#the series is popular enough that it's actively hurting the bank

[tangleslime2]

I have a headcanon that Hollow Knight exists in Bug Fables as a comic book series like Bug Rangers and Vi is a fan. This may or may not coexist with Hollow Knight actually existing. If Hallownest ever made contact with Bugaria Hornet would be so confused why this little bee knew her name and loved her so much.

[antoine-roquentin]

A boycott by bureaucrats is undermining the coup in Myanmar 

For almost two weeks, tens of thousands of Burmese, and sometimes hundreds of thousands, have taken to the streets to protest against the coup. But it is a subtler form of protest that is causing the generals the most grief. Thousands of public-sector workers, from at least 245 districts and 21 ministries, are on strike, according to Kim Jolliffe, an analyst. Government offices are deserted. So too are classrooms. Many public hospitals have in effect shut. Those that have not are so understaffed they are turning new patients away. “Operations at many government departments all but halted this week,” reported the Irrawaddy, a news website, on February 16th.

The banking system is also seizing up. Online banking remains possible, at least when the army allows the internet to operate, but most branches are closed. Reports suggest lending has dried up and most administrative work has stopped. “A dysfunctional financial sector would definitely hurt the regime,” says Ko Ko (not his real name), a manager at a branch of AYA bank in Yangon. He and almost all his colleagues have been on strike since last week.

The government pays bills and salaries and disburses pensions via Myanma Economic Bank (MEB). But so many of its employees are on strike that it is at a “near standstill”, says Mr Jolliffe, who is studying the civil-disobedience movement. With many tax collectors on strike, too, the coup leaders may end up with neither the infrastructure nor the money to pay staff. “This is a real pressure point and is something the military probably did not include in their game plan,” says Mr Jolliffe.

Why Myanmar’s military will win in the end 

“This is no bunch of knuckle-dragging old men,” notes the Yangon lawyer. “They may be ruthless, but they are smart and have built a loyal corps of officers whose wellbeing is tied to their ascent in the army.”

That much has been apparent in its campaigns against ethnic pocket armies around the nation’s remote borderlands. In bitter wars with ethnic rebels in northeastern Shan and western Rakhine states, the Tatmadaw has turned to increasingly well-integrated combined-arms campaigns integrating operations between infantry, artillery and air power underpinned by information technology and supported by drones.

Even if still rudimentary by the standards of advanced militaries, these evolving tactics have marked a significant advance for an army traditionally centered on infantrymen supported, if lucky, by some artillery and logistically reliant on human porters.

A similar capacity for innovation, coordination and willingness to learn on the job is being displayed on today’s battlefields in downtown Yangon, Mandalay, Naypyidaw and a score of other urban centers.

Tatmadaw leadership has almost certainly been blindsided by the sheer scale and scope of popular protest which has brought scores of thousands of people from all walks of life onto the streets in a massive campaign of protest and civil disobedience reinforced by an international outcry.

Strikingly, though, the military’s nerve, discipline and cohesion have all so far held, and in a sharp break from the reflex violence of 1988 and 2007 top command has opted for a strategy of slow attrition aimed at waiting out the storm and restoring a degree of normality and economic stability as soon as possible.

At the most basic level, one statistic illustrates the strategy and arguably highlights its prospects for success: over two weeks of tumultuous confrontation at a watershed juncture in the nation’s political trajectory there have been only two critical casualties – a young woman shot in the head in Mandalay last week and a policeman the junta has reported was killed.

Three key factors have underpinned the war of attrition. At street level, the protest movement’s insistence on non-violence has been central. Articulated by National League for Democracy (NLD) party leaders and observed by demonstrators with remarkable discipline, non-violence has secured the Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM) the moral high ground.

Equally, however, it has played to the military’s objective of waiting out the crowds without spilling blood, setting up a contest that turns on time and resolve to decide which side can outlast the other.

Military restraint has also turned on a second factor, the absence of which would almost certainly already have demanded swift and brutal crowd dispersal: peace in the borderlands.

The critical importance of avoiding war on two fronts and balancing conflict with the array of ethnic armies ranged around Myanmar’s frontiers has been an enduring element of Tatmadaw strategic thinking for decades.

It was most famously demonstrated in the series of ceasefire pacts thrown together between 1989 and 1991 as the military struggled to deal with the fallout from its crushing of the 1988 uprising in central Myanmar.

The same mindset was on display in the run-up to the military’s latest power-grab.

In retrospect, there can be little doubt the Tatmadaw’s surprise decision last November to agree to an ad hoc ceasefire with the Arakan Army (AA) in western Rakhine state pointed to contingency planning for a possible coup to remove the NLD government after the crushing electoral defeat inflicted on the military’s interests and long-term agenda.

Setting aside already well-advanced preparations for a dry season offensive that would normally open in December, the post-election ceasefire secured peace in a theater of operations that since 2019 has tied down nearly half of the army’s mobile reserves, allowing thousands of troops to be redeployed between January and early February to the country’s heartland.

The importance of peace in the borderlands was further underscored in one of the coup regime’s opening statements that pointedly stressed its interest in pursuing the stumbling peace process within the context of the National Ceasefire Agreement (NCA).

And, to date at least, neither the bloc of NCA-signatories nor, far more importantly, the powerful alliance in northern Myanmar led by the Chinese-leaning United Wa State Army (UWSA), has shown any inclination to distract the military from its focus on containing the challenge of democratic forces in the ethnic Bamar heartland.

Finally, beyond the borders of Myanmar, even the Tatmadaw — renowned for deep (and invariably misguided) paranoia over external threats – can have been broadly confident of a permissive international stage on which to launch a coup.

Boilerplate support at the United Nations from Russia and China, a characteristically flaccid reaction from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and Western agonizing over a response that balances moral outrage with apprehensions over pushing Myanmar into the arms of China have all combined to shape a favorable international environment for a blatant seizure of power.

Against this strategic backdrop, the Tatmadaw’s tactical response at street level has centered on rules of engagement (ROEs) mandating minimum use of force. Even in the case of often inadequately trained and overstretched police, manning the frontlines for the first two weeks of the crisis, these ROEs have been observed for the most part with striking discipline.

Minimum force has translated into a range of less than lethal measures and systems used only sparingly. These have included water cannons, tear gas and non-lethal baton rounds typically fired from shotguns.

On the streets of Mandalay, troops have also been spotted armed with air guns with telescopic sights, apparently intended to target – if necessary – protest leaders. As one military expert explained: “These are not enough to punch a hole in someone but certainly enough to make them stop whatever they are doing.”

Beginning overnight on February 14 and 15, the deployment of military units in key cities reinforced but did not significantly change the dynamic established by the police. A new and important tactic though was introduced with night-time internet shutdowns between 1 a.m. and 9 a.m.

Without unduly inconveniencing daytime commercial activity, the shutdowns have permitted army troops – mostly mechanized infantry units from the Tatmadaw reserve of Light Infantry Divisions (LIDs) — to deploy under cover of an information blackout and, in coordination with police, to step up arrests of protest leaders with over 500 now detained according to UN sources.  

The military has also turned to drones, already used extensively in rural counterinsurgency campaigns for surveillance of the urban battlespace and movement of large crowds. Likely to follow in the coming days will be the invisible imposition of a security grid and a tightening squeeze on areas of population density.

“What you’ll probably see is a division of urban areas into sectors and districts with operational responsibility assigned to different battalions, companies and platoons,” noted the Western military analyst who was briefed on similar operations by the Thai military in Bangkok in 2010.

“Over 10 or 15 days they’re going to be identifying protest organizations, groups and leaders. Then at night-time they’ll clean it up, making arrests, intimidating, beating people up,” he said.

“So, first the Civil Disobedience Movement faces a loss of leaders at the mass level. Then it’ll come down to the tactical street level. And once leaders have disappeared, either detained or gone into hiding, there’ll be a real personal impact on individuals in different organizations.”

[dagoonite]

Urban Fantasy Worldbuilding:  Orcs

Let’s not worry about biology on this one -- they’re big, muscular, and have tusks.  We’ll worry about biology later, let’s focus on their social structure.

Orcs live in a very clan-based society even today.  A clan society by orcish standards, not human standards.  It basically means the group that you belong to, and is not restricted to the standard definition.  Indeed, orcs can and are members of multiple clans.  So you have your clan of relations that you belong to, your clan at work or school, your clan of people that you associate with for your hobbies, etc.  Loners aren’t alone, they’re just loners -- they’re still part of the clan, and active in it in their own way, but they just don’t want to spend all their time with others, and that’s fine.  That makes them strong in their own way.

Because that’s part of orcish culture as well.  Not everyone is physically strong, but it’s part of the society that you help the members of your clan be the best they can be.  Okay, so Grok isn’t very big and he’ll never be big, and that’s okay.  We can teach him to be strong in other ways.  Maybe he’s meant to be strong at math, or maybe writing, or maybe wizardry, or maybe just moving through life.  And that’s fine.  But we’re going to help him be the best that he can be.

As such, orcs don’t turn down offers for help.  If an orc offers to help you with something, and you refuse, that’s a grave offense to them.  You’re a member of their clan, and it’s their duty to help you, and if you turn them away, it means that they aren’t good enough to help you or find someone who can help you.  Or that you think that you’re better than them in every way.  After that, they write you off unless you make amends somehow.  Just a simple “I wasn’t ready for help then, but I am now” is enough, but it had better be sincere or else they might blow you off.  Fights can break out over this, as they are still quite aggressive.

Depression is a strange beast to orcs.  They don’t quite get it, even though some of them suffer from it.  Trying to help someone with depression frequently leads them to feeling lost and frustrated as the person may not improve.  The phrase “I can’t” is an especially bad one for them if they haven’t experienced it themselves.  For example, someone being unable to motivate themselves to get out of bed is vexing, because sure, they can just pull the person out, but that doesn’t help the problem, just a symptom.

Orcs do best in jobs where they can have a sense of clan.  Offices, construction crews, community management, and activists are all excellent examples.  Communities with a decent orcish population will see a surge in gyms in their area, owned by orcs.  Working out gives them their own gym-clan, while also giving them an outlet for their own physicality.  These tend to be surprisingly welcoming and supportive places for people who stick with it.  They don’t care if you’re a willowy elf, a puny human, a goblin, or whatever.  You’re one of their clan now, and they’re going to help you be the best you can be, no matter what form that takes.  (Indeed, people would be surprised to find yoga and other non-gains related activities in these gyms, but sometimes these are just what an orc or others need to excel.)

When in the military, they tend to be ground pounders, enjoying frontline combat.  However, they also excel in support roles, feeling a VERY loose clan structure with their branch of service.  However, their clan will always be their unit.  Expect them to be the last ones in during evac.

Orcs also make up a surprising number of prosthetic specialists. Studying both biology and wizardry (with recent years, technology being slowly added to the mix) allows them to help others, giving them a sense of satisfaction.  Often, they are inspired to do so by seeing a member of one of their clans have to suffer with disability and becoming inspired.

Individuals run the gamut of personalities, though most have at least some edge of aggression to them.  They have a need to do something.  A bored orc is an orc that gets into trouble, be it fighting or not.  However, many orcs try to find some outlet for their need to act.  Sports, video games, the gym, and community activities are just a sample of how they will safely satisfy their need for action.

In romance, there’s no stigma with a woman asking a man out on a date.  Orcs tend to be attracted to strong or active people of any race (though, again, there are those who buck this trend).  They tend to be wary of dating other races simply because they’re afraid of hurting them, but if one approaches them they take it as a compliment.

Historically, orcs have been semi-accepting of lesbian and gay people, often just requesting that they produce a child.  In the modern era, this has become a lot easier.  Gay orcs are the only orcs who donate to sperm banks, and lesbians make use of this in order to satisfy this cultural heritage. It is considered an honor among them if a lesbian requests a specific male to provide for this purpose. Aromantic asexuals have begun to adopt, something that doesn’t sit well with some.

Orcs are welcoming of other races, showing tolerance. However, altercations will occur if open, blatant racism is shown.  They don’t expect other races to “get” them, and appreciate any effort to do so.  In return, they try and tolerate casual racism through explanation and example. They view their place in society as that of equals, and are working to improve their view in society.

To this end, there has been a surge of orcs in the entertainment industry in roles beyond just being brutish mooks in film. Orcish stand-up comedians are becoming popular, and a recent movie series with an orc as the crafty heroine who relies on quick thinking to save the day has exploded in popularity. This is helping dispel old stereotypes that orcs are brutish and dumb; indeed, orcs have the lowest illiteracy and dropout rates out of any race, despite having one of the highest rates of those incarcerated.

[d-other-i]

10.30 pm – 12/08/17 – Day 01

The bus set out from Bangalore, a slight delay, thanks to which I was able to grab some food! In about 14 hours, the bus would take me far away from the original intended destination.

A coffee never hurt, especially when stuck without a plan!!!

7am – 13/08/17 – Day 02

The morning found me staring into the countryside, its overcast gray skies, and the semi barren fields in against the rust red of the iron ore on the road! Hampi was still 2 hours away. What started as a trip to Gandikota in AP, was inching towards Hampi in North Karnataka!

The previous two days had gone by in a blur! With no plan, and no tickets to Kurnool, last minute changes had to be done to ensure that there atleast was a trip! The only other place that I could think of then was Hampi! Good thing I already had tickets to Bangalore! All that was left was to find a ticket to Hampi from Bangalore and from Hampi to Chennai! A colleague (now, wife) helped with the bus planning and booking a stop-over stay at Bangalore!

After almost an entire day of roaming, a café in Bangalore gave enough time to Google up Hampi and possible places of stay there! A few phone calls later, one place asked me to call them again on reaching! Wondering if the plans would materialize, strolled around Bangalore a little bit more, met some friends, and finally when it was time, boarded the bus to Hampi! The one persistent thought however, was what If there was no accommodation?! It was after-all a long weekend!

A gust of wind ensured I was back, staring at the overcast skies, the broken down trucks along the highway and the oodles of rust on the road. After a lengthy detour post Ballari, the bus ambled into the dusty little town of Hospet! Hampi is 16 km from here! Found a couple who were also headed the same way, grabbed an auto to share charges and off we went!

Dropping them off at their shack, I went about looking for the contact I had spoken to! Funny thing, with the mountains and boulders all around, there was very little network. Finding the place was a task, but thankfully, the temple town isn’t too large and finally, reached the homestay.

A small but a neat place, it was located very close to the Virupaksha temple.

** To those who plan to visit Hampi, there are basically 3 options for accommodation. Those that plan to do the trip by their own vehicles can stay at Hospet, or at Kamalapur (close to Hampi). The other two options are to stay at the temple town itself in its few homestays, or stay at Virupapur Gaddi, across the river! Those that stay at Hampi should be aware that the food available would be completely vegetarian fare since it is a temple town! The hippie town on the other bank however is for those with a palate for a wider spectrum of food, although the last coracle/boat is at 6 pm, after which the only other way is a 30 odd km detour! **

The family that ran the place were warm, and although the room they had planned to accommodate me in wasn’t empty till later that day, they found a temporary room for me on the first floor! The terrace had an amazing view, of the Virupaksha temple on one side, the Mathanga hill on the other side with the distant Tugabhadra river gurgling away in the distance! It was indeed blissful to spend time under the overcast skies on the terrace, with the multiple temples and halls on the Hemkuta hills for company!

View of the Hemakuta hills

The main road into Hampi

Mathanga hill from the guesthouse!

Freshened up, and having some nice toast with butter and jam for breakfast! I set out into the temple town! The first spot was the famous Virupaksha temple. Unlike many other temples in Hampi, the Virupaksha temple is still active, and the pujas are conducted here. One interesting aspect of the temple is the “pin-hole” camera effect, where a small hole on the wall inside a small room within the temple makes it act as a pin hole camera, forming a perfect inverted image of the main gopuram on the opposite wall.

Virupaksha Temple

Origin of Hampi: 

The name Hampi is evolved from Pampa, the ancient name of the river Tungabhadra. Also Pampa is the daughter of Brahma, the Creator God. She was a devoted worshiper of Shiva, the God of Destruction. Impressed by her dedication Shiva offered her a boon and she opted to marry him! The place thus came to be known as Pampakshetra (land of Pampa) and Shiva as Pampapathi (consort of Pampa).

The Hemakuta Hill in Hampi is the place, according to the myth, Shiva did his penance before marrying Pampa. Kama , the God of Love, felt sympathy for Pampa for her love towards Shiva. He disturbed Shiva from his deep meditation. That attracted Shiva’s wrath. Known for his anger, Shiva burned Kama with his third (fiery) eye. Rathi, Goddess of Passion and also Kama’s consort pleaded for mercy with Shiva. Shiva grants Kama’s life back, but only as a character and not as a physical being.

On Shiva’s marriage with Pampa Gods from the heaven showered gold on the place. This hill in Hampi is called Heamakuta, literally means heap of gold.

All these places have immense religious significance for the Hindus in south India, especially the devotees of Lord Shiva. In the beginning Pampa was a local folk deity. Through the concept of a marriage with Shiva, goddess Pampa is associated into the pantheon of the Hindu gods.

The places mentioned here has a continuous religious history ever since known timeframe. It just happened that the Vijayanagara Empire came in-between and gone as an episode in Hampi’s long history. Even today the annual ceremonial marriage festival & the betrothal are important festivals in Hampi. With time, Shiva became more popular here as Virupaksha. Virupaksha, an incarnation of Shiva, literally means the one with oblique eye. This refers to the fact that Shiva has three eyes. The third fire eye on his forehead opens when he do the destruction.

As a tourist you can visit Virupaksha Temple (the main functioning temple in Hampi), Hemakuta hill (with about 40 temples concentrated on it), Pampa Sarovar (where Pampa did penance) and of course the river Tungabadhra.

Kishkinda Episode: A popular folklore associates the landscape in Hampi with the Hindu epic Ramayana. The monkey kingdom, Kishkinda, is portrayed as the region around Hampi. Anjayaneya Hill, located across the river Tungabhadra, is believed to be the birth place of Hanuman.

For the Prahlada episode see the Story of Narasimha. You’ll find this man-lion incarnation of Lord Vishnu icon at many sites in Hampi including the Vittala Temple and Lakshmi Narasimha Temple .

The curiously named, Bhima’s Gateway located on the way to Vittala Temple from Kamalapura has a beautiful panel of Keechaka episode that happened during the exile of Pandava’s. On the left is the image of Draupathi tying up her hair after Bhima slayed Duhsasana. Right image portrays Bhima killing Keechaka.

Below is the panel of Bhima with a flower bud describing the Saugandhika flower episode

In Hampi you’ll find this theme of adolescent Krishna stealing cloths of cowherd girls (Krishna on the tree with Gopis pleading with their hands folded in reverence). There is one pillar with this theme carved on one of the the slender pillars of  the Kadalekalu Ganesha and another beautiful one at the Pattabhirama Temple, though a damaged due to vandalism.

Those finally end up in Hampi invariably wonder how on earth such a landscape got created! Well, you have two choices to find a solace: one in geology and the other in mythology. (Source: Hampi.in)

 Ambling through the ancient temple, one cannot help but wonder how many generations of men and women this place must have borne, the amount of prayers heard, right from the greedy selfish ones to the most selfless of prayers when the Vijayanagar Empire was attacked by the Sultanate rulers. But, despite all odds, the temple still stands, a mute testimony to the will power of the humans that ensured that at least some of the grandeur was not lost to the elements of time. The vast temple, led to an equally majestic tank on the side of the river.

