#the producers really said hotness > book accuracy

[arkygifs]

It's so funny to learn that DiCaprio was offered the Camerlengo role for Angels & Demons. They really wanted him to be hot, young, blond AND Italian.

[qqueenofhades]

Hi. You made a post a couple of days ago about how queer historical fiction doesnt need to be defined only by homophobia. Can you expand on that a bit maybe? Because it seems interesting and important, but I'm a little confused as to whether that is responsible to the past and showing how things have changed over time. Anyway this probably isn't very clear, but I hope its not insulting. Have a good day :)

Hiya. I assume you're referring to this post, yes? I think the main parameters of my argument were set out pretty clearly there, but sure, I'm happy to expand on it. Because I'm a little curious as to why you think that writing a queer narrative (especially a queer fictional narrative) that doesn't make much reference to or even incorporate explicit homophobia is (implicitly) not being "responsible to the past." I've certainly made several posts on this topic before, but as ever, my thoughts and research materials change over time. So, okay.

(Note: I am a professional historian with a PhD, a book contract for an academic monograph on medieval/early modern queer history, and soon-to-be-several peer-reviewed publications on medieval queer history. In other words, I'm not just talking out of my ass here.)

As I noted in that post, first of all, the growing emphasis on "accuracy" in historical fiction and historically based media is... a mixed bag. Not least because it only seems to be applied in the Game of Thrones fashion, where the only "accurate" history is that which is misogynistic, bloody, filthy, rampantly intolerant of competing beliefs, and has no room for women, people of color, sexual minorities, or anyone else who has become subject to hot-button social discourse today. (I wrote a critical post awhile ago about the Netflix show Cursed, ripping into it for even trying to pretend that a show based on the Arthurian legends was "historically accurate" and for doing so in the most simplistic and reductive way possible.) This says far more about our own ideas of the past, rather than what it was actually like, but oh boy will you get pushback if you try to question that basic premise. As other people have noted, you can mix up the archaeological/social/linguistic/cultural/material stuff all you like, but the instant you challenge the ingrained social ideas about The Bad Medieval Era, cue the screaming.

I've been a longtime ASOIAF fan, but I do genuinely deplore the effect that it (and the show, which was by far the worst offender) has had on popular culture and widespread perceptions of medieval history. When it comes to queer history specifically, we actually do not know that much, either positive or negative, about how ordinary medieval people regarded these individuals, proto-communities, and practices. Where we do have evidence that isn't just clerical moralists fulminating against sodomy (and trying to extrapolate a society-wide attitude toward homosexuality from those sources is exactly like reading extreme right-wing anti-gay preachers today and basing your conclusions about queer life in 2021 only on those), it is genuinely mixed and contradictory. See this discussion post I likewise wrote a while ago. Queerness, queer behavior, queer-behaving individuals have always existed in history, and labeling them "queer" is only an analytical conceit that represents their strangeness to us here in the 21st century, when these categories of exclusion and difference have been stringently constructed and applied, in a way that is very far from what supposedly "always" existed in the past.

Basically, we need to get rid of the idea that there was only one empirical and factual past, and that historians are "rewriting" or "changing" or "misrepresenting" it when they produce narratives that challenge hegemonic perspectives. This is why producing good historical analysis is a skill that takes genuine training (and why it's so undervalued in a late-capitalist society that would prefer you did anything but reflect on the past). As I also said in the post to which you refer, "homophobia" as a structural conceit can't exist prior to its invention as an analytical term, if we're treating queerness as some kind of modern aberration that can't be reliably talked about until "homosexual" gained currency in the late 19th century. If there's no pre-19th century "homosexuality," then ipso facto, there can be no pre-19th-century "homophobia" either. Which one is it? Spoiler alert: there are still both things, because people are people, but just as the behavior itself is complicated in the premodern past, so too is the reaction to it, and it is certainly not automatic rejection at all times.

Hence when it comes to fiction, queer authors have no responsibility (and in my case, certainly no desire) to uncritically replicate (demonstrably false!) narratives insisting that we were always miserable, oppressed, ostracised, murdered, or simply forgotten about in the premodern world. Queer characters, especially historical queer characters, do not have to constantly function as a political mouthpiece for us to claim that things are so much better today (true in some cases, not at all in the others) and that modernity "automatically" evolved to a more "enlightened" stance (definitely not true). As we have seen with the recent resurgence of fascism, authoritarianism, nationalism, and xenophobia around the world, along with the desperate battle by the right wing to re-litigate abortion, gay rights, etc., social attitudes do not form in a vacuum and do not just automatically become more progressive. They move backward, forward, and side to side, depending on the needs of the societies that produce them, and periods of instability, violence, sickness, and poverty lead to more regressive and hardline attitudes, as people act out of fear and insularity. It is a bad human habit that we have not been able to break over thousands of years, but "[social] things in the past were Bad but now have become Good" just... isn't true.

After all, nobody feels the need to constantly add subtextual disclaimers or "don't worry, I personally don't support this attitude/action" implied authorial notes in modern romances, despite the cornucopia of social problems we have today, and despite the complicated attitude of the modern world toward LGBTQ people. If an author's only reason for including "period typical homophobia" (and as we've discussed, there's no such thing before the 19th century) is that they think it should be there, that is an attitude that needs to be challenged and examined more closely. We are not obliged to only produce works that represent a downtrodden past, even if the end message is triumphal. It's the same way we got so tired of rape scenes being used to make a female character "stronger." Just because those things existed (and do exist!), doesn't mean you have to submit every single character to those humiliations in some twisted name of accuracy.

Yes, as I have always said, prejudices have existed throughout history, sometimes violently so. But that is not the whole story, and writing things that center only on the imagined or perceived oppression is not, at this point, accurate OR helpful. Once again, I note that this is specifically talking about fiction. If real-life queer people are writing about their own experiences, which are oftentimes complex, that's not a question of "representation," it's a question of factual memoir and personal history. You can't attack someone for being "problematic" when they are writing about their own lived experience, which is something a younger generation of queer people doesn't really seem to get. They also often don't realise how drastically things have changed even in my own lifetime, per the tags on my reblog about Brokeback Mountain, and especially in media/TV.

However, if you are writing fiction about queer people, especially pre-20th century queer people, and you feel like you have to make them miserable just to be "responsible to the past," I would kindly suggest that is not actually true at all, and feeds into a dangerous narrative that suggests everything "back then" was bad and now it's fine. There are more stories to tell than just suffering, queer characters do not have to exist solely as a corollary for (inaccurate) political/social commentary on the premodern past, and they can and should be depicted as living their lives relatively how they wanted to, despite the expected difficulties and roadblocks. That is just as accurate, if sometimes not more so, than "they suffered, the end," and it's something that we all need to be more willing to embrace.

[butterfly-winx]

I'm not sure if you've already answered this but could u talk about everyone's first experiences with magic?

No I haven’t and I can’t claim I have thought about it long enough to have rock hard hc, but it’s a fun prompt anon, so here we go:

Bloom:

Aside from being protected from the flames of the house burning around her as a baby, Bloom’s first conscious brush with magic was actually using her innate aspect. She has always been a sensitive kid and everybody assumed it was just some form of hyperempathy when she talked about other people’s feelings with high accuracy. But when she categorised people into colours depending on their auras, she meant it. Then as sensitive weird kids be, Bloom was picked on a lot in late primary and middle school and that’s when her temper started to show. Bloom got angry easily and it only riled up the other children more to get her to show a reaction. Before that it was mostly tears, but one memorable occasion Bloom’s control over temperature manifested with her burst of anger and she made everyone and herself develop a sudden high fever. She fainted from it unfortunately and spent the next two years transfixed by all sources of fire and flames eventually circling back on her obsession with fairies and all things magic. The older she got the less she paid attention to the colourful auras until they completely faded from her everyday sight and only cropped up when she herself felt her emotion in a disarray. As Bloom got older, other magic effects started to crop up with higher frequency, like her “magically” avoiding injuries or recovering from them super fast, or never getting burned on hot pots as the Dragonflame started to feel cramped unused in her body. When Stella was being threatened by the goblins and the ogre, Bloom’s fight or flight instincts automatically allowed the Dragonflame an outlet. (She then of course followed Stella down a rabbit hole of an adventure and got a place in Alfea due to her new friend’s quick thinking and forgery)

Stella:

With two proficient magic users as parents Stella was practically hounded over as adults in her life anxiously waited for her to show signs of magic. She went through magic prep courses trying her hardest to please everyone who was so important to her. She wanted to be magic so bad, always afraid of that infinitesimal chance that she didn’t get all the right genes from her parents. At age seven she was kind of a late bloomer for fully magic children to yet show any sign of magic sensitivity, and she spent another short holiday with her mother’s family up north. it was Stella’s favourite pastime to wander as close to the edge of the estate as she dared to alone in the constant twilight of the Solarian pole. Her favourite spot was a little cropping of shrubs populated by lighting bugs that always flocked to her when she came by. The loved collecting the shiny rocks as well that lit up at her touch and create her own little sun filled garden in the back where no one would bother her for hours. In retrospect Stella can tell exactly why she hasn’t come forward with all of these light related oddities, wanting to keep her island of peace to herself, but back then baby Stella really just didn’t clock that this could be related to her magic aspect. Her grandma eventually noticed and eased her into the thought that yes, she was definitely magic. After that the expectations were laid on even thicker instead of getting easier to bear as Stella got instructions at school and from both of her parents after school. Luna was very helpful with first developing Stella’s magic, so Stella actually started off with a stronger focus on her moon based powers. Radius with his control over bright skies was not very useful and Stella soon started feeling guilty over that and took up sun focused spells and fey magic explicitly to please her father. Radius would have loved her no matter what, but Stella’s insecurities were early risers and she felt the need to please others, so she was more than happy to follow his footsteps and enrol off planet in Alfea, his alma mater.

Musa:

She was equally under observation, only because she is mixed (human-elven) and it was unclear which type her magic would manifest as. Maylin herself a magic using elf would have loved to teach her daughter all she knew, but there was of course always room for her to chose a human stream, should she take after her human father more. That Musa was magic sensitive was a well known fact ever since she was a baby and was able to produce... quite a cry. Maylin was lovingly warned that her daughter was likely to be a musical type along with a gift of full sound-blocking earbuds. At age six Musa could remember the melodies of over 300 pieces of music of ranging complexity, regularly got birds to sing for her and had impeccable hearing - all in all she showed signs of having a promising future as a magic user. For her to be gifted with skills in music that brought Maylin and HaoBai together was a blessing from the Heavens. Then Maylin died and Musa and her father’s world shattered with her. Grief can have complicated effects on one’s magic, and Musa age 9, appeared with dried up magic meridians like she was a l 90 year old. It took a lot of family counselling and well timed teenage rebellion for her to pick up music and with that magic again. And it was hard work, let her tell you that. Both letting magic inot her and developing a feeling for it and doing it all while hiding from her father, afraid he’d want to ban her music and snap instruments again (it happened once, and HaoBai isn’t proud of how much the pain of loss had consimed him at that moment). At fifteen she finally had enough and decided to go head first for it, insisting her half-orphan “recompensation fund” to be used as tuition at Alfea College for fairies, despite never having received any magic prep education. Through brute force, luck and insane talent Musa aced all entrance examinations and made it despite it all.

Techna:

As childbirth on Zenith is, it was completely up in the air whether Techna would be magic or not.  All the early childhood signs Techna showed for their aspect were at first more or less mis-categorised as autism (which they absolutely have, but them going through technical books detailing the technological systems of ancient civilisations daily wasn’t just that). The first one suspecting they have magic was actually Techna’s elder sister, Electra. Electra five years older than Techna was very into the idea of a baby sister and loved smushing and cuddling Techna, which Techan absolutely hated and kept giving Electra static shocks out of nowhere. Once Electra understood where static came from and identified that there was absolutely nothing charged around Techna when they did that, she became suspicions. The whole family found out when during dinner, Techna announced in the calmest voice possible that they have heard the car talk and it told Techna exactly what was wrong with it setting an end to their parents tense discussion about the car having issues. The car was sent for repairs, confirming what Techna had  said and Techna was taken for a magic sensitivity test having that confirmed. (Baby Techna like: oh yeah I could always hear machines they just usually don’t have anything worthwhile to say). She wasn’t quite five at this point. Magic isn’t as widely practiced on Zenith and it took Techna’s ranerts a while to find a magic prep school for them to attend after school, which ended up being outside the borders of Transjordan actually. The daily drive was very long and exhausting both for teen Techna and the parent of the day who had to drive them, so they started talking about sending Techna to a boarding school once they were old enough. Techha was left to do their own research and they realised they had quite many options, even with just narrowing it down to fey magic that were closer to home than Magics, but they all advertised themselves as “girls’ colleges” and even pre-gender realisation that just irked Techan for an inexplicable reason. They much preferred going to a coed school, so Alfea ended up as their first choice on the application form.

Layla:

In Layla’s case, detecting her magic sensitivity was incredibly difficult, seeing as she grew up practically constantly submerged in water playing with her cousins by the shore. Androsi people naturally have a large lung capacity and are able to dive long. That Layla dried super fast afterwards and never got salt rashes was also brushed under the rug ascribed to good royal hygiene and skin care. When she started being schooled in the castle Layla was colossally bored. She received basic magic training just because, no one actually expected her to be magic since they believed she didn’t show any sensitivity for it, and kind of for shits and giggles Layla took it and ran with it. Layla discovered privately in tidal caves just what a mistake that was able to make the water be kind to her and mold and move just so she could always get out unharmed. She surprised everyone at age eleven when during a banquet the visiting princeling was annoying her just so much, she used her water magic to turn his strictly pomaded hair into a bird’s nest, overshooting and drenching the next three dignitaries around him as well. The party stopped. At first Layla though she was going to get into so much trouble, caught under the strict eyes of her father, but as it turns out, he was overjoyed. Layla was put on a fast track for learning magic and surprised people once again choosing fey magic and being able to transform at the tender age of 13. She was never sent to Alfea, but received the offer from Faragonda after the Darkar incident thinking Layla could easily make it to Enchantix (which she did, this girl is talented).

Flora:

Both of Flora’s parents are untrained magic users, so her being somewhat sensitive at least was also expected. Flora loved sitting to the side watching her father run the potion shop when she wasn’t chasing all her other parental figures and watching what they were doing with curious eyes. She loved it when her aunti Nimali gave her bumps and scrapes a little kiss so she started doing that to all sorts of things including her father’s ingredient plants. He was indulging her harmless kid fantasy, knowing full well that most of his magic plants responded to emotions like they had a soul and was more than surprised when he found these plants not only healed but sprouting wildly whenever Flora gave them a small “get well smooch”. The village talked it all over and Flora was given over to the local magic users to train with and shadow what they were doing. Her interest in potion making however prevailed and by the time she emerged from Nature’s Teaching Path having singlehandedly ran the little children’s colony it was very clear that Flora would need to receive proper training from a proper institution. She was just too good at magic for her family to fail her not being able to offer her more knowledge. Flora wanted magic with frankly for her startling greed and ambition, but she hated the idea of moving away. She could have just gone to Woodland College like most other magic users, but even there the entrance exam examiner was suggesting the school was too small for her. (And Flora kind of felt that - she overthought the whole exam because it was just so simple, she just had to touch the plant, and will the box to float. Her aspect of plant growth might not have given her complete control over the environment, but she was still a lot better than her peers.) The teacher spoke to the Council about the potential of sending Flora off planet and now that had her attention and full investment in doing everything the Council demanded to get her a visa to study in Magics.

Out of the six Layla and Techna were able to transform already before they came to Alfea, Flora and Stella had unstable first attempts (Stella during her own first year that is, not her re-run), while Bloom and Musa were the only ones who fully had to learn it from scratch during their first year.

Stella and Layla pay their tuition from royal funds, Flora is Lynphean Council sponsored and Bloom after the first year paid from Callisto’s royal fund (oops) is on a Magics scholarship for minority cultures as a surviving Dominian. Techna benefits from Transjordan’s education scheme which gives students a basic income, their parents supplement the small remainder, while Musa is 100% self sponsored from aforementioned widower’s trust fund they got after Maylin’s passing.

[multitudeofmeus]

10, 30/33: Worst part about being a ghost for Aranea? Still being able to suffer deadly situations despite you know, being dead. Second worst part? Meenah knowing this and knowing about Pop The Serket day.

Queens have a lot of standards to uphold these days. A level head, good morals, and a ability to be rational? Necessary. But did Meenah have those? Nope.

Upon discovering an Alternian history anecdote of the infamous "Pop The Serket" day, in which said Serket, y'know, popped, it was the only thing on her mind. And the festivities were in a week? How convenient!

This fact, however, wasn't apparent to the said Serket. Spending a quiet Alternian evening in her hive reading a book she'd most likely mention in obsessive detail to her friend group once she was done with it, Aranea barely was expecting guests. Or in this case, one very excited Meenah packing enough cake to stuff her to her limit. Not a second after kicking the door open, she hurled a slice of cake with deadeye accuracy and bullet-like speed, the portion going from hand to an open-from-surprise mouth in a hot second.

"Eat up, bitch!"

Aranea didn't even have a second to complain or have any sort of rational response to having someone break into your house and assault you with food, because the second she finished one, the fish queen stuffed another slice down her gullet.

And then another slice. And another. And another, until the whole thing laid in her stomach like a ton of bricks, her cheeks packed tight with so much cake that if squeakbeasts were capable of speech, they'd be all like, "Geez, woman! You compensating for something?"

And yet, Meenah wasn't satisfied. Any cake left? Not on her watch.

"Tsk-tsk. I go out of my way to produce enough food to prepare for festivities, and you can barely take it. Really?" These words were punctuated by a clawed hand poking both cheeks, the cherubic dimples losing volume as their into Aranea's mouth, to ensure not a crumb remained.

And as the last morsel met it's destination, Meenah's next move was to roughly jab the taut lump that was Aranea's stomach, as to gauge it's size.

The verdict: "Not big enough. See you tomorrow, dork. LOL"

And as soon as she arrived, she left, leaving the stuffed spider to slowly rub the pain orb she'd been left with.

So started a daily routine: Aranea would try and barricade the entrance to her hive, Meenah would bust in despite the opposition, and the somberly spider would be stuffed to her absolute limit, the invader judging her colleague's size, deeming it inadequate at every turn.

But every time, things changed. Meenah's portions grew even more grand and caloric at every turn. Aranea's weight ballooned to insane levels, as said portions were dangerous calorie bombs, the sugary gunpowder exploding her features to their softest. As a result, her barricades became less and less effective, due to her weight exhausting her to such a degree that moving objects (and herself, to a degree) from point a to point b took too much effort.

And then, the last day came. It had grown apparent to Aranea that she wouldn't be seeing tomorrow, and as such came to terms with what was to happen, not even bothering to block the door. (She couldn't move there anyway, but still.)

