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mitigatedchaos · 4 years

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Review: SAC_2045

(~3,700 words, 15 minutes)

This post will contain some minor spoilers for SAC_2045.

Summary: You may have thought SAC_2045 was a poor entry in the Ghost in the Shell franchise - actually, it's just intended for younger audiences.

Previously: Standalone Complex 202045:1-4 (superseded)

-☆☆☆-

And what did you think of the remaining episodes of GitS:SAC_2045?

[ @irradiate-space ]

Standalone Complex

There's a certain indescribable feeling associated with Ghost in the Shell: Standalone Complex as a work, an artistic touch related to the director associated with it, independent of other considerations. SAC_2045 has it, which isn't too surprising since Kenji Kamiyama is back.

SAC_2045 is Standalone Complex. For a brief moment, while watching it, I inhabited my pre-2016 personality and outlook. I can't tell you how much that means to me. Since the arrival of streaming I've tended to bingewatch series, but on the first run-through I decided not to bingewatch this one.

If you approach this show as season 4 of Standalone Complex (Solid State Society being season 3), it's underwhelming. Now, viewing it again, it's become obvious that a conventional season 4 of Standalone Complex was never the intent of SAC_2045 to begin with.

For those of you who have delayed until now, the English dub has been uploaded - it released without one due to the pandemic. They bring back a number of the voice actors from the excellent Standalone Complex dub, though having already watched it with subtitles, I didn't feel the need to confirm the dub's quality.

Sustainable War

To properly describe a new theory of war is the same thing as to invent it. While the idea of war as a for-profit industry has been kicked around for some time, it's generally assumed that this is a kind of parasitic relationship on the part of the war-making industry.

As time goes on, warfare becomes more abstract (partly because warfare happens where it can happen), much like society itself is becoming more abstract as information moves more quickly and humanity gains access to more energy.[1] In SAC_2045, "Sustainable War" is part of the context of the world and its current issues, but we aren't really told how it works - if it's similar to contemporary information warfare and a blurring of the lines between state and non-state actors, it's bound to be quite confusing.

I believe my earlier assessment of "Sustainable War" is correct. The key feature of sustainable war, the reason they say it's safe if you leave it to the experts, is likely that it involves AIs constantly forecasting against each other and moving units around with few direct confrontations. The goal would be to lock in a victory without having to fire a shot, except for small skirmishes that don't escalate to major incidents (due to the AI forecasting).

The presence of armed separatist movements even in Japan may also indicate that the ruling institutional bodies are engaged in a kind of Post-International Politics,[2] which treats all international relations as fundamentally existing between subnational entities - however, I believe that later information suggests this wasn't their original intent.

What makes it "sustainable"? Since if done correctly, very little is actually physically destroyed, the cost is less than conventional warfare, and thus the war can continue indefinitely. Why does it threaten humanity with destruction? Because there's an awful lot of military hardware waiting for someone to actually pull the trigger.

Season 1: Ep. 2

So what is the intent of the series' creators? I think they may be telling us through this dialogue between Togusa and Section Chief Daisuke Aramaki in episode 2.

Aramaki: Seems time has toughened you up. Togusa: Is that supposed to be a compliment? Aramaki: It is if you want it to be. Togusa: Then thanks for the kind words. “I made the right decision by choosing this line of work over my marriage.” That’s what you’re saying? Aramaki: Perhaps. [...] Togusa: They're bringing back Section 9? [...] Aramaki: But my takeaway from the proposal is this: The PM's reason for the urgent reforming of Section 9 takes priority over his personal motives. I believe his true objective is meeting the Americans' demands for the dispatch of special resources. Togusa: So it's as the Liberals feared? An American-born Prime Minister would be no more than an American puppet? Aramaki: I've yet to meet him in person, so I can't really say. But this is an opportunity to have the Major and the rest of you undertake a major operation for me once more. Togusa: What sort of op? Aramaki: Over the past few years, I have searched for an answer on how to deal with a society in turmoil. I'd like you people to lay the groundwork that will help the next generation find that answer. Togusa: I don't know what a man in my position can contribute, but I'll humbly offer whatever assistance I can.

Those of us who cried, Kamiyama, tell us the future once more! based on Standalone Complex's prophetic analysis of a memetic crime wave were bound to be disappointed. SAC_2045 is less rooted in the near future than in the now - cyberbullying, endless war amidst historic prosperity, employment suppressed by automation, savings eaten up by the complex machinations of finance, and a breakdown of national borders? That's today.

Those of us who hoped for a Ghost in the Shell: Unicorn, a psychically overpowering work that synthesizes the full body of Ghost in the Shell into a single coherent form to elevate us to a higher level of understanding, should have tempered our expectations. To reach each new philosophical level is more difficult than the last - to achieve that with Ghost in the Shell of all things would have required a multidisciplinary genius near the limits of current understanding.

Kenji Kamiyama is just an anime director. And anyhow, Gundam Unicorn was a book before it was an animated series. And who among us even knew we'd have to write a book before 2015? Ghost in the Shell was well-understood enough, so I instead wrote 25,000 words worth of hypothetical country and became a blogger, like the infamous Scott Alexander.[3]

If we approach SAC_2045 from the lens that it's a humbler work designed for younger audiences, however, some of the creative decisions make more sense.

Purin

Just how old is Purin, the MIT grad who joins the team later on? If I had to guess, that's '23歳' on that profile she provides, and Ishikawa notes that she 'skipped a few grades' on her way to a PhD. But she acts like someone a lot younger. She's enthusiastic and we're assured she's intelligent, but seems to be lacking social training. For example, she makes the mistake of assembling an era-accurate music player for Batou combined with a playlist after consulting the Tachikomas to find out what he listens to. There are two ways to take this.

The first is that she's intended as a relateable character for someone who would make this class of mistake. It's the sort of mistake I might have made at age 13-14, meaning that the show would probably be aimed at someone that age or lower. Overly enthusiastic, doesn't understand romantic relationships, impulsive, poor reading of boundaries / poor modelling of others outside of certain domains, impulsive in a way that causes social screw-ups? Yeah that could certainly apply to an ADHD kid of about that age.

And all of a sudden the tone of the first five episodes with the gun-fighting, the literal Agent Smith, the decision to place the focus in America, and even the mystery of the series being much simpler than Standalone Complex 2nd Gig's plot regarding Asian refugees in Japan make a lot more sense. This is Ghost in the Shell for kids!

Wow, I didn't think that could be done!

...is what I should say, except that around the time I acquired the ability to futurist shitpost, and I used that ability to predict that it would.

Purin II

The second reading is that the youth of the future are fucked up. She probably has some tricked out modifications, both cybernetic and genetic. Now usually you would tell someone to try to become a well-rounded human being. But...

The global economy has crashed. Batou mistakes her for a robot - creatures that look like pretty young women are a dime a dozen. In the dating market, she would be competing with full sensory immersion VR pornography on the one hand, and at the upper end of society where cybernetics are more widely available, likely women with a similar appearance but decades more experience and professional standing.

Note that in the original Standalone Complex, the team take down an 80-year-old Russian spy with the full prosthetic body of a 20-year-old. Full cyborgs aren't common then, nor are they in SAC_2045 (though cyberbrains are ubiquitous), but if the economy recovers that may change, and the sector she's trying to get in to (full-time salaried government rather than marginal private employment it would seem) is going to be very tough to enter either way.

So Purin may have to be over-optimized even to just appear on the screen. In fact, she says,

"Just so I could work at Section 9, I moved most of my sentimental memories to external storage."

Youch! It's no wonder she's socially maladjusted. Just how much of her social learning (in particular key events necessary to rebuild logical inferences on the boundaries of behavior on the fly) has she locked away?

Purin III

But you know who Purin looks like? Notorious internet personality, Gamer Girl Bath Water seller, and IRL video game character Belle Delphine.[4]

Or rather, it's the other way around - 2D animation compresses real detail into suggestive abstraction, letting your mind fill in the rest. Going from those impossible 2D shapes to 3 dimensions creates strange results, like training your machine learning algorithm on the salient features of a cat's face, applying it to human shape, and putting pink hair on the result. Belle Delphine adopts that otherworldly kind of appearance as part of her act.

Technically, this a stylistic choice. Within the framework of SAC_2045, this is what "a 23-year-old female" looks like.

Purin is in fact so non-threatening that her big red coat obscures her figure. I'm gonna go with younger audience. Now if only I could remember what pronoun she uses.[5/☆]

Motoko

With a full prosthetic body, outward signs of human-like aging are almost an artistic expression, much like in a world with cheap tissue engineering, visible scars are a choice.

When she was first introduced in the original Ghost in the Shell manga, we don't know how old Motoko Kusanagi is. It was once said that her name is analogous to "Jane Excalibur," which in English would be an obvious alias. In the first movie (from 1995), she's cool, almost cold and robotic.

In the original Standalone Complex, Motoko has a more mature personality than in the manga, but she has a clearly adult look by the standards of anime. Seriously, check out this fantastic character design (combat suit), although admittedly the better-known "leather jacket and bathing suit" design is more ridiculous, fashion-wise.[6] (Fortunately, she gets pants in her much more stylish second season outfit.)

ARISE starts off with a young Motoko Kusanagi in a chaotic post-war period before the Section 9 we know was assembled. This shows in her character design, but it really shows in her personality. This was actually why I had joked about an even earlier Ghost in the Shell.

There is a sense in which the 2017 live-action movie's Motoko is even younger. Scarlett Johansson is a killer cyborg with amnesia. She doesn't even have one day of formal combat training.

Motoko 2045

Ilya Kuvshinov designed SAC_2045's Motoko Kusanagi.

Yes, that Ilya Kuvshinov. You could be forgiven for thinking this is a teenager that hardboiled assassins Saitou and Ishikawa in the background have been hired to bodyguard.

Despite this, Atsuko Tanaka has resumed her role as Motoko's voice actress. Standalone Complex's Motoko looked 25 and felt mid-30s. SAC_2045's Motoko looks 16 and has the voice and attitude of 40.

This may make more sense than you might think.

Through Whose Eyes?

Throughout much of Ghost in the Shell as a franchise, Togusa, the only non-cyborg on the team, who is pulled from a police department instead of a military background, tends to be character used to help the people of our time relate to the future. He's the guy that doesn't know the things we also don't know, so in explaining concepts to Togusa they're explained to the audience.

In SAC_2045, most of the team are off doing cool cyborg things in America. Aramaki (whose in-world function is to create the bureaucratic environment within which Section 9 operates) tasks Togusa with finding them. The original Standalone Complex first aired in 2003. It's been 17 years since it was created - a similar situation to finding someone that reached adulthood who was born after 9/11. And during this time, Togusa's life has changed - the family man is now separated from his wife. And the world has changed - Togusa is now working for a private security firm. Togusa's role in the first five episodes isn't to guide the new viewers.

His purpose is to guide or stand-in for the old viewers.

The New Viewers

"Do you still hold a grudge against the Major and the others for leaving you behind?"

For the original viewers, SAC_2045 is your world, too. Togusa is there. Togusa is you.

The new viewers are Purin. Enthusiastic and smart but awkward and not confident in their skills. How could they measure up to these much more talented and experienced characters? (Also consider who is going to watch any sort of Ghost in the Shell - it's probably going to be a moderately bright and introverted kid, who is the kind of person that may be more comfortable socializing with people outside of their age band.)

But Motoko is visually separated from the rest of Section 9. Batou, Saitou, Ishikawa, Boma... they all have a much more adult look in keeping with their appearance in previous versions of Ghost in the Shell. What gives?

Batou is sort of a cool adult male figure - this is actually a pretty natural use of the character and his sense of humor as previously established in other Ghost in the Shell properties. We especially see this come through in 「PIE IN THE SKY - First Bank Robbery」 episode, with the old folks and the 21st century bank robbery.

Motoko's difference in appearance is because she's acting as a bridge between the two. The new viewer (as represented by Purin) is supposed to grow into being like Motoko as they gain confidence and experience. (The characters aren't each limited to a single role, of course.)

But SAC_2045 is still a work that's shared between two groups, similar to how the excellent Into the Spiderverse features both the teenage Miles Morales and an older Peter Parker that has lost his way, with the loss of the vibrant young adult Peter Parker being what starts the plot going.

The Last Quarter

With this framework, the rest of the work should express its nature as targeted at a younger audience itself. Watch the last few episodes through this lens and you'll see how much sense it makes. One takes place at a school. Even the bizarre 3D style that resembles recent video games makes more sense. If we take Togusa's earlier conversation with Aramaki as a discussion of SAC_2045 itself, later on there's even a sort of acknowledgement that Ghost in the Shell is a difficult work for someone of a young age.

So with that context in mind, does it work?

Standalone Complex

If I remember correctly, years ago, when I was perhaps 15 or 16, I was watching a tiny CRT television some time after midnight, and I saw the thirteenth episode of the original Standalone Complex - NOT EQUAL. It was like nothing I had ever seen before. I was immediately taken by it. And, from what I remember, I immediately understood it.

It was as though it were made just for me.[7]

To me, Ghost in the Shell is like a textbook. I thought that as a creator who has reached a place where I am able to be involved in that kind of work, I'm in a position where I have to convey its contents to a younger audience. Well, I knew it would be a lot of work, but I figured it would be my way of giving back to Ghost in the Shell. I thought that I needed to accept the baton and offer Ghost in the Shell to a young audience, to the same degree that Ghost in the Shell raised me to be who I am.

- Tow Ubukata, in a 2015 interview, regarding ARISE

For many people, Ghost in the Shell is a profound influence. I felt that it lifted me to a new level of understanding.

SAC_2045

But what about SAC_2045?

I can't view Ghost in the Shell with new eyes. When I first saw it, I wasn't the kind of person that casually memes futuristic ethical dilemmas as a means of practicing politics.

Compared to the anime I watched back when I was 13, would I have watched SAC_2045? Yes. Is it more philosophically and politically sophisticated? Yes. Would I have found it memorable? I think so.

Would a 13-year these days watch it? That's difficult to assess. I bet someone who does data science for Netflix could tell us, if they wanted. I'm sure Kenji Kamiyama and Shinji Aramaki are considering the same thing.

2017

How does it stack up compared to the rest of the franchise?

For most enthusiasts it's going to be one of the weaker entries, though it certainly does a better job explaining itself than ARISE.

Compare it to 2017's live action movie, however, and I think we'll find it isn't the weakest. The reason is that the writers of Ghost in the Shell (2017) decided to tell a story about bodily consent in which becoming a cyborg is a form of trauma. On some level this may have been a reasonable decision, but they didn't commit to the concept sufficiently fully to execute it well enough to carry the movie - and simultaneously, they dumbed down parts of the regular Ghost in the Shell material for American audiences. As a result the movie flopped both financially and artistically - except for the visuals.

In fact, I wrote a sequence of posts (1, 2, 3, 4) on how to rewrite the live action movie as an actual Ghost in the Shell property. I feel no need to do so for SAC_2045 - and I can't even think of what changes would need to be made.

I look forward to the second season.

-☆☆☆-

[1] It's short, but that's a concept in this post. "Advanced by Left-Wing theorists, Ninth Generation warfare sees all acts as existing on a spectrum of political violence. Most acts of ninth generation warfare consist of extreme pranks."

[2] If we accept the idea of "Fifth-Generation Warfare" as motivated by a desire to prevent the enemy from using their conventional military assets, then a corresponding theory of international politics would involve preventing enemy factions within foreign governments from taking control of those governments' institutions - effectively treating all countries as in continuous level of conflict analogous to a soft civil war.

[3] There is a kind of technique to this, but in my case I substituted ADHD for raw IQ and conscientiousness, which is part of why my posts are so much shorter than, for instance, Moldbug's. In any case, technically, Scott's blog posts on the matter amount to roughly a mere 11,600 words, and the book of the black forest amounts to approximately 26,000 words (which I'm told is entertaining reading), but I'm sure if we go looking we can find an additional 15,000 words worth of worldbuilding from a man known for writing 16,000 word blog posts.

[4] Would it be more of a legal liability to sell regular water with GGBW branding, or actual GGBW that could prove to be a potential health hazard?

[5/☆] There's some future strand lurking beneath the surface here that I can't quite put into words; a culturally divergent moe meltdown where an appearance this ridiculous becomes normalized among some sub-population. To quote the Funko Pop Hatred post,

There are questions about the anatomy of anime people and their internal organs, and particularly about what sort of impact-dampening alien meta-material their softer bits are made out of, but at least homo sapiens gokuensis looks like it’s a branch off a similar starting hominid! Whatever transhuman engineering company was responsible for manufacturing the creatures in the typical harem anime has some weird ideas about human beings, but we’re clearly in their ancient lineage somewhere.

