’t speak or else it’s in constant pain!#how are these kids even alive? how are they not traumatized? I don’t freaking know!#man 2021 was like three years ago??? what simpler times#poppy playtime#poppy playtime au#Marylin Piper (OC)#Adrian Piper (OC)
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So this year, we're getting yet another GHOSTBUSTERS movie in the re-rebooted franchise, and a new Star Wars feature film looks to shoot later this year for a penciled-in May 2026 release.
I see a lot of skepticism on the internet over these particular developments, and I think a lot of it is rooted - in some way or another - in a legitimate concern. It seems most of the consensus on GHOSTBUSTERS: FROZEN EMPIRE, and its 2021 predecessor GHOSTBUSTERS: AFTERLIFE, is that it's taking a simpler property way too seriously. Treating it as if it's some serious legacy franchise, that has to be honored to the letter. Like it's... Star Wars!
I have yet to see GHOSTBUSTERS: AFTERLIFE, I'm actually really not that big of a Ghostbusters person. I had seen the first movie a while ago and thought, "Yeah, that was kinda cool." But that's about it. I didn't remember it having a presence when I was a kid in the '90s. I do know that there was a cartoon airing on Saturday mornings in the late '90s called EXTREME GHOSTBUSTERS (how of the era!), but I never watched it. So, yeah... Ghostbusters is not exactly my jam, but I do think there is some overreacting going on here regarding this new movie.
I totally get it, though. GHOSTBUSTERS III stalled and stalled and stalled, and then Harold Ramis - Egon - passed away, so Sony/Columbia opted to just reboot it entirely with a different continuity... And with four women playing the Ghostbusters, only to get greeted with nothing but contempt. Regardless of the 2016 movie's quality, it created this aggressively no-nuance situation where it was this ultra-hated movie (for all the wrong reasons) and that YOU - if you weren't a raging misogynist racist asshole - were morally obligated to LIKE the movie... Regardless of what you thought of it, in terms of its quality. Ya know, script, acting, direction, etc. The movie ended up flopping, so there was no future in this team, though they did appear in an IDW-published comic thereafter.
So, Jason Reitman, son of the franchise's co-creator Ivan Reitman, started a "true" third Ghostbusters that took place in the same continuity as the first two movies and brought back the remaining actors to play the Ghostbusters... Passing the baton to a group of kids, two of which were girls. Sort of treating it all as a legacy brand, which I understand can be annoying to those who feel like GHOSTBUSTERS - the 1984 movie - was at its core a small-scale comedy and not this worldwide thing. At the time, I definitely saw that particular movie as spite. A sort of kowtowing to the angry male nerds who honk "WOKE" like a defective goose at everything. But that apparently was not the case during production, it was just... Ghostbusters is a franchise, and in capitalism... Things *must* continue (facetious), even if it's well past its expiration date. An animated Ghostbusters movie is also in the works, which is being done up at Sony Pictures Animation... And me? I think this concept works great in animation, and after all, the cartoons are an important part of the whole thing so... Yeah, I'll likely see the animated Ghostbusters movie. I think exploring that universe in the animated medium might be a fresh spin on a chestnut property. Heck, SPIDER-MAN: INTO THE SPIDER-VERSE came off of *three* theatrical live-action iterations of the character, so you never know!
This FROZEN EMPIRE sequel, I'm just indifferent. It exists. Someone will like it, for sure. AFTERLIFE did pretty well at the box office amidst the Delta and emerging Omicron variants of COVID-19. I was working the box office the week it came out, and I had a family come up to me to get their tickets for it... All dressed as Ghostbusters, complete with a homemade proton pack. And I thought to myself, "That's what it's aaaall about."
Star Wars, admittedly, has gone in directions that I just don't care for. The last movie I genuinely had a good time with in the franchise was SOLO: A STAR WARS STORY, which was already a very safe and workmanlike movie. The cast and old school space western vibe save it. Despite what we now know what it's like to work under Phil Lord and Chris Miller (as made clear by the stories that got out on ACROSS THE SPIDER-VERSE), I honestly would love to see what their version of that story would've looked like... But, we ultimately didn't receive that movie, so... And of course, I really liked THE LAST JEDI. Really liked how Rian Johnson took the franchise, which was becoming well-worn, and cracked it open and took a look at it with a fresh new perspective. And naturally, it was hated beyond belief, and mostly by the usual suspects... I think such a fervent backlash played a part in how Lucasfilm and Disney went forward with this franchise.
So when THE RISE OF SKYWALKER came out, I also took it as spite. Bowing to the angry assholes who just couldn't stomach that the franchise featured people other than white guys and had something more important to say. I was quite pissed off with how they significantly dialed down Rose Tico into a nothing character, instead they gave more time to this new character - whose name I, no shock, forget - who was played by some friend of J.J. Abrams that won a bet during development... Like, what the hell was that all about? Also didn't care for a number of things that just got... Thrown at you. It felt like it was made in panic mode, a Disney-mold please-all movie to end the sequel trilogy and the entire Skywalker saga as a whole. I could go on and on, but I wasn't necessarily upset with developments like "Rey is actually related to Palpatine"... They just come too late and are super-undercooked, all of it in one 2 1/2-hour movie that was following two movies that were saying and building up to something entirely different. The death of Carrie Fisher certainly didn't help, either. I didn't hate THE RISE OF SKYWALKER per se, I was left feeling "whatever"... Like... What the hell was that?
So I didn't bother with THE MANDALORIAN and anything else thereafter, in terms of live-action. And it appears that the Mando side of things informs the franchise going forward. The new movie is called THE MANDALORIAN & GROGU, and that just tells me everything I need to know. I'm curious about the movie featuring Rey 15 years later, that's to be directed by Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy. James Mangold could possibly make something cool out of his ancient Jedi movie, but... Honestly, it's all a big bag of "who cares" to me. With a universe so big and wide, with all kinds of planets everywhere... why does it always have to be about the Skywalkers, the Jedi, etc.? Just give me a Disney+ National Geographic-style documentary about banthas, that would be infinitely more interesting to me. That's why STAR WARS: VISIONS is on my watch-list, like... Enough about the Skywalkers and the Jedi already...
But, Star Wars is owned by big bad Disney. And Disney is going to milk this franchise until audiences collectively get sick of it. Sure, there has been plenty of Star Wars media made before the Disney buyout of Lucasfilm: Comics, video games, novels. It's always been around in some way or another, but I feel Disney just doubled-down on it. Probably because of the abundance of movies made and the amount of shows they're cranking out.
And then I try to place myself in 1977, when STAR WARS first came out. The original movie, before any sequels, before any TV specials, before the added "A NEW HOPE" subtitle, etc....
STAR WARS, alongside Steven Spielberg's JAWS and CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND, are often seen as the end of "New Hollywood" and the beginning of the blockbuster era of Hollywood... And yet, STAR WARS was being made before that all really took off. When George Lucas and his crew were planning and shooting what would become the first movie, how they would they have known what kind of monster it would create? Not just the Star Wars franchise as a whole, but the blockbuster in general. JAWS was the only "blockbuster" at the time of this movie's making, having grossed over a record $130m domestically in 1975. In 1976, the highest grossing movie was ROCKY, with $55m. STAR WARS was one of those movies where it was looking like it was going to be this big mistake, this big flop. Who in 1977 wanted to see some pulpy kid-friendly space adventure movie? By late 1976, the movie industry was still in the era of adult auteur-driven films. Dramas, political thrillers, and smaller pictures that would be called "prestige pictures" today. Films that would struggle to make $50m domestically in 2024, let alone be released in theaters. It was the era of THE GODFATHER, TAXI DRIVER, DOG DAY AFTERNOON, THREE DAYS OF THE CONDOR, etc. Isn't it something that those kinds of movies were once regularly the biggest hits at the box office? And you wonder why Martin Scorsese voiced his concerns about Marvel movies...
You look at STAR WARS, and it is indeed part of that waning era of American cinema. At first glance, it's a kids' space adventure movie featuring a WIZARD OF OZ-esque band of weirdos, where people fight with laser swords and there's ships flying around... But it's actually, through and through, a 1970s movie. It's informed by Lucas' politics, the Vietnam War, the Richard Nixon administration... And to think that people complain that the franchise had gotten too political or too "woke" under Disney's ownership? Don't make me laugh.
In a way, you kind of come to realize... Well, this little space movie from the 1970s somehow became the highest-grossing movie ever for a period of time (Steven Spielberg's E.T. took the record in 1982), it spawned two sequels and a few TV specials and cartoons... And tons of comic books and novels and toys... And then three more movies, and more cartoons, and more movies, it's now owned by a massive multimedia conglomerate that wants MORE MORE MOOOOOOORE of it out there... And well... Capitalism. It becomes big, new people take it over every now and then, it's soooooooo far removed from the little anti-Vietnam War space movie it was in 1977 that could've gone down as an embarrassing box office disaster and subsequent cult classic.
And then you realize when it's time to get off the train, and quit going after the wrong people, aiming for the wrong targets. In that, the thing wasn't ruined, it's just so big now that it's not its earliest roots. When I see these new Star Wars things that throw in cameos and try very hard to play to fans who want Star Wars done up in a very specific way, I can't get too too angry... Because this whole "Star Wars, the way you've always loved it" thing seems to fundamentally misunderstand what the original movie, NOT the Original Trilogy, was in 1977. Repeating the past, instead of being someone's unique vision informed by the events of the era it was made in. It became a franchise, but it's okay to say when it's time to cap it off and go watch something else.
I extend this to my current gripes with Walt Disney Animation Studios and the majority of Disney's modern movie output that isn't Pixar, 20th Century Studios, and Searchlight. WDAS may never be what it was a few decades ago, it'll certainly never be what it was under Walt's watch. I can gripe all I want about their recent films not entirely doing it for me, but I can still look for the things I like (for example, STRANGE WORLD had some really cool stuff in it, have yet to see WISH all the way through) and hope for the best next time. "The best", as in, a picture I really really dig and cherish. Even if I may not get just that. The reality is, these things grow and balloon way beyond what they started out as, and many different people are now involved, money drives it all, and thus those in charge take it the direction that they THINK is the right direction. It's never easy to guess what it is the audience might want or will like, ya know?
Sometimes things are truly special before they blow up into something else where there's too much money at stake and too many people making what they feel are the right decisions... Sometimes those things can still be special, too...
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The Oncoming Storm Part 3: Earthrealm
Fandom: Mortal Kombat 2021
Liu Kang x Reader or Kung Lao x Reader
Summary: You meet the mythical Lord Raiden. He reminds you of your dad, but nicer, oddly enough. Liu Kang might also be your new best friend.
A/N: Thanks again everyone! This has been such fun. I meant to say earlier that this takes place a couple years prior to the film (also that I know a bit about MK as a game series, so I will include tidbits here and there if I can). ALSO! I am open to any suggestions that you may wish to see throughout this story- either for Liu Kang or Kung Lao. I can't guarantee I will use them but I will consider them. I am delighting in writing this!! EDIT:: lol why did no one tell me there were so many errors in this one. All fixed!