Right on time, Meenah showed herself, her slim visage barely holding a candle to the blobby bursted-to-be. What she was wheeling with her might have compensated for that: a gargantuan tank filled with thick cake batter, ready to be deposited from a hose. ")(ope you've been enjoying your cake buffet, bitch. 'Cause here's the last course!"

And boy, she saved the best for last. Not even seconds before Aranea opened her mouth in resignation, the hose went straight in, set to full tilt. In an instant, gallons upon gallons of the sweet sludge entering her mouth and reaching the final resting ground of their baked companions. With each passing second, Aranea's discernable features sunk deeper and deeper into her dough-filled doughiness, until the only things that could be seen were half-closed eyes, lardy hands, and the ORB. The ORB was the center stage of the whole event: a rumbling, bluer than blueblood stomach ready to give.

And Meenah was going to make it give. Readying her 2x3dent, she focused on the barely-there navel, because anything's a dartboard if you try hard enough.

")(appy holidays, bitch."

And with that statement, the sharp poker was jabbed right into the ORB, with staggering force and speed. Such speed and impact was of enough magnitude that both parties involved needed five seconds each to realize something.

It took Aranea five seconds to realize that she's double dead now, her remains and various cake-like material tarnishing the once-grand library hive she inhabited.

It took Meenah five seconds to realize she'd been blown back a good yard or so from Aranea's property, due to airbag-like counterforce.

One thing was learned from this: All Pop that Serket days end in fireworks.

[lydia-can-live]

Review of Outlander “The Fiery Cross” S5:EP1…

TL,DR: If you like your historical drama sanitized and the perfect back drop for your own inner dialogue, then you will likely love the Outlander S5 premier.

Preferring the more gritty realism of S1 and S2, I’m most bothered by how everything looks. We all know what it was like in the 18th century. There were fires everywhere, tons of soot, smoke and ash, yet everything in S5 is so clean. Historical accuracy is necessary to balance the fantasy/romance aspect and make the show more believable.

The immigrants of 1774 living in the mountains spent a lot of their time trying to stay alive, but here’s Jamie, walking through his giant house with mill-sawed lumbar walls that are painted cheery shades of green and daffodil yellow. The perfectly plum French doors have been expertly glazed and a wee clay flower pot sits in Claire’s magnificent surgery, holding a delicate posy.

It gets worse. Jamie is the laird to a bevy of tenants who are working on the big house, presumably in preparation for Bree’s wedding. The Frasers are supposed to be land rich and cash poor, yet Fraser’s Ridge is as opulent as Mount Vernon, but with better furniture and a cache of volunteer labor.

Every aspect of this episode is like a Hallmark movie. It’s a lovely, garland strewn, brightly colored, clean and well lighted, freshly mowed green-grass fantasy of Fraser’s Ridge. Your imagination does the real work of storytelling while your eyes take in the luscious scenery.  

BTW, the wedding was supposed to occur at the fully established plantation River Run, owned by the wealthy Aunt Jocasta, whose dozens of slaves worked endlessly to maintain the house and property and secure Jocasta a profitable business. Outlander took a spin through the sanitization machine and Jamie has his tenants doing it all, willingly, all while keeping their autonomy and a seat at the Laird’s daughter’s wedding.  That’s one way to whitewash the truth of slavery, Outlander producers.

My daughter watched a bit of “The Devil’s Mark” from S1 with me last week. “This is pretty good, I’m surprised” she said. We watched a few scenes from “The Search” and she had the same response.  She loved the authenticity of the clothes, the scenery, the acting. Next day I had her watch “The Fiery Cross” and her simple assessment was “I’m sorry this happened to your show”.  She stopped watching after Roger and Bree toasted each other with crystal high ball glasses.

About the acting: Sam does not know how to play older Jamie. He puts on his little glasses and uses stilted mannerisms with a hint of incompetence (e.g., the awkward shaving scene with Roger) that get the job done, but he plays it like a bumbling old man that’s about to stoop over, cup his ear and yell “Huh? Speak up, sonny, I can’t hear you!” Sure, he can play the stern warrior, but he doesn’t bring any weight or resonance to being a family man or a father. He’s either blasé about it, or silly. As Claire’s husband he is intensely in love and overly romantic. He looks at her with what is supposed to be serious longing but tends to look more like he wants to constantly apologize for something. It’s not romantic. It’s tedious. The Frasers are normally humorous people and Sam misses every opportunity to be, well, just normal with her.

Sophie does not embody Brianna’s character even a little and simply can’t act. Rik was most effective when he was being incredulous, which I don’t mind, but he doesn’t even try to emulate the thoughtful historian of the books. He’s got history happening all around him but never looks interested in any of it.

Caitriona plays Claire with that “oh, you guys!” kind of sheepishness that comes from not really understanding what the young folks are talking about, and that is not Claire. Claire is the smartest person in the room, usually, and if she’s not tut-tutting Jamie about something she’s looking especially concerned about something else. Her wig is still horrible, and she looks like she regrets choosing Jamie over those hot baths back in the 20th century.

So, the set was beautiful and he actors said their lines with a modicum of human emotion. As far as Hallmark movies go, I’d say it was on par. Low budget and mass produced to manipulate your emotions and allow you to imagine the story is aligned with your own hetero-normative wishes and dreams. What it is not, is good storytelling.

For more on why sanitized television keeps us in our compliant bubbles, please enjoy this Salon article:

https://www.salon.com/2019/12/25/hallmark-christmas-movies-fascist-propaganda/

[tonguesanndteeth]

Tongues & Teeth Chapter: 4

Jasper waited across the street from the little coffee shop on the corner. By now it was too dark for anyone in the cafe to see his face. He was early, but Teddy was already inside, seated at a table by the window with her nose buried in a book. It wasn’t like him to keep a lady waiting, but Jasper took this opportunity to study her, if only for a moment. 

Her flaxen hair hung long and straight down the length of her back, her eyelashes casting delicate shadows across the planes of her cheekbones. Whatever she was reading must have been captivating, or perhaps confusing, as he watched her eyes dance across the pages intently. A little dimple appeared between her eyebrows when she focused. The emotions pouring out of her were unreadable.

Jasper crossed the street, the late November air frozen and still. A bell rang as he opened the door to the shop. It was a cozy, hole in the wall kind of place with old wooden walls and green subway tile. There weren’t many people here this time of night and Teddy’s head snapped up at the sound.

She smiled at him as he walked in, and it was breathtaking. Only his inhuman eyes could see it, but the light glinted off her teeth and threw a dazzling eight color rainbow.

“Sorry I’m late, ma’am,” he said, striding over to her table. Their table.

“Don’t be, cowboy. I was early.” 

Jasper tried to suppress the smile tugging at the corners of his lips.

“Should I be offended by that?” he chuckled, taking a seat.

“Why, whatever do you mean?” she said, putting the back of her hand to her forehead and feigning a swoon, “My very own southern gentleman, I do declare.”

“Definitely offended.”

“What, you don’t like my Scarlett O’hara?” she teased.

“I suppose it could grow on me,” he smirked, no longer working to keep the natural twang out of his voice.

Teddy smiled and looked away, taking a sip of her coffee. But when she looked back at Jasper her brows knit together. He felt a wave of confusion roll off of her.

“Aren’t you cold?” she asked, eyeing him over.

He silently cursed himself, he’d forgotten to wear a jacket. His body didn’t register the arctic temperatures, but still, he needed to dress as though it did. Humans tended to notice little things like that.

“No, I’m fine,” he said, hoping she’d drop the subject.

Her eyes narrowed slightly and she reached across the table to touch his hand. Instinctively he moved to pull it away, but she caught it in her grip. Teddy inhaled sharply through her teeth and dropped it immediately as if she’d been burnt. 

“Fuck, Jasper, you’re freezing.”

“Really, it’s nothing. I have poor circulation.”

And by poor, he meant non existent.

“Bullshit. Here, drink this,” she said, pushing her cup of coffee towards him.

Jasper grimaced at the black drink in front of him. Human food was even less appealing than the herbivores, at least those had a heartbeat.

“I’m serious,” Teddy said firmly.

Jasper sighed and took the mug in his hands. If anything, holding the hot ceramic would warm his fingers to a semi-human degree, should she try to touch him again.

He looked at the soft ring of pink that her lipstick left on the rim of the cup. He wondered if he’d be able to taste her.

Bracing himself, he took a small sip.

The drink was hot and acrid on his palette, but he skimmed his tongue over her lipstick stain and his mouth was washed in her flavor. It was slightly waxy from the makeup, but round with notes of smoke and peppermint. Jasper shuddered slightly.

“Thank you,” she said with an approving nod, “now your hypothermia won’t be on my conscience.”

Jasper rolled his eyes and pushed the mug towards her.

“Nah, you keep it. If I drink anymore I’ll be up all night.”

He bit back a comment about not having slept in a century and a half, something told him she wouldn’t find it as funny as he did. Instead, he set his gaze on the book she’d put aside.

“What were you reading?” Jasper asked.

“Oh, that? Nothing, just notes.”

Her tone was too casual. Jasper could sense an evasiveness in her aura.

“What about?” he pressed, settling a blanket of calm over them. Jasper had never used his powers on Teddy before, and he wasn’t proud to do it now, but his curiosity got the better of him.

Teddy sighed and the tension melted away from her shoulders.

“It’s just where I write when my mind gets too full. Sometimes it feels like my thoughts turn into these sharp, twisting puzzles. Getting it out on paper helps though, I can rationalize the mess a bit better. I-I don’t usually tell people this.”

She shook her head as if to clear a daze.

Jasper was slightly taken aback. He wasn’t sure what he’d expected, but it wasn’t that. He’d always known that Teddy felt things strongly, processed life differently, but hearing it in her own words was a wholly other thing. Was that what she had been experiencing the first time he’d sensed her mind? When he’d felt it lashing out with a powerful and shattering force?

“How do you endure it?” Jasper asked.

She shrugged.

“You find ways to cope. I wasn’t always a smoker, you know.”

“And that helps?”

“It helps enough. Plus it’s cheaper than knocking back a xanny every few hours.”

Jasper wasn’t entirely sure what a “xanny” was, but it sounded stronger than cigarettes.

“I’m sorry,” he said helplessly.

“Don’t be, everyone’s got shit. I’m sure you do.”

“What makes you say that?” Jasper asked, quirking an eyebrow. She was right, he did have ‘shit’. A lot of it. But he was curious as to why she thought so.

Teddy shot him a scathing look. 

“Jasper, have you looked in a mirror? You look like a goddamn Kalvin Klein model. Nobody’s that pretty and okay on the inside.”

He barked out a laugh, surprised at her choice of words, but also the weight of their accuracy.

“It’s that easy to see through me, huh?” he grinned.

“Crystal clear, unfortunately. You look like you’re ready to throw yourself off a bridge half the time.”

She wasn’t far off the mark. Being in such close proximity to humans, to her, could be torturous. If only jumping off a bridge could solve that problem.

“We’ve both got issues in the coping department, I’m afraid.”

“Well,” she grinned crookedly, “cheers to being two of a kind.”

Jasper smiled sadly in return, tracing the rim of her coffee cup with his pinkie finger. He was contemplating forcing down another sip just to taste her again.

“Tell me something,” he said after a moment.

“What?”

“Anything. I just..want to know you,” he admitted.

She flushed deliciously at his words, blood pooling in the thin, clear membrane of her cheeks. Jasper clenched his fist roughly under the table, marble skin pulled taut over his knuckles. He didn’t let himself breathe until the blush faded.

“I’m a vegetarian,” she offered after a moment of consideration.

“So am I,” Jasper said, amused.

“Really?” she laughed, “I would’ve pegged you as a meat and potatoes kind of guy. Red blooded American and all that.”

“Oh, believe me, I used to be,” he said wickedly.

“What changed?”

“My family. When they adopted me they showed me a new way of life. More humane.”

“You’re adopted?” she asked.

He nodded.

“My parents died a very long time ago. I was on my own until Carlisle, my father, found me. He gave me a home, siblings, endless patience. Everything I could have ever hoped for.”

“Wow,” she breathed, processing his words.

“What’s your family like?” Jasper asked.

Teddy’s expression turned sour.

“Dysfunctional.”

“How so?”

“I mean, I guess my childhood was pretty normal. My parents got divorced when I was seven and I stayed here with my mom. Which was, spoiler alert, a big mistake. My dad moved to Nevada, owns some shitty motels now, I think. I see him every couple of years. I don’t even know where my mom is anymore.”

“You don’t know where she is?”

“Nope, and I don’t really care to. She was in and out of rehab too much to keep track of after I moved out, it’s just better like this.”

He could sense her sadness as it rolled off her body.

“Maybe I should have asked you about your favorite color instead,” Jasper said regretfully, he shouldn’t have poked at such a sensitive topic.

Teddy rolled her eyes at him.

“I’ve never been very good at small talk anyway. But, for the record, my favorite color is white.”

“An interesting choice,” he mused.

“Hey, no judging! It’s a nice color. I’m sure yours is something stereotypical like blue.”

Jasper was torn. If you’d asked him a minute ago his favorite color would have been red, the rich iron pigment of her blood. If you’d asked him again he might have said green, the electric shade of her eyes. Or possibly rose, the hue of her lipstick smudged on the rim of a porcelain mug. But he couldn’t say any of that. Instead, he just smiled and said:

“Ya got me.”

“I knew it,” she smirked.

Jasper noticed that the already sparse coffee shop had emptied considerably, the young woman behind the counter beginning to clean up for the night.

“It’s getting late,” Teddy sighed.

He sensed something like disappointment coming from her.

“May I walk you home?” he asked tentatively.

The disappointment disappeared.

“You may,” she smiled.

The two of them exited the warm cafe, the frigid winter air soaking through to their bones immediately. Jasper felt nothing, but Teddy shivered and pulled her coat more securely around her shoulders. He frowned to himself, upset that he could offer her no warm embrace to take the chill away.

She fished around in her bag for a moment before producing a lighter and a fresh pack of Marlboro Reds. Apparently she wasn’t picky about brands. She lit one swiftly, inhaling deeply, and then let it go in a gust of smoke and frozen air.

“This way,” Teddy said, walking down a side street.

She offered the lit cigarette to Jasper, which he accepted, falling into step beside her.

He took a drag and held it in his chest, watching as the breeze whipped Teddy’s hair around her face. They walked in silence for a while, passing the cigarette back and forth.

“Do you think the stars know that they shine?” she asked absently.

It was a rare, cloudless night. The sky was an impossibly inky black and studded with stars like white diamonds. 

“Maybe,” he mused, “but they might be happier if they didn’t.”

“That’s true,” Teddy sighed, “things seem so much easier up there. No worries, no responsibilities.”

“But we get a much better view.”

“Yeah,” she smiled, meeting his eyes.

They approached an old, but well maintained apartment building, and Teddy stopped.

“Well, this is me.”

There was a beat of tension between them. Jasper felt the pull of emotion coming from her. It was small, and cautious, but it was the unmistakable feeling of desire. He had to work very hard to keep his mind in order as he realized this.

He wanted to do something reckless. He wanted to kiss her. It was a terrible, horrible idea, but it tempted him almost more than her blood. For as strong as Jasper was, he needed to be equally as gentle. He could stroke a soap bubble with his finger and leave it unharmed if he issued enough control. Teddy was just as delicate. Silk over glass. Breakable. 

She looked up at him with her wide, clear eyes, and he felt himself lean in. Her pulse quickened and his mouth pooled with hunger. He’d never been this close to a human’s without intent to kill before. The scent of her blood seared its way through his throat and dizzied his head. 

With all the pressure of butterfly flapping its wings, Jasper pressed his lips to the supple flesh of her cheek. He wanted to linger there, overcome with the sensation of her warmth, but the thirst ripping its way through him was too powerful.

“Goodnight,” he whispered as he pulled away.

He turned and began to walk back down the street.

“Goodnight, Jasper,” he heard her say quietly as he slipped into the night.

[gegenji]

Facsimiles of Familiar Faces

While she didn't speak much on it, there were things that Tsunene actually… well… enjoyed. A good foot massage was one, as was soaking in a hot bath and losing herself in a good book. Perhaps even the latter two at the same time. As such, she normally wouldn’t have minded this detour to the bookstore on the way back to the Alchemists’ Guild – especially after such a degrading task as serving as a mere delivery girl. However, there were slightly extenuating circumstances, which she was quick to make known to the source of said detour along with an irritated smack to the side of the Seeker’s leg to make sure she had the Miqo’te’s attention.

“We just finished having our gil garnished to compensate for all that costly equipment Kandeed capered off with, and your first purchases are Doman picture books?”

“Of courrrse,” D’lilac growled back defensively, clutching several back issues of Dravanian Brawl to her chest. “I can finally spend my harrrd-earned gil on what I want. And I want these.”

“You could bother to buy actual books and benefit from having received written works worth reading,” the Lalafell countered with a sigh and shake of her head, picking up a random Doman picture book off the stand betwixt two fingers like it was a filthy washrag. “Rather than debasing yourself to this… Doman-doodled drabble.”

“It’s not drrrrrabble,” Lilac hissed back. “They have deep and engaging storrrries.”

“Like what?”

The response had snapped back more out of disgusted disbelief than anything else, and Tsunene hadn’t any interest in being provided any examples to the contrary. However, even if she had, she was absolutely certain that she wouldn’t have needed the expository tirade her Miqo’te minion immediately launched into. She didn’t even bother giving the Seeker even a modicum of attention as she launched into her synopsis of this Miqo’te warrior seeking some wish-granting gems created by the Dravanians. Instead, she sought to distract herself with anything else around – which, to her disgust, was the very Doman picture book she had picked up earlier.

Still, she didn’t have anything better on hand, so the disinterested Lalafell idly flipped through a couple pages without really absorbing the contents. Lilac was talking about some transformation involving a great silver mane the warrior spontaneously grew when Tsunene happened upon an action panel that covered two pages. And something in it caught her eye.

“Ceace your senseless soliloquy for a second,” she snapped. “Your half-baked hobby might actually have my interest. If only for an instant.” And with that, she held up the book she had been thumbing mindlessly through for the Miqo’te to get a better look at. “How long has this one been running?”

Another growl of discontent from D’lilac, but she still stooped down a bit – partially to see better and partially just so she could loom over the smaller woman a little – to get a closer look. “Oh, that one? It’s fairrrly new. And prrretty popular,” she admitted as she stood back up again. “I was thinking of looking into it afterrr I caught up with these.”

“I feel slightly sick just saying this but…” Tsunene stated, flipping to the splash page that had caught her interest earlier. “This certainly seems like a story worth sourcing, since the star seems a lot like a certain someone…”

As if to further accentuate her point, the Lalafell tapped on one of the two battling figures in the two-page splash. One was some monstrous amalgamation of dragon and behemoth, but the one she was indicating looked a bit more humanoid. Granted, the latter still had a massive shell on their back, clawed hands, and an unkempt ring of hair that looked more like seaweed encircling a pool of water… but the freckled face and long ears looked like they belonged to an Elezen. Or, perhaps, even a Lalafell.