Manmatha Tank

The temple is the center of activity in Hampi. While the road spread out on the South towards Kamalapur and onward to the highway linking it to Bangalore, the North side towards the Tungabhadra river is full of an assortment of homestays, restaurants and shops for various trinkets! Whether they are authentic, is anybody’s guess! A little walk from the temple leads to the ghats along the River, boats, both powered and hand paddled take one across for a small fare!

Tungabhadra river

To the South and the east of the Virupaksha temple are some of the more important ruins (did not have enough time to try explore the western side!). On the south, are the famous Hemakuta hills, and the large mandapams on the hills. Two major spots on these hills are the Kadalekalu Ganesa and a little further, the Sasivekalu Ganesa!

Kadalekalu Ganesha

Entrance to Kadalekalu Ganesha Temple

Other structures on the Hemakuta Hill

    View to the temple town from the Hemakuta Hill

The town is completely dotted with the ruins of the ancient Vijayanagar empire, so much so that it is hard not to see the remnants of the past! One cannot help but wonder how magnificent the city would have been in its heyday, if it can evoke such an awe when most of the city is in ruins!

Bang opposite the Virupaksha temple, is a large open space now used as makeshift stalls and car parking! There, are a series of a colonnaded ruins extending almost a kilometer to the east! These are called the bazaar street, and housed the markets related to the temple activities in the past! They were also said to have housed the residences of the nobles of the era!

                View of the Virupaksha temple from the end of the bazaar street

                  View of the Virupaksha temple from the end of the bazaar street

    A portion of the ruins of the bazaar!

  View of the Virupaksha temple from the end of the bazaar street

  Way to Nandi Mandapa

The far end of the bazaar street has a grand staircase with a large mandapa! The mandapa houses a massive Nandi which overlooks the entire bazaar and onward to the Lord Shiva!

Nandi Mandapa

Beyond the Nandi Mandapa lies a small trail that leads to the little less frequented, but very imposing ruins of the Achyutaraya Temple!!

Way to Achyutaraya Temple

Achyutadevaraya, who came to power succeeding his elder brother Krishnadevaraya built this temple in 1529. The presiding deity was Lord Thiruvengalanatha, a form of Vishnu! (Source: Karnataka State Website!)

    First glimpse of the Achyutaraya temple

  The temple, located at the Southern end of the grand Courtesan Street is a sight to behold from up the Matanga Hill from where one gets to appreciate the massive scale of the street and the beauty of the temple from an unconventional viewing angle! The temple, although in ruins does make one wonder about the glorious past!

  Inner Courtyard

 Carved colonnades around the temple court!

Sculptures in the mandapas!

Almost 300 years on, the glory still remains!

View of the Matanga Hill temple from Achyutaraya temple!

View of the gopuram!

  What remains of a glorious past!

Walking out of the main gopuram of the Achyutaraya temple, one encounters a rather massive open area with large pillared platforms on either side. This is the Courtesan Street. (The temple is accessed via this large pathway, with the trail through the Nandi mandapa being the alternate route!)

In the peak of its time, the place was a thriving market of gems, pearls, ivory etc. For some reason, this place was called the Sule Bazaar (The Prostitute’s Market). About 500m long and 50m wide, the market was once thronged by merchants far and wide. (Source: http://www.Hampi.in )

Courtesan’s Street

The Courtesan’s Street, at its Northern end meets the Kampa Bhupa’s path (the riverside path. Source: hampi.in), along the Tungabhadra river. There are the Varahaswami temple and the Ranganatha swamy temple nearby.

A small trail from near the Achyutharaya temple leads up the Matanga hill on the Eastern side. There is another path on the Western side as well. The western route seems to be used more often. While the easter side is doable, there are a lot of overgrowth due to minimal movement!

Walking along the outer couryard of the Achyutaraya temple, I met up with a fellow backpacker who was also doing a solo trip to Hampi. We decided to explore the places together from there on! Next up, was Mathanga Hill!

A view of the Achyutaraya temple from above!

Way to Matanga Hill!

A view of Achyutara temple and the Courtesan’s Street from Matanga Hill

Hampi from above!

View of the Virupaksha Temple from Matanga Hill!

Matanga Hill is one of the holy places described in the Ramayana! It is said to be the place where Sage Matanga was, and had given protection to Sugreeva, the King of Kishkinta! There is a Veeerabhadra temple atop the hill!

Although it was close to dusk, we dint quite wait for the sunset, although we were at the right spot, since it was quite hazy, and we had to visit the Vithala temple next! Getting down from the Mathanga Hill from the western side, we made our way back up along the Nandi mandapa, and then on to the Courtesan’s Street to get to the river path towards the Vithala Temple!

View from the Mathanga hill showing the Courtesan Street, the Pushkarni (right side) and the path leading to the Vithala temple from the Varahaswami temple!

  Way to Vithala Temple

Along the rocky path that leads to the Vithala temple, are a series of boulders that form a natural cave!

It is said that one of these caves were used by Sugreeva, the King of Kishkinta. It is also said that he used this place to hide the jewels which Sita dropped when she was abducted by Ravana and that Surgeeva met with Lord Rama and Lakshmana near these caves! A number of footprints seen on the floor of these caves are said to be that of Lord Rama and Lakshmana!

Sugreeva s Caves

A short walk from here is the Vithala temple. The King’s balance and the Purandaradasa mandapam are enroute!

Vithala Temple

The Vittala Temple, is one of the most iconic structures of Hampe, made even more famous by the induction of the Stone Chariot in the Rs 50 currency note! The presiding deity of the temple is Vittala, a form of Lord Vishnu. This form of the Lord was worshipped here as the main deity of the cattle herds!

Built in the 15th Century, the templs has grand hallways and a large pavilions and temples, besides the afore mentioned stone chariot! Outside the temple, are a series of colonnaded structure, the Vittala market place and the ruins of an ancient Shiva temple. The temple itself opens out into a kilometer long passageway, probably large enough for Chariots. There are remnants of a large tank along this passageway!

Entering the temple from the Eastern gateway, one is greeted by the Stone Chariot. This chariot is rumoured to have had the stone wheels rotating about its axis! The Chariot houses the shrine for Garuda, the vaahana for Lord Vishnu!

Stone chariot! Note the rear wheel, where the gap between the axle and the hub is more on the bottom than on the top, indicating that the wheel was indeed free to rotate about the axle! It is also believed that the structure was painted with natural/mineral dyes!

Unfortunately for us, the temple was very crowded, thanks to the Independence day weekend, and the day being a Sunday! Unlike the Achyutaraya temple, we could not have the Vittala temple for ourselves! Greedy, indeed!

A smaller mandapa within the Vittala Temple complex!

A little beyond the Chariot is the main building, the Maha mandapa! Ornately carved, the building is famous for its Musical Pillars! These are small series of stone pillars carved out of a monolithic block! Each of these smaller pillars when tapped emit a specific musical note! This stands testimony to the fine Architectural skills of the craftsmen and at the same time, the level of understand and the cohesion of arts that was possibly prevalant at the time!

  Ornately carved columns, depicting the mythical creature, YAAZHI. The sculptures of this creature is found across south India, with similarfeatures,  making one wonder if they actually existed!

Intricate stone carving stands testimony to the craftsmanship of the time!

The details along the roof, deft and intricate!

  View of the gopuram from within the complex!

Rear side of the temple complex

  With the crowd being on the higher side, we decided to leave earlier that planned. We also decided, we would try and make it to the Vittala temple again the next morning!

We headed back out to Hampi along the same river bank route!

The view of the Sugreeva cave from the Narasimha Temple complex

  A short detour later, we were at the Virupaksha temple, parting ways deciding to rent bicyles for the next day’s trip! A sumptuous meal at Mango Tree (highly recommended!) done, I settled down at the home stay!

  The Tungabhadra river bank along the way…

  Parting shot for the day.. Virupaksha temple, in the lights!

  A tiring day done, I wound up at the new room! Not the view the earlier one had, but I wasn’t complaining! Having walked miles upon miles, sleep took over in no time……

            A view of the Achyutaraya temple from above!

  Where Gods Walked…….. (2) 10.30 pm – 12/08/17 – Day 01 The bus set out from Bangalore, a slight delay, thanks to which I was able to grab some food!

[loyalflutist]

Scarlet Carnation - Chapter 1 (F!Byleth x Edelgard)

Collaboration with @datsexykiwi

A/N: Thank you, everyone, for giving this series a chance! Here's Chapter 1. For the sake of our collaboration effort, my co-writer and I will be alternating through who writes the chapter. (i.e. Chapter 1 is mine, Chapter 2 is hers, Chapter 3 is mine, and so forth.) If it makes anyone feel better... her part is fluff. Hope you enjoy this chapter! I enjoyed writing it. :)

Kate’s A/N: Fluff comes later, but for now, suffer by the hands of this angst spikeball. By the way, chapter 2 is already done. ;)

----

Time is an intricate concept. It was amorphous, yet widely accepted as common knowledge. Alongside the topic of space, metaphysicist and scholars from various backgrounds ponder long and hard about it. Ordinary civilians and nobles too held the ability to muse about time. Everyone came to the conclusion that time is precious regardless of their statuses.

If one second is just as important, what impact does five years have?

The teal-haired evenly paced with the remaining Black Eagles; Edelgard led them around the monastery. Byleth felt the sun’s gentle rays brush upon her cheeks as her hues skimmed the premise.

Time is changing.

Everything stayed the same… almost. Destructions left piles of broken structures. Patches of grasses that happily grew at its own pace were deliberately scorched into fine particles. Classroom furniture and materials unfit for use were clumped into one heap. Additional wooden frames and ballistic weaponries plagued the surviving blueprints of the monastery. Students that once brought childish joy to the premise now introduce maturity with heavy hearts. Small chatters mulled in the background. They all came from Ferdinand, Dorothea, and Petra. Soldiers that they passed by sealed their lips at the sight of their ruler and a familiar figure. Some had the guts to even make remarks about the ex-mercenary during their presence!

“Hey, isn’t that Lady Edelgard and the Professor?”

“Yeah… wasn’t she supposed to be dead though?”

“I’ve heard.”

“Speaking of that, I was told that Brian and his friends were patrolling the outskirts when they were attacked this morning!”

“What?! By who?”

“A ghost.”

“...are you serious?”

“I am serious.”

“Oh, please. It was the Professor who knocked them out.”

Whispers eventually became audible enough to reach their ears. Not that the soldiers, visiting civilians, and staff cared much about it. If they had the chance, they would gather into one of the lecture halls and engage in heated debates! Plenty of them shared theories about the teal-haired. Some describe her as a supernatural force. Some admit that she is a hallucination. Others were hopeful for her visitation.

It was all a blur. No abstract art could capture this moment. Byleth’s jawlines became prominent as weights like sandbags were chucked on her shoulders. If she were to be honest with her feelings, she wants to find her private quarter, hole up in there, and never come out.

“I think I understand how Bernadetta feels.”

“Professor?” Edelgard glanced over at her professor. She blinked. Then, the older woman faintly smiled and looked elsewhere. “Don’t worry. I will clear up the confusion.”

“You will?”

“Of course. I’m the emperor.”

Ordinarily, Byleth would reach out and ruffle Edelgard’s hair. She would allow her fingers to run through the white locks as a cheeky smile flash.

“Aren’t you a good girl.”

Or so she would say. Instead, she felt the corner of her lips twitch. It wouldn’t be right. She cannot do that. A tender act between a teacher and a student doesn’t exist anymore. The fact that this student, who was once a house leader, who exclaimed about a monstrous desire for gorging on sweets, is now a guiding light for these souls.

Edelgard is not little anymore. She’s become a big girl-- No… She’s become a mature woman fit to lead her nation. Edelgard is now an emperor.

“...”

Byleth pressed her fingernails against the palm of her hands; a tinge of regret settled in her stomach. There was that promise she’s made with Edelgard…

Alas, her thoughts came to an abrupt screech once Petra placed a hand on her shoulder. The Brigid princess diverted her mentor’s attention to basic observations. Light-hearted stories of her interaction with the increasing number of foreigners and refugees on the monastery’s ground. It appears that she and Dorothea were quite popular with the children! Though from the corner of her eyes, Byleth’s hues caught a glimpse of the pair holding hands. Fingers intertwined, the songstress squeezed her comrade’s hand.

‘ ...Have they always been this close before? ’

Anyhow, they continued to traverse throughout the monastery’s ground. Much to Byleth’s optimism, most of the features she frequents were intact.

“I know you love gardening, Professor, so I’ve been trying my best to keep all of the plants watered,” Dorothea twirled her index finger in the air; a wink accompanied her action. “I took extra care with the scarlet carnation you and Edie have planted together.”

Planted? Byleth tilted her head, eyebrows arched.

‘ I planted a flower with Edelgard…? ’

Something wasn’t adding up. Her brain scrambled through its memory bank. It tossed and pulled on various sectors, only to no avail. The ex-mercenary rested a hand on her temple. She furrowed her brows. Without a memory of the past, we cannot operate in the present or think about the future. If her perseverance results in blanks, then how was she supposed to answer to the songstress?

“If it weren’t for you, I’m sure those flowers would have died five years ago,” Edelgard answered in her stead. She shot a glance at her teacher. There was that brilliant radiance from the noble’s direction again. “Isn’t that right, Professor?”

“...I don’t remember planting them. Not with you.”

Edelgard chuckled and temporarily cupped her own chin. “You must have forgotten. I can’t blame you as you were considered dead for five years.”

‘ Dead… ’

The tendons on her neck bulged, her pulse visible. She will never get used to hearing that terminology. Though they were uttered plenty of times when she was a mercenary and as an instructor, she never had the status badged on herself. Even if her ears are probably lying to her, the word “death” associated with “Byleth” was unreal. She moistened her dry lips.

‘ This is unsettling. ’

They entered into the shed. One of the two caregivers bowed to the group. When they spotted Byleth, their eyes widen, but silence followed. Whether it was out of respect or fear, Byleth was unable to determine the cause. At least she did not have to deal with the cannibalistic gossips.

“Professor, I think you should see them for yourself.”

Edelgard took ahold of Byleth’s hand. She carefully guided the taller female deeper into the structure. Ferdinand, Dorothea, and Petra exchanged looks. The male rubbed the back of his head with a nod. As if on cue, the other members of the Black Eagle Strike Squad from behind dissipated from the area. Responsibilities may not go anywhere, but time is unforgiving. Besides, the three unanimously agreed to let Byleth catch up with their ex-house leader alone. Nothing hurts more than being likened to a buzzing fly.

As they slipped away, Byleth slowed to a stop once she saw the flower. Scarlet carnation. A sense of familiarity, yet she continuously drew nothing from her memory bank. It was as if her instincts told her that this was a reunification necessary for both her and Edelgard.

“It’s pretty.”

Blunt compliment flung out of the teacher’s mouth. Edelgard’s ears perked as she leaned down to scrutinize the object of interest. The emperor’s fingertips soon brushed amongst the petals; her eyes were fixated on the plant.

“It has grown strong since the day we have planted.”

“Was it weak before?”

“You could say that,” the white-haired retracted her hand. “It was the slowest out of all the flowers we’ve grown, no matter how much we fertilize and water.”

“A flower that blooms the latest blooms into the most beautiful flower of them all.”

Edelgard chuckled. “I never expected to hear that from you, my teacher.”

“...”

Perhaps it was for the best that she lacks the ability to showcase her emotions. The inner turmoil would repel the Edelgard if it ever manifested. Conservant recollection stained the carnations. Byleth clenched her fists. How could she ever forget? Those were the words not only her father echoed, but she echoed too. Her first friend outside of her seclusion from the mercenaries. The first friend she’s made… Who was it? Violent, black ink actively scribbled on the child as the small Byleth took their hand. Just… who was it?

“It was something I told someone when I was young.”

Alas, the past is the past. There is no point in mulling over an event that no one could confirm. Maybe she should ask her father, Jeralt, about it. Speaking of Jeralt… Burning questions that boiled her inside threatens to leak into her other organs. It has already reached her fast-beating heart, her respiration for her lungs, and constricted parts of her stomach. Too many needs to be asked about the five-year gap. When they bid their farewells to the caregivers and parted from the shed, Byleth opened her mouth.

“I have been meaning to ask this, but where is Caspar, Bernadetta, Linhardt, and Hubert?”

“...”

The goddess must’ve pressed the pause button. The alumni had stood a few steps beyond her teacher. Standing on the brief stairways that connected the pathway of the dormitory grounds and garden, Byleth bore her eyes onto the girl’s back. Edelgard’s shoulders were tense. Back stationary, the white-haired uttered her answer.

“Caspar betrayed us.”

Caspar? That boy? The one who playfully slugged Byleth’s shoulder with every chance he’s got? The hardworking student who trained almost every day in the training ground? The noble sensitive to those he’s surrounds with?

Impossible.

That’s impossible.

Improbable.

Ridiculous.

“...that’s not right.”

Edelgard finally turned around. Those eyes were not shining. It was like a plastic doll, eyes dazed and distant. It looks as though her consciousness may have been elsewhere at this moment. Were they in her head? Or were they somewhere else? She faintly smiled as her dead gaze fixated on Byleth’s. Articulations and connotations dripped with pure disgust.

“It’s the truth. He is now fighting for Dimitri.”

“Dimitri…”

“I’ve only told you a bit about the conflict, did I?” her eyes clouded. “He has joined the Kingdom of Faerghus.”

Further explanation came to light. Ever since Byleth’s unofficial vacation into the black world for five years, Edelgard, Dimitri, and Claude waged war with each other. The one who initiated was none other than Edelgard von Hresvelg. She and the Black Eagle Strike Squad led the battalions into a gruesome conflict to take over the Officer’s Academy. Various members of the Knights of Seiros blockaded their pathway. Fountains of blood littered the premise. Cries for numerous deities and reasons tarnished the atmosphere. Soundwaves from projectiles and crumbling features shook the ground. It was a complete nightmare. Yet it was not for naught. Byleth was a key player just like Rhea was a key player to the church.

Rhea and other members of the Church of Seiros joined hands to defeat Edelgard. Claude acts as a middleman. No one from his side dares step foot into the rising tension with no threshold. Unfortunately, his shrewd nature paints a different light on the Leicester Alliance. Half of his nation is divided into those who support the Kingdom of Faerghus and those who support the Adrestian Empire. Winning his people over would be an impossible feat.

She must have bonked her head so hard in the battle if she could not recall ANY of these details.

“Caspar did not agree with my tactics, so he formally told me that he was leaving,” Edelgard forcefully chuckled. “Perhaps the same could be said for Bernadetta and Linhardt.”

“They also joined Dimitri?”

“Fortunately, no. Reports from our scouts told us that they are in the Leicester Alliance. It’s likely that they are seeking shelter for the past five years.”

It should have been a relief. That should have soothed the powerful organ that savagely rapped upon her chest plate. In lieu, Byleth felt her mind transcend her physical self and watched the dissolvement of her former students. Caspar, Bernadetta, and Linhardt… She gulped.

