#the fact that this analysis is only the tip of the iceberg of what’s actually happening in this route but I can’t put it into words

[madbard]

I just played through Slay the Princess for the first time, and… I cannot stop thinking about the Cage.

To be profoundly and finally severed from the illusion of your autonomy. To look on, from a prison of your own making, as your body acts out a legacy of violence against the body of the only other person who can or will come near you. To see their body perform that same violent dance. To be bound to this person, and in your limited state not to understand why. In that moment, as the silhouettes in the shadows act out the story of the princess and the slayer, to share a moment of peace with the one sent to kill you.

Intertwined. Diminished. Reductive, mutually destructive. Trapped in an infinite dance.

Beautiful.

To have been so determined you never had free will, never could have found another way. To realize you may have been wrong. To be trapped in a pattern, but unaware of what that pattern truly is.

Still, for that finite and watchful moment, not to be alone.

(Mild gore under cut.)

(Also this art from the game haunts me.)

[lulu-zodiac]

all the times jensen ackles has slapped misha collins' ass: a masterlist

i can't believe there are enough examples of this to make a masterlist, but here we are. inspired by this glorious post which showed up on my dash recently and made me lose my mind over how it's only the TIP of the iceberg. if they do it this much in public, i don't even want to think about what happens in private...

red carpet ass slap (1)

the ust and tenderness of this moment just before the slap takes place is... a lot. i will never forget the first time i watched it and literally heard the slap. also, the way misha totally loses all capacity to speak afterwards is absolutely everything.

red carpet ass slap (2)

the sheer, unrestrained joy with which jensen slaps misha's ass here is PEAK cockles derangement. i mean, just look at his giddy little face??? the fact that the movement also exposes jensen’s cockles necklace is the icing on the cake.

jib 6 ass slap

he's literally so determined to slap misha's ass here that, bless him, he perseveres through several failed attempts.

one of my favourite things about this moment is that it actually happens when other stuff is going on onstage. this is so clearly just about them and not anything that's for show. in fact, i'm pretty sure jensen has totally forgotten that the audience is even there.

mid-interview ass slap (1)

i love how jensen is absolutely incapable of letting misha pass him during an interview without going for the ass slap. i also love how this is just SO reflexive and automatic, and jensen's soppy little smile that he tries to hide afterwards?? poor, unwell actor man.

mid-interview ass slap (2)

again, i simply refuse to get over the fact jensen’s hand just automatically gravitates to misha’s ass during interviews. i love this take on the fact it’s not just a slap here but also a grab.

just a quick passing ass slap

jensen’s brain: if you do it quickly and without making eye contact no one will notice

comic con ass slap

the way you can literally see several moments before the slap takes place the idea taking shape in jensen’s mind?? insanity

overly vigorous ass slap

i mean. the man literally bounds up to misha for the sole purpose of slapping his ass. i don't know what else to say about it.

gag reel ass slap

the unrestrained glee on jensen's face?? how absolutely DONE jim looks? jared's super awkward body language? the way misha is literally presenting his ass to jensen??? jesus fucking christ how did this show even get made

possessive in the middle of a signing ass slap

oh boy this one really is WILD given the context, the body language and the fact jensen clearly thinks it’s totally hidden from view. this analysis of the whole moment is amazing and will make you lose your actual mind. it has to be one of my favourite underrated cockles moments because the body language is just SO LOUD.

bonus:

staring reverently at misha’s ass

other resources: this compilation | another compilation | video compilation

[tenebraevesper]

Locke’s Mistreatment of Shadow & The Shadow Android Theory

So, welcome back to yet another analysis of the Sonic media, featuring Shadow the Hedgehog. I wasn’t really planning on this, but after reading Issue #145 of Sonic Archie, I realized there was something I wanted to address. Now, just as a note, if you guys like my Sonic Analyzers/Posts, you’re free to suggest which topic I should tackle next (I had been partial to addressing the fact that some people claim Lanolin is Sally 2.0. and why that’s disrespectful to both characters).

In any case, let’s go back to our actual story, Issue #145: Shadows of Hope. There are two particular topics I want to talk about here, first being that Locke the Echidna is an awful person and the second being that the writer of this Issue is either a believer of the “Shadow is an Android” Theory or he, as usual, didn’t care to do proper research.

Before I start, I’ll do a quick recap. This story features the return of Shadow the Hedgehog in the story after a lengthy absence, and from my understanding, the focus on him in this and future Issues was an editorial mandate due to his popularity and attempt to increase comic sales, as well as the fact that the year this Issue came out was also the year Shadow the Hedgehog (2005) came out. With that said, note that SEGA wasn’t heavily involved with the Sonic Archie comics, sharing only minimal information about the video games they were developing with the writers whenever they needed a promotion. There was also no way of getting a faithful adaptation of the video game since their attempts at adapting Sonic Adventure 2 proved that the comics cannot serve nor bend to the video games they are based on.

Also, trigger warning, this was written by Ken Penders, so be prepared for the mess he wrote. Things will get really disturbing.

So, not even a whole page in, and there is already a problem with this narration.

“Shadow was created onboard a lab located in geosynch orbit over the planet Mobius, and originally considered a product, a construction, a weapon, anything but what it truly was, a biomechanical lifeform!”

Biomechanical lifeform... are you serious?!

Now, now, I won’t be flying into another rant yet, because Sonic Heroes had come out by this point, and we know that Team Dark came across the Shadow Androids, robots that Eggman had created in Shadow’s image in that game.

Sonic Heroes implied that the real Shadow had died in Sonic Adventure 2 and that the Shadow in Sonic Heroes was just an amnesiac android. Shadow the Hedgehog (2005) later debunks this theory by having Eggman tell Super Shadow as he fights Devil Doom that he is the real deal and that Eggman had saved him when he fell after the battle with Finalhazard.

So, perhaps I should ignore this one as this may have been the lead theory at the time, right? Well, I would, except this is Penders we’re talking about. This guy prides himself in never having played the Sonic games nor knowing anything about the Sonic lore aside from the stuff SEGA tells him to write.

Oh, but it gets even worse, because Penders proceeds to basically dehumanize Shadow:

“By every known definition, it was sentient! It could think, reason... and feel!”

I don’t know what was even going through Penders’ head when he wrote this, but why is he writing Shadow as if he wasn’t even a living being?! Why is he acting as if Shadow is a mindless tool/weapon and not his own person?! Hell, this is just the tip of the iceberg.

The story starts in typical Penders’ fashion, with Shadow spying on Hope Kintobor. Note, her resemblance to Maria Robotnik is purely accidental, as she appeared in the comic before Sonic Adventure 2 came out, but the writers certainly milked this coincidence for all its worth. We also get a more wholesome interaction between the two once Ian Flynn takes over.

So, Shadow is spying on Hope, when suddenly, a hooded figure appears and... you know what, I’ll just transcribe the description from Sonic_Speed because their take on what happens in this story (you can find the timestamp in the comments of their video, just click on the link here) is hilarious:

Speed: “...until a hooded figure comes behind him and asks him for help. Shadow’s like ‘The fuc- No! Who are you?’

Aaron: *laughs* “Shadow’s being like ‘Aaah, I see, an Agent of Penders... Fuck off! I will not be tainted by your bad writing!’”

Speed: *laughs* And one of... You know what, that’s actually a pretty apt analogy, because the figure says ‘I respect your choice, Shadow, but I cannot accept it!’ and hog ties him!

Aaron: “You’re gonna get dragged into this plot whether you want it or not!”

So, yeah, our mysterious figure and narrator is Locke the Echidna, probably the most hated character in this comic besides Geoffrey St. John and King Max. Some of his crimes include microwaving Knuckles as an egg in Chaos Energy, then later on lie and manipulate him, faking suicide in front of his young son and making him believe for 10 years that he was the only echidna left alive. Even after their reunion, he keeps being emotionally abusive and lying father towards Knuckles and trying to control his life, all under the guise of “I’m your father, I know better”.

I’m not gonna lie, I legit cheered when Locke finally died.

Good riddance and no tears were shed, now Knuckles is finally allowed to be his own person.

Anyways, back to the current story, which is currently being hijacked by Penders’ OC. Note how Locke addresses Shadow in the narration, calling him a “creature”. This is their first (and only) interaction they have, and this is foreshadowing of how Locke sees Shadow.

Shadow has none of this nonsense, attempting to punch him, but Locke presses a button on his belt and envelops them in a blue light, with Hope running into it and being transported to somewhere else (speculated to be Haven, headquarters of the Brotherhood of Guardians, by Speed in his video).

There, Shadow proceeds to continue attacking Locke (YAY!!!), but Locke manages him to throw over his shoulder (BOOOO!!) and then proceeds to trap Shadow inside a glass tube, while still calling him an “It”. Unless we’re talking about Pennywise, this is just plain rude.

The situation Shadow finds himself in basically triggers his memories of what happened on the Space Colony ARK, of his awakening and Maria’s death (just ignore the thoughts in the second panel above, it’s just bad). I’m just gonna add “kidnapping Shadow and triggering his traumatic memories” to Locke’s growing list of “Reasons why Locke’s an awful person”.

Snapping out of the flashback, Shadow confronts Locke, demanding to state his intentions.

Okay, I will have to dissect this particular dialogue between Shadow and Locke, because it’s just that awful and incredibly infuriating.

Locke dares to ask Shadow: “Have you any idea what it’s like to lose everything?”

And Ken Penders (yes, I’m putting the blame on him) has the audacity to have Shadow respond: “I wouldn’t know! I’ve never had anything!”

How?! HOW CAN YOU EVEN WRITE SOMETHING LIKE THIS?! HOW CAN YOU HAVE A CHARACTER WHO LOST HIS ENTIRE FAMILY, HIS SISTER, SAY SOMETHING LIKE THAT?! THE SOLE REASON HE WANTED TO DESTROY HUMANITY?!

This is disrespect to Shadow’s whole backstory on a whole another level! And no, you cannot pretend that Shadow forgot the events of Sonic Adventure 2 because he never suffered from amnesia in the comics. He remembers everything that happened!

Ken Penders should know this! He could’ve had Shadow tell Locke that “Yes, I too have lost everything”, but he didn’t. I don’t know why, but I believe that this was so Locke would come off less as an asshole. We are supposed to sympathize with Locke here, not Shadow.

I hate this so much!!

...

Oh, but it gets even better.

“That’s not surprising! From what I can tell, you’re neither biological, mineral, nor vegetable.”

Okay, let’s first address Locke’s (and Penders) IQ level here, because it’s that of a potato (I apologize to all the potatoes in the world). What the hell do you mean by “neither biological, mineral nor vegetable”?! So vegetables are now artificial constructs?! And you call yourself a scientist, Locke?!

*shakes head*

Oh, who am I kidding... We’re talking about a guy who thought microwaving his unborn son because of a dream was a good idea.

What I should be talking about is the fact that according to Locke, Shadow is not a biological lifeform... completely ignoring the fact that Penders wrote in the recap that Shadow is supposedly a “biomechanical lifeform”.

*calmly*

Penders, what exactly do you think the bio in biomechanical stands for? *scoffs* Yeah, I rest my case.

It also doesn’t help that this belief that Shadow is more synthetic than biological is reinforced in further Issues. Thank goodness it gets dropped soon, because I swear, I couldn’t read more of this nonsense.

Lastly, Locke tells Shadow that he believes Shadow is the key to helping him find the Brotherhood he’s been searching for.

Uh, Locke? SHADOW IS NOT OBLIGATED TO FIND YOUR GODDAMN FAMILY!! YOU KIDNAPPED HIM, TRAUMATIZED HIM, DEHUMANIZED HIM AND NOW YOU’RE DEMANDING HE DOES YOUR JOB!!! SCREW YOU!!

Anger aside, this interaction also implies something very disturbing, which had been addressed in another post (I just realized something kinda creepy) and you can click on the link presented, but to summarize, this person asked what exactly was Locke planning to do with Shadow and how was he going to use him to find the Brotherhood?

They noted how Locke (and Penders’) interpretation of Shadow was that of a violent creature with identity issues (or rather a self-aware android) and how Locke had been observing Shadow for a while. It isn’t explained whether Locke even knows that Shadow is the Ultimate Lifeform, and with Locke being able to use Chaos Energy, why would he need Shadow?

To quote the poster:

See, for all Locke should have feasibly known, Shadow would have been just another hedgehog. While it could be argued that Locke sensed immense Chaos potential in Shadow, that still wouldn’t have made much sense, because if Gerald had done his job and properly limited Shadow’s power, as well as have created a fully “sentient” squishy hedgehog being, as Penders specifically wrote in issue 145′s prologue:

“ … it could think, reason … and feel!”

… Locke shouldn’t have felt that power … and there shouldn’t really be any reason for Locke to think of him as anything but the real deal as a natural-born hedgehog.

Why would he have questioned what his make-up was? And yes, I do realize “Locke’s Gary-Stu status makes him l33t” is a possible explanation, but I’m speaking in terms of in-universe.

Plus, he must have seen Sonic in action at least once—which once more begs the question of why Shadow specifically. And why now.

Unless Locke knew something.

The poster suggests Locke did dig into the archives of the Space Colony ARK in search of other beings able to use Chaos Control and learned about Shadow, believing he could override Shadow’s original programming:

Here’s when I realized that not only did Penders probably intend to use Shadow as a tool, but if left to his own devices, Locke would have performed another Chaos energy experiment on Shadow.

Think about it. Nuking Knuckles didn’t go so well, what with him effin’ dying, so who better to subsequently do a follow-up experiment on than an “immortal” being who, per Locke’s twisted perceptions, may or may not even be sentient or real? If Shadow suffered ill effects, well, no harm, no foul—seeing how he couldn’t feel like other anthros, right?

“Do you know what it’s like to lose everything?” Locke asks, almost as if he doesn’t expect a response; and indeed, he even looks surprised when Shadow gives one: “I wouldn’t know; I’ve never had anything!”