A Lalafell that the both of them were more than a little familiar with.

“… And I’m interested in inquiring how the artist obtained their inspiration.”

D’lilac was taken aback for a moment, obviously recognizing the same characteristics in the figure’s design as Tsunene had. But her expression turned skeptical rather quickly, resting her free hand on her hip. The other was still quite occupied holding her collection of back-issues – which had doubled in number at some point.

“You’rrre telling me not to waste my gil, and you want to trrravel all the way to Othard?” the Miqo’te chided with a scoff. “And just because a charrracter in this ‘drabble’ kind of looks like that brat? Could just be coincidence. You smallfolk all look the same to me anyway.”

D’lilac knew she had pushed it a bit too far when she felt Tsunene’s tiny fist jab straight and true into her leg. The Seeker would’ve sworn up and down that such a small punch didn’t hurt, and it likely wouldn’t have… normally. However – in testament to the lady Lalafell’s frighteningly good accuracy and consistency – the blow had been aimed for the same spot she had smacked the Miqo’te earlier.

The same spot she always struck when displeased. Every. Single. Twelve’s-damned. Time.

And so Lilac was instead left to try and swallow the hiss of pain that jumped immediately into her throat.

“Regardless of your racist remarks… and apparently atrocious ability to identify individuals of my ilk…” Tsunene continued coldly. “I put forward this is a path worth pursuing.”

As if to further cement her point, she took the picture book – which she had been deriding and dismissing up until then – up towards the counter to purchase. After finding some other, normal books to sandwich it between. It may have caught her curiosity, but she wasn’t about to advertise she was actually buying something so… childishly constructed.

“And besides,” she added as she set the small pile of books up on the counter – a bit of an irate look on her face as she had to stand tiptoe to do so. “We wouldn’t be the ones making the trip. There are leagues of gullible grunts grateful for any gil they can get. We will simply send some of them in our stead to seek our answers.”

A pause as she dug into her purse and produced the coin for her purchases, and then Tsunene continued as D’lilac placed her much more sizable – and infinitely less subtle – stack of Doman picture books onto the counter.

“In the meantime, we will focus on finding ourselves that fast-talking filcher of a fraud Kandeed. If there is truth to my theory, then there is another text I would like returned to me.”

[exitinertianovella]

The True Story of the ‘Free State of Jones’

A new Hollywood movie looks at the tale of the Mississippi farmer who led a revolt against the Confederacy By Richard Grant.

With two rat terriers trotting at his heels, and a long wooden staff in his hand, J.R. Gavin leads me through the woods to one of the old swamp hide-outs. A tall white man with a deep Southern drawl, Gavin has a stern presence, gracious manners and intense brooding eyes. At first I mistook him for a preacher, but he’s a retired electronic engineer who writes self-published novels about the rapture and apocalypse. One of them is titled Sal Batree, after the place he wants to show me.

I’m here in Jones County, Mississippi, to breathe in the historical vapors left by Newton Knight, a poor white farmer who led an extraordinary rebellion during the Civil War. With a company of like-minded white men in southeast Mississippi, he did what many Southerners now regard as unthinkable. He waged guerrilla war against the Confederacy and declared loyalty to the Union.

In the spring of 1864, the Knight Company overthrew the Confederate authorities in Jones County and raised the United States flag over the county courthouse in Ellisville. The county was known as the Free State of Jones, and some say it actually seceded from the Confederacy. This little-known, counterintuitive episode in American history has now been brought to the screen in Free State of Jones, directed by Gary Ross (Seabiscuit, The Hunger Games) and starring a grimy, scruffed-up Matthew McConaughey as Newton Knight.

Knight and his men, says Gavin, hooking away an enormous spider web with his staff and warning me to be careful of snakes, “had a number of different hide-outs. The old folks call this one Sal Batree. Sal was the name of Newt’s shotgun, and originally it was Sal’s Battery, but it got corrupted over the years.”

We reach a small promontory surrounded on three sides by a swampy, beaver-dammed lake, and concealed by 12-foot-high cattails and reeds. “I can’t be certain, but a 90-year-old man named Odell Holyfield told me this was the place,” says Gavin. “He said they had a gate in the reeds that a man on horseback could ride through. He said they had a password, and if you got it wrong, they’d kill you. I don’t know how much of that is true, but one of these days I’ll come here with a metal detector and see what I can find.”

We make our way around the lakeshore, passing beaver-gnawed tree stumps and snaky-looking thickets. Reaching higher ground, Gavin points across the swamp to various local landmarks. Then he plants his staff on the ground and turns to face me directly.

“Now I’m going to say something that might offend you,” he begins, and proceeds to do just that, by referring in racist terms to “Newt’s descendants” in nearby Soso, saying some of them are so light-skinned “you look at them and you just don’t know.”

I stand there writing it down and thinking about William Faulkner, whose novels are strewn with characters who look white but are deemed black by Mississippi’s fanatical obsession with the one-drop rule. And not for the first time in Jones County, where arguments still rage about a man born 179 years ago, I recall Faulkner’s famous axiom about history: “The past is never dead. It’s not even past.”

After the Civil War, Knight took up with his grandfather’s former slave Rachel; they had five children together. Knight also fathered nine children with his white wife, Serena, and the two families lived in different houses on the same 160-acre farm. After he and Serena separated—they never divorced—Newt Knight caused a scandal that still reverberates by entering a common-law marriage with Rachel and proudly claiming their mixed-race children.

The Knight Negroes, as these children were known, were shunned by whites and blacks alike. Unable to find marriage partners in the community, they started marrying their white cousins instead, with Newt’s encouragement. (Newt’s son Mat, for instance, married one of Rachel’s daughters by another man, and Newt’s daughter Molly married one of Rachel’s sons by another man.) An interracial community began to form near the small town of Soso, and continued to marry within itself.

“They keep to themselves over there,” says Gavin, striding back toward his house, where supplies of canned food and muscadine wine are stored up for the onset of Armageddon. “A lot of people find it easier to forgive Newt for fighting Confederates than mixing blood.”

I came to Jones County having read some good books about its history, and knowing very little about its present-day reality. It was reputed to be fiercely racist and conservative, even by Mississippi standards, and it had been a hotbed for the Ku Klux Klan. But Mississippi is nothing if not layered and contradictory, and this small, rural county has also produced some wonderful creative and artistic talents, including Parker Posey, the indie-film queen, the novelist Jonathan Odell, the pop singer and gay astronaut Lance Bass, and Mark Landis, the schizophrenic art forger and prankster, who donated fraudulent masterpieces to major American art museums for nearly 30 years before he was caught.

Driving toward the Jones County line, I passed a sign to Hot Coffee—a town, not a beverage—and drove on through rolling cattle pastures and short, new-growth pine trees. There were isolated farmhouses and prim little country churches, and occasional dilapidated trailers with dismembered automobiles in the front yard. In Newt Knight’s day, all this was a primeval forest of enormous longleaf pines so thick around the base that three or four men could circle their arms around them. This part of Mississippi was dubbed the Piney Woods, known for its poverty and lack of prospects. The big trees were an ordeal to clear, the sandy soil was ill-suited for growing cotton, and the bottomlands were choked with swamps and thickets.

There was some very modest cotton production in the area, and a small slaveholding elite that included Newt Knight’s grandfather, but Jones County had fewer slaves than any other county in Mississippi, only 12 percent of its population. This, more than anything, explains its widespread disloyalty to the Confederacy, but there was also a surly, clannish independent spirit, and in Newt Knight, an extraordinarily steadfast and skillful leader.

On the county line, I was half-expecting a sign reading “Welcome to the Free State of Jones” or “Home of Newton Knight,” but the Confederacy is now revered by some whites in the area, and the chamber of commerce had opted for a less controversial slogan: “Now This Is Living!” Most of Jones County is rural, low- or modest-income; roughly 70 percent of the population is white. I drove past many small chicken farms, a large modern factory making transformers and computers, and innumerable Baptist churches. Laurel, the biggest town, stands apart. Known as the City Beautiful, it was created by Midwestern timber barons who razed the longleaf pine forests and built themselves elegant homes on oak-lined streets and the gorgeous world-class Lauren Rogers Museum of Art.

The old county seat, and ground zero for the Free State of Jones, is Ellisville, now a pleasant, leafy town of 4,500 people. Downtown has some old brick buildings with wrought-iron balconies. The grand old columned courthouse has a Confederate monument next to it, and no mention of the anti-Confederate rebellion that took place here. Modern Ellisville is dominated by the sprawling campus of Jones County Junior College, where a semiretired history professor named Wyatt Moulds was waiting for me in the entrance hall. A direct descendant of Newt Knight’s grandfather, he was heavily involved in researching the film and ensuring its historical accuracy.

A large, friendly, charismatic man with unruly side-parted hair, he was wearing alligator-skin cowboy boots and a fishing shirt. “I’m one of the few liberals you’re going to meet here, but I’m a Piney Woods liberal,” he said. “I voted for Obama, I hunt and I love guns. It’s part of the culture here. Even the liberals carry handguns.”

He described Jones County as the most conservative place in Mississippi, but he noted that race relations were improving and that you could see it clearly in the changing attitudes toward Newt Knight. “It’s generational,” he said. “A lot of older people see Newt as a traitor and a reprobate, and they don’t understand why anyone would want to make a movie about him. If you point out that Newt distributed food to starving people, and was known as the Robin Hood of the Piney Woods, they’ll tell you he married a black, like that trumps everything. And they won’t use the word ‘black.’”

His current crop of students, on the other hand, are “fired up” about Newt and the movie. “Blacks and whites date each other in high school now, and they don’t think it’s a big deal,” said Moulds. “That’s a huge change. Some of the young guys are really identifying with Newt now, as a symbol of Jones County pride. It doesn’t hurt that he was such a badass.”

Knight was 6-foot-4 with black curly hair and a full beard—“big heavyset man, quick as a cat,” as one of his friends described him. He was a nightmarish opponent in a backwoods wrestling match, and one of the great unsung guerrilla fighters in American history. So many men tried so hard to kill him that perhaps his most remarkable achievement was to reach old age.

“He was a Primitive Baptist who didn’t drink, didn’t cuss, doted on children and could reload and fire a double-barreled, muzzle-loading shotgun faster than anyone else around,” said Moulds. “Even as an old man, if someone rubbed him the wrong way, he’d have a knife at their throat in a heartbeat. A lot of people will tell you that Newt was just a renegade, out for himself, but there’s good evidence that he was a man of strong principles who was against secession, against slavery and pro-Union.”

Those views were not unusual in Jones County. Newt’s right-hand man, Jasper Collins, came from a big family of staunch Mississippi Unionists. He later named his son Ulysses Sherman Collins, after his two favorite Yankee generals, Ulysses S. Grant and William T. Sherman. “Down here, that’s like naming your son Adolf Hitler Collins,” said Moulds.

When secession fever swept across the South in 1860, Jones County was largely immune to it. Its secessionist candidate received only 24 votes, while the “cooperationist” candidate, John H. Powell, received 374. When Powell got to the secession convention in Jackson, however, he lost his nerve and voted to secede along with almost everyone else. Powell stayed away from Jones County for a while after that, and he was burned in effigy in Ellisville.

“In the Lost Cause mythology, the South was united, and secession had nothing to do with slavery,” said Moulds. “What happened in Jones County puts the lie to that, so the Lost Causers have to paint Newt as a common outlaw, and above all else, deny all traces of Unionism. With the movie coming out, they’re at it harder than ever.”

Although he was against secession, Knight voluntarily enlisted in the Confederate Army once the war began. We can only speculate about his reasons. He kept no diary and gave only one interview near the end of his life, to a New Orleans journalist named Meigs Frost. Knight said he’d enlisted with a group of local men to avoid being conscripted and then split up into different companies. But the leading scholar of the Knight-led rebellion, Victoria Bynum, author of The Free State of Jones, points out that Knight had enlisted, under no threat of conscription, a few months after the war began, in July 1861. She thinks he relished being a soldier.

In October 1862, after the Confederate defeat at Corinth, Knight and many other Piney Woods men deserted from the Seventh Battalion of Mississippi Infantry. It wasn’t just the starvation rations, arrogant harebrained leadership and appalling carnage. They were disgusted and angry about the recently passed “Twenty Negro Law,” which exempted one white male for every 20 slaves owned on a plantation, from serving in the Confederate Army. Jasper Collins echoed many non-slaveholders across the South when he said, “This law...makes it a rich man’s war and a poor man’s fight.”

Returning home, they found their wives struggling to keep up the farms and feed the children. Even more aggravating, the Confederate authorities had imposed an abusive, corrupt “tax in kind” system, by which they took what they wanted for the war effort— horses, hogs, chickens, corn, meat from the smokehouses, homespun cloth. A Confederate colonel named William N. Brown reported that corrupt tax officials had “done more to demoralize Jones County than the whole Yankee Army.”

In early 1863, Knight was captured for desertion and possibly tortured. Some scholars think he was pressed back into service for the Siege of Vicksburg, but there’s no solid evidence that he was there. After Vicksburg fell, in July 1863, there was a mass exodus of deserters from the Confederate Army, including many from Jones and the surrounding counties. The following month, Confederate Maj. Amos McLemore arrived in Ellisville and began hunting them down with soldiers and hounds. By October, he had captured more than 100 deserters, and exchanged threatening messages with Newt Knight, who was back on his ruined farm on the Jasper County border.

On the night of October 5, Major McLemore was staying at his friend Amos Deason’s mansion in Ellisville, when someone—almost certainly Newt Knight—burst in and shot him to death. Soon afterward, there was a mass meeting of deserters from four Piney Woods counties. They organized themselves into a company called the Jones County Scouts and unanimously elected Knight as their captain. They vowed to resist capture, defy tax collectors, defend each other’s homes and farms, and do what they could to aid the Union.

Neo-Confederate historians have denied the Scouts’ loyalty to the Union up and down, but it was accepted by local Confederates at the time. “They were Union soldiers from principle,” Maj. Joel E. Welborn, their former commanding officer in the Seventh Mississippi, later recalled. “They were making an effort to be mustered into the U.S. Service.” Indeed, several of the Jones County Scouts later succeeded in joining the Union Army in New Orleans.

In March 1864, Lt. Gen. Leonidas Polk informed Jefferson Davis, the president of the Confederacy, that Jones County was in “open rebellion” and that guerrilla fighters were “proclaiming themselves ‘Southern Yankees.’” They had crippled the tax collection system, seized and redistributed Confederate supplies, and killed and driven out Confederate officials and loyalists, not just in Jones County but all over southeast Mississippi. Confederate Capt. Wirt Thompson reported that they were now a thousand strong and flying the U.S. flag over the Jones County courthouse—“they boast of fighting for the Union,” he added.

That spring was the high-water mark of the rebellion against the Rebels. Polk ordered two battle-hardened regiments into southeast Mississippi, under the command of Piney Woods native Col. Robert Lowry. With hanging ropes and packs of vicious, manhunting dogs, they subdued the surrounding counties and then moved into the Free State of Jones. Several of the Knight company were mangled by the dogs, and at least ten were hanged, but Lowry couldn’t catch Knight or the core group. They were deep in the swamps, being supplied with food and information by local sympathizers and slaves, most notably Rachel.

After Lowry left, proclaiming victory, Knight and his men emerged from their hide-outs, and once again, began threatening Confederate officials and agents, burning bridges and destroying railroads to thwart the Rebel Army, and raiding food supplies intended for the troops. They fought their last skirmish at Sal’s Battery, also spelled Sallsbattery, on January 10, 1865, fighting off a combined force of cavalry and infantry. Three months later, the Confederacy fell.

In 2006, the filmmaker Gary Ross was at Universal Studios, discussing possible projects, when a development executive gave him a brief, one-page treatment about Newton Knight and the Free State of Jones. Ross was instantly intrigued, both by the character and the revelation of Unionism in Mississippi, the most deeply Southern state of all.

“It led me on a deep dive to understand more and more about him and the fact that the South wasn’t monolithic during the Civil War,” says Ross, speaking on the phone from New York. “I didn’t realize it was going to be two years of research before I began writing the screenplay.”

The first thing he did was take a canoe trip down the Leaf River, to get a feel for the area. Then he started reading, beginning with the five (now six) books about Newton Knight. That led into broader reading about other pockets of Unionism in the South. Then he started into Reconstruction.

“I’m not a fast reader, nor am I an academic,” he says, “although I guess I’ve become an amateur one.” He apprenticed himself to some of the leading authorities in the field, including Harvard’s John Stauffer and Steven Hahn at the University of Pennsylvania. (At the urging of Ross, Stauffer and co-author Sally Jenkins published their own book on the Jones County rebellion, in 2009.) Ross talks about these scholars in a tone of worship and adulation, as if they’re rock stars or movie stars—and none more so than Eric Foner at Columbia, the dean of Reconstruction experts.

“He is like a god, and I went into his office, and I said, ‘My name’s Gary Ross, I did Seabiscuit.’ I asked him a bunch of questions about Reconstruction, and all he did was give me a reading list. He was giving me no quarter. I’m some Hollywood guy, you know, and he wanted to see if I could do the work.”

Ross worked his way slowly and carefully through the books, and went back with more questions. Foner answered none of them, just gave him another reading list. Ross read those books too, and went back again with burning questions. This time Foner actually looked at him and said, “Not bad. You ought to think about studying this.”

“It was the greatest compliment a person could have given me,” says Ross. “I remember walking out of his office, across the steps of Columbia library, almost buoyant. It was such a heady experience to learn for learning’s sake, for the first time, rather than to generate a screenplay. I’m still reading history books all the time. I tell people this movie is my academic midlife crisis.”

In Hollywood, he says, the executives were extremely supportive of his research, and the script that he finally wrestled out of it, but they balked at financing the film. “This was before Lincoln and 12 Years a Slave, and it was very hard to get this sort of a drama made. So I went and did Hunger Games, but always keeping an eye on this. ”

Matthew McConaughey thought the Free State of Jones script was the most exciting Civil War story he had ever read, and knew immediately that he wanted to play Newt Knight. In Knight’s defiance of both the Confederate Army and the deepest taboos of Southern culture McConaughey sees an uncompromising and deeply moral leader. He was “a man who lived by the Bible and the barrel of a shotgun,” McConaughey says in an email. “If someone—no matter what their color—was being mistreated or being used, if a poor person was being used by someone to get rich, that was a simple wrong that needed to be righted in Newt’s eyes....He did so deliberately, and to the hell with the consequences.” McConaughey sums him up as a “shining light through the middle of this country’s bloodiest fight. I really kind of marveled at him.”