“What about Hubert?”

Edelgard’s beam faltered; her body radiated the exact opposite of confidence in aura.

“...he died.”

“...”

‘ This has to be a nightmare. ’

She wished to know more about his death. Alas, that would not be wise. A shadow had washed over the emperor’s features. The man who wholeheartedly devoted faith and affection to his princess… the man that fought together with her… the man’s true nature of remaining as her loyal servant… it was gone in a puff of smoke… and the older woman was not there to witness it.

“I… didn’t know.”

“It’s natural you don’t know. I bet you didn’t even know that we have Leonie, Sylvian, and Lysithea with us either.”

Leonie Pinelli and Lysithea von Ordelia from the Golden Deer House. Sylvain Jose Gautier from the Blue Lions House. Those were some surprising addition to the empire’s war efforts.

“Your father had also died.”

The teal-haired immediately placed a hand over her chest. Her vision began to strobe in and out as more information poured into her skull. There was also the news of her father’s death… Jeralt. Her throat tightened and her breaths shortened. She barely kept ahold of her heartbreak. Oh, Jeralt! The very person who had raised her since she was an infant! He had been slain by none other than Those Who Slither in the Dark! She squeezed her chest, nails scraping at the metallic plate.

“...”

She wanted to say something. Byleth’s knees nearly gave in and almost made her crumple into a disheveled heap. Not only was she absent for Hubert’s death, she was also absent for the person she calls family. Her jawlines were prominent as she rapidly blinked. How could she have forgotten? Whatever she had done in the previous battle, she shouldn’t have been careless! This vital fragment of memory should have never been forgotten!

Then, a singular chortle slipped from the other’s direction.

“Everyone is leaving me.” A solemn tear fell down Edelgard’s cheek; her body looked calm despite how tangled her mind was. The false grin became unbearably wider as shaky waves of laughter were produced in abnormal intervals. “Even you.”

“!”

Byleth immediately reached out for Edelgard. Without thinking, she pulled the girl into a tight hug. Was it to comfort the student? Or was it to comfort herself? Arms wrapped around the red noble, she brought her hand up to the girl’s head. She pressed the woman against her chest as close as possible.

“I’m sorry, Edelgard.”

“You think an apology is enough…?” she buried her face into the ex-mercenary’s bosom. The red fingers curled inward, digging the armor’s tips into Byleth’s back. Edelgard shook her head slowly. “I’ve waited five years for you. Five years…!”

“I’m sorry…”

“Do you know how much you’ve hurt me?”

“I’m so sorry…”

“It hurts...! It really hurts, Byleth!”

“I’m… so sorry…”

Agony. Sorrow. Scars. Those five years felt like hours. Those five years felt like centuries for her. Hot torrents of grief coursed down the girl’s face as her sobs became apparent.

“I’m scared of being alone again…”

Byleth felt tears prickle from the corner of her eyes. She was never one to cry. No matter the circumstances, nothing tickled her lacrimal glands. Not even the deaths of her mercenary comrades would cause her to shed a tear. The sight of her star student melting into a blubbering mess succumbs into an irresistible temptation to collapse. Accompanied by the horrific news of Jeralt’s fate?

‘ Why…? ’ A subdued choke crawled past her lips. ‘ Why did I wake up to this nightmare? ’

As much as a great tremor overtook her, Byleth avoided confrontation with her own emotions. At least, for now. The shivering young lady in her grasp needed her. It would do them no good to have the two shatter into pieces at the same time. There would be no one to pick up the shards. Soft, tender hushes traveled to the noble’s eardrums as she quickly rubbed her back.

“I didn’t mean to leave you alone…” Byleth chewed her lips. “I won’t leave you alone ever again.”

None dared to move from their position. Passing soldiers and comrades spotted the two but respectfully left them to their own devices. Even Ferdinand, Dorothea, and Petra, who peered from the corner in secrecy, felt their heartstrings tug. Just like Edelgard, they wished for their Byleth to return to the monastery. The loss of their professor damaged their morales. Who knew how important the teal-haired was to their life? However, none of them were as devastated as Edelgard herself.

Rumors of her insanity held some truth to it.

A wild beast in vermillion traveling all over Fodlan. Missions granted to students like Sylvain and Leonie expanded their search in enemy territories. Frequent visitation of the historical battle between the Adrestian Empire and the Church of Seiros at Garreg Mach Monastery’s outskirts were made personally by the noble. Feminine howls instilled with misery spread across the desolated premise. Morales was driven even harder into the dirt as the war’s stalemate prolonged.

Describing this as a nightmare was an understatement.

Ferdinand lips curved downward.

What would have happened if she did not return…?

“I’m afraid Lady Edelgard would have to step down if our professor did not return,” Ferdinand mumbled to his friends indirectly. “As her advisor, if she were to continue on this pathway, I would have to forcefully remove her.”

“Thank goodness for our teacher. I wouldn’t want to see that.”

“I agree with you, Dorothea. Had the professor not come, perhaps we would have many troubles for the future.”

“What are you three doing here?”

“!!!”

Behind them, an older woman crossed her arms. Shamir sharp gaze pierced their vulnerable sides as they slowly turned to look at her. Not that they had much of a chance to fully see her. The mercenary hovered over their squatting figures. She shot a glance around the corner. A faint “huh” was heard.

“So, the professor did come back…”

The woman, who was once known as the Knights of Seiros, betrayed the organization for the sake of following one person: Byleth. She would even leave her trustworthy companion, Catherine behind. Bickers, competitions, ridiculous story time from Catherine, lustful nights they’ve shared… Those were all gone in a single day. Shamir kept her features firm as she muttered,

“You are an interesting one.”

The four eventually slithered back to the background as Byleth and Edelgard shared a private moment. It was a well-deserved reunion for the two.

[ Some time later… ]

“I knew you would come back, Professor.”

Sylvain’s weary smile formed as Edelgard and Byleth were approached by the tall male.

After the two had separated from the hug and spent a tender moment of easing each other’s worries, the warrior squeezed into their bubble. Alongside with him, there was Lysithea and Leonie. Almost as if on cue, the orange-hair leaped forward. She immediately tackled the ex-mercenary with a large grin. A small “oof!” came from Byleth’s mouth as her back collided with the dormitory ground’s pavement. Stars temporarily swam in her vision as the grown student squeezed her.

“I knew you would come back!” she exclaimed. “It would be a shame to have my rival stay dead.”

“Leonie! That isn’t how you should greet our professor!” Lysithea came between the two. Almost in a comedic fashion, she tore them apart from each other with a scowl. “I swear, I don’t know how to deal with people like you. Are you okay, Professor?”

“...”

Streaks of memories were aroused. Lysithea, Leonie, Sylvain… They haven’t truly changed, have they? She nodded to the white-haired and propped her upper body up. Three of them… even in the heart of war, even with their betrayal to their nations, how could they be so... cheerful?

Almost as if he had read her mind, the young man walked over to his mentor. He extended his hand.

“It’s because of you and your decision to stay with Lady Edelgard. We trust in your judgment more than our own house leader.”

After acceptance and a pull, the two were in close proximity. Like the gentleman he is, he brushed off any debris from her shoulders. Sylvain’s other hand eventually held a part of her hair’s end; his fingers slowly letting them fall back to her shoulder bit by bit. His eyes narrowed.

“I’m surprised that your hair went back to normal… Not that I didn’t like your old look. I actually prefer your original color.”

“Now that you’ve mentioned it, you’re right! Did my rival hate her new hair?”

“Ugh, I doubt that’s the reason why.”

‘ They’re talking about my hair again... ’

Before she could ask, a familiar figure entered into her field of vision. An older male cupped his chin, a book held in his other hand. Incoherent mumbles resonated from his throat as the staff headed in the direction of his office. His next step after the last froze mid-air. Slowly, the gray-haired individual cocked his head towards Byleth and Sylvain. His eyes nearly boggled from its socket; the person making a quick adjustment to his monocle.

“Ah-- Professor Byleth… After five, long years, you’ve finally returned to us.” That voice belonged to no one other than the researcher, Hanneman. Edelgard, Sylvain, Lysithea, and Leonie ceased their exchange at his presence. Once again, as if on cue, the three alumni outside of the Black Eagle House left; the other half were left behind. Hanneman beamed as he neared Jeralt’s child. “Can’t say that I’m not happy about that news. It’s been a while since we’ve last had any positive news.”

“It has been five years, or so I have been told.”

“You are correct. Though I must say, you do seem a bit different than I remember.”

“?”

What could he mean by that?

“Please correct me if I’m wrong, but I sense that you--”

“Professor Hanneman, I apologize, but I remember we have an urgent matter to attend to.” Abrupt. Straight to the point. Edelgard was known to be a hot knife slashing through butter. In this case, Hanneman was the butter. Byleth glanced over at the emperor. Stoic, ruthless, and displeasure were displayed on her facial features. It contradicted the image that Byleth had of her when she was a student. “I suggest you return back to your research.”

Truly a ruler to lay one’s life to.

Hanneman let out an amused hum. “Very well. If you insist.” His eyelids closed as he directed a smile at the teal-haired. “You have a good day, Professor.”

“...”

‘ If only Sothis was here… ’

Questions may have been answered about the gap, but there were still potholes to fill in. Although it may be impossible to cover all grounds, the next best course of action is to have as many of them treated in one day. Unfortunately, it seems that Hanneman was unable to deliver his theories to the teacher. Perhaps she should stop by his office sometime tomorrow. A faint huff came from the instructor.

“Is there something wrong with my hair?”

Edelgard raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean?”

“They kept mentioning that it was different before. Did I… Did someone dye my hair while I was asleep?”

“When you were bestowed with the powers from Sothis, your hair color had changed.”

Ah, that was right… Edelgard confirmed that Sothis’s disappearance was because she had lost her abilities with the green-haired. There was an issue with this explanation, though. Byleth had absolutely zero memory as to how she received power from the female she could only sense. If she went along with the noble’s line of reasoning, she should have been able to see Sothis by now, right? The alternate hypothesis had to be rejected due to the results.

Byleth rubbed her temple.

This was incomprehensible. News of Hubert’s and Jeralt’s deaths was beyond depressing enough. Now she had lost Sothis, and has no idea how she was flung to the future by five years. Just how perplexing can this situation get?! A migraine might just knock on her door anytime now…

“Professor?”

She snapped back to reality. The ex-mercenary’s eyes trailed over to the white-haired. Concern scribbled all over the woman’s face. This prompted the professor to retract her hand and shook her head.

“I was just thinking.”

“Thinking?”

“Yes. However, I’m afraid I might get a headache if I do so.”

“I, uh, see…”

“Anyway, what was this urgent matter we have to attend to?”

“Oh, it wasn’t THAT urgent.”

“...”

There goes that signature blank guise. The noble could not help but ease her tense shoulders. Then, she took ahold of the older woman’s hand.

“There is something we can do.”

“?”

“Say, it has been a long day for you. I know you might be tired, but would you like to have some tea with me before it gets dark?”

“Of course.”

A genuine smile blossomed on Edelgard’s face. If she could sparkle, it would illuminate the entire ground with its bright rays! Maybe it might blind Byleth’s sight too! Alas, it must be a blessing that no one possesses such nonsensical abilities. Besides, there was nothing wrong with having a little downtime. Today was an eventful day. From waking up in the outskirts of the monastery to gaining newfound knowledge of the incidents that transpired, it was a lot to take in in less than 24 hours.

The older female was taken to her own dormitory room. Usually, tea parties and private conversations were held in the field outside of the cafeteria. However, this evening was a little different. It had to be hosted elsewhere, lest they be noticed by the others. The professor may have been generally accepted by her students, but it did not mean the same for patrolling soldiers and guards. Blatant gossips would ruin a sweet moment yearned by the emperor.

Everything was still intact in her room. Destruction from the mission to reclaim the premise left the dormitories mostly untouched. To her pleasant surprise, Edelgard mentioned that she and Lysithea would take turns cleaning and tidying her bedroom. (Were they clean freaks?) Not a single centimeter of dust or debris were spotted on her supplies and furniture. At least that shaved off the rest of her evening for their sudden tea time.

“It’s surreal to have you by my side once again,” Edelgard remarked. White teacup in both hands, she allowed the steam to lazily waft into the air, her eyes fixated on her mentor. “I can only hope this doesn’t end up as a dream.”

On the mattress, Byleth lowered her cup after a sip.

“It’s surreal to have fallen asleep for five years. I hope that it is a dream.”

“You tease.”

The two females chuckled as they returned back to their drinks. Silence tailed afterward, but only momentarily.

“As you well know, I’m perfectly capable of commanding the army by myself,” the noble confessed; her thumbs rubbing among the porcelain's surface. “However, when you’re around, it’s somehow different.”

“?”

“I’m… not sure I can properly explain it. I suppose your perspective on the battlefield is simply sharper than mine--”

“You don’t need to beat around the bush.”

“Huh?”

“I know how much you’ve missed me… and I miss you too.”

There was a pregnant pause. Not even five seconds completely ticked by when redness flushed to Edelgard’s cheeks. Although her ears were hidden behind the new hairstyle and horned crown, it was obvious that they were rosy as her face. Words might express many types of emotions and might clarify them. Ergo, it might not be necessary. The vermillion female said plenty with her body. Byleth shifted her gaze away from the noble and took another sip.

“I’ve been meaning to ask this, but… you seem different.”

The remark almost instantly cooled off the heat from her face.

“I do?”

“Yes.”

“...”

Byleth forgot that her face hardly showed signs of context to her emotions. She hastily added,

“...I meant, in a good way.”

A deep and long audible breath exited out of Edelgard’s mouth. She lowered the cup and shook her head; the color pink now splashed upon her features.

“Don’t scare me like that, Professor! I thought you were disappointed in me.”

“Nonsense. Why would I be disappointed in someone that has grown up to be a beautiful emperor?”

This flirt--! Whether she was aware of it or not, Edelgard surmised she was the latter. One hand was brought up to conceal parts of her face as she mumbled incomprehensibly. Byleth is a sly woman. A really sly woman… and this is part of her that she so dearly misses.

“Still, I’m afraid I broke our promise.��

“Promise?”

Byleth nodded.

“You don’t remember? I promised to be with you when you become an emperor.”

“...I must’ve forgotten.”

How the tide has turned. Now, it was Edelgard who had forgotten about it. It was a promise that Byleth would never let it slip. Then again, it would be unfair to compare her memory lapses with Edelgard’s. Their circumstances were far too drastic to level out. Still… Byleth’s knuckles whitened as she placed the cup aside on a nearby nightstand.

“I’m sorry I missed your inauguration.”

“...That’s okay.”

A wave of drowsiness abruptly slammed into the older woman. The teal-haired felt herself yawning. She stifled it, only for the burst of air to create a strange sound effect from her trembling lips. Edelgard rose her brows and widened her hues. Shortly afterward, she began to heartfully laugh.

“Perhaps it is time we call it a day, my teacher. It has gotten dark outside.”

She was right. Their conversations, which felt like mere minutes, turned out to last until the sun fully settled. Stars twinkled in the distant as the noble got up from the mattress. She gently placed it on the same nightstand and smiled broadly.

“Good-night, Byleth.”

“Wait.”

Right when the white-haired cracked open the wooden barrier, Byleth came from behind and wrapped her arms around the student. Coziness trickled into both members as their heat was mutually shared. She rested her chin on the girl’s shoulder, her dark hues eyeing her reaction. Edelgard retained the discoloration on her cheeks; her irises flickered to the source.

“...Professor, I hope you understand that I cannot stand here forever.”

“I know.”

A squeeze. Then, she broke her hold on the ex-house leader. Regrettably, the warmth mellowed out. She glanced over her shoulder and watched her tactician wave.

“Sleep well, Edelgard.”

That was the last she saw that night. The door clicked closed and it separated the two apart. Metallic footsteps clomped on the ground until it fades into nothingness. For Byleth, she felt another yawn incoming. A deep inhale was made, and it was followed by a long exhale. She hardly bothered to cover it up.

‘ I think I should take a bath before sleeping. ’

There was a nearby sauna to many of the staff and students shock in the past. Now that it was occupied by the military from the Adrestian Empire, the number of participants in cleansing their soul and body should decrease. Byleth rummaged through her chest and, thankfully, found the necessary items for a deep wash.

‘ I wish I could’ve invited Edelgard. ’

Maybe that could be for tomorrow. After speaking to Hanneman about the matters he wanted to mention, it would be perfect to take a bath with the royal woman. It has been far too long since she had last helped each other wash. (Mostly due to Edelgard’s fear of showing off her experimental scars and surgeries from her past.) Byleth shrugged her shoulders, hung her large overcoat on the door, and walked out of her dormitory room.

‘ Still… I can’t believe I’ve leapt five years into the future… I wonder what Sothis would have to say about that? ’

Meanwhile, as Byleth satisfied her sanitary and sleepy demands, Edelgard promptly returned back to her dormitory room. Located on the second floor, the nobles were always granted the grandiose bedrooms commoners yearn for. They had to differentiate themselves between the lower class. It did not matter what sort of relationship they had with each other. They were of different leagues, and many made sure to make that distinguishable.

The hallway was empty. Ferdinand, who was the only other occupant, is currently absent. Perhaps this is an act from the heavens. Edelgard prefers not to answer his interrogative questions. At least, for now. It would be impossible to run away from his curiosity and uncertainty about Byleth.

Byleth

Clothes stripped, armors hung, and weapons deposited to their rightful place, she flopped on the mattress. Its soft materials easily cushioned her weight as she shifted. The young lady eventually laid on her side. A small candle lit the corner of her bed. Nearby, there was a dark overcoat. Close inspection reveals the necessity for stitches and improvement over its patchwork.

Byleth

Her fingers dug into the cloak as her white blanket draped over her naked body. Edelgard began to toy with one of the loose threads from the overcoat; the object of interest twirled in-between her index and middle. Reminiscence of her past with her professor crawled vividly in her mind. The warm touch, the hand-holding, the comforting embrace… She dryly swallowed.

“Byleth… ” she buried her face into the thick material. Patches close to her eyes moistened as a burst of exhale slipped past her lips. “Byleth, I miss you so much...”

[darkmindsthinktwistedthoughts]

Senpai!!!! May I request a gaming evening with the warlords and Sasuke either always winning or losing? Idc which game 😘😘😘 i love u

@colivara The possibilities for this tickled me. I have a mind for a certain game that was driving my family a little mad this last holiday season. I hope you enjoy my little musing. 

---

Writer: In a wormhole far far away... oh no sorry hang on a minute I'm getting my tales messed up with some other long popular saga. Clears throat. That’s better, now where was I? Oh yes. 

---

Azuchi castle had been a hive of activity all day. News travelled fast around the servants that they were to play host to some visiting warlords. No one had expected it to be these warlords though.

“I fail to see the benefit to being here.” Shingen muttered as he pushed around a cube of bean jelly on his plate.

“I agree.” Agreed Yukimura who was sitting next to him in the audience chamber.

“Feel free to leave at any point.” Ieyasu wasn’t exactly pleased to see the Tiger of Kai or his little puppy. In fact, he was practically bristling. 