Consider that Locke lures Shadow into an abandoned lab complex, and traps him inside a capsule “unlike any that have held me before” — paraphrasing Shadow here.

Consider that Locke calls Shadow “creature,” and even puts his biological status into question. That in subsequent issues, Shadow speaks robotically and bonds with a fellow droid, Isaac. That Isaac, Wiki Robot Extraordinaire, can’t ascertain whether or not Shadow is biological.

This is stretching the memory banks a little bit, but does anyone remember that one moment in issue 158 where, right before going into Rosie’s hut, Shadow repelled some oncoming Metal Sonic troopers with a shield he didn’t even know how he generated? IIRC, there was a display of Chaos energy in the following issue that Shadow was also at a loss to explain.

I’d wager that had this story played out, the temporary shield would have been a foreshadowing, maybe a byproduct of Locke’s tinkering, of the echidna’s effort to turn him into a supersoldier of some sort. Same as what Hunter turned into for Eggman.

tl;dr … I would have punched Locke into next Tuesday, Penders

Yeah, I did say that things would get disturbing. If this theory was correct (or if anyone else wrote this story but Penders), this would be horrifying. Not to mention the fact that Locke would’ve performed all those experiments on Shadow and be portrayed as being in the right. After all, Shadow couldn’t possibly be a real living being with feelings and wants and dreams and hopes, right? Even then, all this torture would’ve been waved off as being done for the greater good (aka for stupid echidna agendas).

Honestly, the way Locke/Penders dehumanizes Shadow is disgusting. It also shows just how much of a self-righteous monster Locke is.

Fortunately for everyone, Hope approaches the two, telling Locke to let Shadow go. He appearance triggers another flashback in Shadow’s mind... oh, and Locke continues calling Shadow “the creature” and an “it”.

Fortunately for us, Shadow breaks out of the glass tube and is about to beat Locke up (GET HIS ASS, SHADOW!).

Unfortunately for us, the next panel has Locke use his Chaos Powers, but Shadow still fights back (you’re doing great, sweetie!). Also, Locke, would you stop pretending like you don’t know why Shadow is trying to kill you?!

Sadly, before Shadow has the chance to kill Locke, Hope interrupts them, saying how she’s now afraid more of Shadow than of Locke... Yeah, of course Penders had to write that. He just had to put all the blame on Shadow, even though Locke literally kidnapped him!

Shadow snaps out of beating up Locke, yells at Hope how she isn’t Maria and how he doesn’t need any friends, and leaves.

While Penders will continue to write Shadow as if he was an self-aware android and dangerous weapon in the next few Issues, this interaction will never be brought up again. I believe there are several reasons for this, one being that Penders at the time was trying to return the story to status quo after Karl Bollers shook things up in his The Return to Angel Island Arc (the link presented leads to the Sonic_Speed video, with Speed and Aaron having covered the whole arc), hence why Locke is searching for the Brotherhood. Add in the editorial demands of promoting Shadow more because of his popularity and the fact that Penders is leaving after Issue #159 (they even called in Ian Flynn to edit the last Issue Penders wrote before him taking over in Issue #160 as lead writer), and his dislike for writing any story that doesn’t involve his OCs hogging the spotlight, it’s clear why this was never addressed in any form.

Frankly, it’s for the better, and while I do know the real reasons why Penders left, I love to think that Shadow was the straw that broke the camel’s back.

#Sonic the Hedgehog Analyzer (Masterlist)

[familyagrestefanblog]

Theory for “Gabriel Agreste”

Saying that I'm EXCITED for this episode is an understatement, I'm THRILLED! So let me give you my speculation for what could happen in it and how it’ll affect the future, because pieces are literally just falling into place in my brain and I just have to write this down.

The episode is called" Gabriel agreste" because in this episode Gabriel will create a (long time) Sentimonster for himself that'll take his place and cover for him in his civilian life while he himself gets completely swallowed by his Hawkmoth/ShadowMoth identity (which is a direct paralell to the fate Marinette just escaped by telling Alya her secret). He doesn't want to "waste" anymore unnecessary time by having to NOT be Hawkmoth, which then completely separates him from Adrien who very much was one of the last (if not THE LAST at this point) few strings that kept him grounded in his humanity.

The episode takes place right before the middle of the season and since it's season 4 we are talking about here its fair to assume that both Adrien and Gabriel are back at (at least) suspecting each other to be Chat Noir and Hawkmoth again at some point. Adrien is going to be even more rebellious after the status quo break and set up of "Lies" so him maybe (or maybe even confirmed already to Gabriel) to be Chat Noir could definitely be the factor that sets Gabriel over the edge, rips these two apart for good (as I foresaw in my analysis of "Jackady") and brings Gabriel to distance himself altogether while covering his own identity from his son by creating a Sentimonster (bc Adriens secret being discovered by his evil family is already forshadowed to hell and back, just like him ending up getting Homeschooled again this season, mark my words)

---

"Queen Banana" is supposed to take place right before "Gabriel Agreste" and we have a leak where it's seen that Adrien is now kinda taking on Nathalies role since she is (supposedly) still bed ridden.

Seriously, just humour me here and stay with me. This would mean that Adrien would get to see and interact with his father much more often and Gabriel wouldn't be able to ditch everything and turn into Hawkmoth as easily as he was able to with Nathalie.

A cover up Sentimonster was actually already kinda forshadowed in "Party Crasher"

by introducing HoloGabe with the intention of providing Gabriel with alibis and to attend meetings etc for him in the future so Gabriel can invest more time into being Hawkmoth. But a Hologramm is not suitable for every occasion, which is where the Sentimonster comes into play.

At first Adrien wouldn't notice much off about his father and the few things he notices Adrien actually doesnt mind. If SentiGabe is really supposed to replace Gabriel as... Well, Gabriel, that also means as a FATHER and my money is on SentiGabe being created to be a better father than the original. SentiGabe does everything Adrien wanted his father to do in s1-s3: Join Adrien at dinner time, spend more time with him, is in general in better of a mood and not such an unpleasant dick and so on and so on.

Easy to say, Adrien basically welcomes the good change he always wanted in his "Father" with open arms and chooses to ignore things that seem suspicious and the always remaining gut feeling of something just being... off. This will collide with the unveiling of more of the family (+ Emilie) mystery which will for Adrien all continue to point at Gabriel as Hawkmoth because of one event that is likely to happen in episode 4.

I'm currently writing on yet another post about this topic in particular, so I will link it HERE for elaboration once I post it, but in short, I think Rena Rouge and the Grimoire secrets Marinette shears with Alya could be the catalyst of Adrien suspecting his father to be Hawkmoth again.

Adriens memories of the time he went through the Grimoire himself in "Volpina" would be triggered again after seing the Grimoire page Rena (honestly, quite recklessly) brings along into battle and from then on things will slowly pile up until Gabriel deflects from himself with SentiGabe in "Gabriel Agreste" (just like he did in “The Collector”)

People WAY to easily forget how ready and serious Adrien was in "The Collector" when he actually concidered his father to be Hawkmoth.

Keep in mind that Ladybug was only able to tell Chat Noir the weakest reasons of her suspicion against Gabriel (while the Grimoire being Guardian property was NEVER found out by Adrien... til NOW) that being Gabriels mysterious personality and the butterfly logo of his brand.

These arguments are weak because they are ONLY actually suspicious in the specific context of Gabriel being Hawkmoth. Once you have proof against that they hardly hold any ground anymore, hence why both Adrien AND Marinette so easily brushed off these points after seeing Gabriel akumatized. I mean, excuse a designer for choosing a BUTTERFLY as his logo when his last name is literally the name of a butterfly type. The fuck kind of accusation is that??

So I hope you understand that when I say that, yes, these reasons DID trigger further memories/realizations for Adrien in that moment

It simply was only the tip of the iceberg.

The fact that Adrien not only gave Ladybug the fucking benefit of a doubt and heared her out about accusing his FATHER of being HAWKMOTH and took it THAT seriously and wanted to find out if his father truly IS Hawkmoth means that Adrien very much sees his father as capable of being Paris villain Nr 1. This... understanding and acceptance of Gabriels nature already had to be in Adrien much prior to "the collector" to set it off like this. And while normally Adrien chooses to turn a blind eye towards his fathers bad qualities in favor of seeing Gabriels redeeming (and even the rare somewhat GOOD) qualities, Adrien only does so because he thinks Gabriel hasn't crossed the line yet that makes his father undeserving of these loving conciderations. But Gabriel being Hawkmoth IS CROSSING that line for Adrien and he immediately sets aside his remaining/choosen love for his heavily flawed father and willingly sees Gabriel for what he is.

Adrien already did it once with only a few somewhat solid reasons and the Grimoire being kept secret from him altogether,

So he will do it again, just this time the proofs and developments are supposed to stay for good.

---

This development would not only be forshadowed by "the collector"

But also by the episode "Ladybug". There Mayura used a Sentimonster version of Ladybug against Chat Noir, using their love against him. What she didn't know though was that Ladybug actually isn't in love with her partner (yet) which ended up with Chat Noir being put in the situation of having to decide which Ladybug he believes to be real.

Does he believe and hold onto Sentibug who returns the love he so desperately seeks in life or does he let go of his hopeful wish and accept the heartbreaking reality of once again not receiving his love in return from yet another person he holds so dear?

In "Ladybug" Adrien couldn't make that crushing decision yet (and don't clown in the replies about this, not only was the situation vastly different it's also a cruel thing to ask of Adrien) but as we are used from Miraculous by now, that episode was only the set up for future events.

What Adrien couldn't let himself believe about Ladybug and Sentibug he will have to FORCE himself to accept about his Father and Hawkmoth. Same set-up of the Sentimonster symbolising Adriens desperate and hopeful WISH what his loved one were vs the crushing, heart wrenching reality of what his loved ones actually ARE. Just that letting go of his wish for Ladybugs love didnt seem "necessary enough" for the mission to succeed so he just couldn't MAKE himself give her up whereas accepting and seeing that his father is Hawkmoth is going to be one of the most crucial sacrifices of the show, changing the game forever. So as horrible, cruel and soul shattering as this is, putting an end to his fathers villainous reign for the sake of the greater good is a reason worthy enough to force himself through his pain.Which brings us once again back to “The collector” (which seriously forshadows almost everything I love that episode), because there is ONE major aspect that episodes sets up like crazy

And that is:

And thats where we are heading now.

This entire time Adrien wanted his Father to behave more fatherly, spend more time with him and improve his explosive behavior but he always got disappointed over and over again. So how heartbreaking would it be if over the course of the second half of the season THIS would be the very reason why Adrien gets behind Gabriels secret? Because SentiGabe behaved too fatherly for Adrien to truly buy it in his heart and when forced to decide what he actually believes his father to be - like the fatherly Sentimonster or the villainous Hawkmoth - Adrien has to and WILL recognize and accept his fathers true nature and turn against him, as it has been set up for a LONG time now.

This season shit’s about to go DOWN!

[thewhitefluffyhat]

Ryukishi Pulled a Beatrice Again

The interesting thing about how Gou struggled to convey Satoko’s motivations is that it’s almost exactly the same as the difficulties many people have with understanding Beatrice’s heart.

(Major spoilers for Umineko’s main mystery!)

...And by Beatrice I mean Sayo.

See, when I first read Umineko, I found Sayo’s motivations to be super disappointing and underwhelming.  That was because I was only paying attention to the surface narrative, which you can trivialize as “Sayo had a sad because Battler didn’t love them back.” ��Why didn’t they just leave Rokkenjima, if they hated it so much?” I thought at the time.

We can see a direct equivalent to that with Gou - the common trivialization that “Satoko just didn’t want to study.” And then the followups - “Why didn’t she just drop out and go to another school?” Or, “Why didn’t she just use her looping powers to do well at St. Lucia?”

If you’re asking those questions (as even I have!), I think that might already be missing the point.

With Umineko, I went on to read fan analysis that explored everything going on under the surface with Sayo and OH. Now I really love them, and what Umineko was doing as a whole!

Because the thing about Sayo is that Battler and whether they can leave Rokkenjima are just the tip of a giant iceberg.  If anything, I’d say that their issues with their body and their horror regarding their origins are much more crucial to sympathizing with them and understanding what pushed them over the edge.  Despite that, Ryukishi glosses over those aspects of their motivation very quickly in the VN - just one quick flash of their despair - and leaves it to the reader to tear out those bleak guts.

And I think the same thing happened with Satoko in Gou.  St. Lucia is just the surface problem - what’s festering under the surface is that Satoko discovered Rika isn’t who she thought. Now she believes the real Rika looks down on her and is a selfish liar only concerned with herself.  And as with Sayo, the scene portraying this ugly underbelly is extremely brief and underemphasized: it’s Satoko watching all of Rika’s Fragments.

A knowledgeable viewer can connect the dots - before this scene, Satoko was still mostly trying to reason with Rika, but then after the Fragments, she’s completely changed her tone. And if you think about Rika’s actions during OG Higurashi, it’s not hard to see why.

Outside of Minagoroshi (which was 90% Keiichi anyway), has Rika ever intervened to help Satoko during the loops?  She had many chances to prevent Satoko and Satoshi from destroying their family, and never did.  She had many chances to save Satoko from her uncle, and never did.  She could at the very least have warned Satoko about Shion or Rena or the mystery assassins who ended up being the Mountain Dogs… and never even thought about Satoko also being in danger. And so Satoko gets blown up, tortured to death, or used as a lab rat by Tokyo when Rika might have saved her.

And if that somehow wasn’t enough, Satoko now knows that Rika was constantly, shamelessly lying to her about critical aspects of her own life, from Satoko’s brother, to Satoko’s own health, to the fact that there was another person living in their house… to even Rika’s true personality and the nature of their imbalanced “friendship.”

After all Satoko has seen, what reason would she have to trust Rika any more?  