The Beginning << Previous Chapter Next Chapter >> Chapter Index
The days that followed were a struggle. Monks would visit and care for your wounds at all hours of the day. You were in and out of consciousness. When you did manage to stay awake, you would meditate and do simple exercises to keep your body strong. That was a struggle in itself. Wounds needed rest to heal but you refused to become weak to them in the meantime. You were ready to fight.
Without fail Liu Kang would visit every evening. He brought books for you to read together. On his second visit he gifted you with a crudely bound leather journal and a pen to take notes with. You were inquisitive and Liu Kang was a wealth of knowledge. On nights where you finished a book or a lesson early, you would meditate together. Other nights you would chat and often times those chats would end in swapping personal stories. You had become fast friends.
You kept a calendar in the back of the journal. Liu Kang helped account for the time that you’d lost to unconsciousness. A week had passed since you’d woken up in Raiden’s Temple. You circled the x over the day and wondered where Kung Lao was. You’d asked around about him but had been told that many of the Earthrealm warriors were often absent. Apparently, he was frequently gone for long stretches of time. Many of the monks left on lengthy errands. Mortal Kombat and the protection of Earthrealm extended far beyond China. You wondered how much of the world Kung Lao had seen. You’d barely ever left your hometown for anything other than martial arts tournaments.
“Miss Y/N?” A monk pulled aside the sheet that had been pinned around the doorway of the small closet-sized space that had become your semi-permanent dwelling. You offered the monk a tired smile and gestured to allow him to enter. The monk bowed politely. “Your presence has been requested by Lord Raiden.”
“Oh?” You had known that you would meet with the man who the temple belonged to eventually. Liu Kang had told you that you would be summoned only after you’d been deemed well enough. You hadn’t passed out in exhaustion for the last 48 hours so you supposed this was as good a time as any. “Give me a moment to change, if you will.”
“Yes, of course Miss Y/N.” The monk bowed and left you with some privacy. You’d grown accustomed to the dressing gowns. They were comfortable and since you didn’t move around much, they worked. You’d been given several lightweight gi for future training and several hanfu, traditional Chinese garments, to wear if you desired. You wished, more than anything, that you’d gotten to pack some of your things before everything had gone to hell. No t-shirts or tank tops. No jeans or leggings. Not even any cute summer dresses. But you were grateful to have anything.
You changed into the soft blue and white hanfu that had become your favorite. It was simpler in design than the others but still long and flowing. You didn’t need anything terribly fancy to have a conversation with someone. You were sure that if Lord Raiden expected you to dress up then you would have been warned. Considering that Liu Kang rotated through the same three tattered gi and was almost always covered in soot, you doubted there was a strict dress code.
After you changed, you pulled your hair up lazily with a set of chopsticks. Then you returned to the monk who was waiting for you in the hall. The monk bowed again and then led you through the halls of the temple. The floor you’d been on had very few windows and only in the hallways. You followed the monk up several ramps and flights of stairs. Endless halls branched in every direction making the whole place seem labyrinthian. You were certain that you could spend weeks exploring the halls and still manage to miss things.
If the monk hadn’t been leading you then you wouldn’t have been able to resist your curiosity. After a good thirty minutes spent walking, you were led into a dark hallway with a rounded ceiling. It disappeared into the distance lit only by odd white statues that stood in a line along its center. The monk bowed and gestured down the hall.
“Good luck, Miss Y/N.” The monk then left you alone. You approached the glass statues in the center of the hall and found their insides sparking with electricity. They were funny in that they reminded you of a sophisticated and silent Tesla coil that fired constantly. Below the frosted glass you could see currents of electricity flowing almost as you imagined lightning would through the clouds. Your fingers brushed curiously over the glass.
“Miss Y/N?” A commanding and deep voice called from the end of the hall. You felt like a child who had disobeyed your teacher and winced. You hurried down the hall as quickly as your legs would allow then bowed before entering the room at its end.
“I’m sorry. I haven’t seen much outside of the infirmary. I was fascinated.”
The man who stood before you was of average build and height, his face mostly obscured by his hat. You grinned in surprise and recognition but then quickly fought to hide your glee. Raiden’s expression was severe, reminding you very much of your father and the way he’d glare at you when you’d said something un-lady-like as a child.
“There is much to discuss.” He gestured for you to take a seat on the floor in front of where he was seated with his legs crossed so you did. Much to your surprise, he was floating several inches off the ground and while you tried to hide your shock, you were sure your eyes had gone wide. “I am Lord Raiden; the protector of Earthrealm.”
“It’s an honor to meet you. Liu Kang has told me a little about you.”
“I am not surprised.” Raiden had a commanding voice as well as presence so you listened attentively. He explained the nature of other realms though he didn’t go terribly in depth with their origins or existence. Outworld was their greatest opposition with the desire to control earth and humanity. They were brutal warmongers from how Raiden described them. He then explained the tournaments and how if Outworld won a tenth tournament they could lay claim to Earthrealm.
Shang Tsung, a powerful sorcerer, would lead his armies there and take humanity as slaves. You didn’t ask but you wondered if Shang Tsung was the ruler of Outworld. You figured that if it were important then Raiden would tell you. He went on to tell you that Outworld had done this before with other realms and they had been devastated into waste.
Raiden spoke in a way that made it seem as though he had lived through countless lifetimes. While his tone often sounded severe, he also spoke with great purpose. “Our next tournament will not be for a few more years. You are one of Earthrealm’s chosen warriors.” Raiden’s lecture was winding down. “Do you have any questions?” You had known much of what Raiden had taught you that day but still sat patiently through it.
“I think I understand. If I have any questions later then I can ask Liu Kang. It’s difficult for me to wrap my mind around this craziness, for lack of a better word. He’s been very patient with me. The idea of arcana and how I’m meant to fight warriors from another world is still wild to me but I understand the concept. I think with time and practice I will be better off.” You stifled a giggle and then cleared your throat to stop any further giggles from escaping.
“Is there something you find funny?”
Guilt again. The kind you’d felt exclusively around your parents.
“You’re the man with the funny hat.” Your cheeks burned when he seemed affronted by your description of him. “I don’t mean to come off as rude! Forgive me. My shop is on the edge of town and there are many travelers passing through. I remember you from one of those visits. You chose your words carefully and spoke very little. You required precious stones and, as I often do, I made polite small talk. I asked what you needed them for and you said in the protection of Earthrealm which you quickly corrected to the protection of nature. You opened my eyes long ago to the secrets of the world though I was doubtful there was any truth to it until now.”
Raiden’s expression shifted and he seemed pleased but he was also difficult to read. You hoped he was pleased. Despite his severe and intimidating presence, he seemed well meaning.
“I don’t recall this instance but am happy to learn that there are those who learn the truth without panic or dismissal.”
“So, I have to fight then.”
“More than fight. You must find your arcana so that you may stand a chance against the warriors of Outworld. They are ruthless and possess skills that may seem impossible to you. Without your arcana you will not stand a chance.”
“How do I do that? Find my arcana, I mean.”
“Through trial and adversity. Everyone is different. Your arcana is unique to you.” Raiden stood and so you did the same. “Your training will begin tomorrow.”
You weren’t sure you were ready for that but you bowed respectfully. That was tomorrow’s problem. “Thank you. I promise to work my hardest.”
Raiden said nothing but didn’t look as though he quite believed you capable. You had long ago stopped seeking the approval of others. Actions spoke louder than words and you would do as you promised. Raiden turned from you without another word. You waited for an awkward moment to be dismissed then turned and left. You chose not to linger in the hall with the pretty lightning sculptures that had distracted you earlier.
The path back to the infirmary wasn’t easily found and you wandered aimlessly for a time before asking a monk to help you back to the infirmary. You were exhausted. Upon arrival you closed the curtain to your tiny room and sat on the edge of your bed. Your arms were aching. You were sore and tired. Gravity didn’t agree with your healing wounds. Training was going to be a bitch but you would be better for it.
Retrieving the journal Liu Kang had given you, you made yourself cozy after rekindling the flame of your lantern. You went over the notes from the day before and smiled. Your handwriting was often sandwiched between his. You’d had a difficult time holding a pen for the first few days and your handwriting was atrocious. There had been times where you’d been too dazed with exhaustion so Liu would take over and explain what he was writing down. He was incredibly considerate.
You drifted to sleep leaning against the wall behind your narrow bed, book in your arms. In your very brief dreams you’d been seated with a young Kung Lao in the field outside of your grandparents’ farm. The more you remembered of him the more you could see the man he’d grown up to be.
A knock against stone startled you awake and you jumped upright. Standing in your doorway, peering through the curtain was Liu Kang. He seemed surprised.
“Did I wake you?” He stepped inside and closed the curtain behind him for privacy. How long had you slept? Crap.
“What time is it? Did I sleep through training?”
“No.” He laughed and it was a welcome and comforting sound. “It’s quite late but I was busy today and had no time until now. I wished to see you before bed.” He spoke of you with such fondness that if you hadn’t been half asleep then you probably would have blushed. You adjusted yourself and made room for him to sit next to you on the bed as you often had while reading. He joined you gratefully. You watched as he brushed his thumb over the prayer beads that often went from wrapped around his wrist to his palm and back again. “Tomorrow is going to be difficult, Y/N.”
You guessed that he would be the one training you. He was one of the only warriors with the marking that stayed in Raiden’s Temple besides Kung Lao that you knew of.
“Promise not to pull any punches, okay?”
“I knew you would say that.” He nudged your shoulder with his.
“I mean it, Liu. It’s been over two weeks since this happened. I’m ready to fight. If I’m going to survive all of this… otherworldly supernatural nonsense then I have no choice. Besides that… I want to do this. I want to fight.”
“I need you to promise to be safe.”
“That’s very sweet, Liu, but I’m a fighter. I’ve been fighting for years. I’m ready to help and more importantly, I’m ready to feel strong again. This thing with the poison and my arms? It’s taken a toll on me. I need to be okay.”
“I understand, I think.” He slipped the beads back around his wrist and caught a glimpse of the journal that you’d fallen asleep holding. Then he looked back toward the door. He was nervous. You could feel it.
“Are you okay, Liu?”
“I’m fine.” He picked up the journal and tapped the pages. “Would you like to study?”
“Can’t sleep, can you?”
“Oh, right. It’s late. I apologize. I woke you. I should let you rest.” He stood, bowed, and then turned to leave. Without thinking, you grabbed his hand. If your arms hadn’t been aching, you would have pulled him back to you. Liu Kang was very aware of the strain that it would put on you to pull so he stopped dead in his tracks. He was always aware of what was going on around him and your aching arms appreciated that more than ever.
“You can stay. We can keep reading. I’d like that.” You insisted. Liu Kang smiled and so you let go of his hand, realizing that you’d been holding it for perhaps too long. He grabbed a hefty book that had been resting beneath your side table. You’d made your way a quarter through it over the past few days. Then you sat together, leaning against the wall. He read to you and his soothing voice nearly lulled you back to sleep. It provided you with a sense of security you hadn’t felt in a long time. Studying with him, even in your worst moments of pain, had become a fond memory.