“I think I might stay here forever.” Shingen heard the young warlords remark and decided to meet it with a teasing joke. He made a show of popping the sweet bean jelly into his mouth smiling as he looked over at the enemy.

“Over my dead body.” Hideyoshi called out. He was even less pleased. The presence of so many of the enemy in one place was one thing, but they were inside the castle right now. Lord Nobunaga could be in danger.

“That can be arranged.” Kenshin’s icy tone cut through the already tense atmosphere. his hand twitching on the hilt of his blade.

Nobunaga and Mitsuhide were sipping sake watching the verbal tennis match unfold. Neither said anything to anyone else except occasionally to each other. Masamune who had been helping the staff in the kitchen arrived at this point with a platter of food. Mitsunari had his nose in a book sitting like a rather cute, all be it oblivious, statue by Ieyasu.

“Lord Kenshin!...”  Sasuke called out putting himself in front of the blade happy warlord halting his advance. “My Lords, I apologise for my late arrival. I see you were able to remain entertained.”

“That is one way to put it.” Yukimura crossed his arms and leaned back against the wall.

“I suppose there is a reason you called us all here ninja?” Nobunaga addressed the one that was responsible for that note on his desk resulting in this pantomime in his castle.

“Yes. I was talking to Mc and we both discovered that we were part of extracurricular games groups in school.”

“Extra Kur-ick-u-er?” Mitsunari attempted to repeat the new foreign-sounding word. Ieyasu had the strategists glasses in his hand so Mitsunari looked a little like he was coming around from a trance as he adjusted to the world.

“Sounds interesting.” Masa joined the group smiling.

“Sounds like an illness.” Ieyasu stated flatly.

“Oh if it’s an ailment Lord Ieyasu is sure to find a cure. He is a very gifted healer.”

“Mitsunari?”

“Yes, Lord Ieyasu?” 

“Shut up.”

---

After a short while of explaining things to the gathered warlords, and dropping in the fact that Mc looked really happy with the idea that they were all going to have a games night together. All of the warlords in assembly suddenly became a lot calmer and decided to choose a game they liked the look of.

Sasuke had spent a great deal of time working with Mc to try to recreate at least a few games. It had been fun sourcing the materials and then attempting to make everything as close as they could to the modern versions.

There was Battleships which was left resembling the original game. The only difference was the ships. The ships they were using were modelled on Pirate and the Portuguese trade ships. 

Monopoly was created and adjusted. The areas were names of domains, there were tea houses instead of hotels. Community chest cards became cards from the Emporer and the cards of Chance became fate and fortune cards. The figures were a little different too there was the usual dog, cat and boat. But the rest were a ground spike, a katana, a horse, a cooking pot and a Ladle. The money was different coloured dried beans.

Cluedo was changed so it became rooms around the castle. The players were just coloured figures. The weapons had minor tweaks for historical understanding but was otherwise left.

And there was one surprise finishing game that was perhaps the easiest to recreate. Pictionary.

Sasuke made his way around each group of warlords explained the rules and how to play each game and then joined them for a few games on each.

---

“There is no way you can keep finding them like that!” Yukimura exclaimed as Sasuke once more made a direct hit on one of his boats.

“I’m sorry but the board is basically a grid in a series of rather simple mathematical equations you can...” Sasuke began to explain how it could be done unaware of the glazed over expression Yuki was making trying to keep up with what he was being told.

“Ok ok I get it YOU can do it. why don’t you just move on the next guys huh?” Yuki gave Sasuke a little push as he tried to get him to move. After that, he sat and stared that the board in silence as if trying to figure it out.

---

“How did you managed to buy up all that domain?” Ieyasu asked looking at the three slots that should have been the prime locations that included Mayfair.

“It is luck with the dice and knowledge of what to buy where.” Sasuke pushed his glasses back on his nose as he replied devoid of expression even if his heart felt like it was going wild in his chest speaking to his idol.

“But the rest of the teahouses are all scattered what makes those three up there so important?” Masa looks down at the board a little confused. He understood gaining territory and how it could affect others but this game had no war it was all money... well beans.

“I’m afraid if I explained to greatly I might risk upsetting the balance of the game in the future.” Sasuke looked away from the game as he tried to think how best to continue but his thoughts were interrupted.

“Hey don't just put your hand in the coin purse!” Ieyasu cried out and smacked the back of Masa’s hand as he reached for the coin purse that was acting as the bank that held all the beans.

“What? I passed that space there that means I get 10 beans.” 

“Yes, but you can’t just go helping yourself.” Ieyasu chastized his friend before becoming aware that he had just smacked him over a stupid future game and became uncomfortably embarrassed about it. “I can’t believe you decided to be the Ladle that is such a dumb piece.” 

“Hey, Man don’t underestimate the power of a good ladle.”

---

“Why is there no dungeon on this board?” Kenshin asked as he looked over the rooms once more.

“Probably because the Princess might play it. Do you really expect an Angel like her to walk around a dungeon in a game?” Shingen scoffed as he drank from his sake cup waiting for his turn on the board.

“I don’t see what is wrong with it. Dungeons in Kasugayama are practically guest rooms.” Kenshin said proudly. In his opinion, no other castle could reach the level of his beloved home.

“Funny that’s what Mitsuhide calls ours.” Nobunaga chuckled as he finished moving his figure on the board. “Mitsunari exactly what are you doing?”

“Oh, I’m terribly sorry I was just reading the cards I had closer.” Mitsunari had been leaning over engrossed in reading and rereading the details on each card, nearly missing his turn.

“Well, it’s your turn.”

“Can I make a guess without rolling and moving anywhere? I’m gonna say it was Mitsuhide in the Tenshu with a rifle.” Mitsunari beamed brightly as he made a guess.

“Why exactly am I always the prime suspect?” Mitsuhide asked acting hurt by the accusation. 

“Probably because out of all of us you are the most suspicious.” Hideyoshi replied back as fast as ever. 

“Why Hideyoshi I had no idea you thought so much about me. I’m sorry to inform you though I have plans later this evening so I won’t be available for any little trysts.” Mitsuhide smiled meaningfully in such a way as to purposefully give the wrong impression whilst leaving just enough confusion so he could innocently wriggle free of any repercussions.

“Well, tha- what tryst!?” Hideyoshi blushed furiously as he glared at the castle kitsune.

---

Games night was a success. well, a success in the sense that both sets of enemy warlords had gathered and remained in the same room as each other without it resulting in a bloodbath.

“So who wins?” Masa called out to Sasuke as all the games came to an end.

“Wins?” Sasuke felt a little like he had missed part of a conversation. In the future, they had very different ideas about games. 

That wasn't to say people didn’t win or lose but it was not something that typically came to the end of the night where you declared an overall winner in order to prevent a very real declaration of war.

“Yeah, there has to be a winner or else what is the point?” Masa nodded and several of the other warlords agreed.

“Well, I do have one final game.” Sasuke picked up the last box of games. “What you do is...”

---

Mc came into the audience chamber after the warlords had all made their way to rooms for the night in the castle. Breakfast in the morning was going to be fun. Moving to Sasuke’s side she started to gather the various parts to games and returned them to the boxes.

Sasuke was standing there hardly moving at all. for a second or two Mc considered the possibility that he had somehow fallen asleep whilst standing. But she could see him blinking behind his glasses. 

“Er... Sasuke?”

“Oh! Mc.” Sasuke blinked several times as if trying to regain focus on her.

“Are you ok?” Mc asked still a little concerned for her friend.

“Yes yes, I’m fine. Thanks for helping with the cleanup.”

“No problem. So how did it go? Did you win any of the games?” She happily asked as she stacked the boxes at the side of the room out of the way.

“Oh erm no not exactly.”

“Oh... that’s a shame.” Mc looked as if she was thinking about something before continuing. “Still, I know how competitive the guys can get so its probably really difficult to win against them even with brand new games. Better luck next time huh?” Sasuke silently nodded he wasn’t trying to ignore her he was just preoccupied right now. “I’m going to go to the kitchen and see if there is some onigiri or something are you coming?” Mc walked to the door and stopped waiting for his reply.

“Yes. I’ll be there in a minute.” Satisfied with that she left in search of food.

---

It was during clean up that Sasuke had made a discovery. In his hands, he currently held not an autograph but a drawing made by his idol. it had missed being torn up after that argument broke out about it looking nothing like what it was supposed to be. 

He might not have “won” any of the games showcased tonight but at this moment in time, Sasuke felt like he was holding in his hand the grand prize of the evening.

---

[schraubd]

Unthinkable Thoughts, Part II: What if the Democratic Party Corbynifies?

Today, seven British MPs -- including Luciana Berger and Chuka Umunna -- announced they were leaving the UK Labour Party and would sit in Parliament as independents. It is, as I understand it, the biggest breakaway of sitting MPs from Labour in recent history (the last comparable action was in 1981, when four senior Labour officials -- two of whom were MPs -- left to form their own party). There were quite a few issues that prompted these MPs to decamp, including perhaps most prominently the almost complete failure of Labour to commit to fighting against Theresa May's Brexit catastrophe. But of course, looming large on the horizon was the ongoing problem of antisemitism -- a disease ripping through Labour at both the grassroots and at the most senior levels. The Democratic Party in the United States is not like UK Labour. People who try to argue otherwise are acting in transparent bad faith -- and not just because three-quarters of Jews voted Democratic in the last election, while Corbyn's Labour party polls below 20% in the Jewish community. It is insulting to the American Jewish community to suggest that we can't see antisemitism before our eyes; if the Democratic Party was a toxic place to be a Jew, we -- by which I mean Jewish Democrats, the Jewish majority, not whatever ZOA hack is tweeting their 304th comment of the week at Ilhan Omar -- would be saying so. In reality, Jews remain well entrenched in the Democratic community. Antisemitic incidents remain quite rare, and when they do occur they're handled with considerably more grace and decisiveness than comparable acts across the aisle. However, as I stressed in my last post, this is not a series about what is, or even what is likely. Unthinkable Thoughts is about what could be, what is now within the realm of possibility. The question, then, is what happens if the Democratic Party becomes "Corbynified"? Last week, referring to the great Ilhan Omar "AIPAC!" controversy, Anshel Pfeffer declared that Jewish Democrats had just experienced their first "Corbyn moment". The main feature of that moment was not what Omar said, exactly, or in how it was responded to by the Democratic Party as an institution. Indeed, along those metrics, this scandal was a rather minor affair: she did trade upon antisemitic tropes, but she quickly apologized and the party as a whole disavowed them. Can't ask for a better result. Rather, the scary portion of the incident was in the metadebate -- the discourse about the incident that coursed through sectors of the internet in the hours and days following. It was here where things went well beyond (fair) critiques that Omar's words are the subject of a multi-day media frenzy whilst GOP antisemitism of comparable gravity are given a pass. Instead, we saw the development of a narrative where Omar did nothing wrong, and the contention otherwise is yet another case of Jews smearing good patriots with illegitimate "antisemitism" charges, acting as Israeli stooges, being the face of American racism, and just in general sabotaging the left. Along side this condemnatory narrative was a celebratory one -- that Omar was speaking forbidden truths, that she was telling it like it is, and -- most importantly -- the fact that it made Jews uncomfortable is a point in her favor. In this corner of the internet, Omar scored points because of, not in spite of, how she upset the Jewish community. This, for me, is the heart of what I mean by "Corbynifying" (at least along the axis of antisemitism). It denotes a state of affairs where Jewish terror and misery is part of the point -- it's an active desideratum, it signals that one's orientation towards the Jewish community is on track. With a few exceptions (exceptions who are both quick to be trotted out but whose loyalty to the cause is always kept under close watch), in a Corbynified party Jews are viewed as part of the enemy camp, and so complaints from Jews about antisemitism are viewed much the same way as complaints of racism are heard by the GOP -- presumptively in bad faith, and if anything a signal that the party is getting things right. This is, as I've written before, the antisemitism that keeps me up at night. And we're at the point where this future is, if not yet "likely", than certainly "thinkable". It's worth noting that a "Corbynified" Democratic Party does not necessarily mean a friendly Republican Party. More likely, it'd mean a Democratic Party and Republican Party that are deeply hostile to Jewish values. I've remarked before that trying to imagine what I'd do as a Jewish voter in the UK is the one thought-experiment that generated sympathy for the predicament of "Never Trump" Republicans, and that sentiment carries over. And it must be stressed: right now the Democratic Party as an institution is not "Corbynified", or anything close to it. It's just not, and the people insisting otherwise are almost exclusively those for whom Corbynification is clearly their desired political future. Yes, there is a loud cadre of self-described leftists on the internet that is ecstatic about any seeming break-up between Jews and Democrats. Then again, there's also a loud cadre on the internet that is screaming "Barbara Lee is a sellout!" because she endorsed Kamala Harris instead of Bernie Sanders. I feel pretty confident the latter will be very disappointed by the outcome of the 2020 primary. Loudness on the internet is not a reliable proxy for actual popular support. But still. It's easy to forget that when Corbyn first entered the race to head up Labour, he was considered a fringe joke (a mistake that was also made about our current President). It turned out there was a very large swell of latent progressive energy waiting to be activated, and -- worse yet -- one of the things that activated and mobilized them was the antisemitism. Again -- this is central to Corbyn's appeal in the same way that Trump's racism was central to his appeal. Part of what Corbyn's voters like about him is that they view him as putting the Jews in their place. And so the question is whether there is a similar latent energy in a sector of the American people that burns with a similar desire. It is a feature of Jewish history that these things can seemingly turn on a dime (I just read an account of how Jews reacted to emergent antisemitism in late 19th century Germany that felt alarmingly topical -- one of the main themes was how the community went from "we're basically fine, outside a few cranks anti-Jewish sentiment is a thing of the past" to having a 5-alarm fire raging around them). Yes, right now Jews are well entrenched in the Democratic Party. But can I imagine a world where Jewish Democrats are systematically targeted for primary challenges -- always somehow being viewed as "too conservative", "too accommodationist", "too establishment", "too Clinton-esque"? I can. I don't think it's likely, and I don't think they'd necessarily succeed. But yes, I can imagine it. More importantly, we need to reflect seriously on how antisemitism can generate votes and energize coalitions. Too often it is taken as an article of faith that "antisemitism hurts our movement" -- that an antisemitic party is weaker than the one which is successfully fighting antisemitism. I don't think this can be taken for granted. Antisemitism is one of the most powerful mobilizing forces the world has ever seen. It seems wholly within the realm of possibility that a political movement which successfully harnesses antisemitism will be more successful than one that does not. The effectiveness of the "Soros" line of attack is demonstrative of this -- antisemitism, right now, is aiding conservative political movements in America. The Republican Party at least seems to believe that deploying these antisemitic tropes makes it stronger than it would otherwise be. Indeed, the ties that bind antisemites together often cross normative partisan lines, and that creates significant opportunities for political growth. Antisemitism links together a range of vaguely "anti-establishment" and "anti-elitist" perspectives that, paradoxically enough, mean antisemitism is likely a great entry point for a host of new Democratic voters (consider the left-right convergence around the French "yellow vest" movement). It would not remotely surprise me if there is a decent-sized clutch of independent-to-right-leaning voters who are suspicious of big financial institutions and angry about what they see as corruption in Washington, who tend to associate Democrats with coastal elitism and "New York money", and for whom Jews represent at least a plausible avatar of what connects what they think is wrong with America and what they think is wrong with Democrats. If this is right, then the path to resolving the  "What's the Matter with Kansas" question is making a grand gesture that says "I reject coastal financial domination." We joke about how antisemitism is the "socialism of fools", but the reason it's earned that label is because the easiest way to signal "I'm standing up to the banks", "I'm standing up to the elites", and "I'm standing up to the unaccountably powerful" -- all in one go -- is to signal "I'm standing up to the Jews". Such a message, it's plausible to imagine, be very well received among that set. It offers a pathway to turning reddish-purple voters blue. Finally, it has to be emphasized that this is not solely a home-grown problem of the left. The right -- and particular Bibi Netanyahu -- shares a sizable chunk of the blame. Indeed, it is actively and I think intentionally trying to accelerate these dynamics. Much of contemporary politics is organized around negative partisanship, and the brazen of alignment of Netanyahu with Trump and other forces of far-right reactionary politics has very predictable effects. We can have a thousand conversations about nuance and Israeli society not being a monolith, but the fact is low-information voters aren't going to know much more about Israel than what it's government is doing, and if the government of Israel is blasting "WE, THE JEWISH STATE, ARE JUST LIKE TRUMP, ORBAN AND BOLSONARO" at 160 decibels, it's going to leave a sour impression on those people for whom Trump, Orban, and Bolsonaro are not friendly faces. But the fact that blame would be overdetermined is not much of a consolation for ensuing political homelessness. If the Democratic Party ceases to be a home for the Jews, it would signal more than just a realignment. It would almost certainly mean that the liberal politics that much of the Jewish community has rallied behind for the past half-century will have finally failed. And it's hard to imagine that any of the candidates that might emerge in its place -- from Corbynista socialism to Trumpian authoritarian populism -- will be particularly favorably disposed to the Jews. via The Debate Link http://bit.ly/2TU8SrD

[livinginlandmarketing]

This story is Part 1 of a series

This is the last thing anyone knows for absolute certain about David O’Sullivan:

On the morning of April 7, 2017, the 25-year-old from Ireland checked out of a motel in the snowy mountain town of Idyllwild.

Sixteen days earlier, he’d set out hiking from the Mexican border. Nature and his own inexperience had made the 180 miles he’d covered, through deserts and up and down mountains, challenging.

In one of the last messages he would ever send, he told a friend that he was getting things sorted out, but it had been hard so far. “I knew it would be, but …” he wrote, cursing for emphasis.

“I love it.”

This was supposed to have been just the beginning of a 2,650-mile journey, following the Pacific Crest Trail through the iconic mountains of the American West all the way to the Canadian border.

Instead — as far as anyone knows — Idyllwild was the end.

He never met up with a friend in Santa Barbara, as he’d planned.

His bank activity stopped.

His parents never heard from him again.

Read the series

Part 1: The mysterious disappearance of Pacific Crest Trail hiker David O’Sullivan

Map: David O’Sullivan’s 180-mile Pacific Crest Trail journey

Part 2: Who’s looking for David O’Sullivan? At first, almost no one

More: Missing in the mountains: 4 families ache for those lost

Part 3: 4 years later, searchers seek an answer: What was David O’Sullivan’s fate?

But they had expected him to be out of touch for weeks at a time. That, combined with some incorrect information they received when they first started to worry, and the difficulties of being on another continent, resulted in it taking three months for O’Sullivan to be reported missing to local authorities.

By the time the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department got the case, their search efforts would not have been a rescue mission. Either he was missing on purpose, or they were looking for his remains.

Investigators spent a few months looking into both possibilities, including checking into a few reported sightings and conducting one official search, then closed the case when they concluded they’d run out of leads.

Four years later, O’Sullivan has never been found.

But a group of volunteers from across the U.S., none of whom ever actually met O’Sullivan, haven’t given up. Motivated by his family’s palpable grief and a desire to bring them closure, they’ve poured countless hours into searching for him.

A post marks the Pacific Crest Trail on the northwest end of Fuller Ridge in the San Jacinto Mountains. (Photo by Nikie Johnson, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)

The pandemic interrupted their efforts in 2020. But in late 2019 and early 2021, the same people looking for O’Sullivan found the remains of two other people who’d gone missing in nearby regions, and their leader has started a nonprofit foundation to help them keep looking.

