#oppenheimer should have ended us all when he had the chance

[strawbrryysworld]

[doctorbrown]

MCFLY JULY ‘24 ⸺ 「 24 / 31 * OUT IN THE DESERT 」

January—March 1943

From the moment he’d been visited at the university by Oppenheimer with Groves in tow, the latter a looming, intimidating presence towering over him in his uniform compared to the amicable and even friendly disposition of Oppenheimer, he’d felt the cold bite of the Sword of Damocles pressed against his neck, digging deeper and deeper with each day he’d been left in purgatory, waiting.

He feared he’d lose his head before ever hearing the official outcome of his new employment.

When one of his colleagues had approached him about a week and a half after their departure, informing him that he’d received a call from the FBI asking some questions about him, Emmett’s heart stopped then and there and he was absolutely positive he’d seen the moment his head was severed from his neck, rolling down the hallway.

Twenty long seconds later, when his senses had returned to him, he learned that the sensation was just dizziness and he was still firmly intact.

Three weeks later, the hell had ended. To say his official acceptance onto the project was a weight off his shoulders would be an understatement. Emmett breathed a long sigh of relief, nearly giddy with the excitement that he’d come through the process relatively unscathed; his frayed nerves were the only real casualty of his stint in purgatory.

Why the outcome should have been anything other than this, he couldn’t say, but that didn’t stop his mind, already having latched onto the mystery and thrilling scientific intrigue that Oppenheimer had offered, from conjuring up the what-if possibilities while unseen hands manipulated the course of his life. He’d never been in legal trouble, no criminal record, his father was an incredibly prominent and well-respected, if feared and disliked, member of the community, and his academic achievements had been exceptional.

But now it was official and the part that should have been the most daunting brought him the most joy. Two months was more than enough time to wrap up his affairs in California nicely.

His courses at the university would be discontinued and his students would be disseminated out into the other professors’ courses. The small home he’d been provided here would go back to the university and whatever he deemed unimportant to take with him to New Mexico would be discarded. The head of the department wished him well, and after a brief exchange steeped in rumour and hearsay, he’d left, returning home to pack up the last of his things.

How fascinating that an entire life could be stuffed in a couple travel bags.

—

When Emmett returns to Hill Valley, tugging the last twenty-three years of his life up the pathway to the mansion he hadn’t seen in almost five years, it is his mother’s joyful cries that greet him, her hands that all but pull him through the door, and her voice that fills the living room as she sits down, harmonising with the song of time played by his favourite Grandfather Clock.

Emmett, the doctor. Emmett, the scientist. Emmett, her son, doing his part for his country, whatever that meant, because it was secret, secret, secret—all so very secret all he could say was “I can’t talk about it but I have to travel to get there”—and while she looked ten years younger, radiant with motherly pride, his father scoffed and harrumphed, making his opinion known in no uncertain terms.

You would’ve done better for the war as a soldier, not some damned-fool scientist.

‘But at least maybe you’ll have a chance to be useful. Do something good.’

This time, his father’s barbs do not sting. They strike at him from all angles, jabbing at his skin but never piercing, and he lets them fall to the ground at his feet, unwilling to have this argument again, as they did for so many long nights in his youth. With the prospect of unforetold scientific progress right there at his fingertips, he could find it in himself to forgive his father without a fight. He didn’t understand. He wouldn’t let him spoil this.

Science—science was the future. And they would see.

His departure comes as quick as his arrival, his mother asking when he thinks he’ll be back in California.

���Soon,” he says, unable to give her any definite number, pulling at the hope this project is supposed to bring. “When we’ve won the war.”

Alone, he arranges to have himself and his entire life brought to San Francisco, where he’ll meet the train that carries him to the future.

—

San Francisco to Santa Fe.

Emmett spends most of his time in comfortable silence, watching the touches of humanity upon the land slowly and slowly being stripped away. Pavement gives way to dirt and grass and unsullied earth and the towering buildings of the cities sprout leaves and stretch up to the heavens, basking in the afternoon sunlight.

He remembers the itinerary—cryptic instructions written on a packet of papers shoved into his hands and the explicit instructions to allow nobody else to see the contents of this folder. Emmett doesn’t think he could forget it if he tries, burning a hole in the inner pocket of his overcoat, searing his chest even through his clothes.

More often than not, he tries to imagine the stage that will hold what is supposed to be the greatest scientific advancements of the last three centuries—what we’ll be doing here will be the culmination of the last three centuries of physics. Don’t you want to be a part of that?—I want to take on this challenge—only to imagine something even more fantastical than its predecessor every time he tries.

A fully functioning laboratory and city do not just spring up overnight in the middle of the desert, but Oppenheimer had said it would be ready in time, and Emmett found himself almost immediately assured by that, half-convinced that Nature itself would bend to that man’s charm.

Perhaps, Emmett thinks, a flutter in his stomach equal parts dread and excitement, it just might.

What else would require some of the greatest scientific minds to gather in one remote location under the strictest security imaginable?

The possibilities lull him into a dream-filled sleep.

—

They’re waiting for him there, just as they said. Two large uniformed escorts that Emmett easily has several inches on tower over him, usher him into an ordinary old car—grey, unassuming, rather mundane, actually, but when discretion is key—and expertly fit an entire life into the boot.

As if they’ve done this before.

Clement and Rosario, Lieutenant-Commander and Lieutenant, respectively, as he’s come to learn from the intermittent conversation, were the ones assigned to bring him to the site, get him through security, and make sure everything went off without a hitch.

Emmett watches, his face all but pressed against the window in the back as the landscape overrides the thoughts about this project that have been playing on a loop since he first alighted the train back in California. The desert is beautiful, nothing like the views in the city, and maybe he views the wide open area through the tinted lenses of lingering boyish romanticism for such an environment, but there is a rough, rugged beauty to it all in reality that Emmett is pleased to know for himself is not just a result of the films.

He must have said that out loud, because the younger of the two—or the one Emmett assumes is younger, given the softness still present on his face that looks out of place with the gun strapped to his hip—Rosario, says, “Yeah, isn’t it? Beautiful place out here. Shame we went and ruined it.” Before Emmett can ask what that means, he just says, “You’ll see.”

He does see, almost immediately.

This complex—‘Welcome home, Doc,’ Clement jokes in that gruff voice of his—looks more like a prison dropped in the most remote location they could think of, where they’ll work and torture them until they get what they want or die trying. That fence must be ten feet high, topped with barbed wire, and Emmett wonders how many scientists they know of that are athletic enough to even attempt scaling a wall like that.

They preferred to scale theoretical hurdles, not physical.

The cold feeling of dread slithers up his spine. He dismisses it the moment they reach the security checkpoint, telling himself he’s being foolish—the military is involved; everything with them is cloak-and-dagger.

Processing takes an eternity, and Emmett feels a rush of dizziness he can’t quite explain when a thick set of papers are pressed into his hand, followed by a white identification badge that has immortalised his awkwardness in a frozen snapshot of time.

“Housing information’s on the first page. You’ll get used to the layout. Keep that badge with you at all times, Doctor Brown.”

[everygame]

Trinity (PC)

Developed/Published by: Infocom Released: 9/5/1986 Completed: 18/08/2023 Completion: Finished it. 100/100. Trophies / Achievements: n/a

Oppenheimer fever has long subsided by the time you’re reading this, and to be fair, had subsided by the time I finally booted up Trinity, but it was seeing Christopher Nolan’s surprisingly human film in 70mm IMAX that led to me skipping forward a few months in 1986 to play this, Infocom and Brian Moriarty’s attempt to grapple with the history of the atomic bomb from the context of the ongoing cold war (although by 1986 it was beginning to thaw, with Mikhail Gorbachev in power and Reagan already three years out from having his mind significantly changed by a screening of The Day After.)

Trinity in many ways is a companion to Steve Meretzky’s A Mind Forever Voyaging, in that it accepts that all art is political and is trying to be something deeper than even Infocom have attempted. But it also stands in contrast to it: A Mind Forever Voyaging is essentially puzzle-less and “realistic” whereas Trinity is absolutely an adventure game, packed with puzzles and fantasy locations.

Both games have their proponents and detractors (The Digital Antiquarian, interestingly, is a Trinity man) but I’ll be honest: for me, there’s probably a middle-ground that I’d like a bit more. Because Trinity falls into the major problem that I always seem to have with Infocom games: you don’t know what to do, or why you would do it.

It is, absolutely, the fact that I’m playing these in my spare time in 2023 rather than, you know, having put down the equivalent of $100 or whatever in 1986 to get a box with a lot of fun stuff in it, but I often wonder: did Infocom’s “Imps” simply believe players can and should work out what they’re supposed to be doing by repeated playthroughs, trial and error, failure, or was it the kind of thing that simply never occurred to them?

I supposed I’m being slightly unfair to Trinity. The game, after all, does begin with a simple vignette (you’re on holiday in London, trying to enjoy a day in Kensington Gardens before a nuke gets dropped on you/it–though you don’t know that yet) where you will quickly be driven to chase a roadrunner because… well, I guess because he’s there. It’s really only once you’re transported to a magical fantasy land full of mushrooms that you are faced with a complete lack of understanding.

Would it really have been so hard to express to the player what they’re trying to do? When I look at it… maybe. You see, in Trinity, you’re actually trying to travel to the famous Trinity experiment in order to… fiddle with the test so it… goes… right? It’s not exactly clear what the intention is, actually, but there’s a fair chance that it relates to something you might know about if you saw Oppenheimer–the theory that the bomb might have began a chain reaction that could not be stopped, igniting the earth’s atmosphere completely. The thesis of Oppenheimer, of course, is that it did, we just don’t know it yet. Trinity does not manage something as thematically clear–in fact, I’m not really sure what it’s saying in the end at all.

Anyway. To get to the experiment, you have to explore the fantasy land and use a sundial to open doors in mushrooms, each of which represents a nuclear explosion (a bit on the nose, but let’s allow it) that has occurred in the past or future (I do rather appreciate the imagery of the fantasy land where the mushrooms starts sparse, but grow into a tremendous forest; it’s rather chilling). This set-up is a bit of a mish-mash of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy with Moriarty’s earlier Wishbringer, and in some ways is the worst of both worlds: you’ve got a big ol’ map with puzzles to solve, but also each vignette needs to be solved, usually requiring things from puzzles you solved in the map. And, of course, you don’t know what any of those things are.

It’s actually rather easy to get to the “end” of the game (as in, the Trinity test site) but it’s unbelievably hard to work out what you’re supposed to do there. There are some really fun and logical puzzles in this (love a puzzle where you just tell someone or something to do something for you and they do it) and also some absolute stinkers, including pulling the old trick where if you look “at” something you’re practically told to ignore it, but if you search it you find something you desperately need. It’s not even logical at times–how was a screwdriver hidden like that???

Yes, this was one where I took a trip to the invisiclues more than I really wanted to, at least once because something I thought should work didn’t (of course, my solution would have ended up with me in a no-win situation because it ruined another item I needed…) and I think after A Mind Forever Voyaging, which is straight-forward both in design and theme, that I didn’t really get Trinity on either level frustrated me somewhat.

Which is not, really, to say that Trinity is bad. If–as I should have–I expected a Brian Moriarty adventure in the style of his previous, Wishbringer (of which I said, “Moriarty is more about giving the player a sense of place and feeling rather than a particularly deep narrative”) I think I’d have been largely fine with this, although still begging for more instruction. I think it’s simply that the whimsy in a context so serious doesn’t work for me here. A noble effort, none the less.

Will I ever play it again? I can’t imagine I would. There’s a time limit and tension to the climax of this that had me having to play it over about four times to get it right and that really wore thin enough I wouldn’t like to do it again.

Final Thought: I reference him fairly frequently but I have to note that The Digital Antiquarian went hog wild for this one writing like seven articles that discuss the atomic age in incredible detail and they’re wonderful context if, really, they only make Trinity’s themes feel ever more tenuous.

Support Every Game I’ve Finished on ko-fi! You can pick up a digital copy of exp. 2600, a zine featuring all-exclusive writing at my shop, or join as a supporter at just $1 a month and get articles like this a week early.

[denimbex1986]

'Sterling K. Brown isn’t betting on winning Best Supporting Actor at the 2024 Oscars.

The American Fiction star revealed that he’s simply basking in the joy of having earned his first-ever Academy Award nomination because he knows the trophy will likely go to Oppenheimer's Robert Downey Jr.

“There’s no losing yet. It will happen in its own due time,” Brown said while visiting The Graham Norton Show on Friday, surrounded by his fellow guests Dakota Johnson, Domhnall Gleeson, and Colman Domingo, who is nominated in the Best Actor category for his performance in Rustin.

“Colman will probably win," Brown added. "I know that I’m not going to win.”

When Domingo and host Graham Norton both interjected to note that Brown could still very well win, the This Is Us star quickly assured them that he’s “totally fine” with the potential outcome.

“I’mma tell you: Robert Downey Jr.’s gonna win, and he’s incredibly deserving. He’s an incredible actor. Like, you should give him love,” he said. “The fact that I get a chance to be nominated along with him and Mr. [Robert] De Niro and Ryan Gosling and [Mark] Ruffalo… I’m just happy to be in the room.”

Norton, however, was not afraid to poke fun at Brown’s claims, envisioning the moment if he does actually end up snagging the award. “On the night, this will all be very humble,” he teased as Brown burst into laughter. “'I can’t believe I won!'”

Brown previously marveled over his nod in an Instagram video posted shortly after the nominations were announced last month.