The words were familiar and so you snapped one eye open. “We already read this.” You waited for a pause in his natural cadence.
“No, we did not.”
“We did, look.” You pointed to your journal and the scribbles in it from the night before. Your handwriting really was terrible. You could make out bits and pieces of it. Liu had the patience of a saint for trying to decipher it. He squinted at the letters.
“I can’t read that. No one can read that, Y/N.” He tapped the page you had pointed to. “That could say almost anything. Are you bored with the history of the Wu Shi Academy?”
“No! We were just further along than this, that’s all. Look, just…” You shoved the journal in front of the book and he laughed. His laugh was sweet and filled with warmth. “I think that this is highlighting this passage here about the foundations and the energy wells beneath it…”
“You can’t possibly read that. We have established that it’s gibberish.”
“I wrote it! I can sort of make out little bits…”
“We have to work on your penmanship, Y/N.”
“I got all sliced up where the tendons and stuff are. They’re still healing!” You whined and then pouted. Liu took the journal and set it on the bed just beyond your feet. You reached past him and turned the pages of the book, searching for the next chapter. “At least get to the part with the arena. You promised that we would learn about that next. You went on and on about it.”
“I did no such thing. You can admit that you’re bored.” Liu teased. You flipped the pages again without his permission so he tried to tug the book away and you jolted to the side with him, hair falling into your face, chopsticks now useless. Much to your surprise, as you righted yourself, Liu helped you and pushed your messy hair away and tucked some of it behind your ear. Your laughter subsided and you avoided his eyes as his admired you. You swore your heart skipped a beat. “Your hair.” He brushed a few strands between his thumb and forefinger.
“Oh?” You dared to look into his dark eyes that were rivers of thought and emotion. You had no aspirations of unraveling them. You liked their mystery.
“The color.”
“Oh, yeah… I uh… I haven’t been able to keep up with dye here and it’s naturally white.” You pointed to the roots that had begun to show.
“White? That’s peculiar.”
“Wow, thanks. Yeah, I know it’s weird.”
“I didn’t mean any offense. It looks nice.” He seemed to realize that his hand was very much still in your hair. His tongue ran nervously over his lower lip while he was lost briefly in thought before he pulled his hand back. “We’ll read about the arena but only because you have chosen to entertain me at a late hour instead of turning me away.”
“And because you realized I was right.” You joked but your stomach was very much in knots. This was no time to be feeling butterflies in your stomach but there they were. Liu Kang made you feel butterflies. Literal butterflies. You hadn’t understood that idiom until now.
“There will be a test, Y/N.” He joked and smoothed out the pages of the book. You retrieved the journal and pen but had given up on writing notes for the night. Your arms were still aching and you were drained. Liu delighted in sharing a map of the ancient arena and reciting battles that he’d won and lost there. His voice was a soothing and familiar drone and before you realized it, you were falling asleep, head falling against his shoulder.
Instead of leaving you there to sleep, Liu Kang continued to read. Sometime later you woke up and the flame in the lantern had gone dim. Liu was still seated next to you, his head now rested atop yours. From his soft, slow breaths, you guessed that he had fallen asleep too. The book was rested neatly on top of your journal as if he had made the decision to put it aside and stay. You should wake him and send him back to his room. He would be more comfortable there. Selfishly, you wanted him to stay. He’d chosen to stay so you decided to let him have his choice.
For the first time since you’d woken up in Raiden’s Temple, you went to sleep feeling secure and comfortable.
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A nostalgia retrospective at Frozen
I was of the generation that grew up with frozen as the defining childhood event, I think that says a lot about my age, I remember watching the movie in the theatre with my mom and having my little popcorn in one hand and my little cup of fizzy drink in another and being amazed by our lord and savior Elsa of Arendelle. Saying that this movie changed my little barely developed frontal lobe is an understatement, it fucking penetrated it and all I could think about for months on end was Frozen. While writing the script for this I listened to Let it Go and inexplicably I had flashbacks of little petite me compulsively almost replaying that song. Remembering the hold of that movie on me and people of my age during that time feels unreal, it honestly seems like Disney sprinkled in a bit of crack into that song. My general thoughts when I watched it in theatres was that this film was perfect in every sense and Elsa was the hottest woman alive.
Recap
Before I dive into the video, I will give a brief background or refresh of the film for the three people who haven’t seen it and those who haven’t seen it in like seven years since its release. Frozen is a 2013 animated movie made by Disney, there’s Anna the cute and clumsy ginger sister, Elsa the sister that Disney made approximately half a million dollars off of merchandise, Kristoff the furry that talks to reindeer, Olaf a snowman, and Hans the evil ginger. The story centers on Anna and Elsa; as a child, Elsa accidentally hit Anna in the head with her ice magic while playing with her. To fix Anna’s brain essentially she had to have all her memories of Elsa’s magic removed. So from that incident onward, Anna doesn’t know about Elsa’s powers, and because of the incident, Elsa started to distance herself. So the sisters barely have any contact for the fifteen or so odd years. The sisters are reunited on Elsa’s coronation day and Anna sings a song about open doors and finally getting to meet people again that hits different in 2021. Anna pisses Elsa off because she wants to marry a ginger man with sideburns. They fight and in the heat of the moment Elsa shoots ice at her sister. The secret is out and Elsa is overwhelmed so she runs away to the mountains to build her ice castle and we get the song that won Disney ‘Best Original Song’ at the Oscars. Anna gets on a horse and goes to search for her sister in the northern mountains. Then her horse fucks off and she finds her way to a convenience store? Is that what you would call it? And she meets our lovely golden retriever boy Kristoff and for a pickaxe, some rope, and some carrots for his reindeer, he agrees to take our cute little ginger north. On the way, they find Olaf who is a sentient snowman that Elsa created with her magic. They go to Elsa’s castle and Anna tries to convince Elsa to return to their home and to make it summer again. I don’t know why she would want that since winter is the superior season. Anyways Elsa is unconvinced and still wants to be a hermit. Anna pushes a little too hard, we get a lovely duet between the sisters and then Elsa blasts Anna’s heart. Oh no Anna’s poor heart is starting to freeze as her hair slowly turns white. Kristoff brings Anna to the trolls that treated Anna’s head all those years ago, coincidentally those trolls also were the ones that raised Kristoff. Then we get the cutest musical number ever to exist, fucking fight me. Granddaddy troll tells Anna and Kristoff that she needs an act of true love to thaw her frozen heart. So Kristoff delivers Anna back to the ginger with the sideburns because they think that the little ginger boy is Anna’s, true love. So while that happens Hans and a couple of people are at Elsa’s ice castle trying to capture her, but she doesn’t want that so she almost commits a double homicide. This is the point where I thought she’d make a great video game character. Some random dude tries to fire an arrow at the distracted Elsa but Hans stops him and the arrow, unfortunately, fires into the ice chandelier above and that thing crashes down on Elsa knocking her out. She then is carted back to Arendelle and put in chains, she pleads for her freedom and Hans is like I’ll see what I can do. Anna arrives at the castle and asks Hans to kiss her, but low and behold the ginger is evil and never loved Anna and just wanted the throne so he doesn’t kiss her and leaves her to die. In the meantime, Elsa escapes from her dungeon and Hans is chasing her down. Anna is rescued by Olaf and they decide to run towards Kristoff because he must love her and then he can reverse the frozen heart. So Elsa is running, Anna is running, Hans is running and so is Kristoff. Hans catches up to Elsa and tells her that Anna died because of her and that it’s all her fault, Elsa is devastated and Hans takes the chance to try and kill her. Anna who is running towards Kristoff sees this happening and instead of running towards her true love she decides to go and save Elsa. Her body turns into ice fully as she blocks the sword from slicing Elsa in half like a piece of white tuna. Elsa sees this and she cries over Anna’s icy figure and her tears thaw Anna’s frozen heart since it is an act of true love because the sisters love eachother. Elsa realizes that love is what she needs to reverse winter and bring back summer, and so she waves her hand a bit and takes back all the snow. Kristoff and Anna kiss, Olaf gets to experience summer, and Elsa’s crippling social anxiety is solved. The end.
The Music
When I was watching frozen I found it so strange that I pretty much remembered the lyrics to everything. I’ve never been much of a musical person I never liked musicals that much but I found that in this movie the music was one of the main enjoyment of it. Perhaps it’s just me in my old age but I honestly felt like these songs aged like fine wine, even the ones that I didn’t like as much or wasn’t musically ambitious I still found them extremely enjoyable. I also liked the score how they incorporated some kind of Scandinavian music in it and it just made the world-building better. Let it Go was just as ear-wormy as I remembered and it was just as powerful as I remember because we’re just coming off of Elsa running away scared and this song is essentially her owning her socially awkward ass and saying yes I want to be a hermit and there’s nothing wrong about it. Which my now more developed frontal lobe resonated deeply with. Now I know this video isn’t about comparing Frozen and its sequel but I will have to mention how I realized how much simpler and more or less conventional pop song-y the first movie’s songs are. I also listened to into the unknown and show yourself on youtube prior and those two songs feel more ingrained in the world and the lore. Which does make sense since the second movie is a bit world-building. But for Let it Go and Do you wanna build a snowman the mystical and magical feel that songs in Frozen 2 have isn’t present. I understand since into the unknown and show yourself are all sorta about a spirit, but I just wished that the main songs in Frozen incorporated some form of Scandinavian music that’s present in the opening song and the score.
The Characters
Kristoff
Recently it has been pointed out to me that I might just have an inclination towards big blonde himbo characters, I simped for Matthias in Six of Crows, and I positively melted at the sight of Kristoff the big blonde boy with a fetish for reindeer. Kristoff was probably my favourite character upon this second viewing. There’s absolutely no concrete or sound reason for it that I can defend with words. Literally, I just have a gene in my DNA that just makes me extremely biased towards that type of character. I love his grounded personality in comparison with Anna’s slightly airheaded disposition. I love that he’s raised by trolls it just makes me feel happy.
Anna
Anna is often looked upon as the lesser sister by Disney’s merchandising and in turn by the little girls who were the primary audience of this movie. One this second viewing with my more mature and refined taste I actually respected Anna as a character and I thought it was good that she was so ordinary because it was refreshing almost and it made her much more endearing. The takeaway I had from the movie was that Anna was kinda a self-insert character, she’s just like the audience going on an adventure and only just learning about her sister’s powers, she’s relatable to the audience. She’s the perfect ordinary relatable gal that everyone loves. The one thing I wish she had was a proper character arc, granted she doesn’t need one, but Disney almost tries to shoehorn in one with the inclusion of Hans and how he wasn’t her true love. Her arc is almost like discovering that true love doesn’t come from someone that she met just two days ago. Because Disney wants to do meta-commentary on their own material but Anna doesn’t even really learn that lesson? Because Hans not loving Anna isn’t a product of them only knowing eachother for two days but instead a product of him being evil, so the thesis that Disney so badly wants to prove was undermined by their own twist villain. And then even worse they imply that Kristoff instead is Anna’s true love even though Kristoff has known Anna for roughly the same amount of time as Hans. So if you are trying to make a point that true love doesn’t happen in a couple of days then sorry Disney you failed…?