Under Late Safetyism, everyone is a declawed catgirl.

Anyhow, I don't want to alarm you, but I can't guarantee that this won't be the future somewhere. Both Purin and Belle Delphine resemble Xiaoice, "The AI Girlfriend Seducing China's Lonely Men." (2020)

[6] Motoko's ridiculous outfits are a major flex on the non-cyborgs, who aren't indifferent to ambient temperature and whose natural bodies may have unflattering features. Similarly wild fashions can exist in places like Second Life, a 3D digital platform with mostly user-uploaded content. Presumably they're also a flex on every Japanese salaryman who still has to dress like a normal guy.

[7] "It's as though it were made just for me" is also how I feel about the original game Mirror's Edge. Its follow-up, Catalyst, is also a personal favorite of mine.

#miti does media #longpost #flagpost #ghost in the shell #sac_2045 #standalone complex #review

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theuniversitychallengereview · 4 years

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UC 50.29 - Magdalene, Cam vs Warwick

I tweeted last week, at the height of the mania surrounding the Handforth Parish Council Meeting of Thursday December 10th 2020 (HPCMOT10D2020), that I was going to try and do this week’s review in the style of said meeting (if you haven’t seen the video, you’d be better off watching it than reading this, because it is possibly the purest nuggest of funny this side of the pandemic).

Now, that may sound impossible - how does one write a review of a television quiz show in the style of a cantankerous parish council meeting - but you are talking to someone who has previously reviewed University Challenge in the style of the movie Tenet, and the book Ducks, Newburyport. Notwithstanding the relative success (or failure) of those endeavors, there is nothing to say that I cannot at least try to do this.

However, given that I failed to get my review out on Monday (a mere three days after the initial virality), and am instead writing it on the following Saturday (eight days after the event), it is quite possible that I have missed my moment. The meme-geist (and I have carefully considered my choice of invented word here. Given that zeit means time and geist means spirit, perhaps the more linguistically correct option would have been zeit-meme, but that doesn’t quite capture the geist of what I was going for, and is a less satisfactory portmanteau, which is where the real meaning is gleamed in English) moves quickly.

And though I harbour hope that this meeting lives long in the cultural memory, so that years from now I can reference quotes from it in pleasant company, it will probably be lost within weeks, along with other such heroes of the Lockdown Internet as Lawyer Cat and Tiger King.

Already we have seen the rise and fall of Jackie Weaver, the erstwhile main character of the video, who was interviewed on TV news channels all over the world, but who was later revealed to be a Tory Councillor, much to the chagrin of many of her most vociferous fans, who had proclaimed her a modern feminist icon for her no-nonsense approach to Aled’s iPad and the imposterous PC Handforth Clerk.

This volte-face from Mrs Weaver’s staunchest early supporters comes about as a direct result of the need people have for everything to mean something, and for all people to always be total good or total bad. Yes, there is a conversation to be had about men in a position of power and privilege treating women poorly and speaking over them as if they are not there. But when that conversation feels the need to place one party as angelic and the other demonic (no matter how clearly that appears to be the case) it leaves no space to examine the nuances involved in the way people live their lives (this may seem like a grand way of discussing what seems like a cut and dry case of a male superiority complex, but when, for Mrs Weaver’s actions to be commendable, she also needs to be ‘of sound character’ in every other sense, it leaves us all open to inconsistencies and illogical systems of thought), which is not something that we need to do for silly videos anyway.

In reality, it wasn’t that surprising that she turned out to be a Tory - she is a councillor after all, and a large proprotion of councillors are Conservative Party Councillors. That doesn’t mean she was wrong to kick those men out, but it is further evidence that there is nothing to be gained from painting people as heroes or villains - or at least there is nothing to be gained from acting like those paintings carry real world currency. You either die the hero or live long enough to see yourself somewhat unsurprisingly outed as a member of the Conservative party...

Anyway, by now you’re probably thinking ‘when do we plan to start?’, and (~fUcK oFf~) I think we could start any moment. Though I will mention that if anyone if being disruptive, I will have to throw them out of the review, and if anyone has a point of order to raise they will have to wait until the episode starts.

This quarter-final was a qualification bout, between two sides who had already won one match at this stage, with Magdalene having beaten Birkbeck and Warwick taken down Imperial only last week. The winners would claim the first semi-final spot, while the losers would have to play again to make it through.

The first question of the evening was ‘what is the difference between a Clerk and a Proper Officer?’, which Magdalene’s Davies correctly identified as a trick question - there is no difference between a Clerk and a Proper Officer. At this point the recording had to be stopped to settle a dispute, as someone pretending to be the Warwick captain believed this not to be the case, and claimed that Paxman was breaking the law by accepting the answer.

This imposter suggested angrily that Paxman should read the standing orders, and another of his sidekicks yelled out that he should not only read the standing orders but understand them also. These gentlemen went onto claim that the quarter-final was being staged illegally, but this was not the case, and Paxman was forced to remove the false captain from the recording, though they claimed that he did not have the authority to do this (you have no authority Jeremy Paxman! No authority at all). But he did have the authority, and the false captain was removed from the meeting.

This did not initially aid the smooth continuation of proceedings however, as there remained some troublemakers in the audience, who started speaking in tongues and who loudly proclaimed to someone off screen that they were ‘trying to record an episode of University Challenge, you fool’ on not one but two occasions, before trying to assert that in the absence of the false captain it was they who should take charge.

Members of the Magdalene team then raised the question of how it was that the false Warwick captain had come to be known by that moniker. Paxman informed everyone that he had simply declared himself to be the new captain, and that he, Paxman, could also, in a similar fashion, declare himself to be Britney Spears, which solicited giggles from all those in attendance.

With these issues dealt with, the match could be continued, and Warwick, this time under the rightful and competent leadership of Andrew Rout, raced off into a hundred point lead. Magdalene looked a little stunned by all of the earlier excitement and stuggled to get into the game in the first half.

They had a brief resurgence when Paxman asked if anyone would object to the banished troublemakers being readmitted. Naturally Magdalene felt strongly about this and buzzed in with the correct answer - no. Two more starter questions followed, and they closed the gap to forty five.

Rout stopped the Warwick rot with the picture starter (on dressmakers) - an inspired guess of Mary Quant. In his previous episode he had guessed Mary Quant incorrectly, so he was delighted, and amused, that this time he had been right. Another brilliant guess of Versace gave them a bonus as well, but their luck ran out with Coco Chanel, who was dead by the time the next dress had been designed.

Another starter, this time from Braid, put Warwick out of reach going into the final few minutes. A quick run of back-to-back starters, with near perfect bonusing, wasn’t enough for Magdalene, who ended the match forty points adrift.

Final Score: Magdalene 160 - 200 Warwick

Jackie Weaver 1 - 0 Handforth PC Clerk

Phew! What an episode/meeting that was. Congratulations to Warwick on their win and to Jackie Weaver for keeping order. I don’t have much else to say other than to reiterate the advice from earlier than all standing orders should be both read and understood.

#university challenge #bbc2 #warwick #magdalene #cambridge #handforth parish council #jackie weaver #Jeremy Paxman

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pizza-italian · 5 years

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Learning the Art of Wood Fire Pizza Cooking.

In August of this year I made the decision that I was going to buy a wood fire oven for my backyard. After doing a massive amount of research I decided the Strada oven from Forno Bravo was the one for me. There are options for purchasing kits to build your own, or just starting from scratch and taking on your own construction project, but as stated in an earlier post where I reviewed the book Build Your Own Barrel Oven my skills in that area are not up to that level without assistance. I don’t like to back down from a challenge but taking on a project like that would require a huge learning curve and time investment.

The decision on which oven to purchase was based on cost, size, and portability. The Stada is the smallest oven that Forno Bravo (or anyone else that I’m aware of) makes and even though I would have preferred a larger model I like that it is small enough to take with me in the event I move. If one has unlimited resources any size wood fire oven can be moved but in my opinion this is the only one that would be practical to move without a huge effort focused solely on transporting the oven.

On the Road Again – North to Salinas.

The Strada model also fits into the back of my Ford Escape so I had the option of going to the factory to pick it up vs. spending 100′s of dollars in shipping. The factory is in Salinas, Ca, which is roughly 300 miles (one way) from where I live in Ventura Co. After checking in with Forno Bravo to make sure I understood the dimensions correctly and that it would definitely fit in my Escape I made the purchase and set a time/date to pick it up. Six hundred miles of driving in one day is a lot but I’ve driven to Seattle and back a couple of times the past few years and I’ve learned to like the long drives. Plus Firestone Walker is along the way as is one of my favorite stops for Mexican food (Zorro’s) in Pismo Beach. So, after checking out a Stephen King audiobook (The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon) from the library I was off to Salinas.

Upon arrival at Forno Bravo one of the workers said, “I don’t know if it’s going to fit in your SUV.” I reminded him that there is a picture on their web site of the Strada in the back of a small SUV like mine. He pointed to a SUV parked on the street and said, “That’s the one in the picture, I think it’s a little bigger than yours.” Fortunately, after a few stressful minutes of watching the forklift approach the Escape with the Strada aboard, I was very happy to see that it did fit, barely.

While talking to the oven builders I mentioned the web site shows two guys carrying the oven from the back of the car and I asked if they thought that was sufficient. The young bucks in the crowd said, “Two people can carry it, well, maybe for guys your age you should have three.” Ha Ha.

After driving home I asked two friends to come over and help me move it from the car to the backyard (they get free pizza for life). They were a little skeptical that it was a three-person job and suggested we get a fourth. I told them what the factory guys said so we decided to man up and give it a try. We got the job done but if you are ever in this situation I recommend you have four people on hand to transport the oven.

Blazing away at sunset.

Next step: the curing process. In order to create an environment in which the oven can handle high heat it has to be cured. The process involves lighting increasingly hotter fires every day over a one-week period. Forno Bravo gives very specific guidelines on how this is to be done and it was emphasized at the factory that the oven must be cured properly. I followed the instructions closely and learned that the curing process creates a lot of smoke. My wife was not thrilled with the clouds of smoke blowing across the back yard every night and I don’t think my neighbors were thrilled about it either but once the curing process is done there is a lot less smoke. It is wood fire though, so there is going to be some smoke but in my opinion it’s not excessive and shouldn’t be a deterrent.

Contemplating the dough.

Once the oven was cured I was ready to bake but first I had to contemplate the flour. For traditional wood fire Pizza Napoletana one uses Type 00 Flour. I’d tried the 00 in my kitchen oven on several occasions and never had good results. In that environment I had much better luck with Sir Lancelot from King Arthur Flour. I decided I needed to revisit the 00 as it can handle the higher heat and it’s the standard for wood fire ovens. If you check out My Pie Monday at Slice.seriouseats.com you will see some magnificent examples of wood fire pizza baked with 00 flour from TXCraig and others.

My first attempts were a little disappointing but not related to the flour. There is a process of getting to know the oven and the only way to do that is to keep baking, so every time I fire up the oven the pizza comes out a little better. I still have a ways to go but there is always improvement with a lesson learned and even the first pizzas were edible. It’s not like they were so bad I had to throw them away, they just had some flaws, such as being too charred or they had baked unevenly. They didn’t make pretty pictures but they still tasted good (for the most part).

Baking bread has had a steeper learning curve but I’m slowing making progress with that process also. One area where I’ve had success right of the bat is roasting meat. Putting a pork butt in the oven overnight for pulled pork the next day has produced great results!

Just a note on pizza toppings: I’m open minded about toppings but I don’t have an anything goes attitude. I can’t imagine that a time will ever come when there aren’t Margherita Pizzas coming out of the oven on a regular basis so I do have a bit of a fundamentalist streak. However, my favorite pizza that I’ve made in the Starda (or in the kitchen oven) is what I call my Spanish pizza: sun dried tomatoes, roasted red peppers, Spanish Chorizo, and Drunken Goat cheese.

Not quite there yet but getting closer.

To be continued…….

#pizza #pizzaoven #bestpizza #outdoorcooking #pizzalife #i love pizza

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simplyswooningk · 5 years

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The Ancient and Most Noble House of Prewett, Chapter 7 “Pieces, Not the Puzzle”

This chapter is dedicated to @obsessedwithromione, who's support of this story from the beginning lit a fire under me to finish this update which I had been struggling with for weeks. Seventh Son should be updated by the weekend. All the Gobblygook translations are completely my own. Please read and review. :) FFN A03 or below:

Pieces, Not The Puzzle

Bill Weasley was dying to get out of the house. His wife, mother, sister and sister-in-laws (minus Hermione) and all the nieces and nephews had all converged on the place to cook a large Sunday dinner...on Wednesday.

He correctly guessed that it was a ruse to distract Ginny, who had been chained to Harry's hospital bed for what Molly had determined too long. So they were all there, cooking up a feast, or at least what should've been a feast for how long they had been there.

Ginny was quiet, and Bill could tell that she was doing her best to act engaged, but her head and her heart were clearly back at St. Mungo's. He didn't blame her. If Fleur had been laid up, there would've been no magic that could've kept him away.

He knew there was nothing Ginny could do for Harry, and Gryffindors hated doing nothing. They weren't wired to sit and wait. Of course, somehow all of his brothers had managed to get out of this particular event. Charlie had been recalled to Romania, something about baby Horntails being on the loose. Fred had a business trip in New York. He'd almost cancelled, but Ginny insisted on his going, arguing somebody should have some normalcy. Percy had "Ministry Matters to attend to" and as for Ron, well, Ron was in the thick of whatever was going on. He'd seen his brother twice and never more for than a few minutes since it had all started.

He hadn't had any updates, Ron wasn't returning any messages. Bill really didn't' expect him to, but it would have been nice to know that his youngest brother wasn't lying somewhere with a Dark Mark burned into his forehead.

Bill had honestly hoped to be done with Dark Marks and anything Voldemort related. He remembered the First War better than any of his siblings. He remembered the tears in his mother's eyes when Mad-Eye informed her and his grandparents that Gideon and Fabian wouldn't be coming home.

He remembered the funerals, the Dark Marks being burned into the sky and then it was over, like a firework that had burned hot and disappeared into nothing. Of course, the real fireworks began later.

He remembered the parties in the street, the celebrations and the feeling that things were going to be all right again.

He also remembered the conversations that no one thought he overheard or understood, the whispers that maybe He Who Must Not Be Named wasn't as dead as he seemed, the embers of a fire threatening to spark again.

It was the whispers that had hung over his entire adolescence. But then again, he had to admit he'd gotten off easy. When he thought of everything Ron had gone through from his first year at Hogwarts to his current situation, that kid had been through more hell than any of them combined.

He wished there was something he could do to help, something more than decipher curses after the fact.

He didn't like feeling useless any more than Ginny did. But just then being surrounded by all his female relatives and a plethora of toddlers, he felt about as useful as a Blast-Ended Skrewt playing Seeker.

Hopeless as the rest of his brothers in the kitchen, he'd been designated to make sure the children didn't kill each other.

Molly, always very intuitive to Bill, could tell that he was restless. And an idea struck her. Later on, no one could say whether it was coincidence, inspired or fate.

She pulled him aside, and as she couldn't help herself she brushed a long lock out of his hair out of his face. "Bill, we both know there's nothing you can do around her. Cooking has never been your bag even with magic."

Bill smiled at his mother, more so for her benefit than his own amusement. "True," he conceded.

"I've been meaning to ask you something. When I went to Gringotts, I couldn't get the keys to Rubrum or to Mallory House. The goblins said that I was given everything allotted to me. I'm not sure if it's an issue with the ward or, well I don't know. But I was hoping you could look into it."

Bill smiled, happy to have an excuse to get away. "I'll get right on it, Mum," he said, trying and failing to hide his eagerness at the thought of leaving.

With a kiss to his mother and Fleur and a lingering hug for Ginny, he Apparated to Gringott's. The place had been busier than normal. Lots of wizards and witches pulling money from their accounts and going on extended holidays. Bill couldn't fault them. He had a family he wanted to protect.

At the same time, the last thing he wanted was to teach his children was that when things got rough, the right thing to do was to get somewhere and hide. He laughed silently as his own contradictions. He made his way through the larger than average crowd, smiling at people he knew until he was finally at the Vault of Records.