The third act of the film takes place in Mississippi after the Civil War. There was a phase during early Reconstruction when blacks could vote, and black officials were elected for the first time. Then former Confederates violently took back control of the state and implemented a kind of second slavery for African-Americans. Once again disenfranchised, and terrorized by the Klan, they were exploited through sharecropping and legally segregated. “The third act is what makes this story feel so alive,” says McConaughey. “It makes it relevant today. Reconstruction is a verb that’s ongoing.”

Ross thinks Knight’s character and beliefs are most clearly revealed by his actions after the war. He was hired by the Reconstruction government to free black children from white masters who were refusing to emancipate them. “In 1875, he accepts a commission in what was essentially an all-black regiment,” says Ross. “His job was to defend the rights of freed African-Americans in one of Mississippi’s bloodiest elections. His commitment to these issues never waned.” In 1876, Knight deeded 160 acres of land to Rachel, making her one of very few African-American landowners in Mississippi at that time.

Much as Ross wanted to shoot the movie in Jones County, there were irresistible tax incentives to film across the border in Louisiana, and some breathtaking cypress swamps where various cast members were infested with the tiny mites known as chiggers. Nevertheless, Ross and McConaughey spent a lot of time in Jones County, persuading many county residents to appear in the film.

“I love the Leaf River and the whole area,” says Ross. “And I’ve grown to love Mississippi absolutely. It’s a very interesting, real and complicated place.”

On the website of Jones County Rosin Heels, the local chapter of the Sons of the Confederate Veterans, an announcement warned that the film will portray Newt Knight as a civil rights activist and a hero. Then the writer inadvertently slips into the present tense: “He is actually a thief, murderer, adulterer and a deserter.”

Doug Jefcoate was listed as camp commander. I found him listed as a veterinarian in Laurel, and called up, saying I was interested in his opinions on Newt Knight. He sounded slightly impatient, then said, “OK, I’m a history guy and a fourth-generation guy. Come to the animal hospital tomorrow.”

The receptionist led me into a small examining room and closed both its doors. I stood there for a few long minutes, with a shiny steel table and, on the wall, a Bible quotation. Then Jefcoate walked in, a middle-aged man with sandy hair, glasses and a faraway smile. He was carrying two huge, leather-bound volumes of his family genealogy.

He gave me ten minutes on his family tree, and when I interrupted to ask about the Rosin Heels and Newt Knight, he stopped, looked puzzled, and began to chuckle. “You’ve got the wrong Doug Jefcoate,” he said. “I’m not that guy.” (Turns out he is Doug Jefcoat, without the “e.”)

He laughed uproariously, then settled down and gave me his thoughts. “I’m not a racist, OK, but I am a segregationist,” he said. “And ol’ Newt was skinny-dipping in the wrong pool.”

The Rosin Heel commander Doug Jefcoate wasn’t available, so I went instead to the law offices of Carl Ford, a Rosin Heel who had unsuccessfully defended Sam Bowers, the imperial wizard of the White Knights of the Ku Klux Klan, in his 1998 trial for the 1966 murder of civil rights activist Vernon Dahmer. Ford wasn’t there, but he’d arranged for John Cox, a friend, colleague and fellow Rosin Heel, to set me straight about Newt Knight.

Cox, an animated 71-year-old radio and television announcer with a long white beard, welcomed me into a small office crammed with video equipment and Confederate memorabilia. He was working on a film called Free State of Jones: The Republic That Never Was, intended to refute Gary Ross’ film. All he had so far was the credits (Executive Producer Carl Ford) and the introductory banjo music.

“Newt is what we call trailer trash,” he said in a booming baritone drawl. “I wouldn’t have him in my house. And like all poor, white, ignorant trash, he was in it for himself. Some people are far too enamored of the idea that he was Martin Luther King, and these are the same people who believe the War Between the States was about slavery, when nothing could be further from the truth.”

There seemed no point in arguing with him, and it was almost impossible to get a word in, so I sat there scribbling as he launched into a long monologue that defended slavery and the first incarnation of the Klan, burrowed deep into obscure Civil War battle minutiae, denied all charges of racism, and kept circling back to denounce Newt Knight and the simpering fools who tried to project their liberal agendas on him.

“There was no Free State of Jones,” he concluded. “It never existed.”

Joseph Hosey is a Jones County forester and wild mushroom harvester who was hired as an extra for the movie and ended up playing a core member of the Knight Company. Looking at him, there’s no reason to ask why. Scruffy and rail-thin with piercing blue eyes and a full beard, he looks like he subsists on Confederate Army rations and the occasional squirrel.

He wanted to meet me at Jitters Coffeehouse & Bookstore in Laurel, so he could show me an old map on the wall. It depicts Jones County as Davis County, and Ellisville as Leesburg. “After 1865, Jones County was so notorious that the local Confederates were ashamed to be associated with it,” he says. “So they got the county renamed after Jefferson Davis, and Ellisville after Robert E. Lee. A few years later, there was a vote on it, and the names were changed back. Thank God, because that would have sucked.”

Like his grandfather before him, Hosey is a great admirer of Newt Knight. Long before the film, when people asked where he was from, he would say, “The Free State of Jones.” Now he has a dog named Newt, and describes it as a “Union-blue Doberman.”

Being in the film, acting and interacting with Matthew McConaughey, was a profound and moving experience, but not because of the actor’s fame. “It was like Newt himself was standing right there in front of me. It made me really wish my grandfather was still alive, because we were always saying someone should make a movie about Newt.” Hosey and the other actors in the Knight Company bonded closely during the shoot and still refer to themselves as the Knight Company. “We have get-togethers in Jones County, and I imagine we always will,” he says.

I ask him what he admires most about Knight. “When you grow up in the South, you hear all the time about your ‘heritage,’ like it’s the greatest thing there is,” he says. “When I hear that word, I think of grits and sweet tea, but mostly I think about slavery and racism, and it pains me. Newt Knight gives me something in my heritage, as a white Southerner, that I can feel proud about. We didn’t all go along with it.”

After Reconstruction, with the former Confederates back in charge, the Klan after him, and Jim Crow segregation laws being passed, Knight retreated from public life to his homestead on the Jasper County border, which he shared with Rachel until her death in 1889, and continued to share with her children and grandchildren. He lived the self-sufficient life of a yeoman Piney Woods farmer, doted on his swelling ranks of children and grandchildren, and withdrew completely from white society.

He gave that single long interview in 1921, revealing a laconic sense of humor and a strong sense of right and wrong, and he died the following year, in February 1922. He was 84 years old. Joseph Hosey took me to Newt’s granddaughter’s cabin, where some say that he suffered a fatal heart attack while dancing on the porch. Hosey really wanted to take me to Newt Knight’s grave. But the sacred rite of hunting season was underway, and the landowner didn’t want visitors disturbing the deer in the area. So Hosey drove up to the locked gate, and then swiped up the relevant photographs on his phone.

Newt’s grave has an emblem of Sal, his beloved shotgun, and the legend, “He Lived For Others.” He’d given instructions that he should be buried here with Rachel. “It was illegal for blacks and whites to be buried in the same cemetery,” says Hosey. “Newt didn’t give a damn. Even in death, he defied them.”

There were several times in Jones County when my head began to swim.

During my final interview, across a brightly colored plastic table in the McDonald’s in Laurel, there were moments when my brain seized up altogether, and I would sit there stunned, unable to grasp what I was hearing. The two sisters sitting across the table were gently amused. They had seen this many times before. It was, in fact, the normal reaction when they tried to explain their family tree to outsiders.

Dorothy Knight Marsh and Florence Knight Blaylock are the great-granddaughters of Newt and Rachel. After many decades of living in the outside world, they are back in Soso, Mississippi, dealing with prejudice from all directions. The worst of it comes from within their extended family. “We have close relatives who won’t even look at us,” says Blaylock, the older sister, who was often taken for Mexican when she lived in California.

“Or they’ll be nice to us in private, and pretend they don’t know us in public,” added Marsh, who lived in Washington, D.C. for decades. For simplification, she said that there were three basic groups. The White Knights are descended from Newt and Serena, are often pro-Confederate, and proud of their pure white bloodlines. (In 1951, one of them, Ethel Knight, published a vitriolic indictment of Newt as a traitor to the Confederacy.) The Black Knights are descended from Newt’s cousin Dan, who had children with one of his slaves. The White Negroes (a.k.a. the Fair Knights or Knight Negroes) are descended from Newt and Rachel. “They all have separate family reunions,” said Blaylock.

The White Negro line was complicated further by Georgeanne, Rachel’s daughter by another white man. After Rachel died, Newt and Georgeanne had children. “He was a family man all right!” said Marsh. “I guess that’s why he had three of them. And he kept trying to marry out the color, so we would all keep getting lighter-skinned. We have to tell our young people, do not date in the Soso area. But we’re all fine. We don’t have any...problems. All Knights are hardworking and very capable.”

In the film, Marsh and Blaylock appear briefly in a courthouse scene. For the two of them, the Knight family saga has continued into the 20th century and beyond. Their cousin Davis Knight, who looked white and claimed to be white, was tried for the crime of miscegenation in 1948, after marrying a white woman. The trial was a study in Mississippian absurdity, paradox, contradiction and racial obsessiveness. A white man was convicted of being black; the conviction was overturned; he became legally white again.

“We’ve come to terms with who we are,” says Blaylock. “I’m proud to be descended from Newt and Rachel. I have so much respect for both of them.”

“Absolutely,” says Marsh. “And we can’t wait to see this movie.”

[turntothree]

Ry& Reaction: “Share the Joy”

To start things off, I think the on-stage performances were pretty good.

Going in I wasn’t sure if opting out the whimsical silliness and backstage skits of standard Nintendo Directs in favour of a lavish Apple-esque event was a good idea, but Kimishima and company pulled it off.

image source - Nintendo

The lighting was good, the music was catchy and the idea of using finger snaps as stage transitions was a clever way to stay on message with Switch’s gimmick. The presenters were great too, with everyone selling their pitches with clarity and confidence.

... And yes, a little bit of Nintendo’s trademark quirkiness seeped in, too.

image source - Nintendo

Editor’s Note: Switch General Producer Yoshiaki Koizumi really impressed me and proved to be the most charismatic salesman in the bunch. Perhaps he could be groomed as the late, great Satoru Iwata’s replacement.

image source - Nintendo

But the skits and props and lasers are all just showmanship razzmatazz and while folks appreciate those things as lead-in material, what really sells people on gaming products are the video packages. Because there’s nothing quite like a sharply edited trailer to get you hyped for a new game or piece of hardware.

The Switch itself received two hype videos. The first providing an overview on the console as a whole, while the second focused specifically on the Joy-Con controllers.

image source - Nintendo

Video one started out as a nice little recap of how the TV Mode, Handheld Mode, and Table-Top Mode functions work and really hammered down the benefits of taking your game anywhere. As the package rolled on however, Nintendo started to answer some FAQ’s regarding certain elements of the Switch’s hardware like for example: What’s the battery life of the Switch tablet? Will the tablet have a touch-based interface? How many Switches can be linked together?

Answer 1 - As the previous rumours suggested, roughly three to six hours. Nintendo says this is fully depending on the game in play. So something like say Breath of the Wild can run up to three hours, while smaller scale stuff like low-res indies or Virtual Console classics are likely in six-hour territory.

image source - Nintendo

Hot take – It’s kind of hard to say this revelation is disappointing but it still is. It’s running games at 720p and 60fps, so this is pretty reasonable. On the other hand, three hours isn’t much play time for a handheld device. So if you plan on traveling with this thing, bring a book, too.

Answer 2 – Yes. It’s a 6.2’ inch multi-touch pad, similar to the tech used for the Wii U and the Dual Screen handheld lines.

image source - Nintendo

Hot Take – It’s a good design choice, as that interface worked beautifully for those systems and opened up a lot of game design possibilities. I fully expect this new screen to work the same magic for Switch.

Answer 3 – Up to eight Switch tablets can be linked together for local multiplayer.

image source - Nintendo

Hot Take - So ... that’d be 8-16 players depending on the game? That’s going to come in handy for competitive tournaments ... or a big old house party!

Editor’s Note: It was also pointed out online multiplayer can be accessed in all three Switch Modes ... kind of weird that that got mentioned. Most people would think it was given but good news all the same.

Switch video #2 provided a demo of the Joy-Con’s motion sensing technology, because Wii aren’t going to see Ninty let go of that old chestnut any time soon.

image source - Nintendo

Although, perhaps a Wiimote/nunchuck comparison isn’t totally fair. Oh, Joy-Con R&L serve the same purpose but according to Koizumi’s demonstration, these nifty little inventions are more sophisticated and precise than their predecessors. Apparently they allow actions like say swinging Link’s Master Sword or one of Little Mac’s trademark Star Punches to be performed with pin-point accuracy.

Part of what makes this proposed accuracy possible is an IR camera built into the right Joy-Con that can measure the shape, motion, and distance of any object in front of it.

That’s not to say Joy-Con R is the only of its kind to innovate because both the right and left controllers have built-in “HD Rumble”, the Rumble Pack’s next-gen cousin. What this new tech does is add a greater sense of weight and sound to the rumble, making it so the player can really feel the impact of the aforementioned punches and sword clangs.

Editor’s Note: His examples were Rock, Paper, Scissors ... Glass of Water. Mine are better.

Also, the left one has a Share button and the right one has an NFC scanner for Amiibo figures. Oh, and wrist straps are included in box to ensure no wayward Joy-Cons breakthrough the televisions that bind them.

Editor’s Note: Don’t you dare laugh at that last part. The threat is real.

image source - Nintendo

Thoughts on video #2:

So, on top of being two-thirds of the Switch Grip (TV Mode controller), two-thirds of the Switch Handheld, as well as P1 and P2 controllers (Tablet Mode), the Joy-Cons are also Wiimote/nunchuck 2.0 HD? Quite the little technical marvels, wouldn’t you say?

Now, I haven’t been one to consistently sing the praises of motion controls, not that I don’t think stuff like Wii Sports, Wii Fit or Just Dance can be fun ... in fact, I’ve had plenty of fun with those games.

image source - Nintendo

That said, the precision of Wii Motion (even with Plus) wasn’t always up to snuff and Nintendo would often insert those slightly finicky mechanics into more traditional (or classic style) games and let’s just say (to put it gently) the results varied. 

image source - Nintendo

Still, motion control technology has a lot of potential and overall I’m glad Nintendo experimented with it. If what Koizumi said is true, we would be looking at the most immersive gameplay set-up around ... that doesn’t involve a VR headset. I don’t know if I fully buy that but I’d be willing to give his bold “new world of entertainment” a fair shake ... just as long as it doesn’t force me out of my comfort zone.

image source - Nintendo

Editor’s Note: At the very least it could prove to provide plenty of fun. I mean, who doesn’t like to move around and get a little silly with friends, right?

My one suggestion would be to build games specifically around those mechanics, as opposed to cramming said mechanics into everything. Considering this setup doesn’t work in Handheld Mode, I don’t think that’s much cause for concern.

The Share button ... OK; Nintendo’s more than a couple years late to the social networking party, which is sad cause it could have lead the charge back in 2012 ... but it didn’t. Although, there’s something to be said about better being late than never and this function will be very useful for fans to share their experiences ... just a shame the video portion will be a few months late.

image source - Nintendo

Editor’s Note: A logical step two would be to sign a partnership deal with Twitch TV. Step three would be to stop putting an ad revenue cap on Youtube uploads. If you want creative folks to make and share videos based on your IPs, you got to build that bridge.

image source - Nintendo

The Amiibo scanner is a no brainer and building it into the Joy-Cons only makes sense since it allows figures to be usable in all three Switch forms.

Oh, and (again) the wrist straps are great because they prevent property damage.

Ooooo! Now we can get to the best part of this little blog, The Game Trailer Lightning Round!

image source - Nintendo

The screen (whether it be TV or tablet) is almost a non-factor in 1-2-Switch, a weird (oh so very weird) mini-game collection/Joy-Con motion sensor showcase.

Whether it’s engaging in a quick draw showdown, a copy cat dance-off, cow milking ... or fictitious sandwich eating, 1-2-Switch is all about gaining the upper hand on your opponent through awareness of audio cues and slight changes in HD Rumble.

Pro-Tip: Keeping a watchful eye on your opponent and their physical tells is also a keen strategy.

I honestly didn’t know what to make of 1-2-Switch. Between the goofy gestures and one-on-one contact, this one has the potential to be a game night regular. But the clips in the trailer were a bit too strange to get a good read on whether or not I’d personally enjoy it overall. (I say overall because I was sold on that Quick Draw game from the moment it shot up)

Release Date – March 3, 2017

Editor’s Note: This would make for a perfect pack-in title.

image source - Nintendo

Next up is Arms: a figurative (and literal) one-two punch of physicality and traditional gameplay.  

Likely inspired by the Nintendo Ultra Hand, Arms is a 3D fighting game that’s a little bit Wii Sports Boxing and a little bit Team Fortress 2.

Players can pick from a variety of colourful heroes, each with their own unique abilities and power-ups ...  with the added twist that their arms are spring-loaded extendo-gloves.

Basically the goal of the game is too grab, throw and punch your opponent from half-way across the arena until you can deliver a super move and knock ‘em out; as you bob, weave, jump and dodge. And it’s all done through a combination of wrist-flicks, timed button presses and actual punching.

I had no idea whether or not the game would work as intended but it was so incredibly silly that it tickled punched me in all the right places.

Release Date – Spring 2017

image source - Nintendo

Swimming in from Inkopolis was Splatoon 2! (A proper sequel ... good swerve)

Good to know the kids and squids are back to squirt up some more trouble in an all-new set of turf wars filled with new characters, weapons, maps and even a few new mechanics like a dodge roll and rocket blast.

The original was one of the few games on Wii U to bring millions of players together through online play, so it’s little to wonder why The Big N decided to let the squids (and kids) Switch it up for a whole new round of Splat Fests.

Yup, happy to see Nintendo continue its efforts to support fresh IP ... and even happier to know Splat Fest (along with a variety of free DLC) is making a comeback, too.

Release Date – Summer 2017

image source - Nintendo

Then suddenly, after years of build-up, we finally caught a good glimpse of [insert drum roll] Super Mario Odyssey!

Oh man, oh man! I think it’s safe to say many of us have waited years for a new 3D open-world game to take the red-clad plumber far beyond the samey terrains of The Mushroom Kingdom and when it finally came, I (for one) wasn’t disappointed.

Mario jumping and swooshing around the busy city streets of New York Donk City like Spider-Man; exploring the deepest darkest forests of parts unknown; cooking up trouble in a crystallized food world; and riding the frickin’ sphinx from Super Mario Land(?), were awesome sights to behold!

Wait a second ... he can break dance? OK, I’m giving it six, no, seven stars!

image sources - Nintendo and Capcom Fighters

... Also the new hat throw and hat jump mechanics are pretty neat.

This trailer blew me away then knocked my socks off! It’s a beautiful looking game that boasts the Switch’s HD vigour in full effect and a great mix of cool new stuff and the classic stuff that made us all fans in the first place.