Elsa
She’s the main character the story centers around her and she has the most complex emotions, character arc and personality. Her arc is one about her overcoming her fear of her own powers and it fulfills that change in the character somewhat. Near the end of the movie, we see her distraught more than ever because she believes her powers killed her own sister and she is positively depressed. But then she’s able to save her sister with the power of love. And she uses the same power of love to reverse her power, and we assume with the power of love she learns to control it. Which is a bit of a cop-out just having all her internal issues be solved with love, Elsa doesn’t really learn anything she learns that i guess Anna loves her? Which I thought she knew from the beginning. And it would be strange if she didn’t love Anna since the beginning or if she didn’t know that Anna loved her. Elsa’s issue was that no one understood her, and that issue still isn’t solved by the end and Anna’s love certainly didn’t solve that issue so I don’t really think that ending fits with her character. It would have made more sense if Elsa was a villain who didn’t understand love or who shitted on the idea of love then this ending would have been better.
Hans
Out of all the characters, Hans is done the dirtiest. I know I make fun of him for being a dirty little ginger but i think he had so much potential in being a good character and a good subversion of the prince charming trope and they squandered every bit of it for a twist villain. We could have had them sing the same love is an open door song but have them over the course of the movie slowly realize that they don’t really love each other and it finally culminates in the supposedly true love’s kiss not working. Then Anna would have learned her lesson and Hans wouldn’t be a terrible twist villain with motivations that don’t make sense. I felt so strongly after this viewing that Hans should have been redeemed in the second movie somehow.
Olaf
I’m not going to count him as a character because he’s a snowman and his personality starts with comic relief and ends with merchandise sales.
Sven
I love Sven and the relationship he has with Kristoff, it’s cute it establishes Kristoff as a good well-meaning furry so the audience instantly is able to connect with him and trust him.
The Plot
I found in retrospect the movie was so much more complex than I remembered, as a little petite child I didn’t understand that there was so much political intrigue? I’ve been recently rewatching Game of Thrones the good seasons and watching Frozen I thought like wow this feels so game of thrones esque (mostly just Hans’s elaborate but completely ridiculous plan) and I was just thinking how it would have played out differently if Frozen was a Game of Thrones political fantasy movie. Anyways the plot of Frozen is singlehandedly fucked by Disney’s compulsive twitch to make a twist villain. In the beginning, we meet Hans and he’s charming and cute and positively enamoured with Anna. We even get this little scene of him smiling to himself once he met Anna that just doesn’t make sense at all when you watch it a second time and realize this bitch was never meant to love Anna at all. In a much earlier version of Frozen, where Elsa was more of a classic Disney villain (she would eventually become good), Prince Hans in that version was also established as a twist villain. But Disney decided that Elsa as a villain didn’t really connect with the audience so they decided to change the story and make Elsa more sympathetic but they still had to keep the element of Prince Hans being a villain to provide drama and twists. So ok Hans had to be evil, no negotiation let’s assume Daddy Disney said we have to have evil ginger or I will eat ur firstborns, or whatever. But that still doesn’t explain why the setup had to be so bad. The main reason why Hans is such a bad twist villain is that there was never a setup for him to be evil, a lot of his earlier scenes don’t make sense in retrospect when you know that he was scheming for the throne all along. The scene where he and a few of the castle men are in Elsa’s palace and one of the men is about to shoot Elsa and kill her, but Hans stops it even though he admits out loud to Anna later that he needed an accident to happen to Elsa so he could get the throne. Well, Hans, there’s your accident, did you have a sudden stroke of kindness to spare her or are you playing some sort of 4D chess us mere mortals are too stupid to understand? Because clearly having her being shot by someone else would absolve him of any guilt., and he’d definitely look less guilty than if he was going to slash Elsa in half on a frozen ocean in plain view of the castle. I know this criticism is a relatively dead horse so there’s no reason to go too in-depth with it. Hans doesn’t make sense and very easily you could have written Hans to be just a regular guy that serves the purpose of teaching Anna the lesson that true love isn’t found but is instead built over years. Who would be the villain then? Well, it’s simple, we already had the townspeople being generally scared of Elsa’s powers so it’s very easy for Disney to have just made them the antagonists. Elsa can still be captured and brought back to Arendelle with Hans not really wanting to kill her but the townspeople are sick and tired of this winter and they want her dead (this also coincidentally aligns with papa troll’s vision of Elsa’s power inspiring fear and people turning on her). Elsa could escape the prison just the same in the original movie only this time she goes outside and finds an angry mob waiting for her who try to chase her down. Anna sees this and can run to protect Elsa like she does in the original, she blocks a blade and that sends a powerful force that sends the townspeople backward. Anna turns into ice, Elsa cries, bada bing bada boom I just wrote you the last 7 minutes of Frozen but actually making sense without changing anything in the first hour and a half. I liked that the movie focuses on sisterly love and I think that’s ultimately the strength of Frozen and what differentiates it from other previous Disney princess movies.
Meta-commentary
This movie also continues the meta-commentary on Disney’s family-friendly brand image that started with Tangled in this new era of animated movies, or perhaps with Enchanted if we count that as an animated film. I remember not noticing as much when my stupid little child brain was watching the movie for the first time but this time around I found it a bit annoying, especially given that the criticism they ‘address’ is extremely shallow, like ohh instead of marrying after three days Anna and Kristoff wait a few years until they marry, congrats Disney you have earned the progressive animation studios plaque. This is a bit nit-picky for this movie since this one isn’t egregious with the ‘subtle’ commentary, I feel like they’re particularly annoying in the live actions but generally passable in Frozen.
The Plot that never
I think I have to mention in this video that originally Elsa was going to be a stone-cold villain who is redeemed at the end of the movie after learning how to love. This is the same version I mentioned previously where Hans was the twist villain who would try and set an avalanche on arendelle. Elsa and Anna weren’t going to be sisters so....can I just say that the plot as it is...it could have been an enemies-to-lovers story, featuring our first lesbian couple in a Disney movie. It feels like such wasted potential. I’m sure someone can write fanfiction with this idea to satisfy my...needs. #i need this very very badly
The Animation
Arguably the best quality about any animated film is the animation. Even after 7 years I still feel awe and wonder when I watch Elsa raise her ice palace from snow and the animation of the ice is just jaw-dropping every single time I watch it. There’s one specific detail I love seeing and it’s Elsa’s shoes, like everything her skirt lifts up slightly when she’s running you get a peek at her shoes and they’re fucking gorgeous like she’s wearing glass slippers! Holy fuck her feet look so graceful and dainty and Elsa just single-handedly gave me a feet fetish. That’s what I took away from Frozen, sisterly love can conqueror all and feet are hot. Reading articles about the process of making Frozen really shows how dedicated the animators were to this project because they brought a real fucking reindeer in into the studios (allegedly according to this website I read). They studied the way cloth moves when it’s frozen by water and the way snow falls from a tree. It’s incredible and watching the movie you can really tell how dedicated the animators were to this project.
The Legacy
Many believe that the release of Frozen and the earlier animated film Tangled started another renaissance period for Disney, which I think on some level is true since Disney has released quite a few of those ‘princess’ movies that feel like a return to form for the company in the past decade. In a more cynical view, I also feel like Frozen’s success was where Disney realized that merchandise was perhaps the most profitable thing under the sun. If anything the aggressive merchandising of the characters and the songs are what lingers in people’s minds after all these years. The toddlers shouting the lyrics to let it go at the top of their lungs, Frozen theme birthday parties, everyone wanting to dress up as Elsa for Halloween. I feel like the push to make as much money as possible off of Frozen’s success kind of diminishes the film itself. To the general public it isn’t remembered for its beautiful animation or its characters even to a certain extent, but instead, Frozen is remembered for its merchandise being absolutely everywhere which subsequently ended up with a lot of people being fed up with the property. I feel like we can definitely see the merchandising tactic Disney learned with Frozen with the new Star Wars trilogy where new droids were created en masse for merchandising purposes.
Frozen also birthed a sequel that was largely forgettable in comparison to the first movie, which I feel very disappointed about since even more effort was clearly put into the animation on the second movie. I won’t get into the arduous rewrites and script overhauls that Frozen 2 experienced in this movie but I will say that the success of Frozen probably had something to do with the hyper management of the sequel that led it to be so mediocre and forgettable.
The End
The overall feeling I have with this movie is nostalgia and fondness. Obviously, it isn’t a perfect movie and its themes and plot aren’t really that novel or perfectly executed either. I feel like a lot of people have forgotten that Frozen was an enjoyable movie and the reason for why it was so popular was because it was a heartfelt movie that was just pretty good. It’s by no means a perfect movie but I think it was a decent movie that will always have a place in my heart.
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2021.01.10: Redcaps and Manga Reviewing, Vigor and Nostalgia
Alright, so what happened this week?
Well, I don’t think I’ll ever forget what happened this week. I was six when September 11th occurred, so I wasn’t really cognizant of what had happened. But I am cognizant now. And I won’t forget what happened on January 6th for a very long time. I don’t consider myself especially patriotic or loyal to the democratic system of government as it operates in this country, but I do acknowledge when something so sacrosanct is violated.
I don’t want to spend time getting into this. If you’re old enough to find this blog post you’re old enough to know what happen. I hadn’t intended for that to be what I wanted to talk about anyway.
Where I left off last week, I wanted to announce my intention of making a video on Shaman King.
There are a number of hurdles—some might even dare to call them issues—with this idea. I’m not a reviewer. I don’t have any video editing experience. I don’t have a platform of great enough scale to protect my work. And, for the nature of what I intend to write, I may not even have enough time to get it out before the series drops in April.
So why bother?
Because I love the series. For years, it almost never came up in conversation, but when it did, I was pumped up with the nostalgia I had while reading it. I didn’t know where this excitement came from for years.
It’s a good manga. Not the best that there ever was, but yet I inexplicably loved it. And I didn’t really know why. But when I was asked what my favorite manga of all time was my answer would be Shaman King.
When I heard the anime was getting a re-release and when I heard they were going to re-publish the manga in full this time, I was ecstatic. I told my friend about it and, being the type of person who’s typically late regarding news related to anime releases, they already knew.
Then, I saw the articles. And my heart ached.
Read my article about how Shaman King is pulling a Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood.
Read my article about ten characters that will be in this anime that weren’t in the original.
Read about whether or not this character is okay for woke 2021.
And I my stomach sinks when I think about what will be coming next.
Theories made by people who read the series and are reciting spoilers for clicks.
Essays on why Hao is the greatest anime villain of all time for clicks.
Speculation on whether or not Yoh can beat Goku in a fight.
I don’t have a very high opinion of journalism. And knowing that the series I love will be used and disposed of for quick clicks is upsetting to me.
In deciding to do this project, I put it all together. I realized why I loved this series.
When I drew as a youngster, Shaman King’s stab-your-eye-out-on-my-protagonist’s-edges art was my early influence for character design.