Being a Curse-Breaker, he didn't have much to do with that department unless a magical family was claiming that recently found and un-cursed treasure belonged to them. He had access to the Vault but he had never had a cause to enter it.

The goblins took extra precautions to guard their secrets. All the records were written in Gobblygook. No one but the goblins and the people who the records belonged to could access them. Even Ministry Officials had to get special permission and wards had to be removed.

But Bill was a Prewett, so technically he wasn't breaking any rules by accessing the records, though the goblins probably would've had a bone to pick with him if they knew he was going into the area without their permission.

He entered the vault and his eyes widened. The vault extended endlessly in all directions. Every magical family that had ever existed in the British Isles probably had records there.

He stood at the front of the vault, awestruck for a few moments before remembering he had a job to do. And for that job, there was only one solution.

Magic.

"Accio Prewett records," he whispered. He heard a soft rustling that sounded like the roar of a Slytherin vs. Gryffindor Quidditch match in the deserted room. After a few moments, a massive, weathered leather-bound rectangular book started coming directly towards him. It seemed that goblins still hadn't developed wards that could completely throw off wand magic.

"Arresto momentum," he whispered before the book flattened him. It was the largest book he'd ever encountered. Not to mention the oldest, some of the dust on it probably went back to the days of Merlin.

He conjured up a small table and carefully took hold of the book, holding it carefully, not wanting to damage it. Even though there was special charms placed on the books to keep them from damage, Bill didn't want to risk it. Something instinctive had taken over, something he couldn't quite name.

His eyes fell to the seal of the House of Prewett red and gold, like most Ancient and Noble Houses with Gryffindor lineages and a white jaguar with the words vicit et valium emblazoned across the bottom.

"Victorious are the valiant," Bill couldn't stop himself from saying aloud. He smiled but then a shadow crossed his features. He realized this record was complete. There would never be any more additions to it. The House of Prewett was extinct, snuffed out like a candle in a strong burst of wind.

If he'd had the time, he would have loved to read the whole thing, even it was as almost as old as Gringotts itself. But Bill knew better than most that time was the one thing you never had.

He found the last page of the records. It was a very short page, the goblins' nonsensical alphabet and markings telling an indecipherable tale that he knew by heart.

His grasp of the difficult language was minimal at best. But what he could make out were the dates. Bill remembered that Gobblygook did not have words for the months of the year, and therefore it was all done numerically.

There had been a steady log kept throughout the eighties. One of the notes appeared to be dated April 11, 1981. It took Bill no time to remember that that was right before his grandparents went into hiding. He remembered everything about the war. He peered closer at the record, hoping to decipher a clue.

He saw the word ghyzed which he knew was Gobblygook for "ward" and ljekep which he knew translated to "heir" and figured that this was the log for the ward that had been placed over the Prewett properties by his uncle. Bill fought back a tear and pressed on. To his surprise that was not the last record written.

There were several dated just after the war and all with the same three words qtghad bzelct ldjave.

Bill wracked his brain, knowing he had heard the expression before. He tried to think of when and where.

Then it came to him, it had been an expedition in Thebes where a tomb filled with treasure had been discovered that supposedly belonged to the Caleks, a very old Egyptian family of wizards. But none of them were able to access it. Roughly speaking "qtghad bzelct ldjave" translated into "access attempt unsuccessful". Bill gathered that this was when his grandparents were trying to access the vault after his uncles died.

There had only been three attempts, Bill knew. His grandparents were far too grief stricken to worry about it. They had enough gold on hand to get by and had simply let the matter drop. After all, it only reminded them that their sons were not coming home. Bill remembered life before that. He couldn't help but remember the way it had changed after that.

From his grandfather's laugh to his mother's smile, everything after had been less. He cleared his throat and told himself to press on. He glanced down at the paper one last time, but he paused. He hadn't realized that his hand had been covering an entry.

For a moment he was certain he'd read the date wrong. He blinked, looked at it again, blinked again and stared. It couldn't be right. It was dated the fifth of May 2003. Bill read the entry which read qtghad gjelda; Rubrum ipmae ljekep Prewett ik Prewett.

"The fuck?" he whispered. If he was reading it right it said something along the lines of "access granted, Rubrum key given to the Prewett of Prewett."

Bill didn't know what to think. The last Prewett of Prewett had been his grandfather, who had been dead since 1989. The heirs to the title had been dead for eight years before that.

Were the goblins running some sort of scam? Had they been holding his family's property hostage this whole time? Was that why they refused to give Molly the key to Rubrum. But if they had been holding the Prewett fortune all this time, why had they hadn't held onto the entire thing?

He wouldn't put much past goblins, if he was honest, but it didn't add up. They valued treasure even more so than they did magic. They would not part with a single Knut without an outright vicious brawl, let alone the money that his family had received.

Something was clearly amiss. Bill knew all too well that the goblins would answer no questions. But perhaps they had figured out how to break the wards surrounding Rubrum and were using it for some shady business dealings?

That was his mother's house. It was the seat of an ancient and storied Wizard family. He set his jaw in a firm line. They wouldn't get away with it. Not on his watch.

He returned the ancient book back to its place, his mind flooding with memories of his uncles and the mansion that he'd once been free to roam. If the goblins had decided to commandeer it for some heinous reasons of their own, then damn his career, he wouldn't rest until he'd brought them to justice.

He took greater care exiting the building as the crowds had largely dissipated, but as soon as he was in the middle of Diagon Alley, he Apparated to Rubrum.

The sun was still setting in the background, lighting up the outer grounds behind the house with a dark red hue. Bill hadn't been there since he was a boy. It had lain lifeless and desolate for so long, without the joy and laughter that had once been its hallmark.

He stepped to the gate, its bronzed legs covered in two decades worth of moss and to his surprise, they opened.

He glanced around, a feeling of unease settling over him. Those gates were not supposed to open to anyone, not anymore.

And then from the eastern window, a light came on. Bill's eyes turned to the window in time to see a figure moving out of the window. It happened so fast, he could not tell if it was a goblin or anything else for that matter.

Filled with all the Gryffindor courage that both his lineages imbibed in him, he raced to the door, about to fling a bombarda through it when to his shock, it opened.

Vicit et Validum

Somber didn't even begin to describe the mood in Kingsley's office. No one had even uttered a word since Ron had revealed that Dumbledore's tomb had been robbed. The Aurors on duty didn't remember a thing and everyone surmised that they had been Confunded.

The Elder Wand, The Wand of Destiny, the Deathstick was gone, missing and most likely in the hands of this mystery lieutenant Voldemort had left behind. Nothing made sense. Nothing was going to make sense.

Ron realized he was still holding Hermione's hand. He knew he should've let it go, but he couldn't bring himself to. He felt like he was watching his whole life from the outside. He heard himself telling Kingsley what had happened, but he wasn't conscious of it. He heard Kingsley ask for an update on the interrogation of Yaxley and Lestrange.

"Are they talking?" he asked.

"Silent as stone," sighed the disturbed Minister. "We're thinking of using Veritaserum."

"Don't think. Do it," Ron said. "We've wasted enough time playing this game. We need answers. I'll take a crack at them."

"Ron, I think you may be too involved," Kingsley said with a sigh.

"Fucking hell, Kingsley, at this point, aren't we all?"

"Something doesn't make sense," Hermione said, speaking for what seemed the first time in an eternity.

Ron scoffed. "Understatement of the millennium, 'Mione."

"I'm trying to think, Ronald. Why would they go after Luna and Rolf? Why? I mean Luna was in the Order, but this isn't about any of that. Not really."

Hermione was on to something. Ron thought for a moment, feeling around in his brain for a locked door he barely remembered.

Then it hit him. He thought back to his conversation with Neville, a conversation that had only happened a few hours earlier, but seemed two lifetimes away.

"Because they would know," he said softly, his voice a hair above a whisper.

Hermione turned to look at him. "What?"

"Because they would know. If something strange was going on, they would know. They'd be able to sense it. You know they have a way of knowing whenever something terrible is about to happen. During the War, they went after Luna before because of what Xeno was saying. Whoever's doing this wanted to make sure that they would never get a chance. That's why they went after them."

"But not Xeno?" Hermione was clearly perplexed.

Ron shrugged darkly. "Merlin knows how long those two fuckers had been Polyjucying as Luna and Rolf. They've probably got Xeno under a bloody Imperius."

Hermione fought back tears. She had missing friends, injured friends, dead friends. They'd been going in circles for too long, they'd lost too much. But there was no time to cry.

Her eyes met her husband's. Their thoughts hadn't been more in sync since the day they got married. It wasn't time to decipher prophecies, or search for clues. It was time to fight.

"Kingsley," Ron said turning to his boss. "You've got to let me go down there. I can't just stand here. I've got to do something. If Luna and Rolf are all right, they won't be for long."

Kingsley took a breath. He seemed to weigh his options before speaking. "All right. But the second you lose your cool, Auror Weasley, I'm pulling you out. Are we clear?"

"As a penseieve," Ron said, already halfway out the door. He had no time to waste.

Interrogations weren't his favorite thing. He didn't like spending time with Dark Wizards or their twisted followers. He certainly didn't like listening to their long, nauseating speeches about their sinister plots and even more sinister brains. The whole thing drained him more than three hours of Quidditch in an August afternoon.

But if it meant helping Harry, if it meant finding Rolf and Luna, if it meant putting an end to it, he would gladly listen. He reached for his Veritaserum, ready to shove it down their miserable throats. Legillmency was banned for use in official Auror interrogations or he would've attempted it.

When he reached Lestrange's holding cell, he felt a rush of adrenaline building in his veins. He felt like he was closer, like he was nearer to ending this. He thought of the moment when he dropped a stone statute on Greyback's head. This felt like that.

Something told him that he was close, but he had been wrong before.

He had no time to be wrong.

The door opened and he dismissed the young Auror who was guarding Lestrange, who was tied to a chair, with his mouth magically sealed. Ron turned red at the sight of him, fuming with coiled rage. The Auror office had been searching for him for the past five years. His capture should've been a reason to celebrate. Instead, it was a reason to take up arms, to find and fight whoever had brought him out of the shadowy corners he'd been hiding in. Ron took a moment to size him up, fighting every urge in his body not to choke him out.

Ron hated him and he hated himself for hating anyone even if they were a murderous Death Eater. But hating him wasn't going to get him any closer to the truth. Unfortunately, only Lestrange himself could do that.

Rabastan Lestrange hadn't aged much from his years in the war. The evil in his veins apparently came with fountain of youth properties. He had no frown lines, no deep creases, as if he had never known stress. Even years in Azkaban seemed to leave no physical mark on him. Dementors could only do so much damage on the already demented, it seemed.

He seemed calm, nonchalant. It was not his first interrogation by Aurors. Perhaps he thought of it as nothing more than an annoying formality, a small price to pay for the cause.

Ron knew Lestrange thought of him as a blood traitor. He was dealing with a Death Eater through and through. Someone loyal to Voldemort and all the glory he had promised them, a hater of muggles and muggle-borns, someone willing to die just to say that he'd kept magic away from people he thought of as unworthy.

Ron might not have hated him so much if he didn't remember that they were related, that the same blood, the blood of Old Magic ran through their veins. That if it weren't for his parents, that if it weren't for his entire family being decent and honorable, being fucking Gryffindors, he could've been just the same.

Choking back the bile and anger in his throat, Ron tried to harness his fury. He had had a job to do.

He conjured up a chair. There was a part of him that wanted to do this old school and pound the answers out of Lestrange's face. But he knew he didn't have time.

"Aperi," he said aiming his wand at Lestrange's mouth. The former Death Eater's mouth dropped open and Ron quickly poured three drops of Veritaserum down his throat. He poured three more remembering that all the Lestranges had been trained to resist the potion. He sat back down and waited for a moment for the potion to take effect. And if it didn't, Ron still had his fists.

When Lestrange stopped jerking around, Ron cleared his throat. He set his jaw in a very firm line and faced Rabastan Lestrange. This man had tortured Neville's parents, killed countless innocent people and had eluded capture for years. Now Ron had him in his clutches, but he couldn't lock him away, not yet. Especially because there was one thing he needed to know before anything else.

"Where are Rolf and Luna?" Ron asked coolly, restraining himself as best he could. He felt his heart racing as he watched Lestrange struggle to keep his mouth shut.

"Where are they?" Ron demanded as he fought to stay in his seat and keep his hands from Lestrange's neck. "Tell me. Now."

Rabastan did not yield easily, that much was certain. The words came out harsh and choked as if someone was literally grabbing them from his throat.

"They're in the dungeon of my house," came his glassy-eyed, broken reply. Snape's favorite potion had taken effect. Lestrange, with all his loyalty and devotion to his dark cause, was no match for it.

Ron wasted no time dispatching a missive to Kingsley to send Aurors to the Lestrange mansion.

"Who are you working for?" Ron asked, turning to face Lestrange.

"The Dark Lord."

"Voldemort is dead. Who are you working for?"

"The Dark Lord," Lestrange repeated.

"Try again. Who are you working for?

"The Dark Lord's servant."

Ron sat up straight. "Who is the Dark Lord's servant?" He cringed as the words left his lips. It went against everything he believed in, everything he was to use the Death Eater's term of veneration.

"The Dark Lord's servant."

"What is his name?" Ron tried again. He aimed his wand at Lestrange's heart. "Now."

"I do not know his name."

"What is his name?"

"I do not know his name."

"Fuck." Ron looked at Lestrange's face and realized he was telling the truth.

Lestrange was so demented, so blinded to the cause of pureblood supremacy that he would willingly follow someone who claimed to be Voldemort's servant, even if he didn't know who it was. It baffled and outraged him almost as much as it terrified him. Blindly loyal with nothing to lose, there was really nothing these people wouldn't do.

Ron didn't even want to bother with Yaxley. If Lestrange knew nothing, Yaxley knew less. He was a stooge, always had been. He thought for a minute, trying to figure out what else he might be able to get out of him.

"Where is the Dark Lord's servant?"

"In his home."

"The Riddle House was destroyed."

"The servant is his own home."

"Where is that?"

"I do not know. The servant sends a portkey when he wants us. We don't know where we are."

Ron sighed, ready to punch the ceiling. This was getting nowhere. Every rock he uncovered only led to a million more. All he had was a piece, not the puzzle. His attention was called away briefly.

He whirled around to see an all too familiar sight. Lestrange was wrestling on the floor, seizing, foaming at the mouth, clearly in distress.

Ron leapt to the ground beside him, trying to steady his movements.

"Help! Help, get someone in here now!" he yelled as he tried to steady Lestrange's head.

He didn't have a bezoar, he had used it on Neville. As much as he didn't want to save him, he didn't want to lose him either. Lestrange was one half of the only lead he had, he couldn't die. "Help, fucking somebody help!" he screamed again.

Within seconds, three Auors and a Mediwizard rushed in. Lestrange was already turning purple. "Save him! Save him, whatever you have to do," Ron screeched at the Mediwizard.

The Aurors rushed Lestrange out of the room and Ron felt his heart sinking. What kind of world was he living when he was begging for a Death Eater's life to be saved?

But he had no time to wallow. He had to figure out who this servant was. Bellatrix had bit the dust, courtesy of one Molly Weasley. Who else would the sick fucker have trusted?

Minutes later, Ron was trying to pull himself together, so he could gear up to have a go at Yaxley, when Kingsley entered the room. He looked the grimmest Ron had seen him over the past few days and that was certainly saying something.

"Lestrange was poisoned with essence of mermaids' tears," Kingsley said with a sigh. "He's dead. Nothing the healers could do."

Confusion clouded Ron's features. "Essence of mermaids' tears isn't poisonous."

"It is when it's mixed with Veritaserum. He probably didn't even know he had it in his system. Whoever's behind this has probably been dosing him with it in case he was caught. To ensure his silence." Kingsley's voice was laced with disgust and a tinge of fear. Their opponent wasn't above killing his own soldiers.

Ron leaned against the table, his legs suddenly feeling wobbly. Whoever this was, they had thought of it all, they'd mapped out every piece on the board. And he didn't know which game they were playing anymore.

"Did you get anything out of him?" Kingsley asked, the despondency evident in his voice. He sat down beside him and Ron shrugged dismissively, not wanting to think about the past fifteen minutes.

"He's working for the Dark Lord's Servant, that's all I know. And he doesn't...didn't know who that was. Rolf? Luna?" he suddenly remembered.

Kinglsey's mouth turned up into the smallest of smiles. "I got a report from the Aurors in the field. They are unhurt for the most part. Missing locks of hair mainly. We're bringing them here immediately."