Now that’s a motivation that explains Satoko’s desire to reconstruct the Hinamizawa birdcage.  It may even be the “karma” of Gou’s title - Rika is reaping the reward for her callous passivity, not just at St Lucia, but in all timelines.

If only Gou had properly conveyed that!  

I wonder, actually, if Ryukishi won’t regret his vagueness in Gou just like he did with Umineko.  Umineko’s manga is a lot more explicit about the other half of Sayo’s motivations - perhaps the Gou manga will do the same elaboration for Satoko.  Everything I’ve heard about it suggests the manga is doing the anime arcs even better, so who knows?

[struggle-but-its-all-ocean-floor]

I don't get it - what's wrong with the BB interview? Even you've addressed how PTD wasn't that great yet still raced to #1. They could change their rules but to what exactly? It's a popularity chart. If the same people are streaming the same song over and over - is that not precisely what manipulating the charts is? I mean, we're smart and found a great loop hole but how is this great for the boys? Making them think they're more popular than they actually are? PTD was weak, man and I love them??

I'm really glad you asked me this question because I wanted a chance to talk about what I did find insightful about the article. To be honest, when I started reading the article I thought "They're right", but the more I read it the more the lack of professionalism and the clear agenda it had bothered me.

First of all, talking about chart manipulation isn't a bad thing. But paying a group to be on the cover of your magazine and mentioning their achievements only to question them isn't the right way to do it. You think they'd do this with anyone else? Had it been Dua Lipa, the article would've been about her artistry and achievements in the industry, and she would've been portrayed in a positive light. Did BB even treat BTS as artists? To me they were only treated as an interesting phenomenon.

BB could've done an exposé on BTS and chart manipulation, but not like this. It's a bit rich for BB to question BTS only. Instead of opening a discussion about the merit of the charts and the ways the industry circumvents BB's guidelines, the article points fingers only at BTS, implying that, in contrast with Dua or Olivia, BTS are cheating the charts. BB essentially avoids taking responsibility for its own methods and its influence in the industry by saying BTS are the only ones compromising the legitimacy of the charts and their value. It's an easy way to make BB look good and BTS look bad - the charts and the US industry aren't the problem, BTS and the Korean music industry are. Throughout the whole article, the way they talked about the "fascinating" case of HYBE and BTS's success felt more like an insult than a compliment, or even an objective analysis. Anything related to Kpop or Korea was more or less used against BTS.

Second of all, the way they discussed chart manipulation was deeply flawed. They didn't lie about Army's strategies nor were they wrong to question the ethics of mass buying, but they should've done their research first. Quoting twitter users, alluding to "experts", admitting they didn't know exactly how Army operated, etc. is really bad journalism. They want to expose BTS for chart manipulation without proper evidence? The language they used conveyed ambiguity and uncertainty too. They never explicitly stated things, it was all hearsay. What kind of journalism is this?

But, again, even if they had done their research, targeting BTS without likewise exposing other artists on the charts is having a clear bias.

The article was also very interested in HYBE. This is another interesting topic, sure, but HYBE isn't BTS. If they wanted to write about HYBE they should've done so in another article. And it's telling that they talked about HYBE almost exclusively in an unflattering light. What they said wasn't false: for example, they questioned the company's longevity and worth due to their undeniable dependence on BTS - I agree with that, but what about HYBE's success story? BB aren't anticapitalism. They are pro-money hungry companies, and HYBE is certainly smart when it comes to money. Were it any other company, BB would've been all over that. But with HYBE they mention Army, and how HYBE exploited the fan-artist relationship, as the reason behind the label's success only to make HYBE and Army look bad. Artists profit from their fans, but usually no one talks about it; it's bad form. We talk about how cool and iconic Beyoncé is, not the amount of money she made, directly or indirectly, from her fans - or rather, the money she makes from her fans is legit and not worth questioning, unlike the money BTS make from Army. (As an aside, had Beyoncé been on their cover, do you think BB would've questioned the legitimacy of her feminism/activism due to the money she earned from a clothing line made at sweatshops employing mostly woc?...)

I agree that the relationship between BTS and Army is interesting, but streaming is only the tip of an iceberg that BB didn't bother to uncover.

To me, it's clear they had an agenda. The way they spoke about BTS's diplomatic passports, HYBE, Army, the charts, etc. - all of it had a negative connotation and contributed to the narrative of BTS being shady or puppets, or whatever. It was more of the "dark side" of Kpop. Why does no one talk about the dark side of American pop?

Also, like I mentioned, the article tackled too many topics. If you want to talk about HYBE, write an article about HYBE - the company's executives were quoted more than most of the members; it doesn't make sense. And if you want to talk about chart manipulation, that's a separate topic that shouldn't be the main focus of a magazine Army is expected to buy. Who, if not Army, is expected to buy the 7 different editions for each member? Army is supposed to buy an article slamming them and BTS?

There is a time and a place to discuss these things. Most of what was said was legitimate, but the authors twisted the truth to fit their narrative when they refused to do actual research on the topic, quoted fans of artists competing with BTS on the charts, and refused to look at chart manipulation as a whole and how other artists are attempting it as well (they even pointed out that other artists' fans try to do what Army does but less successfully - which is why they are... what, more innocent than Army?...).

Another thing that was unprofessional was the fact that BTS were rarely quoted directly. On the last part of the article, regarding the English singles, I can't even form an opinion on what was said due to the ambiguous, even manipulative way, the section was written. They quote an executive on how BTS compromised with the company and make it seem like BTS were unwilling to release English tracks (which fits their narrative), but they don't quote the members themselves. In the initial article I read they noted that RM remembered the situation differently and quote him saying "There was no alternative", which made it seem like RM was never in conflict with HYBE. But now the article states "RM wasn’t fond of the idea, though he acknowledges it was a crucial way to keep buzz alive during the pandemic. “There was no alternative,” he says.", and now it seems like RM opposed Dynamite at first, contradicting the initial article. This correction only corroborates with BB's narrative. But what about the members that were allegedly in favor of the single? And why is Jin only quoted to share the struggles of recording the song? Why was nothing positive said about Dynamite when we know for a fact they must've said it? It simply wasn't interesting to BB. The members were only quoted when they had something juicy to say, and we were never offered much context or told what question they were replying to, what tone they used or how it fit the real time conversation BTS were having with each other and with the interviewers.

Essentially, although the writers didn't lie about most things, the article was biased, ambiguous, unprofessional and lacking in direction. It was like three insufficiently researched and prejudiced articles in one.

Also, while PTD wasn't that great, there are many not so great songs that make it to n.1 on BB. Being great has nothing to do with your results in the chart. Many artists make songs no one really likes yet we're forced to listen to them on the radio anyway. Fans streaming like it's their job and bulk buying songs isn't right, but at the very least you can say that it is their choice, and it reflects the fans love for their artist even if it doesn't always reflect their love for the song. A lot of American artists have it easy and top the charts with generic songs that the GP listens to without even meaning to - they're just shoved down our throats by their labels. That's chart manipulation too, isn't it? What is BB supposed to represent? Popularity? If so, maybe BTS don't deserve the top spot, but maybe those artists who do only get that number 1 because their labels know how to put them up there. If more artists had the same treatment that artists like Dua Lipa get, then maybe the n. 1 song would be different. Isn't that chart manipulation as well?

[haec-est-fides]

Hi, can we discuss how -- however he was influenced by Gaea -- Octavian was likely very familiar with the Triumvirate? It’s subtle, but it shows up most clearly in the way he talks.

(Personally, I think Octavian might have been raised by one of the Imperial Households, but you could just read it as him being in contact with the Triumvirate for a significant amount of time.)

The most glaring red flag imo is that we learn from Rachel (in Hidden Oracle) that the Greek / Roman parley in House of Hades was held on property owned by Nero. This is more important than the fact that Octavian was merely funded by Triumvirate Holdings, because a) it makes an in-person meeting more likely and b) Luke was also funded by the Triumvirate and he doesn’t have the same connection that I’m seeing in Octavian.

Looking back to the parley scene, Octavian goes so far as to mock Rachel by saying, “You’re the Oracle of Delphi? Right. And I’m the Emperor Nero.” It may feel like a throwaway line, but it’s foreshadowing, plain and simple. In universe, I’m almost entirely certain that the reason Octavian says Nero and not Augustus (his namesake, as he loves reminding people) is that he’d recently talked to Nero and knows whose building they’re on. It’s like a Freudian slip -- and it’s just the tip of the iceberg, because Octavian slips up like that a lot.

Let’s start small: Octavian tends to speak in a rather dramatic, formal way. (He says “alas” in ordinary conversation, for instance.) He’s intentionally dramatic and somewhat sarcastic at times, sure, but I think it goes deeper than that. {I bring up one of my headcanons here, but it isn’t the crux of the whole argument. Bear with me.} I find it likely that Octavian learned Latin as his first language -- namely from the fact that his family has been sending kids to Camp Jupiter for over a century and his attachment to the idea of being a true / traditional Roman -- which would have an impact on how he speaks English. It would make sense, then, that his English speech patterns are similar to those of other native Latin speakers -- like the Triumvirate.

Trials of Apollo shows us that the triumvirs also tend to use more formal English, such as avoiding contractions and using what we might consider to be dated terms and phrasings (though this certainly isn’t a hard rule). Again, I don’t think it’s really conscious, but rather a byproduct of being native Latin speakers. In Hidden Oracle, for example, Nero says (to Apollo), “My own forefather does not recognize me?” I’d consider both his use of the word “forefather” and his avoidance of “doesn’t” to be a concise example of what I’m talking about.

It’s also true that few other characters use “alas” like Octavian does. In Heroes of Olympus, it’s only gods / titans / monsters who use the word “alas” (besides Octavian). In Trials of Apollo, it’s actually Apollo himself who uses that word the most (though remember, he’s also the narrator). He says “alas” 5 times in Hidden Oracle and ups it to 12 in Dark Prophecy. Do I need to keep counting? Beyond Apollo’s narration, Macro, Medea, and Caligula all say “alas” at least once in Burning Maze. All of these characters speak ancient languages, and half of them are native Latin speakers. I’ll admit that maybe it isn’t wholly a Latin thing, but there’s still a case for Octavian speaking in a way that could have been influenced by the emperors and their entourages.

Moving a step beyond nitpick, the connection between Octavian and the Triumvirate can also be seen in what Octavian says and the words he uses throughout Heroes of Olympus. We can split the analysis into 3 ideological themes, really: loyal Romans, immortality, and the future.

In Son of Neptune, Octavian calls himself a “loyal Roman” in a conversation with Percy. It’s rhetoric, a succinct yet subtle way to express Octavian’s ideology / self-conception / political striving, and that’s exactly the point. Later, in Blood of Olympus, Michael Kahale criticizes the people that Octavian is recruiting into the legion, calling them murderers, thieves, and traitors. Octavian, on the other hand, calls them “loyal demigods” -- again, fully aware of the rhetoric of that statement. Bryce Lawrence, one of said recruits, calls himself a “loyal Roman” too in order to appeal to Octavian and be permitted to rejoin the legion after his exile.

The reason this recurring “loyal Roman” motif strikes me is that it’s eerily similar ideology and phrasing to something Nero says in Hidden Oracle. Apollo asks, “The other two emperors. Who are they?” and Nero responds, “Good Romans -- men who, like me, have the willpower to do what is needed.” A line from Caligula’s speech before battle in Tyrant’s Tomb echoes the same sentiment: “It’s time to be true Romans!” In Tower of Nero, Nero also talks about bringing back “traditional Roman values”.

Apollo hits the nail on the head with his commentary: “The fact that Nero -- a man who had killed his own mother -- was talking about defending traditional Roman values...that was just about the most Roman thing I could imagine.” The whole point in all of these cases is that the men talking know that the modifiers they use are 100% oratorical, are dog whistles to those who think the same way and near gaslighting to those who don’t. These modifiers -- “loyal”, “good”, “true”, “traditional” -- mean something entirely different to the person saying them than they do to the heroes / average person! That’s a fascinating and complex parallel.

Immortality comes up in similarly echoed ways, showing that Octavian and the Triumvirate seem to be on the same page, coming from the same viewpoint, thinking alike. In Son of Neptune, what Octavian says to Mars is interesting especially in light of the Triumvirate. Mars, explaining the danger posed by the open Doors of Death, asks the gathered legion, “Can you imagine a world in which no one dies -- ever?” Octavian, despite his showy deference, interrupts the god, “But, ah, mighty all-powerful Lord Mars, if we can’t die, isn’t that a good thing? If we can stay alive indefinitely--” Octavian isn’t outright stupid, so I doubt he’s entirely thinking through what he says here. Of course it would be bad for one’s enemies to never die, but if you consider Octavian to be the type to be tempted by immortality? His interruption seems more in character and more likely if he has immortals or even aspirations to immortality in mind at the time.

In Blood of Olympus, Reyna’s vision of the Roman war-camp gives more weight to what I’ll call the immortality hypothesis. She notes Octavian’s “gilded chair that looked suspiciously like a throne”, how his new title of Pontifex Maximus elevates him “almost to the level of emperor”, and of course there’s the altar: “a marble altar....no doubt for the gods. But to Reyna it looked like an altar to Octavian himself.” In Hidden Oracle, it comes up several times -- even from Nero himself -- that the Triumvirate turned the ancient Imperial Cult into something powerful, something that could make them immortal. The Imperial Cult, at its simplest, looked a lot like what Octavian is doing in Reyna’s vision. Whether the Triumvirate told Octavian to do any of this, he got the idea from them, or he came up with it on his own, it’s another sign of similar thinking, at the very least.