So yeah, good first impression. Can’t wait to see more during E3.

Release Date – Holiday Season 2017

Following that wonderful display was an onslaught of upcoming RPGs:

image sources - Monolith Software, Koei Tecmo, Square Enix, Nintendo, Atlus and Bethesda

Xenoblade 2 – A proper sequel to the cult classic brought stateside by popular demand.

Dragon Quest Heroes 1&2 – After further confirmation of Dragon Quest X and XI Switch ports, it was revealed Square Enix’s classic series’ recent crossovers with Koei Tecmo’s popular hack-and-slash Dynasty Warriors franchise would also “make the Switch”.

Fire Emblem Warriors – Speaking of Dynasty Warriors, following its recent success crossing over with Nintendo’s Legend of Zelda series, the two dev teams are hoping to make lightning strike twice but this time with Fire Emblem characters. No footage was shown aside from a shield, a hand, and a sword.

Shin Megami Tensei 25th Anniversary HD Project – A new entry in Atlus’ (oc)cult classic franchise “makes the Switch” with many of its fan favourite monsters in line. It’s probably the fifth game in its mainline ... probably.  

Project Octopath Traveler – 2D pixels and 3D backdrops collide in this little beauty from Square Enix.

Skyrim – At long last, Bethesda has joined forces with Nintendo and together they will bring at least one of the best western made RPGs to the Switch, and that game is the legendary Skyrim! Not only that, but the game looks great (maybe not the best it’s ever looked but still great) and having it on a handheld is sure to make many Elder Scrolls fans shout H-Ur-Rah!

RPGs have always had a prosperous home on Nintendo consoles (excluding the N64) and it’s nice to see such a great and varied selection settle on Switch. It’s just unfortunate (for this blog at least) that aside from the ports, we really don’t know that much about any of them other than they’ll all be out this year. 

video source - Nintendo on Youtube

Later on in the evening, fans watching at home were treated to the typical end of show sizzle reel, featuring a rundown of every game shown up to that point, as well as a few many that were left out ... many being 22 in this case.

And here they are ... *Ahem*:

I am Setsuna

Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2

Rayman Legends

Snipperclips

Mario Kart

Steep

Sonic 2017

Has Been Heroes

Skylanders: Imaginators

Minecraft

Minecraft: Story Mode

LEGO City Undercover

Redout

Farming Simulator

Disgaea 5

Just Dance 2017

Puyo Puyo Tetris

Super Bomberman

Nobunaga’s Ambition

Ultra Street Fighter II: The Final Challengers

Rime

NBA 2K18

Editor’s Note: *GASP! PANT! PANT! GASP!* I think that’s all of them.

More on this list later but first ... the grand finale.  

After much teasing and commercial plugging, Nintendo’s biggest wigs closed out the show with a final bow and fade to black, very classy.

PSYCHE!

... Yeah, that stuff happened but to serve as a lead in for one last trailer for The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild!

image source - Nintendo

Wow, what a trailer! It had everything: drama, tragedy and of course some sweet gameplay action, all without giving too much away. It was the perfect piece of mass media marketing.

And that March 3, 2017 launch date reveal? Truly a “legendary” stinger to close such an historic night.

Some loose notes from the show:

image source - Nintendo

An EA rep appeared on stage to announce a new kind of FIFA game is coming to Switch this fall. Probably the best possible sports game get for the system given FIFA’s world-wide reach.

image source - Nintendo

Suda 51 made the scene with the announcement of a brand-new game starring No More Heroes loser-in-chief leading man Travis Touchdown. Apparently, it takes inspiration from pro-wrestling and that’s all he could share ... so maybe it’s No More Heroes 3 or maybe it isn’t. Also, it’s only in the early development stages, so it’s not coming out anytime soon unfortunately.

Editor’s Note: No More Heroes 1 & 2 were hallmark titles on the original Wii, making Nintendo (and publisher Ubisoft) a lot of money, while also transforming Suda from a weird niche auteur into an indie dev superstar. Welcome home, Suda-San.

And at the start of the show, Nintendo president Tatsumi Kimishima addressed the crowd and viewers at home with five fascinating factoids.

First & Second: A fair share of Nintendo’s online services will revolve around a mobile app and when I say fair share, I should really say most, since the app supported features include match making, lobbies and voice chat. Sadly, the app won’t be ready in time for Switch’s launch but basic online play and the eShop will be up and running from Day One.

image source - Nintendo

Speaking of Switch’s online play, Nintendo will take the Xbox Gold and PlayStation Plus route with some sort of pay-to-use structure ... the details of which weren’t ironed out during the show.

Hot takes – I’m of two minds on this whole app business. Match making and voice chats through an app is an interesting concept and with DeNA (a mobile company) behind it, it could be taken in several creative directions. That and it kind of makes sense since Switch is two-thirds a mobile console.

On the other hand, users’ best keep a watchful eye on their phone bill ... or stay put in a wi-fi zone.

image source - 20th Century Fox (made with Frinkiac)

Editor’s Note: Fingers crossed this isn’t a data muncher.

image source - 20th Century Fox (made with Frinkiac)

*Sigh* I guess it had to happen eventually and I understand the logic of charging for online play (servers and whatnot). Still ... maaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaan. Free online play was a nice competitive edge Nintendo had over the competition (and not having to pay an extra $60-80 a year was a nice treat for customers) and now it’s gone. Let’s just hope the price is reasonable and it has some perks aside from basic services.

Editor’s Note: Also, credit where it’s due, Nintendo will grant users free access for the first few months, as DeNA works out the kinks. Props to The Big N for doing something it (in all honesty) didn’t have to do.

Third: Starting with Switch, Region Locking is donzo on Nintendo!

image source - Nintendo

Editor’s Note: He put it more eloquently but I wanted to rhyme and it’s my blog, so there!

Hot take – This is good news for developers who make niche games that don’t typically get localized for foreign markets. It’s good news for international fans who can ship and play said games without having to also ship region specific hardware (or resort to piracy). And it’s also good PR for Nintendo, so it’s good news for everyone. Nice play, Big N.

image source - Nintendo

Fourth & Fifth:  Mark the date, Nintendo fans. Planet Earth will “Make the Switch” on March 3, 2017! Two weeks prior to the date that had been tossed around by the press ... and it will be priced at $299.99 in North America.

Hot takes – March 3 is a pretty good launch date. Just before spring break season and it’s also when some lucky folks have a bit of extra cash on hand. So a nice portion of Nintendo’s base is bound have some time and money spend on Switch.  

That North American price point seemed so bold to me. In fact, I couldn’t believe it when I heard it and had to rewind the video feed twice. But Kimishima said clear as day the words, “$299.99” and “North America”, as in a universal price point across the continent? It seemed so.

To put that into perspective for my fellow Canucks, Switches sold in Canada would be roughly $75 (USD) cheaper when the (usually terrible for us) exchange rate is taken into account. “Truly a gutsy and most appreciated move”, I thought. “Nintendo must really want to win the Canadian market share.”  

Editor’s Note: I was so young, so naive. Like a little koopaling.

If I were to give a brief overview of the show, I’d say it wasn’t without a select few weaker moments but the showmanship was good and between the potential in the hardware’s gimmick and some sweet looking games, I closed out of the window feeling mighty enthusiastic about the Switch.

...

Editor’s Note: I realize this is a tad late (on account of multiple re-writes ... each longer and more thesis-y than the last) and for that I’m sorry. To make amends, here are some reactions to Switch stuff that popped up in the aftermath.

In the mere minutes that followed the Switch presentation, Nintendo and a handful of third-party partners continued to dish on the multifaceted dream machine and it wasn’t all good news.

For starters, it turns out Kimishima forgot to put a USD label next to that price tag. ... I should have known it was too good to be true.

So what’s the true Canadian price? $400 CAD...

And with that, my optimism took a good bonk to the head.

image source - Nintendo

Editor’s Note: Total time spent in denial – 75 Minutes

Dang dude, it’s almost as if Nintendo doesn’t want to compete here in The Great White North.

I get Nintendo of Japan doesn’t want to lose money on the exchange rate and I’m sure Nintendo of America would rather not see its customers travel north of the border for bargain Switches, but really? $400 for a Switch is craz ... ludacr ... less than ideal.

An Xbox One or standard PS4 in Canada can run between $380 & $350 depending on where you shop and the particular bundle. Sony and Microsoft have chosen to take a slight hit on the exchange but in turn, they’ve also kept their consoles within an enticing price range. This is important because a lame loony means consumers have fewer of those loonies to spend on luxuries.

image source - PlayStation Blog

image source - EB Games

Also notice how I said “bundles”. Yeah, PlayStations and Xbox One S’ come with games and not just any games but major blockbusters like Uncharted 4 and Gears of War 4; or Battlefield 1 and Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare. Yes, customers pay more in CAD than their friends down south would pay in USD but they can still feel like they’ve gotten their money’s worth. Switch has no such pack-in. Not even 1-2-Switch, which might as well be classified as a tech demo.

Editor’s Note: Nintendo said a pack-in game won’t be included in order to keep the price at $300 USD.

Then there’s the memory issue. Ordinary PS4′s and standard Xbone S’ have 500GB of storage built in.  What does Switch got? A 32GB Micro SD card. ... Breath of the Wild on its own is a 13GB download.

Editor’s Note: Additional Micro SDs of up to 256GBs can be swapped in but could be another pricey purchase, especially if you choose one with Nintendo branding.

Not to mention the other two options also have superior hardware and some slightly spiffier graphics.

And it’s not just the console that’s steeply priced. Get a load of this:

image source - EB Games

Yikes. $90 bucks for the least gimmicked controller? $100 bucks for an extra pair of Joy-Cons? Yes, there’s fancy tech installed into the JC’s and yes, name-brand controllers are pricey across the board but at least the other players on said board have affordable third-party alternatives in stock.

Editor’s Note: To Nintendo’s credit, it did commission HORI to make a cheaper ($39.99 CAD) wired controller ... but it can’t be used for travel play, which is Switch’s main selling point.

Well, at least game prices synch up with the competition ... even if $65 for 1-2-Switch, $70 for Bomberman and $55 for The Binding of Isaac is a bit much.

Oh and speaking of games, a few more Switch titles have been announced since the presentation.

image sources - SEGA, Nicalis, Arc System Works and Bandai Namco

Sonic Mania (YES!), BlazBlue (YES!), The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth (YES!), the next Tales game (neat), and New Frontier Days: Founding Pioneers (woo?) were all announced just minutes after the keynote.

Another game related revelation of the (late) evening was that the new Mario Kart game is in fact a port of Mario Kart 8, as previously rumoured.

image source - Nintendo

Mario Kart 8: Deluxe features 10 new characters (including Dry Bones, King Boo and the Inklings from Splatoon), a second item slot (as well as some new to MK8 items such as the Super Leaf) and (by popular demand) a return to the classic Battle Mode. Just a shame the Inkoplois park is the only new track.

MK8D will be a good pick-up for those who didn’t pick-up a Wii U (which is A LOT of people) and perhaps OG MK8 players will pick it up, too because of the new content.

In the month since ...

image source - Yacht Club Games, Nicalis, Tomorrow Corporation and Warner Bros.

Yacht Club Games confirmed the Treasure Trove edition of Shovel Knight will dig into the Switch. Indie publishers Nicalis and Tomorrow Corporation have confirmed choice selections from their libraries. Warner Bros. will continue to build its relationship with Nintendo through a Switch version of LEGO Worlds.

Ah yeah, and Nintendo hosted a Fire Emblem themed Direct on January 18 in which a proper (but yet to be named) Fire Emblem title was announced for a 2018 release on Switch.

image source - Nintendo

We also got to see Chrom slash a bunch of dudes in a slightly extended Fire Emblem Warriors trailer.

image sources - Nintendo and Koei Tecmo

Wait ... I almost forgot. When Game Spot’s Chris Pererira caught up with Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Amie at the January 13 hands-on event at Nintendo World in NYC, Pererira attempted to inquire about two particularly popular (and currently MIA) franchises. I don’t think I need to you tell what those franchises were ... (they were Metroid and Mother) *Cough*. Anyway, Reggie cut him off guard and asked the question himself, at which he promptly answered in a rather interesting manner.

image source - Nintendo

"Oh, so earlier today I got asked about Mother 3; maybe you can ask me about Metroid. Look, again, I am proud as an executive with Nintendo to say that we look at all of the boards and all of the comments and we really have a good understanding of what our consumers want. And believe me, we take that to heart as we work to create content.

"So I have nothing to announce--here. But we are aware that there are some key IP that consumers just can't wait for the next true installment in that franchise's legacy. Suffice it to say, we're aware of it, and talk to me in a year and let's look back and see what's happened." - Reggie Fils-Amie to Game Spot (January 13, 2017)

As Pererira noted in his article, these comments do not guarantee either a new and proper entry in the Metroid franchise or the long-awaited (and official) English language release of Mother 3. However, they do offer up a nice little bit of hope that maybe, just maybe, those deeply wanted announcements are incoming ... maybe at E3?  ... Maybe?

image source - @Nintendeal on Twitter

Aside from all that, Nintendeal made this nifty little (albeit incomplete) 2017 release schedule, with the added promise that between Nintendo and its third-party partners, 100 games are currently in development for Switch.

That’s all well and good but ... is it really enough?

image source - 20th Century Fox (made with Frinkiac)

Editor’s Note: *Sigh* I’m starting to come off as an entitled snot, aren’t I?

Look, 100 games is a great release target for a console’s first year, I’m not debating that. And I certainly wouldn’t imply it’s a weak collection from what we’ve seen thus far.

Between the point-and-click adventures, world-builders, platformers, racers, puzzlers, party games, fighting games and the wealth of RPGs, Switch will have plenty of good stuff to offer all ages and tastes.  

However, most of what’s listed is ports of games released several months or years ago on PS4 and Xbox One. Now that I think of it, there’s also an alarming lack of star power outside of Nintendo’s development bubble.

image sources - Blizzard, Ubisoft, EA, Rockstar Games, Bethesda, Square Enix, Capcom, NetherRealm Studios, BioWare and Nintendo

Sure, Switch has most of the world’s leading development and publishing houses pledging support but where are those studios’ heaviest hitters? Have Overwatch and For Honor enlisted? Will Injustice 2 and MvC Infinite bring the fight to Switch? Red Dead 2 and GTA are MIA? Did Final Fantasy XV & Kingdom Hearts 3 not belong in that RPG package? I could go on with a longer list of missing major third-party titles that have or will make fat stacks on and for other platforms, but I’ll leave it at that. ... Oh, and I don’t recall seeing a Switch logo in the recent Avengers teaser.

Editor’s Note: And aren’t there sports other than Basketball and Soccer?

Perhaps these games will be revealed down the line during E3 or even in one of the few Directs Nintendo is bound to host between now and then. Or maybe they won’t arrive at all.  

image source - EA

Respawn’s Mohammad Alavi recently scoffed at the idea of Titanfall 2 landing on Switch, stating the console’s hardware was “under-powered”. There are also rumours Switch’s crack at the FIFA franchise will be based on past PS3 and Xbox 360 versions.

Editor’s Note: Yikes.

Basically, despite its Maxwell chip suggesting it could handle producing games visually on par with basic PS4 and Xbone titles, there might be some U-esque hardware flaw that prevents ports of let’s call them “busier” games from being viable options.

Editor’s Note: Potentially devastating, if true.

Although, another likely explanation could be these studios are playing the waiting game to see if Nintendo moves enough Switches to make the effort of porting that stuff worthwhile. As much flack as some of Nintendo’s hardcore fans tend to give them for Wii U’s “failure”, these companies got burned, too; losing good money on their few investments.

image source - Bioware, Ubisoft and Warner Bros.

Long story short, Switch’s initial line-up is fairly solid with some good (and great) stuff from third-parties and Nintendo itself. However, the third-party portion has some major absences for one reason or ... multiple others.

I wouldn’t normally wish to speculate off the cuff but (granting Switch is successful), I think these publishers will port over as many of their hallmark games as they can (IE as many of them that are compatible with Switch’s hardware). I suppose any gaps could be filled with original content they would’ve made for the 3DS. (This is likely the fate of Level-5’s Yo-kai Watch series, for example)

image source - Level-5

PS: One more thing that’s setting off some red flags is the fact only a handful of games has a release date set in stone. I hope we don’t see any dry spells like with the Wii U’s early days ... and middle days ... and later days.

Boy, this sure is getting long in the tooth (again) but before I end this, I want to make sure I cover the growth of Nintendo’s online services.

In the moments following Switch’s grand showing, Nintendo released this adorable little gem on Youtube:

video source - Nintendo on Youtube

To summarize, Big Bow protects Little Bow from the more intimidating aspects of online play, as well as shielding him from inappropriate content, all while tapping contently through a simple mobile app. This app also gave the senior koopa the power to control junior’s playtime and to set a play schedule, all while learning everything there is to know about his son’s favourite games.

I’m all for anything that gives parent’s the power to monitor what their kids are playing and add any restrictions they deem suitable for their child. I also think Nintendo should be commended for encouraging parents to learn more about their child’s interests and to play with them. I like that a lot.

Having it all controlled through an app is a great idea, too. After all, mom & dad can’t be home 24/7, so having an ace up their sleeve for some extra piece of mind is a lovely courtesy.

Editor’s Note: I hope mom & dad have good coverage.

image source - 20th Century Fox (made with Frinkiac)

Another key online selling point Nintendo immediately put forward was its counterpoint to PS Plus Rewards and Games With Gold.

Subscribers to Nintendo’s online service will get one free NES or SNES classic each month. OK, that doesn’t quite measure up to the competition considering they hand out multiple free and current (or currentish) games each month, but a free game is a free game.

Wait, let me just read this fine print before moving on...  

image source - Nintendo

It expires after a month? You mean to tell me Nintendo can’t afford to give away decades-old roms no bigger than a couple songs on iTunes? Not to mention the library of NES and SNES games is so massive; The Big N couldn’t possibly come close to giving them all away anyway. Come on, man.

Needless to say, that news irked me a bit when I first read it. However, I’d be lying if I said I didn’t appreciate the member discounts continuing on into the Switch’s life-span or thought online play for SNES games wasn’t so darn cool.

You know what else is cool? A region free online store!

image source - Koei Tecmo

On January 19 it was uncovered that much like Switch discs, digital copies have also been unshackled! But ... there’s a bit of catch. That catch being region specific sections of the eShop, as well as region specific games, can only be accessed with user IDs tagged to those regions. Luckily, up to eight user profiles can be attached to a Switch console and those profiles can be tied to any region of the user’s choosing.  So, say if a primarily English speaking player wants to buy and play a Japanese game but doesn’t want to go through the expensive process of importing a physical copy, all they have to do is create and log into a Japanese profile on their Switch. Easy peasy, Wario queasy.