“I didn’t know how else to respond to share my gratitude,” he said at the time. “I want [to say] thank you to the Academy. For somebody who’s been watching the Oscars their whole life, I’ve never been. I’ve had a few things that have been in contention or whatnot, but this will be my first time actually going to the party. and it’s an honor to get the invite.”'

[jeffgrant4real]

My Barbenheimer Experience

(I don’t think there are any spoilers here, just basic thoughts on the movies)

Saturday, July 22, 2023  7:23 PM

I guess I feel the need to type “Barbenheimer” even more this weekend so I figured I’d recap my busy Friday at the movies. It was definitely an experience and people need to know this information. Yes, this is important. 

WELL, I’m on the internet so I was aware of the Barbenheimer meme phenomenon and knew I’d see both movies at some point but didn’t make any plans until my friend BJ texted a week or 2 ago asking if I’d want to join he and 1 or 2 other people for the movie event of the year. It doesn’t take much to get me to watch movies so I said I was down. We got our tickets for a 10:45 showing of Oppenheimer on one of the XD screens at Tinseltown in Grapevine followed by Barbie at 5:30. Cool. 

So Friday rolls around and I drive the half hour over to the theater, which I don’t go to often these days but it was the main place I saw movies at in high school so it always makes me think of the late 90s when I go back. I remember Friday nights and teenagers driving fancy cars their parents bought them. #memories Anyway…

I met up with BJ in the lobby as he waited for his friend Michael. I got a large popcorn and a bottled water, my usual lately. I found our seats and went for a successful pee and sat back down like 30 seconds before the movie started. Now, to be clear I think all I knew about Oppenheimer, the actual person, was that he was the father of the atomic bomb. I was more going to see the new Christopher Nolan movie than because I’m a history buff but I was glad to have a chance to learn more. 

The screen was gigantic, like 3 or 4 stories high, and the filmmaking and acting were top notch but there was more talking than I expected and for some reason I kept losing focus and just blanking out for whole scenes, which of course were important to remember later, so I kept feeling like it was going over my head. I think I’m going through a sort of personal Christopher Nolan existential crisis where I can’t tell if I’m a fan anymore. I respect and admire his ambition but I’ve been having a difficult time hooking into the stories in his movies. I think maybe he’s smarter than me and I feel kinda dumb. Yesterday, I kept telling myself that it was an important story and that I should pay attention better but I just couldn’t chill out and enjoy the movie like a normal person. Maybe I was thinking too much about how I was going to watch another movie afterwards, I’m not sure. I just know that as the movie kept going I got noticeably sleepier, which doesn’t typically happen with me at movies. Like I kinda wanted to take a nap even though I got decent sleep the night before. 

All this to say I had a pretty lukewarm feeling about the movie by the end of it, which I’m pretty sure isn’t the normal response; most seem to be blown away by it. I’m seriously not sure what my deal is because I think it was a good movie and I’d recommend it, but I was just sorta bored if I’m being honest. I’m sure it’ll be nominated for Best Picture later and maybe I’ll revisit it but I just wasn’t feeling it much on the first viewing. 

Anyway, after it was over we walked out and the other 2 seemed more positive than I was. We had 3 hours to kill before Barbie and Michael went home so I hung out with BJ. We went to his house where his wife and 2 of his daughters were and it was hilarious to me that we were leaving them soon after to go watch Barbie with 2 other dudes (a 4th, Codey, joined us). 

If you asked me before we went which of the 2 movies I was looking forward to the most it would 1,000 times be Barbie. I’m a big fan of Greta Gerwig’s previous 2 movies Lady Bird and Little Women and was excited to see what she would do with a giant Hollywood movie. I don’t have much of a connection to Barbie as a toy but it’s an interesting pop cultural thing to play around with and the trailers and promotional material made it look like a blast. Also, her partner Noah Baumbach co-wrote the script with her, and he’s a director I enjoy, as well as his writing collaborations with Wes Anderson, (The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou and Fantastic Mr. Fox) so Barbie has been in the “stick it in my veins”-zone for me for a while. 

Anyway, I was disappointed with one thing going in. Where we got to see Oppenheimer on a gigantic screen, Barbie was playing in one of those older, longer auditoriums and we were sitting near the back so the screen was maybe 8 times tinier. I knew the movie was going to be dynamite visually so I wished we could’ve been closer to the screen (maybe I’ll see it again just for that reason). I didn’t mention this earlier but ALL DAY LONG we were passing by groups of people dressed in pink and it seemed like over half the people in our screening were outfitted for the movie, which added a fun extra layer to the experience. BJ and I thought about going to Target between the movies to get pink shirts but didn’t make it. 

I thought the movie was incredibly entertaining and creative and super weird for a big studio tentpole, which made me like it even more. I don’t know how Gerwig got away with so much of what happened. I can see a lot of people not enjoying it, but I admired how boldly it was its own thing; it felt very punk rock for a movie that’s going to make boatloads of dollars. It reminded me of The LEGO Movie in how it used the IP in a fresh way and made an actual good movie out of a film that was probably put into production mainly to sell toys. The most impressive parts of Barbie to me were clearly the production design and the performances. I couldn’t believe how cool the sets and props looked and Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling could seriously, weirdly be nominated for Oscars for playing these toys. 

More than anything the movie reminded me of things like The Brady Bunch Movie in how it took a beloved, if dated, property and honored it while also satirizing what it stands for. I remember seeing that movie in the 90s when it came out and not getting it and thinking it wasn’t very good, but I rewatched it a few years ago and thought it was hilarious. Heh. 

If you haven’t seen Gerwig talk about the movie’s inspirations they’re pretty interesting. She’s cited The Wizard of Oz, The Truman Show, Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure, The Umbrellas of Cherbourg, Singin’ in the Rain, 2001: A Space Odyssey, Rear Window and many others as references. It’s fun to think of the movie leading young, emerging cinephiles to some true classics. 

I’m glad I was able to see both movies on the same day and fulfill the meme but it was honestly a LOT and I don’t think I processed either one especially well. This was a special movie day though and I’m happy I got to participate. I think that’s about it. Thanks for reading.

SUBLIME!

[lizthehobbitcleric]

Cole Brookstone: Sweet Secrets

Warnings: Beware: Only fluff to be found here!

Disclaimer: I do not own ninjago nor the art posted. I only own my ideas/plot lines. All characters are written to be 18+

Summary: Cole has been going out in secret, the boys want to know what he's hiding, and Wu just wants to enjoy his tea in peace for once. (This oneshot in particular is going to be placed somwhere in between season 2 and 3)

~-~-~

It's safe to say that not many secrets are held between the ninja. Considering the fact that they need to entrust each other with their lives, there's just not much room for hiding things. Of course, everyone is entitled to their personal privacy however. Each of them have their own small things that they just don't talk about with the others.

For Lloyd, that happens to be his sweets stash under his bunk.

For Jay? His fear of spiders (Nya and Zane are totally the spider handlers of the group and no one can convince me otherwise.) 

Kai, though he would never admit it, tends to dance and sing to Mariah Carey unironically (especially when the holidays are around).

Zane? It's not so much of a secret as it is an odd habit, but every so often he'll sit in the fridge and meditate for like an hour (cuz... ice powers? I guess??).

As for Cole, well, his secret is a little more significant...

That secret is you.

For all that he loves his brothers, he knows that they would not let him live it down if they found out he had a s/o. Teasing, wanting to meet you every time he goes out, it would never end. Besides that, he would have no problem letting you meet the others. The other reason he keeps you a secret is because of how many enemies he and the ninja have, the less people that know about you means the less chance someone will try to get to him through you.

You two met each other in grade school, your meeting was rather rocky (heh) at first, seeing as you had just moved to a new town and weren't exactly inclined to make new friends. One day however, there were some older kids from a higher class that started picking on you, Cole saw and helped you fight them off (verbally, since little kids aren't all that strong compared to tweens/preteens) and from there your friendship slowly formed.

Your relationship didn't take a romantic turn until you both went to Marty Oppenheimer School of Performing Arts, though Cole left a few months after entering, you two still kept in contact. While you both were in school though, nine times out of ten you two would end up as partners. (I absolutely adore the mental image of Cole lifting the reader during a piece.)

Like his father, he didn't tell you right away that he was a ninja, only when he came to your place to check on you after the Great Devourer attacked that you found out what he did for a living. Needless to say you had a minor panic at the fact that your boyfriend could get hurt at any second without you knowing. He managed to calm you down after a few minutes, though that doesn't stop you from checking him for any injuries any time he visits.

Seeing as he's usually either busy training, fighting crime, or teaching at Wu's academy its not often that he gets to see you. Today however is one of the rare times they're all visiting your village.

"We're here!" Nya called out as she caught sight of her friends near the outskirts of the village. All the ninja were relieved as they tried to catch their breath, it was a pretty decent hike from the school. That's not why they were so winded though, Wu had decided to make it a training exercise for long distance running (turned competition by the ninja excluding Nya and Wu, who took their time).

"Did we really have to walk all the way here? Taking the raider would have been a lot faster." Kai complained. As he approached the boys Wu started to speak.

"Faster perhaps, louder most definitely, besides, it would not fit all of us at once. Besides, hiking will increase your endurance that you all so apparently need, perhaps we should come here more often..." all the ninja (besides Cole) groaned at the idea. Wu continued as he started to walk closer to the village.

"In any case, try not to cause too much trouble would you? I don't wish to have to explain to the mason again how you all destroyed half his wares within a few minutes." ... Yeah, safe to say they were banned from going into certain shops after that. Wu continues to head off into the town. Nya turned to face the others after their master was out of sight.

"I have a few errands to run so I'll see you all later, bye!" She said as she walked in a different direction than their sensei. Cole glanced at the others, trying to figure out the best way to leave alone without arousing suspicion. Luckily Lloyd beat him to it however.

"I'm going to go visit the comi- er book store, meet back here at 5 like usual?" The others nodded their agreement and Lloyd left. Cole turned to head into the village, wanting to get to you as soon as possible.

"I'll cy'a guys later, I'v got someo- somewhere I need to be." He said as he ran off, the others glancing to each other.

"Does anyone else wonder where he goes every time we come here? He always takes off before we can ask!" Jay exclaimed. Kai opened his mouth to say something when Zane replied.

"Cole is entitled to go where he wants though, perhaps he just doesn't wish to be late for something?" Kai raised a brow at the nindroid and shook his head.

"Nah, if it was something like that then he'd tell us, it's probably something embarrassing like hula lessons.." Jay turned to the group as they all imagined what Cole could possibly be doing, now curious.

"I say we tail him! If he won't confess then we'll just have to find out ourselves!" He said as he pumped his fists. Zane tilted his head a bit with a questioning glance.

"Wouldn't that be an invasion of privacy? It's not a crime to go places without us." 

"He does this every time we're here though, aren't you at least a little bit curious?" Kai retorted.

"Well... I suppose it wouldn't hurt.." Zane still wasn't sure on the idea.

"Think of it like a training exercise, we'd have to be able to sneak up on another ninja!" Zane sighed but finally relented and nodded towards the direction Cole rushed off in.

"We best hurry then, we don't want to lose him before we even find out his destination." Jay and Kai fist bumped and they all took off after Cole, doing their best not to be seen by the older ninja.

~-~-~

You had just gone down to the kitchen when you heard your door being unlocked. Quickly you turned your head towards the sound and see your boyfriend coming through the door. You grinned and ran over to him, hugging him tight as he spun you around a bit. 

"You're here!" Cole chuckled as he set you down, you tilted your head slightly and brought him into a kiss, one he quickly reciprocated. You pulled away and grinned at him, pulling him into your home.

"Of course I am, I can't just stop by the village and not say hi to my wonderful partner!" Your grin didn't fade, but softened into a smile as you studied your boyfriend. Even after all this time, you still can't help but want to make sure he's not hurt when he visits.

"I'm glad you're here, you have good timing too! I was just about to make lunch." As if on queue, his stomach growled, empty from the hike earlier.

"Sounds good, want any help?" He gave you a pleading look, the kind you would normally give in to if your kitchen wasn't at stake.

"Hmm well I haven't chopped up the vegetables yet if you want to help out with that?" Cole smiled, it's been a while since you let him help you cook, even if it wasn't really cooking, since the last time you let him near a pot he managed to burn water somehow.

"Aye Aye Captain." He gave a mock solute as you both set to work.

~-~-~

Meanwhile, Jay, Kai, and Zane stood on a nearby roof, not close enough that you two could hear them but just enough to where they could see what just transpired. Jay dropped his mouth open in shock, Kai's eyes were wide as they watched you bring Cole inside. Zane's reaction, while a lot more tame, you could definitely tell he was surprised.

"Cole.... Cole has a girlfriend?!" Kai quickly put his hand over Jay's mouth.

"Shhh, not so loud! Someone will hear us, the last thing we need is Sensei having to bail us out of jail because someone think's we're stalkers." Kai hisses. Jay gets out of Kai's hold as Zane raises a brow. Somewhere in the distance, an older man is sitting in a cafe drinking his tea when he gets a sudden chill.

"Isn't what we're currently doing considered stalking?"

"No we're just... looking out for our brother! That's all there is to it." Jay defended. 

"Even still, it seems we are invading something private, perhaps we should head back?" Zane suggested. The others looked back at the house one last time before Kai sighed for a second.

"Fine you're right, lets get out of here, I think the arcade is still open." The group of three stood up and abandoned their previous post, heading towards the center of town.

~-~-~

You and Cole finished lunch fairly quickly, breakfast burritos complete with eggs, bacon, and (extras of your choice). After eating you two headed into the living room and Cole started to set up (favorite movie). You sat on the couch and Cole sat next to you, he leaned down and laid his head in your lap. He gave you a gentle smile as you started to run your hands through his hair, one of the things you know he enjoys.