Though they can’t be certain, they don’t believe O’Sullivan made it out of the San Jacinto Mountains, the range that surrounds Idyllwild. They’ve focused their efforts around Fuller Ridge, a notorious 5-mile stretch of the Pacific Crest Trail that was still covered in ice and snow that April, and where numerous other 2017 hikers reported dangerous experiences sliding off the trail.

Maybe O’Sullivan — who had no experience in those conditions — fell and met a quick end, or was hurt but had no way to call for help. Maybe he got off track and hopelessly lost in the steep, forested wilderness. But the searchers are convinced his remains are out there, just waiting for someone to find them and send them home to his parents.

“I still wake in the middle of the night — not every night anymore, like I did in the beginning — just thinking, ‘Where is he?’” said his mother, Carmel O’Sullivan.

Inspired by ‘Wild’

David O’Sullivan was one of almost 4,000 people who got permits from the Pacific Crest Trail Association to hike the entire route in 2017. The association is a nonprofit that helps maintain the trail, provides information and issues long-distance permits, but does not keep track of hikers along the way or take responsibility for their safety.

The number of PCT thru-hikers, as they’re called, has increased steadily since “Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail,” the best-seller by Cheryl Strayed that tells of her life-changing experience, was published in 2012 and then turned into a movie starring Reese Witherspoon in 2014.

O’Sullivan was one of the many people inspired by Strayed’s memoir to attempt the trail.

“I think this was his way to find himself, which a lot of PCT hikers do,” said Cathy Tarr, the woman now leading the volunteer search efforts, who has become close with O’Sullivan’s family over the past four years.

“He wanted to do the PCT after college but before he got into the real world,” Tarr said. “Possibly proving to himself and to others that ‘I can do that.’”

O’Sullivan had grown up in the countryside outside Midleton, a town of about 12,500 people in Cork County in southwest Ireland. He went to University College Cork and graduated in 2014 with a degree in English, then moved back home.

David O’Sullivan, then 25, of Ireland, took this photo of himself while he was hiking the Pacific Crest Trail in Southern California in spring 2017. (Photo courtesy of the O’Sullivan family)

“I am often asked by our searchers ‘what was David like,’” Carmel O’Sullivan wrote in a Facebook post on the second anniversary of his disappearance. “As a child he was full of fun and mischief often making us laugh with his stand-up comedy. He performed on stage at youth theatre and in his school plays. He grew up to be a thoughtful, kind, and loving young man. He cared about a lot of issues including human rights and equality for everyone. …

“David’s other great quality was loyalty. Loyalty to his family, his employer and his great bunch of friends,” she wrote. “He met some of them his first days of school and they remained friends through all of their school years and beyond.”

He wasn’t an athlete, his mom said, but he did have a black belt in karate and enjoyed hiking and bicycling.

Once he’d set his sights on the Pacific Crest Trail, he spent about a year working at a gas station to save up money.

His parents were surprised — and not thrilled — when he told them about his plans in late 2016. By then he’d already done his research and started physically training.

But the mountains in Ireland are nothing like what he’d encounter in the U.S. They only get up into the 3,000-foot range, a fraction of the lofty elevations of the Pacific Crest Trail, and they rarely have much snow. He wouldn’t have been able to practice with equipment such as crampons or microspikes, which go on your shoes to improve traction, or an ice axe, which you can use to stop a fall if you start sliding downhill.

It was unfortunate, then, that when O’Sullivan applied for his PCT permit, he got an early-season start, on March 22, 2017. To minimize the environmental impact of thousands of hikers, each one is assigned a start day, with no more than 50 per day setting out from the southern end of the trail. Mid-April to early May is widely considered the best time to begin, the sweet spot when you have the best chance of hitting mountains that aren’t too snowy and deserts that aren’t too hot.

The “Wild”-inspired popularity of the trail happened to begin at the same time California entered a yearslong drought, so the PCT hikers who had filled the internet with accounts of their trips in recent years had been describing conditions that were very different from what O’Sullivan would encounter in 2017 — the year that drought finally ended.

“There’s been a lot of rainfall lately,” he wrote in an email to his dad a week into his hike. “It broke a drought the area has had for years. All the desert flowers are in bloom. I can often smell their perfume-like aroma as I hike. Most of the place is covered in green and there were streams everywhere for the first few days. It’s a weird time to be in Southern California. It’s not usually like this.”

He knew that the Sierra Nevada had received heavy snowfall, and that he wasn’t equipped for it. He planned a strategy that thru-hikers call flip-flopping: skipping over the Sierra portion of the trail initially, then returning later when enough ice and snow had melted for him to feel safe.

The San Jacinto Mountains can’t compare to the Sierra, but the conditions were dangerous enough. Up to 3 feet of snow still covered parts of the PCT by the time O’Sullivan came through, according to a San Jacinto Mountains trail report written by Jon King, an Idyllwild man who estimates he hikes about 5,000 miles per year in the local mountains and runs a website that describes current conditions.

Jon King of Idyllwild posts a flyer with information about Pacific Crest Trail hiker David O’Sullivan, who has been missing since 2017, on Tuesday, March 3, 2020. (Photo by Andrew Foulk, Contributing Photographer)

King’s post from March 30, 2017 recommended using microspikes or crampons for traction and poles or an ice axe for support. By April 11, some snow had melted, but King wrote, “Many PCT trail posts above 8000’ remain hidden under snow drifts, making navigation somewhat difficult.”

At least four other hikers had to be rescued that March and April, according to the Riverside Mountain Rescue Unit, a volunteer group that often assists the local sheriff’s department. One was a PCT hiker who had fallen down the mountain near Black Mountain Campground, at the northwest end of Fuller Ridge, on March 30. He’d lost all his water and his stove in the fall and “had exhausted himself climbing back to the trail repeatedly,” rescuers wrote. On the way to get him, their own truck got stuck in the snow three miles from the trailhead.

Hardships, high spirits

O’Sullivan’s longest email was sent from Julian, a mountain town in San Diego County, a week after he set out from the trail’s southern terminus near the town of Campo. In the message, which Tarr shared with this news organization with his parents’ permission, he described some of the people he’d met so far and seemed surprised and disappointed there hadn’t been more.

(It’s not unusual for people to hike the PCT alone: About two-thirds of the people who responded to a survey by the Halfway Anywhere blog in recent years started solo. For many hikers, one of the appeals of the adventure is finding a “trail family” along the way.)

O’Sullivan also wrote about how he wasn’t covering the distances he’d hoped to. Someone he shared a campsite with on his third night — who had hiked in two days as far as O’Sullivan had in three — helped him realize his pack was too heavy.

“I got my kilos and pounds mixed up when I was measuring it,” he wrote.

David O’Sullivan took a photo of his blue backpack at the southern terminus of the Pacific Crest Trail near Campo, California, just north of the Mexican border, when he set out to begin the 2,650-mile trail on March 22, 2017. O’Sullivan disappeared about 180 miles in. (Photo courtesy of the O’Sullivan family)

The next day, O’Sullivan met someone who worked at an outfitter in the town of Mount Laguna, who helped him pare down his load and sold him a new tent, sleeping pad and other items that would be lighter than what he’d purchased in Ireland.

“I’ve been flying ever since,” he wrote. “I think I’ve dropped about 12 pounds of equipment since day one and I can really feel it.”

His pace picked up in the hundred miles between Julian and Idyllwild — he managed 20 miles one of those days — but his struggles weren’t over. Another hiker who was on the trail at the same time as O’Sullivan, and who blogged about his trek, described a storm the night of March 31 that unleashed winds so strong they partially collapsed his tent and caused the rain to fall sideways.

That same hiker, Daniel Windsor, actually had lunch with O’Sullivan a few days later in Anza, at the southern base of the San Jacinto Mountains. They’d both stopped at the Paradise Valley Cafe, about a mile off the trail, whose burgers are mouth-wateringly famous among Pacific Crest Trail hikers.

“I sat down and talked to a fellow thru hiker, Dave from Ireland,” Windsor wrote in his blog. “Cracked lips and peeling skin attested to his story of losing his sun hat a few days ago. He had worked at a gas station for a long time to save up for this trip. Some people make some serious, long-term sacrifices to be out here.”

Windsor enviously described seeing O’Sullivan catching a ride from the cafe to the trail, while Windsor had to walk the mile back, and gave him a tragically ironic nickname: Lucky Dave.

O’Sullivan’s incredibly bad sunburn is one thing that stands out in his memory, Windsor said in an interview. Another is how unprepared O’Sullivan seemed.

“I got kind of a general feeling he was kind of getting slapped around by being out on the trail,” Windsor said. “That’s probably why I was trying to push him toward not trying anything he was not prepared for.”

He felt like O’Sullivan had romanticized the PCT as a place to escape to. Despite the rough reality, though, he said O’Sullivan’s spirits were high.

“He didn’t give any hints he wanted to quit, or escape the trail,” Windsor said. “He wasn’t miserable.”

He said hikers were aware there was still a lot of snow in the San Jacinto Mountains. Online, some who’d made it through portrayed Fuller Ridge as “the deadliest, iciest ridge on the planet, but others were saying it was nothing to worry about, you could do it in tennis shoes,” Windsor said.

He got the impression that O’Sullivan was going to try to skip some of the snowy sections up there, but he could have changed his mind depending on what he heard in town.

The Pacific Crest Trail cuts across the steeply sloped and thickly forested Fuller Ridge in the San Jacinto Mountains outside Idyllwild, Calif., in this August 2020 photo. In April 2017, when David O’Sullivan went missing, some hikers were running into trouble in the ice and snow that covered the ridge. (Photo by Nikie Johnson, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)

Final days in Idyllwild

The San Jacinto Mountains tower over Riverside County’s sprawling suburban Inland valleys to the west and the Coachella Valley desert to the east. San Jacinto Peak, the high point, rises 10,834 feet above sea level. The mountains spread over hundreds of square miles of mostly public lands — national forest, national monument, state park, state and federal wilderness — and their granite ridges and valleys are covered by a tangle of trails that lay like yarn strewn across a map.

The network is dominated by the Pacific Crest Trail, which passes a couple of miles east of Idyllwild. Most PCT hikers take a detour into town to resupply and maybe sleep in a real bed.

O’Sullivan arrived April 5 and got a room at the Idyllwild Inn for two nights. In addition to the typical errands, he had a specific mission.

A map that’s been marked up by Cathy Tarr, who is leading volunteer search efforts for David O’Sullivan, shows the roads, trails and various public lands that cover the San Jacinto Mountains.(Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)

He was traveling with very little technology: no cellphone, no GPS device to navigate, not even a rescue beacon to summon help in an emergency. He did have a Kindle, though he could only use it where he could connect to WiFi — and he hadn’t brought the right travel adapter, so he hadn’t been able to charge it.

He’d ordered a new adapter, but there was some sort of mix-up and it hadn’t made it to Idyllwild. He had to order another one, and complained in his final email to his parents, sent from the Idyllwild library on April 6, that he was going to get a later start back to the trail the next morning because he’d have to wait for the post office to open — a clue that he wasn’t planning on hitchhiking down the mountain, like Windsor thought he might have been considering.

The same day, O’Sullivan messaged his friend in Santa Barbara. The plan was to hike about 470 miles farther to the Ridgecrest area, where the trail transitions from the Mojave Desert to the Sierra Nevada, then catch a bus to Santa Barbara for a weeklong visit. He wrote that he thought he’d be there in about four weeks.

A month later, the friend messaged O’Sullivan again.

“Hey, when should I expect you to arrive here”

The next day, he tried again:

“Hello?”

Next in the series: Who’s looking for David O’Sullivan? At first, almost no one

-on May 26, 2021 at 01:05AM by Nikie Johnson

[theliterateape]

Refusing to See the Grey is the Achilles Heel of Modern Americans

by Don Hall

Some things are absolutely binary. Black and White. Right and Wrong.

One can opine until faces are azure that 2+2=5 but if I have two fucking apples and snag two more, I have four apples. End of discussion. If I try to sell you five but only give you four but say it's five, you're gonna pop me in the jaw.

We humans love this simplicity. Nothing makes our tiny brains relax more than a binary answer to the big questions in the increasingly populated planet.

Disparities between ethnic groups in terms of financial success, job performance, school admissions, prison populations? Oppressor vs. Oppressed. So simple. So easy.

The presence of greed and graft in the capitalistic model? Rich vs. Poor. [image of hands clapping together as the problem has been solved]

Hyper-partisanship in American politics? Woke vs Racists. Media vs. The People. Whiteness vs. BIPOC.

In the late 1940s, a psychologist named Else Frenkel-Brunswick conducted a study that quickly became a landmark of its time.

The concept was simple. She showed participants a series of sketches. The first was a picture of a cat. The last was a picture of a dog. In between were cats whose features became progressively more doglike. Participants were asked to categorize each picture as either a cat or a dog.

Among any group of people, there are some who see the dog sooner than others. Volunteers who showed high levels of prejudice took much longer to make the switch from cat to dog. Some of them refused to ever switch to dogs. Even the final picture was seen as a cat.

This research uncovered a significant psychological characteristic which we now know as the need for cognitive closure.

The prejudiced views of the participants who only saw cats reflected their strong need for cognitive closure. People with this characteristic desire certainty. They need to see things in black-and-white, open-and-shut terms. And they’re less tolerant of ambiguity, less likely to consider an issue from all angles, and are likelier to make quick decisions.

At the other end of the spectrum, there are people who crave cognitive complexity. These are people who are highly tolerant of ambiguity. They see shades of gray in everything and tend to make decisions slowly.

As you might expect, people with extreme religious views exhibit a lower need for cognitive complexity compared to moderates. Their world is colored black and white, good and bad, saved and unsaved.

Cognitive complexity is difficult because our emotions are so often triggered and are almost wholly volatile. This is not to say that we need not allow ourselves these emotional responses—that would be like trying to contain the foam after dropping a Mento into a bottle of Diet Coke. It is to suggest that we compartmentalize our emotional responses to better navigate what is almost always incredible complexity.

FOR EXAMPLE:

The Israel/Palestine Conflict.

I don't know enough to hold a legitimate opinion but I can understand that:

Contrary to the popular interpretation, the British did not take the land from the Palestinians to give to Israel. The British took the land from the Ottoman Turks who had ruled there for centuries.

The two-state solution has been the go-to for thirty or forty years. The U.N. recommended it in 1947. It was accepted by the Jews and rejected by the Arabs. From 1948-1967, the West Bank, eastern Jerusalem, and Gaza were all under Arab control. A Palestinian state could have been founded then but was not.

The two-state solution has been brokered over and over with the same result: Jews embrace it, Arabs reject it.

It is also true that as a result of this constant stalemate, Israel has evolved into a highly militaristic force in the region with billions of dollars bulwarking their military capabilities so when the Palestinians decide to fight the occupation, Israel pummels them in horrifying ways.

For centuries Jews have been the single most put-upon group of people on the planet, were given sovereignty over the land taken in WWI as reparations (of a sort), is surrounded on all sides by countries looking to eliminate them, and respond with increased authoritarian means.

This is not, as so many emotionally invested in it want it to be, simple. It is ridiculously complex.

Over half a century ago, long before there was witter or hashtag activism, Jews were the most marginalized and hunted group of people in history and now represent the colonizing forces of the world and marginalize and hunt the Palestinians. The cat slowly transforms into another thing.

In short, the whole thing needs some cognitive complexity to fully understand and find a solution.

So what prevents us from recognizing that the cat is gradually becoming a dog? Anti-intellectualism that goes back to pre-Enlightenment times. The battle between religiosity and scientific inquiry has been raging since the atheists and agnostics determined that living in a closed off, black and white binary is the road to authoritarianism. Allow the 'truth' to be dictated by a few and those few will gain and wield enormous power.

Are unemployment checks subsidizing laziness? Any answer that seems easy is wrong.

Is Green Energy the answer to the already too fucking late jump on the climate crisis? Any simple solution is bullshit.

The reason kids can grasp 2+2=4 is because it is simple math. The vast majority of mathematics is so complicated that only Asian college students understand it (which won't much matter for Asian Americans because colleges are doing away with the SATs because they're the only ones who can ace them at scale).

Speaking of, are the SATs a result of white supremacy? Not when taking into consideration that culturally and in vast numbers, Asians kick pretty much everyone else's ass. Doing away with them for admissions only hurts them for a culture of study in the name of racial equity.

This is not centrism. This is not middle-of-the-road thinking. This is a choice to embrace science and scientific inquiry instead of a quasi-religious humping of the binary.

There are no easy answers to the issues of 331 million people in fifty nation-states. There are no easy and quick fixes to the problems of nearly 8 billion people vying for their own piece of the global pie.

Those with an openness to cognitive complexity, who see things in terms of grey, will make slower decisions but they'll actually work. Everyone else is relying on faith in horseshit.

[yahoosg-autoknowhow]

The new season of Celebrity Car Wars is BACK! (And yes, vehicles and egos will get hurt…)

If you thought the first season was crazy, then the new season of Celebrity Car Wars: Crash of the egos is sure to blow you away with even wilder antics and automotive adventures!

The popular HISTORY hit returns for a second season, this time with six new celebrity contestants pitted head-to-head in a series of exhilarating four-wheeled feats. Catch all your favourite challenges from the past season, along with a whole new set of outlandish stunts (’cause why not?!) that’s sure to entertain.

For those who can’t wait to find out what mayhem and mischief is in store for these ego-fragile celebrities, here’s a sneak peak at some of the absurdity you can expect in the episodes to come…

The Airstrip Drag Race

You know the creators of the show mean business when an airport is used to stage a drag race along a fully functioning airstrip. In this episode, the celebrities get a chance to drive one of the fastest, most powerful super cars on the show—the Nissan GT-R, or more fittingly known as, Godzilla.

Expect plenty of excitement in this challenge as the celebs take turns to race these bad boys down the 850m-long runway, located at the WCC Aviation Airport in Pangasinan, Philippines— complete with propeller planes in the background.

The Great Caltex Fuel Efficiency Challenge

In this challenge, the celebs are forced to be frugal as they attempt to bid for the least amount of fuel they think will get them to the base of Mount Pinatubo, an active volcano in the Philippines. Told you this season was going to be exciting!

The journey will take them through wide open roads, volcanic landscapes and muddy crossings, and challenges them to reach the base camp in the most fuel efficient manner possible—thanks to the advice of their wise and fuel-savvy mentors!

To make matters worse (for them at least!), all their cash and credit cards have been taken off them. Should their vehicles break down or run out of fuel along the way because these celebs failed to take their mentors’ advice and drove inefficiently, well, it’d be up to their own ingenuity to hitchhike, walk, or do whatever it takes to make it to the finish line.

The ATV Challenge (Coconut Edition)

This season’s ATV challenge is arguably one of the show’s most epic, hilarious and touching episode yet. It involves the celebrities delivering ridiculous amounts of coconuts to the chief and kids of an outlying village (located in the foothills of Mount Pinatubo) in the fastest time possible—taking extra precaution not to run over anyone in the process of course.