Getting back to the NYC show, Youtube personality ProJared caught up with Reggie for a rather Switched up interview.

image source - ProJared on Youtube

At one point in the discussion, Jared inquired about the possibility of Virtual Console purchases becoming cross-platform tie-ins. Reggie offered this promising reply:

“We’ve heard this comment. We’ve heard it many times. Obviously the first step for us was getting a unified Nintendo account that goes back and ties back not only existing systems but will tie back to the Nintendo Switch and mobile gaming. The details of exactly how the Virtual Console will work, we’re holding back a little bit, so we can share the full concept at a later date but we heard the comment and we’re working on it.” - Reggie Fils-Amie to ProJared (January 13, 2017)

Not much to say here other than it’s about time. You buy a game once, you shouldn’t have to buy it again or pay a fee just to transfer it over to another system. Good to see Nintendo has finally come to understand this.

I also can’t forget February 1, when Japanese financial paper Nikkei uncovered Nintendo’s plan to charge between 2,000 and 3,000 yen per year for the online service. (This translates to $17 and $26 USD ... or roughly $22 and $34 CAD).

image source - Nintendo

Needless to say, that’s great! If Nintendo has to charge for online play, at least it’s reasonably priced ... more so than PlayStation Network and Xbox Live which charge (at least) twice as much.  

Suddenly the whole “month-long free VC game rental” thing doesn’t seem so bad anymore.

Editor’s Note: Switch Online sure has some nice positives ... *Sigh* I’m going to miss Miiverse. I know, it’s getting scrapped because Nintendo can’t provide enough moderation to make it a family friendly environment but still :( .

image source - Pure Nintendo (via Miiverse.net)

Editor’s Note [part deux]: Nah, I don’t want to end the discussion like that. Hmm ... oh, those bothersome Friend Codes are gone! I don’t care to remember all those extra numbers.

image source - 20th Century Fox (made with Frinkiac)

Update - Scratch that, they’re back. Groooooooooooan!

Hold it! ... Is there anything else about Switch I should note before reaching the conclusion? Well, I saw the Switch ad that played during the Super Bowl.

image source - Nintendo

It was alright. More or less the same sort of ad used to reveal Switch last October; folks out enjoying their games anywhere and everywhere to the tune of a snappy song about beating to the tune of your own drum, expect this time the entire family got into it, as opposed to just the hip millennials. The message of the ad is simple: Switch can be enjoyed anywhere and everywhere by anyone and everyone.  

Editor’s Note: Wait a second ... “First Thing” – TV Mode; “Second Thing” – Tabletop Mode; “Last Thing” – Handheld Mode. Oh my, that’s some clever use of song lyrics.

I guess I could also make a brief mention of the Treehouse livestream. While it didn’t reveal any additional games, it did shine a nice spotlight on the games that made their debut the night before ... also Zelda.

image source - Nintendo

All of the Treehouse segments have been archived to Youtube but I’d like to list off my favourites:

Arms – I didn’t expect this game to look so cool in motion but it did. The button presses, wrist-flicks and RL punches flowed into each other perfectly. Not to mention the game itself seems like a nice light-hearted bit of fun.

Super Bomberman R – I don’t know what’s more shocking, the fact Konami brought Bomberman back, or that his return didn’t blow up in a pachinko machine.

Snipperclips – An adorable paper craft puzzler that took me by surprise.

Ultra Street Fighter II: The Final Challengers – A new spin(kick) on a timeless classic.  

Super Mario Odyssey – Nothing new here but I loved Miyamoto’s history lesson concerning Super Mario’s 64 and Sunshine and the influence their design had over this grand new adventure.

1,2-Switch – The Treehouse gang had some fun messing around with a few mini-games and it was fun to watch. That said, I’m still not sure if I’m entirely sold on it just yet. Still, I’d love to try out a few samples.

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild – I really enjoyed the quick look at the improvements made to the horseback riding mechanics and the new stable system. The real-time weather was quite something as well.

Moment of truth time is finally here; the moment to render that verdict I P-Winged my way out of last time. And now that there’s virtually no escape, boy, I have to make a call.

OK...I have to give Nintendo credit, the Switch’s introduction into the public eye has been a rousing success these past few months...for the most part.

The hardware and marquee games both left a major impression, and (unlike Wii U) Switch’s ad campaign has been firmly on point. Based on the tens of millions of Youtube views alone, there’s a level of excitement for this thing that hasn’t been felt for a Nintendo product in a good-long time. I’m talking Wii and NES level excitement. Its appeal has reached far beyond gamers and hardcore Nintendo fans; the Switch is now part of the wider pop culture consciousness. The mainstream market is very much interested in “making the Switch”.

image source - Nintendo

Editor’s Note: Pre-orders have sold out world-wide and some shops have even had to cancel pre-orders because their pre-order stock couldn’t meet the pre-order demand and that is after Nintendo increased production to get more Switches on shelves...this is going to be a hot item. (*sigh* Oh Nintendo, Why do you under stock things?)

Will this mainstream appeal last? That’s a whole other story.

Sure, it’s currently selling out like crazy and folks are desperately clamouring to get one but a lot of fads started out that way and died down eventually and there are a few ways Switch could meet that same fate.

Like say, if the third-parties ultimately choose to abandon porting their big blockbusters to Switch, much like they did with the Wii U. Or if Nintendo were to disband its current united front and build another handheld to succeed the 3DS, giving big publishers that want to work with Nintendo (and even Nintendo’s own teams) another option, which was another thing that hurt Wii U.

There’s also the matter of Nintendo’s hardware and accessory pricing.

Editor’s Note: “Oh look at this big baby crying about those Canadian price points, again.” First: it’s my blog and I’ll cry if I want to. Second: yes, the prices are too darn high! Third: those US prices aren’t exactly bargains either. The US controller prices are gouges, too and Americans can buy those same PS4 and Xbox One bundles I mentioned earlier for the USD price of a Switch! Is the portability gimmick enough to cover the lack of a pack-in game, lack of decent hardware storage or lack of guaranteed full-fledged third-party support?!

*Cough* The Big N might also shoot its own Big old Foot and under stock Switch to the point customers just give up and choose to spend their money on other things. ... I’m looking directly at you, NES Classic Edition!

Or maybe, Switch is destined to fade away into fad zone obscurity. Like the SEGA CD/32X; the PlayStation Vita; and (to name it again) Nintendo’s own Wii U. It’d be unfortunate and it could happen for any number of reasons but to put it simply, sometimes things just don’t work out.

image credit - SEGA, Sony and Nintendo

I certainly see Koizumi’s angle of a bold “new world of entertainment” and its potential is bright but the more I think about, the clearer I can see a few possibilities for failure.

In the end, the only advice I could give to anyone who is curious about “Switching over” but isn’t entirely sure about it, would be to wait it out a bit...although in all honesty, they probably don’t have a choice but to wait at this point anyway.

How long of a wait am I talking here? I’d say Christmas (because there will likely be at least one good bundle and a much wider array of games to choose from) or next year (because a slight price drop is probably going to happen in year two). Not to mention waiting it out for 8-12 months would give you plenty of time to get a read on Switch’s future and determine whether or not it’s a good long-term investment.

Editor’s Note: If you’re desire to “Switch sides” relies on “Breathing in the Wild”, the latest incarnation of Zelda is also saveable on Wii U...yeah, it’s essentially U’s last rites.

Whelp, that does it. I hope you enjoyed this exceedingly long look at the Nintendo Switch’s pre-release hype and I thank you so very much for sticking with me.

Also, if I still have your attention, and if you do dig my work, feel to share, like, comment, re-blog, or whatever. ... A follow would be great as well, since it’s a lovely indicator that people are reading.  *Cough* Ah...bye for now!

Don’t touch that dial...

Research sources – Nintendo, Game Informer, GameXplain, IGN, Game Spot, Game Rant, Siliconera, IGN(again), Game Spot (again), ProJared, the BBC , Digital Trends, Game Rant (again), The Verge, Forbes and VG247

[dunnystuff]

Hi to all -

Kamala visits Guatemala

Well, this did not go well. Instead of a reception by crowds of fawning locals, she was met with signs demanding she 'go home' and 'Trump won', and suggesting she fix her own house, and stay out of the house of Guatemala. No one was buying her talking points about addressing the 'root causes' of immigration, legal or illegal. Well, she did not handle this graciously. The president of that nation noted that while he had cracked down on crime and other problems, Kamala is ignoring those issues in her own back yard. It is safer to walk in Guatemala than in many US cities. That is saying something since just a few years ago, Guatemala had the highest murder rate in South America.

Virginia

Judge James E. Plowman, jr. ordered the school that fired a teacher named Tanner, for expressing his views that allowing transgender men to compete in women's sports was discrimination against actual women, against his faith, and an offense to God, to reinstate the man. The judge said that Tanner had First Amendment rights to speak his views, and that the school acted in a way that was 'unnecessary and vindictive'. The school countered that they did not fire Tanner for his views, but because his expression of those views caused 'disruption'. The judge did not buy that poor excuse.

Kentucky

In Boone County, Judge Richard A. Brueggemann struck down the edicts of Governor Andy Beshears regarding Covid mandates. especially masks. This was a permanent injunction, not subject to appeal or review or reinstatement after making minor changes. All of these actions were declared 'unconstitutional' and void.

Now, these mandates were set to expire Friday, anyway, and the Governor did not plan to extend them. But this ruling is important as precedent for actions all over the nation.

TikTok

Trump revoked the right of TikTok to operate here, since it was an agent of the CCP. Biden just revoked this ban.

New Orleans

A man was filmed wandering down a residential street, trying door handles to see if he could enter. He appeared very drunk, and overweight. He went down one side, and up the other, as pedestrians watched, and moved away. Finally, someone opened their door, and this man lunged at the resident. The resident, however, was prepared, and armed. He shot this intruder, killing him. No charges will be filed, thanks in part to the clear video evidence.

Crypto Currency

This was the stuff used in the Colonial Pipeline hack. Crypto currency is not issued by governments, and governments hate this stuff - since they cannot control it, or steal it from citizens. Things like Bitcoin or Dogecoin are examples. Smaller scale things like coupons, bonus points, and rewards points are also examples of non-traditional currency. We should expect to see a lot more activity in alternative currencies.

Bill Gates

He will not give up on his plan to vaccinate everyone, whether they want it or not. He just gave a 'starter' payment of $100,000 to Hiroyaki Matsuoka of the Jichi Medical University to develop mosquitoes infected with vaccines to be released into populated areas, and 'vaccinate' just about everyone. If successful, a million-dollar grant will follow. Of course, if this can be done with medicines, it can also be done with poisons. Both the Japanese and Germans did exactly that back in WWII. Japanese biowarfare experiments killed at least 250,000 Chinese, and continued to kill people for generations. Germans flooded areas that would breed mosquitoes, and unleashed diseases on the locals. They also poisoned crops, affecting others.

Bill , who is not a doctor, is intent on reducing the world population by 15%, to 'save the planet'. Perhaps he might do well to remember that even though there are a lot more people on the planet today than a few years ago, food supplies and distribution has kept up, and in fact, more people are better fed today than at any time in known history. Most people do not live at subsistence levels today, when for most of recorded history, they did.

Bill is treading on dangerous ground. The unintended consequences could be beyond horrific. Back when I was a child, I lived overseas in a mosquito infested area. Every evening, the jeeps would come by spraying clouds of DDT, to control the mosquitoes. Of course, that effective chemical was banned a few years ago. Never mind that mosquito borne diseases kill ten times as many people than the DDT did. I, for one, do not want to breed 'genetically modified mosquitoes', even for good causes.

Burger King

Did I already say this one? Seems that Burger King wants to celebrate Gay pride month. So, they took some cheap shots at Chick-fil-A over their stance, and Sunday closings. Then, to top it all off, they said that Burger King will donate a sum of money to gay pride groups for every Chick-fil-A sandwich sold. Anyone hungry for a chicken sandwich?

Fargo, North Dakota

This hotbed of racial strife saw one 23-year-old Arther Prince Kollie attack 14-year-old Daisy 'Jupiter' Paulsen. She was stabbed 25 times, beaten and strangled by this man. Then, he stole her backpack and phone. He was later captured, and she later died of her injuries. Wonder how the judge will rule in this case?

In another incident, a young black man was yelling racial slurs at an Asian police officer. When confronted over his behavior, the man said that 'blacks cannot be racist'. Didn't we hear Obama make that same argument?

France

President Macron was doing a meet and greet with the public, when a man slapped him across the face, yelling bad things about Macron's policies. That is a serious insult in French culture, and, police took down this guy, and I think a couple of others with him, very fast. Guess the president is learning that at least some of the public does not agree with him.

New Handbook

Parents are getting concerned about Critical Race Theory in the schools. Many do not want their children indoctrinated with racism. Some have spoken up at school board meetings, and the board members have tried to shut them down. But, now, there is a new handbook for these parents, with instructions on how to fight this battle. It is called "Combatting CRT in your Community". It comes from Parents and Citizens for Renewing America. Bet the leftists are getting worried, and plotting in dark back rooms how to fight back.

Atlanta

During the riots that followed a police shooting of a man found dead drunk at Wendy's, where the Wendy's was burned down, there were also many other injuries. Eight-year-old Secoriea Turner was shot and killed, as she sat in her parents car. Her family is suing the city, the mayor, and others for negligence, for allowing the riots to proceed without intervention. They did not agree that 'armed vigilantes' should be allowed to run rampant in this city. This could be a real landmark case. If the parents win, mayors all over the place will not sleep well - like Portland and Seattle.

FBI Sting

Three years in the making, an FBI sting has sprung. This operation was known variously as 'Ironside', 'Greenlight', or 'Trojan Shield'. It involved undercovers selling encrypted satellite phones to criminals, which the FBI had the keys and codes for. This allowed them to track and monitor the activities of more than 300 criminal gangs, in 18 countries. More than 800 people were arrested, and literally tons of drugs, weapons and cash were seized.

Meanwhile, back at home, the ATF is trying to re-define some guns. For many pistols, you can purchase a 'stock', so that it can be fired like a rifle. This improves accuracy. The ATF, with their devotion to disarming Americans, but not others, wants to classify such weapons as 'short barreled rifles', and apply restrictions to their sale and use. These guys never give up trying to bypass the Second Amendment.

Fauci

He was planning to release his new self-praising book this November. It was to be called "Expect the Unexpected - Ten Lessons on Truth, Service and the Way Forward". The irony of this, in light of all the email revelations and his endless flip-flopping, was just too much for the major retailers. Amazon and Barnes and Noble have dropped this book like a hot potato.

Did you know that the 'excuse' to do all these mandates was based on a PCR test to show the presence of Covid. Sadly, the test was badly flawed, with up to 97% false positives. Add in the 'creative reporting' of deaths, (how anyone could sell a gunshot wound to the head as a Covid death really stretches the imagination), and the distortion of cheap, alternative cures to expensive experimental vaccines should have made more people skeptical. HCQ had been a proven anti-malarial drug for 60 years or so, and effective on Covid, used in a timely fashion, at a dose of 200mg daily for 10 days. But, to discredit this treatment, tests were conducted using 8800 mg, and that was a toxic dose. Add to that, all the new regulations banning this as an over-the-counter drug, and requiring a prescription, then barring doctors from prescribing it, and you have a genuine conspiracy. But I digress. The evidence against both Fauci and 'the cure' is overwhelming, except to the superstitious and gullible.

Seattle

Woke gone wild. The Seattle Department of Finance, in a rant produced by David Holmberg, called all cops 'white supremacists'. Cops took exception to this, as you can well imagine. How long can that city stand, divided against itself?

Next time you hear someone claim ``It's all Trump's fault" - ask them how they know this, and will they offer the proof. Those conversations could be interesting. Of course, the answer will always be 'You is a racist'.

Rich

[robbiemeadow]

Erring in the Direction of Kindness: An Interview with George Saunders

In 2013, bestselling author George Saunders delivered the commencement address at Syracuse University, in which he encouraged graduates to “err in the direction of kindness.” The speech was soon published in the New York Times, which spurred a national discussion on the virtue of kindness, and it became a short book titled “Congratulations, by the way: Some Thoughts on Kindness.” The speech itself complements The Gottman Institute’s belief that “all individuals are capable of and deserve compassion” and that “compassion must begin with ourselves.”

When you gave your speech, did you anticipate the amount of attention it received, and do you hope that by engaging in small acts of kindness toward one another, we can foster a greater capacity for empathy within “the human family”?

The response that day was, to say the least, muted. I found myself pathetically wandering the reception crowd, fishing for compliments. The best I got was, “Hey, aren’t you the guy who gave that speech?” And then I said yes, and he sort of nodded in this noncommittal way and walked off to the snack table. Then the speech went on The New York Times website and seemed to really hit a nerve.

My belief is that, actually, this whole mess down here on earth only holds together via small acts of decency and kindness. We tend to overlook or minimize the effect of the small things, but that is really what a culture is – that collection of thousands of small, habitual, decent moves that collectively make life somewhat predictable and “normal.”

The small acts of kindness can be a sort of ritual self-reminding of what we are and what we’re meant to do down here. Although, of course, like any moral belief, this approach can also evolve into something automatic and irritating and reductive. I think “kindness,” properly understood, might, at times, be quite fierce. It would be “whatever produces positive results.”

Do you view kindness as an intentional behavior, and do you believe that it could similarly counteract negative interactions (which you term as “failures of kindness” in your speech) between not just romantic partners, but also between individuals and communities?

I think “kindness” can be understood in all sorts of ways. For me, the most useful thing is to try to remember to start each day saying: “The whole point of this gift of time I’ve been given is to try to be more loving and then act accordingly.” Of course, most days I forget to even have that thought and just get up and start running around servicing my ego and my anxiety and knocking things over and getting all irritated about how damn easy things are to knock over these days because of the big faceless corporations.

But I’ve found that if I can remember to have that intention, everything is more interesting. Because kindness is really a sort of “gateway virtue” – you start out with that intention, but then find yourself running into problems. It’s all well and good to say “be kind” but what is the kind choice if, say, you encounter a barista who, it seems, has been weeping? Comfort her? Inquire as to why? Just be quiet and leave her alone? Hard to know, in the abstract.

So, right away, we are into a different moral/ethical question, that might have to do with, say, awareness – being maximally data-receptive, so we know the right thing to do, for this person, at this moment. And that’s not something one could “phone in,” or prep for, by just saying to oneself, “Be kind.”

Your speech mentions that “your life is going to be a gradual process of becoming kinder and more loving,” which implies that once an individual commits to being kinder and more loving, that will result in even more kindness as they age. Do you believe that, when kindness “snowballs” and begins to envelop a romantic relationship, that such kindness could transcend that relationship and radiate into non-romantic relationships?

Well, that’s a bit beyond my area of expertise, but I do think that trying to increase one’s loving nature can have a beautifully simplifying effect on one’s life. Again, I’m only rarely able to get there, but on the few occasions on which I’ve blundered into this state, it felt like I’d acquired a kind of superpower: all questions answered more easily, the world a simpler place.