The movie ended all too soon, not that you minded, you'd seen it many times already. You looked up at the clock on a nearby wall, 4:37 it read. You look down and see that Cole had fallen asleep, you didn't really want to wake him up but you knew he had to leave to meet up with his team. Your hand moved from his hair to his arm as you gently moved your hand up and down his arm, slowly rousing him from sleep.

This was his favorite way to wake up, with you next to him, gracing him with the gentle smile he so loved. He didn't want to leave, but he knew he had to or the others would wonder where he was. He slowly got up and brought you closer to him, his hand brushed your cheek as he drew you in. You two shared a kiss, one that you both poured all the love you could into, knowing you wouldn't see each other for a while. 

He pulled back and held you for a few minutes before you both stood up and you walked him to the door. 

"I'll come back as soon as I can, alright?" you nodded, understanding that his responsibility to the team comes first more often than not.

"I'll be here waiting for you." reaching your hand out you lightly gripped his shirt and gently pulled him towards you, kissing one last time before he left. A moment later, you two broke away and he gave you a smile that you returned. Then, he backed up and made his way back to the meeting point, but not before looking back and winking at you with a grin on his face. You chuckled as you shook your head and closed the door, heading back into the house to continue on with your day.

The moments you have with Cole may not be often, but you loved and cherished every second of them, and you know he does aswell.

Extra:

"Come on!!" Kai yelled out as he once again drifted into the dirt to the right of him.

"Haha! I have you now!" Jay's cart zoomed past Kai's as he swiftly took 1st place at the last second. Kai looked at Jay, disgruntled.

"I let you win." he said while Jay snickered.

"Suuure, what ever helps you sleep at night." Zane smiled at his two brothers, looking to Kai

"I believe the appropriate term is, "You just got smoked."" Jay burst out laughing as Kai gave him and Zane a withering glare.

"I hate you both."

"You know you love us!"

~-~-~

Fin

[oceanna1919]

I Am Becoming Death {1X10, part 2}

SMUT ALERT!! If you want to skip it, don't read when you see this symbol (**)  Enjoy!!

‘’ There's five to a clip. Let's go. We need to get these guns on the wall.’’ Bellamy ordered as me, Raven, Jasper, Monty and Harper worked on getting the guns ready. There isn’t a cure to this fatal virus. The grounders used it to weaken us and they are attacking tomorrow morning.

‘’ Why just five?’’ Monty asked confused.

‘’ We're running out of gunpowder.” Bellamy informed casually and I rolled my eyes.

‘’ Oh, we're so dead. Maybe we should just give up.’’ I said sharply and Jasper turned to me with a playful smile, making me raise my eyebrows.

‘’ Don't worry. I got your back.’’ He flirted and I heard Bellamy growled from beside me.

‘’Hey watch it!’’ Bellamy warned him and I took his hand and gave it a quick squeeze. Jasper looked at Bellamy bored.

‘’You don’t tell me what to do.’’ Jasper said glaring at Bellamy and he of course glared back. His jaw clenched a couple of times.

‘’ Hey, guys, stay focused. We're doing good. We need as many rounds done by dawn as we can.’’ Raven said, looking between the two of them. They continued to glare at each other without doing anything. I snapped my fingers angrily and I glared at Bellamy and Jasper.

‘’Back to work.’’ I ordered them and they get back to work with one final angry glare. Suddenly the tent opened and Finn entered.

‘’ It won't matter if there's no one left who can shoot. What do we need to build a bomb?’’ Finn  asked quickly looking at Raven at the end.

‘’ Depends on what you're trying to blow up.’’ She said confused. Where he was going with that?

‘’ How about a bridge?’’ Finn asked with a small smile.

‘’ What are you talking about?’’ Bellamy asked him, kind of irritated if I may add.

‘’ Murphy says he crossed a bridge on his way back here from the Grounders' camp.’’ Finn informed us, before turning to Bellamy.

‘’ Sound familiar?’’

‘’ Yeah. So what?’’ Bellamy asked, sounding more irritated.

‘’ So the virus is fast. He's already getting better. Blowing the bridge won't stop the attack, but the longer we can delay it, the more of us will be able to fight.’’ Finn had a good point, but I don’t think his plan was going to work.

‘’Finn. Even if Murphy is telling the truth’’ I started, doing air quotes when I said ‘if’

 ‘’and that's a big if, that bridge has survived a nuclear war and ninety-seven years of weather.’’ I finished shaking my head softly.

‘’ It won't survive me.’’ Raven said confidently. Oh boy.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

So Bellamy left with Finn, Jasper and Raven to get the liquid hydrazine from the drop ship explosion. I decided to stay with Octavia at the dropship and help the others. About 2 hours later, 4 delinquents brought in another figure. When I saw who it was, my eyes widened and I gasped. I felt my throat tightening and my mouth become dry.

‘’ Bellamy.’’ I whispered shocked.

‘’ Clear some space. Lay him down.’’ I ordered quickly, trying to stay as calm as possible. They laid him on some makeshift bed and he immediately started coughing blood.

‘’Move!’’ I yelled, rushing to him and turning him to the side, patting him on his back. When he finished I turned him on his back again, I took his head in my hands and I looked at him with tears in the corner of my eyes.

‘’Jas… I’m scared.’’ He admitted and my heart cracked a little bit. I caressed his face lovingly.

‘’I’m here Bellamy. I’m right here. I’m not going anywhere.’’  He nodded and I saw tears falling, making me cry too. I didn’t want him to die. This moment I realized that I really loved him. I really loved Bellamy Blake.

‘’Octavia, I need something to clean his face with.’’ I said quickly, wiping away my tears, looking at Octavia. She had tears too scrolling down her face.

‘’ Hey big bro. I won't let anything happen to you, I promise’’ Octavia said as she cleaned his blood from his face with a wet cloth. Bellamy smiled weakly, before coughing up more blood, making me and Octavia panic even more. She patted his back, making him throw up more blood.

‘’ That's what I said to you the day you were born.’’ He told his sister with a small smile.

‘’ I know. You told me that, like, a thousand times.’’ She said, nodding her head. Bellamy put his hand upon hers and looked at Octavia.

‘’ I'm glad you're here.’’ He admitted and I smiled at them. They absolutely loved each other, but Bellamy is over-protective and annoying sometimes, may I add and Octavia doesn’t like that, at all, so they are always arguing.

‘’Octavia, we need you!’’ Someone shouted and Octavia let out a small sigh. She looked at me as she was asking permission to go and I nodded. She looked one last time at Bellamy and after she left. He looked so fragile with pale skin, sweat, tears and blood all over his mouth. I took the wet cloth beside his makeshift bed, swiping his mouth with it gently. I could feel his eyes on me all this time. When I finished cleaning up his mouth, I finally looked at him.

‘’ Get some rest Bellamy.’’ I told him, caressing his face softly. He took my hand weakly, moving his thumb across the palm of my hand.

‘’I don’t want to close my eyes.’’ He whispered, making my heart tightening a little bit more.

‘’Why not Bellamy?’’ I asked him, my voice cracking, using my other hand to stroke his hair.

‘’I don’t want to close my eyes and never open them again, Jasmine.’’ He whispered and his voice sounded so weak. I took my hand from his hand and I stopped stroking his hair. I went behind him and I took his head, placing it gently on my laps. I took his head and kissed his cheek.

‘’ Bellamy I’m not going anywhere. I swear it. And you’re not going to die. You’re not going to get rid of me, so easily’’ I said trying to lighten up the atmosphere a little bit. He let out a small laugh and looked up at me.

‘’ Jasmine, I’m so lucky to have you by my side.’’ He said, closing his eyes. I started stroking his hair with a small smile until Bellamy fell asleep.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~``~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

‘’Get the hell away from me!’’ I heard a familiar voice saying as I was checking some girl’s pulse. I turned my head in its direction and I saw Bellamy slapping away the cup of water Murphy tried to give him. I let out a sigh of relief seeing that Bellamy was alright.

‘’Bellamy you’re sick. I’m just trying to help.’’ Murphy said trying to convince him. I saw blood starting to drop from his nose and Murphy took a cloth, trying to offer it at Bellamy, but he just starred at it.

‘’Hey Murphy, I got this!’’ I exclaimed as I approached them. I took the cloth from Murphy and got on my knees. I gently wiped away the blood, smiling at Bellamy and he smiled back, before glaring behind me, at Murphy.

‘’When I get better, if you’re still here-‘’ Bellamy started, but I cut him. We didn’t need any more fights at this moment.

‘’Bellamy, please. Stop” I begged him weakly. He looked at me and he let out a sigh. I took the mug from Murphy with a forced smile and a got a genuine in return. Murphy left as I sat beside Bellamy, giving him the mug. He drank the water in one shot and swiped his mouth with his sleeve.

‘’ How are you feeling?’’ I asked him as he took my hand in his.

‘’Relief that I’m not dead.’’ He replied half joking and I slapped his upper arm playfully.

‘’I wouldn’t let you die. I told you that.’’ I told him seriously and he looked deep in my eyes.

‘’I know. I know that.’’ He said and he kissed the back of my hand.

‘’Have you seen Octavia?’’ He asked me and I nodded.

‘’She’s asleep. She helped me a lot last night and…She gave Murphy a break.’’ I answered. He glared at the direction that Murphy left.

‘’Don’t tell me you trust him now.’’ Bellamy scowled and I shook my head.

‘’Trust? Not even close. But, I believe in second chances.’’ I said, glaring at him. Bellamy had a lot of second chances. Murphy deserves them too. He looked at me before looking away.

‘’It’s almost dawn. We better get everyone in. If we lock the doors, maybe the grounders will think we’re not home.’’ He said and I looked at him with raised eyebrows.

‘’Not everyone is sick Bellamy. ’’I informed him and he rolled his eyes.

‘’I know Jas, but better sick than dead.’’ Oh now I understand where he’s going with that.

‘’You don’t think Finn and Jasper are gonna pull it off.’’ I said with a fake offended voice.

‘’Do you, Angel?’’ he asked me with a pointing look. I took a moment to think. Then I got up and gave him a kiss on his lips.

‘’I’ll get everyone inside.’’ I said and Bellamy gave me a small smirk.

‘’Why? I thought you trusted them.’’ I heard Bellamy saying and I turned around to glare at him.

‘’Asshole.’’ I said and he laughed.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`~~~~

Αs Bellamy, Clarke and I were watching as everyone piled in the dropship, a loud explosion was heard in the distance. Bellamy tightened the grip he had one my right hand.

‘’Τhey did it!’’ I exclaimed in disbelief. I could not believe that they did it. I looked beside me, on my right and I saw Clarke looking at the huge cloud of grey some in disbelief, just like me.

‘’I am become death. Destroyer of the worlds.’’ Clarke whispered

‘’It’s Oppenheimer, The man who built the first -’’ I continued her sentence as Bellamy didn’t let me finish it.

‘’I know who Oppenheimer is.’’ Bellamy said and I saw from the corner of my eyes that he rolled his eyes. I shoved him playfully and I turned to him. I leaned up on my toes, pressing a soft kiss to his lips, only for him to kiss back eagerly as his hands found my waist. I pulled back and I shyly looked the delinquents behind me. Everybody was looking at us. Bellamy noticed them too looking.

‘’Go inside the dropship!’’ he ordered and everybody started moving inside. Clarke gave me a small smile before leaving us.

‘’I’m glad you’re alright.’’ I exclaimed unexpectedly for the 40th time or so and I hugged him tightly. He hugged me back almost instantly and I leaned up on my toes, resting my head on his shoulder.

‘’I’m glad too Angel.” He said against my neck and I felt shivers running down my back. I kissed his neck softly and his breath became sharp. I smiled and I looked at him innocently as he glared at me playfully.

‘’What?’’ I asked innocently, playing with the zipper of his jacket. He shook his head and gave me a full kiss on my lips and I wrapped my arms around his neck.

‘’You’re gonna be the death off me Jasmine. I swear.’’ He said, making me blush.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~``~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

‘’It’s them! They’re here!’’ Harper screamed as she was patrolling.

‘’Open the gates!’’ she yelled excitedly. Everyone started cheering and clapping their hands as Monty and Jasper walked into the camp. As Jasper passed me, he winked at me and I waved my hand at him. Monty smiled at me and I smiled back. Seconds later Finn followed, helping Raven walk. She was extremely pale with dry blood over her nose and mouth. She had the virus. I saw Clarke froze from behind me and I could feel her sadness. I touched Clarke’s arm gently and she looked at me. I nodded at her.

‘’You got this.’’ I smiled at her sadly and she nodded.

‘’I got this.’’ She said at Finn as she approached and he followed her into the dropship.

‘’Hey Jas!’’ Someone said and I turned around.

‘’Hey Jas!’’ I laughed, saying the same thing at Jasper. I just realised that we have the same nickname.

‘’You did it! Thank you for saving everyone.’’ I congratulated him with a smile and I saw his cheeks changing color. They became red.

‘’Thanks.’’ He replied and an awkward silence began. As I went to leave, Jasper talked.

‘’So you and Bellamy.’’ he said and I smiled at the mention off his name.

‘’ Yes we’re a couple.’’ I saw Jasper’s smile fall.

‘’You know that he’s not the best guy in the world. He will hurt you.’’ Jasper ‘warned’ me sharply and I rolled my eyes.

‘’Don’t worry about me, go talk to your groupies, they were waiting all day to see you.’’ I said sarcastically and I pointed behind me. Some girls were giggling, looking at him and whispering. Some girls even glared at me.