Finally, the future -- which, of course, is bound to come up often where an augur is concerned, but I’m thinking of one line in particular. In Blood of Olympus, Octavian tells Michael about his plans, blatantly admitting that he’s aiming to declare himself “First Citizen” like his ancestor Augustus. (That title is princeps in Latin, and it’s an imperial title all three of the triumvirs use.) His Augustan lineage, which makes Octavian a legacy of Apollo from the same bloodline source that both Nero and Caligula get that status from, is another puzzle piece. Octavian is open about his heritage, his family is recognized as wealthy and powerful in New Rome and yet is never present there, and the Triumvirate seems unlikely to lose track of their relatives. Even so, what Octavian tells Michael next is a less speculative tie: “We will rule the future.” This is, specifically, the way Apollo frames the threat posed by the Triumvirate throughout Trials of Apollo once he becomes aware of their plan regarding Python and the oracles. A lot of that description comes after Apollo hears something Nero says to Python: “When we control all four Oracles, we will control fate itself!”

I suppose a facetious TL;DR might be that if you told me that Nero (canonically the best orator in the Greco-Roman Riordanverse) had been giving Octavian (canonically the best orator at Camp Jupiter) lessons in oratory or that Caligula had taken Octavian under his wing and every Tuesday they talked about world domination over coffee, I wouldn’t be surprised in the slightest.

Maybe this post is more of a Rorschach inkblot test for myself and how I read these books. Maybe I’m trying to read way too deeply. Whatever the case, I think that there’s something more to be said about Octavian and the Triumvirate than funding, and no one has been saying it.

[katiesmi-blog]

Analysis

For my research I spent some time reviewing information available on the internet in the form of scholarly articles and presentations done by children’s hospitals and groups. However, the majority of my research was organizing four informal interviews with several of my family members who either have kids with chronic illness or have chronic illnesses themselves.

My first surprising observation was two of the interviewees explicitly said that they felt relieved when they got diagnosed. They felt relieved because they finally had something that could explain what they had been going through, in some cases for years, and could start treating it. 

The second observation was that there seemed to be sort of three "stages" of accepting their own illness. 

The first stage was right after diagnosis where, besides feeling relieved, there were a lot of unknowns about the implications living with their illness had. They asked their provider a lot of questions because they didn't know anyone else who had the same illness and didn't have any experience with what it was. Against my initial assumptions, Google was only somewhat useful at this stage because each chronic illness can manifest itself very differently for each individual. Instead, they depended heavily on their provider to provide direction and suggestions for their specific situation. 

The second stage is after they realized the long term effects the illness was going to have on their lives. The onset of this stage usually came about when managing their illness began to take over and affect their day-to-day lives. This typically came with frustration and exasperation from an increase in appointments to try multiple medications and therapies that weren’t working, the illness generally getting worse, and having to manage the symptoms while trying to live “normal” lives. It was clear that this stage was very personal and sensitive to each individual as they are coming to terms with the fact that this is now their life. There was a heavy sense of hopelessness and desperation towards finding a solution that would actually help improve their situation.

The third stage comes after some level of acceptance - they have somewhat or completely adjusted to living with their illness and have found a treatment that will work. I think this is the most interesting stage because the ones that were at this stage were significantly less sensitive about sharing their experience with others, they accepted being different and often went out of their way to share their experience with others who were going through the same thing.

The people I interviewed were all adults and two of them were 17 when they were diagnosed, so their experiences are different than the experiences of children. However, I think that this pattern is interesting because this acceptance process is really important and each child living with a chronic illness has to go through it at some point in their life. For our project, understanding that children may take years to move through each phase is important because our solution needs to account for that. Additionally, understanding that those children in stage 2 may have a harder time connecting with and sharing their experience with others, while those in stage 3 are happy to help, connect and share, makes a big difference in the types of tools and education we decide to provide to them.

I think this is really only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to understanding how to help children living with chronic illness, but I think that it definitely sets up a good foundation for additional research.

[tangledcassandra]

Cassandra is Saporian: An Analysis

I’ve seen this theory tossed around a bit, but I think we need to take a good and serious look at it from all angles.

First off, what would this add to the plot?

Well, we know Saporia was formerly an enemy of Corona, until the two united when their leaders fell in love. Shortly after, the Separatists of Saporia were formed, a splinter group dedicated to taking back Corona for Saporia.

So, making Cassandra Saporian would give her a good reason to take the Moonstone, using it as the means to take back Corona for her ancestors.

Has that always been her true goal? No, absolutely not, and that’s not the focus of this post. But I will come back around to her motives for taking the stone. Hang on.

The ONLY time Saporia is mentioned in the show is in “Under Wraps”, which, as you may recall, is a Cassandra heavy episode. While that could be a very loose hint at her being Saporian, I think we’re missing the larger piece of foreshadowing that is presented. Something that Andrew tosses out right before his defeat.

"Oh, Cassandra. Saporia will rise again, and we'll have you to thank for it."

And sure, that seems like an empty threat on Andrew’s part. But the writers of the show have known for a long time what was being planned for the end of season 2 and the upcoming season 3. When you consider that, it’d be easy to drop in a forgettable line for a (much) later reveal.

But, there’s more.

The Saporian crest on Andrew’s necklace is used as the catalyst for Xavier to reveal information about the Separatists of Saporia. Two reasons why this is significant.

Why go through all the trouble of elaborating on Saporia and its history for one episode? Why focus so heavily on the backstory of a character that only appears once? Sure, the lore at the beginning of the episode was relevant for explaining the Day of Hearts holiday. But the show took it even further, not only detailing who the Separatists of Saporia are, but ALSO revealing their crest. Why was ALL of that so important for a single episode?

Except...

We see the crest a second time, 27 episodes later.

The potion book Cassandra reads from in “Rapunzel: Day One”. Now, the RTA Crew could have chosen to put anything, or nothing, on the cover of that book. But they specifically chose the Separatists of Saporia emblem. Why?

Well, I guess we can assume this stuff belonged to the Separatists, or some traveling salesman/magician (whoever the cart formerly belonged to) came by it through unknown means.

And yet, it found its way into Cassandra’s hands.

Now, this detail is completely trivial, and easy to miss, just as Andrew’s line could easily be forgotten. But it does ever so subtly add another point connecting Cassandra to Saporia.

But what else do we know about Cassandra?

We know she’s adopted.

Cassandra and Eugene had a brief bonding moment about being orphans in “Cassandra v. Eugene”. Now, that could have just been a throwaway moment, a nice ‘something in common’ between the two of them. But Cassandra could have EASILY been Captain’s biological daughter. I mean, why not? Why did that happen to be the thing they had in common? And why did Cassandra shut down when Eugene asked if she ever wondered what her parents were like?

Maybe she already knows.

But, that’s completely irrelevant.

Cassandra was raised in Corona, she considers herself a citizen of Corona, and she’s been striving her entire life to succeed her father as Captain of the Guard of Corona. She’s loyal to the kingdom and especially to Rapunzel, regardless of whether or not she knows she’s Saporian. And it wouldn’t even matter to Rapunzel, Eugene, or anyone else. On the off chance she knows, she’s been shown to literally not care at all based on the fact that it’s never come up in conversation.

So again, whether or not she knows, it’s irrelevant to this theory.

More importantly, for us, the audience, we don’t know where Cassandra came from. We don’t know her parents or heritage. It’s a small loose end the show has not yet touched on. And maybe it wouldn’t even be important, if we hadn’t just learned about Eugene’s origin and parentage in “Destinies Collide”.

Now, Cassandra is the only one of the main three whose background is still shrouded in so much mystery. She’s guarded, she doesn’t talk about her feelings, and she knows Rapunzel and Eugene BOTH can’t keep secrets. Rapunzel is a “sharer”, and Eugene just has a big mouth in general.

So, getting back on track. We actually have 3 pretty solid pieces of foreshadowing evidence for Cassandra being born into the Separatists of Saporia. She’s an orphan, Andrew’s quote, the crest popping up again in her hands. All very subtle, and yet, all connected. Very interesting.

Okay, the Moonstone. I said we’d come back to that.

Cassandra is Saporian: An Analysis: Part 2

The door.

We all know this is going to be relevant to Season 3 in some way, but just like Cassandra’s past, what she saw in there has been withdrawn from the audience. For now. We can almost certainly say whatever she saw or experienced convinced her to take the Moonstone, or at least, planted a seed to get her thinking about it.

“I believe everybody's got a destiny.“

Now, this is funny, because we really haven’t heard Cassandra talk about destiny a whole lot during the series. She’s been pretty adamant that she is on this journey to help Rapunzel fulfill her destiny. But here, she says, “All in the name of fulfilling destiny,” and then goes on to elaborate with the quote above. This whole journey she’s put a lot of emphasis on this being Rapunzel’s destiny, but here, she kind of leaves that out. Kind of leaves it more open and vague and a little bit ominous.

Let’s roll back to right after the door closes on Cassandra and this imagery of Zhan Tiri is shown. Maybe it’s nothing, or maybe, more likely, it’s something!

Now, we’re really going to stretch into theory territory, but it’s all going to tie together. Let’s talk about what could have been behind that door!

What if Zhan Tiri convinced Cassandra that her destiny was to bring about the rise of Saporia once again? Think about it. Cassandra has consistently been overlooked in Corona. She wants nothing more than to be on the guard, and she’s willing to earn her place the same as anyone else. If you recall, Eugene managed to pass the guard test in a few days. Cassandra, on the other hand, has been training since she was 6 years old, and her father still won’t allow her to join. Captain is not overprotective by any stretch of the imagination; there is literally no good reason Cassandra shouldn’t be on the guard. (Other than the fact that she’s a woman.)

Not only that, but her friends have shown very little appreciation for all the times she’s saved their lives. She is so underappreciated, it wouldn’t be difficult to convince her to turn on them. (Except for Cassandra’s undying loyalty to Rapunzel.) Plus, with Cassandra feeling less like Rapunzel’s best friend and more like a servant to the princess, she’s not doing so great. Rapunzel said in the past (multiple times) that she trusted Cassandra, and yet, as of late, she hasn’t shown that to still be true. Cassandra is in a vulnerable state, ripe for Zhan Tiri to take hold.

The connection to Saporia? A very convenient way to tip the unsteady emotional iceberg of Cassandra’s heart.

Wait, wait, wait. Didn’t I already say any connection Cassandra had to Saporia wasn’t important to her?

Right, that’s absolutely correct. It’s not important to her, at all. But it IS important to the story. It IS important as a plot device.

Zhan Tiri is an extremely powerful force that has been constantly looming over the heads of our heroes throughout most of the series, popping up every now and again to remind us, oh yeah, there’s a big bad coming. The final boss will be in town shortly, even though our heroes have barely been able to hold their own against his minions. Are they ready to face the ultimate evil? Haha, no.

Okay, we’re in the home stretch of this theory.

Cassandra being Saporian gives Zhan Tiri an in. A wedge, to drive between Cassandra and her friends and convince her that taking the Moonstone is her destiny. To get revenge on everyone who has treated her badly. I mean, that’d be great, wouldn’t it?

Not for Cassandra.

Cassandra, who loves Rapunzel. Cassandra, who, MULTIPLE TIMES in not just the series, but in the final episode of season 2, saved Rapunzel’s life. She grabbed Rapunzel when the gondola was falling. She pushed Rapunzel out of the way of a flying ax. She helped defend Rapunzel from the ghosts. Even after everything that happened on their journey, making sure Rapunzel is safe has CONSISTENTLY been Cassandra’s TOP priority.

But you see, Cassandra wants Zhan Tiri to believe she’s on his side. She has all the right motives for taking the Moonstone, so she could easily convince him that her actions are genuine. She wants to destroy him once and for all. But, until he revealed that she could take the Moonstone and use its power, she didn’t have the means. Of course, Cassandra needs Zhan Tiri (and the audience!) to believe that she has betrayed her friends. She needs him to trust her. She needs him to let her get close to him.

So why not tell her friends her plan? Why not let Rapunzel know? First off, nothing would convince Rapunzel to let anyone else take that risk for her. No one else would be allowed to bear her burden. Remember the foreshadowing that touching the Moonstone might obliterate Rapunzel?

“Freebird“, Rapunzel: “These rocks are my destiny, and that's terrifying. What if they lead to somewhere I'm never supposed to come back from?“

“Destinies Collide“, Adira: “While I'm certain bringing the Sundrop to the Moonstone will neutralize its threat, I'm not sure what will happen to you.“

Comforting!

Secondly, I must repeat, Rapunzel and Eugene BOTH can’t keep secrets. Rapunzel is a “sharer”, and Eugene just has a big mouth in general. There’s NO WAY Cassandra could let them in on any kind of plan to take the Moonstone. No way she could let them know she planned to risk her own safety to defeat Zhan Tiri. No way she could convince them to trust her to do this.

Too long, didn’t read: Cassandra being Saporian gives Zhan Tiri an opportunity to divide our heroes by convincing Cassandra to grab the Moonstone so that she has the power to take back Corona in the name of Saporia.

Lastly, keep in mind that Cassandra never actually says what her destiny is.

“I'm fulfilling my destiny!“

Okay, great. And that is?... Is it betraying her friends? Preventing the Sundrop and Moonstone from uniting? Opening the portal for Zhan Tiri? Taking back Corona for Saporia? Grabbing the Moonstone so it doesn't destroy Rapunzel? We literally don't know.

And I think that’s great.

Cassandra’s actions at the end of season 2 left us with a beautiful cliffhanger, hungry for more. It left us with questions, concerns, and a slew of ideas about what could be coming next. It left us with a few final parting words that ultimately have us stunned and bewildered.

But let’s get one thing straight. Cassandra isn’t. Cassandra has not betrayed her friends. Not permanently, anyway. It may seem like that now, but if you’ve been keeping up with the series, you know how much she cares about Rapunzel. You’ve seen that look in her eyes. How soft she gets when Rapunzel smiles at her. You know that she’d give her life in place of Rapunzel’s. Whatever Cassandra is doing, whatever she’s planning, is for the greater good. She’s not evil. Never has been. Never will be.