Ron wanted to feel more relief than he did. He was chuffed that Rolf and Luna were safe. But he couldn't bring himself to feel anything besides rage and frustration. He forced a smile.

"That's good news. We could use more of it." He felt like an absolute knob, he loved Luna and Rolf dearly, but their being safe was only temporary, everyone's safety was only temporary. If they didn't stop this, no one would be safe again.

"That we could," Kingsley agreed. Ron felt as if he was searching for something to say. As the Minister, it was Kingsley's job to reassure and shore up the community in trying times. Kingsley, however, didn't seem to have the words then and there, which was fine with Ron.

As far as he was concerned, there were none that could be said.

"Fancy a go at Yaxley?" Kingsley asked after several still moments. "He's no Death Eater, you might be able to crack him."

"Do you think whoever's doing this stupid enough to give fucking Yaxley information? "

"No stone unturned, Ronald."

"Constant vigilance, sir," Ron replied with a weak smile. A genuine smile had been hard for him to crack lately.

Kingsley studied the young Auror for a moment. "Take a breath, Ron," he told him.

Ron eyed his boss curiously. It was honestly the last thing he'd expected from the Minister.

"You've been running since this began," Kingsley pressed on. "Keep at it like this and you'll find yourself in a hole no magic can pull you out of."

Ron sighed. "Kingsley, I doubt that whoever the hell is doing this is taking breathers. I can rest when this is over."

Kingsley exhaled a soft, dry chuckle. "That's exactly what I expected you to say. You Weasleys are a damn stubborn bunch."

Ron laughed. "That we are. But I would not have it any other way."

"Neither would I. Take a moment, then. Gather your thoughts. I'll have one of the interns bring Yaxley in about fifteen minutes."

Ron nodded and Kingsley left the room. Ron noticed that even his normal walking gait had increased, like he had no time even to walk normally.

Maybe he didn't, Ron thought darkly. Ron looked at his watch. Fifteen minutes seemed an instant and an eternity. He realized he didn't even know where to start. The pieces of the puzzle that he had didn't seem to belong to each other at all.

He was missing something. Yaxley wouldn't be very helpful, he knew, but the times were well past desperate.

"Constant vigilance," he whispered to himself as he tried to put on his game face, determined not to let the events of the last few days shake his resolve. He had to figure it out, he couldn't stop until he did.

He only hoped that he was heading even remotely in the right direction.

Meanwhile, Hermione, unable to sit still, had asked for permission to examine the personal effects that were found with Yaxley and Lestrange. She didn't know what to expect, she just knew she couldn't wait around to hear about an interrogation she wasn't allowed to be a part of.

She was given a separate room where their wands and personal items had been laid out for her. Part of her didn't want to go near their wands, especially Lestrange's. She couldn't imagine (and didn't particularly want to) what horrors that twisted, gnarled piece of wood had caused.

There were at least three vials of Polyjuice potion, two bottles of Dreamless Sleep, several empty potion vials, a ring that bore the Dark Mark, and a black weathered, leather-bound book.

Something about it looked familiar, like she'd seen it before. The book had been placed on its back and she turned it over. The markings on it were faded, but she thought she could make out some sort of bird and what appeared to be a large cat, a cheetah perhaps. Something was telling her she'd seen it before. She couldn't place it, and it didn't make sense. Why would she have seen a book belonging to a Death Eater?

She couldn't tell if she was acting in harmony or against her better judgment when she opened it. Her heart sank when it became apparent the pages were completely blank. Her mind immediately went to Tom Riddle's diary. Better not to fool with that, she reasoned very quickly and put it aside.

Then again, she paused. Lestrange was dead now. If his memories were contained in that book, they could be very useful. Before she could examine the rest of the items, a memo came through: Rolf and Luna were at the Ministry. She leaped up from her chair, eager to see her friends. She was going to give Luna the biggest hug of her life. As she exited, she couldn't say why, but she took the book wit her. For some reason, she didn't want it out of her sight.

When she reached the room where Luna and Rolf were being examined, she paused. Something about the thought of seeing Luna injured and newly escaped from Death Eaters brought back memories she did her best to keep buried.

She couldn't let her mind go there, not back to Malfoy Manor, not to the screeching and soulless tones of Bellatrix's voice, not to the stabbing, relentless pain of the Cruciatius Curse pounding through her whole body.

The only part she ever let herself even think about for a moment was how she survived, how she put Bellatrix's threats, her voice, her wand, her knife and her curse all out of her mind.

His voice, screaming with rage and aching with concern as he called her name. She had focused on that, his voice, her name. There was nothing else, nothing else at all. She had focused on nothing but Ron's voice and she'd survived the worst experience of her life.

If she tried hard enough she could almost hear him calling her that moment.

"'Mione. 'Mione. Hermione."

She looked up and right into her favorite pair of eyes, which were now clouded with concern. She colored slightly when she realized he had been calling her name. He was standing right beside her. He was always there beside her.

HIs concern was evident. "You all right, love?"

She nodded. "I just...I just don't want to see Luna like that."

His eyes filled with understanding at her words. He knew what she meant.

He took her hand in his and squeezed it lightly. "She's alive, that's what matters. For everything else, there's a cure. "

She smiled up at him. "You're right. You're always right."

His eyes widened and a roguish grin crossed his features. "What did you just say? Who are you and what did you do with Hermione Granger? You're an impostor, you are."

Hermione smiled despite herself. "Shut up, before I take it back."

"Can't take it back, it's already out there."

She rolled her eyes as he gently kissed her forehead.

"Let's go in yeah," he said with a smile. "We can't avoid it forever."

"Yeah," she said, intertwining his fingers wit hers. "Wait, did you get anything from Yaxley?"

"Haven't had a chance yet. Wanted to see Rolf and Luna first."

Hermione nodded, she'd dropped everything when she heard they were at the Ministry. In times like these, every second one could get with their loved ones was absolutely priceless.

Whatever was behind the door and whatever Rolf and Luna had to say, Hermione couldn't avoid it. She didn't want to. She squared her shoulders and braced herself to see her friends. Bad memories be damned. There were worse things to be than a survivor.

Stepping into the room, relief filled Hermione when she saw that Rolf and Luna looked rather unscathed. Physically, anyway.

"Hello, Hermione. Hello, Ron," Luna said her in usual airy voice. That one single sound caused a waterfall of relief to flood through her veins. She took a long look at them. They looked tired, and she could see bruises on their wrists. Luna's hair, instead of its usual light blond, looked ashen. Bu her eyes looked bright and she had a smile, though it was nowhere as large as it normally was.

Rolf looked wearier than she'd ever seen him and she'd seen him wrestle a Blast-Ended Skrewt. But other than a nasty bruise under his right eye, he seemed all right.

They looked nowhere near their best, but they were breathing.

"Bloody hell, you guys look like shite," this from a ginger who always had a certain way with words.

Hermione shot Ron a glare, but he didn't meet her eyes once. He was too busy grabbing Rolf by the shoulders and embracing him fondly.

"You all right? Are you hurt? Do we need Healers?" Ron gave Rolf and Luna a firm hug and a once-over, trying to make sure there wasn't any damage done. On the outside at least.

"Rolf, that's a nice shiner you've got," Ron said taking out his wand. "But I've seen enough bruises in my life. Sanas pellius," he gave his wand a quick wave and watched Rolf's black eye disappear. If only every scar was so easy.

"Thanks, mate," Rolf with a smile. Ron and Hermione settled into chairs across from them.

For a moment everyone was silent, Hermione conjured up tea tray and busied herself pouring everyone's cup.

Everyone stirred and sipped and stirred and sipped again. Luna put her cup down slowly. She met her friends' eyes and took a breath.

"You want to know what happened, but you don't want to ask." She wasn't asking a question. Luna never asked questions, she already seemed to know. Hermione was relieved that that hadn't seemed to change.

Ron put down his teacup. "We have to ask, we have to know what happened."

Rolf placed an around Luna's shoulder. "It was last month," he said as if he wasn't quite sure of dates anymore. Hermione didn't blame him. She'd been feeling the same way since this whole thing started.

"We were making unicorn and veela hair bracelets for the Boggarts," Luna chimed in, her eyes far away as if she was watching the scene from a giant television inside her mind. "It keeps them in good spirits."

"We heard a bang from outside," Rolf added quickly. "We thought it was the nifflers getting lose. Those buggers are damn impossible to catch one you lose them, so we both hurried out. But it was just Xeno. Or at least we thought it was Xeno."

"Rolf thought it was Dad, but I knew something was wrong. I've known something was wrong for a while. That's why I've been using my mother's Occlumency spell, to see if I could figure it out."

Hermione raised an eyebrow "Your mother's spell? Is it different from...regular Occulmency?"

"Oh yes, it allows you to enter the minds of all the wizards around you. I've been using it ever since I got the feeling that something was not quite right. All the wrackspurts were disappearing and they don't do that unless there are tons of wizards whose ears they'd rather not enter about. I knew something was wrong."

"Luna dear," Rolf said. "Perhaps we should stay on subject."

"Of course, Rolf dear. Well, I knew it wasn't my father and whoever it was must've known that because before we could move, we were Stupefied. They took us somewhere dark and gray."

Ron nodded. "The Lestrange Mansion."

Rolf shook his head. "No, they moved us there later. But where we were at first, there was a window, I could see a cemetery and a large oak tree."

"Was anyone else with you? Ollivander?"

Rolf shook his head. "No, it was only us. Everyday a very old house-elf would come with porridge and take a lock of our hair. We were tied up and without our wands so there wasn't much we could do. I figured they were using it for Polyjuice."

Ron nodded. "They were. They used it to set a trap for Harry."

"For Harry?" the little color that had returned to Luna's face drained in an instant. "Is Harry all right?"

Ron cursed himself. He hadn't meant to say that. His friends had just been through hell. They didn't need to feel worse. "He's on the mend. Is there anything you can tell us, about where you were, anything you remember?"

Rolf shook his head. "They gave us Dreamless Sleep. We were out of it most of the time."

"There were Ps on the bricks," Luna said suddenly.

Bloody hell, she's still Loony, Ron thought. His face must've shown his thoughts because Hermione elbowed him.

"Ps, Luna? Like the letter?" Hermione asked slowly.

Luna nodded. "I remember, in every corner of every brick there was a P inside an upside-down triangle. It was chiseled into all of them."

This time, Ron and Hermione couldn't help themselves from exchanging a glance. They looked over at Rolf for confirmation, but he merely shrugged. "I can't say either way. But I've learned never to doubt Luna."

Hermione silently agreed with Rolf, but she honestly didn't know what to make of what Rolf and Luna had to say. It wasn't much to go on, if anything at all. She was sick of cryptic messages and dead ends. She wanted answers.

So did Ron. He mulled over what Lestrange had said. Perhaps Rolf and Luna had been in the home of Voldemort's servant, whoever the fuck that was. A very old house elf and bricks with the letter 'P' chiseled into them.

"What happened when they moved you?" Ron asked.

"It was only a few days ago," Rolf said. "By then I had stopped eating the food they were giving us because of the Dreamless Sleep. I was trying to conjure up a quail or two and hide it away when two men with masks on their faces stormed in and started dragging us away. I tried to fight them off, hence the shiner, but the next thing I knew they were pushing us toward a portkey which took us to the Lestrange mansion."

"How'd you know it was the Lestrange mansion?"

"Rastaban Lestrange wasn't exactly trying to hide it. He greeted us as his guests before having us locked away."

Ron scoffed. "Sounds like a Lestrange."

The wheels in Hermione's head were turning. "When was this exactly? Do you remember?"

"Two days ago."

"When the wandmakers went missing," Ron and Hermione said at the same time. They looked at each other again.

"Rolf, Luna," Hermine sated quickly. "We're so happy you're all right. But we better let you get some rest now. Feel better and if you remember anything at all, please let us know. Kingsley's taking personal responsibility for you. You'll stay here until this over. Xeno too."

Ron and Hermione soon left the room, more perplexed than ever. Ron briefly related Lestrange's rambling's about Voldemort's servant and his home.

"You think that's where Rolf and Luna were originally taken?" Hermione asked as they made way to Kingsley's office. They wanted to keep him up to date before returning to their assignments.

Ron nodded. "Maybe, but I'm not sure of anything right now."

"But why move them?"

"Who knows? Maybe because they're holding the wandmakers hostage as well. Maybe because Lestrange wanted to toy with them. At this point, all I'm prepared to admit is that I don't have the fucking foggiest clue what's going on."

Hermione shrugged. "Agreed."

Ron noticed the book Hermione was holding. "What do you've got there, The Abridged Hogwarts: A History?"

"Very funny, Ronald. No, it's a book Yaxley had. It's very old and it's blank, but I can't shake the feeling it's a clue."

Ron looked more than a little aghast. "A blank book? Better be careful with that, love. It could be cursed or...worse."

Hermione knew he was right. But for some reason, the notion only made her grip it tighter.

They arrived at Kingsley's office to see the welcome site of Molly Weasley. Her and Kingsley were clearly having a chat, and Molly clearly was bearing gifts as she was clutching a large picnic basket.

"Mum, what are you doing here?" Ron asked as he moved to greet his mother, kissing both of her cheeks.

"Making sure the two of you eat something," Molly said with a smile. "You've been running nonstop since this whole mess began. Here," she said as she opened the basket with her wand and began to lay out a spread. "I brought roast pork and asparagus."

"Oh, bless you, Molly," Hermione said with a smile. "I hate to admit it, but I'm rather starving at the moment."

"Of course, dear," Molly said. "I brought tea cakes as well because I know how much the two of you—" Molly had looked up, gone white and nearly toppled over the basket with the start she'd made. Her jaw hung wide open and her eyes were filled with shock.

"Mum?" Ron asked. No answer. "Mum? Mum, what is it?"

Molly didn't look at her son. Her eyes were fixed on Hermione's hands. When she did finally speak, her voice was a trembling whisper.

"Hermione, where in Merlin's name did you find Gideon's diary?"

#fanfiction #hermione x ron #Harry Potter #post-war #romione

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berryherbist · 5 years

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So I just finished The Savior’s Champion by Jenna Moreci and

It...wasn’t good. In my opinion.

Well, I technically didn’t finish now, but this was what I sent my friend right after I finished reading it. It’s not a genuine review, mostly just things I felt right after I finished (and still do tbh). I felt like sharing it though so ¯\_(ツ)_/¯. I might do a more in depth review later, but I’ll just post this for now.

I wanna preface this by saying there’s nothing wrong with liking this book, and I’m not judging anyone who does, it just...wasn’t good. Also, there are spoilers ahead

Alright leggo

Honestly?? Honestly??? Where do I begin?? Specifics or the overall book?? Either way it was b a d. Okay I guess to start, I feel like this whole book was a waste of time. Not in the "I hated it I wish I hadn't read it sort of way" though. I just felt like it was a set up for the second book. Like yeah, it technically had its own plot, but literally nothing was resolved and there were no answers to major questions. I was hoping to get /something/ by the end of the book, but it just raised even more questions and half of what happened didn't make sense after that ending. And it has absolutely no right to be as long as it is. There are so many parts that are unmemorable or useless, ngl I had trouble remembering half of the book.I feel like every scene or exchange between characters should either move the plot along or develop the characters more, and that hardly e v e r happened. A lot of Tobias' dialogue was just to show how much better he is than the other people in the tournament. Like, Orion and some of the others were decent, but Tobias was like the Golden Child of this whole thing. Like he couldn't ever do anything wrong. Even if he did fuck up or make a bad decision he ended up being right. Jenna shows obvious favoritism towards her two main characters and everyone else fades into the background so much they can hardly be considered shadows.I mean, she has how many characters and how fleshed out are they? Tobias and Leila are hardly fleshed out and don't change at all from their first to last appearance. I guess you could say Delphi is kind of developed, but even then we don't see too much of her. She's got a very tropey personality and most of her appearances are to connect Tobias and Leila.And I couldn't even be sad at any of the character deaths!! I can't even remember half of their names, let alone their personalities. I literally had to go back and reread the contestant's names (Raphael who?? Neil who??). I was disappointed at Orion's death, but not /sad/. It was more like a "damn, you're one of the few characters I don't hate reading about and now you're gone." And those characters hardly get a backstory. Again I know the book doesn't revolve around them but damn, if you're going to include this many characters don't just make them accessories to your mains.(She's got portraits/art for so many of her characters but they don't even have a story hdrasfjh. if you're going to go through the trouble getting official designs for them give them official backgrounds maybe??)Now moving on to individual characters...just...fuck...fuck I hate Tobias and Leila so much.First of all they're so fucking stupid. So fucking stupid. Especially Tobias. Why can't they just keep it in their pants and focus on things that are actually important? Like the tournament?? Or whatever the fuck Leila is doing?? Or the fact that they're being so obvious?? I didn't like Flynn but I agreed with him more times than I did with Tobias. At least Flynn understood it was a competition. Yeah, he was arrogant and was there for very selfish reasons, but damn he actually had his head on straighter than Tobias. If anything Jenna's most fleshed out character was Flynn. He showed both bravery and cowardice, he had his own goals and personality, and despite the fact he threatened to betray Tobias, he was basically loyal in the end. Aside from when the Sovereign ordered Flynn to kill him but like. Can you blame him? Also, if I found out that one of the people I was competing against didn't even want the "prize" (I don't like referring to the Savior as that but that's basically what she is adkjfadjdla) that I could possibly lose my life over than yeah I'm going to be pissed??