‘’What? You’re jealous?’’ he smirked and I looked at him blankly.

‘’ No, but I have one quick question. When did you become such an arrogant person?’’ I asked him with a serious face. His smirk fall.

‘’ I warned you Jas.’’ He said before turning around and going to his groupies. I rolled my eyes one more time, before deciding to go take a nap.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I was sleeping in mine’s and Bellamy’s tent peacefully when I heard a loud noise. I woke up quickly, looking around me, trying to find the source of the noise.

‘’Sorry Angel.’’ Bellamy said apologetically taking the gun from the ground and putting it in a corner. I guess it slipped off his hand and that was the loud noise.

‘’Did I wake you up?’’ He asked and I looked at him angrily.

‘’I’m so sorry Angel.’’ He apologised again and he undressed himself, keeping his boxer only. I blushed a little bit, kind of not used Bellamy taking off his clothes. He smirked as he noticed my blush and I grimaced at him, resisting the impulse to stick out my tongue like a five-year-old. I looked away instead. He took a few steps and got in the bed beside me. Instantly he opened his arms and I launched myself into them, wrapping my arms around his neck tightly, ending on top off him. Minutes later, I started moving around, trying to find a comfortable position and I heard Bellamy let out a sharp sound as he took my waist tightly and stopped me. I froze, trying to understand what’s wrong.

(**)

‘’Stop moving Jasmine.’’ He kind of growled, making me smirk, finally understanding why.

‘’Why Bellamy?’’ I asked him with an innocent smile and he glared at me. I pulled myself closer to him, my legs were laying on the outer side of his. Now I could feel his excitement, making me excited. I took the decision to do something rebel. I rubbed my crouch against his boner, causing his breath to become short. He slightly winced and closed his eyes. Suddenly I stopped moving and that made him open his eyes and looked at me in shock. I looked up at him and I saw him looking from my eyes down to my lips, my mouth was already slightly opened. He leaned in and grabbed the back of my head. He bit my bottom lip, making me moan and I felt him start grinding, making me let out a loud moan. I felt him smirking and he pulled back, starting kissing my neck and I gasped, loving the way his kisses felt. In one move, he had me underneath him, causing me to let out a small surprised yell. He smiled and looked me deep in the eyes. I noticed his eyes were a bit darker than usual and his pupil dilated.

(End of smut)

‘’Jasmine I have something to tell you.’’ He whispered, his face inches off mine.

‘’What?’’ I gulped, fearing the worst.

‘’If … If I have died today, I would have regretting one thing.’’ He whispered again, looking serious. I nodded slowly my head for him to continue talking, but he didn’t. I cleared my throat and asked.

‘’And that is?’’ He smiled and caressed my cheek lovingly and I leaned on his touch.

‘’That I love you. ‘’ he admitted and my eyes widened, almost falling out of my face.

‘’Come again?’’ I asked stupidly and he let out a small laugh.

‘’I said that I love you.’’ He repeated and I smiled. A big smile. I took his face and slapped my lips to his. I never thought that he would say these 3 words. I was kind of in shock.

‘’I love you too Bellamy” I said once I broke the kiss and he grinned.

‘’ I know Angel.” He said smirking and I slapped him playfully.

‘’Douchebag.’’ I murmured and we both smiled at each other, rubbing our noses gently together as our foreheads collided, resting on one another. He took my hands in his and put my hands, above my head and looked at me seductively. He was about to kiss my neck, the spot that makes my knees go weak, but someone entered our tent.

‘’Jasmine!’’ Octavia asked desperate and stop dead when she saw Bellamy on top off me. He growled under his breath, not happy that someone interrupted us. I pushed him and he almost fell off the bed.

‘’Octavia?’’ I asked her concerned. She looked like she was crying.

‘’Jasmine I need to talk to you.’’ She told me and I could see her blush. I nodded and I kissed Bellamy goodnight.

‘’What? You’re not sleeping here tonight?’’ he asked me with a frown. I shook my head taking a glance at Octavia. Something must be happening with her and Lincoln and I know that she needed someone by her side.

‘’Octavia. Were you crying?’’ Bellamy asked his sister as he looked at her. She looked at the ground and shook her head. I touched Bellamy’s hand gently, making his attention to turn to me.

‘’I will deal with that. I love you Bellamy’’ He nodded and smiled at me.

‘’I love you too Angel.’’ I smiled back and got out of bed. I took my handmade pillow and I walked outside with Octavia by my side.

‘’What’s wrong?’’ I asked her whispering once we were outside the tent. She shook her head and fresh tears started falling, making me feel sad.

‘’ Not here. In my tent.’’ She cried and I nodded sighing. I rubbed her back as we were walking towards her tent.

[thehoardofthegreatdragon]

Urahara Kisuke: "Come on baby, I know the law" But Actually Illegal

Hello and welcome to Coco has Too Many Feelings Hour. Today, it’s a character analysis of Urahara Kisuke because what gave him the fucking right to be so cool? WHAT GAVE HIM THE RIGHT?

Anyway. This is going to be half based on his dialogue, and half based on general action patterns, since both are damn interesting. There will be spoilers for most things but I’ll try to keep things after the Aizen arc vague. Also, it should go without saying that this is all my interpretation and very biased (extra biased because I Love Him). 

[AKA: This is like, just my opinion, man.]

Now before we begin can we just pause to appreciate how beautiful he is? If you haven’t, stare at this picture for at least a minute. Go on, I’ll time you. 

Now we can move on. 

Kisuke is, in a word, complicated. If I had to describe him (and considering that’s the point of this entire goddamn document, I better try), I’d say he’s a man with unstoppable curiosity and a heart that is far too soft to handle the fallout of his own invention. 

No matter where you put him, no matter what time he’s born into, he will create a weapon he shouldn’t have. He has this strange bit of naïveté about his science at first, but it fades as he sees what his science has done to people he cares for. He has a good heart-- a soft heart, under it all-- so he can’t just accept the damage he’s done and move on. He turns that genius to invention, so that he can fix the things he broke. He wants to help everyone he can, because he hurt so many. 

But that doesn’t ever make the guilt go away, and it doesn’t stop him from using people when he has to— we see this happen with Ichigo in the Soul Society invasion arc. Kisuke uses him to achieve his goals, but he is far from happy about it and apologizes afterwards. 

Alright, into the meat of his character. I’m going to skim over the fact that he is arguably one of the strongest characters in the entire show, a man who plans for every eventuality compulsively because he understands that people die in battle (people die when they are killed), and so intelligent that he was one of the few people Aizen actually was wary of. I’m skimming it, because otherwise this already too long essay would be three times as long and wax rhapsodic about every way that he is, in fact, an incredible badass. 

[IM SKIPPING IT FOR ALL OUR SAKES OKAY.] 

He will and does help people, but he’s very guarded. It makes a terrible kind of sense, because he worked in the Omnitsukidō, and I don’t think anyone can come out of a spy and assassination agency without some jadedness. The exile doesn’t help either, because now he’s been forced to deal with the fallout from a betrayal and the loss of his home too. 

That being said, the exile also made him more of his own man. Freer, in many ways. More able to be the eccentric self he wants to, better adapted to life, more likely to see how people could use him and less likely to let it happen. I think the living world suits him in a way that Soul Society never really did. 

At his core he's a good person, but he built walls upon walls around himself. And those walls never come down, and some of them are mirrors, and some of them are smokescreens that don’t look like walls, because he can never be simple and he doesn’t want to be understood. And even if someone does see part of who he is, he wants them to only see that particular part. 

He is an eccentric free spirit whose drive for invention cost him more dearly than anything else. His will to create, his truest self— the scientist, with inventions to make and the world to explore— started a war. It ruined the lives of people he wanted to be friends, and people who were friends. 

And as a scientist, that’s the greatest blow of all. It’s like Oppenheimer and the atomic bomb. He created a weapon he couldn’t control, but he did it with something he loved with his whole heart. It hurts twice as deeply, when it comes from love. 

He’s also a follower more than a leader. Kisuke is the support type, for all his fighting skill— he’s ready with backup plans and transportation and research, but he needs a person to follow into battle. For a long time that was Yoruichi. Then he stood on his own as a captain, but the way he did it was by structuring his division into a support division rather than a truly fighting one (his own way of coping with new leadership, imo. He turned the 12th into the division he wanted it to be, rather than really learning how to lead a fighting division). 

Then he had to stand on his own, in exile, and he did. I imagine this was mostly fueled by guilt and determination, because he had to fix the mess he had helped create and defeat Aizen. But even still, he still kept to the shadows and planned Aizen’s downfall, rather than stepping on the battlefield and doing it himself (for many reasons, of course— Aizen was still in Soul Society’s good graces and it would have been suicide, Kisuke is not a foolish man who would throw away the best chance at success for a fight). 

And at last, he chose Ichigo to follow. But this is doubly interesting because at first he is uses Ichigo to achieve his goals. Supposedly, Kisuke himself couldn’t have gone to Soul Society to rescue Rukia (because of the exile, though let’s face it Kubo’s world building doesn’t explain how Yoruichi could go so who really knows. And Kisuke being Kisuke, would have found a way into Soul Society if he thought it would help their fight against Aizen. Anyone who doesn’t believe that can see the TYBW arc and Fight Me). 

But there were many people who had a better chance of going in his stead, and many ways to save Rukia that didn’t involve a straightforward invasion. This is not to mention that Kisuke used Rukia too, with the intention of forcing Aizen’s hand. 

So when Ichigo and Kisuke first meet, he views Ichigo as a tool (and a person, because he’s a good man and never free of the guilt).  

But with each battle, we see how Kisuke trusts Ichigo more and more. This progression continues until the last battle with Aizen, and then after that Kisuke stands behind Ichigo with absolutely no hesitation. Throughout the last arc, throughout the remainder of the manga, when Ichigo needed him, Kisuke was there— with supplies, with research, with a path to Hueco Mundo, hell even with a path to the big palace up in the sky. And Kisuke trusted Ichigo absolutely— see the panel where Ichigo asks Kisuke to hold out until he gets there, and everything will be alright because Ichigo will handle it. And Kisuke’s response to that is just a smile and a single word— “Understood.” 

The trust between them is absolute. This is surprising, if you think of how few people Kisuke has really trusted over the years, and how few he trusts to this extent. 

[It’s also very interesting that of all the people Ichigo choses to tell to “wait for me,” it’s Kisuke but that’s just my loyalty kink showing up don’t mind me.]

Once the guilt of using him was gone, Kisuke could follow the leader he’d chosen. And he did, endlessly. 

On that note, Kisuke’s dialogue choice with Ichigo develops in a very interesting way. In the beginning its challenging and on the ruthless side (“don’t use her as an excuse to kill yourself,” for example), into something much more trusting and less challenging (the “understood” for instance, or the “what would you like me to do” ). This evolution tracks with the evolution of Kisuke’s changing attitude towards Ichigo. 

We move from Kisuke only promising to help when he extracts something in return (“Do you really think, there is no way to get to Soul Society? I’ll tell you, on one condition.”) to Kisuke offering to help Ichigo before being asked (“My my, you guys sure are having an interesting conversation. So, this Hueco Mundo trip. Shall I arrange it?”).

[Imagine how much literally anyone else would pay to have a scientist of Kisuke’s caliber basically on retainer. And Ichigo gets it for the low low price of absolutely free.]

All this is to say, that I think that Kisuke can and is always ready for any eventuality but that it’s only after his trust is earned by Ichigo that he gives his plans so easily to other people. He has chosen a king, so to speak. 

[Don’t call out my power kink or I will personally end you.]

Moving on to dialogue in general, we see many damn interesting patterns. Perhaps intentionally, Kisuke's a bit on a different wavelength, and no one expects the answers he gives to any questions. Its eccentricity, but honed into a weapon and very self-aware. He often interprets questions in different ways than expected, like he’s purposefully setting people off guard. 

Consider the following response he gives to an enemy in later chapters (TYBW arc): 

“Asking me such a personal question, is really more of a second date thing.”

He’s never met this person before in his life, and his response is to just, straight up flirt. THIS IS FLIRTING. KISUKE. WHY ARE YOU FLIRTING. HE’S NOT EVEN HOT. 

Anyway. In general, Kisuke has two broad categories of speech patterns: completely serious and teasing-playful-fake-humble.  Unlike many other characters who use a baiting tone and words against enemies (Frankenstein from Noblesse comes to mind as an example), Kisuke uses them on friends and enemies alike. And his tone isn’t really mocking but fake-humble and fake-playful.

Examples of this—

“Oh? You know of me. What an honor.” (Said behind fan)

“It’s wedged in their rather fatally, Yoruichi-san!” (Said to Yoruichi’s ass)

[Seriously, who does this asshole think he is? Yoruichi kicks him and I’m glad she does.]

He's very often cheerful, and usually smiling as he speaks. I’d say his eyes are the biggest giveaway to his emotion because they dont really ever soften. (And because Kubo has a Thing for drawing them covered in shadows and looking badass, see Exhibit: Oh No He’s Hot, pictured below)

In this playful mode, even when he apologizes it’s usually in a way that somehow makes it worse. He’s constantly either annoying people or throwing them off guard or a combination, but in a much more cheerful eccentric way than say, Frankenstein. For example, after he says the line above to Yoruichi (in the middle of a battle, I might add), he says this:

“Why would you kick me? I came to help. I’m sorry, perhaps the expression “wedged in” was a bit vulgar.” 