Every story I’ve come up with—whether or not it’s been continued, recycled into another idea, or wholly abandoned—has had themes of spirituality that I’d only seen present in Shaman King as a child watching it on the FoxBox.
It was my exposure to the reality that manga and anime don’t always coincide; I hadn’t watched FMA or FMAB yet.
I used to record the Saturday morning cartoons and watch them with my grandmother, and while for years I’d hop between Fox, the WB, and ABC recording cartoons so that we’d watch things like Lilo and Stitch, Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends, the Proud Family, Xiaolin Showdown, Coconut Fred, Ultimate Muscle, Johnny Test, Mucha Lucha, Jackie Chan Adventures, even One Piece—to name what I could from the top of my head, these shows didn’t all run on these channels in the same breadth of time—I’d skip over Shaman King, keeping it selfishly to myself like a child would.
This week, it hurt watching a bunch of redneck monsters trample over the Capitol. As someone cynical of the government, it hurt to know something so sacrosanct could be treated so shamefully. But it hurts so much worse to imagine that I wasted all these years, like a boy concealing his affection for a girl until she falls into the arms of someone else, to actually take the time and express the love I have for this series.
The image of this post is an issue of Jump a buddy of mine bought at a thrift store or yard sale and gave me almost three years ago. I posted the picture with a long blurb about how my week feeling on Facebook. A lot of it is auxiliary, but I’d like to recount what I wrote here.
Spoiler alert, I was feeling a little pretentious that day:
“Vigor. Even writing this feels more cumbersome than it actually is.
How do I say what I mean? I hate nostalgia. It’s true, if hyperbolic. I see it cut down so many peers, creatives, and critics like a guillotine; a sloppy, artificially guided, swift force that lops their heads into a collective basket of thought.
Still, this past week I’ve felt my own dismissive chest opened with a more surgical precision that permissed” [NOT A WORD] “nostalgia to play with my heart strings. I reflected on Avatar, a show from a time when animated shows didn’t have their runtimes bisected for the simpler consumption of children that would choke on anything longer, that powered itself on the labor and inspired vision of its creators and crew as opposed to memes for the children and references for the adults, and had the temerity to demand that an audience be comfortable going thirty minutes at a time without a joke to amuse them.
My friend went to Pennsylvania and got me an issue of the now defunct Shonen Jump magazine from 2004. It had series of comics I’d forgotten about and an ad for Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man 2, but those were inconsequential. I find Shaman King to be the greatest comic I’ve ever read and in August, the month of the issue I’d received, the protagonist was featured prominently on the cover. I remembered how engrossing it was to read something with that level of complexity; taking into account my age. And never since have I seen a series with such a great balance of brutality and humor and never since have I seen any form of media where” [REDACTED FOR SPOILERS] “led to a happy ending.
To round it off, within the hours before writing this I’d watched Feel Good Inc. I couldn’t help but feel my eyes begin to water at the genius of Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett. An unforgettable song latticed with moments of haunting beauty and brilliance.
As a child I would sit down for hours to draw terribly. And I loved every warped, misshapen, humanoid, tailed thing I drew. I’d scan my grandmother’s cookbooks and write recipes by mending foods I liked together in a manner similar to Frankenstein assembling his monster. I wrote chapter after chapter of a terrible story because I wanted to prove to my first girlfriend that I could write something better than twilight. I had a sense of self-motivation. I hadn’t struggled through college for a year to graduate without confidence in my own abilities. Or lost friends to unfair circumstances beyond my control or the ignorance of how much control I had. Or been stressed to the point of genuine fear from some of my earlier work. In many ways I still feel like the child I was when I lived at my grandmother’s house. Except now as a child too anxious to do anything besides what he knows will keep him alive.
How do I say what I mean? Not well. That, too, may have been a bit too hyperbolic. It’s not that I hate nostalgia, but that I fear being stagnated in memories of better days. Still, like a failing vegetarian having a hamburger the time I’ve taken to indulge myself has let me realize something I’ve been missing from my diet.
Vigor.”
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DUBAI SMART CITY AND THE DIGITAL INDUSTRY
It’s amazing how science and technology have come into the picture with a wave of revolution that was unimaginable just a few years ago. The world seemed like it had reached its peak of inventions when the mobile phone was discovered in the past century and later on the computer. Right now as we view into the future, it’s outstanding just picturing all the possibilities that could be brought about by the vast internet of things. There is nowhere better to view this 21st Century revolution than in Dubai.
Dubai Smart City stemmed from His Highness Sheikh Mohammad bin Rashid Al Maktoum who had the vision to transform and fully technologize Dubai by 2021. The vision is well on course even as the city plans to host 25 million visitors worldwide in the Expo 2020 Dubai. The plan is to ensure that by the time the globe realizes the 2030 vision, Dubai will be well ahead and above the rest of the cream. It’s not a competition, however; it’s a developmental vision that every citizen of Dubai should associate her/himself with. Now without further ado, let’s have a look at the Dubai Smart City and all it means to us as a people.
Introducing Dubai Smart City
Take a moment of silence and picture this: you wake up one morning when you’re supposed to travel outside the country, but sadly your daughter has acquired some illness that has her bedridden. You cannot cancel your flight, but you also need to give attention to your child who always comes first to you. So you prepare the both of you, and you decide to take her to the hospital as your wife tags along. At the hospital, you find no lines at all and you are immediately welcomed by the doctor who accesses all her medical files at the touch of a button! Phew, that must have been a relief – at least there are lesser questions by the medical attendant since the medical history almost says it all.
At the hospital, it takes less than 20 minutes for you guys to be served and she’s already smiling as you’re coming out of the hospital; it seems the injection actually worked! All she has to do is finish up with her dosage. You are pleased since you experienced no traffic on your way to the hospital and also absolutely none as you’re headed to the port. Your flight is due in 30 minutes and it takes you just about 15 to reach the airport. As you bid your family farewell and hand over the car keys to your wife, you check your watch and realize you still have 11 minutes.
You leisurely walk into the airport, get searched as you hand over your documents and walk straight into your plane. Jeez, that was fast! No lines at the waiting bay and you still have 4 extra minutes to settle down on your seat as you get acquainted with the change of setting. Alas, it’s departure time!
This is what Dubai Smart City is all about – a comfortable convenience that will save on so much time and money too. Talk about less congested and safer roads, faster service delivery, quicker access to data, improved infrastructure generally and even a seamless end-to-end connectivity among so many more.
The vision here is simple, sophisticated and very much attainable – we seek to make Dubai the happiest city on earth. Well, if you’ve traveled around the world, you might conclude that there are happier places to be, but come on! Which place in this galaxy can you really compare to home? Dubai Smart City seeks to be recognized worldwide as not only benefitting from the deeply invested technological hub but also prove that the systems are workable and benefitting everyone from every sector. This includes the government as well as the general public.
Impact of the Vision
Who is set to benefit most as a result of a technologized Dubai City? Well, the vision broadly classifies the impact of the 2021 Dubai Smart City on three particular areas:
The Customer Impact: The Happiness Agenda was primarily formulated to benefit the Dubai consumer. Everyone will be classified as either a producer or a consumer in the city – the producers also get to purchase services. Since the consumer is the one driving the economy, it’s only fair to implement goals that will transform their lives. So, be it the government, businesses or even private individuals who are in need of services, the impact falls squarely on them.
Social media agency
The Financial Impact: Who said going through a technological revolutionary phase has to be costly? After analyzing the economic costs it would take to achieve ultimate happiness, the 2021 strategy formulated simpler, cost-effective ways to achieve all the goals. This creates a financial benefit the city at large as there will be numerous financial saves while still realizing complex digital innovations which will tantamount to further future expenditure cuts.
Resource & Infrastructure Impact: At what costs to the environment, in general, are we likely to incur as we pursue our digital transformation? Well, again, a course has been chartered that will ensure the city environment is fully supported and sustained as we fully dive into this inevitable digital transformation.
The belief with the visionaries is that all the above three areas mentioned above will be positively impacted even as we harness the technology to realize a digital industry in Dubai.
Assessing the Objectives of Smart Dubai 2021
Dubai smart city web marketing
It might seem impossible to attain a 95% happiness level by 2021 but residents of Dubai are already seeing the vision becoming a reality. It’s important to comprehend exactly what we intend to achieve to reach this level of happiness. Having created objectives for the Dubai Smart City project has made it much easier for individuals and businesses to attach themselves to the vision. It’s also made the government better placed to work towards the end goals.
Living the Smart Way
Some cities in different parts of the world have already come up with strong connected Wi-Fi systems that surround such cities enabling dwellers to be connected to the internet 24/7-365. This, however, fails to beat any logic if such systems are not trusted. The rise in cyber-attacks have continually made people on the edge and more afraid to share their data. This is where Smart Dubai City comes in.
Not only does the project seek to provide all-day-long internet connectivity to users but it also aims at eliminating such threats that would cause panic and mistrust. Not only will mobile phones be connected to the internet but also other devices and systems to enable real-time tracking and updates to thus faster service delivery. Such systems include drainage systems, sewage, energy, water, buildings, waste distribution networks, roads among many more. In the case of impediments arising in a certain location, it would be much easier to track the source as well as offer direct assistance and repairs.
Residents will also be better equipped as they will get a chance to monitor all their resource consumption making it way easier to educate the users and have them lower their consumption. They will do so willingly in a bid to save their city resources, therefore a more conscious consumer in the Dubai Smart City project.
It doesn’t end there: city planning and coordination will be much easier with real-time logistics and statistics. City authorities will have much easier time allocating such resources as land, water, electricity and the likes. A new legislature will be set up to oversee these technologies. Corporate lawyers in Dubai are ready to adapt to these changes.
A technologized Dubai will also mean a more prepared Dubai in times of natural calamities, adverse climate change as well as other man-made disasters. This will, however, call for unified teamwork between residents and authorities.
Globally Competitive Economy
The project has to obviously touch on transforming the financial systems for it to make any economic sense. Simple applications from the digital transformations will have the Dubai’s economy competing favorably with other top world economies. Not only will the government benefit from increased revenues but also from a more participative private sector.
To reach here, the project has foreseen simplified regulations in businesses due to more credible forms of transactions, easily accessible services to the general public which will be supported through accelerators and incubators. Immaculate and reliable digital services will make it much easier for entrepreneurs to embark on different ventures without much hassle. Since this will attract more human personnel into the city, the project also identifies plans on how to train and enhance the skills of both the public and private sectors to empower them in realizing their dreams and aspirations.
Eliminate Digital Benightedness
Logic dictates that we can’t have a Smart Dubai City without first having smart people. Currently, the bigger percentage of Dubai residents is well vast with simple digital processes as a result of the already digitized state of the city. Nonetheless, further digital literacy will be necessary if occupants are to benefit from the rapid technological developments that are taking over the city. For instance, they should be able to book healthcare services online, access educational services such as school registration and payment of fees online among other services.
Once the city dwellers are empowered with such knowledge and know-how, we can only foresee an efficiently, irreproachable and a strong social community aggrandized by digital services. This will result in happier social experiences in the widely culturally diversified Dubai Smart City society.