I’ve also noticed that when a person is in a genuine, happy, confident, kindness-enabled place, people feel it, and react to him in a different and more open way – which, in turn, expands the range of outcomes possible from that interaction.

Toward the end of your speech, you offer a prediction for the audience in the form of a “heartfelt wish:” “[A]s you get older, your self will diminish and you will grow in love. YOU will gradually be replaced by LOVE. If you have kids, that will be a huge moment in your process of self-diminishment. You really won’t care what happens to YOU, as long as they benefit.” Could you explain this process of “self-diminishment” from your experience as a father?

This is the one part of the speech about which I often catch grief: “If you think people get kinder as they get older, you should meet my father-in-law, ha ha!” I suppose this was a bit of wishful thinking on my part. It seems, actually, that people get to a crossroads of sorts. As age begins to take its toll, some people get bitter and others…not. And I suppose that has to do with both disposition and luck.

My observation about myself has been that, as a person gets older and the body starts to fall apart/slow down/get less wonderful, it starts to sink in: “Ah, even I am not permanent.” And that gives a person a different and (potentially) fonder view of the whole thing. We’re just very briefly passing through, despite what our ego believes.

Likewise, having kids: once you’re entrusted with another life, you become newly aware of your usual self-absorption. You might start to see self-absorption as the freakish, Darwinian, appendage that it is. And you feel your fondness for this little kid trump your self-fondness – and what a liberation that can be. You vanish a little. Or, as we used to say in a Catholic hymn: “We must diminish, and Christ increase.”

We also encourage parents to prioritize maintaining their relationship, as Drs. John and Julie Gottman claim that “the greatest gift you can give your baby is a happy and strong relationship between the two of you.” Do you think that the process of “self-diminishment” also includes expressing more kindness and empathy for your spouse, which will model a healthy relationship for children?

Yes, for sure. Although kindness toward the people closest to us can be the biggest challenge. They know us, and we might have habits together that are hard to break free of. Easy to be kind in the abstract, but harder in the midst of a familiar fight, when you are completely sure of your rightness and good intentions, whereas that other person, etc., etc.

But: if a kid sees someone behaving lovingly towards someone they love, that gets into their bodies and they will emulate that behavior without even knowing they are doing it. I’ve noticed that in myself – my parents have some very good habits of mutual support, that I found myself trying to enact in my own marriage. And I also have seen how my wife’s patience with, and equanimity towards, me, has informed the way our daughters handle their relationships, with men and with friends and at work, etc.

In the title story of your recent short story collection, Tenth of December, the protagonist, after a near-death experience, finds himself deeply appreciating his relationship with his wife as he remembers a moment from whey they were newlyweds:

“Somehow: Molly.

He heard her in the entryway. Mol, Molly, oh, boy. When they were first married they used to fight. Say the most insane things. Afterward, sometimes there would be tears. Tears in bed? Somewhere. And then they would—Molly pressing her hot wet face against his hot wet face. They were sorry, they were saying with their bodies, they were accepting each other back, and that feeling, that feeling of being accepted back again and again, of someone’s affection for you always expanding to encompass whatever new flawed thing had just manifested in you, that was the deepest, dearest thing he’d ever—”

You once told me that this may be the most truthful thing you’ve written about love. Where specifically do you find the deep truth of love within this passage, and how did you come to realize its power and accuracy in describing a crucial moment within a marriage?

This was a big moment for me as a writer, simply because, at a moment when I needed this man to have a deep and sincere feeling about his wife of many years, instead of inventing something, I just turned to my own experience.

My wife and I have been married thirty years and have been through so many things together, and I know she has seen me at my worst – petulant, defensive, broken, pissy, etc. – and yet she’s always had my back, which is an incredibly powerful thing. Easy enough to have a good relationship when you partner is an attractive, in-control, nice guy, but what about those (more numerous) other times? The person on the receiving end of that sort of love gets quite a gift.

We always carry around an ideal vision of ourselves (the US we like) but we are also bothered by the existence and periodic appearance of that other US (the one we see as an unlikeable aberration). That sort of love basically says: “No, those are both you and both are acceptable.” Which, in turn, empowers you to really see and understand and improve the parts of yourself you’re not crazy about.

According to Dr. Gottman’s research, married couples who are happy can easily recall positive stories from their past, such as how and when they first met, while unhappy couples tend to remember more negative memories. In your speech, you ask the audience, “Who, in your life, do you remember most fondly, with the most undeniable feelings of warmth? Those who were kindest to you, I bet.” Why do you think that kindness has such a powerful capacity to help us form and recall meaningful memories?

That’s really interesting. And makes perfect sense. Someone who feels, “This relationship is awful” will tend to interpret past events in that light. It makes me think that we are always “novelizing” – narrating the past to inform the present moment and enable the future.

So, I think we have to walk a fine line there. To tell a happy story about an unhappy incident in the past might be to falsify /propagandize. For me the most productive thing is to try and tell a true story about the past – one that doesn’t deny or cloak any negative or complicated elements, but allows them in…makes them part of the actual, and hopefully positive, present moment. I suppose the trick is to be bitterness-free, if possible. That is, to see any negativity from the past to have been, ultimately, instructive of useful to the present, positive, state of things.

In your speech, you encourage us to “[do] those things that incline you toward the big questions.” Recently, Dr. Julie Schwartz Gottman raise some “big questions” in her TEDx talk that focused on how we can create world peace by beginning at home with creating positive and empathetic familial relationships, which could then push us to be more empathetic with others in the world. Do you see kindness as a potential force for good in the world, a force that could push humanity toward being more peaceful and cooperative?

I know that, in Buddhist practice, this focusing of intention is very important – to say, essentially, “I pray that whatever I accomplish here goes out to benefit all beings, and not just me.”

Small acts of sanity ensure that the world in one’s immediate area is…sane. I once heard the writer Tom McGuane say something along these lines – that a system of interconnected small sanity zones builds out and makes a sane world. And that has the benefit of being a workable approach – one knows how to start, at least. If nothing else, working towards sanity and kindness in one’s own world (one’s own mind) means that, when insanity occurs “out there,” we will have a sane outlook on it – might be able to avoid making things worse, via our agitated reaction.

But having said that (and believing all of that), I also like to remind myself to be a little cautious about the need to justify kindness by claiming it could have some big overarching effect on the world. I mean, I think it does – I know it does – but I also feel that, for me, sometimes those grand intentions can serve as a sort of place on which to solidify ego, as I mentioned above. (I recall that quote from Charles Schulz’s “Peanuts:” “I love mankind, it’s people I can’t stand.”) When I was touring for the book, I found that a lot of people were all for Kindness but not that always that great at kindness, if you see what I mean. (One guy on a radio interview sort of snarled, “I’ve always believed in kindness! But people don’t GET it!”).

I guess that’s the trick of any sort of moral stance toward the world – we have to stay off of autopilot.

For those who are having difficulties within their marriages and may feel lonely or disconnected, what sort of advice could you offer to them based on your experiences as a writer and reader of fiction, as a teacher, as a father, and as a husband?

The one analogy that comes to mind from writing is simply that, at this point in my career, it’s more interesting to assume that every story is workable, and send renewed energy at a story when it hits a snag – assume the best of it, in a sense. And often, with patience, that story will come alive again and rise to the (expanded) occasion. Which is always a happy outcome.

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Erring in the Direction of Kindness: An Interview with George Saunders

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Erring in the Direction of Kindness: An Interview with George Saunders

In 2013, bestselling author George Saunders delivered the commencement address at Syracuse University, in which he encouraged graduates to “err in the direction of kindness.” The speech was soon published in the New York Times, which spurred a national discussion on the virtue of kindness, and it became a short book titled “Congratulations, by the way: Some Thoughts on Kindness.” The speech itself complements The Gottman Institute’s belief that “all individuals are capable of and deserve compassion” and that “compassion must begin with ourselves.”

When you gave your speech, did you anticipate the amount of attention it received, and do you hope that by engaging in small acts of kindness toward one another, we can foster a greater capacity for empathy within “the human family”?

The response that day was, to say the least, muted. I found myself pathetically wandering the reception crowd, fishing for compliments. The best I got was, “Hey, aren’t you the guy who gave that speech?” And then I said yes, and he sort of nodded in this noncommittal way and walked off to the snack table. Then the speech went on The New York Times website and seemed to really hit a nerve.

My belief is that, actually, this whole mess down here on earth only holds together via small acts of decency and kindness. We tend to overlook or minimize the effect of the small things, but that is really what a culture is – that collection of thousands of small, habitual, decent moves that collectively make life somewhat predictable and “normal.”

The small acts of kindness can be a sort of ritual self-reminding of what we are and what we’re meant to do down here. Although, of course, like any moral belief, this approach can also evolve into something automatic and irritating and reductive. I think “kindness,” properly understood, might, at times, be quite fierce. It would be “whatever produces positive results.”

Do you view kindness as an intentional behavior, and do you believe that it could similarly counteract negative interactions (which you term as “failures of kindness” in your speech) between not just romantic partners, but also between individuals and communities?

I think “kindness” can be understood in all sorts of ways. For me, the most useful thing is to try to remember to start each day saying: “The whole point of this gift of time I’ve been given is to try to be more loving and then act accordingly.” Of course, most days I forget to even have that thought and just get up and start running around servicing my ego and my anxiety and knocking things over and getting all irritated about how damn easy things are to knock over these days because of the big faceless corporations.

But I’ve found that if I can remember to have that intention, everything is more interesting. Because kindness is really a sort of “gateway virtue” – you start out with that intention, but then find yourself running into problems. It’s all well and good to say “be kind” but what is the kind choice if, say, you encounter a barista who, it seems, has been weeping? Comfort her? Inquire as to why? Just be quiet and leave her alone? Hard to know, in the abstract.

So, right away, we are into a different moral/ethical question, that might have to do with, say, awareness – being maximally data-receptive, so we know the right thing to do, for this person, at this moment. And that’s not something one could “phone in,” or prep for, by just saying to oneself, “Be kind.”

Your speech mentions that “your life is going to be a gradual process of becoming kinder and more loving,” which implies that once an individual commits to being kinder and more loving, that will result in even more kindness as they age. Do you believe that, when kindness “snowballs” and begins to envelop a romantic relationship, that such kindness could transcend that relationship and radiate into non-romantic relationships?

Well, that’s a bit beyond my area of expertise, but I do think that trying to increase one’s loving nature can have a beautifully simplifying effect on one’s life. Again, I’m only rarely able to get there, but on the few occasions on which I’ve blundered into this state, it felt like I’d acquired a kind of superpower: all questions answered more easily, the world a simpler place.

I’ve also noticed that when a person is in a genuine, happy, confident, kindness-enabled place, people feel it, and react to him in a different and more open way – which, in turn, expands the range of outcomes possible from that interaction.

Toward the end of your speech, you offer a prediction for the audience in the form of a “heartfelt wish:” “[A]s you get older, your self will diminish and you will grow in love. YOU will gradually be replaced by LOVE. If you have kids, that will be a huge moment in your process of self-diminishment. You really won’t care what happens to YOU, as long as they benefit.” Could you explain this process of “self-diminishment” from your experience as a father?

This is the one part of the speech about which I often catch grief: “If you think people get kinder as they get older, you should meet my father-in-law, ha ha!” I suppose this was a bit of wishful thinking on my part. It seems, actually, that people get to a crossroads of sorts. As age begins to take its toll, some people get bitter and others…not. And I suppose that has to do with both disposition and luck.

My observation about myself has been that, as a person gets older and the body starts to fall apart/slow down/get less wonderful, it starts to sink in: “Ah, even I am not permanent.” And that gives a person a different and (potentially) fonder view of the whole thing. We’re just very briefly passing through, despite what our ego believes.

Likewise, having kids: once you’re entrusted with another life, you become newly aware of your usual self-absorption. You might start to see self-absorption as the freakish, Darwinian, appendage that it is. And you feel your fondness for this little kid trump your self-fondness – and what a liberation that can be. You vanish a little. Or, as we used to say in a Catholic hymn: “We must diminish, and Christ increase.”

We also encourage parents to prioritize maintaining their relationship, as Drs. John and Julie Gottman claim that “the greatest gift you can give your baby is a happy and strong relationship between the two of you.” Do you think that the process of “self-diminishment” also includes expressing more kindness and empathy for your spouse, which will model a healthy relationship for children?

Yes, for sure. Although kindness toward the people closest to us can be the biggest challenge. They know us, and we might have habits together that are hard to break free of. Easy to be kind in the abstract, but harder in the midst of a familiar fight, when you are completely sure of your rightness and good intentions, whereas that other person, etc., etc.

But: if a kid sees someone behaving lovingly towards someone they love, that gets into their bodies and they will emulate that behavior without even knowing they are doing it. I’ve noticed that in myself – my parents have some very good habits of mutual support, that I found myself trying to enact in my own marriage. And I also have seen how my wife’s patience with, and equanimity towards, me, has informed the way our daughters handle their relationships, with men and with friends and at work, etc.

In the title story of your recent short story collection, Tenth of December, the protagonist, after a near-death experience, finds himself deeply appreciating his relationship with his wife as he remembers a moment from whey they were newlyweds:

“Somehow: Molly.

He heard her in the entryway. Mol, Molly, oh, boy. When they were first married they used to fight. Say the most insane things. Afterward, sometimes there would be tears. Tears in bed? Somewhere. And then they would—Molly pressing her hot wet face against his hot wet face. They were sorry, they were saying with their bodies, they were accepting each other back, and that feeling, that feeling of being accepted back again and again, of someone’s affection for you always expanding to encompass whatever new flawed thing had just manifested in you, that was the deepest, dearest thing he’d ever—”

You once told me that this may be the most truthful thing you’ve written about love. Where specifically do you find the deep truth of love within this passage, and how did you come to realize its power and accuracy in describing a crucial moment within a marriage?

This was a big moment for me as a writer, simply because, at a moment when I needed this man to have a deep and sincere feeling about his wife of many years, instead of inventing something, I just turned to my own experience.

My wife and I have been married thirty years and have been through so many things together, and I know she has seen me at my worst – petulant, defensive, broken, pissy, etc. – and yet she’s always had my back, which is an incredibly powerful thing. Easy enough to have a good relationship when you partner is an attractive, in-control, nice guy, but what about those (more numerous) other times? The person on the receiving end of that sort of love gets quite a gift.

We always carry around an ideal vision of ourselves (the US we like) but we are also bothered by the existence and periodic appearance of that other US (the one we see as an unlikeable aberration). That sort of love basically says: “No, those are both you and both are acceptable.” Which, in turn, empowers you to really see and understand and improve the parts of yourself you’re not crazy about.

According to Dr. Gottman’s research, married couples who are happy can easily recall positive stories from their past, such as how and when they first met, while unhappy couples tend to remember more negative memories. In your speech, you ask the audience, “Who, in your life, do you remember most fondly, with the most undeniable feelings of warmth? Those who were kindest to you, I bet.” Why do you think that kindness has such a powerful capacity to help us form and recall meaningful memories?

That’s really interesting. And makes perfect sense. Someone who feels, “This relationship is awful” will tend to interpret past events in that light. It makes me think that we are always “novelizing” – narrating the past to inform the present moment and enable the future.

So, I think we have to walk a fine line there. To tell a happy story about an unhappy incident in the past might be to falsify /propagandize. For me the most productive thing is to try and tell a true story about the past – one that doesn’t deny or cloak any negative or complicated elements, but allows them in…makes them part of the actual, and hopefully positive, present moment. I suppose the trick is to be bitterness-free, if possible. That is, to see any negativity from the past to have been, ultimately, instructive of useful to the present, positive, state of things.

In your speech, you encourage us to “[do] those things that incline you toward the big questions.” Recently, Dr. Julie Schwartz Gottman raise some “big questions” in her TEDx talk that focused on how we can create world peace by beginning at home with creating positive and empathetic familial relationships, which could then push us to be more empathetic with others in the world. Do you see kindness as a potential force for good in the world, a force that could push humanity toward being more peaceful and cooperative?

I know that, in Buddhist practice, this focusing of intention is very important – to say, essentially, “I pray that whatever I accomplish here goes out to benefit all beings, and not just me.”

Small acts of sanity ensure that the world in one’s immediate area is…sane. I once heard the writer Tom McGuane say something along these lines – that a system of interconnected small sanity zones builds out and makes a sane world. And that has the benefit of being a workable approach – one knows how to start, at least. If nothing else, working towards sanity and kindness in one’s own world (one’s own mind) means that, when insanity occurs “out there,” we will have a sane outlook on it – might be able to avoid making things worse, via our agitated reaction.

But having said that (and believing all of that), I also like to remind myself to be a little cautious about the need to justify kindness by claiming it could have some big overarching effect on the world. I mean, I think it does – I know it does – but I also feel that, for me, sometimes those grand intentions can serve as a sort of place on which to solidify ego, as I mentioned above. (I recall that quote from Charles Schulz’s “Peanuts:” “I love mankind, it’s people I can’t stand.”) When I was touring for the book, I found that a lot of people were all for Kindness but not that always that great at kindness, if you see what I mean. (One guy on a radio interview sort of snarled, “I’ve always believed in kindness! But people don’t GET it!”).

I guess that’s the trick of any sort of moral stance toward the world – we have to stay off of autopilot.

For those who are having difficulties within their marriages and may feel lonely or disconnected, what sort of advice could you offer to them based on your experiences as a writer and reader of fiction, as a teacher, as a father, and as a husband?

The one analogy that comes to mind from writing is simply that, at this point in my career, it’s more interesting to assume that every story is workable, and send renewed energy at a story when it hits a snag – assume the best of it, in a sense. And often, with patience, that story will come alive again and rise to the (expanded) occasion. Which is always a happy outcome.

If you want to build a deeply meaningful relationship full of trust and intimacy, then subscribe below to receive our blog posts directly to your inbox:

Email*

Email

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

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Erring in the Direction of Kindness: An Interview with George Saunders

New Post has been published on http://foursprout.com/love/erring-in-the-direction-of-kindness-an-interview-with-george-saunders/

Erring in the Direction of Kindness: An Interview with George Saunders

In 2013, bestselling author George Saunders delivered the commencement address at Syracuse University, in which he encouraged graduates to “err in the direction of kindness.” The speech was soon published in the New York Times, which spurred a national discussion on the virtue of kindness, and it became a short book titled “Congratulations, by the way: Some Thoughts on Kindness.” The speech itself complements The Gottman Institute’s belief that “all individuals are capable of and deserve compassion” and that “compassion must begin with ourselves.”

When you gave your speech, did you anticipate the amount of attention it received, and do you hope that by engaging in small acts of kindness toward one another, we can foster a greater capacity for empathy within “the human family”?

The response that day was, to say the least, muted. I found myself pathetically wandering the reception crowd, fishing for compliments. The best I got was, “Hey, aren’t you the guy who gave that speech?” And then I said yes, and he sort of nodded in this noncommittal way and walked off to the snack table. Then the speech went on The New York Times website and seemed to really hit a nerve.