He’s managed to repeat the thing that made her kick him, in a way that almost makes it worse, but in a way that makes it seem like hes trying to apologize. It’s very clever, and also ideal for pissing people off, intentional or not. (But who are we kidding, this is Kisuke. It’s definitely intentional). 

But he can also switch to a serious mode quite quickly, seemingly able to interweave the two modes without really needing to break between them. This most often comes out when there is someone to save or protect.

[Because he's secretly a softie, as mentioned above, god I love him]

For example, when Masaki is in danger, even tho he's never met her or the soul reapers before (and when his very existence should make him avoid Isshin), he says this:

“We dont have time to waste. Both of you, please come with me. I will tell you the choices you have to save her.”

It’s to the point, succinct, polite, and also filled with a desire to save. It’s also completely at odds with his playful tone when he speaks in other times. I think this dichotomy is the core of Kisuke. Of course he's playful and eccentric— and this makes him the delightful character he is— but at his core he's a man who cares about people and wants to help. He doesn’t hesitate to apologize when he is in the wrong either, kneeling before Ichigo after the Soul Society arc and not asking for forgiveness but explaining why he is sorry. (Ichigo forgives him, because Ichigo will always forgive him, and that hurts even more). 

But even when there are threats to life, if they've been dealt with and he's in a controlled environment, he pulls out the playful act again, though it often has an edge. For example, after he saves Ichigo for the first time he says this:

“What? You sound upset. Didn’t you want to be saved?”

It’s on the edge of teasing but its also much more pointed than anything else he's said to Ichigo at this point. It’s followed by some of the rawest and cruelest lines of dialogue I’ve ever read, because Kisuke doesn’t flinch back from being harsh when he has to be. 

Even his cruelty, when he is forced to use it, comes from a place of care and a desire to help. Doesn’t stop it from stinging like hell. 

It’s at this point where I descended into crying about Kisuke and how good he was and how much I love him, and so decided to stop.

In summary: Kisuke is a good man who couldn’t stop himself from inventing the most destructive weapon to exist. But he’s a good man, and so he spent a century crafting his own penance. 

General Kisuke Dialogue I’ve collected, in case people find it useful:

Stop fighting, you two. It’s my fault, I should have disposed of it. 

We have no choice. We’ve got to find it and neutralize it before it causes any trouble. 

No way, accidents happen! Don’t worry, I’ll take care of everything. There now, its okay. 

Good, let’s move! Operation “recall”

Well look here. We finally find you, and you’re already incapacitated. What a waste. We lugged all this stuff here for nothing. 

I’m going to destroy it. Hmm. I’m not sure how to answer that. 

This is serious. I won’t take the fall for you. 

No no, Kurosaki-san. Your wounds have barely closed. If you move around too much, you’ll die <3. 

Do you really think, there is no way to get to Soul Society?

I’ll tell you, on one condition. For the next ten days, you must allow me to train you. 

You don’t understand. What I’m trying to tell you is they’ll kill you.Could you win? If you fought them as you are? I allowed you to fight them this time, because I thought it would make it easier for you to understand. At your current level of ability, you wouldn’t stand a chance in soul society. You’re weak. For you to venture into enemy territory now would be suicide. You want to save Kuchiki-san? Don’t make me laugh. Don’t use her as an excuse to kill yourself. 

Of course. If you wish to save Kuchiki-san with your whole heart, then you have at your disposal a power stronger than iron. But if your resolve is half-hearted, forget it. For the next ten days, I’m going to put you through the wringer. 

What? You sound upset. Didn’t you want to be saved?

He went home. His wound bled a lot, but it wasn’t severe. 

Couldn’t you have come up with anything better? [how lame]

Looks like I was a step too late.

What would you like me to do? Shall I book a ticket to reiokyu? It may take me some time though. [to ichigo]

We dont have time to waste. Both of you, please come with me. I will tell you the choices you have to save her. 

My my, you guys sure are having an interesting conversation. So, this Hueco Mundo trip. Shall I arrange it?

[I] its usually like this with Urahara. [K] you know me too well <3

Oh? You know of me. What an honor. (Said behind fan)

To be included in such an esteemed group, I don’t know what to say. Its an honor, but he’s giving me too much credit.

It’s wedged in their rather fatally, Yoruichi-san!

Why would you kick me? I came to help. I’m sorry, perhaps the expression “wedged in” was a bit vulgar (makes fake apologies a lot)

Asking me such a personal question, is really more of a second date thing.

You see, even if I don’t tell you, you’ll be up close and personal with it soon enough.

[justforbooks]

The physicist Freeman Dyson, who has died aged 96, became famous within science for mathematical solutions so advanced that they could only be applied to complex problems of atomic theory and popular with the public for ideas so far-fetched they seemed beyond lunacy.

As a young postgraduate student, Dyson devised – while taking a Greyhound bus ride in America – the answer to a conundrum in quantum electrodynamics that had stumped giants of physics such as Richard Feynman and Hans Bethe. As an author, guru and apostle for science, Dyson also cheerfully proposed that humans might genetically engineer trees that could grow on comets, to provide new habitats for genetically altered humans.

He had already proposed the ultimate solution to the energy crisis: a sufficiently advanced civilisation would, he argued, crunch up all the unused planets and asteroids to form a giant shell around its parent star, to reflect and exploit its radiation. Science fiction writers were delighted. The first suggestion became known as the Dyson tree. The second is called the Dyson sphere.

He was born in Crowthorne, Berkshire. His father, George Dyson, was a musician and composer, and his mother, Mildred Atkey, a lawyer. The young Dyson reported that his happiest ever school holiday – from Winchester college – was spent working his way, from 6am to 10pm, through 700 problems in Piaggio’s Differential Equations. “I intended to speak the language of Einstein,” he said in his 1979 memoir Disturbing the Universe. “I was in love with mathematics and nothing else mattered.”

He graduated from Cambridge and in 1943 became a civilian scientist with RAF Bomber Command, which experienced hideous losses with each raid over Germany. Dyson and his colleagues suggested that the Lancaster bomber’s gun turrets slowed the plane, increased its burden and made it more vulnerable to German fighters: without the turrets, it might gain an extra 50mph and be much more manoeuvrable.

He was ignored. Bomber Command, he was later to write, “might have been invented by a mad scientist as an example to exhibit as clearly as possible the evil aspects of science and technology: the Lancaster, in itself a magnificent flying machine, made into a death trap for the boys who flew it. A huge organisation dedicated to the purpose of burning cities and killing people, and doing it badly.”

The young Dyson was already convinced of some moral purpose to the universe and remained a non-denominational Christian all his life.

After the second world war he went to Cornell University in New York state to begin research in physics under Bethe, one of the team at Los Alamos that fashioned the atomic bomb.

By 1947, the challenge was one of pure science: to forge an accurate theory that described how atoms and electrons behaved when they absorbed or emitted light. The broad basis of what was called quantum electrodynamics had been proposed by the British scientist Paul Dirac and other giants of physics. The next step was to calculate the precise behaviour inside an atom. Using different approaches, both Julian Schwinger and Feynman delivered convincing solutions, but their answers did not quite square with each other.

It was while crossing Nebraska by bus, reading James Joyce and the biography of Pandit Nehru, that the young Dyson saw how to resolve the work of the two men and help win them the 1965 Nobel prize: “It came bursting into my consciousness, like an explosion,” Dyson wrote. “I had no pencil and paper, but everything was so clear I did not need to write it down.”

A few days later he moved – for almost all of the rest of his life – to the Institute of Advanced Study at Princeton, home of Albert Einstein and Robert Oppenheimer, the father of the atomic bomb. “It was exactly a year since I had left England to learn physics from the Americans. And now here I was a year later, walking down the road to the institute on a fine September morning, to teach the great Oppenheimer how to do physics. The whole situation seemed too absurd to be credible,” Dyson wrote later.

He went on to deliver a series of papers that resolved the problems of quantum electrodynamics. He did not share in Feynman’s and Schwinger’s Nobel prize. He did not complain. “I was not inventing new physics,” he said. “I merely clarified what was already there so that others could see the larger picture.”

Dyson tackled complex problems in theoretical physics and mathematics – there is a mathematical tool called the Dyson series, and another called Dyson’s transform – and enjoyed the affection and respect of scientists everywhere. He took US citizenship, and worked on Project Orion, one of America’s oddest and most ambitious space ventures.

Orion was to be an enormous spacecraft, with a crew of 200 scientists and engineers, driven by nuclear weapons: warheads would be ejected one after another from the spaceship and detonated. This repeated pulse of blasts would generate speeds so colossal that the spacecraft could reach Mars in two weeks, and get to Saturn, explore the planet’s moons, and get back to Earth again within seven months. Modern spacecraft launched by chemical rockets can take 12 months to reach Mars, and more than seven years to reach Saturn.

The Orion project faltered under the burden of technical problems, and then was abandoned in 1965 after the partial test ban treaty that outlawed nuclear explosions in space.

Dyson was a widely read man with a gift for memorable remarks and a great talent for presenting – with calm logic and bright language – ideas for which the term “outside the envelope” could only be the most feeble understatement.

In 1960, in a paper for the journal Science, he argued that a technologically advanced civilisation would sooner or later surround its home star with reflective material to make full use of all its radiation. The extraterrestrials could do this by pulverising a planet the size of Jupiter, and spreading its fabric in a thin shell around their star, at twice the distance of the Earth from the sun. Although the starlight would be masked, the shell or sphere would inevitably warm up. So people seeking extraterrestrial intelligence should first look for a very large infrared glow somewhere in the galaxy.

In 1972 – a year before the first serious experiments in manipulating DNA – Dyson outlined, in a Birkbeck College lecture, in London, his vision of biological engineering. He predicted that scavenging microbes could be altered to harvest minerals, neutralise toxins and to clean up plastic litter and hazardous radioactive materials.

He then proposed that comets – lumps of ice and organic chemicals that periodically orbit the sun – could serve as nurseries for genetically altered trees that could grow, in the absence of gravity, to heights of hundreds of miles, and release oxygen from their roots to sustain human life. “Seen from far away, the comet will look like a small potato sprouting an immense growth of stems and foliage. When man comes to live on the comets, he will find himself returning to the arboreal existence of his ancestors,” he told a delighted audience.

He went on to predict robot explorers that could replicate themselves, and plants that would make seeds and propagate across the galaxy. Plants could grow their own greenhouses, he argued, just as turtles could grow shells and polar bears grow fur. His audience may not have believed a word, but they listened intently.

Dyson had a gift for the memorable line and a disarming honesty that admitted the possibility of error. It was, he would say, better to be wrong than to be vague, and much more fun to be contradicted than to be ignored. Dyson was by instinct and reason a pacifist, but he understood the fascination with nuclear weaponry.

He enjoyed unorthodox propositions and contrarian arguments; he maintained a certain scepticism about climate change (“the fuss about global warming is greatly exaggerated”) and he argued that a commercial free-for-all was more likely to deliver the right design for spacecraft than a government-directed effort.

He had little patience with those physicists who argued that the world was the consequence of blind chance. “The more I examine the universe and the details of its architecture, the more evidence I find that the universe must in some sense have known we were coming,” he once said.

His Cambridge mentor, the mathematician GH Hardy, had told him: “Young men should prove theorems, old men should write books.” After Disturbing the Universe, Dyson wrote a number of compelling books, including Infinite in All Directions (1988) and Imagined Worlds (1997). In 2000, he was awarded the Templeton prize – worth more than the Nobel – given annually for progress towards discoveries about spiritual realities.

He was a frequent essayist and to the end a contributor to the New York Review of Books. But he continued to think as a scientist and in 2012 entered the field of mathematical biology with a published paper on game theory in human cooperation and Darwinian evolution.

Dyson is survived by his second wife, Imme (nee Jung), whom he married in 1958, and their four daughters, Dorothy, Emily, Mia and Rebecca; by a son, George, and daughter, Esther, from his first marriage, to Verena Huber, which ended in divorce; and by a stepdaughter, Katarina, and 16 grandchildren.

• Freeman John Dyson, mathematician and physicist, born 15 December 1923; died 28 February 2020

Daily inspiration. Discover more photos at http://justforbooks.tumblr.com

[briangroth27]

Toy Story 4 Review

I rewatched the first three Toy Story films and the shorts before seeing this, and I was blown away by how perfect this series has been so far. Making one great movie is extremely difficult, but making a full franchise that's this good seems like it should be impossible, yet here they are. So, in addition to being one of my favorite franchises since my childhood, Toy Story 4 had a massive legacy and standard to live up to. Incredibly, it completely lives up to both!

Full Spoilers...

This is very much Woody's (Tom Hanks) movie and Hanks runs with it, bringing Woody's character through a familiar struggle that leads him to a completely new place by the end without ever feeling like we’re retreading old ground. At first, Woody's attempts to force Forky (Tony Hale) to accept his role as a toy despite his insistence that he was trash (since Bonnie (Madeleine McGraw) made him out of trash) felt like a weird message to send. Then I realized it was more like what he did for Buzz (Tim Allen) in the first film, albeit with more understanding on Woody's part; even though he was similarly replaced, that’s some nice growth from the old cowboy. It doesn't matter what the toys thought they were initially—with Buzz and the BattleSaurs, we've seen toys’ fresh-out-of-the-box personalities mimicking whatever they were built as rather than realizing that they were toys—and what really makes them who they are is what they mean to a child. Because of a kid's love, they can be more than trash; more than a space ranger.