Tobias is just a Gary Stu. He's handsome, a "good man," selfless, talented, loved by many, and always talks about how fucked up and corrupted the competition is, as if other people don't know that?? I'm also pissy at how good he was at fighting. The boy has 0 experience except for the time he trained with Leila but he was able to kill the Giant, Drake, and Kaleo. I guess you could argue that he was fueled by rage or whatever, but against trained assassins?? I don't think so.And then Leila. Fuckign Leila. She was so boring. SO so boring. Basically just a female Tobias. Pretty, good at fighting, smart, and independent, with almost no flaws whatsoever, if any. Maybe you could count her being secretive as a flaw, but Tobias had literally no right to know what she was up to or any of her secrets. He obviously doesn't understand what goes on between politicians and other aspects of the tournament (or whatever Brontes is doing?? idk man) but he still demands Leila tell him anyway. Anyway, there's nothing intriguing about Leila at all. Get those two together and it's just cardboard on cardboard. They're so boring, and all they ever talk about is how much they "love" each other. I know Jenna was probably trying to hide the instant romance in TSC but they still only had thirty days to fall in love. And maybe it's just me but none of it felt real. SO much of it just felt like lust (how many times did we have to read about wet dreams or them grinding on each other like adhskja).As for her villains?? I honestly think I liked them more than her main characters. I mean, they weren't developed at all but I couldn't hate them just because they were dicks.Kaleo, for example. He's an asshole. Just a real mean fucker. Yeah, I didn't like how arrogant and unnecessarily cruel he was, but because he had no backstory or clear motives throughout the whole book I was just waiting on a reason to really hate him. The same thing goes for Cosima. We spend the whole book thinking she's the Savior, so I always thought a lot of her behavior was due to never having a mother and only being raised by her father (who I thought was just very protective at first tbh). But still, I don't even know how to describe her. Not quite bitchy but not the nicest either. Selfish maybe? Like, when Raphael was bitten or whatever she let the judging go on. Fake? How she flirted with all of the contestants. Ngl though I felt kinda bad, because she's the one who wasn't allowed to choose who she got to marry. (Kinda unrelated but Tobias always complained that men died for her and yeah it's fucked up but?? That's the competition?? and even though she's the Savior I doubt she could just be like "lmao nah let's not do this." He likes to act all righteous and good but he doesn't know wtf he's talking about lol). Or just gross, when she started groping and kissing Tobias when he obviously didn't want it? And it wasn't until the very end of the book that we started seeing those parts of her. When it's revealed that Leila is the actual Savior it was like, "okay, I'm supposed to hate her because she took advantage of acting as the Savior, and she betrayed one of the main characters. I see why she's an antagonist now." But it felt so cheap. Kaleo and Cosima were just there to make Tobias and Leila look better by comparison.

Did the people close to Tobias even matter??? Okay, so we had Milo, who was annoying af. I was lowkey happy when he died because I wouldn't have to read about him any more, but I also just. Couldn't care. Yeah he was Tobias' best friend but there wasn't a lot about him. And Tobias seemed to bicker with him more than anything tbh.His sister and mom were just kind of?? Forgotten after awhile?? His sister was the reason he entered the competition but soon enough everything was for Leila. He was fighting for Leila. He wanted to protect Leila. Leila was literally the only thing ever on his mind. Gaining a new motivation is one thing, but forgetting the people closest to you and focusing on girl you've known for a month is messed up. He was even about to leave with Leila to the forest at the very end. If I recall correctly Leila was the one to suggest going to their home. He was willing to just leave them in favor of running away with Leila.

Brontes was such a cut out villain it h u r t (also fuck the official pronunciation of his name imma say it how I please). Old dude in position of power after more power (and we still don't know why) who has an obvious hatred toward the main character and is trying to sabotage him. Wowza. I'm so intrigued.I also h a t e how Jenna made it obvious who we were supposed to like and who we were supposed to hate. We need to hate Kaleo because he's a dick, we need to like Tobias because he's a nice guy. There was no depth to a n y of these characters. I'm not saying antagonists need to be a likable person, but they should be able to be appreciated as a character. I didn't like any of the antagonists in Gentlemen Bastards, but I at least found them interesting, and clever in some way. They were awful people, but they didn't give off that "high school bully" vibe that Jenna's antagonists did.There's nothing to differentiate the characters aside from whether they were "good" or "evil." There's no diversity in their mannerisms or the way they speak. Brontes, who's a royal, speaks the same way Tobias, a peasant, does. Also, you could tell me that Brontes and the contestants are all the same age and I'd believe you.Again kinda unrelated and it's not a book but like, in Boku no Hero Academia a lot of the villains have likable (and different!!!!) personalities and I actually enjoy them *cough* Dabi *cough* so it's not impossible.This might be just me nitpicking but I've got a problem with the way Jenna portrays Pippa. In her videos she claims that Pippa has development issues?? (like all of her characters lol) or something like that. As in she doesn't act her age. And idk if it was her intention but I really hope that that wasn't an attempt at diversity or anything. You can't claim diversity or representation in a book if you need to clarify outside of the book.

Fuck in g world building. There. Was. None. Of. It.Here's what I know about the world:

1.) There are multiple kingdoms (can't remember the name of Tobias' tbh)

2.) The first Savior brought success or peace or goodness or whatever to his Kingdom and is now seen as a Goddess, essentially.

3.) There's a brutal tournament to choose her husband when she comes of age

Other than that we don't know anything about the world or their society. What kind of customs do they have? What's their language like? I'm not saying she needs to give us every single detail of their world, but there are so many gaps that the reader has to fill in, and it feels so goddamn generic. You've got your royals, your peasants, your armies. Apparently it's like a greco-roman thing? But I wouldn't be able to get that from the book. I don't even have a lot to say on world building aside from the fact that it's just not there asejgfaldksfh. Alright alright the pacing of the book pisses me tf off.So the start wasn't too bad, the prologue has the Savior's mother being assassinated, and it doesn't take too long for Tobias to enter the tournament, and we get to the Labyrinth quickly enough, but after that there's a ton of up and down. For example the challenge that's like. Capture the flag or something like that. I hardly remember it, and you could tell moments like that were only so Jenna had an excuse to kill of another character that wasn't important. But then there were moments with Leila and Tobias that just dragged on and on, like their conversations or their time in the art gallery, and they weren't even interesting conversations. Nothing to move the plot along or reveal much about the characters. I guess you could say that it was to further develop their relationship, but I just felt like that's the only reason why they existed. I didn't feel like there was chemistry between two individuals, just two characters that were being forced to love each other.Again, not a book, but imma take Jake and Amy from Brooklyn 99 for example (I wanna use Percy and Annabeth but it's been like seven years since I've read it and I'd probably butcher their story lol). Anyway, Jake and Amy are easily their own person, and they're both really different, but they both have their own goals and they both admire each other for different reasons. They help each other grow, both inside and outside their relationship, and they're better people because of each other. Leila and Tobias don't have that. It takes pages and pages of dialogue, and moments where they are the only two interacting, to try and convince the reader that they're right for each other. Chemistry between characters shouldn't be forced through romantic or intimate situations. The reader needs to believe that the characters as individuals are good for each other. I don't know if I'm making a lot of sense here aeskjfh.

Okay but back to pacing. The ending was just. So forced. And so rushed. And did absolutely n o t h i n g for TSC. In the very last pages we find out that Leila is the Savior and Cosima was just a face, but?? Why?? What was the point of withholding all of that information until the end if we're not going to get anything out of it. You could argue that we're going to learn more in the second book, but that's just bad writing imo. Obviously you're not going to get all of your questions answered in the first book of a series, but there should be some sort of closure at the end of an individual book, and we don't get that. The reader is left in the dark about everything at the end of TSC. We don't know anything, or understand what's going on. Imma just. complain about the fuckign part where Tobias is taken by Kaleo and Brontes. First of all, cheesy and lazy as fuck. I feel like that was just a way for Jenna to tell the reader what Brontes' plan was, or to further show how much of a dick they are, even though we already know. Also, just the whole being tortured thing. Really?? How many times have I seen that before??And then the w a y it ended. I was so disappointed. Aside from the fact that the last challenge/the maze felt rushed, the fight between Kaleo, Tobias, and Flynn was so boring and cliche. The way Flynn and Tobias worked together to defeat Kaleo. How Tobias was able to take down this ruthless assassin ("Fuck your parting words" afsdwkjld). And then what happened after Leila was revealed as the Savior, when they decide to go to his home. I honestly thought that the ending was just the end to another chapter and there would be another left. I turned the page and I was like, "Huh. So that's it then." I wasn't left feeling excited or looking forward to what happens next. I was disappointed and felt a little cheated. I spent all of this time following Tobias and Leila on their journey and I got nothing out of it, besides a forced romance. Also, I'm kinda just repeating myself here, but finding out that Leila is the Savior gives us some explanation for her behavior and actions, but now I wanna know wtf Cosima was for?? And why she was allowed to do that in the first place?? Like, I know Brontes wants to kill her, but why would Brontes let Cosima pretend to be the Savior. My guess is that Brontes would be able to kill Leila, the actual Savior, without creating chaos in the kingdom, but I don't know.

There is so much miscommunication/lack of communication in this story and I'm hte fuckign.There could've been so many questions answered throughout the book. I know I said Tobias has no right to know about Leila's plans, but she could've said something other than "it's complicated" or "you wouldn't understand." How many times did that happen?? Right when I thought we might learn something Leila would go on to say that Tobias couldn't find out, or something would come up and she would have to leave before she could tell him anything. This might've been able to work once, MAYBE twice, but it happened so often that I knew those kinds of scenes were useless and wouldn't provide us with anything, so it took whatever suspense was supposed to be there away.You could argue that because TSC is written in third person limited Tobias wouldn't know all of the secrets to the tournament and the government or whatever, but the way Jenna revealed things was so cheap. He suddenly gets an explanation from Leila at the very end, and Brontes and Kaleo capture him and tell him what their plan is. It would've been so much more interesting if Tobias took small things he learned here and there and pieced it together himself, or at least had some theories. Instead he focuses on Leila this, Leila that, why won't Leila tell me anything. All he does is brood and complain and it's so goddamn old.It kinda felt like the, "And then I woke up and realized it was all a dream" explanation.

I also really, really hate the way she treated her LGBT characters, aside from Dephi, she was decent. But she used the “kill you gays” trope. I’m not saying they needed to stay alive, I understand most of them were going to die, but she killed off one of them and then completely got rid of the other.

And then Kaleo. From what I can tell he’s bisexual.Which is obviously not a bad thing, but he wasn’t just a perv, he was disgusting and invasive, and even worse threatened to sexually assault assault Tobias, which feeds into the idea that bisexual people are just predators and want to fuck everything (Idk if I’m being clear about this hhh)

But yeah that’s all for now y’all

#mine #should I tag this? I feel like I shouldn't #¯\_(ツ)_/¯#the savior's champion #tsc #book review #kind of lol #the saviors champion review #tsc review #also if y'all wanna give me your thoughts they are def welcome

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srgo21-blog · 4 years

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Like Water for Chocolate

I don’t know if i should exactly call this a review of said book or more so my feelings out of reading it and any surrounding information going around in my head.This book was recommended to me by my ex when we were talking about books and I metinoned there not that many books of mexican origin that would be considered classics.To which she responded what about like water for chocolate.I wish i could ask her if she sought out this book herself or if it was assigned to her by her school system. The reason i believe this is some of the story happens in San Antonio, Tx where she is from so it makes me curious.If anyone who is from San Antonio ever reads this truly curious to know if this is a common book that is part of the school curriculum an answer would be greatly appreciated .Now then the actual book first thing that caught my eye was there a recipe in the beggining of every chapter .In said recipes are all traditional mexican recipes.I would say out of all the chapters only about 20 percent of the time it essential to actually read the recipe part. I mean the story directly transtions from the recipe to the story most of the time it just that a recipe and instructions on how to make it quite perculiar.The main conflict of the story a mother who expects her youngest daughter to take care of her into old age is quite dear to my heart.My mother went through a simliar thing but if i remember correctly with an aunt.The difference being unlike in this story she left with my father to America .They didn’t exactly elope but said aunt was definately not happy about this turn of events.Even though I myself am of Mexican descent I never really understood the significance of food in the culture .If I have to be quite honest it always actually made me mad at how much some people attach such heavey emotions to food.Your relationships should be with people not food.Though after I have read this book while I still don’t agree with it I can at least be more understanding of said topic .Though I do truly hope we eventually do learn that food is not that emotional the obesity raiting in mexico just keeps climbing. The way they portray food in the book is magical where your actual emotions while preparing the food effects the feelings of the people eating the food.The story flows from reality to it fantasy realm quite well .The magic of the book if you will does add nicely to the book and really hammers the points it try to make with it hyperboles of said situation.The story revolves around how her mother refused to let her get married to the man she loves and instead gave the man she loved to her sister. Pedro is all his brilliance and cowardice decides the best option is to marry her sister so he could stay close to her.This starts a chain reactions of events which evetually ends with both the mother dead and pedro wife rosaura dead after many years .Inbetween those years Pedro and Tita are always sneaking around commiting there adultry behind closed doors with Rosauras blessing .Though as the story makes clear towards the very end they were never able to truly give themselves to each other because they were always worried and had to be on the watch for people and strangers.They were tip toeing around if you will and were never able to fully express how they felt for each other doing everything quietly behind closed doors.Till the very end of the book when both the mother and Rosauras dead and everyone for once is finally gone out of the house for once and they don’t care what anyone thinks.They can finally express all they want towards each other and nothing has to be dampered.Then boom for one second in life they reach paradise there reach there eden on earth and pedro burst into flames .Then Tita slowly follows by eating some candles and thinking about the moment that just happened and all of the moments they shared in there lifetime.Now they are both in there lost eden to never be separated and the fire inside there soul never to be extinguished.I loved that part where I work there are always two older gentlemen latino if i would have to guess 95 percent sure there mexican.There always talking in spainsh about how if we keep being good and we praise god when we die we will get to go to heaven a place with only happiness no pain. I do not believe this in the words of Bob Marley ‘’most people think Great god will come from the skies Take away everything And make everybody feel high But if you know what life is worth You will look for yours on earth’’ I don’t want to wait a lifetime to get to my paradise.I want to find my eden right here on this earth while im alive there no gurantee there will be an afterlife.I want it all i want the peace the love and the companion I could share and eternity with.If it selfish I don’t care I want it all and I will always look for it till the end.In closing it was a fun book to read with some truly magical moments and a ending that lit up my the feelings inside me.If you are mexican it is truly a treat with all the symbolism they use will truly stir up the emotions inside you a recommended read.

#bob marley #mexican #san antonio #like water for chocolate #eden #pardise #cielos #love

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watchandtalk · 7 years

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Blade Runner (1982)

It's been a while since I've updated this blog! In celebration of the release of Blade Runner 2049, I'm going to provide my own (very) personal review of the original Blade Runner (1982) film:

It sucked, and I hate it!＊

＊This is obviously my personal opinion, and I am not hailing it as an objective truth. I also need to point out that I am heavily biased toward the book (Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick). I am also completely aware that the film is a loose adaptation of the book, but I will address this further on.