The episode features some exceptionally hilarious moments between the celebrities and the tribal folks, as well as an especially touching moment that’ll tug at your heartstrings.

4 x 4 Extreme Buggy Challenge : The Sequel

Fans of the show will probably recall the outrageous off-road challenge from Season One, where the celebs raced across the dusty terrain of ‘Big Rock’ on a souped-up, V6 engine powered dune buggy.

This time, the challenge seeks to be even more impressive than the last, with a bigger and badder circuit devised by the newly appointed course designer and drift driving extraordinaire, Audel Sison, better known as, ‘Dr. Drift’.

The good doctor has staged a track along the treacherous shifting banks of the Sacobia River, where a fierce battle will commence, as well as an epic celebrity meltdown you won’t want to miss!

Obstacle Course

Another homage to Season One comes from the inaugural Celebrity Car Wars Obstacle Course which took place in the Uptown Mall in Taguig, Philippines. This year, creators have upped the ante with a military style obstacle, set in the historic WWII hanger at Subic Air Base.

The course, designed by the one and only Dr. Drift, features tight corners and slippery surfaces that the celebrities will have to manoeuvre through. As if that’s not nerve-racking enough, their every move will be scrutinised by a bunch of menacing-looking guards armed with machine guns.

Don’t miss your chance to catch these exciting challenges and more, with all-new episodes of Celebrity Car Wars: Crash of the Egos, every Monday at 9.55pm (SIN/HK), only on the HISTORY—StarHub TV Ch 401.

[canvaswolfdoll]

CanvasListens: The Adventure Zone

The Adventure Zone was a tough sell to me, despite (and possibly because of) seeing it pop up as various artists I respect began getting into the podcast.

First off, despite my love of the hobby, I have a rather low tolerance for second hand accounts. Short stories focusing on a singular, amusing event is great. Multi-part text narratives are a no go. Likewise, I’ve always had difficulty getting into actual play podcasts, since most that I encounter don’t really put a lot of weight on actual entertainment over, you know, just putting a recorder in the middle of the table during the usual game night. So I listen to very few Actual Plays.

And by ‘few Actual Plays’, I mean One Shot (Which does a good job of rotating content and keeping the separate narratives relatively short and self-contained) and Campaign (Which started with good production quality, and already had my loyalty due to being a One Shot spinoff show.) I don’t even listen to rest of their network.

I’d made a couple attempts at Critical Role, but since it’s a continuation of the cast’s ongoing campaign (thus continuity lockout) and was confined to YouTube for years (thus I couldn’t really listen while driving, running errands, or doing chores), I just couldn’t force myself to be invested. And it’s cast is a bunch of Voice Actors! I love voice actors!

Basically, a bunch of the usual complaints I have about media accessibility.

Further, as Adventure Zone’s popularity began exploding, I admit there was a degree of resentment on my part. I’ve longed harbored a desire to have my own Actual Play show, and if the genre’s exploding now, while I’ve still got no concrete plans, chances are, once I do have my act together,[1] I’ll again be starting during the twilight period of the genre.[2]

Dang it, McElroys! Don’t you burn the fuel before I even board!

Still, it was becoming a talking point, and was a downloadable podcast, so it wouldn’t hurt to try. Probably drop it after an episode or two.

The first couple of episodes were not promising. Players were mostly newbies, with a lot of rules talk; they were running the adventure that comes prepackaged in the Starter Set, which means I had to sit through the session that I’ve literally either tried to run or play several times. And it never gets past the freaking bugbear.

So, of course, after completing that specific portion, the McElroys promptly leave the rails, lightly skip past Phandalin, so I didn’t even get to finally see what’s supposed to happen after the lengthy mechanic and battle tutorial!

However, that’s also the point Griffin began making the story his own, so I might as well keep listening as I eat my slice of pre-work CostCo Pizza.

That’s what the series mostly was. Background noise as I prepared for work. The first couple arcs were okay. Not amazing, but okay. The performers were good comedically, and they seemed to be having fun, so it was alright.

I was intrigued by the premise of the second arc. Train-based mystery, huh? Sure. I’m always game for playing with tropes. Griffin, and the players, were beginning to explore character voices, and the NPCs were getting livelier. I admit, I was a quick sell on Angus. The precocious boy detective being placed in the middle of a train mystery, perpetrated by a serial killer, with a rather maimed body is just the right balance of darkly inappropriate.

Especially since Angus was there to solve the mystery in case the Boys were too incompetent.

Still, wasn’t too absorbed. I began swapping between TAZ Arcs and One Shot series. If I got too bored, I’d just drop TAZ, since podcasts are one of the few mediums I’m able to do so, since I can only will myself to consume them in limited circumstances (basically, while in transit, or some other activity that is physically busy but mentally void).[3]

Combat, however, remained a time for Canvas’s eyes to glaze over, and nothing of value to remain.

The Lunar Interludes were fun! Building comradery with a small community is what I’m about. Especially with their bunkmate, Pringles! Even though Griffin clearly didn’t want anything more to do with Pringles.

Poor Pringles.

Petals to the Metal is marked by many as the real turning point. I… liked it a little less than Rockport Limited? It started strong while the Boys were infiltrating a bank, and Taako has a semi-hypocritical moment I recognized from my favorite Pathfinder character, where this kleptomaniac wizard objected to Merle and Magnus taking time to rob the bank while supposedly saving it.[5]

However, this was followed by a sequence explaining the Mad Max race and infiltration to steal parts which… was actually kind of dull. The dialogue with the guards was great, but then it was long stretch of explaining a compound we’d never see again, and a large fight. Then there was a charming sequence where The Boys selected their animal motifs, with Taako getting an actually pretty nice (if meta) serious moment regarding his Mongoose mask.

Then the race itself was… a giant combat. Interesting enemy concepts. Still a giant combat.

The ending of the race, while exciting, didn’t carry much weight because I’d lost the thread due to not paying attention.

Then there was the final boss fight.

Petals to the Metal had a lot of combat, okay? I don’t enjoy combat!

However, music was beginning to be introduced, and it was pretty good. I was beginning to feel it.

Then the Crystal Kingdom knocked it up just enough notches for me to go ‘Huh. The finale’s coming soon? Better catch up.’ and gently set One Shot aside,[6] lean my head forward, and marathon with purpose!

The sound design continued to improve, to the point of being used to foreshadow the events of the arc. The events also helped highlight how the show creators were paying attention to and heeding the words of their audience. In a positive aspect, Griffin began reading out the lyrics of the song. And, in a bit of hilarious and spiteful worldbuilding, explains the origins of what were (apparently) the much discussed elevators.[7]

In retrospect, a lot of plot stuff happened in the lab. Weird.

It was a good arc for callbacks and call forwards.

Eleventh Hour, however, is my favorite arc. For some reason, I’m just a sucker for Groundhog Day loops.[9] Compounding this, Eleventh Hour was set in a small community of new characters, there was a mystery element, plenty of space for shenanigans, puzzles, ominous prophecy, and a well done tragic villain. Also, backstory for the three leads.

Oh boy, the backstory for the three leads.

I was a Taako fan until this arc. He clearly was the best character. However, as it turns out, Travis really did devise a solid backstory. A few quick early life scenes, then we’re shown he found happiness, won a happy ending already, and had it stolen.

Then Magnus showed his true strength of character, and I was sold. Magnus was my new boy. He’s great.

Anyways, episodes with ‘Finale’ in the title were showing up in the feed, and I wanted to stop spoiling myself, so I really had to buckle down.

Luckily, work kept putting me in the garden center as the season was in its death throes, so I had plenty of time to sit in a small hut with my phone and a pair of headphones. I’d begun actively looking for opportunities to listen to more, take longer errand runs to have an excuse to get through Eleventh Hour and more episodes.

It was a good time.

The Suffering Games however, was less good. Not because it was designed to be a miserable experience, which I naturally love. The sequence of events had a lot good character work, especially for Magnus. The Wheel of Sacrifice is an amazing concept once your players are high enough level, and Griffin does a good job narrating and describing what each sacrifice does.

Especially the loss of memories. Each one stung. And Griffin did a great job of making a few of the choices hurt in surprising ways; in particular, Merl giving up his unused Axe proficiency. What was originally a cop out, Griffin expertly weaved into a solid loss. Then Magnus was given a surprisingly insidious choice: losing the memory of who he had sworn revenge on.

Also a mercy, considering losing Julia might’ve been worse. However, narratively, that would’ve removed Magnus’s main drive and significant portion of his character. Remember, GMs, carefully consider how the threads are weaved before cutting them!

Plus, we also got a good demonstration of how close The Boys were when Taako and Merle agreed to take over the vengeance quest without further details. It’s important to Magnus, and now someone else needs to do it.[10]

Taako got off really light, as the only narrative sacrifice was his beauty, which Taako quickly rendered moot via magic.[11] Because we learned a lot about the other two, I wish Taako could’ve loss more.

However, the non-wheel of sacrifice parts were… well, they fell flat, and since there wasn’t space for any significant character interaction with someone outside of the party (even Cam got put into Magnus’s pocket), it was just gimmicky encounter after gimmicky encounter. It turned repetitive.[12] Prisoner Dilemma's don’t work if those on the other side aren’t emotionally significant.

Sure, looking back and examining it, a lot of interesting things happened. But sitting in the garden center, waiting for customers, it felt tedious. Not sad and emotionally devastating, just… eh.

Were I to replicate it, I’d probably combine the prisoner's dilemma and Wheel of Sacrifice, and make the players compete against one another. If you both spare the other, then you’re both given a choice between two sacrifices. If you’re forsaken by someone you spared, then you take both. And if you both forsake… I guess the GM just gets to decide which one you take?

If you want to up the ante in later rounds, offer to return something lost in later rounds if you forsake your partner. And if you want to twist the knife, have those spared choose the sacrifice for those they betrayed.[13]

Sorry, slipping into SepiaDice for a moment. Back to the review.

Reunion Tour was a good trip into the apocalypse, and final check in with a lot of the minor characters as everyone bugged out. Bad things are coming, and Madame Lucretia Director has a lot of secrets to be found.

Stolen century was... I don't know how I feel about it? There was a lot of backstory that needed to be conveyed suddenly, yes, but after the arc was concluded, I didn't feel like I'd learn much new about anything substantial. Nothing new about the world, since the places visited came and went so fast, that few left an impression.[14]

There were four characters for us and the players to get to know, but... Well, that didn't pan out too well. Of course, focus had to remain on the players, but ended up giving little room for Davenport, Barry, and Lucretia to develop. So, while it was an arc of vignettes, which is usually my jam, in this case, the vignettes were too small and delayed the plot so long, that I was just waiting for them to get on with it.

(Though, it probably didn't help that I was ill during the latter half of Stolen Century and the first two parts of the finale, making it kind of a blur.)

How to possibly improve it? Well, let's put the SepiaDice hat back on, I guess.[15]

First off, I wouldn't have changed systems, and not just because I hear about Powered by the Apocalypse so often I've become burnt out without ever playing it. Staying with 5e would've maintained a level of consistency with the rest of the series, and let the players use their experience to act the part of the well traveled people they are in the arc.[16]

Second, instead of a bunch of ten minute scenes for a handful of worlds, spend an episode on a world and do a one shot. Show them preparing to leave their homeworld, then the first world. Then do sessions covering the rest of the details that need to be conveyed.

Finally, integrate the other four crewmembers into these adventures. There's two viable methods: rotate through them as a sort of 'Guest NPC' (or Guest PC if they want to bring on temporary cast members). Or, let the players run two characters (Give Lup to Justin, Davenport to Clint, and probably Barry over to Travis) while Young Lucretia can be mission control until it's time to toughen her up.

So... that's Stolen Century, I guess? I'm having a hard time remembering specifics.

Story and Song was a good finale.

I don't get to play many endings. In fact, I’ve played only the one, and... it wasn't a good campaign to begin with, so it is what it was.

The Adventure Zone, meanwhile, did what every good narrative should do: give a cameo to everyone they practically can, tying up any fraying that may have occurred. That way, the audience gets a chance to see their favorite character at least one more time.

Then, for the players, they were split up, and given an epic scene that contributed to the final conclusion, and closed their character arcs (even if that closure involves an old running gag.)[17]

Afterwards, into the breech for a fancy final battle.

Finally, the epilogue. I don't want to spoil it, but I do wish to speak on the framework. Griffin handled the epilogue perfectly. First, he asked the players to describe where the characters are a year later, then pitched what he (Griffin) would like to have happened while making it clear the player got final say, before both were happy with where we leave Taako, Merle, and Magnus.

That's how you finish a game.

Suffice it to say, I may have started with a lot of reservations, but I learned a lot, and hope to apply it to my own games and projects.

If you enjoyed this... whatever I just wrote... maybe poke around my blog. I have other reviews and essays. Maybe I wrote something else you like. If you'd like to support me and my creative endeavors, I have a patreon! I like money.

Thanks for reading.

Kataal kataal.

[1] Heh, wordplay. [2] Though, to be fair, I kinda knew Sprite Comics were ignoble going into Nintendo Acres. Still, it had its charm. [3] This is foreshadowing to the fact that I ended up making a conscious effort to listen to the show while hanging out at home.[4] [4] I was also sick with a stomach bug at the time, though. [5] In my case, Trix was happy to loot a corpse the party found on the side of the road, but not the crypt they were dungeon delving. In my defense, the road corpse had his things by accident, while the items in the crypt were deliberately interred. It’s a respectability thing. [6] I’ll be back soon, don’t worry. [7] As someone who had a player try and call out a clock as anachronistic, I can understand how that could be irritating.[8] I solved it by just saying ‘this isn’t Earth, and there’s a wall clock.’ But different strokes, I suppose. [8] There was also an ongoing debate about whether sandwiches existed. I was in the ‘Sandwich like things likely existed before the Earl of Sandwich’ camp, but I never got around to dredging up the Good Eats segment. [9] Fair warning: if I figure out how to replicate Endless Eight on my actual play show, I’m doing it. Same session, on repeat. And you’ll have to sit through it. [10] This better come up during a live show! [11] It’s always annoying when a player does that. [12] You may ask, ‘Canvas, you hated the repetitive feeling, yet you want to emulate Endless Eight?’ Well, you see, I also deeply love meta jokes on the audience. And I’m just a little Chaotic-Aligned. [13] Obviously, you’ll need a mature game group to do this, and an emotionally satisfying conclusion. [14] One was the world of TAZ Nights, but since I find participating in the Max Fun Drive off-putting for unknowable reasons, I had no context to care. [15] Which is probably a giant paper mache D12 mask. [16] But mostly I'm just sick of Fate and ApocalypseWorld. [17] Especially if it delivers on that running gag's punchline.

[sluttyshakespeare]

4 Spectacular Details About India Council of Ministers

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has suffered his greatest electoral loss because concerning power in 2014, a blow to a re-election bid that will play out in the next several months. The losses that Modi's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party suffered came at the state level as voters in 5 states put either the primary opposition celebration or regional parties into power-- an outcome that is expected to unite and reinforce opposition forces. Voting happened in five of India's 29 states over the past month. 3 of the states are essential-- Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh-- as they are the largest in India's heartland. The main opposition Indian National Congress now holds political sway in each. " We accept individuals's required with humility," Modi said in a series of tweets. "Success and defeat are an integral part of life. [These] outcomes will further our resolve to serve individuals and work even harder for the development of India." After Modi assumed power in May 2014, the BJP went on to win elections in state after state, assuring a "Congress complimentary" India. Before the choose the five state elections were depended on Tuesday, the INC held power only in 2 huge states-- northern Punjab and southern Karnataka. The BJP chief ministers of Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh have yielded and resigned. In Madhya Pradesh, senior INC leader Kamal Nath stated his celebration has protected a clear majority to form a federal government in spite of the INC falling short by two seats, which it is confident of filling with assistance from other non-BJP winners. Regional parties, on the other hand, won majorities in the smaller states of Telangana and Mizoram. Ballot in the five states had actually been promoted as the semifinals to the basic elections due by May. " There was a double anti-incumbency, both versus state governments and the central cabinet ministers, which led to the sort of [decision] that we have seen in the 3 [BJP-ruled] states," stated Sanjay Kumar, director of the New Delhi-based Centre for the Study of Developing Societies. In Chhattisgarh, some exit polls had actually anticipated a BJP triumph. "One big factor that swung the election in the favor of Congress [there] was that they guaranteed in their manifesto that if they pertain to power they will increase the minimum assistance costs of food grains in 10 days," Kumar said. "So this was the last-minute surge in favor of Congress." In other BJP-ruled states, voters were moved by their discouragement with a broadening debt crisis amongst farmers who had marched to the capital four times within a year to demand loan waivers and greater prices for their crops. India's economic growth softened to 7.1% for the 3 months ended in September, below 8.2% for the previous quarter. " The three crucial states have mainly agrarian populations," Japanese brokerage Nomura said in a note, "and the drubbing suggests that farm distress stays a crucial electoral worry for the BJP in the upcoming national elections." The INC's excellent performance, Nomura included, "marks a reversal of fortunes for its chief, Rahul Gandhi, who had earlier suffered a string of losses to the BJP in states." In Rajasthan, farmers, the Muslim minority community and Dalits, thought about a lower caste in India, were "unhappy" with the BJP government, according to political expert Narayan Bareth. He added that youth are divided, with some drawing motivation from Modi while others criticize him for not creating work. " The BJP fielded only one Muslim prospect in the recent surveys regardless of [Muslims] comprising 10% of Rajasthan's population of over 70 million," Bareth stated, explaining that there have been numerous occurrences of attacks against Muslims as well as Dalits in the state in the recent past.

Though state elections are combated on local issues, the BJP losses in the celebration's strongholds of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh indicate Modi's appeal is subsiding. The 3 states account for 65 of the 543 chosen members in the lower home of Parliament. The majority of these seats were won by Modi's celebration in the 2014 general elections. Two pratfalls have cost Modi very much. In 2016, he unexpectedly demonetized high-value bank notes. A year later, an items and services tax was implemented. Mayhem took place. Small and midsize organisations were affected. The country's farm sector fell into distress. And the economy stopped working to produce jobs. All of this expense Modi and his party in the state surveys, Bareth stated.

Who is the Minister of India 2019?