It's a nice bit of cyclical plotting that Woody goes through this again at the end of his time in another kid's room, and watching him realize that there could be more to life than going from kid to kid and endlessly being discarded was great. Toy Story introduced the terror of being left behind, TS2 played with Woody’s acceptance of the fact that Andy would eventually leave him, TS3 forced him to actually deal with Andy outgrowing him (which is entirely different from acknowledging the concept), and this movie gives us a glimpse of what happens next, when Woody has to face the entire cycle again. I really liked his admission that all he had left to give was protecting Bonnie, even though she’d moved on from him (an interesting adjustment to his outlook, given how he used to see being replaced as the worst thing that could happen). Even if he couldn’t be the toy she adored and needed, he would supply that love no matter what problems or challenges it caused in the process. Woody’s drive verged on obsession more than a few times, leading him to take really irresponsible risks and I almost think he gets off a little too easily (which would be my one note for the movie). Bo (Annie Potts) gets to be rightfully furious with Woody for not listening to her much better thought-out plans and causing real damage to her friends, but since Woody is also unable to fully let go as the leader of Andy’s toys now that they’re Bonnie’s, it would've also been nice for Dolly (Bonnie Hunt) to be right about what Bonnie needs instead of Woody ultimately knowing what’s best. Either way, I would’ve liked an apology from him to Dolly, because that section’s really the one where it feels like Woody can do no wrong, even while flouting the rules of the new room (and even if it saddles him with Forky). I wonder if Forky jumping out of the RV window was an intentional callback to Woody accidentally knocking Buzz out of Andy’s window in the first film, since that also sent him on a journey of self-discovery about his place in the world and led to a toy realizing their true purpose.

Woody's reunion with Bo (Annie Potts) was great and she was absolutely outstanding! She was so cool and I loved that it wasn't some horrible trauma that made her the awesome adventurer she’d grown into, just an unwillingness to continue sitting on her lamp watching the world go by without her. What an excellent, inspiring, and unfortunately rare motivation for a strong female character! Judging by her attitude to being given away in the flashback, she was already more well-adjusted to the possibility of being discarded than Woody and it was very cool to see that evolve into the fearless and free doll she became. I feel like we got enough nods to her history and relationships here that I don't need to see a prequel that spells out her journey (though if they gave us one I’d watch it), but I would be totally up for a sequel about her continuing adventures. Maybe it was the CGI quality of the time, but it really looked like Bo Peep’s dress was part of her ceramic sculpt in the first two movies. If it not being part of her sculpt is a retcon allowing her to be more active in cloth clothes this time around, then that doesn’t bother me at all. Her reaction to her broken arm was pretty funny! I was surprised that Woody’d spent all that time dating Bo back in Andy’s room and didn’t know that Billy, Goat, and Gruff (Emily Davis) were girls (and didn’t even know their names!); even with the excuse that they weren’t Andy’s toys, it was pretty selfish of him to not know that (and selfishness is not a new flaw for him).

Buzz’s screentime felt significantly shorter than in the other three films, but it didn’t hurt the movie for me. With this being Woody’s farewell, Buzz’s more limited focus felt right (though maybe a talk between him and Forky about their initial senses of self would’ve been worthwhile). The subplot of Buzz learning to listen to his “inner voice” (misunderstanding what Woody said about his conscience) was really enjoyable (even if this movie took some liberties in giving both Woody and Buzz more sayings in their voice boxes than it seemed like there ever were before). That was a fun callback to Buzz taking everything about himself so literally in the first movie! I would’ve liked for more of the old gang beyond Buzz to have more to do than wait in the RV, but the script and the actors made the most out of limited screentime. I liked that Bonnie promoted Jessie (Joan Cusack) to sheriff and would be interested to see how she and Dolly run things in the room without Woody (at the end, I wondered if Bonnie took Jessie to school with her, if Jessie hopped in her backpack on her own, or if Dolly agreed to send her). Letting Woody have a moment to return his badge to Jessie was a nice way to give him a chance to willingly let go of his status and his past while relenting to and restoring the way Bonnie set things up. Whether given a few funny lines or slightly larger gags, all of the other toys got a chance to shine. Buttercup (Jeff Garlin) gets an especially odd and hilarious running gag of trying to get Bonnie’s dad (Jay Hernandez) arrested to halt the family’s trip and stall for time. It was also cool to see players from the Toy Story shorts like Combat Carl (Carl Weathers) and Old Timer (Alan Oppenheimer) get moments here. It’s always nice to see shorts like those remain part of the world instead of becoming unconnected extras to be forgotten.

I liked all the new characters too! Duke Caboom (Keanu Reeves), Giggle McDimples (Ally Maki), and Ducky & Bunny (Keegan-Michael Key & Jordan Peele) were all really great additions to this world, representing a wide variety of toys with different goals, tactics, and dreams, which was refreshing: a lesser film would’ve had them pursing the same dream or wouldn’t have bothered to dig into their humorously tragic backgrounds (or imaginations) at all. Forky was funny too, as well as serving as an interesting peek into the imbuement of consciousness onto something by a kid. It was intriguing that even the other toys hadn’t seen something like that happen before (even with sentient chair Chairol Burnett (Carol Burnett) in Bonnie’s closet). His life gives credence to the idea that a toy’s purpose really is to be there for their kids while they need them, even if they don’t know it yet.

The movie’s villain, Gabby Gabby (Christina Hendricks) was quite creepy and worked really well as a dark reflection of Woody’s own insecurities about losing his kid while acting as an example of a toy that had gone off the deep end by being discarded (at first). The body horror they came up with through her wanting to take Woody’s voice box—by force, if necessary—just so she could experience the love of a child was really effective. I liked that they found a way to bring Woody to a place where he’d willingly give up his voice box (to save Forky) rather than it be stolen and that Gabby Gabby wasn’t actually that evil; she could be redeemed. I was definitely expecting a turn where Woody fought to get his voice box back and I was pleasantly surprised that it didn’t go that way. It was very cool that even after being abandoned by what she believed to be her one way out of the store and offered a chance to come with Bonnie, Gabby Gabby was still a good enough person that she chose to help another lonely and lost soul (Maliah Bargas-Good), risking abandonment again but finding a real home instead. With Woody failing to listen to just about everyone about the right way to do things, Gabby Gabby giving up the “sure thing” of Bonnie’s love to take a chance on something that felt more right was a cool way to stealthily foreshadow and parallel Woody making the same choice, just for himself rather than another kid. Gabby Gabby, even more than Woody, understood that the important thing wasn’t to be just another toy for a great kid, but to be the toy for the right kid at the right time. This is an especially cool parallel since Woody comes so close to being a contender for the villain role here too, given how obsessed he is with doing what he thinks is best for Bonnie. Gabby Gabby’s hench-dummies, the Bensons (Steve Purcell), were super-creepy! I wouldn’t have minded them taking the horror of those dummies a step further, but this worked perfectly as is. I know the Bensons have a very common ventriloquist’s dummy design, but I couldn’t help but wonder if their look was based off the book and movie version of Goosebumps’ Slappy.

At first I was skeptical that they had any full-length-worthy story left to tell in this universe and I was content for them to just continue doing periodic short films, but I was excited when I heard this would be a romantic comedy about finding Bo Peep. I’m not sure the romantic comedy vibe fully survived into the final version of the film, but taking us back to find Bo was certainly worth it and this turned out better than I could’ve imagined. The movie hit really strong emotional beats all the way through, with the flashback to Bo being given away, a very smooth recap of Woody’s life with Andy (Jack McGraw, John Morris) and Bonnie, Woody feeling left behind in Bonnie’s room, and eventually Woody nearly saying goodbye to Bo again…but changing his mind and leaving all his friends behind instead. I’m a sucker for goodbyes between family and friends, so both that one and Bo initially being given away hit me hard. Not quite as hard as Andy giving his toys to Bonnie in Toy Story 3, but they were still powerful moments. The knowledge that Woody and the gang from Bonnie’s room will probably never see each other again hurt, but I’m glad to know he’s off to find a new purpose for himself (finding homes for all the carnival toys and living his own life with Bo), rather than continuing to devote himself to someone who doesn’t need him anymore and has decidedly moved on (as I’ve seen others point out elsewhere).

The RV, carnival, and Second Chance Antiques store all provided a great variety of new locations for adventures. It was cool to see everyday settings like a store and a fair get the toy’s-eye-view treatment, transforming them into wondrous and danger-filled playgrounds. The action was great and made good use of not only the toys’ specific attributes, but tied their emotional arcs together really well too. CGI technology has improved a lot since the first film and these characters look outstanding in their latest (and last?) film. The writing and pacing were on point, while Randy Newman’s score brought a great familiar feel to the proceedings.

Toy Story 4 is an absolute delight and totally worth seeing in theaters! If they want to do another sequel and continue either Bo/Woody’s or Buzz/Bonnie’s Room stories (or both), I would definitely be down for that. I trust them to find a new story to tell with each movie and know that they’d make it fantastic, just like the rest of this franchise. However, if all we get from Toy Story is more short films, that’s OK too. And if this is the real end, then it’s a great one.

 Check out more of my reviews, opinions, and original short stories here!

[ktrsss1fics]

The hen house watching the met gala in costume is all I can imagine. Wine and judgement and “Niall should get his nips put. If harry can do, so can he”

They had been raving about it for weeks. A countdown was set, food was to be catered, wine was to be consumed and the best dressed woman received a pretty swanky prize – a massage at this new spa in Malibu on top of brunch selection privileges for an entire month. When it came to fashion, The Hen House did not mess around.

This year was different than most years. This year, one of Niall’s mates was hosting the Met Gala and they really couldn’t believe it. Jenna was over the moon that Harry was co-chair. She would not shut up about it. The rest of the girls let her have her moment because it wasn’t every day someone that they sorta knew hosted such a big event.

When the big day arrived, the group of women flocked to Jenna’s flat ready to indulge in good food and (hopefully) even better fashion. They tried their best to fit this years theme.

Brittany wore a full faux fur ensemble as if she was Méret Oppenheim’s Object. Maggie wore a skin tight lilac dress with a bedazzled indigo-colored cape. Jenna had on a pantsuit that was completely covered in sequins that were shaped like Conversation Hearts. Georgina hand sewed an ungodly amount of flowers onto a dress she bought at Target. She didn’t think she was going to win but she had fun making it.

“Let’s get this show on the road.” Jenna said as she turned the volume on the TV. “I need to see what Harry Styles is wearing.”

“I’m only here for the wine,” Brittany mumbled into her half full glass.

“Which is why you didn’t even try with your outfit.” Mags teased.

“Maybe this is camp to me.” Brittany replied shooting her a dirty look.

“I think she looks nice.” Georgina said plopping down beside her best friend.

“How are we gonna decide who wins?” Jenna asked looking between the group of women. “I think we all look pretty camp.”

“Send a pic to Ni and see what he thinks.” Brittany suggested.

“I mean he is a model so he should know.” Georgina said making the others laugh.

“Was he being serious about going to this?” Jenna asked settling into her glass of win.

“It’s insanely expensive and you have to be approved so I don’t know.” Mags said.

“What do you think he’d wear?” Brittany asked. “I don’t picture him following the theme.”

“Some sort of velvet suit with some weird kinda pattern.” Georgina rattled off. Her and Niall had had this exact conversation the night before when she was making her dress.

“He’s not super flamboyant so I could see it.” Mags nodded.

“I could see him having something with a cheeky little message on it. You know what I mean?” Jenna said with a smirk. “Shit-talker Nialler.”

“I actually think a lot of people would give him shit.” Brittany said.

“That’s what’s frustrating about the themes. If you follow them, you end up on Fashion Police which is bloody bull shit.” Mags said sounding annoyed.

“Not only that but fans and the media haven’t really labeled him as the fashion guy so if he were to show up in something campy they’d shit on it.” Jenna said.

“They shit on everything he does.” Georgina said. “Niall’s learnin’ to not give a fuck. This would just be another thing to add to the list.”

Before the group to dive into the struggles of their famous friend’s life, the commercial break ended.

“Oh shit! It’s starting!” Jenna squealed as the red carpet entrances began.

Georgina sipped on her wine as she watched her friends gossip about the outfit choices of A-list celebrities.

“Billy Porter killed it. I’m done. I don’t need to watch any more.” Mags said throwing her hand in the air. “That entrance, are you fuckin’ kidding me?”

“Just wait for Harry.” Jenna said with a smile on her face.

The next few moments were filled with idle chatter as they waited for one particular boy from Chesire to make his big debut. As soon as he came onto the screen, Jenna nearly fainted. Mags started rambling on about how revolutionary Harry’s outfit choice was while Brittany and Georgina sat back and listened. They weren’t too fond of his choice but they also weren’t as into fashion as the other two members of their group were.

“You know, Niall should get his nips out more.” Mags smirked. “I mean if Harry can do it, so can our Baby.”

“He’d fuckin’ kill us all with that chest hair.” Georgina mumbled.

All three heads turned towards her as an embarrassed heat rushed to her cheeks. She meant to keep that comment to herself.

“What?” Georgina said shyly. “You were all thinking it. I’m just sayin’ it.”

“I knew you were a chest hair type of girl.” Jenna smirked.

“Not really, only his.” Georgina admitted. “I think I’ve drank too much.”

“Kid does has a great rug on him.” Brittany said with a nod.

“Ferg, you ever get the chance to pull on it, let me know how it is.” Jenna teased. “I’m not a big chest hair gal but his is quite nice. Real manly.”

“If you ask him, I’m sure he’d let you.” Georgina winked.

“We should have made the boys join us.” Brittany said with a smile. “David would shit himself. He hates dressing up for stuff like this.”

“Jamie would win. Hands down.” Georgina said.

“And he wouldn’t even need my help.” Mags giggled.