I very rarely ‘hate’ films – it is an intense word, after all. After years of being force-fed overanalyses in high school, however, I feel that the film warrants this. The thing is that in high school, English teachers will tell you that it’s ‘okay to have your own opinion of the film!’ before going on to inspect every little detail that points toward it being a literary masterpiece. Then they go on to say that your opinion must be founded – without offering any advice for analysing it from a negative perspective. Here I am to say that it is indeed entirely possible to both effectively analyse the techniques used as well as show that a film (in this case, Blade Runner) is completely and utterly terrible!

I summed it up quite nicely after very recently (within the past hour) watching Blade Runner with my family in the hopes of inspiring hype for the sequel: Blade Runner is a good film, but a terrible story.

The film:

Good symbolism – the use of animal associations for the Replicants in order to accentuate their inhumanness; the unicorn, as well as the origami; color; motifs associated with implanted memories (phrases, sounds of children’s laughter); fire (a la Prometheus);

The noir feeling – I personally am not a fan of the genre, but the pacing, soundtrack, general atmosphere of the film and the theatricality of the interactions, so to speak, represent the genre well;

You know the rest – intertextual references (Paradise Lost, if I’m recalling correctly; the parable of the prodigal son); world building referencing the context of the film, that being increasing globalisation and the mixing of cultures; Tyrell being short-sighted despite his ‘visionary’ status and the shortness of the Replicant lifespan... I could go on, but that would involve searching for my high school English notebook, which I’m fairly certain I threw away as soon as I was done with it. You’ve heard it all before.

The story:

Bad – thanks for highlighting their inhumanity when the point was that they’re pretty much humans anyway; all it took for Deckard to wonder if killing Replicants was a good idea was a totally unnecessary romantic subplot; I know the ending with Batty was supposed to be symbolic or whatever, but narratively speaking, it makes very little sense that after all he did, he would choose to save Deckard;

The noir feeling – you may have noticed this was in the film section. I personally hated what the pacing did to the film and how it changed the focus;

It’s flimsy, it holds no water, it’s bad.

Again, I need to stress that this is my own opinion, and I am very specifically comparing the film to the book despite the fact that the film is only very loosely based on the book. I do find it significant to address adaptations in general, however, and the consequences of one ‘badly done’.

Loose adaptations, loose narratives

For this segment, I’m going to make reference to the film Edge of Tomorrow (2014). The source material of that film is less well-known (in the West, at least) than that of Blade Runner (being adapted from All You Need is Kill, by Sakurazaka Hiroshi), but nonetheless, there are very significant parallels to be made that can be attributed to the common factor of their being ‘loose adaptations’.

Here’s the thing: I’m not at all saying that adaptations must be 100% accurate or not be made at all. Especially when the source material is cross-cultural, one can’t expect values to translate directly, or indeed the original context of the source material may be vastly different from the adaptation temporally speaking. The message may not even be the same, perhaps being intentionally subverted in order to make a point.

What I’m saying is this:

When one co-opts the narrative of a piece of media, there is a certain point at which one has to be very careful when changing around significant plot points and events.

There is an internal logic that runs within a narrative. Changing an event disrupts that logic. In order to make the event fit, the narrative will have to be moved around, the backstory rearranged, certain elements introduced or removed. If you go around changing things willy-nilly without a care for what it does to the consistency of the story, you end up with: one (1) horrible, no good story.

At this point, I would present a good adaptation for the sake of comparison. Unfortunately, many of the ones I can think of that are good (Fight Club, perhaps arguably; The Silence of the Lambs; The Shining) are ones where I’ve only seen the films for, so on the point of them being adaptations, I am not well informed.

So again, I ask you to think of really bad adaptations. I think we can all agree on the Hollywood renditions of Dragonball, The Last Airbender and Death Note being absolutely horrendous adaptations. We can’t change around ideas without considering the effects or how the narrative must be changed to accommodate this, but thinking about all these other horrid adaptations also suggests that there is something essential to the source material that one cannot abandon. In Dragonball, this may be Goku’s unique personality, or the fact that he’s Japanese. In Death Note, this may be the fact that Light was meant to be a perfect student who was too smart and developed a god-complex. There are things that make the characters who they are and there are things that a story is about, and ultimately tampering with them is something that backfires more often than not.

Let’s go back to Edge of Tomorrow and Blade Runner.

I didn’t like Edge of Tomorrow. Even before reading the source material, I did not like it. There’s first the fact that the consistency is dubious regarding the whole omega/alpha thing; what’s up with him going back in time and the omega suddenly blowing up? The film also introduces a lot of values that weren’t present in the book. This is understandable, seeing as the source material is Japanese and this is a Hollywood adaptation, but that does not mean it was done well; there’s a big emphasis on teamwork and team sacrifice (where in the book, there are two significant characters pretty much), and there’s this weird theme of Cage (white-washing aside for now) going through the loops and slowly becoming this brooding sacrificial hero figure that ultimately becomes better than Rita, who a) had already gone through this before, and b) is a more accomplished fighter than Cage at any given point. This is pretty sexist, as despite her seniority in pretty much every aspect, Rita quickly becomes the film’s damsel in distress, but what makes it the most disappointing is how it compares to the book:

Rita, front cover to back cover, retains her seniority over Keiji at all times. On one hand, this may be because of Japan’s larger focus on social hierarchy and community; this still leaves a bitter taste in one’s mouth when the West is supposedly becoming more ‘progressive’ and leaving the damsel stereotype behind. It also transforms the story; in the very end, Rita is the one who figures out what is going on, and it’s through her actions and decisions that the loops finally end. In fact, she dies only because she decided she was going to die – “I finally understood. When I met Rita yesterday, she had decided that she was going to die.” (p.187) Yes, Keiji becomes a hero and is acknowledged as such, but up until the very end, he recognises Rita as her own person, someone he could never replace and perhaps could never amount to. “Red was your color, yours and yours alone. It should rest with you. I will paint my Jacket sky blue, the color you told me you loved when we first met.” (p. 196) All that emotion, that weight? Gone.

The change of her role also creates an awkwardness in the alien hierarchy system. Originally, the Mimics had a server which triggered loops through the antennae, and Rita had been an antenna. The solution is thus pretty simple in the novel. This changes with the introduction of the alpha/omega system, and the transfer of the target from the ‘alpha’ to the ‘omega’, creating that strange maybe-contradictory ending.

But I digress.

The point of that tangent was that while one can understand that yes, of course things are allowed to change, but that doesn’t mean that it makes the narrative better or more cohesive. Betraying the point of the original material is one thing, but doing it badly is something else entirely.

To very briefly sum up the main themes of Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?:

ableism, classism, the importance of status in society and how this ties in with the dystopian setting – see Isidore and his being a ‘chickenhead’; how this and classism separates those staying on a war-trodden earth and those who escape off-world; how they separate humans and ‘non-humans’; artificial animals and real animals serving as a status symbol;

emotions, intelligence, and how they make up the human identity – there’s the idea of the androids feeling emotions, which is portrayed in a much more nuanced fashion in the books, as well as the parallel with the Penfield mood organs; the explicit fact that humans and androids have varying levels of both intelligence and emotional capacity, further suggesting the lack of true difference between Replicant and human;

the concept of a machine being either a hazard or a benefit – though Deckard mentions this in the film, it hardly makes the same impact as meeting Luba, who for all intents and purposes enriched musical culture and did not pose a hazard; there’s also the idea of humans having the ability to be just as deplorable as androids supposedly are, as in Resch;

Mercerism – this one is understandably not incorporated in the film (seeing as this is a film, and not a two- or three-part series), but it does add an interesting dimension vis a vis the concept of artificiality and technology as a means of shared consciousness, as well as the willingness of humans to believe in something that is irrevocably proven false.

What it boils down to, essentially, is ‘what makes a human human, good or bad’, as well as the implications on society as being a community of humans. Typical sci-fi philosophical fare, but it very much leaves you thinking that the answer is, ‘well, humans are pretty terrible but also incredibly variable and really is there any difference between humans and androids? No, I guess’.

The first thing that should pop out is that there is a clear mismatch between central themes in the two media. You can argue that the vague idea is the same, but how they go about it is extremely different. Perhaps to an extent this is a given, as there’s only so much philosophising that a film can allow without stretching into the two hours and above section, but the film undeniably displays it in a much more shallow way. Batty’s dramatics are just that: dramatics, theatrics, all for show. Maybe not strictly accurate, but another word that comes to mind is pretentious. Again, it’s for the cinematics, perhaps part of the genre, but personally I find it difficult to engage with something that is clearly a caricature. Perhaps this is the point, but certainly this was never the point that the novel had meant to make.

What the film tells you about the androids is ultimately very different as well. As mentioned beforehand, all the Replicants have an associated animal – Pris with a raccoon, Batty with a wolf, and so on – which further heightens their inhumanity. What strikes me is that in the novels, there’s no such clear distinction between human and inhuman – the androids are not made into animals and neither are the humans. However, what does happen in the novels is that traits that are considered human or inhuman are shown to be prevalent in both androids and humans. Androids have lower emotional capacity and cannot pass the Voight-Kampff test – but then again, there are many humans that can’t, either, for a lot of different reasons. Androids are portrayed as ruthless, violent, cold-hearted – but then again, there are humans that are, as well. So what makes humans so different? Well, they can think for themselves and have their own ambitions – but so do the androids. But the one thing they can’t fake is emotions, right? Well...

What may differentiate the film and the novel in their portrayals of humanity and inhumanity is their ascription of good and bad to them, respectively. The humans in Blade Runner are assumed to be good because of their humanity – conversely, the androids are assumed to be bad, because of their inhumanity. There are many themes running through the novel, but this black-and-white morality is not one of them.

If we take away this assumed good-or-bad dichotomy, we find that Blade Runner is ultimately a shallow film with no backstory or deeper meaning. Why did the Replicants flee? How did they know each other? With no reason for this, the film is forced to come up with an additional plot point: the four year lifespan. The focus stops being ‘what is human’ and starts becoming a tale about playing god.

The film manages to not only simplify any sort of complexity in the absolute worst way possible, but it also manages to go against the central themes holding the novel together.

And you know what? Blade Runner isn’t unique for this. Plenty of blockbuster films are guilty of the shallowest, most predictable and bland storylines imaginable. But what really takes the cake is this:

The Final Nail in the Coffin

Despite Blade Runner being despairingly simple objectively, despite it being straightforward and not requiring any real critical thinking or philosophising, despite it being an alright film at best and an insomnia-killer at worst, despite all of this, they made us study it for HSC English, and they had the audacity to make it sound deep and complex and made us analyse it as deeply as one would the mysteries of the universe.

I never want to hear about how the fires are reminiscent of Prometheus bringing fire to humanity or how the sight of the sun is reminiscent of Egyptian Pharaohs and a symbol of power or about the intertextual value of Batty’s pretentious spiels ever again. It took me watching the film again, years later, to realise that I absolutely abhor the film, and would do well never to watch it again.

Phew.

Again, as a film? Technical beauty. Easy to pick out techniques and stylistic decisions – probably why it was chosen as a focus in the first place. But hey – so is Gattaca, and that’s actually a good film.

#blade runner #do androids dream of electric sheep

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rebeccathehistorian · 7 years

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Anne with an E Review: Episodes 3 - 7

Rating (over the whole course of Season 1): 4.5/5 Rating (for all of the episodes except for one): 5/5 Rating (for either episode 4, 5, or 6 (I forgot which one)): 4/5

Warning: Spoilers below the cut. You have been warned.

So before I start off, I will admit that I finished watching all of Season 1 back in mid-May or so, when it first came out on Netflix. Like, I think I finished the entire season in the space of about a week. Or maybe two. No more than that, though. So yes, I know that this is about four months overdue. And I’m a bit tired right now, so I hope this makes sense. (I think it will.) Also, one last thing: because I don’t really remember which scenes belong in which episode (except for perhaps a few of them), this is going to be more of a stream-of-conciousness thing where I’m going to talk about whatever scene comes up in my head. I hope you guys will enjoy this.

So I think the first thing I want to talk about is the infamous slate scene in Episode 3. First off, I like the fact that Gilbert came to Anne’s rescue with Billy. Honestly, with Billy being such a bully, how can Jane stand him? Or even live with him? Then again, I guess she has to; she has no choice. It’s her brother. And considering that Billy’s her older brother, I bet he lords his age over her. Ugh. Anyway, I digress. Back to the episode.

I liked how Gilbert used the kind of language that Anne would’ve liked: fighting dragons and such. Book!Gilbert didn’t do that! :) And he’s so courteous when he opens the schoolhouse door for her. I have to say that I did laugh when Anne introduced herself and when Gilbert was about to say his name, all of his friends called it out. To be honest, the boy whom we later find out is one of the boys (I forgot who it was but it’s not Charlie Sloane), before I had watched the episode and had only seen pictures, I seriously thought (and hoped) that that would be Fred Wright. We never got to meet him in Anne of Green Gables, yet we know he must figure relatively prominently in a minor sort of way, because he becomes Diana’s fiancé and he’s best friends with Gilbert considering Gilbert is Fred’s Best Man at Fred and Diana’s wedding.

I also liked how Gilbert flicked paper over at Anne’s way across the schoolhouse. You know, the fact that the boys and girls were separated made sense to me. Because when I was interning at OSV (Old Sturbridge Village), I learned there that in those days (the 1830s/1840) boys and girls sat separately. So I liked that. And then Gilbert gave her a strawberry apple which was a nice touch from the books. And of course, the slate. I think I covered my mouth when I saw the slate hit Gilbert’s cheek. I understand why Anne did it. But I think, if I remember correctly, I felt a bit bad for Gilbert.

Speaking about boys and girls not sitting with each other, why is Gilbert sitting next to Charlie Sloane? On one hand, I understand it because he’s in the same reader as the kids who are two years younger than him, but in terms of age, shouldn’t Gil be sitting in the back with Billy Andrews and the other older boys? Gil’s what, fourteen, almost fifteen? And Anne’s what, eleven, twelve? (I forgot exactly how old Anne’s suppose to be at the start of this adaptation.) One thing I didn’t understand about that scene though was when Anne walks off the platform after getting reprimanded by Mr. Phillips, down the center aisle, and presumably home towards Green Gables. I feel like Mr. Philips wouldn’t let her do that. Also, another thing I kind of don’t understand: why they had another classroom for the younger kids. Ok, ok, I get it that it’s because the Avonlea population is supposedly big enough to have two separate rooms for two different populations of kids: the younger ones and the older ones. However, in my impression from the book, I thought - and it seemed to me - that all the kids were in one classroom under one roof. Then again, it’s possible that I’ve been influenced by the Sullivan movies.

Another scene I *really* liked was the Minnie May croup scene. In the 1985 Sullivan version of Anne of Green Gables, I feel like we, as the audience, get worried about whether Minnie May is going to die. But in this version, I was SCARED, legitimately SCARED, that Minnie May was going to die. It was extremely believable, and while I know it’s acting, the coughing and the seeing Minnie May not being able to breathe was frightening. It really brought home the seriousness of that disease that I don’t think the Sullivan movies were able to fully grasp. Also, when Anne was hitting Minnie May’s back trying to get her to cough up the phlegm and pleading with her to cough, I legitimately thought that Minnie May’s back was going to turn black and blue at that specific thought. And yes, the relief when we saw that Minnie May was going to be alright was palpable. I understood in the Sullivan movie why Mrs. Barry forgave Anne after Anne saved Minnie May. In this adaptation, I now understood WAY more so why.

Side note: Hypothetically, if Gilbert had had at least a bit of medical knowledge under his belt, and of course - or at least potentially - Anne was talking with him at this point, I wonder how this scene could’ve gone differently. Or, would it still be the same because Anne would’ve known more at this stage than Gilbert would’ve?

In terms of the fire, it was nice to see how Anne kept cool (once again) under pressure. And to see Gilbert’s shock when he sees Anne in the burning house. This is just from a reader��s perspective - and it’s a small thing - but why did they make Ruby, it seems like, be the eldest of the children in the family? Is this because, if they continue on with this series, it could potentially give more of a plot for the Gillis family where they have to try and cope with loosing the eldest member of their family? And how that affects and takes a toll on the rest of the family?

But one thing I do remember about the fire sequence, is how Anne is still considered an “other,” even after trying to save the burning house. How Ruby doesn’t want to go with Anne towards Green Gables. I don’t think it’s because Green Gables is so out of the way. I think it’s because Anne’s an orphan and the town as a whole still vilifies her for it. But, I will say that it is nice that by the end of that week, Anne could count not only Diana, but also Ruby as her friends. It makes me wonder: When is Jane going to be her friend? I want to see the quartet!