The existing ministry is led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who took office on 26 May 2014. There was reshuffling in his cabinet on 3rd September 2017. The remarkable advancements show Modi and the BJP face numerous obstacles ahead of the 2019 general elections. "Prior to the results came out, everybody thought the 2019 last would be in between 2 groups which do not match in capabilities," Kumar of CSDS stated." [The] BJP was seen as extremely strong, and it was felt that Congress and other local celebrations, even together, would not be able to put up a strong battle. " These outcomes now show that the 2019 contest is going to be interesting since the group which is going to oppose the BJP [will be] much stronger," with the INC in a position to lead an anti-BJP opposition alliance. Nevertheless, Kumar added that being "much stronger" is most likely not enough to permit the opposition to fall the BJP nationwide Narendra Modi government next year. "But absolutely we can anticipate a major contest stepping forward in 2019," Kumar said, adding it will "not be a cinch for the BJP." The state elections in addition to the abrupt resignation of Reserve Bank of India Gov. Urjit Patel today have actually added to the stress and anxiety of investors. As a result, chaos is likely to check Indian financial markets in the run-up to the basic election. In a note provided on Tuesday concerning the BJP's state-level losses, the Eurasia Group, a political danger consultancy, said it continues to believe that Modi, who is without a doubt India's "most popular" politician, "is most likely to win re-election, however at the helm of a coalition rather than with a straight-out majority of BJP parliamentarians." " However, the outcomes today increase our certainty that that union will be large and unwieldy, substantially slowing motion on difficult economic reforms and developing higher scope for independent power centers to emerge in the cabinet as coalition allies require control over crucial financial ministries." More than 100 million voters in 5 states across India went to the polls in November and December. The results revealed on Dec. 11 put the current governing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the defensive: they didn't win a single state. With national elections to be held by Might 2019, the narrative has actually moved in India. For the very first time in a while, the BJP no longer looks invincible. It seemed like the other day that the BJP had all the political momentum. In 2014, they won the first single-party majority in 30 years in the country's lower home of parliament. They followed this by getting power in state after state, managing 21 of India's 29 state-level assemblies by May 2018. Modi's policy focus on economic growth, jobs, and excellent governance appealed to citizens, and his early efforts to woo foreign financial investment to India and stimulate production brought in global attention. What's more, the Indian National Congress celebration (referred to as Congress)-- which had actually controlled politics for most of the nation's history given that self-reliance in 1947-- had a much-diminshed presence, with not even adequate seats in the lower home to hold official opposition status. In the states too the celebration's control dwindled as it kept losing to the BJP.

So what occurred? While it's prematurely to have a complete image of why voters turned down the BJP in all five states, economic problems most likely played an essential role. In spite of the focus India government has placed on economic growth and work, it has actually not provided enough tasks for India's blossoming population. Stories flow frequently about the 20 million candidates for simply 100,000 jobs in the railway service, or other examples of excessive odds. The unemployment rate as measured by the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE) has actually been ticking up over the past year, and reached 6.62 percent as of November 2018. This is on top of a growing awareness that rural India is suffering, and not presently enjoying the gains of national-level financial development. The majority of India stays rural. It also now appears that 2 policy steps the Modi government took in the name of reform likewise led to financial distress. The first was demonetization in Nov. 2016, which was billed as an anti-corruption measure. Under that policy, almost 90% of the nation's currency notes by value were taken out of blood circulation. Poor execution-- for example, the brand-new notes had a different size so did not fit into ATMs, resulting in recalibration hold-ups-- deepened the shock, triggering financial activity in the casual, cash-based economy, to freeze. This hurt small businesses and workers throughout the informal sector. Second, a long-awaited and crucial reform that combined all of India's states into a single market for a products and services tax, had a rocky and complex launching that hurt some services too. For a party that had actually staked its national presence on economic performance, there just wasn't a great story to inform the citizens. In addition, citizens did not seem to discover the BJP's return to a more spiritual nationalism-based agenda engaging. In early 2017, after gaining power in the large state of Uttar Pradesh, the BJP appointed a divisive religious firebrand, Yogi Adityanath, as the state's chief minister. He set out on the nationwide stage this year, and campaigned intensely for the celebration in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Chhattisgarh throughout the populous Hindi heartland. Although his own state experiences order issues, he ended up being a "star campaigner" elsewhere in India, delivering speeches with "generous doses of Hindutva" (Hindu nationalism), according to one press account. This did not prosper. It's likewise the case, however, that in 3 of the 5 states, the BJP had been in power-- and in India, incumbency gives no benefit. In fact, journalists routinely blog about the "anti-incumbency element" in India. So it's possible that citizens in Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh, where the BJP had been in power for three succeeding terms, or Rajasthan (one term), felt it was just time for a change. However there's no denying that these losses for the BJP develop a new opening for the Congress party, which walloped the BJP in Chhattisgarh, won decisively in Rajasthan, and won the largest number of seats in Madhya Pradesh. (In Telangana and in Mizoram, regional celebrations trounced both the BJP and Congress.). The lessons of these state elections will apply to the nationwide landscape ahead. Momentum matters: A year back, political pundits in India would have stated the BJP was near-certain to win re-election in 2019, with the margin of triumph the only unpredictability. Today, you're just as most likely to hear speculation about a decreased BJP needing coalition partners to get across the finish line-- and even the return of a big Congress-led union. In other words, a government's record matters. If the BJP can not describe how their policies have enhanced individuals's lives, then citizens may very well seek to someone else. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is having his worst week in a long time. On Tuesday his Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party crashed to electoral defeat in 5 Indian states. The losses set up a possibility that when appeared remote: Citizens might toss Mr. Modi out of workplace this spring.

The BJP's primary opponent, the left-of-center Congress Celebration, all of a sudden looks like a possible contender for national power. In 3 important states in the populous Hindi heartland-- Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan-- Congress federal governments will change BJP incumbents. Regional parties triumphed in two other states, Telangana in the south and Mizoram in the northeast. It's too early to cross out Mr. Modi's prospects. He stays a popular figure and powerful orator, and his celebration is India's best-funded and best-organized. Yet it's clear Mr. Modi's tax-and-spend design of development is stopping working to enthuse voters. Tuesday's results recommend discontent in the Hindi heartland, an area that in 2014 provided the BJP two-thirds of its parliamentary seats.

What type of federal government does India have?

India is a federal state with a parliamentary kind of government. It is governed under the 1949 constitution (effective since Jan., 1950). The president of India, who is head of state, is chosen for a five-year term by the chosen members of the federal and state parliaments; there are no term limits. Simply put, Modinomics is not working. When Mr. Modi was chosen, he promised to invigorate the economy by offering "optimal governance" with "minimum federal government" and changing red tape with a red carpet for service. Rather he picked to evade politically contentious reforms that would have allowed market forces to play a bigger function in India's ineffective economy.

Instead of offering money-losing state-owned companies, making it simpler for organisations to employ and fire workers, or privatizing sclerotic cabinet ministers banks, Mr. Modi has actually made himself a grand benefactor for the bad. On the campaign trail, he boasts about what he appears to consider as his biggest accomplishments: opening more than 330 million bank accounts, providing brand-new cooking-gas connections to 120 million families, and setting up 90 million toilets. Why aren't citizens satisfied with the largess? In the Indian Express, journalist Harish Damodaran mentions that the three heartland states where BJP governments lost did an excellent job of following the prime minister's playbook. They built lots of roads, homes and toilets, and offered towns with electrical energy, cooking gas and web connections. But they fell short in one essential area: improving earnings. Crop rates have risen slowly over the past four years in a part of the nation that depends upon farming. Few nonfarm tasks have actually emerged. Making matters worse was Mr. Modi's harebrained decision two years ago to invalidate almost 90% of India's currency by value, which gutted lots of small companies. The procedure hit building and construction specifically hard, harming large numbers of migrant workers. An extremely complicated nationwide goods-and-services tax introduced in 2015 penalized small companies unused to onerous filing requirements. By equipping tax inspectors with oppressive powers, Mr. Modi has also deter organisation belief. Previously this year, Morgan Stanley reported that nearly 23,000 U.S.-dollar millionaires have left India since 2014. The firm's Ruchir Sharma slammed "the tightening grip" of India's "overzealous tax authorities.".

The lesson for India's next prime minister-- or for Mr. Modi, ought to he win a 2nd term: India's job crisis is complex. The increase of robotics, combined with a souring toward open market in developed economies such as the U.S., may make it hard for India to replicate China by rapidly moving countless workers from ineffective farm work to better-paid factory tasks. But only a market-based technique has any opportunity of being successful. Business people, not bureaucrats, will produce the task opportunities voters look for. The odds of Mr. Modi remedying course in the few remaining months of his term are vanishingly slim. If anything, he seems preparing for more populist costs to sway voters so far unimpressed with his efforts. On Monday Reserve Bank of India Gov. Urjit Patel resigned from his position. Mr. Patel pointed out "individual reasons" for his departure, but most observers analyzed it as a protest against government efforts to railway the central bank into following reckless policies. The brand-new guv, a former bureaucrat understood for his proximity to the government of India, might enable politicians to money pre-election costs by raiding the bank's rupee reserves. He might likewise enable weak state-owned banks to open the loaning spigots, and assistance interest-rate cuts quicker than his predecessor, a highly regarded technocrat with a reputation as an inflation hawk. Regrettably for India, the Congress Celebration shares Mr. Modi's populist bent. Elegant guarantees of well-being for the unemployed and loan waivers for farmers marked its election victories this week. As India gears up for its national election, the BJP's defeats have actually tossed the race open. But while we can't anticipate the result, we can say something for certain: Whoever wins won't be promising market-friendly economic reform. Four years ago today, Narendra Modi was sworn in as India's prime minister amidst the kind of enjoyment and expectation not seen in years. Not for thirty years had a single celebration won an electoral majority. Modi's success, his rhetoric and his background all seemed like a decisive break with India's past-- one which lots of Indians were eager to welcome. QuicktakeIndia's Goals What specifically was expected from Modi? Surely, that's one fair way to judge how his government has actually done as he tries for reelection next year. As far as financial policy goes-- which was where the previous Congress administration had disappointed the most-- citizens wanted to see three things: less corruption, greater decisiveness in policymaking and more market-friendly reform. Even Modi's critics need to confess-- and welcome-- the reality that he's materialized progress on all 3. Even his fans, though, should acknowledge that given its advantages, his federal government hasn't lived up to its capacity. Take the first metric. Modi's top officials have actually definitely prevented getting caught up in the sort of big scandals that disabled the previous federal government towards the end of its tenure. If anything can be said to be Modi's primary political top priority, it's this-- to avoid any tip of financial impropriety. More than anything else, an image of probity helps the prime minister cast himself as the champ of normal Indians against a historically venal political class.

When is the next indian election?

General elections are because of be kept in India in between April and May 2019 to make up the 17th Lok Sabha. It's similarly true, however, that the ability of those Indians to evaluate the government has actually decreased. The liberty of information requests that previously drove reporting on corruption and cronyism are now being consistently rejected; the opposition, at least, honestly concerns the self-reliance of organizations, such as the Supreme Court, that are expected to keep an eye on the government. While things appear like they have actually enhanced, we may not have the complete picture. What about decisiveness? Well, Modi-- a leader with huge political power, leading a bulk in parliament and a celebration that manages most of India's states-- has both the opportunity and the desire to be more decisive than any prime minister in years. No one would claim, as they might have 4 years earlier, that India's federal government was so weak and vacillating that it was unable to make a genuine choice or alter a law or institute brand-new policy. Of course, being definitive isn't enough: What you choose likewise matters. And Modi's decisiveness has actually resulted in some huge blunders along with indisputable accomplishments. Consider, for example, the one decision that will specify Modi's term in power: his over night withdrawal, in November 2016, of 86 percent of India's currency from flow. To this day, no one knows how and why this decision was made; who remained in the room; why the Reserve Bank of India, the custodian of India's financial stability, signed onto the strategy; and whether it succeeded in its ambiguous aims. What India needs most is a more effective state. However, developing a structure that enables prompt, evidence-based policymaking needs more than a prime minister who understands his mind. It demands administrative reform up and down India's inefficient administration-- the one difficulty Modi has been reluctant to undertake.

Finally, there's economic reform, where Modi's federal government boasts of definite progress. It passed landmark tax reform, which completely revamped India's system of indirect taxes and has the possible to knit India's diverse states into one economy-- and even, perhaps, to increase tax compliance and raise federal government profits to a brand-new, greater level. India's banking system, strained by bad loans, has actually been offered brand-new hope thanks to an insolvency and personal bankruptcy code that may help release a few of the capital that's been sunk into stalled or mismanaged projects. Debt-ridden electrical power energies have actually been provided a chance to tidy up their books, which together with an ongoing focus on rural electrification may lastly provide all Indians an opportunity at 24x7 power. What the Modi government hasn't been able to do is render Indian companies more competitive. India's exports are traditionally low as a percentage of GDP and task growth has actually been minimal. That's due to the fact that the Indian economic sector is still waiting on truly versatile labor markets and for processes that allow them to engage with the world on equivalent terms. Modi's supporters will no doubt argue that he ought to be offered a 2nd term exactly in order to assault these remaining problems. Yet his federal government has just recently seemed to move backward on reform, raising tariff walls and seeking to safeguard whole sectors from competitors. If India's prime minister has dissatisfied a few of those who were most passionate when he took office four years ago, it isn't because he did not have energy however due to the fact that he didn't expend his political capital on the best functions. It's difficult to see why that would change in a second term.

[yespoetry]

A Review of Charlie Bondhus' 'Divining Bones'

By Ian Haight

Magic, witches, and ancient beliefs associated with these and other traditions of the supernatural have an increased currency in the contemporary moment of culture in the United States. Popular movies and TV shows like The Vampire Diaries have spellcasting witches as main characters, and the shows have led to multiple series spin-offs that continue to this day. The idea of poetry as spell or an invocation of agency is not new to poetry, and remains actively practiced.

CA Conrad, for example, writes poetry to be treated as spell: sometimes prayer-like, usually ritualized, and with the intention of altering reality—however the relationship between spell caster-poet and “reality” is defined. Divining Bones, nominated for a Pushcart Prize by BJ Ward and the third full-length collection of poetry by Charlie Bondhus (and published by Sundress Publications), is less about poetry-as-spell and more about an exploration of the identities of witch and gay man; the book directly speaks to a larger cultural discourse on how to live in the world.

Whether archetype, individuated personality, or metaphor for self, the witch-goddess Baba Yaga from Russian folklore is a recurring figure in Divining Bones. The first poem, “This is Baba Yaga,” reads as a description of the goddess:

Dew soaks the fibular as it does

every morning, getting into the spaces

between bones, where she aches

the ache of peasant girls

 and czarinas. Today a laboring

throb in her left foot;

yet she’s lived enough

to understand all pains

 are bearable if one knows root

and herb, the ninety-nine uses

for deer urine, which of the mushroom’s

many ridges holds magic.

The poem’s last three stanzas of single sentences conclude, chant-like, “This is the Book of Baba Yaga. This is the Book of Baba Yaga. This is not the Book of Baba Yaga.” Ostensibly, Baba Yaga knows how to heal pain that every girl or woman feels, and the way to heal the pain is through the use of magic or herbs. The poem links the book to the idea of healing through the image of Baba Yaga by claiming to tell the witch’s story; however, the poem also makes it clear the book is a singular text not to be taken as the archetype in totality.

“Witchcraft and Demonology (I)” addresses the identity of the speaker, partly through the lens of family. For the speaker, after reading The Encyclopedia of Witchcraft and Demonology, witchcraft and sexuality are intertwined by “Full-color photos of demons copulating with witches,” so that “Hell seemed a place where horned lovers with a thousand cocks would treat my soul as if it were a body.” The speaker’s mother appears to accept the speaker’s gay identity, while the speaker’s father is not present to participate in the conversation, and so practically is not of significant relevance. In this poem, the bigger issue is one of faith.

The speaker’s mother insists upon the speaker’s acceptance of Catholicism, not a religion that may utilize witchcraft. The poem concludes with a description of how witches work in daylight as dental assistants, healing the mouths of other witches whose mouths are hurt by the casting of spells. Is the speaker a dental assistant, working on the mouths of these witches? Is he one of the witches being healed by the dental assistants? Or none of the above? Perhaps all that matters in the poem’s noting is that witches—and only witches—heal each other in the openness of daylight.

“Witchcraft and Demonology (III)” emphasizes the relationship between the identities of gay man and witch by outlining how androgynous devils appear, and how a demon the speaker made incantations to has “female breasts, leathery testicles.” The poem offers a response to the mother’s entreaty to the speaker to be Catholic. The speaker realizes “it’s through degradation/that we raise ourselves,” making a comparison to the biblical humility and lowliness of Jesus for the sake of human redemption. Written on the devil’s arm gesturing upwards is the Latin word “SOLVE,” defined as “separate,” while on the arm gesturing downward is “COAGULA,” defined as “join together.” Under these terms, for the speaker, demonology joins together spiritual faith and sexual identity—something a religion looking upwards cannot do.

Bondhus has cited Galdorcraeft—an Anglo-Saxon/Norse Pagan tradition of witchcraft—for the idea of Baba Yaga as “devourer of childhood fears.” “Baba Yaga and the Child,” given this context, serves as a bridge poem in Divining Bones. The poem is devoted to her proclivity to devour children:

…Baba Yaga clutches her

gut, feeling (truth

or dyspepsia?)

the living and dead

children seething

like gastric juices,

stewing her

from the neck up

 Baba Yaga lives on childhood fears; they stew her—as if she too were something to consume and gain nourishment from. Fear, then, is something to grow from, something that nurtures—not only the human beings who birth the fears, but the gods who watch over and guide their human patrons. The fears at stake in Divining Bones are complex, but they are readily apparent: the fear of being a gay man and the fear of denying Catholicism for the sake of being a Pagan witch, stand out most. That Baba Yaga consumes these childhood fears in this poem suggests an opportunity for spiritual growth, empowerment, and self-awareness.

“Sunday in the Panopticon” explores with some lightness the social experience of gay identity as it relates to an individual life. The poem opens,

            I was sitting in Old Town Square

            with tourists and birds and I was reading

            Foucault, how he who is subjected

            to a field of visibility becomes

            the principle of his own subjection

            and all around me the beautiful

            Slovakian boys moved through the first

            day of spring like perennially

visible inmates in the opening credits

of a prison porno.

The boys observed by the speaker are not described as being self-conscious in any way, but the speaker frames himself in terms of an observed subjectivity. The depth of this subjectivity is reduced to desire. The speaker sees the boys, desires them, but as they are not aware of the speaker’s gaze or even the potential of the speaker’s gaze, there is no opportunity for any kind of social interaction. The speaker considers “moving to the outer edge of the circled tables so the boys/could see me as I could see them,” but instead imagines how clumsily he might move and create a “ruckus.” The poem ends somberly:

                                                                 An errant ball

of sweat fell from my chin and onto the page. I looked

down to where it had landed on the word reciprocal

which made me think how looking is always reducible to twos—

two eyes, two parties, two possible outcomes, and how

those who watch from the panopticon’s black pupil may,

in any case, not even exist.

 If the gaze of desire is not reciprocated subjectively, does the speaker even exist? It’s sobering to consider what this may imply about identity, sexuality, love, and existence; however, Divining Bones has more to say.

“I was born an old woman,” is how “Becoming Baba Yaga” begins, a poem about life as a witch and attending to the needs of others who desire change in their lives. The last stanza of the poem is all completion and self-knowing:

            Sometimes when I’m finger-deep

            in a body I think about the way beauty slithers

            through the tunneled centuries,

            collecting and sloughing trappings as it goes,

            and I know my inherent self,

            though not beautiful,

            is timeless in the way of snakes,

            storms, and ancient forests,

            and if I were to turn scalpel and curette

            on myself, out would pour a great and silent river

            of clear water

            from whose banks would emerge

            wild things

            unknown to beauty…here, here;

            grip my hand and you’ll see it too—

            wet fire;

            living skulls;

            a house that walks;

            a male crone;

            Baba Yaga birthing herself.

The lines establish a peacefulness of place and individuality, a location of reckoning and acceptance within that is fully human—both aesthetically beautiful and ancient. The poem realizes divinity that lives within an individual self.