So have a little faith. Not just in Cassandra. But in the hardworking creatives who put their hearts and souls into telling this story. Who have set up clues throughout the series to keep us guessing and make the show interesting. Cassandra is a main character, a main protagonist, even, who has had more screen time than Rapunzel’s own love interest. Our girl’s not evil. She just has yet-to-be-revealed plans.

[gear-project]

Developer’s Backyard #2

So, ICYMI, Team Red released another update on the progress they’ve been making for GGStrive.

This time around they went in to deep discussion on Roman Candles ERM... Roman Cancels! *clears throat*

I said this before, but they’re taking a very Guilty Gear X approach with the Roman Cancel system (i.e. 50% Tension requirements instead of lesser 25% uses).  I don’t think this is a bad idea, but I also think that will largely depend on how much Tension we get during matches overall.

I knew players back in the day who were YRC/FRC sticklers... they’d mind every spare inch of their Tension gain until they got options to optimize how they played.  I myself was never so mindful (being a casual that I am), but in my case, my Tension just comes to me based on how I play naturally... and even if I run out... there’s always Gold Bursts, that’s just always been my play-style.

I’m interested in how players will approach Roman Cancels from here on in, and while they gave some “advanced examples” from Sol’s perspective... he’s just the tip of the iceberg (fireberg?) when it comes to the number of tools that will be at player’s disposal during a Roman Cancel.

To me, Roman Cancels represented “Freedom”, always did... you could make up whatever combo you wanted, even if it wasn’t optimal, or just use it to adjust the situation in your favor.

I’m also one of those players who is willing to blow 100 Tension in a single shot just to get an advantage, risky though that is sometimes... Just being able to achieve what you want with the RC system this time around will be much more interesting I think (I can only imagine how a character like Bedman or Happy Chaos could use it!)

Moving on, Team Red started answering questions...

First up: THE BURST GAUGE... they’re reconsidering how they apply it!  Because apparently players were struggling to look for it during a match!

Well, like I said previously, the more “tells” you give players when they gain resources, the less they’ll have to look at the lifebar for assistance.

Next: Using the same moves over and over in one combo:  while they said they wanted players to be given more freedom in Strive... they neglected to clarify what their idea of freedom actually means.

Basically, because certain combo routes were easier, nobody playing the beta bothered to try more challenging combo routes (nor was it very easy to experiment if you were in single player mode).

I myself tried everything I could during the beta, but in those situations it’s much easier to just throw me in to Training Mode and let me lab it out there rather than simply throw me in to a random battle and expect me to experiment that way.

From the dev’s perspective though, maybe they should have considered whether or not single players would approach the beta by themselves and offered a means to Train solo.

NEXT UP: Discussing Ishiwatari’s intentions with design and music choice!

I said this before, but much of his decisions are largely arbitrary and don’t exactly have a sequential direction (some people even hated the choices of design with some characters, albeit they are in the minority).

The goal is NEW NEW NEW, basically everything is new and “detached” from the previous GG games as much as possible (or so they say *wink/nudge*).

And as Ishiwatari stated, the music represents each characters’ perspectives and backgrounds (which I’ve explained a few times in my analysis of some of the songs).

NEXT: Why the sudden loss in key moves for characters?  What’s the reason behind it, and will it be balanced?

Ishiwatari says they weren’t using previous games “as a base” for their decisions in making this NEW NEW NEW game.  (Which makes sense, actually, given the new and more powerful tool-sets some currently have!)

While they were using some moves “as a starter basis” (Katano says), their goal wasn’t meant to “remove anything” so much as follow a new outline for how each character is meant to play... and he cites a few examples in the entry.

While I can understand the reasoning behind it, I still think there’s something to be said for character evolution and growth... and while some characters have taken a few steps forward (like Millia Rage and Zato), others might have taken a step backward (Potemkin, Chipp).

I really hope they don’t completely dispense with the tools older games offered (I also submitted a question to their inbox in Japanese that can maybe help alleviate this topic: Guilty Gear Generations Mode/EX Mode.... to me it’s just a catch-all that includes anything they might have missed movelist-wise that players would want... plus it expands the gameplay a bit more!)

Next Question: THE AIRDASH... it feels as though there was an attempt to add nuance to the airdash, but not enough consideration for jump-ins and anti-airs or air-to-airs during the beta.

They already spotted the imbalance amid all this during the beta, and are still trying to figure out how to fix it.

Ishiwatari says they’re moving forward with the “new airdash” as a key consideration compared to the old way it was handled... I don’t know if that means they’re sticking to their guns or if there’s still some adjustment that needs to be made (probably the latter).  But I’m guessing Airdashes won’t change much from the beta, but instead attacks will get better adjusted accordingly.

I still think Air Backdashes need a proper tell (especially for crossovers/crossups) not to mention ambiguous corner crossups.  Those happen a lot more than you’d think!

Next Question: WALLBREAK MECHANIC... some players seem to think it’s not worth it to use wall break and drop their combos.  Are there plans to change the rewards for Wall Breaking?

They say it’s really up to the “mischief” of the player (which I agree with... and just like I said, corner airdash crossups are still a thing to look out for).

But there’s still greater merit in breaking the wall, seemingly (which I also agree with, as some players are actually better suited to neutral situations rather than trying to come up with corner guard pressure or mixups... it depends on your play-style).

They’ll still be making adjustments now and then...

I think this, coupled with how Roman Cancels are implemented will probably be important in expressing how players want to play... there are some players who like to completely lock down their opponents in set-play.... but that’s not the only route to take when you try to win.  (I think one of my gameplay rivals knows this fact all too well, having fought against a veteran like myself!)

“Mischief” really will be important moving forwards (I still hope Riot Stamp and Dragon Install make a comeback later on... hehe).

Next question: WHAT’S THE HARDEST PART OF DEVELOPING THIS GAME RIGHT NOW???

Ishiwatari says the hardest part is making everything NEW NEW NEW out of the genealogy of Guilty Gear.

It’s hard to make new stuff out of old concepts... I can totally agree with that notion.

But it’s not like they’re at a loss... they’ve already achieved quite a bit of fresh concepts with both characters, moves, and ideas... I think it’s just an issue of how much of the new will be balanced with the old... and how those two will mesh and how players will accept them (or not?).

It all boils down to how many players will continue to follow the SMELL of the game, methinks!

They also gave a link to their Japan mailbox (which I submitted to in Japanese), but otherwise, forward comments to ARCSystemWorksU on Twitter/Facebook as per usual!

[digital-acetech]

How to create a Global SEO Strategy?

Deciding business methodologies is constantly a careful errand. With the coming of innovation and enormous challenge, it has been discovered that developing your business has become an extreme test. It is without a doubt an additional cherry on the highest point of your troubles if you intend to go worldwide from the neighborhood. Around then, you have to buckle down on deciding your reconsidered techniques. At the point when you intend to become showbiz royalty with an amazing on the web nearness, a worldwide SEO technique is unavoidable for your business. This strategy enables Google speed analyzing tools, Keywords Research, Site Audit tools, Google search console and as a whole Google Analytics easier and effective.

Most ideal Ways to Create a Global SEO Strategy

You can have a general characterized procedure like picking the nations you are focusing for the business, or which showcase you plan to enter. In any case, your next sensible advance will assess the SEO openings in your objective areas. In this way, taking a shot at worldwide SEO procedure is of vital significance. In this 'how-to-control' you can make proposals and make your SEO procedure effectively. These are basic yet viable strategies to make your business prosper.

Gauge your capability to construct a business in focused nations

At the point when you have focused on specific nations, you should appraise the capability of your business in those nations. Discover how your site remains in Google analytics. You can utilize different devices like Google Analytics to see if clients from those nations visit your site, regardless of whether they think that it is valuable and so on. It will assist you in predicting the fate of your business. If you find that the outcomes are not productive enough, take a shot at your watchwords, substance, and advanced showcasing methodologies. It is basic to overhaul your sites as per the prerequisites and inclinations of the clients situated in the focused on nations.

Break down the challenge

Despite the aftereffect of your potential estimation, you ought to likewise know who you are battling against to make your situation in the computerized market. Realizing your rival is quite significant when you desire to take a worldwide jump. Your opposition will be high undoubtedly. Analyze the techniques and strategies they use to advance their business carefully. It is in every case great to think of development or give your clients something new. At the point when you fulfill your clients with helpful items that are imaginative simultaneously, you can arrive at the peak of progress without a doubt.

Direct an appropriate catchphrase look into it.

As you have comprehended and broke down the essential challenge, you have to go for a natural watchword look into. The substance is the foundation of your advanced business especially in Google Analytics or Competitor Analysis. Besides, your SEO results will likewise rely upon the watchwords you fuse in the site substance. There are different instruments that you can use to discover the most noteworthy volume catchphrases. This will assist you in building your business all around with no issue. Plan your systems the correct method to get viable outcomes.

Limit your image

To make a decent client base in the focused on nations, you need to limit your imagination. Content is the lord of your SEO procedure in Google Analytics or Competitor Analysis. Along these lines, composing substance in the nearby language is an unquestionable requirement when you need to expand your business in those specific nations. We ought to consistently think about nearby angles while making the substance. In this manner, you have to chip away at it cautiously.

Assemble a strong system for backlinks

Ask yourself an inquiry that what can your worldwide SEO methodology be without external link establishment? Connections are the most positioning element in SEO. Connections will advise Google about the insights about your site. You ought to oversee backlinks from definitive sources. This will help construct the legitimacy of your image. Naturally, clients will begin setting your trust in your business. Without an appropriate backlink procedure, it would not be feasible for you to make your very own place in the worldwide market.

Go for offers/cashback and limits

To get in more clients inside the worldwide market, you have to chip away at clients' fulfillment. Without legitimate clients' fulfillment, your business won't blast. It is essential to carry a grin to your clients' faces by expediting something new their faces. You have to give those rewarding offers, markdown, promotion codes, cashback and that's only the tip of the iceberg. With gainful offers, they will in general return to you. Besides, they can likewise prescribe your business to other potential clients. At the point when more individuals will think about your business, it will be simpler for you to hold the market.  

The Last Considerations

Aside from actualizing these recommendations while making your worldwide methodology, it is additionally significant for you to assess your presentation all the time. Work on your blemishes, measure your prosperity and keep yourself refreshed. Along these lines, you can be a fruitful business visionary point of fact. Pull out all the stops and you will never need to think back.

[didanawisgi]

The analysis of the report by Justice Department inspector general Michael Horowitz greatly depends, as is often the case, on which cable news channel you watch. Indeed, many people might be excused for concluding that Horowitz spent 476 pages to primarily conclude one thing, which is that the Justice Department acted within its guidelines in starting its investigation into the 2016 campaign of President Trump.

Horowitz did say that the original decision to investigate was within the discretionary standard of the Justice Department. That standard for the predication of an investigation is low, simply requiring “articulable facts.” He said that, since this is a low discretionary standard, he cannot say it was inappropriate to start. United States Attorney John Durham, who is heading the parallel investigation at the Justice Department, took the unusual step to issue a statement that he did not believe the evidence supported that conclusion at the very beginning of the investigation.

Attorney General William Barr also issued a statement disagreeing with the threshold statement. In fact, the Justice Department has a standard that requires the least intrusive means of investigating such entities as presidential campaigns, particularly when it comes to campaigns of the opposing party. That threshold finding is then followed by the remainder of the report, which is highly damaging and unsettling. Horowitz finds a litany of false and even falsified representations used to continue the secret investigation targeting the Trump campaign and its associates.

This is akin to reviewing the Titanic and saying that the captain was not unreasonable in starting the voyage. The question is what occurred when the icebergs began appearing. Horowitz says that investigative icebergs appeared rather early on, and the Justice Department not only failed to report that to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act court but removed evidence that its investigation was on a collision course with the facts.

The investigation was largely based on a May 2016 conversation between Trump campaign adviser George Papadopoulos and Australian diplomat Alexander Downer in London. Papadopolous reportedly said he heard that Russia had thousands of emails from Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton. That was viewed as revealing possible prior knowledge of the WikiLeaks release two months later, which was then used to open four investigations targeting the campaign and Trump associates. Notably, Democrats and the media lambasted Trump for saying the Justice Department had been “spying” on his campaign, and many said it was just an investigation into figures like Carter Page. Horowitz describes poorly founded investigations that included undercover FBI agents and a variety of different sources. What they really discovered is the main point of the Horowitz report.

From the outset, the Justice Department failed to interview several key individuals or vet critical information and sources in the Steele dossier. Justice Department officials insisted to Horowitz that they choose not to interview campaign officials because they were unsure if the campaign was compromised and did not want to tip off the Russians. However, the inspector general report says the Russians were directly told about the allegations repeatedly by then CIA Director John Brennan and, ultimately, President Obama. So the Russians were informed, but no one contacted the Trump campaign so as not to inform the Russians? Meanwhile, the allegations quickly fell apart. Horowitz details how all of the evidence proved exculpatory of any collusion or conspiracy with the Russians.

Even worse, another agency that appears to be the CIA told the FBI that Page was actually working for the agency in Russia as an “operational contact” gathering intelligence. The FBI was told this repeatedly, yet it never reported it to the FISA court approving the secret investigation of Page. His claim to have worked with the federal government was widely dismissed. Worse yet, Horowitz found that investigators and the Justice Department concluded there was no probable cause on Page to support its FISA investigation. That is when there was an intervention from the top of the FBI, ordering investigators to look at the Steele dossier funded by the Democratic National Committee and the Clinton campaign instead.

Who told investigators to turn to the dossier? Former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe. He was fired over his conduct in the investigation after earlier internal investigations. Horowitz contradicts the media claim that the dossier was just a small part of the case presented to the FISA court. He finds that it was essential to seeking FISA warrants. Horowitz also finds no sharing of information with FISA judges that undermined the credibility of the dossier or Christopher Steele himself. Surprisingly little effort was made to fully investigate the dossier when McCabe directed investigators to it, yet investigators soon learned that critical facts reported to the FISA court were false. FISA judges were told that a Yahoo News article was an independent corroboration of the Steele dossier, but Horowitz confirms that Steele was the source of that article. Therefore, Steele was used to corroborate Steele on allegations that were later deemed unfounded.