Anyway, speaking about Gilbert, it was really nice to see that scene with Matthew and Gilbert talking in the store about the Blythe farm after John Blythe died. I know it was just one neighbor talking to another but it kind of felt like, in a sense, a father-son talk. And it made me yearn for Matthew and Gilbert to have that kind of father-in-law/son-in-law talk that we never to get to see. Or even the kind of talk of a father to his daughter’s fiancé. I think we all assume that Matthew would give his blessing when the time would come but … it’s one of those things I wish we could see.

I forgot to mention that while we see Gilbert say he doesn’t think he’ll farm the farm at that time, it makes me wonder when Gilbert will figure out that he wants to be a doctor. In terms of the books, he’s not quite at that age that he’s announced it to Anne yet; he still has a few years to go. But I want to see him decide to become a doctor. I feel like if they have him go into another profession, let’s say farming, or sailing, or whatever, it’ll feel like a cop out. Like, it’s not true. That it’s not right for his character.

The scene where Anne and Diana get drunk was great to watch. It looked like they were having a lot of fun (both on screen and I bet they did while filming it!) and I laughed during part of it. It was nice to see not only Diana getting drunk but also Anne too.

Sorry I’m jumping all over the place but I am. It was heartbreaking to see Gilbert take care of himself and make his father breakfast in bed. When we first saw that, I wondered where his mother was and I came to the conclusion at that point in time that his mother was at least also sick, if not had died. I later found out that the latter had happened. Anyway, that scene at the graveyard was painful. To loose your father, to be an orphan that young, at the age of 15 … wow. But at the same time, I feel like the fact that Gil’s a boy and the fact that - in terms of society, at least - that he’s old enough to take care of himself (because he’s what, 15 or 16, right?) means, that it gives him an opportunity to go out in the world and do what he wants without having to experience orphanage life.

On that note, the ending scenes in the seventh episode really reminded me of the last chapter in Anne of Green Gables: “A Reaper Named Death.” Instead of the bank failing, the ship sank. Marilla was contemplating selling the house but instead they sell a whole lot of possessions. The fact that Matthew had a heart attack … which the only difference was that in the book, he dies from it but in this version, he survives it. To be honest, because of this whole culmination, it really makes me wonder (and to be honest, a bit worried) what they’re going to do/going to have to do for the end of Anne of Green Gables. Really, the reason why I’m worried is because I feel like the writers/producers/directors played their *biggest* card ever - the chapter where Matthew dies - with great precision (minus the fact that Matthew doesn’t die in this version) but that means that they’re really going to have to up the ante for the end of Anne of Green Gables. And I’m a bit worried what they’re going to do with Matthew at the end of Anne of Green Gables because I feel like they showed us roughly chapters 1-18, I think, then chapter 25, and then threw in towards the end of Episode 7, chapter 38. And while I have confidence in them in being able to knock chapter 19-37 out of the park, it makes me wonder how they would play chapter 38 out since they used it so prematurely, in my opinion.

Quick side note: It was nice to see the sibling relationship between Jerry and Anne play out in the entirety of this episode (episode 7).

Speaking about this point in the season, it was nice to see that interaction between Anne and Gilbert. And that apologizing contest in that cafe was … so them. Oh my gosh, yes. But the fact that they are now at a truce … on one hand, I really like it, but on the other hand … I kind of mourn the thought that I guess we won’t be able to see Gilbert save Anne in the dory, or seeing the academic rivalry becoming two-sided (I’ll get back to this in a second), or seeing Anne finally forgiving him after ignoring him for five years. Don’t get me wrong, I really like this adaptation! I’m just trying to remember what I thought about it from four months ago.

Speaking about the academic rivalry, when they have that spelling bee, I didn’t notice this when I first watched it but somebody pointed out on Tumblr that it’s possible Gilbert forgot the E in the word he was spelling just so he could make the comment to Anne, “I should’ve remembered the E.” If so, all I can think of now is: Smooth, Gilbert. That was really smooth. :D

I can’t think of anything of anything more I want to say right now but I might think of something later. Oh yeah. I like the fact that we get to see Marilla and Matthew’s past relationships. We never got to see the latter in the books so seeing it here was lovely. And with Marilla and John’s relationship, I wonder when we’ll find out what they quarreled about that caused their relationship to go south when Marilla wouldn’t forgive him and John ran off. (Actually, I think we did learn about that this season but I forgot what exactly the argument was about. Oh wait, now I remember. Never mind.)

Sorry about this. I guess this didn’t really turn into a review, did it? It’s really more about my thoughts on various scenes than anything else. But I do have to say that in spite of everything I said, I really enjoyed watching it. I absolutely gobbled it up; I’m not kidding about that. I would recommend it that people watch it but, the only thing I would hold back on saying is that I would suggest that if you want to watch it, make sure you read Anne of Green Gables first.

In any case, I’m really excited for the second season and I can’t wait to see it. I really curious what’s going to happen in the second season and I wonder what’s going to happen to all of the characters that we’ve come to know and love (minus Billy Andrews and Josie Pye of course; you two don’t deserve our love).

#My writing #anne with an e #anne the series

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findasongblog · 7 years

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Gig Review: Frightened Rabbit at Halle 02, Heidelberg

There’s nothing quite like finally getting to hear live some songs you’ve been loving for years. As if that wasn’t exciting enough, fate decided to add some extra suspense when Frightend Rabbit’s tour bus broke down the day before the gig and they had to cancel that night’s performance. Would they make it to Heidelberg?? With train tickets and hotel booked, I left home without knowing for sure. To say that I almost didn’t make it to Heidelberg myself would be overly dramatic, but I could have done without the delay caused by a tree blocking the railways. In the end however, it all worked out!

Heidelberg is a lovely city, if a bit crowded by tourists; if you’re interested, you can find all of my photos here.

Though we had some trouble finding the venue, at least we knew we were in the right area as other people were searching for it, too. But we made it in time, and to front row! We knew there was no support act, yet found it hard to believe that Frightened Rabbit would really start to play at 8pm. Well, it was 8.20 pm when they entered the stage, so not much later.

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From the beginning, it was clear that the band was determined to not let the last „shitty two days“ ruin the evening for themselves or the audience. The crowd clearly appreciated that and, in return, was more than willing to cheer the guys up. That perfect chemistry resulted in a high energy and passionate set as well as in some hilarious banter.

At the start, Scott thanked as us all for coming, claiming they had expected about 5 people to show up. That negative outlook on life, he explained, was typical Scottish and had a distinct advantage: you get lots of nice surprises along the way!

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During the gig, a fan from the back requested the band to play Swim Until You Can’t See Land. At first, Scott refused, stating that it was one of their worst songs ever (it’s not!). The fan insisted, shouting what most people, including me, understood as „I paid for that song.“ Others though added a „please“ to the request and so in the end, Scott gave in, saying the band hadn’t played it in years, but he knew how to do it on his own.

He made it the first song of his acoustic solo encore, not without telling us the story of how a „fan“ had once come to an autograph session just to tell him he had the song wrong when performing it earlier that day. The conversation mostly consisted of him and Scott shouting the word „swim“ (which, according to the guy, Scott didn’t pronounce correctly?!) back and forth at each other. Scott also informed us that he already had his revenge planned: one day, he’s going to find that person in the street, jump at him from behind and just yell the word „swim“ at him LOL

After that, he asked the fan who had requested the song to come up to the stage so he could serenade her (Jealous? Who, me? Nah......) The woman did so and stated that what she had said earlier wasn’t „I paid for that song“ but „I CAME for that song“. Scott’s reaction: „What, you didn’t pay for it? That’s even worse!“ 😂

My camera battery died half way through Swim, so have Floating In The Forth instead (third acoustic track was Die Like A Rich Boy):

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The set coulnd’t have ended with a greater song than Keep Yourself Warm during which I took my favourite shot of the night:

(you can find my complete photo set here)

To make up for the fact that I didn’t get my set list signed (we gave up waiting after an hour or so), I got a guitar pick to join the ones from Snow Patrol and Editors that I carry around on my key chain.

It didn’t sound like Frightened Rabbit had any concrete plans of coming back to Germany – let’s hope I won’t have to wait for years again! They’ll play three more festivals in the UK this summer and US citizens have the chance to see them support Broken Social Scene in autumn (dates).

#music #music blog #indie music #alternative music #gig review #Frightened Rabbit #Halle 02 #Heidelberg #12.07.2017 #indie #alternative #find a song

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skintagsgone · 7 years

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How To Remove Skin Tags on Cats, As Used Safely by Vets

See How To Remove Skin Tags on Cats, As Used Safely by Vets on The Best Skin Tag Cure Review Site or read the entire post below:

If you’re currently the owner of a feline friend, you’ll know how important it is to take their health seriously. Cats quickly become a part of the family, and keeping them fit and healthy is vital if you want them to live a long and happy life.

Cats – especially those that wander independently outside the home – are prone to all sorts of illnesses, injuries, and skin-related ailments. But one of the most common conditions a cat can develop is a skin tag (or acrochordon). These are fleshy bumps that appear on the face and body for many little-understood and scientifically unproven medical reasons.

You might start thinking about how to get rid of skin tags on cats. But before you reach for the fishing wire to perform ligation, there are lots of things you need to carefully consider. Is the bump a skin tag, or is it a tick, cyst or wart? What if the cat’s skin tag is infected or bleeding? Would it be better to take your kitty to the vet to have it expertly examined?

We’re going to look at how to remove skin tags on cats safely. We’ll also explore the causes of feline skin tags and other similar skin conditions, as well as help you decide whether you should book an appointment with a vet.

Skin tags are very common in cats. They appear as fleshy growths on the skin, and they can take lots of different shapes and sizes, but most of them are relatively small. Some are quite flat and close to the skin. Most have the appearance of a flap or look as though they’re hanging from the skin on the end of a ‘stalk.'

Skin tags are made up of loose collagen fibers and blood vessels which are surrounded by skin. They often have a fleshy color, although sometimes they can have a different tone to your cat’s skin. Your cat can develop skin tags anywhere on their body, but they’re far more likely to appear where there are folds in the skin – the flanks and the folds in the legs, for example.

What Causes Skin Tags on Cats?

No one is sure what exactly causes skin tags. Experts have provided many explanations of the possible causes.

These include the following:

Certain hormones in cats – particularly when they're still growing.

Lots of friction (and sweat) in a certain place on the body (which can be exacerbated if the cat is overweight).

A type of diabetes associated with insulin resistance.

The older your cat gets, the looser their skin. This causes more friction between the folds and creases in the skin whenever your cat moves.

Genetics will also dictate whether your cat develops skin tags. If the cat’s mother or father had a lot of skin tags, it’s likely that your kitty will, too. It’s not known whether one particular cat breed is more susceptible than others.

Where Do Skin Tags Develop?

As a result of the friction caused whenever a cat moves, skin tags are most likely to develop around the flanks and the legs. However, skin tags can appear anywhere on the cat’s body at any time, even on the head and tail.

Skin tags are also common on the skin where the cat’s collar sits. If the cat’s collar is too tight or if it’s rubbing awkwardly, it can cause a skin tag to appear.

Are Skin Tags on Cats Dangerous?

They are harmless. They very rarely contain any cancerous cells, and they’re not usually a symptom of a serious illness. There’s a chance that the skin tag may have developed as a result of insulin resistance, which can lead to diabetes if left unchecked – but that’s about as dangerous as feline skin tags get.

Depending on the location, it could also cause your cat problems with eating, their hearing or their vision. If you notice that a skin tag has appeared on your cat’s head or face, it could end up obstructing their vision, irritating their ear or making it difficult for them to eat.

In this instance, you should look into removing the cat’s skin tag as soon as possible so that they can return to their normal activity without disturbance.

Are Cat Skin Tags Contagious?

If you have a young family, it’s normal to worry that any lump or bump on your cat may be a contagious disease or illness. Fortunately, skin tags are not contagious at all. Your family can safely interact with your kitty as they always have done.

Skin Tag Removal Methods That Are Used by Vets

In many cases, a vet will be reluctant to remove a skin tag from a cat. They are completely harmless and don’t cause any pain. Cats won’t feel embarrassed about having a skin tag. The only reason a vet is likely to act to remove a skin tag is if it’s causing another problem.

If the skin tag has grown on the face and is causing issues with vision, hearing or the cat’s ability to eat, a vet is more likely to act. The same goes if the skin tag has formed in an awkward position on a leg or paw, causing them trouble when they try to move around. A vet is unlikely to consider surgical removal or other methods if the cat is in perfectly good health.

The main methods of skin tag removal for cats by veterinary surgeons are as follows:

Freezing – this method, often called cryosurgery, involves the use of liquid nitrogen to get rid of skin tags or other growths. Liquid nitrogen is applied directly to the skin tag, freezing the area. This cuts off the blood flow and causes the flap of skin to die. The color of the skin where the skin tag was may change afterwards. This procedure is only carried out in special circumstances.

Cauterizing – the opposite of the freezing method is cauterizing, which uses heat to remove the skin tag. This can be challenging and painful for your cat – it’s not a method that many vets will use.

Cutting – sometimes, skin tags can simply be cut off using the right tools. A vet will administer a local anesthetic to the area and will use sterilized scissors for removing the skin tag on a cat. This is a very direct method that has proven effective and doesn’t come with any painful side-effects. It’s vital to keep the wound clean afterwards to prevent infection from occurring.

Tying Off Method – A vet will tie off the skin tag. This involves looping a piece of sterile string tightly around the base of the stalk so that it is unable to receive a supply of blood. Without oxygen, a skin tag is unable to survive for much longer than a week.

If your cat has had a skin tag removed by a vet, it’s important to monitor them carefully for a few days after the procedure. Prevent your cat from scratching or licking the area until it’s fully healed, and make sure they get plenty of rest – especially if they had a local anesthetic.

Ensure they are eating a healthy diet, which will help with the healing process, and if your vet has given you any instructions or medication, make sure you follow them to the letter.

How Much Do Vets Charge for Skin Tag Removal?

Every veterinarian will have a slightly different pricing structure for their services. There are also a number of factors that will play into the skin tag removal for your cat, including:

The location and size of the veterinary practice.

Whether local anesthesia will be needed during the removal process.

Multiple skin tags will need to be removed.

A biopsy will be required to rule out cancer.

It’s an emergency situation.

In many cases, skin tag removal for your cat can run into the hundreds of dollars. That’s why so many people turn to DIY solutions to get rid of skin tags. You can also simply leave the skin tag as it is if it’s not causing your cat any pain or distress.

Do Feline Skin Tag Home Removal Methods Work?

If your cat’s skin tag is large enough that you can get a hold of it between your fingers and placid enough that it won't bite you, you may be able to tie off a skin tag. All you’ll need is a little dental floss or some fishing line. A good antiseptic cream and some cotton balls will also be useful.

First, clear the area around your cat’s skin tag with the antiseptic cream or gel. Making sure the area is clean to start with, and ensuring it stays clean throughout the tying off process, will help reduce the risk of infection.

Then, tie a small length of fishing line or dental floss around the skin tag. You may need to trim away some of your kitty’s fur to gain good enough access to the skin tag. Make sure you don’t get any fur caught in the floss or fishing line.

Make sure the floss or fishing line is tied tight around the base of the skin tag, as close to the surface of the skin as possible. Wrap it around a couple of times and tie it off, making sure there are no protruding strings or lines that could get caught on anything. This is likely to hurt your cat for a moment or two, but after a while, he or she will become oblivious to it.

This process cuts off the blood supply to the skin tag and causes it to die. In just 7-10 days, you may notice that the skin tag has started to change color. Soon, it will fall off. You should make sure the area is kept clean throughout this process.

It is a treatment that works well, but it can be difficult to carry out on a cat and the process must be performed correctly.

What If My Cat’s Skin Tag Is Infected?

There’s always a chance that it might become infected. Your cat could scratch or pull the skin tag and cause a small tear which could be exposed to bacteria. If you’re not keeping the area clean, it could also get infected and cause your cat pain and irritation. Never try to self-treat a skin tag on a cat that's infected in some way.

If you think your cat’s skin tag is infected, go and see your vet immediately. They may provide some medication that will help your kitty fight off the infection quickly. They may also cut off the infected skin tag there and then for you, which will likely be a weight off your mind.

What If My Cat’s Skin Tag Goes Black?

Skin tags in cats tend to have a fleshy appearance, like the rest of the skin. So what happens if you see that your cat’s skin tag has started to get darker or purple in appearance?