How About Transport Systems?
Have you been lucky enough to see a self-driven car at this day and age or have you only seen that in movies and cinemas? Now, imagine a system of cars which can self-drive and also communicate with other cars. The communication through sensor technology among other systems will act to prevent accidents from occurring. No more need to put our reliance on the errs of man that have caused hundreds of millions of deaths over the years.
There will also be a lesser congestion on roads as mobility improves which will save on time. The ratio of usage of public transport will also rise in an attempt to eliminate extra cars on the roads. Smart traffic lights, smart tolls as well as smart parking will all contribute to a speedier mobility system allowing people to reach their destinations faster and safer with nothing but joy.
Since the 2021 Smart Dubai City project is making a move towards a digital industry Dubai, we are likely to have more people making lesser travels to attend meetings which can be held online. Video conferencing will have fewer people on the roads which also counts as a time saver and cost-efficient.
A Move to a Smart Environment
Happiness might be completely subjective but one cannot claim to be in a happy state when constantly attacked with sicknesses. In other quarters, people’s standards of living will determine just how happy they are. If such a people are living in a degraded environment, then it doesn’t matter how technologized the place is – happiness is quite unattainable on the larger scale.
The digital transformation is to foresee cleaner resources being employed, lower pollution on the environment as well as lower emissions. Modifications are being applied to modern day buildings to reduce cases of GHG emissions. Emissions of electromagnetic radiations and ambient noise will also be checked through established action plans to ensure safer limits. There is also a move towards an enhanced use of solar energy to boost renewable energy. On top of all that, there are electric and hybrid cars which are currently being tested and perfected to ensure a smarter, eco-friendlier Dubai City.
A Digital Government
Not only will the government take part in constituting these changes but also will be embracing such changes in its course of operation. All government services will be cashless as well as paperless to quash the need to make visits to government offices. Imagine accessing all the services you want at the comfort of your backyard as you chill out with your family! Fun, right?
Citizens are also able to contribute and access all government proceedings online thus enhanced accountability. Through the eSuggest and eComplain sites, they are able to effect changes in their administration on a unified front.
Procurement opportunities will be made available to SMEs online with invoices and payments done digitally. How about that for sleek convenience!
Fast Paced Technologies
dubai new technologies marketing
Now that we understand the objectives behind His Excellency’s vision of a happy Dubai, it’s important to take a look too at how the different technologies are being innovated, invented and applied to lead to a digital industry Dubai. Here, we’ll have a look at how digital marketing in Dubai, social media and other technologies are set to change the present and metamorphose the future.
The journey began in 1999 when the first ICT strategy was announced. Later on, the Dubai Internet City would be launched followed by Dubai e-Government and the rest is present history. At this very minute, Dubai can boast of being the most technologized city in the region with the application of IoT increasing by the day.
Social Media
About 95% of the population has access to social media and it’s even being used as a measure of happiness. Most businesses and advertising are also done online as organizations endeavor to make a breakthrough in the unlimited online market. With the improved Wi-Fi connectivity in the city, one cannot skip the chance of missing out on recent developments online.
Businesses which market themselves properly have a competitive advantage in the online market. It’s also cost-effective to SMEs which don’t have to incur outrageous advertising costs on TVs, radios and the like, which was the case a few years back. Social media marketing Dubai means consumers are also more educated and ready to speak out against shunned brands thus better knowledge on the part of the buyer.
SEO Marketing
Digital marketing Dubai is seeing more and more consumers reaching out to Google for answers. The answers could be searches for products, quick fixes or simply basic information that might be unknown to them. This is where Search Engine Optimization comes in. Business websites are coming up with articles based on frequently searched words as they strive to drive traffic to their sites.
Businesses that do so in the right ways end up generating a considerable flow of online users seeking basic answers to life’s questions. This gives the organization a propitious opportunity to market and sell their product or service and even maintain a loyal set of clients. It also takes your business to the nextlevel as it boosts your brand credibility. Remember people trust Google – make them trust Google t
hrough you.
E-Commerce
Since everyone is buying online, everyone is also making payments online with a general acceptance now as compared to before. A lot of individuals were skeptical about using online forms of payments a few years ago. Currently, trends indicate a move to digital coins which are much safer and require no middlemen. E-commerce is also set to benefit through customization which enables buyers to go deeper in terms of elaborating the details of the product they are in need of. Another technology will develop this trend, 3D printing services in Dubai will a game changer for e-commerce platforms. For instance, a customer buying a shoe will be able to choose the right shoe fit, size, type, and color among other options.
This hefty reliance on online buying options has seen businesses making more sales and even other businesses popping up to offer delivery services. Not only that: customer retention is at a higher level for most businesses that manage to sell it successfully to their esteemed clients. Gargantuan data aggregation and different shopping algorithms have even made it possible for shoppers to receive pinpointed recommendations during their shopping experience. Not only does this increase the business sales, but it also enhances the business ratings in the eyes of the buyer.
Dubai Blockchain Strategy
Blockchain Strategy is probably the biggest invention – not only for Dubai but to the world in general. This would be better explained from the bitcoin point of view. Picture a system of transaction, payments and processes which isn’t in the control of one single person. A system where data uploaded cannot be reversed since it’s in the hand of the ‘system’ in general. A structure which no one person can manipulate the data once uploaded since all of it is decentralized rather than in a single location!
The blockchain technology is already in effect in Dubai Smart City and will soon be ingratiated into every system making fraud a new vocabulary. An example is seen where a writer uploads content online using blockchain technology and doesn’t have to worry about marketing or copyrights since the technology does that for him. Anyone accessing the writer’s data will be charged a small fraction enabling the artist to make a decent living as they continue with their day to day lives. Isn’t that amazing!
The applications of blockchain technology can be seen in every sector since data is created in every sphere. Blockchain will ensure there is no manipulation, duplication or even theft of information and comes in to protect the user’s data. Considering that data is a $300 billion industry, businesses can only embrace the safe technology to be on the impregnable side of things.
Dubai, What Next?
As we reach the end of our discussion, we should give much thought to the impact of a digital industry Dubai. Sure, we can talk about it all day, but are we really ready for all these changes? The Dubai Smart City can only fully be achieved by input from each of us: we all have a role to play to make this dream a reality. Businesses would do well to start implementing some of these methods earlier on in advance. This will call for an overall upgrade of employee skills as well as changing their mentality. Basic forms of artificial intelligence could go a long way to change your brand’s image and have you ranked higher. Since the future is inevitable, we can only walk towards it with self-assurance and a positive mentality.
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Infiniti QX Inspiration Concept First Look: To Infiniti and Beyond
What is Infiniti? Nissan’s luxury brand is young—it was 30 years ago that it broke onto the international stage with the Q45 sedan unveiled at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. But the spirit of performance it aims to deliver dates back to the boutique Prince Motor Company of the ’50s, which built sports cars that chased Porsche 904s around the Japanese Grand Prix (and often won). Nissan bought Prince in 1966, and those cars were the precursor to the Q50 on the road today.
In terms of design, Infiniti was at its best when it created the “bionic cheetah,” the first FX concept at the 2001 NAIAS in Detroit. A second, closer-to-production FX45 concept was shown at the 2002 show, and by January 2003 the FX was on sale. The brand’s recent Inspiration series of concepts—not to mention the Vision GT—have also sparked the imagination. In looking at design on a broader scale, Infiniti’s future vision is dictated by the idea of performance via electrification. The brand has promised to electrify its entire portfolio starting in 2021.
Tying Infiniti past, present, and future together is the QX Inspiration SUV concept that, fittingly, uses the 2019 Detroit auto show to make its world debut.
QX Inspiration is an electric midsize crossover that designers nicknamed “Baby FX.” It draws inspiration from the spirit of Prince, the legacy of FX, the lines of the Prototype 10 speedster concept, and the evolving design direction first shown a year ago in the Q Inspiration sedan concept. Add to all that a big dollop of Japanese DNA.
The QX does not point to a specific vehicle but is the direction for the crossover lineup of the future. “People should look at this car,” Alfonso Albaisa, Nissan Motor’s global design chief, said. “There are many strong hints of what’s coming.”
The future has a wide stance, deep creases on the sides, and a smirking face with no grille and a prominent logo. It has a large, open interior with the cab pushed forward, and a flat floor allowed designers to create a Japanese “living room,” complete with marble tabletops and Orient Express–style gold lamps. Up front is an infotainment screen that spans the width of the car, a futuristic steering wheel, and space age seats. Throughout are a suede floor that looks like Italian tile, deep chocolate woods and leathers, muted gold trim, and a lattice roof.
The exterior styling of QX Inspiration came out of Nissan’s Global Design Center in Atsugi, Japan (as did the Q Inspiration sedan) while the London studio worked on the interior. Together the two concepts show what next-generation Infiniti cars and crossovers will look like—especially considering they will ride on the new EV platform shared among the Nissan–Renault–Mitsubishi alliance.
The scalable EV platform will be ready by 2020 and support 70 percent of Alliance vehicles from many segments by 2022. Plans include a new family of EV motors and lower-cost batteries to be introduced from 2020. The Alliance companies will introduce 12 pure electric vehicles by 2022. They will have a range of at least 373 miles and will quick-charge to a 143-mile range in 15 minutes. The brands will also use Mitsubishi’s plug-in technology for compact and midsize vehicles.
From FX to QX
The study to take Infiniti electric dates back to April 2017 as part of a soul-searching mission to define the brand.
As the brand celebrates its 30th anniversary, “We want electrification to be part of the DNA and the design language and a reflection of the moment in time after 30 years,” Albaisa said. “It reflects how a fundamental shift in our heart and mind can give you a new language.”
The new look pays homage to the original FX, which left an indelible stamp on Albaisa—who was a newly minted design director for Nissan Design America in 2000, when he received three sets of photographs of the proposed FX to vote on whether it should go into production.
“I am still completely shocked at the memory of the first FX,” Albaisa said, in part because the only true premium crossover on the market at the time was the BMW X5 (he felt the Lexus RX competed with the Nissan Murano). He was blown away by the third set of FX pictures, which looked like “an egg had swallowed an aircraft carrier” with a round derby hat roof atop a long fuselage body. The straight line from the hood corner to the back of the vehicle captivated him. “I fell in love and am still in love,” said the man who went on to own eight FXs. “On my next trip I hunted down the designer. To this day I look at him and I see what a human being can do, in the context of nothing because there was no benchmark, no obvious trend, and he created something so magical and important to the automobile world.”
Fast-forward to today. The job of recapturing that magic for future Infiniti crossovers fell to Karim Habib, the Infiniti brand’s executive design director. The first sketch came out of Japan a year ago. “I tried to do a few unconventional things,” Habib said as he explored what the first Infiniti electric vehicle should look like and how to use the brand’s Japanese roots as a guiding light.
Albaisa thinks the cheeky QX Inspiration has the same bravado and arrogance to be another black sheep like the FX, in an industry hurtling toward electrification and autonomous driving.