The report also said that Steele was viewed as reliable and was used as a source in prior cases, yet Horowitz found no support for that and, in fact, found that the past representations of Steele were flagged as unreliable. His veracity was not the only questionable thing unveiled in the report. Steele relied on a character who, Horowitz determined, had a dubious reputation and may have been under investigation as a possible double agent for Russia. Other instances were also clearly misrepresented.

The source relied on by Steele was presented as conveying damaging information on Trump. When this source was interviewed, he said he had no direct information and was conveying bar talk. He denied telling other details to Steele. This was all known to the Justice Department, but it still asked for warrant renewals from the FISA court without correcting the record or revealing exculpatory information discovered by investigators. That included the failure to tell the court that Page was working with the CIA. Finally, Horowitz found that an FBI lawyer doctored a critical email to hide the fact that Page was really working for us and not the Russians.

Despite this shockingly damning report, much of the media is reporting only that Horowitz did not find it unreasonable to start the investigation, and ignoring a litany of false representations and falsifications of evidence to keep the secret investigation going. Nothing was found to support any of those allegations, and special counsel Robert Mueller also confirmed there was no support for collusion and conspiracy allegations repeated continuously for two years by many experts and members of Congress.

In other words, when the Titanic set sail, there was no reason for it not to. Then there was that fateful iceberg. Like the crew of the Titanic, the FBI knew investigative icebergs floated around its Russia investigation, but not only did it not reduce speed, it actively suppressed the countervailing reports. Despite the many conflicts to its FISA application and renewals, the FBI leadership, including McCabe, plowed ahead into the darkness.

Jonathan Turley is the chair of public interest law at George Washington University and served as the last lead counsel in a Senate impeachment trial. He testified as a Republican witness in House Judiciary Committee hearing in the Trump impeachment inquiry. Follow him @JonathanTurley.

[twdmusicboxmystery]

Strawberry Theory: Master Post

Good morning! So I finally got around to reposting the Strawberry Theory. As you can see, I’ve done my best to make a master post out of it. I’m by no means sure that I have all the instances of strawberries, so if anyone thinks of any I’ve missed, please send them to me.

Warning: I might go down a bit of a rabbit hole here.

So these are the major instances of Strawberries that I’ll address here:

1)      Around Beth at Grady.

2)      That Daryl “claimed” in 4b.

3)      Around Father Gabriel in 5b.

4)      Around Sasha in 7b.

5)      Rick and Carl’s convo in S8.

6)      Around Carol in S7.

I want to talk about Grady first, even though it’s kinda out of order, because it’s the whole crux of the Strawberry theory. We see them around Beth all over the place at Grady. They’re in the cafeteria when she talks to Gorman, on the plate she brings to Edwards in his office, and what she uses to bribe Percy to help her get the KEY to the drug locker.

So let’s talk about the symbol of the strawberry and why it’s so appropriate for Beth.

In Christian symbolism, represents kindness and Christian goodness and purity in general. Not hard to see why this would be a Beth symbol. But that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

Strawberries were also thought to be a remedy for depression. They therefore represented healing, especially the healing brought by Christ.

Think about that. Not only was she in a hospital, and so maybe it showed she would heal from all her injuries, past and present, but we also have the Carol situation. Beth was literally holding strawberries in her hand when she went and got the medicine Carol needed from the locker. 

There’s always been tons of talk and criticism about the fact that Carol went from having internal injuries that Edwards didn’t think she’d survive, to standing up and walking out of the hospital in mere days. 

I’ve always thought that was probably meant to be more symbolic than realistic, and this surely proves it.

It’s also been said that the strawberry represents virtue. Specifically, that it stays virtuous and un-corrupted by the poisons around it. That’s definitely true of Beth, who never let the horrors of the world around her get her down or change her.

Because the tip of the strawberry points down, they sometimes represent Christ’s tears. The three-partitioned leaf represents the Trinity. The five petals on the flowers represent Christ’s five wounds (two hands, two feet and in the side).

I could go on, but check out THIS POST for more details.

The only other one I want to mention is that in other cultures, the strawberry can have a somewhat opposite meaning: that of sexual temptation. I’m less convinced that’s what tptb were going for, but given Gorman and what was going on at Grady, it would still make a certain amount of sense.

So no matter how you slice it, this is a very appropriate and even obvious symbol for Beth.

Next, Daryl claiming the strawberry patch. And here goes the rabbit hole.

I said the last time I posted the Strawberry theory, in the middle of S6, that the whole sequence where Daryl claims the strawberries is a foreshadow of how Daryl will find Beth again. I said it was significant that he’s on the road alone at the time (with the Claimers, but no other members of TF with him). Many of us believe that’s how he’ll find Beth.

Remember that @fragipanilove said in her post that, because Daryl is a Mary Magdalene figure to Beth’s Christ figure, he’ll probably be the first to see her (because Mary Magdalene was the first to see Christ, even before his apostles). So this actually works very well as a template. He’ll stumble upon her with another group and “claim” her from them. It’s especially interesting that the guy who first saw the strawberries throws Daryl a murderous look, as though he’d taken something the man thought should have been his.

Now, when I last posted about this, I thought it would be Negan’s people Daryl would find Beth with. During S6, we were all convinced she would show up with Negan. I think she still has to show up while Negan is in play, which he is for S9, but obviously it didn’t happen in quite the way we thought it would back then.

The thing is—and I’ve said this before—I do believe Joe’s Claimers were a foreshadow/parallel of the wolves. Lots of evidence for that. A “W” in the background when Daryl talks to Joe. 

Beth and Daryl’s parallel arcs: the fact that Daryl ended up with the Claimers after Beth sort of left him behind (though not of her own volition). And we have a lot of evidence that Beth will end up with the wolves some time after TF left her behind. The fact that the Claimers were sort of the vehicle that reunited Daryl with TF (Rick, Daryl and Michonne) and we think the same will be true of Beth and the wolves. I could go on and on, but I won’t.

So my point is that I still stand by my original analysis of this scene as a template for Daryl stumbling onto Beth, but I’m thinking now that the group he’ll find her with is the wolves.

Also remember that per my Claimed Trading Card post, we can now, because of the trading card @boltthrutheheart found, link the Claimers and the Red Machete to Beth and Daryl. And of course Daryl “claimed” the strawberries, which are a symbol of Beth.

Now let’s talk Father Gabriel. Here’s where things get kind of complicated. You know what? Let’s talk about Sasha first. That will be easier.

We saw strawberries around Sasha in 7x16. And the interesting thing about this scene is that, along with the strawberries are apples (Apple Theory) and pancakes (Bisquick was mentioned at Grady, and self-rising products also represent resurrection). So three very potent Beth symbols.

The next thing we know for sure is that in Sasha’s death, she became one of the biggest proxies of Beth that we’d ever seen. She died but reanimated as a walker (resurrection) from a yellow coffin (Beth’s yellow polo) and about a thousand other parallels you can brush up on HERE and HERE.

So, connecting those two things, I think when we see strawberries around other characters (other than Beth and Daryl) it’s because the character is about to become a proxy either to Beth or to her arc, which is thematic throughout the entire series.

I’m pulling that analysis specifically from Sasha’s arc, so now let’s look at Father Gabriel. If strawberries around him in 5b are to show that he’ll become a Beth proxy, how is that accomplished on the show?

Well, there are a couple of ways it happened back in S5.

1)      He started off being a very weak character that no one really liked. The end of S5, (5x16 to be exact) is when he first started to find his own strength and become worthy of living in TWD world.

2)      The final scene between him and Sasha in that episode. You can read about it in detail HERE, but remember that they fought over the rifle and shot out the glass of the picture with the white trees.

It’s actually super-interesting to consider all this. We still don’t know exactly what role Sasha played in Beth’s disappearance/being left behind, but we know she played a role. The interesting thing is that these two (her and FG) fought in this scene, had a conversation that made no sense whatsoever, and strawberries were seen around both of them at one time or another.

3)      This could also be seen as healing. Father Gabriel is very broken when they find him in S5, but 5x16 is the beginning of his healing, and he’s now because a very emotionally strong and steady character. Even Rick approves, which is saying something!

But now, after S8, there’s more, my friends. There is much more!

In S8, Father Gabriel was poisoned, right? He seems to have lost one of his eyes because of this. Also remember that in the sequence that led up to this, Dr. Carson died, and there were a ton of Beth parallels there too. (X)

The thing is, guys, having only one eye is tied heavily to the Sirius/Dog Star symbolism. @frangipanilove is the expert on this and could probably explain it better, but remember that the dog that came to the funeral home in Still only had one eye. We’ve always known that was important because the Sirius dog of the mythology is one-eyed. So that was always a way to show that Beth is the dog star, which will return.

Now Father Gabriel has only one eye (and it’s even the same eye as the dog!). So he’s a walking embodiment of the Siris/Dog Star symbolism. I don’t know if that means he had something to do with leaving Beth behind, as Sasha did, or that he’ll have something to do with her or her return. Because it’s taken so long for him to lose the eye, I lean toward it meaning something about her return. Especially as it happened in S8, and we really think we’ll see her in S9, it would make sense for the loss of his eye right before she appears.

Okay, let’s talk about some smaller instances of strawberries. 

I’ll start by piggybacking off of what I just said. There was another instance of strawberries in S8, but it wasn’t one we saw. Rather, it was heard in dialogue. While arguing with Carl, who was trying to tell Rick that they needed to make nice with Negan and the Saviors, rather than killing them all, Rick said, “You think we’re gonna be out there picking strawberries with Negan?

Okay, another rabbit hole. What does this line mean? Well, if strawberries = Christian goodness in traditional symbolism, then this is just another way of saying that Rick doesn’t believe they’ll be able to make nice or find Christian love for Negan and his people after all they’ve done.

But why insert the strawberry symbolism? They could have uttered the same line/meaning without using the Beth symbol. And because AOW ended without her showing up, it doesn’t seem like something that should specifically apply to her, right?

So here’s what I’m thinking about this one. Strawberries can be about healing, right? And we’ve already established that they were specifically used this way at Grady because of both Beth and Carol. Well, the ultimate emotional “healing” that could take place between Negan and TF would be if they could forgive one another (I’m specifically thinking about the fact that Maggie, Daryl and Jesus are secretly working against Rick where Negan is concerned) and feel truly Christian toward one another again.

I think that WILL happen eventually. That’s why Negan is still alive. That’s why they threw in that random scene at the end of S8 where Maggie and Daryl are secretly trying to kill Negan. Their next arc will be one of coming to a place of forgiveness for Negan.

But the fact that they used the strawberry symbol to indicate this shows that Beth must be tied up in it somehow. And that kicked my butt down a rabbit hole because…think of the reasons we originally thought Beth would show up with Negan: because there are bats around her. And remember I said HERE that even though she didn’t show up with him or during AOW, as long as he’s still alive, there is hope of her showing up. If we’re right about what the bats mean, then she has to show up while Negan is still in play. As long as he’s still alive, there’s hope for her return.

But given this healing stuff, let’s re-examine the bats around her.

1)      Beside her and Daryl in Inmates. Because it’s her and Daryl in this scene, the most obvious thing is that they’ll reunite at sometime during Negan’s tenure on the show. But this is also where we saw a disembodied shoe, and where Beth starts crying. So it’s about healing, and I’d also throw in that the lost foot/shoe symbolism will probably be fulfilled when she returns. Again, at some time when Negan is still on the show.

2)      Glenn holding the bat and talking about her in the present (rather than past) tense in 5x09. This one is super-huge. Everyone thought Glenn holding the bat was a foreshadow of his death at Negan’s (or Lucille’s) hands. And it was. But he specifically talked about Beth during this sequence. Why? She wasn’t even present for his death.

Because she is the one who will help everyone (specifically Maggie and Glenn, but TF in general) come to forgive Negan (thereby healing them) for Glenn’s death. This may also explain why they specifically did a major death fake out for Glenn (in S6) rather than any other character. Beth is very tied up in Glenn’s final arc (or at least the aftermath of it) even if she wasn’t present for it.

Finally, the most minor example is that we saw strawberries in the bowl of fruit Ezekiel offers Carol in 7x02. (X) This is the only one I don’t think is specifically tied to Beth. I mean, it kind of is, but not in a way we need to over-analyze.

The bowl of fruit contains apples, nectarines, pomegranates, and strawberries. Nectarines are very close to peaches, so I think they filled the bowl with fruits we’ve seen often on the show before. And yes, many of them are tied to Beth.

But the episode specifically emphasizes that pomegranates are Carol’s symbol. It was even confirmed on TTD. Ezekiel said a pomegranate is sweet fruit surrounded by bitter, and that’s an analogy for Carol’s mindset at the time. She’d built up bitter walls around herself. There was still sweet fruit inside, but she was concealing it.

So what does this have to do with the strawberry theory? I think this was meant to specifically tell us that Carol’s symbol is the pomegranate and NOT the strawberry. It’s there, but it’s very specifically not tied to her. So the strawberries Daryl claimed are not meant to be about Carol. They’re, you know, about someone else. And who did we see strawberries around? Who held them, used them constantly, and was in many shots with them at Grady?

Exactly.

Okay, I think I’m gonna stop there. Again, if anyone can think of more instances of strawberries, let me know. Thoughts?

[malthuswibble]

The Kiss: A Character Analysis (Spoilers, of course)

TLDR: the controversies over “The Kiss” tend to miss the point, which is that the kiss merely exposed the problematic nature of all of the main relationships in the show.

This summarizes a bunch of stuff I’ve thought about, some of it written in different places …

I’ve seen a lot of folks troubled by the kiss in various ways—that it’s “cheating” (and so makes the characters look bad); alternatively, that it isn’t the joyous culmination fans were hoping for—its awkward, not a happy event at all.  