A skin tag turning black is good news (surprisingly). It means the skin tag has become thrombosed and is dying. The blood flow to the area has been restricted and it’s likely that the skin tag will fall off in a few days. Keep a close watch on your cat and ensure the area remains clean.

My Cat’s Skin Tag Is Bleeding

There are a number of reasons why your cat’s skin tag might start to bleed. It’s most likely that your cat has caught or scratched the surface of the skin tag, causing the skin itself to rupture.

It should heal just like any other cut or wound – but it’s important to ensure the area stays clean. An open wound, cut or scratch is susceptible to infection.

If you notice that your cat’s skin tag is bleeding, apply pressure to the area right away. This will help the blood to clot. Once the blood flow has stopped, try to place a small bandage or gauze over the area to prevent any bacteria from entering the wound. Antiseptic gel or cream will also be helpful in keeping the area clean and avoiding an infection.

How Do I Prevent Skin Tags in Cats?

While skin tags in cats aren’t dangerous, they can be a bit unsightly. It’s normal to want to prevent them, but there’s no surefire way.

Here are some tips that may help to prevent your cat from getting skin tags:

Keep your cat as clean as possible. Cats are renowned for cleaning themselves, but there’s nothing wrong with giving them a helping hand. Make sure your cat is washed regularly with a dedicated cat shampoo. This will prevent sweat and bacteria build-up which could potentially lead to skin tags and other skin conditions.

Pay attention to the tightness of your cat’s collar. If the collar is rubbing or causing any irritation, there’s a chance it could cause skin tags to develop in the neck area. Monitor the collar carefully as your cat grows.

Ensure that your cat eats a healthy, appropriate diet. It’s thought that one of the main reasons why skin tags develop is because of a condition called insulin resistance. This is linked with diabetes. Make sure your cat is eating appropriate food for their age and weight. Overweight cats are also more likely to develop skin tags because the number of skin folds they have increased with their weight.

It’s important to remember that skin tags in cats are not 100% preventable. You can take all the necessary precautions and your cat may still end up developing a skin tag. But with the proper care and the right solution, you can remove the skin tag for your cat safely.

What Growths Are Mistaken for Skin Tags on Cats?

There are dozens of different types of growths and skin conditions that can be mistaken for skin tags. Some of them are just as harmless as skin tags – but others can be dangerous if left without treatment.

Here are some of the most common growths mistaken for cat skin tags, and what you should do if you suspect your cat has developed one.

Trauma Bump

Cats are agile, adventurous creatures. If they’re let out of the house during the day or night, they can develop small injuries like cuts, scratches, and bumps. This may be from landing on a tree branch, scraping against a surface or even getting into a fight with another animal.

If your cat has experienced a minor injury, there may be a small bump there for a couple of days after. This is normal, and it happens while the site is healing. Sometimes very small lumps or bumps can be mistaken for skin tags in their early stages.

If you notice that your cat has a small bump on their body, check that it’s not infected and keep an eye on it for a few days. It will usually fade away as the site heals. If it grows larger, consider getting in touch with a vet.

Abscesses

An abscess is a pus-filled lump that is caused by bacteria or parasites getting under the skin. They’re incredibly common in cats – especially when they have been in a fight or experienced a puncture wound of any kind.

Abscesses usually result in pain and swelling in the area, as well as redness and a high temperature. If you notice that your cat has been a little out of sorts at the same time as developing a lump, it’s likely that it’s an abscess.

If you look closely at an abscess, you should be able to see a build-up of pus – almost like a large pimple. This is the result of white blood cells dying in the affected area. The cells are kept confined to the area around the injury to aid with healing.

Eventually, the abscess will rupture and the pus will drain away. In some cases, the white blood cells that accumulate in the area will destroy the bacteria or parasite that was causing the infection. This then causes the body to absorb the pus with no drainage required.

If you believe your cat has an abscess, keep an eye on the lump for a few days. Observe how it develops and how your cat reacts. If you’re concerned the lump isn’t going away, or if your cat seems to be ill, contact your vet for further advice. Your vet may offer a course of medication, or even surgery to clear the abscess.

Tumors

When people detect a lump on their cat’s body, ‘tumor’ is one of the first words that spring to mind. There is a small chance that a small lump on your cat’s body may turn out to be a tumor – but even then, many tumors are completely benign and will not turn out to have any cancerous properties.

One of the most common types of feline tumor is called a lipoma, or a ‘fatty tumor.' These are not cancerous, and in most cases, they don’t need to be removed. The only circumstance in which a vet would remove a fatty tumor is if they’re preventing the cat from moving comfortably. Lipomas are most common in cats that are older or overweight.

Mast cell tumors can also appear on your cat – usually around the head or neck. These tumors are more unusual in cats, though the Siamese breed appears to be most commonly affected. They develop as a result of the body’s natural tissue repair response, but they’re usually benign – around 1 in 10 of these tumors will turn out to be cancerous.

Breast cancer is common in cats that haven’t been spayed – spaying a cat before they go into heat for the first time can cut their risk of developing breast cancer by 90%. Breast cancer lumps can appear on the underside of the cat, and they often start out incredibly small. This means the tumors are usually missed until they’ve grown substantially.

If you think the lump your cat has developed is a breast cancer tumor rather than a skin tag, see your vet straight away.

What Are the Signs of a Cancerous Growth?

If you’ve discovered a lump on your cat’s body, cancer might be your primary concern. Here are some important signs and symptoms:

Texture. Skin tags usually have the same sort of texture as the cat’s skin. Cancerous growths (and also warts) have a dry, rough texture when you touch them. If you notice a strange texture, keep an eye on the growth.

Thickening. A skin tag should be soft and fleshy. Cancerous growths are usually thicker, especially around the base.

Growth. Skin tags can take a while to develop fully, and they don’t usually change in size quickly. If you’ve observed a lump on your cat’s body, and it seems to be growing rapidly, get it checked out at by a vet.

Bleeding. Yes, skin tags can bleed if they’re caught or snagged, but it’s unusual. If you notice any strange bleeding in the area around the lump, it’s not a good sign.

Scratching. Skin tags aren’t usually itchy. If your cat is constantly scratching, consider the possibility that it could be a cancerous growth or another kind of skin condition.

Weight loss. If you’ve noticed that your cat seems to be getting thinner despite no changes to their diet or exercise, see a vet.

Loss of appetite. The same goes if your cat seems to have lost their appetite. Of course, there are many reasons why a cat might not be feeling hungry, but if it coincides with the appearance of a strange lump, you may want to get it checked out.

Changes in behavior. If your cat seems lethargic and has lost interest in playing or interacting, it could be a sign of a more serious internal problem.

Problems defecating or urinating. If you have a cat that spends a lot of time outdoors, it can be hard to track how often they’re emptying their bowels and bladder. But if you have an indoor cat and have noticed that they’re not filling their litter tray, in the same way, it could mean the lump you thought was innocent may be something more serious.

Acne

These pimples and blackheads can feel like lumps and bumps under the surface. Acne is completely harmless but can be inconvenient to your cat if it’s affecting their face.

There’s also a chance the pimples or blackheads could become infected if they’re not cleaned properly. If you think your cat may have feline acne, you can ask your vet for medicated wipes or washes to help get rid of the extra oil that could be causing the problem.

Ticks

Ticks and skin tags look and feel very similar, which is why it can be hard to tell which one your cat is suffering from. A tick is a pest which can burrow into your pet’s skin. They can be as tiny as the tip of a pen, or up to half an inch long and visible.

Ticks can be irritating to your pet, causing itching in the area – but they can also transmit dangerous diseases that could cause a serious illness in your cat.

If your cat spends a lot of time outside the house, you should check them for ticks regularly. Ticks can be removed without a visit to the vet. You can buy tick removal tools online, or you can use a simple pair of clean tweezers to remove the pest from the site. Make sure you get all of the tick out and kill it afterwards.

Skin Tag vs. Tick

The appearance of skin tags and ticks in cats can be very similar, which means it can be hard to make an accurate assessment.

Here are a few signs:

Grab a magnifying glass. In many cases, you’ll be able to see the legs of a tick sticking out around the site.

Skin tags can often appear flat against the body. Ticks usually look swollen or engorged because they’ve consumed blood.

Ticks are common on the underbelly, neck and the insides of the legs. Skin tags are more common where the skin folds, such as the area around the elbows and legs.

Bug Bites

Cats that spend a lot of time outdoors can also be at risk of bug bites, especially in the warmer months. These can cause small bumps and lumps under the skin which may concern you when you first spot them.

These bites can cause a lot of itching for your kitty. Use a cold compress to help reduce inflammation and ease their irritation a little.

Warts

These are another skin condition that can look a lot like skin tags – the two are very commonly confused. Warts in cats are caused by the wart virus, and while warts themselves are not dangerous, if the underlying virus is not treated, it can lead to cancer.

Warts in cats (known as papillomatosis) causes warts to appear all over your cat’s body. They’re especially common around the eyes, nose, and mouth because these areas are damp and help the virus to spread.

The bumps themselves may be white, fleshy or black (much like skin tags). If you suspect that your cat may have the wart virus which is causing regular, recurrent warts, talk with your vet.

They may need to prescribe some medication to help get rid of the virus. They may also recommend removing warts through methods like freezing or surgical removal.

Feline Skin Tags Don't Need to Be Removed

Skin tags are harmless and will not cause your cat any pain or side-effects if they’re left alone. However, if you notice that the lump does not look right, it’s important to rule out other possibilities first.

Keep an eye on the growth and rule out conditions like warts or ticks, as well as a cancerous lump. Once you’re certain that the bump is a skin tag, you can safely remove it. Getting the procedure performed by a vet is recommended.

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iakhtarr · 8 years

Text

How pakistan become Asian tiger by 2050

Looking Back: How Pakistan Became Asian Tiger by 2050 By Nadeem Ul Haque A summary and a slight comment (based on first half of) Dr. Nadeem Ul Haque's follows. However I thought that this is needed to make it understandable to those who have not read the book and the friends here, Summary The book written in semi fiction style looks back while sitting in 2050 – by then Pakistan has become an Asian Tiger using the development model described in Framework for Economic Growth (FEG’s) developed by the Planning Commission of Pakistan in 2011 (The FEG is Dr. Haque’s brainchild and was developed while he headed the Planning Commission from 2010-13). Dismissing the notion of ‘development first’ the book emphasizes upon building the capacity of the state to govern and deliver effectively before development can be undertaken – an emphasis upon correcting systems (institutions) before undertaking mega projects. The essence of the book, in the words of the author is that “Development happens when people work together to build systems from the bottom up” and it is “effective governance that fosters markets and opportunities and paves the way for sustainable growth”. The book starts by telling that by 2050 Pakistan is a developed country and other countries want to copy the development model of Pakistan. The United Nations appoints a commission in 2051 to study the development model of Pakistan. The story of Pakistan’s development is narrated by the Commission as ‘lessons learned’. The commission starts by telling that till 2020 Pakistan was an elitist, rent-seeking, centralized state marked by constrained social mobility and high inequality – this situation led to problems like the break-up of the country in 1971 and the Baluch problem that continue to haunt us even today. Rents in this society were accumulated by few businessmen by way of tax exemptions, subsidies, licenses, permits and bank loans that need not be repaid. Perks, plots and privileges served rents on the civil and military bureaucracy as well as the judiciary. Politicians also used perks, plot and privileges to co-opt the bureaucracy. To protect theses rents the state was an active player in the economy, including land development. Prevalence of merit in such a system was unthinkable. Finally the elitist hold was broken and the system stood reformed. Here is a glimpse of the scores of reforms mentioned in the book. The size of the cabinet has been reduced to 15, all key appointments are now approved by the Parliament. The department of economy looks after agriculture, industry and commerce – the department only reviews the state of market – undertakes no export promotion activities. The ministry social service reviews social indicators but does not meddle in schools. Then there is ministry of strategy and reforms that prepares the country’s long term strategy while the ministry of institutional development devises regulations. Important decisions like writing electricity contracts need parliamentary approval. All public servants, including the military is paid handsomely but only and only in cash – no perks, plots, privileges and housing. Judges retire at the age of 75 with no further appointment of any sort. The book preempts that questions like ‘who will do it’ (i.e. reforms) and ‘how this will happen’ will be raised. The answer is that in reality no clear recognizable agent is behind the change. Though people at the helm did facilitate some constitutional amendments to give effect to the reforms however they were merely following the demand of the electorate – implying that that the electorate must become pro-reform for the reforms to happen. The book goes on to tell how people became pro-reform? A quiet revolution of thought has begun before the reform happened – to begin with the government decided to fund independent research without attaching any conditions to it. The think tanks that were limping then began to wake up, academics formed partnerships and networks – these networks were’nt hierarchically driven. Foreign donors were weaned away, the local networks were defining and debating research agenda based on local issues. While debating current structure of governance, the networks began finding faults with it and started recommending solutions. These networks rather than debating foreign policy and security issues were found discussing economy and social policy. This local agenda came from within the communities and not from distant consultant/bureaucrats sitting far away in Islamabad. These networks were not centrally controlled. These cropped up and died based on their ability to create ideas. A decade or two later the Parliament began taking the networks seriously, and ultimately policy guidelines emanating from Parliament were based on the ideas and recommendations of the local networks funded by local money. To make a convincingly case for what is being said the book goes on to tell that most revolutions in history have followed this pattern. The emergence of human philosophy and political democracy in Greece was the result of such a ferment outlined above. The pattern outlined above is also similar to the (European) enlightenment rooted in renaissance – and renaissance itself cannot be traced to any single event or to a few people. To sum up, if I understood correctly, the author argues that for development to happen, the ‘System’ must be reformed first. The ‘System’ will be reformed only when the society collectively demands Reform. Networks will play a crucial to convince the society that ‘System’ is in need of reform rather a complete overhaul is called for. Once majority of the people of Pakistan are convinced and demand reform, politicians will be left with no choice but to reform. Comment: Comment There could’nt be two opinions that sustainable developments is not possible without undertaking reforms. It is also true that historically reform happened around the world when the society was not only ready for it but also aggressively demanded it. However one needs to differentiate between research and advocacy – quite often advocacy, rather than research might be required, to make the electorate demand reforms. The author pins hopes on the academia to define the research agenda based on local issues, undertake research on it and perhaps disseminate it as well. While this is certainly probable, following are the challenges involved: • It is not clear why an elitist government that seeks to preserve its rents will fund independent research that may threaten it’s potential rents. • Research in Pakistan’s public sector is constrained by typical factors that in general constrain performance and productivity in public sector – for example, job security and dis-regard for merit and lack of appropriate incentives. • Reform oriented findings may seek to quash the rents that might be accruing to any incumbent regime. Researchers based in public sector may not enjoy the liberty to publish such findings frequently. • Research undertaken by private sector think tanks is donor-funded and therefore the agenda may not be home-grown. • While research is crucial to bring about change it’s finding need to be hammered down the throat of the society/electorate – persistent advocacy can accomplish this task. • What are/will be the incentives of the academia/networks to engage in advocacy required after having undertaken research? The challenges are huge but not insurmountable. Though the book does not neatly outline the precise process of the growth of networks, it says that historically networks have developed (perhaps imperceptibly) in regions that witnessed reforms and therefore hopes that development of such networks in Pakistan is not improbable. In the words of Dr. Haque: “We find the evolution of Networks to be fascinating. As there was no central control or direction, Networks grew and died based on their ability to create ideas. Network formation and division occur naturally, as debate and ideas develop…. Our most important recommendation is that development policy must learn how to get the process of such though going …it may not be the same everywhere” Personally, I will bet on Social media to undertake the kind of advocacy required. The social media (comprising academics as well non-academics) also enjoys the characteristics that Dr. Haque yearns for the change to happen: It’s bottom up and is not controlled by anyone – it’s not opinionated. Once the issue goes viral on social media, the electronic and print media will take up the issue. Though Dr. Haque clarifies that ‘networks’ means inputs from ‘people’ still the emphasis of the book upon research is apparent. However, for some reforms to happen it’s just the advocacy that is required – counting transgender in census 2017 of Pakistan is owed to advocacy and not research, similarly one does not need research to tell that; corruption is bad, plea bargain is harmful, merit should prevail everywhere, dynastic politics is bad, President should not enjoy immunity from persecution and so on – again debate will convince the electorate and social could be ideal for the task – and the book throughout says ‘research and debate’ is crucial to the reform process. The book is a must read for anyone who wants to understand the pre-requisites of development and the process of reform. Folks/students: share this and spread the word.

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