“Girls! I just realized something. We can’t send our pics to Ni. He’d pick Ferg immediately.” Jenna said as her face lit up.

“I think he’d be fair.” Brittany said looking confused.

“Nah, he’d get one look at her tits and he’d be done.” Jenna giggled.

“The girls are looking quite nice today, Georgina.” Mags said raising her glass.

“Thanks. New bra.” Georgina grinned.

“And she’s got plants all over her. Unfair advantage.” Jenna pointed out.

“If she could find a way to pour pints out of her finger tips and broadcast golf scores, she’d be Niall Horan’s ultimate wet dream.” Mags said with a smirk.

[travllingbunny]

The 100 rewatch: 1x10 I Am Become Death

Another one of the 4 episodes I rewatched last week, but didn’t have the time to do a write-up before.

This episode, unlike 1x09, was always and still is one of my favorites of S1.

Rating: 9/10

Murphy coming back and the epidemic that the Grounders intentionally caused to weaken the Delinquents before attacking them*, using Murphy as a ‘weapon’, were a great device for the drama in the Delinquent camp and many intense and emotional scenes.

 Including one of my favorite Blake siblings scenes ever, where Octavia is taking care of Bellamy – first reversal of their dynamic – and S1 Bellamy has a rare moment of being fully open and vulnerable, which he only ever allowed himself to be with his sister and with Clarke.

it was also the moment where I started to like Octavia (she ended S1 in my top 5 favorite characters, IIRC - before dropping out of the list in seasons 2 and 3 and only making a comeback to the lower part of the top 10 late in S4 and S5), since she stopped acting bratty and only caring about her new boyfriend she had known for a few days, and decided to stay and help her people.

*Let’s just take this moment to note that the Grounders regularly use biological warfare. Which I wouldn’t mention if it weren’t for the annoying way that some fans romanticize them as noble warriors or whatever.

New, huge bits of info we got in this ep: Lincoln makes the first reference to Flokru and Luna (not by name), suggesting that he and Octavia go to them, since Lincoln has become an outcast and is seen as a traitor among Trikru due to his relationship with Octavia. And the first explicit mention of the Mountain Men (Lincoln says they will come and kill everyone).

Finn is much smarter than in the previous episode, but he’s now pretty much overturned his earlier views, because he argues that they should build a bomb and blow the bridge, because they have to ensure peace through deterrence and a show of strength. And just in the previous episode, he was against bringing guns. 

The Finn/Raven drama was one of my least favorite parts of S1, but it’s resolved well here, when Raven dumps Finn after she has realized he loves Clarke more. I just wish the whole “you hesitated” moment didn’t make me wince because it’s all about how Finn didn’t immediately offer to be the one to place the bomb and risk his life rather than  Raven, which shows he doesn’t love her enough... but no such thing is expected of Raven? Why? I hope that it’s just because Raven was intentionally looking for Finn’s reaction, rather than because of a sexist assumption d that it’s the men that are always supposed to take all the risks instead of the women? 

Harper  is first introduced, as a girl with a crush on Jasper (who’s having his moment of popularity, as other kids see him as hero for his actions on the bridge), which is really funny now, especially since Monty is there, advising Jasper to give her a chance instead of still crushing on Octavia. Jasper had one of his occasional jerk moments – calling Harper a “low hanging fruit” and being not to kind to Monty – but their relationship was fixed at the end of the episode, with a great scene where Monty helped Jasper take the crucial shot and blow the bridge, showing what a great team they are. 

Clarke and Bellamy, again discussing what to do about Murphy: Bellamy: “Do you trust him?” Clarke: "No. But I believe in second chances." A big theme on the show. But at this point, of course Murphy was far from redemption and was obsessed with revenge and about to kill or try to kill a few people. 

I’ve always loved the Oppenheimer scene.  We all have those “oops” moments when we realized we’ve wrongly assumed something about another person based on a prejudice, like not realizing that a lower class person can be well-read, and even our heroine has moments like this, because people are flawed.

Body count: 4 dead Delinquents, 3 by illness, and Murphy chokes Connor (the guy who was the first to call for his death when he was hanged). This makes 15 dead Delinquents so far, 85 (plus 2) remain.

[epochxp]

Wargaming and the 4th Armored Division

Shoulder Patch of the 4th Armored | Wikipedia

I decided to cover the 4th Armored division because, for a division that achieved as much as they did, they don’t always get the press in wargames that perhaps they should. And second? Well, my grandfather rode with them. He was a proud member of Company F (Light Tanks), 25th Mechanized Cavalry Squadron, 4th Armored Division. If the 4th was the tip of Patton’s spear, then the 25th was the pointy end of that tip.

My Grandfather, SSG Albert C. Elfman (Left) | Jason Weiser

My grandfather was instrumental in many ways in being part of my becoming a wargamer. He not only bought me a copy of Tactics II, but his stories about the 4th Armored were, in many ways, instrumental in my early wargaming purchase choices. He talked a lot about the division’s role in the relief of Bastogne, and the headlong drive of the division across France, and, later, Germany. 

As I got older and read more, I learned about the fights at Arracourt (which could be called the “Kursk of the Western Front.”), Singling, and the Lorraine campaign, which was just as bad as the Hurtgen Forest, but without the close terrain.

But we’re here to cover where the 4th Armored has been seen in hex and counter wargames. So, without further ado, let’s get started. I can’t promise I will cover EVERY game the 4th has been in, but I will try to reach as many as I can.

Board Game Geek

The 1981 version of Avalon Hill’s Battle of the Bulge is the second wargame I ever owned, and it’s still my favorite. I never played the 1965 version, and I really didn’t think much of the Smithsonian version at all. To me, the 1981 version is still my idea of a perfect medium to low-complexity Bulge game that still holds up well today. Are there better state-of-the-art games out there? Of course! There’s GMT’s Ardennes’ 44, (which I have been meaning to play) and MMP’s Ardennes SCS game (which I did play and really enjoyed, but it’s a monster game!). If I want to be able to finish a game in four hours, this is the one I reach for thus far. I still have a battered but serviceable copy in my collection today! 

Board Game Geek

The 4th is one of the weaker American armored divisions in the game, which makes sense as the 4th started the Ardennes offensive in a rest period after the drive across France and the Lorraine campaign. The division was understrength, and many of the vehicles needed depot-level maintenance. But it’s a tribute to the elite nature of the division in as beat up as they were, they pulled out of their rest areas, turned north, and attacked within 48 hours of being ordered to do so. I admit, as a nine-year-old, I’d save these counters for the epic drive to Bastogne against the German Fallschirmjager, who held the southern edge of the siege lines. History often repeated itself.

Board Game Geek

I remember not intending to buy this game when I saw it in the local hobby shop, but considering my grandfather was standing right there, I felt I had no choice. As it turns out, I am glad I did. Avalon Hill put out quite a few solitaire games back in the 80s, and all of them were great fun. Patton’s Best was no exception. What I really liked was that the entire combat calendar of the 4th was included in the game, and you could play it as a campaign. It was a really neat feature, and the game is still quite popular as people have made up tanks for all the major combatants of the war.

The tanks in the game run the gamut. Just about every mark of Sherman that served with the US Army is in the game. Sadly, there are no Stuarts or Chaffees, as those were the tanks my grandfather rode in to war. But people want Shermans when they want American tanks of the Second World War. 

I’d really recommend this game for those of you into solitaire games.

Amazon.com

This game came out last year, and I remember thinking, “Boy, I’d like to get a copy,” but the almost $200 price tag deterred me a bit (Sorry, Gramps!) That said, I did go to Board Game Geek and looked at the counter scans, and lo and behold, look what I found?

Board Game Geek

The red circle denotes the fact that, for the first time that I had ever seen in a hex and counter wargame, someone did a counter for the 25th Mechanized Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron. Thanks, Decision Games. If I can ever get a copy, I am going to play this just so I can metaphysically bond with my grandfather again, if only for a little while. The game comes highly rated on BGG, and it looks like a monster, but for my grandfather, I will brave it if I get the chance.

There have also been a few smaller press games about the Lorraine campaign by High Flying Dice Games and Revolution Games. I don’t own either of them, but they sound like they might be worth trying. Lou Coatney also published a game about the Lorraine campaign as well. 

Board Game Geek

I got a chance to play this game over VASSAL and I liked it. I haven’t hated an SCS game yet, so I really do enjoy the system as a whole, and it shines in Bastogne. The game does an incredibly good job of reflecting the challenges of the weather and the terrain. Naturally, the 4th Armored doesn’t appear until close to the end, and only then with the 37th tank battalion under the irascible Creighton Abrams himself, as well as an attached company from the division’s 53rd Armored Infantry Battalion. The units are as powerful as most German armored units, with only the 2nd Panzer’s units being more so (but they will have moved on by the time the 4th Armored shows up). 

Board Game Geek

In more tactical games, Avalon Hill’s Panzer Leader had a scenario about the 4th Armored’s encirclement of the French city of Nancy. West End Games’s West Front Tank Leader had a scenario based on Aaracourt and another about the 3rd Army’s crossing at Oppenheim, in which the 4th Armored participated. There is also an Advanced Squad Leader campaign for the Singling campaign.

All in all, the 4th has a bit of a presence in quite a few games. I am sure I have not named them all, as there are a lot of European Theatre of Operations (ETO) games out there. But I hope it has you interested in the ones I did name.

Further Reading

Patton’s Vanguard, The United States Army Forth Armored Division by Don M. Fox, McFarland Publishing, 2015

Final Battles of Patton’s Vanguard by Don M. Fox, McFarland Publishing, 2020

Patton at The Battle of the Bulge, by Leo Barron, Dutton Caliber, 2014

At Epoch XP, we specialize in creating compelling narratives and provide research to give your game the kind of details that engage your players and create a resonant world they want to spend time in. If you are interested in learning more about our gaming research services, you can browse Epoch XP's service on our parent site, SJR Research.

--

(This article is credited to Jason Weiser. Jason is a long-time wargamer with published works in the Journal of the Society of Twentieth Century Wargamers; Miniature Wargames Magazine; and Wargames, Strategy, and Soldier.)

[jasonlawson0]

Shutdown of tent cities a chance to change housing policy, advocates say

VANCOUVER — T.J. Lovell had just 30 minutes to pack up his belongings from the tent city in Oppenheimer Park if he wanted access to a hotel room that he could share with his father.

Lovell, who camped in the tent city for two months, was one of about 300 homeless people who have been living at the park due to a lack of affordable housing before he was moved to a hotel in downtown Vancouver.

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"The rooms we have are nicer than most places I've actually lived in and paid rent for. There's no mould, there's no water damage, there are no bugs," he said.

Advocates and the homeless says the closure of tent cities in Victoria and Vancouver offer governments a chance to reshape housing policies across the country.

The provincial government set Saturday as a deadline for campers to be out of Vancouver's Oppenheimer Park as well as Topaz and Pandora parks in Victoria.

Many of the campers were moved to local hotels by the provincial government.

The Canadian Housing and Renewal Association is calling on the federal government to look at establishing a permanent acquisition program, turning temporary properties in to full-time housing, said its executive director Jeff Morrison.

"Could we retain them on a long-term basis so we can actually address homelessness?" he said in an interview. "The means are there, it's just a question whether we have the political will to do that."

Failing that, Morrison said a stimulus plan after the pandemic should include building affordable housing.

Other national advocates are warning provincial and the federal governments against returning to previous housing plans for homeless people.

Tim Richter, the CEO of the Canadian Alliance to End Homelessness, said there is concern that governments at various levels will abandon their affordable housing plans and return to the status quo.

"A lot of people have been talking about 'when will life go back to normal?' " he said. "But from a homelessness perspective, normal wasn't any good. Normal was people left on the street."

B.C.'s approach has faced some criticism from local advocates, who argue the province is just targeting the most visible section of its homeless population, bypassing those who are waiting for permanent housing.

"It shouldn't be about pitting people against anyone, but somebody might be getting housed before another person who is waiting longer or who is more in need. Where is that compassion to looking after those people who are the most vulnerable?" said Fiona York, a co-ordinator with the Carnegie Action Plan in Vancouver about those in Oppenheimer receiving hotel rooms.

She would like to see B.C. follow the lead of Toronto and purchase empty hotel sites to house more homeless people.

"Hopefully this will be an opportunity to make sure this never happens again and that we rethink the whole idea of housing and homelessness and take the opportunity to actually address it in a meaningful way," York said.

B.C. Housing Minister Selina Robinson said the government is doing all it can to help a marginalized community.

"As we have in previous efforts to provide housing and resolve encampments ... we are using the available options to provide the best outcome for the whole community," she said in a statement.

The provincial government is committed to building or finishing 23,000 homes across the province to ensure those moving into temporary accommodations have permanent homes, she added.

Lovell said he's fine with the temporary nature of the hotels and hopes to be able to afford a basement suite when he and his father have to leave.

"Some people can't take care of themselves, but I want to get back to a normal lifestyle."

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 8, 2020.