This unhappy situation is, in fact, the whole point! Let me explain.

It should now be clear that a lot of what happened in season three that the fans did not like—particularly, that the whole Star-Marco relationship wasn’t what it used to be, and felt “off”—was fully intentional. It was a feature, not a bug.

In Booth Buddies, Star’s whole dilemma was exactly that: she understands that the “friendship pictures” she was taking now aren’t the same as the old ones, but doesn’t know why. We, the audience, can see that Marco isn’t into taking the pictures and is just doing so because Star orders him to.

The problem is that their entire friendship has become a by-the-rote façade (this is symbolized by the hundreds of pictures Star makes them take). Star gives orders to her “squire” and Marco obeys (or not, as we know he sometimes defies her) … a sad direction for best buddies who always had each other’s backs and were willing to sacrifice everything for each other.

How did it come to this?  

Simply put—none of the characters had the insight to understand themselves or the courage to openly confront their feelings, either to themselves or to each other. Romance, in particular, has become the “elephant in the room”—an angry one they have suppressed for so long, it has started to trample the furniture, as it were. The characters have all been lying, by omission or commission, to themselves and each other: none of the three main actors in this drama are without fault (indeed, the only character to finally not lie, and tell things as they actually are, was Jackie: but even then—she was willfully blind for a long time).  

None of the characters are morally right or wrong in this: they are all guilty—of being confused, of being untrue to themselves and each other. This mistakes have lead them to this pass, in which the kiss was simply the tip of a much larger iceberg that has been lurking under this entire season. Their mistakes threaten all of their relationships—and their relationships are the heart of the show!

How did Star mess up?

By not understanding her feelings for Marco, and not being honest about them when she did (until she blurted them out in the most awkward possible moment in Starcrushed). Then, in deciding to keep Marco close to her as her “squire”—even though it is clear Marco took it quite literally, as a job, and not merely a mechanism to give him standing on Mewni; and not having an open and honest discussion with him about their relationship—even though it was painfully obvious to everyone (including her boyfriend) that Marco must have romantic feelings for her … and now he sleeps in the very next room, is at her beck and call!

She seemingly drifted into a relationship with Tom. Does she really like him romantically, or just care about him as a friend who has impressed her with his vulnerability and his efforts to make himself a better persona and a better prince? It is hard to say—Tom, for one, isn’t sure, and is very anxious about whether he measures up to Marco. Star never acknowledges that Tom has good reason to be anxious—again, the pattern of being unwilling to be open and honest.

How did Marco mess up?

He never confronts Star’s revelation of her crush on him—leaving Mewni after the Battle for Mewni without so much as acknowledging her confession (something he recognizes was a mess-up in the episode: Star also acknowledges that it stunk!).

What was Star supposed to think?

Of course her heart was going to be broken—she very naturally assumed he didn’t mention it, because he not only didn’t like her in that way, he didn’t even want to think of her in that way! Recall that Marco and Star both agreed in Starcrushed that they just wanted things to be as they used to be … when he left, she was frantic; then she got over it, started dating Tom …

… then, he simply shows up out of the blue, announces that Jackie has dumped him, and expects Star to take him in.

Star was, predictably, not happy about this: from her perspective, he hung out with her—as a second-best, something to do when dumped. Initially, she wanted him out of her sight, so he won’t break her heart again.  

Marco already messed up his relationship with Jackie by not being honest and by his “tunnel vision” focus on Mewni (tunnel vision, focusing on one thing and ignoring the rest, always being one of his flaws, together with low self-esteem). He seriously risks messing it up--even worse—with Star.

How did Tom mess up?

Here, I’m being more speculative …

Tom attracted Star’s attention—again—in Club Snubbed. I’m not convinced this wasn’t a deliberate ploy on his part, as for two seasons he’d been trying in various ways to get her attention, and attacking her self-esteem is a tactic he’d used before (in Mr. Candle).

He kept her attention by proclaiming two things: (1) that he wanted to tame his anger issues; and (2) that he was inspired by Star wanting to be the best princess she could be.

The first point is definitely true: he has always wanted to tame his anger. This makes him endearingly vulnerable, a point he exploits to his advantage in Demoncism (I’m of the opinion that he told Ponyhead specifically so that she would tell Star: who in their right minds would tell Ponyhead a secret and expect her not to tell Star?).

However, I think the first point isn’t true: Tom isn’t really all that interested in Star’s mission to be the best princess she can be. Politics bore him, as he tells Marco in Monster Bash. The only reason Tom wants to go on adventures with Star, is because he wants her attention (as is made pretty clear in Is Another Mystery). What he appears to want is a more or less conventional relationship, in which they do conventional boyfriend-girlfriend things: smooching, dancing … in short, despite the fact that he’s literally a demon from the underworld, he’s very much a more conventional boyfriend choice for Star (as well as being a politic one, given he’s actually a prince!). The fact that he’s a self-proclaimed “monster” makes him an even better choice, as far as her mission as princess to bridge the monster-Mewman divide goes.

Why is this a problem?

Because in order to get that relationship, he’s been willing to mislead her and manipulate her. Now that he has it, he’s willing to simply humor her, to do what she wants and tell her what she wants to hear.

He’s not a bad guy (none of them are bad persons) and she could certainly do worse; but their relationship, while plenty affectionate, lacks passion because it is so one-sided—something that Tom has been at pains to conceal … but, very basically, they don’t really want the same sort of relationship… and Tom knows it. Their relationship started off on an unsound footing.   

Star may not know it intellectually, but she knows it on some level as well.

The proof? Whenever Star has a choice, she confides in Marco, not Tom; she chooses Marco, not Tom, to help her on her adventures … not because Marco is better at battling, but because they tend to complete each other, and when adventuring they truly feel like a unit.  

The Kiss

With the Kiss, the circle is finally complete: Star now knows, without a doubt, that Marco likes her romantically.

This, finally, cuts through the layers of self-ignorance, willful blindness, and deception, and Star has a choice to make …

Why this is Good (and Bad)

This situation shows the creators at their cunning (and exasperating) ways: they are willing to set things up for a whole season, without any explanation—for example, they are willing to have the Star-Marco relationship (a big draw for the fandom) seem “off” for nearly a whole season—just to give the relationship drama punch.

They are willing to have all of their characters appear morally and/or emotionally suspect, risking fans ceasing to care about their dilemmas.

The message I think is something like this: the characters can only “win” by being truthful to themselves and others, and deciding what they really want. Whether the kiss is, or is not, “cheating” isn’t the point—or is a very minor point: they did not kiss because it gave them sexual pleasure, but as a way to rip the band-aid off the wound that their relationships have become. That was necessary for them, because they could not simply carry on as they were—it was making them all unhappy.

Tom isn’t happy, because he’s always insecurely worrying that he can’t measure up to Marco (something on its face absurd – he’s a demon prince with magic powers, he’s a boy in a hoodie – but which makes emotional sense, as Marco has a partnership with Star Tom finds difficult or impossible to match).

Marco isn’t happy—in Booth Buddies, he even says more or less he doesn’t want to go on magical adventures (Star, upset: “I thought you liked going on our magical adventures!”) because the pain of bottling up his feelings is too great.

Star also isn’t happy. On the surface, she ought to be—after all, on the surface she gets everything she wants: she has a boyfriend in Tom AND gets to have Marco for adventuring! Marco is even her “squire” (a job he takes seriously) so he’s literally under her orders!

… but it all feels fake. It isn’t like it used to be, and Star knows the difference, just like she knows that the photo booth pictures are not the same.   

[outsourcingnews2019-blog]

Top 8 Outsourcing Trends for 2019 – New Research

Forecasting the Top Outsourcing Trends for 2019

The New Year is nearly here. As we celebrate a busy and productive year in the outsourcing industry, what does the future hold? Is 2019 a year worth celebrating in terms of expanded outsourcing growth, and, if so, in what areas? What does the future of outsourcing hold?

Several media forecasters are citing job losses in the coming year, while others are claiming that outsourcing has seen its best times, and a slow, methodical slump is very quickly on its way.

However, not everyone is forecasting doom and gloom. Some analysts are quick to point out advances in technology, which tends to guide many industries, stands to empower the best buyers and service providers, allowing them to redefine their operations and to enter new aspects of outsourcing such as data analysis and customer-centricity.

While 2019 almost upon us and the end of an interesting decade, we’re interested in examining where our corporate strategies and energies should be placed. As new articles appear that discuss which technologies will be popular and how companies can improve performance, we are more than a little curious about where to devote our time in terms of outsourcing.  How can we get outsourcing to fit into the new wave of technological prowess? Can we manipulate change and make it work to our advantage?

I think we agree that outsourcing is not declining, but rather it is aggressively moving forward and progressing. According to the GSA report, 70% of companies surveyed are going to outsource more in the upcoming years, and 35% of them plan to do so significantly. In this regard, 84% of service providers expect the outsourcing industry to grow and 37% believe it will do so remarkably.

Companies are reaping their share of financial benefits, and that is great. Outsourcing allows multinationals to increase productivity and develop outcomes that take their products into the marketplace faster. Remove outsourcing from the equation, and this success may be slower to develop. The talent shortage felt worldwide in fields such as blockchain and Artificial Intelligence is already contributing to an increase in outsourcing. In the past few months, certain trends are likely to ramp up noticeably.

Here are my predictions on how the outsourcing landscape will change in 2019:            

#1: Global Skill Shortages

Unemployment is down significantly in many developed nations. That is both good and bad. It is good that so many people are working.  But it is bad when companies are searching everywhere for the right skillsets, and these candidates are very few, and when they do find them, they come at a premium.  For example, the lack of in-house engineering talent will be one of the main drivers of the IT outsourcing industry. According to the latest survey, over 70% of technology employers in the UK expect to face a talent shortage over the next 12 months. We are seeing nearly 600,000 vacancies in digital technology, which will cost the country £63 bn a year. Companies may have to outsource their services to more attractive locations in Central & Eastern Europe due to the shortage of tech professionals in their own countries.

In the United States, the IT talent shortage is also a growing problem. A report by Gartner predicts that by 2020 there will be 1.4 million computer specialist job openings. It will create a talent shortage that universities will find challenging to fill, even at 30%. At the same time, some companies are selective.  They want candidates that can hit the ground running with limited new hire training.  This will work against them when the talent pool is already extremely low.

#2: More than Just Cost-savings

The relationships between a client and a software development provider will be more process driven and people driven and less price-oriented. No doubt, cost reduction is and will remain the main advantage of outsourcing engineering work. However, it won’t be a decisive factor when choosing a service provider.

Increasingly, clients will be focusing more on the value delivered than in cutting costs. IT outsourcing companies will become systems integrators and partners to their customers. They will share greater risk and focus on delivering value-added services.

#3:  Security Concerns Tighten

Security is, and should be, a major concern for companies both internally and when outsourcing. In 2018, we saw some serious breaches of security, such as the Cambridge Analytica scandal. Consumer outrage alone is enough to scare companies into tighter security measures. Additionally, new GDPR regulations, which affect European organisations and any company that might interact with European data, will cause new data security changes.

#4: It’s All About Artificial Intelligence

In July 2018, Forbes stated the following about AI technology customization:      

“The burgeoning advancement of artificial intelligence in the tech world will continue to have a large impact on the way that we write code, build new technology and even advance frontiers like blockchain in the next few years. AI’s potential to customize tech to individual consumers is enormous, and we’ve only seen the tip of the iceberg in terms of its capabilities thus far.”

In the outsourcing world, I predict 2019 will include many aspects of Artificial Intelligence. Customers continuously ask about AI capabilities, how AI can improve their products or services, and how we can help them achieve their AI goals. AI technology is growing rapidly, and many outsourcing firms are hiring AI experts to meet these client demands.

It is not that corporations have big data; it is how they use that data will separate those that are successful through the year from those that aren’t.

#5.  Strategic Alignments

Traditionally, lowering costs is the main reason to outsource. Corporate leaders focus on bottom-line performance. Outsourcing is a cost-effective way to reach financial performance goals.

However, based on the current climate moving into 2019, for the first time in a long time, it may not be totally about dollars. In fact, an attempt to save money may actually have a negative impact moving forward.  Instead, a clear vision of tomorrow, backed by appropriate investments today, is the path to achieve growth targets. That’s why it’s no surprise that companies are looking at more than cost details when it comes to attracting outsourcing partnerships. Instead, it has to do more with corporate strategy alignment.

Another important factor that organisations need to make sure when choosing an outsourcing partner is that the necessary tech skills, knowledge and qualification are in place in order to carry out the services needed. Further, companies need to keep in mind that an outsourcing partner should have a strategic eye and experience in the leading digital transformation and should be seen as a solution provider that aligns with overall strategic business objectives.

#6.  Alternative Trends in Outsourcing Destinations

In the upcoming years, countries in Eastern Europe will stand up against strong competition for India and China. So far, the largest share of global outsourcing revenue is generated in the EMEA (Europe, Middle East, and Africa) region, with India and China taking leading positions. This may change in the coming year, as Poland, Ukraine, Romania, Bulgaria and Kosovo will become new hot spots.

The dynamics of the IT industry in Kosovo is constantly growing. It has already established itself as an outsourcing destination. Some major global brands have decided to either outsource to Kosovo or open delivery centres, likes of AT&T, Vodafone, DHL, and Teleperfomance. AT&T in particular has enjoyed a huge success through its Kosovan vendor. Kosbit a global provider of managed services and IT solutions. IAOP recently named Kosbit a “World’s Best Outsourcing Provider 2018” for its commitment to excellence and continuous improvement.