Although the Q Inspiration was a long, lithe, and elegant flagship sedan, the QX Inspiration SUV is more compact, foretelling a compact or midsize crossover such as the QX50. The design is scalable to encompass the full QX crossover lineup with the exception of the QX80, the full-size body-on-frame flagship SUV known for its functionality. The QX80 must retain a large presence while the QX Inspiration is designed to appear more nimble and energetic.
MotorTrend was the first outsider to see the “liquid white” concept during a trip to the Global Design Center in Atsugi. Like the sedan, the crossover goes for a simpler yet dramatic artistry.
The front has a shark nose—despite Albaisa being afraid of sharks—and a strip of light that looks like the shark is smirking after a good feed. The back-lit and hollowed-out Infiniti logo is prominent on a face with no grille, a functional element that electric vehicles are making extinct. Cooling for the electric vehicle comes via air intakes on each side.
Although the signature double-arch grille is gone, designers paid some lip service to it with a hood that appears to have a larger arch on top and smaller one below.
The headlights (or eyes) of the vehicle have narrowed. They are linear and deep with piercing projectors of light and decorative Japanese-inspired etched lattice pattern insets.
The crescent-cut C-pillar is also gone, replaced by a two-tone piece of trim under the small rear window. The trim has a strip in muted gold and a second strip in shuiro (Japanese vermilion, which is the spiritual red used in the gates of many shrines). The trim is repeated inside the vehicle. The brake calipers are also painted shuiro.
Essentially, Infiniti is changing its three main iconographies: the grille, eyes, and crescent cut, Albaisa said, in favor of a new-age look of simpler intensity.
The Infiniti name is prominent on the front and back of the vehicle with the tall letters backlit in white. Taillights stretch the width of the SUV with a dot pattern that gets smaller in the center and larger as it extends to the haunches. The rear has a series of horizontal lines creating steplike sections from the spoiler to the nonexistent bumper for the show car.
Being a concept, it rides on 22-inch wheels and has slits for side mirrors and sensors to open doors without handles. A puddle lamp projects the word “Infiniti” on the ground with fan-shaped lines welcoming the driver. Inside, mood lighting and scents depict all four seasons.
Japanese DNA
Albaisa and Habib wanted to give the concepts more Japanese DNA. Much thought went into how that should manifest itself. Nissan’s eight design studios were asked to submit in words their interpretations of what it means to be Japanese.
The most prominent example is the crease along the side of the SUV inspired by origami, the art of paper folding. The crease is sharp and deep, with the top half actually extending out further, like an overbite, with gold trim covering the width of the gap where the two pieces meet. The line is interesting: It is sharpest between the A- and C-pillars and then splays open as it bursts over the wheel arches.
The look was telegraphed in the Prototype 10 concept, which also played with the idea of bending aluminum like paper and exploring geometric shapes. The team played with about 100 different cuts, helped by the skilled hands of modelers, to find the right proportion for the crease, Taisuke Nakamura, program design director, said.
The car was designed to have a sense of ma, a Japanese term for the mastery of empty space. Elements have more meaning when protected by deliberate space, like a crease separating two large body panels.
Open the suicide doors, and the concept is stunning in its interpretation of electric (and eventually autonomous) vehicles. On the flat floor is a geometric pattern that looks like Italian tile but is made of microsuede with some lines accented in gold—a modern take on the Japanese tatami mat.
Door panels have a mix of rich brown leather and cedar showcasing flaws in the wood—Japanese wabi-sabi embraces imperfection. A gray fabric with dot quilting required some ingenuity to pull the threads in the back for a puckered look. It adorns the doors and dash.
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Why Spurs face an important couple of weeks after failure to make signings - Jermaine Jenas
Why Spurs face an important couple of weeks after failure to make signings - Jermaine Jenas
Why Spurs face an important couple of weeks after failure to make signings – Jermaine Jenas
I agree with Mauricio Pochettino when he says it’s fantastic that Tottenham didn’t signal anybody this summer season – however what does concern me is who may nonetheless depart, and the way Spurs can maintain their supervisor blissful.
Pochettino was proper to level to the positives of Harry Kane and Son Heung-min not too long ago signing new long-term offers, and with Christian Eriksen and Dele Alli each in talks over new contracts it seems like two extra large names shall be sticking round as nicely.
However Toby Alderweireld, Danny Rose and Mousa Dembele are nonetheless being talked about as out there to maneuver elsewhere in Europe this month.
I backed Spurs to finish third within the Premier League this season earlier than the switch window for incoming gamers shut final Thursday, and it did shock me that they didn’t convey anybody in any respect in.
I’m not going to alter my thoughts about my prediction as a result of Tottenham’s first XI is so robust and likewise as a result of they’ve a supervisor who is aware of them inside out.
However shedding any multiple of Alderweireld, Rose and Dembele could be a large blow for Spurs, as a result of it will severely have an effect on the depth of their squad.
Toby Alderweireld (left), 29, and Mousa Dembele (proper), 31, are each within the remaining 12 months of their Tottenham contracts. Danny Rose (centre), 28, has a deal that lasts till 2021.
‘Spurs not robust sufficient to only let trio stroll out of the door’
There appears to be a little bit of a sample rising at Spurs the place gamers get to a sure degree and age and begin to consider their future.
You try this as a footballer when you’re in your late 20s and begin pondering ‘nicely perhaps I’ve solely received yet another large contract left in me’, and if Tottenham should not going to offer it to them, they’ll look elsewhere.
Pochettino is the kind of supervisor who tells his gamers that if they do not wish to be right here, he isn’t going to face of their method.
However I do not suppose this Tottenham squad is robust sufficient to permit these three simply to stroll out of the door having not introduced in anybody else.
It doesn’t matter what your state of affairs is as a participant, the minute the window closes and you’re at a membership, then you definately wish to play – and play nicely.
So, whether or not they wish to depart or not, having them round shall be higher than counting on unproven gamers like Cameron Carter-Vickers, Juan Foyth or Luke Amos.
No Mahrez, however will we see extra of Moura?
Mahrez, who starred for Leicester after they gained the Premier League in 2016, joined Manchester Metropolis from the Foxes for £60m in July
I do know Tottenham followers had been craving the arrival of a large identify over the summer season to supply that large second and a few pleasure.
Personally I wished somebody who may go previous his man and prior to now I’ve hoped Spurs would go and get Riyad Mahrez from Leicester as a result of he has the power to try this and open up defences.
Tottenham had been just a little bit too ‘pass-pass-pass-pass’ at instances final season and it makes life simpler in case you have received another – all the opposite large golf equipment have gotten at the least one, and Son is the one Spurs participant who will take a participant on.
It appeared like they had been positively out there for another person like that, as a result of they had been linked with Aston Villa’s Jack Grealish and Crystal Palace’s Wilfried Zaha, and so forth.
They did not get any of them, however I’ve to say I used to be not overly excited by the names that had been talked about anyway.
Speak of bringing Gareth Bale again from Actual Madrid was completely unrealistic and the opposite names talked about weren’t going to show the membership the other way up and drive them ahead.
And it’s important to bear in mind Spurs introduced in Lucas Moura from Paris St-Germain for £23m in January.
Moura was not used as a lot as I believed he could be final season, however he has had an excellent pre-season and began Saturday’s win over Newcastle. He shall be like a model new signing, and I’m anticipating to see much more of him.
Are Spurs transferring on the fallacious time for Pochettino?
Tottenham Hotspur are because of transfer into their new stadium in September 2018
Some folks may have a look at Spurs and suppose they’re simply treading water anyway, however it’s important to bear in mind the price of their new floor, which has been delayed however will hopefully be ready by the end of October.
I believe Pochettino is fairly content material concerning the state of affairs too, however I wager there is a component of frustration for him on the identical time.
As constructive as the brand new floor is for the membership, you would argue it’s taking place on the fallacious time for him.
He’s regarded upon as one in every of Europe’s greatest coaches however the transfer will not be serving to him with what he’s making an attempt to realize at Spurs.
Sure, there would be the glitz and the glamour of a brand new stadium – finally – and it’ll all look nice, however it’s the staff that has received them to this place, with consecutive top-three finishes and Champions League soccer and if the membership doesn’t again Pochettino, that may inevitably tail off.
From my understanding, nonetheless, that’s not the rationale Spurs didn’t signal anybody this summer season.
Sure, Spurs needed to keep inside sure boundaries, however Pochettino was given the funds to go and get what he wanted – it was simply that Spurs weren’t in a position to get these offers over the road, and there was not a lot level in them going for his or her second or third decisions.
Spurs gamers love Pochettino for his private contact
Tottenham shall be aggressive – Pochettino
There’s a large distinction in how Jose Mourinho reacted so unhappily to the way in which Manchester United’s switch window went, and Pochettino’s very upbeat behaviour in public prior to now few days.
Pochettino’s perspective has rubbed off on his squad too, which is one other enormous constructive about Spurs’ present place.
After I converse to the Spurs gamers about him, I do not hear something however good issues. They love all the things about him, together with his private contact.
Even when a few of them had been away on the World Cup, they’d a real feeling he wished them to do nicely. Whether or not they had been with England or Belgium or whoever, he stayed in contact, not simply by sending them messages but in addition asking them how issues had been.
They respect that type of remedy, clearly, they usually reply to it. It means there’s a superb feeling across the membership proper now.
Sure, Pochettino calls for so much and may be very intense however the gamers settle for it as a result of they have a look at themselves and may see they’ve improved.
Foundations in place, even when Pochettino leaves
Pochettino ‘blissful and excited’ at Tottenham, regardless of Actual Madrid hyperlink
It’s nice that Spurs signed Pochettino up to a new deal on the finish of final season, however I do suppose they should begin making him blissful when it comes to his private ambitions.
I don’t see him turning his again on the membership any time quickly as a result of he has put a lot in to it, but when there may be any fear for Tottenham followers about his future, it’s with what’s going on with Mourinho at United.
If Mourinho leaves Outdated Trafford, then I can see United coming knocking for Pochettino as a result of it seems like he has been on their radar for a very long time, and I can perceive why he could be seen as the proper man for the job.
However even when the worst occurred they usually misplaced their supervisor, I do not suppose we’d see a whole capitulation at Spurs.
We’re speaking a few membership that has gone from energy to energy beneath chairman Daniel Levy prior to now few years, with an unbelievable stadium and with some sensible gamers who’re nonetheless growing.
No matter occurs subsequent, the sort of foundations are in place that Spurs have by no means had earlier than.
Jermaine Jenas was chatting with BBC Sport’s Chris Bevan.
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Kevin Durant says Giannis Antetokounmpo could be the greatest basketball player ever
High praise from KD.
Kevin Durant is just like the rest of us: He loves Giannis Antetokounmpo. Who doesn’t? In a Q&A on his official YouTube channel, Durant said that Antetokounmpo could be the “best player to ever play if he really wanted to.” And that’s not the first time Durant has praised Antetokounmpo.
In a YouTube comment earlier this summer — man, we’re learning a lot about Durant’s social media usage lately — Durant said that it was “guaranteed” that Antetokounmpo would win an MVP one day.