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[taiblogcomics]

Aftermath Before Madness

Hey there, unlit cigarettes. Should I even stall for time? Nah, let’s just get this over with. At least we’re making a dent in these Suicide Squad backlogs now~

Here’s part two of the cover:

Here’s the other half of last issue’s wraparound cover. It’s not that great. Deadshot is losing more and more of his classic look, Rick Flag’s gun seems a little too long, and Zod exists and is leaking Kirby dots for some reason. Hack’s the only half-decently depicted fellow on the whole thing~

We open with a page of red-tinged flashbacks, showing what Zod is capable of, while the captions quote Oppenheimer’s famous reaction to having created the atomic bomb (”I am become death, destroyer of worlds”), and then declares that whoever first saw superheroes must have felt something very similar. It’s unclear exactly whose narration this is. Amanda Waller’s got the profile for it, but some of Rick Flag’s following dialogue might suggest it’s his? I dunno~

Anyway, it’s futher expounded upon with the reveal of the “Black Vault”, the extradimensional prison that’s holding Zod currently. It’s sort of like an isolated chunk of the Phantom Zone that’s bled into this reality, and is somewhat unstable because of that. The scientists are wary of it, and Rick Flag is even more wary, because it seems like two bads are happening at once: Russia’s doing the Cold War thing again, except with superhuman powers, and Waller seems to want to use Zod for the Sucide Squad, which is putting too much emphasis on the “suicide” part for Flag’s taste~

Harley Quinn, meanwhile, begins reaching towards the interdimensional prison they barely understand, convinced she can hear it “singing”. Everyone rushes to stop her, but Deadshot gets there first. She responds by casually over-the-shoulder throwing him, to which he casually puts a gun to her head. So, what, they just let him keep his bullets when off mission? Even with a bomb in his brain, that seems like a bad idea.

And speaking of said brain bombs, Waller uses them to deliver a jolt of electricity to both Harley and Deadshot, reminding them both who’s actually in charge around here. She then tells her scientists to find a way to pull Zod out of the Vault and control him, which is such an insanely stupid plan that even Harley knows what a bad idea it is. The two of them are led away by some guards to do whatever it is they do in their leisure time.

And speaking of leisure time, what’s the rest of the team up to? Well, June’s in her cell painting. Painting and talking, in fact, to her companion in the cell across from hers: Killer Croc. June’s a graphic artist, you see, and it’s hard to keep up with deadlines while in prison and suffering from possession. She asks Croc if he had any hobbies or skill, and he just replies “Eat[ing] things”. She’s enthused by the idea of cooking for him some time, but when she realises she’s drawn some sort of nightmarish hellscape instead of the sunny field she intended, she has a minor breakdown. She asks Croc an interesting question: Why did he save her life back there in Russia? Croc is quiet for a moment, then replies: “I want to eat everyone... I don’t want to eat you.”

Meanwhile, in the cafeteria, Hack tries to buddy-up to Harley, but Ms. Quinn doesn’t have the same sudden sentimental side as Croc. She comments that Hack has no idea what she’s getting into, and her offer to break them out is useless as long as they still have bombs in their brains. She gets her food, and before she can have too much of the literal prison slop, her spoon suddenly bends and begins to float. She follows the vibrations out, revealing an empty cell where a voice tells her it’s all in her head, and then the walls start glowing with graffiti worthy of Rip Hunter’s blackboard.

For posterity:

Waller is in walls

the people come together

take the world back

the general will lead them

who is Karla

where is Boomerang

a powerless world

Lex knows

Batman

There is a traitor!

Speculate away~

While all that’s going on, NSA liason Harcourt joins Waller, Katana, and Rick Flag in the observation of the extraction of Zod from his prison. They’ve decided that the best way to subdue Zod is to flood the room with red sun radiation, which will prevent his powers from working. Despite this, he’s still distortedly huge. Apparently Rick Flag’s the only non-idiot around here, because he’s the only one protesting the idea of attempting to use Zod as a member of the Suicide Squad, no matter what the cover said. In fact, Flag feels so strongly about not letting this disaster-waiting-to-happen get a chance to happen, that he pulls out his handgun and fires at Waller, ending the issue with a bang~

So, who’s on our backstory backup roster today? Why, it’s Hack. Now this should be interesting because Hack is, as far as I know, an actually new character, and therefore learning anything about her origins and motivations is most appreciated~

As always, it starts with Waller doing an interview with the inmate in question. Although “inmate” might be a strong word for Hack, since Waller points out that Hack’s power to turn herself (and others) into digital information kind of makes it hard to keep her in (or out of) any place with an internet connection. Hack chooses to stay locked up, however, for the simple reason that she herself believes she’s a supervillain.

Hack grew up in a slum in Nairobi, where she read magazines(?) featuring Harley Quinn, idolising the total freedom and chaos she represented. She calls Waller out on any idea she might have had on comparing it to whatever inner-city life she grew up in. Things were much harder in Nairobi, where her brother was put to work making alcohol for a local gang. When he tried to steal some, they shot him in the knee. He died of the resulting infection two weeks later. Waller has nothing to say about this, only commenting that Hack’s real name, Zalika, means “born into royalty”.

Hack continues her story. The same gang also employed her, discovering she had a talent for fixing tech and cracking security codes. This turned out to be the initial display of her meta powers, which eventually manifested fully and allowed her to turn into data. She could escape the crappy world she lived in and find a better one. Hey, sounds like my own online experience~

Despite being free, though, Hack first returns back to the slums to trap the gang members in their own smartphone. So then she sets out to become the world’s greatest thief in a world of data. Unfortunately for her, both the NSA and the Russians catch her at it, which is how she ends up in Karla’s employ. But this turns out to be just what Hack wanted. You know where it went from there. Hack’s now in the Suicide Squad’s employ, which has its own interesting data to offer. Hack brings up Waller’s file, for example--and is horrified by the personal tragedy within. That’s when the virus feedback zaps Hack, and Waller chides her for the dumb decision: all that info at her fingertips, and all she wanted to do is become a villain, just like her “hero” Harley. Well, welcome to Belle Reve, kid~

An interesting issue, especially that cliffhanger, eh~? Less action and more character exploration is much appreciated, as I’ve mentioned on the Red Hood reviews. Since things are about to go completely to shit next time, a little downtime in this issue is much appreciated~

[preciousmetals0]

China’s Contagious Optimism; Oppenheimer Bombs Tesla Shorts

China’s Contagious Optimism; Oppenheimer Bombs Tesla Shorts:

Phase 1 Signing = Phase 1 Optimism

It’s trade deal week! Are you excited?

Yes, dear reader, the much-hyped “phase 1” U.S.-China trade deal will finally be signed this week. It’s about time, I must say.

In case you’ve been trapped behind a wall, I put all the nitty-gritty details together in bullet points below (We all love bullet points, don’t we?):

China agreed to buy $200 billion in U.S. farm goods and other products/services over two years.

China agreed to address the protection of U.S. intellectual property.

China agreed to provide U.S. companies greater access to its financial sector.

China agreed to not devalue its currency to prop up exporters.

The U.S. agreed to not impose new tariffs on $156 billion in Chinese imports.

The U.S. agreed to halve the existing 15% tariff rate on $120 billion of Chinese goods.

The U.S. agreed to increase the number of tariff exceptions it’s willing to grant.

Not too shabby for a phase 1 deal.

But, Chinese social media account Taoran Notes was quick to remind everyone: “We must bear in mind that the trade war is not over yet.” After all, the U.S. still maintains tariffs on some Chinese imports, and China is “still implementing retaliatory measures.”

What’s more, the U.S. plans to pursue a “phase 2” agreement as soon as possible to address subsidies for Chinese businesses, Chinese cyber intrusions in the U.S. and technology transfer to Chinese businesses.

We’re clearly not out of the woods yet, but this appears to be an excellent starting point.

The Takeaway:

With the phase 1 signing comes phase 1 optimism.

Bullish sentiment surrounding the deal has become quite infectious. Everyone from Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. (NYSE: BABA) to JD.com Inc. (Nasdaq: JD) to Tencent Holdings Ltd. (OTC: TCEHY) surged today.

Heck, even video streaming service Bilibili Inc. (Nasdaq: BILI) and electric vehicle maker Nio Inc. (NYSE NIO) are joining in the fun.

The thing is, most of these companies weren’t directly affected by the U.S. tariffs anyway. Alibaba makes most of its money selling goods and services in China and Southeast Asia. (Singles Day sales hit an all-time high of $38.3 billion at Alibaba despite the trade war.) It was the same with JD.com.

Tencent has the most U.S. exposure, but most of that is due to online app sales and microtransaction revenue.

The point is, for the vast majority of U.S.-listed Chinese stocks, the trade war can be more accurately described as a war on investor sentiment. If you were able to weather the spike in negativity toward these stocks, you’re about to be well rewarded.

Alibaba, for instance, has surged more than 34% since the phase 1 deal was announced. BABA shares now trade at all-time highs. JD.com shares saw similar performance, but remain about 22% below their all-time highs — so there’s room to grow here for China’s biggest online retailer (by revenue).

Right now, you’re probably wondering: “Should I invest in Chinese stocks, or is it too late?”

Well … it’s not too late, per se, but chasing the current rally might not net you the kinds of gains you’re looking for. Today’s phase 1 signing optimism comes at the tail end of a four-month rally for U.S.-listed Chinese stocks.

Are there more gains to be had? Certainly. But you might be better served if you wait for a bit of consolidation or profit-taking from early investors before diving back into the sector at this point.

That said, keep an eye on Alibaba and JD.com as earnings draw near. Alibaba reports around January 29 and JD.com near February 14. After a record-breaking Singles Day, both should offer up impressive numbers that could send the stocks skipping higher.

Good: Oppenheimer, Destroyer of Shorts

I don’t think there’s a better word to describe Tesla Inc. (Nasdaq: TSLA) short sellers right now than “thunderstruck.” (Well, maybe “screwed.”)

This morning, Oppenheimer dropped a bomb on TSLA shorts by lifting its price target on the stock from $385 to $612 — which is way more specific than $500 or $0. Analyst Colin Rusch said he believes Tesla has hit “critical scale” and can now sustain positive free cash flow.

The boost sent TSLA shares soaring above the $500 mark for the first time ever. But it’s even worse than that for Tesla shorts. The stock has more than doubled in the past three months, raining pain down upon short sellers.

Despite a 5% decline in the most recent reporting period, 19.6% of Tesla’s float (or shares available for public trading) remains sold short. After hitting $500 today, I expect that figure to decline rapidly as shorts get squeezed into buying back their positions and ending their bearish pain.

The bottom line: We haven’t seen the end of the current Tesla bull rally. (And we haven’t even touched on Model 3 fart noises yet!)

Better: Hot Pants, Hot Stock

“What retail apocalypse?”

That’s what investors in Lululemon Athletica Inc. (Nasdaq: LULU) must be thinking today. The athleisure apparel retailer just lifted its earnings and sales forecasts for the holiday quarter due to strong seasonal demand.

Lululemon lifted its earnings expectations by $0.12 to between $2.22 and $2.25 per share, with revenue expected to come in between $1.37 billion and $1.38 billion — a $5 million boost to prior guidance.

That’s a lot of yoga pants. Enough to push LULU shares to a fresh all-time high.

If Lululemon teaches us anything about retail, it’s that this so-called retail apocalypse isn’t affecting every retailer. Only the ones that apparently can’t adapt quickly enough to changing retail demands. On that note, Lululemon already learned its lesson, and it’s executing impressively right now.

Best: In the Cards for Big Data

If you’re not familiar with Cardlytics Inc. (Nasdaq: CDLX), you need to get familiar now.

The company specializes in analyzing banking rewards program data and turning that information into actionable marketing and advertising strategies. While this may sound boring — let’s be honest, digging through someone’s bank rewards data would put all of us right to sleep — Cardlytics’ business model is very profitable.

The company has beaten Wall Street’s earnings projections in every quarter for the past year. And it’s about to do so once again. Cardlytics just announced preliminary fourth-quarter results, and Wall Street is shocked.

The company expects total revenue to be between $68.5 million and $69.5 million on total billings of between $99 million and $101 million. Now, those numbers may not mean a lot to you, but Wall Street is very impressed, let me tell you.

How impressed? CDLX shares are up more than 21% following the preliminary announcement.

It’s a vulnerable time for a lot of these young dudes, feel me? They don’t be taking care of their chicken right. … I’ll tell y’all right now while y’all in it, take care of your bread so when you’re all done you can go ahead and take care of yourself.

— Marshawn Lynch, Seattle Seahawks running back

After losing to the Green Bay Packers last night, Lynch refused to offer up your typical sportsball clichés — and instead offered up a unique perspective on money. Clearly, Lynch’s commentary was aimed at NFL players — 80% of whom suffer from financial stress shortly after retiring.

However, Lynch’s words of caution also apply to anyone when it comes to retirement, echoing the Great Stuff motto of “be prepared.”

I wonder if we could get away with changing that to: “Are you taking care of your chicken right?” or “Are you making bread to keep yourself ahead?”

Maybe we’ll just leave that to Marshawn. That seems best.

Great Stuff Helps You Protect Your Bread

Mr. Great Stuff, you could’ve left the analogy in the last section.

I see your point and sidestep it to tell you the best way to care for your chicken — er, wealth.

If you’re serious about maintaining your wealth, freedom and independence in a (sometimes) scary world, Ted Bauman has your back.

Having worked with clients as high and mighty as the United Nations, the World Bank and the South African government, Ted’s not your ordinary “business consultant.” Instead, you’ll find that Ted cares about teaching you how to protect your money just as much as growing it.

Ted’s thousands of subscribers already know his no-holds-barred perspective from The Bauman Letter … but here’s your chance to reap Ted’s wisdom free.

It’s the best news you could get on a Monday … Ted and company are bringing market insights and real-world commentary to your inbox with the new Bauman Daily! Don’t miss out on the tips and tricks that can keep your money safe … click here to start reading.

Remember, it’s a vulnerable time for a lot of these young dudes (and dudettes) … feel me?

Until next time, good trading!

Regards,

Joseph Hargett

Great Stuff Managing Editor, Banyan Hill Publishing