#7. Improving the Customer Experience

Customers are the lifeblood of any business. Working to make their experience with your company the best it can be will usually guarantee customer retention. This will stabilize sales, and through word of mouth with their contacts, inevitably increase sales opportunities. A recent survey was created where leading marketing experts were solicited for their advice in creating an exemplary customer experience.  The survey, entitled, “A Look Ahead: Business Process Outsourcing by the Numbers,” included a detailed questionnaire to help answer key questions that define where the customer originates, what they want, and how companies can best serve them. Using this survey, the next steps should include sharing insights with your BPO partner in order to provide predictable, standard processes, backed by innovative technology. This will help to continually improve the customer experience.

#8.  Disruptive Outsourcing, Data migration and Security Requirement Trends

In the coming year, there will be several challenges in terms of data migration, security requirements, application optimization, organizational resistance, highly fragmented processes, and regulatory compliance.

Recently, Deloitte conducted a survey of 500 leaders representing a wide range of organisations with operational footprints in the Americas, Europe, and Asia. The executives responding to the survey represented more than 25 different sectors across six industries.

The results of Deloitte’s survey are noteworthy. Disruptive outsourcing led the survey responses among the respondents, followed by cloud and automation as factors that will fundamentally transform traditional outsourcing in 2019. In fact, three key trends emerged from Deloitte’s outsourcing survey:

1.     Disruptive Outsourcing is enabling competitive advantage.

Among 2019’s trends, disruptive outsourcing, when executed well, will deliver a competitive advantage by transforming the way organisations operate, making them more agile, efficient, and effective. The advantages are obvious to respondents: approximately 84 percent of them have initiated discussions, conducted pilots, or implemented some disruptive solutions already. This trend will continue until 2019.

2.     Organisations are Embracing Disruptive Outsourcing Technologies such as Cloud and Robotic Process Automation (RPA).

Cloud and Robotic Process Automation will increase in 2019. 93% of organisations are considering or adopting cloud solutions, and 72 percent are considering the advantages of adopting RPA solutions.  In addition, 70% of respondents believe their service providers have opportunities and abilities to implement disruptive solutions.

3.     Disruptive solutions will lead to additional challenges in 2019.

Data migration, security requirements, and application optimization/change are a few examples of challenges related to cloud adoption. Organizational resistance, highly fragmented processes, and regulatory restraints remain as common challenges having to do with RPA adoption. Disruptive outsourcing solutions will challenge more traditional methods and drive a competitive advantage to those that adopt it.

Disruptive outsourcing will enabling organisations to reimagine and transform their business. It is challenging traditional outsourcing and driving competitive advantage. More than half of the organisations surveyed are adopting, or considering adopting, disruptive solutions to drive performance, improve speed to market, and increase innovation. Today, disruptive outsourcing is about collaborating with partners in the marketplace to integrate services that organisations can’t build on their own to innovate, transform, grow, and shake up their competitors. Outsourcing-led transformations can address both business and IT challenges. They have the potential to bring about dramatic change to the outsourcing industry like never before. This will result in cost reductions, though many organisations expect to invest some of those savings into business investments, particularly when doing so can eradicate costs elsewhere. With disruptive outsourcing, the only limit is imagination.

To move forward effectively, organisations must be thoughtful and proactive in every step of their outsourcing evolution, whether choosing service providers, negotiating flexible contracts, implementing a strong governance program, managing cybersecurity, addressing regulatory issues, or implementing robust service integration. Most organisations understand that now is the time to capitalize and get ahead of the competition, and disruptive outsourcing is the approach to take.

In 2019, companies will have to change their outsourcing strategy. Their next steps will determine how they can change solutions, which partners will generate increased revenue, how they can construct an incentives structure that motivates them to innovate, and how to implement and manage new outsourcing paradigms. History has shown that it is difficult to catch up if you ignore or delay acting on outsourcing disruptions. Those who seize this opportunity can execute real change.

Lessons Learned:  What organisations are planning for the future          

As 2019 approaches, here is what respondents said they would do differently when launching their next outsourcing initiative based on past experiences:

·         Service Provider Selection. Companies stated they would spend more time in RFP or service provider selection (42 percent), and use a competitive bidding process (39 percent). This may be due to the increased maturity of the procurement and vendor management functions within organisations. Many clients use a single source approach for selecting a service provider, with an expectation that the process will be faster to execute. However, they will likely pay higher fees, lower service levels, and less favourable terms. And it usually takes longer, since a competitive process creates a greater sense of urgency than a sole source approach.

·         Strategic Planning Approach. Others stated they would take a more strategic approach to planning a new outsourcing initiative: increasing the scope of service (34 percent); transforming the process rather than lifting and shifting (30 percent); investing in more service integration and transition (28 percent); and using a third-party advisor (27 percent).

Conclusion

This suggests that organisations recognise that the value of transformation, improved processes, experienced counsel, and transition play on the success of their outsourcing programs, though often too late. Today’s disruptive outsourcing environment is filled with opportunities to enhance innovation and market competitiveness for forward-thinking organisations.

As you can see, 2019 will be an exciting year for outsourcing as new technologies continue to unravel themselves and change the paradigm, with blockchain and big data being a great example of this. With such disruptive concepts as AI finally hitting the market, I know we will soon see ramifications and possibilities that we have never imagined before, having tangible effects on every industry, as we know it.

As CMO at Kosbit, Fatmir is passionate about helping companies adopt strategic IT outsourcing to make their businesses and workforces effective, efficient and more productive.

[indianastropredict]

11 Interesting Advantage Of Studying Astrology

What is astrology?

Astrology Services In Hyderabad is essentially an arrangement of information, which utilizes an individual's introduction to the world graph and the development of the planets in the sky to: 

Portray their character 

Anticipate the conceivable occasions that may occur in their life. A person's introduction to the world graph resembles a fortune map that will demonstrate where openings and difficulties will happen in an individual's one of a kind life. As you'll learn on the off chance that you look at the article connected over, a talented soothsayer will utilize craftsmanship, understanding, and science to give this data to customers.

Benefits of studying astrology

You won't ever know how it will feels until you attempt it

Indeed, it's actual – you will just best gain from your own encounters. This suggests that the best way to have the best comprehension of soothsaying is to check it out and apply it to your own life. Also, trust me, you will not be the first. 

There have been many individuals who were cynics and came into this field with questions, however in the wake of studying their zodiac signs and what they meant for their character characteristics, they changed their insights. Their lives turned out to be more significant and things got intriguing. 

All things considered, that is as yet their experience, and you will possibly accept on the off chance that you check it out and feel it produces results in your own life.

Crystal gazing offers an extensive 4-Dimensional Perspective

Crystal gazing is a huge control that will incorporate every one of the various parts of your life – and do it in incredible detail. It will help you see the world, those encompassing you, and surprisingly the remainder of the world through a third eye, and in case you're quicker, it'll additionally help you get 'inwards' and profound. 

Astrologers In Hyderabad instruct you that there are 3 impacts of everything throughout everyday life (impartial, great, awful), and simultaneously, the order presents a fourth side – the side that states you can impact what occurs in your life through your own Karma. 

Crystal gazing will likewise consider the three components of our reality – these incorporate the World, you, and your otherworldliness (your internal center/self), just as a fourth element of the Unseen, a God, the Faith, the arrangements, the cures, and the superpower. Every one of these measurements set up will assist you with relieving impacts and inconveniences.

Astrology isn’t superstitions. It is Mathematics

I realize I began this article by bringing up that soothsaying isn't science and isn't a religion by the same token. But at the same time it is anything but a notion. Regardless, its arithmetic. 

Soothsaying is a tried and true astuteness dependent on antiquated sacred texts, Vedas and Upanishads. It's not unmerited and it's unquestionably not a notion. It's a demonstrated order and confidence with a numerical premise. Note that Horoscopes and Kundalis are made according to mathematical examples and numerological computations, giving them a numerical premise. 

Furthermore? Crystal gazing is a subject that is told and educated in the absolute most esteemed colleges around the planet. Its real execution will clearly be cleaned or consummated relying upon the expert, however its basics, similar to arithmetic, have consistently continued as before.

The examination can make you a superior individual

This wouldn't be an article on the advantages of contemplating crystal gazing without this point. 

Indeed, what I love most about soothsaying is that it shows me the mirror – as I am. Given you're an individual, you can have confidence you were brought into the world with various imperfections and furthermore have deficiencies. Note, notwithstanding, by the day's end, that is OK since, all things considered, you're HUMAN. 

In any case, if like me, you're additionally intrigued by continually improving and turning into the best form of yourself you can turn out to be, at that point that is the place where crystal gazing becomes an integral factor. 

Crystal gazing readings like Your Horoscope Analysis or Life Prediction Reading will not spare a moment to consider a spade a spade, paying little mind to how destructive the data may be. Thus, on the off chance that you are an inconsiderate, egotistical, or irritable individual, a decent visionary pursuing will handily advise you so – and confront it directly. 

All things considered, soothsaying isn't only here to reprimand you and ridicule your inadequacies. Contingent upon the streams being referred to, your natal outline will likewise obviously train you on the most proficient method to push ahead and explore circumstances throughout everyday life so you can dispose of any negative qualities you may have. 

By the day's end, by getting over your shortcomings, you become an advanced and better person.For assistance contact Astrologers In Hyderabad.

It can help you secure an upbeat relationship

Like any remaining all encompassing subjects that are worried about the improvement of a person's otherworldly, imaginative, creative, physical, social, enthusiastic, and scholarly possibilities, crystal gazing accepts that as a human, you have a profound attached need to feel appreciated and associated. This is the significance of connections and love in each individual's life. 

In view of that, considering soothsaying will reveal to you about your affection potential, the sort of marriage or friendship you are bound to have, the kind of accomplice you are generally viable with, and significantly more. 

As should be obvious, realizing every one of these things will surely permit you to take advantage of any chances that come your way while simultaneously disposing of avoidable character attributes. Even better, this data will permit you to take fitting estimates that will permit you to lead a sound and upbeat sex, hitched or love life. 

I as of late made an article named "Heartfelt Compatibility." Ensure you look at the Best Astrologer In Bangalore as it will assist you with realizing what signs you're generally viable with, which will, thus, permit you to pick the best individual to impart your life to.

Crystal gazing can assist you with making or pick a decent, cheerful, and adjusted work-life

Since Astrologer Bangalore is a particularly legitimate and clear guide (in the event that you ensure you pick an informed and experienced Astrologer), it flaunts the capacity to mention to you what instruction and vocation way you should follow in the event that you need to get a placated and fruitful life. 

The exhortation and bits of knowledge from Astrology will likewise help you exploit perfect occasions while simultaneously dodging the disadvantageous conditions and circumstances. 

To finish it off, assuming you're oftentimes stuck in the most exceedingly awful of circumstances, you can have confidence that Astrology's answer situated methodologies will prepare you on the best way to see beams of promising end to current circumstances. 

By utilizing these pragmatic cures, you can likewise refute the evil impacts of the nine planets so you can feel good.

Crystal gazing is canny and reformist. It will encourage you to stay up with the evolving times!

Since Astrology mulls over two diverse significant angles – your introduction to the world potential (it will be uncovered through your natal graph or during something like a daily existence forecast perusing) and the effect of traveling planets on your horoscope – it isn't one-dimensional. 

This further suggests that it won't limit you, however will rather convey a characteristic message that expresses that as times change, things will change; and the things that we might not have had since birth can get introduced to us later on as we push forward throughout everyday life.

It can reveal to you all your genuine qualities

Assuming you're completely up to speed with the fundamentals of soothsaying, you realize that your sign, horoscope, administering planet, and birth diagram will be so remarkable to you that they'll have the option to help you follow, uncover, and discover your qualities. 

What's more, when I talk about your qualities in this segment I am discussing every one of the fine, normal characteristics you were brought into the world with, and you should simply bring them out, at that point sharpen and clean them so you can be prepared to deal with whatever life tosses at you. 

In view of that, Astrology doesn't simply enlighten you concerning your genuine qualities.

It can uncover every one of your shortcomings too

As I noted when I began posting these advantages of considering crystal gazing, horoscope and soothsaying readings are comparable to seeing yourself through a mirror. On the off chance that they bring up the exceptional and central ascribes about your life, they'll likewise do likewise with your blemishes and shortcomings. 

We should take this up an indent with an intriguing thought. Assuming you're an aficionado of crystal gazing, I'm sure you'll be satisfied to realize that there is an uncommon sort of soothsaying perusing known as the Janampatri Reading. I for one accept that this ought to be accomplished for each and every youngster since it delineates all their introduction to the world (natal) potential outcomes – including their shortcomings, qualities, character, and that's only the tip of the iceberg.

Soothsaying can be a lifeline

How? You may inquire. Since it updates you as often as possible on the future impediments, obstacles, and glitches you may experience. At the end of the day, you will be cautioned, and if you decide to be forearmed is totally up to you. 

On a genuine note, however. Soothsaying truly can be a lifeline, despite the fact that not in a real sense (ideally.) No one will request that you put on covering and run into the front line, however you can basically follow the safeguards, ideas, and guidance as proposed during a perusing, and wind up saving yourself from heaps of torment (without doing a lot.)

Soothsaying is incredibly fun

The last, however in no way, shape or form least benefit in our article on the advantages of considering soothsaying is the basic certainty it's good times. Indeed, it is, with a Capital and Bold F! 

There is a very fun and cool side to this fairly genuine subject – in case you're able to adequately investigate it. The rabbit's feet, beautiful cards, the little fortune-telling stunts, the sun signs, and that's only the tip of the iceberg. You can in a real sense partner your sun sign to pretty much every part of your life, and as you will likewise see, other than being essentially savvy, they are additionally incredibly fun and amusingly right. 

There is a Bharathiya Prakhyat Jyotish Pandit Sri T. R. Shastriji is known for making 99% accurate predictions and delivers positive results on daily life hurdles. Get expert instant solutions based on hand, face or photo and Janam Kundli analysis. On public demand, he has resided in Hyderabad and Bangalore for 45 years. Solve any problem in a stipulated time.he is known as a Best Astrologer In Hyderabad contact him for further assistance.