More recently was this Q&A video, though, where Durant said this about the Milwaukee Bucks star.
“The Greek Freak, I think, is a force. I've never seen anything like him,” Durant said. “His ceiling is probably ... he could end up being the best player to ever play if he really wanted to. That's pretty scary to think about. He's by far my most favorite player to watch.”
It’s in this video at the 9:53 mark.
youtube
Well? Can Antetokounmpo actually be the greatest basketball player to ever play?
Obviously, this is the real question we care about.
Antetokounmpo is 22 years old, and last season he became the first NBA player to ever finish in the top 20 in all five major statistical categories. If that doesn’t speak to his overall impact, I don’t know what else can do it for you.
This offseason, we did an exercise where we predicted the best players of 2021. Antetokounmpo was selected second, but I would have taken him first. Here was my argument for Antetokounmpo being the best player in the world in four years.
Giannis Antetokounmpo is not the best player in the league right now, but he’s close enough (an All-NBA second teamer) and young enough (22) that no soul would dare deny the possibility. Giannis is mesmerizing. Everything about him is endless: his wingspan, his potential, the amount we love him.
But let’s resist the urge to fall into long-winded esoteric praise — boy, could I — and examine what Antetokounmpo would look like as the league’s best player.
Last season, Antetokounmpo became the first player to finish in the top 20 in all five major statistical categories. That raw, all-around impact that Antetokounmpo can exert on every facet of the game will be present for years, especially as he refines his feel for the game and develops veteran instincts that you don’t expect a 22-year-old to possess. Imagine how much more polished a 26-year-old Greek Freak could be, and sweat bullets at how that would manifest itself against your favorite team.
Can Antetokounmpo shoot better? He shot 27 percent behind the arc and 34 percent on long two-pointers last season, which isn’t good enough. Both of those figures are worse than LeBron James has ever shot in a season — and yes, since we’re wondering if Antetokounmpo can claim James’ mantle, that’s a fair comparison. Giannis doesn’t need to be a good shooter; he isn’t one right now and still a borderline top-five player who can literally — and I do mean literally in its truest sense — do everything else on the court.
Still, I’m a believer in his ability to improve that jumper. Everyone on this list has at least one major hurdle. Anthony Davis and Kevin Durant must stay healthy. Karl-Anthony Towns needs to completely rework his defensive approach. Kawhi Leonard has to add more playmaking depth to his offensive palette.
Comparatively, a 26-year-old Antetokounmpo improving to shoot 33 percent on three-pointers — the same percentage James shot while winning MVP in the 2008-09 season — feels like a much simpler path. Giannis picked up basketball just a decade ago when he was 12, and he has still learned so many requisite skills so easily and so quickly that I can’t deny him learning one more.
And if Antetokounmpo does that, I don’t think this is even a debate.
Yes, absolutely Antetokounmpo can be the best player in the league, win MVPs, and generally dominate. Being the best player ever is another question entirely, though. But it’s possible, because we’ve never seen someone like him so far. I wouldn’t say it’s likely, just because it’s an almost impossibly high bar to clear, but most things Antetokounmpo does could be called impossible.
Regardless of what happens, it’s going to be amazing when the Durant-led Warriors and the Antetokounmpo-led Bucks play in the 2019 Finals.
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Who’s the best NBA player in 2021? Let’s argue about it
Anthony Davis or Karl-Anthony Towns? Giannis or Kawhi? Or maybe it’s still Kevin Durant.
We’ve finished our countdown of who we think will be the 101 best players in the NBA in 2021. Hopefully by now, you’ve checked out the whole thing. If not, start here and begin the journey.
When we did this four years ago, there were only two real options for the top spot. Twenty-eight-year-old LeBron James had just won his second title, while 24-year-old Kevin Durant had just narrowly missed out on his fourth straight scoring title. Conrad Kaczmarek chose Durant No. 1, but reaction was split at the time.
This time, the choice was much harder. James will be in his late 30s in 2021, while Durant will be 32. Meanwhile, a flood of younger players could stake their claim to the top spot if they continue to develop over the next four seasons.
In polling our panel of 10 drafters, we found five players with legitimate claims to the No. 1 spot. Here is the argument for each of the five, made by different members of the panel.
Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images
The case for Anthony Davis
By Tom Ziller
I almost had a panic attack when I won the No. 1 pick in the NBA 2021 draft. This is how legacies are destroyed! I would have much rather picked No. 3 or 4, where I could make a safe pick from the leftovers and second-guess the unfortunates in front of me.
But No. 1 it was. I considered four names based on the contours of our exercise: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Karl-Anthony Towns, and Kevin Durant in addition to my eventual choice: The Brow.
It ended up being a series of comparisons that led me here. Giannis is wonderful and a smart pick at No. 2, but Davis has done the unicorn things more consistently for longer. The same applies to Towns — he’s incredible but has only been able to show that for two seasons. Davis has been unreal for four.
As for Durant, he’ll be 33 entering the 2021-22 season, whereas Davis will be just 28. It’s similar to where LeBron and Durant were entering this season in terms of age. We don’t yet know if KD will age like LeBron — in other words, we don’t have evidence that Durant will continue to add and refine skills and make his body a masterpiece. Durant has also had injury issues LeBron did not. By passing on Durant here, I’m making a small wager that he won’t continue to gain power into his 30s as LeBron so clearly has.
Of course, Davis is a walking bag of maladies. But I have faith that his body will get right and so will his team, whether that’s in New Orleans or elsewhere. The Brow is still the future of the league until someone forcibly takes that title from him.
The case for Giannis Antetokounmpo
By Tim Cato
Giannis Antetokounmpo is not the best player in the league right now, but he’s close enough (an All-NBA second teamer) and young enough (22) that no soul would dare deny the possibility. Giannis is mesmerizing. Everything about him is endless: his wingspan, his potential, the amount we love him.
But let’s resist the urge to fall into long-winded esoteric praise — boy, could I — and examine what Antetokounmpo would look like as the league’s best player.
Last season, Antetokounmpo became the first player to finish in the top 20 in all five major statistical categories. That raw, all-around impact that Antetokounmpo can exert on every facet of the game will be present for years, especially as he refines his feel for the game and develops veteran instincts that you don’t expect a 22-year-old to possess. Imagine how much more polished a 26-year-old Greek Freak could be, and sweat bullets at how that would manifest itself against your favorite team.
Can Antetokounmpo shoot better? He shot 27 percent behind the arc and 34 percent on long two-pointers last season, which isn’t good enough. Both of those figures are worse than LeBron James has ever shot in a season — and yes, since we’re wondering if Antetokounmpo can claim James’ mantle, that’s a fair comparison. Giannis doesn’t need to be a good shooter; he isn’t one right now and still a borderline top-five player who can literally — and I do mean literally in its truest sense — do everything else on the court.
Still, I’m a believer in his ability to improve that jumper. Everyone on this list has at least one major hurdle. Anthony Davis and Kevin Durant must stay healthy. Karl-Anthony Towns needs to completely rework his defensive approach. Kawhi Leonard has to add more playmaking depth to his offensive palette.
Comparatively, a 26-year-old Antetokounmpo improving to shoot 33 percent on three-pointers — the same percentage James shot while winning MVP in the 2008-09 season — feels like a much simpler path. Giannis picked up basketball just a decade ago when he was 12, and has still learned so many requisite skills so easily and so quickly that I can’t deny him learning one more.
And if Antetokounmpo does that, I don’t think this is even a debate.
Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images
The case for Kevin Durant
By Mike Prada
A lot changes in the NBA in four years but not at the very top of the league. Four years ago, we were arguing Durant vs. LeBron James for the No. 1 slot in 2017. Four years later, Durant and LeBron battled in the NBA Finals as the two best players on the floor — with Stephen Curry maybe in the conversation as well. Not much really changed.
So when projecting the very best player in the NBA four years down the line, history suggests it’s actually best to go with the best player right now.
Kevin Durant is the best player in the NBA right now, especially after his 2017 finals performance. True, he didn’t have the best 2016-17 season, nor does he necessarily carry the label in the eyes of traditionalists (like my colleague Tom Ziller) who still favor LeBron.
But when the games mattered most, one player was omnipresent in all aspects of the game. One player hit the toughest shots. One player supplied the scoring binges that held off opponent runs and put games out of reach. One player protected the perimeter and the rim, all while swooping in for boards to kick-start the devastating fast break. That player was Kevin Durant. (Reminder: He was recovering from a knee injury, too.)
Durant has a history of foot problems, but he’s also a 7’0-small forward who can get his shot off anytime he wants. That doesn’t age, especially on a loaded team like the Warriors that can save his legs until he’s needed most.
With LeBron too far along in the aging curve and the other options not quite there yet, Durant, at 32, is the easy choice for me to be the best player in the game in 2021.
The case for Karl-Anthony Towns
By Ricky O’Donnell
It’s already fair to say the NBA has never seen a big man like Karl-Anthony Towns. Not one that has this much shooting ability, this proficient a floor game, and this bounty of athletic grace. Not one already so productive at just 21 years old, only two years removed from his freshman season at Kentucky.
When you look at numbers Towns has put up through his first two NBA seasons, the only comparisons can be to names like Olajuwon, Shaq, and Robinson. And that’s mostly just points and rebounds — none of those Hall of Fame bigs could shoot like Towns, who canned 102 three-pointers at a 36 percent clip last season.
Consider that Towns made more three-pointers in 82 games last season than Davis has made (78) in 335 career NBA games. That 82 is a big number, as well. Towns has played in every game since being drafted, something Davis, Durant, and Joel Embiid can only dream about.
The big question for Towns is how good he can be on the defensive end of the floor. That’s common for young big men. The bet here is that another season under Tom Thibodeau with the guidance of Taj Gibson and Jimmy Butler will push Towns to be a more consistent defender.
When that happens, watch out.
Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images
The case for Kawhi Leonard
By Kristian Winfield
I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again: If Kawhi Leonard didn’t re-injure his ankle in Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals against Golden State, the Warriors almost certainly lose that game. They probably don’t lose the series, but they don’t become the greatest playoff team of all-time.
Leonard’s injury single-handedly turned a 23-point Game 1 lead into a series sweep in favor of Golden State. That’s how dominant he is on both ends, and he’ll only get better.
As it stands, Kawhi’s a player who’s a visibly better defender than he is a scorer and playmaker. That’s a huge compliment, because he averaged 25.5 points for San Antonio and was the end-all-be-all for its offense last season. His offense is pretty damn great, too.
Sure, Leonard will turn 30 in 2021, and I made it a point to shy away from players over that age. But Leonard’s a two-way player the likes of which most people my age haven’t seen, and he finds ways to get better every single season.
I’m riding with Kawhi.
INTRO | FULL LIST | TOP 100 OF 2017 | HOW WE DID IN 2013 | SNUBS | 101-91 | 90-81 | 80-71 | 70-61 | 60-51 | 50-41 | 40-31 | 30-21 | 20-11 | 10-1 | THE CASES FOR NO. 1
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