My belief is that, actually, this whole mess down here on earth only holds together via small acts of decency and kindness. We tend to overlook or minimize the effect of the small things, but that is really what a culture is – that collection of thousands of small, habitual, decent moves that collectively make life somewhat predictable and “normal.”

The small acts of kindness can be a sort of ritual self-reminding of what we are and what we’re meant to do down here. Although, of course, like any moral belief, this approach can also evolve into something automatic and irritating and reductive. I think “kindness,” properly understood, might, at times, be quite fierce. It would be “whatever produces positive results.”

Do you view kindness as an intentional behavior, and do you believe that it could similarly counteract negative interactions (which you term as “failures of kindness” in your speech) between not just romantic partners, but also between individuals and communities?

I think “kindness” can be understood in all sorts of ways. For me, the most useful thing is to try to remember to start each day saying: “The whole point of this gift of time I’ve been given is to try to be more loving and then act accordingly.” Of course, most days I forget to even have that thought and just get up and start running around servicing my ego and my anxiety and knocking things over and getting all irritated about how damn easy things are to knock over these days because of the big faceless corporations.

But I’ve found that if I can remember to have that intention, everything is more interesting. Because kindness is really a sort of “gateway virtue” – you start out with that intention, but then find yourself running into problems. It’s all well and good to say “be kind” but what is the kind choice if, say, you encounter a barista who, it seems, has been weeping? Comfort her? Inquire as to why? Just be quiet and leave her alone? Hard to know, in the abstract.

So, right away, we are into a different moral/ethical question, that might have to do with, say, awareness – being maximally data-receptive, so we know the right thing to do, for this person, at this moment. And that’s not something one could “phone in,” or prep for, by just saying to oneself, “Be kind.”

Your speech mentions that “your life is going to be a gradual process of becoming kinder and more loving,” which implies that once an individual commits to being kinder and more loving, that will result in even more kindness as they age. Do you believe that, when kindness “snowballs” and begins to envelop a romantic relationship, that such kindness could transcend that relationship and radiate into non-romantic relationships?

Well, that’s a bit beyond my area of expertise, but I do think that trying to increase one’s loving nature can have a beautifully simplifying effect on one’s life. Again, I’m only rarely able to get there, but on the few occasions on which I’ve blundered into this state, it felt like I’d acquired a kind of superpower: all questions answered more easily, the world a simpler place.

I’ve also noticed that when a person is in a genuine, happy, confident, kindness-enabled place, people feel it, and react to him in a different and more open way – which, in turn, expands the range of outcomes possible from that interaction.

Toward the end of your speech, you offer a prediction for the audience in the form of a “heartfelt wish:” “[A]s you get older, your self will diminish and you will grow in love. YOU will gradually be replaced by LOVE. If you have kids, that will be a huge moment in your process of self-diminishment. You really won’t care what happens to YOU, as long as they benefit.” Could you explain this process of “self-diminishment” from your experience as a father?

This is the one part of the speech about which I often catch grief: “If you think people get kinder as they get older, you should meet my father-in-law, ha ha!” I suppose this was a bit of wishful thinking on my part. It seems, actually, that people get to a crossroads of sorts. As age begins to take its toll, some people get bitter and others…not. And I suppose that has to do with both disposition and luck.

My observation about myself has been that, as a person gets older and the body starts to fall apart/slow down/get less wonderful, it starts to sink in: “Ah, even I am not permanent.” And that gives a person a different and (potentially) fonder view of the whole thing. We’re just very briefly passing through, despite what our ego believes.

Likewise, having kids: once you’re entrusted with another life, you become newly aware of your usual self-absorption. You might start to see self-absorption as the freakish, Darwinian, appendage that it is. And you feel your fondness for this little kid trump your self-fondness – and what a liberation that can be. You vanish a little. Or, as we used to say in a Catholic hymn: “We must diminish, and Christ increase.”

We also encourage parents to prioritize maintaining their relationship, as Drs. John and Julie Gottman claim that “the greatest gift you can give your baby is a happy and strong relationship between the two of you.” Do you think that the process of “self-diminishment” also includes expressing more kindness and empathy for your spouse, which will model a healthy relationship for children?

Yes, for sure. Although kindness toward the people closest to us can be the biggest challenge. They know us, and we might have habits together that are hard to break free of. Easy to be kind in the abstract, but harder in the midst of a familiar fight, when you are completely sure of your rightness and good intentions, whereas that other person, etc., etc.

But: if a kid sees someone behaving lovingly towards someone they love, that gets into their bodies and they will emulate that behavior without even knowing they are doing it. I’ve noticed that in myself – my parents have some very good habits of mutual support, that I found myself trying to enact in my own marriage. And I also have seen how my wife’s patience with, and equanimity towards, me, has informed the way our daughters handle their relationships, with men and with friends and at work, etc.

In the title story of your recent short story collection, Tenth of December, the protagonist, after a near-death experience, finds himself deeply appreciating his relationship with his wife as he remembers a moment from whey they were newlyweds:

“Somehow: Molly.

He heard her in the entryway. Mol, Molly, oh, boy. When they were first married they used to fight. Say the most insane things. Afterward, sometimes there would be tears. Tears in bed? Somewhere. And then they would—Molly pressing her hot wet face against his hot wet face. They were sorry, they were saying with their bodies, they were accepting each other back, and that feeling, that feeling of being accepted back again and again, of someone’s affection for you always expanding to encompass whatever new flawed thing had just manifested in you, that was the deepest, dearest thing he’d ever—”

You once told me that this may be the most truthful thing you’ve written about love. Where specifically do you find the deep truth of love within this passage, and how did you come to realize its power and accuracy in describing a crucial moment within a marriage?

This was a big moment for me as a writer, simply because, at a moment when I needed this man to have a deep and sincere feeling about his wife of many years, instead of inventing something, I just turned to my own experience.

My wife and I have been married thirty years and have been through so many things together, and I know she has seen me at my worst – petulant, defensive, broken, pissy, etc. – and yet she’s always had my back, which is an incredibly powerful thing. Easy enough to have a good relationship when you partner is an attractive, in-control, nice guy, but what about those (more numerous) other times? The person on the receiving end of that sort of love gets quite a gift.

We always carry around an ideal vision of ourselves (the US we like) but we are also bothered by the existence and periodic appearance of that other US (the one we see as an unlikeable aberration). That sort of love basically says: “No, those are both you and both are acceptable.” Which, in turn, empowers you to really see and understand and improve the parts of yourself you’re not crazy about.

According to Dr. Gottman’s research, married couples who are happy can easily recall positive stories from their past, such as how and when they first met, while unhappy couples tend to remember more negative memories. In your speech, you ask the audience, “Who, in your life, do you remember most fondly, with the most undeniable feelings of warmth? Those who were kindest to you, I bet.” Why do you think that kindness has such a powerful capacity to help us form and recall meaningful memories?

That’s really interesting. And makes perfect sense. Someone who feels, “This relationship is awful” will tend to interpret past events in that light. It makes me think that we are always “novelizing” – narrating the past to inform the present moment and enable the future.

So, I think we have to walk a fine line there. To tell a happy story about an unhappy incident in the past might be to falsify /propagandize. For me the most productive thing is to try and tell a true story about the past – one that doesn’t deny or cloak any negative or complicated elements, but allows them in…makes them part of the actual, and hopefully positive, present moment. I suppose the trick is to be bitterness-free, if possible. That is, to see any negativity from the past to have been, ultimately, instructive of useful to the present, positive, state of things.

In your speech, you encourage us to “[do] those things that incline you toward the big questions.” Recently, Dr. Julie Schwartz Gottman raise some “big questions” in her TEDx talk that focused on how we can create world peace by beginning at home with creating positive and empathetic familial relationships, which could then push us to be more empathetic with others in the world. Do you see kindness as a potential force for good in the world, a force that could push humanity toward being more peaceful and cooperative?

I know that, in Buddhist practice, this focusing of intention is very important – to say, essentially, “I pray that whatever I accomplish here goes out to benefit all beings, and not just me.”

Small acts of sanity ensure that the world in one’s immediate area is…sane. I once heard the writer Tom McGuane say something along these lines – that a system of interconnected small sanity zones builds out and makes a sane world. And that has the benefit of being a workable approach – one knows how to start, at least. If nothing else, working towards sanity and kindness in one’s own world (one’s own mind) means that, when insanity occurs “out there,” we will have a sane outlook on it – might be able to avoid making things worse, via our agitated reaction.

But having said that (and believing all of that), I also like to remind myself to be a little cautious about the need to justify kindness by claiming it could have some big overarching effect on the world. I mean, I think it does – I know it does – but I also feel that, for me, sometimes those grand intentions can serve as a sort of place on which to solidify ego, as I mentioned above. (I recall that quote from Charles Schulz’s “Peanuts:” “I love mankind, it’s people I can’t stand.”) When I was touring for the book, I found that a lot of people were all for Kindness but not that always that great at kindness, if you see what I mean. (One guy on a radio interview sort of snarled, “I’ve always believed in kindness! But people don’t GET it!”).

I guess that’s the trick of any sort of moral stance toward the world – we have to stay off of autopilot.

For those who are having difficulties within their marriages and may feel lonely or disconnected, what sort of advice could you offer to them based on your experiences as a writer and reader of fiction, as a teacher, as a father, and as a husband?

The one analogy that comes to mind from writing is simply that, at this point in my career, it’s more interesting to assume that every story is workable, and send renewed energy at a story when it hits a snag – assume the best of it, in a sense. And often, with patience, that story will come alive again and rise to the (expanded) occasion. Which is always a happy outcome.

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The post Erring in the Direction of Kindness: An Interview with George Saunders appeared first on The Gottman Institute.

[rosshgalloway]

A Discussion of Evolution

So I recently came across this Video posted by an acquaintance on Facebook and I wanted to respond to it.  I considered responding on facebook, but when I started it got a little long so I have decided to put it here.  Here is the video:

I know that many will say that It is silly to even try to argue about this and that the 2 parties are starting off with different facts, but clearly there are many people out there who have trouble refuting the argument presented in the video.  I hope to do this in a way that doesn’t belittle people who believe in god or evolution. So with that said, Here goes.

Presentation

First, I take issue with the video asking random people on the street to describe the process of life and evolution on the spot, and then essentially yelling "gotcha!" when they don't have a clear answer to a very difficult question.  Not to mention that there is probably a fair amount of selective editing going on.  I tend to hate these kinds of videos when they are political as well, typically where an interviewer goes to a rally, asks random people there policy questions, and then only shows the bad or wrong answers.

I could throw this right back at theists (those who believe in god) and go ask bunch of people leaving a church how they account for discrepancies in the Bible.  Most people don't think about these things on a daily basis and therefore would not have particularly good answers.  But, If I were to ask a Biblical scholar, I would probably get a pretty good answer.   Likewise if you asked an evolutionary biologist about DNA and "the book of life" you would get a much more complete answer of how life came about.  Either way, with the Biblical scholar or the evolutionary biologist, you can accept their answer or not based on the assumptions you bring to the table, but at least you are asking someone knowledgeable about the subject.

Content - Logic

Now that the presentation critique is out of the way, lets start with the content. 

Lets discuss the logic of the book analogy that is brought up. The narrator is using a book analogy to argue for intelligent design, implying that DNA is like a book that he is holding (he calls DNA the “book of life”.  He asks if it is possible that this book could have come into being from nothing without being designed and manufactured, and the answer is clearly no.  But to then argue that a fully formed human and their DNA is equivalent to that book is a false equivalency.  I can go watch a book get made.  I can see humans plant trees, and then grow them and cut them down, and then send them to a paper mill.  I can then see that paper go to a factory.  I can watch a designer draw the pictures in the book and write the words, and then watch the machines transfer those things to the paper and bind it all together to make a book.  I have now observed the design and creation of this book.  Could this book have spontaneously formed from all of these things without the intentions of humans?  No. (There are scientists who would argue yes, but that the probability of these things happening is so low that it is essentially 0 at any human timescale.  Like, 0.000-amillionzeros-1.  I don't want to get into that though) 

Extrapolating this logic, if I went somewhere totally remote and spoke with someone who had never seen a book before (lets say a group of cavemen suddenly show up). They have never seen printing, or writing, or paper, or any modern industry or anything like that. If I showed them the book, I could probably convince them that the book had been created by some supernatural power, since its method of production is totally foreign to them.  As Arthur C Clarke has noted, “Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.”   But I know that the book was not created by a supernatural power or magic, it just seems that way to someone with no other frame of reference. It is a question of experience and not intelligence.

DNA and the evolution of life is similar.  I don't want to imply that believing in intelligent design is backward or stupid.  In many ways it reflects the realities of our day-to-day lives.  The complicated things that we use and do have almost all been designed by other humans.  Therefore "design" seems like it is a law of the universe.  But to believe in evolution is to argue that design is only one way that things can be created.  Evolution changes the way we think about how things can be made or come into being, and that is why it is so revolutionary.   Just like how our caveman from before, who has never seen modern industry, cannot imagine that we can split atoms to make energy, transport that energy halfway across the world, and then use big machines to print perfect copies of a book, someone who doesn’t understand evolution will have a very hard time perceiving that the creation of life can be done differently from how we see things created by humans every day.

So without discussing the content of the science of evolution, it is important to understand that at the core of evolution is an idea that life came about in a way that is significantly differently from anything produced or created by humans.  Therefore, the creation of DNA is nothing like the creation of a book.

So how does evolution work?

Initial Caveat

So I want to start off by saying that Evolutionary Biology is an incredibly complicated field and I am not an evolutionary biologist or even a scientist.  Some of my facts may be inaccurate or simplified and I encourage anyone reading to let me know if they feel that way.  I am striving for accuracy.

Also,the argument for evolution rests on a few propositions that, if not accepted essentially end the discussion.  The first of these is the length of the history of the universe and the earth.  If you believe that the earth is only a few thousand years old, then you cannot believe in evolution.  Evolution requires millions of years to work.  Likewise for the shape of the earth and other "non-scientific" elements of the bible (this video is from a flat earth group, so I'm a little worried). So in order to continue this discussion, we have to agree on a few things:

the earth is more than 6000 years old and was not created in 7 days.

The Earth is not flat

Essentially, a literal interpretation of the old testament is a non-starter.  Fortunately, most people today do not believe in a literal interpretation of the old testament, but instead believe that it is a collection of divinely inspired stories, fables, and parables that explain how we should live and worship (I think?).  

Starting with our 2 givens, we can continue.

Scale

The first point to be made is about scale. Modern astronomical and geological timescales are huge and wholly outside of our day to day experience.  Lets look at the current scientific consensus on the age of the universe, earth, etc. (I recommend watching the show Cosmos on FOX for more information.  It is on Netflix too I believe)

 The universe is 13.8 billion years old.  This number is based on astronomical observations.  Where this number comes from is another discussion but is a generally accepted scientific fact based on observed evidence. What was before the universe?  No scientist can say, although many are trying to find out. Some will argue that is isn’t a question with an answer, like asking where the beginning of a circle is.

The earth is 4.5 billion years old.  It and the other planets formed  around the sun from the same matter that created the sun. https://www.space.com/19175-how-was-earth-formed.html

Life formed between then and now. Scientists say it took about 800 million years for the first life to form and another 1.7 billion years or so for multi-cellular life to appear.  That means there were over 2 billion years between the cooling of the earth and multi cellular life to appear

Lets bring these numbers down to a human time scale. If each year took a second, WW2 was 70 seconds ago, the pyramids were built 75 minutes ago and the first homo-sapiens walked the earth 55 hours ago, dinosaurs first roamed the earth 7 years ago, and it took 107 years for life to evolve from it’s initial most basic form to leaving the ocean and first walking on land.  And to think we have trouble remembering what we did last week.

Physical scales are also out of the realm of every day experience. Atoms, elements and molecules are really, really small.  For reference, there are about 250 million times more molecules in a single human being than there are grains of sand in the Sahara.   This is important because evolution requires lots of time and lots of interactions. 

The beginnings of Life

There are a few competing theories on where life began. Originally, many scientists believe that life emerged from a “primordial soup” on the early Earth when it was first covered with water and other liquid elements after it had cooled. This theory has recently fallen out of favor due to new evidence and other promising theories have been proposed including one where life began near hot vents on the ocean floor. Some propose life came from another planet via asteroids and comets, but exactly where life started is somewhat unimportant.  The important fact is that, as proven by the “Primordial Soup” experiments, organic molecules can be created from inorganic elements with the proper conditions. 

Before we jump any further, there is an important threshold question where one may want to ask where the line between "not alive" and "alive" is. I will argue that this actually confuses things.  We usually think of natural selection and evolution as something that happens to living organisms, but why can't it also apply to non-living things and thereby create a "gradient of life". In this way evolution and survival of the fittest isn't a strategy to merely "survive" but a mechanism to determine what exists in the world.  Therefore, a collection of elements that can hold itself together is more likely to "survive" and exist into the future, whether it is a cell, a rock, a puddle of water, a person, the earth, etc.  The larger the size of the object, the more likely it is to continue in the same or similar form. (There are interesting questions of self rolled into this assumption as well). 

Elements (atoms) on the periodic table have distinct properties defined by their structures.  Some react with other elements better than others to form molecules (The noble gases don't interact with shit).  Carbon, the basis for life on earth, reacts freely with many different elements, so just by being around other elements (with an energy source like lightning to move electrons) it can inherently "change" and form more complicated bits of matter.  Certain chains of molecules may, at random, over time form configurations that are stable or capable of growing into even larger molecules.  Eventually, some of these molecules would be organized in a way that instead of needing lightning to react with other groupings, sunlight was enough.  Of those molecules, the ones that were closer to the surface of the water grew bigger because they had more energy to use to grow.  There were gazillions or little molecules like this and only occasionally would one find the right situation where it could combine with another, but because there are so many, it happened in many different ways (and sometimes the same ways).  I guess you could call these molecules protocells.  They don't really reproduce but they have a structure that allows them to be stable yet also sometimes change.  It isn't that the other's died (are they alive to begin with?) but that they just didn't get any bigger. Eventually they formed complicated structures like cells.  A membrane would help a cell hold itself together, so more cells with membranes would survive than those without.  Eventually a structure formed that could (or did) split in 2 identical pieces.  it didn't want to, but because it did there are now more of it.  Multiply this by trillions of little protocells and cells, and millions of years and you start getting all types of different cells that split into copies and become more numerous.  Over further millions of years the groupings that are best able to harvest energy and split (reproduce) become dominant. Then, in the flash of a couple million eye blinks, you have plants and fish, and then weird fish-reptiles, and then dinosaurs and little mammals, and then monkeys and people and shit!  Evolution is one of the most beautiful ideas conceived.  Simplicity on a mass scale creates incredible complexity. 

To be continued...