In a time when swathes of the first world west are facing the consequences of systemic violence, socialized oppression, and the destruction of the natural world in a mindboggling array of forms—all for the sake of concentrated wealth to be had by a privileged few—Bondhus’ poems remind us that myths are still active and relevant, and the human mind has a legacy of survival and endurance. Divining Bones demonstrates that the beautiful remains and sustains.

Charlie Bondhus is the author of Divining Bones (Sundress, 2018) and All the Heat We Could Carry (Main Street Rag, 2013), winner of the Thom Gunn Award for Gay Poetry. He received his MFA in creative writing from Goddard College and his Ph.D. in literature from UMASS Amherst. His work has appeared in Poetry, The Missouri Review, Columbia Journal, Hayden’s Ferry Review, Bellevue Literary Review, Nimrod, and Copper Nickel. He is associate professor of English at Raritan Valley Community College (NJ). More at: http://charliebondhus.com.

Ian Haight’s book, Celadon, won the 2016 Unicorn Press First Book Prize for poetry and was published in the fall of 2017. He is the editor of Zen Questions and Answers from Korea, and with T’ae-yong Hŏ, he is the co-translator of Borderland Roads: Selected Poems of Kyun Hŏ and Magnolia and Lotus: Selected Poems of Hyesim—finalist for ALTA’s Stryk Prize. Other awards include Ninth Letter’s Literary Award in Translation, and grants from the Daesan Foundation, the Korea Literary Translation Institute, and the Baroboin Buddhist Foundation. For more information please visit ianhaight.com.    

[traindoghq-blog]

Get 47% More Done Tomorrow than You Did Today by Using These Simple Principles

Feel like taking care of your health and getting the most out of your performance at work or in school is a mission impossible? Your priority now is to study. Or to work. Health will wait. You’ll deal with it later.

What if I told you that, in fact, by taking care of your health, you can achieve almost twice as much tomorrow as you did today?

I said “health”, are you seeing a packed sweaty gym, boiled spinach in stinky plastic containers and a sad and empty bank account right now? Yeah, actually, it takes zero effort on your part and under $50 in terms of your budget.

I’ll give you a clue - ergonomics. You’ve sure heard about it: bulky adjustable desks and fancy chairs with headrests that folks in big corporate offices get when they complain about back pain. They also cost a fortune and you can’t wheel a freaking reclining orthopedic chair into Starbucks with you. Yep, those aren’t the solution we’re talking about either.

Ergonomics = improved productivity

Numerous studies over the years have showed that the simplest ergonomic solutions improve productivity. Big time.

Already in 1990 (yep, some of you were likely not even on your parents’ bucket list at the time), Dainoff conducted a series of experiments and found that those who worked in ergonomically optimized settings had a 17.5% productivity increase compared to those who worked in “normal”, i.e. suboptimal, conditions.

Aaras1, Eastman2, Chung3, Bubb4 - some studies saw as much as a 47.79% increase in productivity!

Just imagine, with zero extra effort, you get up to 50% more done during the day. You feel fresh. You have more energy. You look better too.

Imagine a person who walks around chin high, back straight, looking fit and confident. And now imagine the one who is slouching, shoulders forward, head down, starring at his feet. Which one is more attractive?

Now, if you translate even a 17% productivity increase directly into your grade increase, what would your grades be like now? A 17% increase could get you from a C to a B or from a B- to an A. What would that difference make in terms of your post-grad opportunities?

Or how much better off would you be if instead of $3,000 this month you got $3,510, or instead of $5,000 - $5,850. Imagine what you would do with that extra $500-800? That’s the power of simple ergonomic adjustments!

In the world where the competition is getting stiffer and stiffer, you need the edge over everybody else. This determines your future success. Being able to balance health and work effortlessly is a big asset. Whatever happens in other parts of your life, you got this under control.

So how exactly do ergonomics help improve productivity?

Fatigue. They reduce fatigue.

There’s a muscle fatigue and a general fatigue. You’ve sure had both. Muscle fatigue is when every inch of your body screams “i'm done with you, a**hole!” and general fatigue is when you read a paragraph 6 times in a row and can’t tell what you’ve just read about. In more scientific terms, the amount of stress your body suffers from decreases its “readiness to use energy and reduces alertness, leading to loss of efficiency and decreased work capacity as well as psychological changes in inaction of motor activity and respiration, the presence of pain, weight on the eyeballs, and attenuation of motivation (Grandjean and Bubb).” You just can’t concentrate any more. Point.

So, what are those ergonomic solutions you’re talking about?

Let’s first see what type of a sitting avenger you are, and then we’ll discuss some ergonomic superpower add-onsthat would work for you. And before you start saying that carrying extra stuff around isn’t sexy, look at the image below and ask yourself if looking like a Scrooge at 20-something is sexy at all?

SEAHORSE

Let’s take Drew, the Dried Seahorse. If you’re Drew, you need back support. In ergonomics slang, that’s called lumbar support. A lumbar cushion supports the normal curve of your back and fills in that scary gap between you and the chair. This is a must for almost every sitting avenger out there.

While there are plenty of options available, the memory foam cushions offer the most support. For a simple lumbar cushion, you could check out ComfiLife lumbar cushion, for a more sophisticated choice – take a look at Aylio. And if you want the most support for the buck, take a look at the Soft & Care back & tailbone cushion, one of the most practical value/price options out there. If you need more details and a coupon code, take a look at this detailed review of Soft & Care. Which cushion would be the best for you? Check out the comparison chart at the bottom of the page. If you are the Seahorse type, you also tend to slide under the table, don’t you? If you do - get a foot rest. I know, carrying all this around is crazy, right? Well, if you have your own desk, you could get a simple foot rest like this. But if you are a tumbleweed, there’s a foldable hammock foot rest out there that you can fit into your bag. It’s pretty cool. Or make your own? Get creative, remember where that extra 47% of productivity will take you!

EDWARD SCISSORlegs

Edward ScissorLegs – you here? Cz I can hear that tailbone scream in pain. In ergonomics slang, you need some serious coccyx support. It would also be great if you got a 2 in 1 lumbar and coccyx cushion. Yeeeeeeah...that'd be great. Check the comparison chart below for more details.

However. In your case it literally "wouldn't hurt" to take coccyx support to the next level. Consider a more sophisticated coccyx support cushion like Purple. It’s hyper-elastic polymer mesh (designed by a rocket scientist, no joke, check the review) is like heaven on earth compared to a memory foam. The Royal one, most popular option, is bulky though, so if you need to carry it around, take a look at their lighter portable version.

SNAIL

Are you Gale the Snail? You’ve got it together, I’ll give you that. But being in this position for hours on end tightens your hip flexors, bringing along an array of problems, including a posterior pelvic tilt. So sit up!

A Snail would need: lumbar support, see the chart below for help on how to pick one, and foot support at the very least. A coccyx cushion would be nice as well, check the Soft & Care 2 in 1 cushion in the comparison chart. While a lumbar cushion will take the pressure off your spine, and let you lean against the back of your seat, the foot support will help you keep your feet on the floor. As with the Seahorse, pick an option that works for you: if you can afford to have a stationary foot rest, go for it. If not – take a look at the portable hammock foot rest option.

GOLLUM

And here’s Goff, the Gollum. Now, you would benefit from an array of ergonomic adjustments. Let’s start with the back. Lumbar support, lumbar support, lumbar support. A simple back cushion would work, but check the comparison chart below for more details.

If, like Goff, you tend to curve your neck, consider a laptop stand. Yep, if you don’t want to look like Goff the Gollum your whole life, get a freaking stand! I had one when I was in school and carried it around. It’s light. It helped my neck and posture. And also cooled my laptop. Neat feature, ah? Here's a similar one. And get a mouse for Goff’s sake! That whole track pad thing is messing up your spine, shoulder and neck alignment more than you can imagine. I use a foldable one like this. Trust me, it won’t take up more space in your bag than a Twix would.

THE SPHINX

Sophy the Sphinx. If you are the Sphinx type, please, sit up. There really isn’t much help for you until you do. No, really. If you absolutely have to work like this, at least put a big pillow underneath to ease the strain on your back and let your chin rest on the edge to give your neck a break. Also, if your legs are on the floor, place a pillow underneath your feet. Remember that something always has to support a gap between you and the floor. So, no gaps.

I did see some people talking about a Lie Down Cushion, but haven't seen any being sold by trustworthy retailers, so if you are up for this - proceed with caution.

SUPERMAN

Finally, meet The Superman. He needs coffee. Lots of it. A head support wouldn’t hurt either, don’t you think? If you have a high chair or spend a lot of time stuck in traffic, get a neck pillow, something simple like this one. Neck never gets enough attention. Just put it up there and let the power of ergonomics work its miracles on your productivity levels.

And hey, don't forget about coccyx cushions. That is a game changer for anyone who has spent at least 2 hours sitting. Ever. And don't forget to follow us on social either. For more useful tips.

[comicsbeat]

We’re into our fourth day of creator thoughts, inspirations and projects. As always, thanks to everyone who took the time to participate. As you can see, the biggest story of last year was definitely #metoo and the revelations of sexual harassment in the comics industry. We all have a lot of work to do to make our industry – and the ones around us – a safe, inclusive place for everyone.

Also, on a lighter note, the quality of creator portrait photos has vastly improved since I started doing this 14 years ago. Whether that’s a function of comics folks being better known in general or just the Instagraming of everything, I’ll leave you to judge.

Brandon Graham, cartoonist/editor

2018 Projects: I’m finishing up my Multiple Warheads book along with a Royalboiler art book and then a new new series.

What was the biggest story of 2017? This has been a bizarre year in that the world outside of comics I think affected the tone of readers and creators in ways that was certainly new to me.

I was disheartened by seeing things like Aubrey Sitterson, catch flack and seemingly lose the backing of his publisher over people being upset at (some fairly mild things said) his twitter. DC continues to plunge the depths of Watchmen for no good reason. & only seemed to care about dealing with a sexual harasser when the outside world started to take notice -While Marvel made some attempts at doing socially progressive comics while at the same time their chairman is funnelling money to the right wing.

It got me to the point where I was actively trying to distance my everday from looking at mainstream comics, spending more time reading work from publisher like Koyama, NoBrow, Fantagraphics and Peow — ( I read a lot of Image too but they’re who I work with so I’m biased)

Creatively I got a lot out of Connor Willumsen’s Anti-gone (Koyama)

What will be the biggest story of 2018? I’ve seen some really exciting work on the horizon. Sloane Leong’s Prism Stalker (Image comics) Dilraj Mann’s new Nobrow book, more from creators like Simon Roy, Farel Dalrymple, Grim Wilkins. & Emma Rios.

Guilty Pleasure of 2018: I’m dipping my toes into doing more artwork with the porn company Woodrocket, I dunno if there’s any guilt in that for me, but I wouldn’t wanna talk to my mom about it.

Who or what inspires you? Connor Willumsen really got me thinking with his work. & on a more personal level I spent a lot of time hanging out with Farel Dalrymple this year & seeing his process and the work he’s doing in inspiring.

  Glenn Hauman, editor ComicMix

2018 Projects: Pushing “Mine!”, our anthology benefiting Planned Parenthood (even though it came out at the very end of 2017, most of the work hyping it is yet to come.)

What was the biggest story of 2017? I feel the biggest stories are the ones that haven’t been covered yet. Why did Axel Alonso leave Marvel so suddenly? What’s going to happen to BOOM! now that minority stakeholder Fox is merging with Disney, who already has Marvel?

Of the stories we know about, it’s obviously Bendis leaving Marvel, an event as big as Kirby leaving Marvel.

(I’m partial to the Ninth Circuit court ruling that you can’t trademark an illustration style, but that’s me.)

What will be the biggest story of 2018? Sadly, the one most people will care about isn’t even technically a comics story: how the Marvel Cinematic Universe will integrate the Marvel properties controlled by Fox. Will the FF pop in the post-credits sequence of Avengers: Infinity War?

Second place: who’s the next person to get fired over sexual harassment accusations?

Guilty Pleasure of 2018: A ruling from the Register of Copyrights.

Who or what inspires you? Neil Gaiman. His story for “Mine!” took what was one of the most painful moments of his life, ripped out his heart and turned it into art— and turned it into art to help people who are going through the same sort of pain, and to explain to people who don’t understand how painful that can be.

Neil Kleid, writer

2018 Projects: Several anthology stories, including “Babel” with my KINGS AND CANVAS partners, Jake Allen and Frank Reynoso, for the second volume of the Jewish Comix Anthology; mostly a creative/building year for me, working on a novel, a TV pilot and several pitches/projects yet to be announced.

What was the biggest story of 2017? Hands down the last-straw, breaking of the dam, simply not going to take it public airing and (in some cases) termination of known sexual predators in comics . In addition to that, the further discussion as regards diversity and women in comics and the empowerment/need for both on creative and editorial levels.

What will be the biggest story of 2018? The growing move by established creators away from comics and into alternative mediums that pay well. I believe the moves being made in Washington by the Orange Skull will result in many a creator being unable to pay their bills or write of expenses, forcing the need for either a shift to better paying work in the arts or having to embolden their bank accounts with day jobs, in some cases. Without enough paying work to go around and a potential hurt coming in terms of taxes and available healthcare, you’re going to see a lot of creators making tricky decisions in the coming years.

Guilty Pleasure of 2018: Well, I’m addicted to the CW DC TV shows and just devoured NBC’s THE GOOD PLACE, but the kids and I are really looking forward to the eighth volume of Kazu Kibuishi’s AMULET series

Who or what inspires you? I spent a lot of my year re-reading old Joe Kubert comics and books – RAGMAN, SGT ROCK, JEW GANGSTER – as well as a bulk of Will Eisner’s original graphic novel library. Something about immersing one’s self into a master class of sequential storytelling always helps stir the creative juices.

You can read previous installments of the survey here. 

Ronald Wimberly, cartoonist

2018 Projects: LAAB, Sunset Park

What was the biggest story of 2017? I got a decent check from Prince of Cats and Black History in its Own Words

What will be the biggest story of 2018? LAAB and Sunset Park

Guilty Pleasure of 2018: Hopefully traveling back to see my friends in Japan or France.

Who or what inspires you?

Jose Muñoz

  Brandon Schatz, retailer

2018 Projects:  What was the biggest story of 2017? The gradual and continual collapse of Marvel.

What will be the biggest story of 2018? The slow refocus of the comic book industry outside of the direct market.

Guilty Pleasure of 2018: Whatever Marvel comes up with next for their line. Partly because it will be a “make or break/mission statement” moment for sure. And admittedly, they have my favourite characters, despite my current apathy for much of their line that didn’t just get cancelled.

Who or what inspires you? Shelley Bond. Her curation of a line true to her roots, but with an eye to the future made for an interesting mission statement. Marry old creators with fresh voices so they can “learn from each other”, instead of using the old ways as the de facto guide.

Mike Zagari, cartoonist/SVP-Aftershock

2018 Projects: AfterShock Comics: Overseeing the Brand, Marketing, Promotional, Digital + Various Creative Aspects of titles such as ANIMOSITY, ALTERS, PESTILENCE, BABYTEETH, JIMMY’S BASTARDS, DARK ARK, ROUGH RIDERS and more.

What was the biggest story of 2017? There were so many big stories in the industry in 2017, but I believe the most shocking aspect was how divisive the opinions to the major topics were.

What will be the biggest story of 2018? Making the single issue comic a more anticipated experience than anything on TV or Film.

Guilty Pleasure of 2018: The Avengers: Infinity War film. They did a great job juggling all the characters in Captain America: Civil War. This looks like it’s doubled the cast.

Who or what inspires you? In no particular order, I enjoyed the art of Terry Dodson, James Jean, Babs Tarr, and Ben Caldwell.

Jason Leivian, retailer/editor

2018 Projects: Publishing Coredoor with Brandon Graham and Emma Rios. A follow-up/evolution to their popular Island magazine.

What was the biggest story of 2017? #visiblewomen was a powerful, inspiring project and the internet was a nicer place for a few days.

What will be the biggest story of 2018? Comic Aht? magazine from Domino Books

Guilty Pleasure of 2018: Fiffe’s Bloodstrike

Who or what inspires you? I had a recharging Fall con season, between SPX, Short Run, and CABF. Meeting kindred spirits and making new friends like Jon-Michael Frank, Charlene Man, and Orion Martin.

Taimur Dar, journalist

What was the biggest story of 2017? CB Cebulski replacing Axel Alonso as Marvel EiC

What will be the biggest story of 2018? Probably whatever the latest Marvel blunder will be

Guilty Pleasure of 2018: Whatever Brian Michael Bendis’ DC Comics project will be

Who or what inspires you? Late/Great Dwayne McDuffie

Thomas Ragon, editor, Dargaud

2018 Projects: From the USA, here are some of the projects that are official.

After “Musnet”, There will be another project by Kickliy. A western. Two books.

« Sir Alfred #3 », © Tim Hensley, Editions Dargaud.

Tim Hensley’s “Sir Alfred #3” will be released in August or September, with additional material by the author. This will be a 24×32 cm hardcover. Here’s the exclusive new endpaper.

Then, the French edition of Hartley Lin’s “Young Frances”. I’m proud to be working soon on this one, “Pope Hats” quite impressed me by the maturity at work.

« Salem », © Thomas Gilbert, Editions Dargaud.

From the French scene, Thomas Gilbert’s take on the Witches of Salem case should not come out without being noticed.

  H.M.S. Beagle, aux origines de Darwin », © Fabien Grolleau, Jérémie Royer, Editions Dargaud

H.M.S. Beagle, aux origines de Darwin », © Fabien Grolleau, Jérémie Royer, Editions Dargaud

After “Audubon” (published in English by Nobrow), Fabien Grolleau and Jeremie Royer will be back with “H.M.S. Beagle, les origines de Darwin”.

Art : Jérémie Royer, Writer : Fabien Grolleau.

“Renaissance”, © Duval, Blanchard, Emem, Editions Dargaud

“Renaissance”, © Duval, Blanchard, Emem, Editions Dargaud

“Renaissance”, is a very strong science fiction series by Fred Duval, Fred Blanchard and Emem. Art : Emem & Fred Blanchard ; Writer : Fred Duval.

Lucas Varela and Diego Agrimbau join us for “Le Roi de la forat”, another science fiction book, with a completely different approach.

What was the biggest story of 2017? In France, I would say the tremendous success of humor comics. More precisely, non-fiction treated with humor, “L’Arabe du Futur”, “Dans la combi de Thomas Pesquet”, or plain humor comics like “Les Vieux Fourneaux” (more than one million copies sold with four books in four years).

Guilty Pleasure of 2018: Attending Napoli Comicon, in May.

Who or what inspires you? Blutch literally saved my professional life, in 2017, with his “Variations”. He’s so dedicated to his work and art, always trying to move forward, to try new things, to be working, whatever the difficulties are. He’s so talented, of course. And friendly. A real inspiration. Thank you, Blutch.

Reilly Brown, cartoonist

2018 Projects: Outrage at Line Webtoon and Dash Hudson at GhostekProducts.com/Dash

What was the biggest story of 2017? CB Cebulski taking over at Marvel

What will be the biggest story of 2018? Non-Marvel/DC publishers (such as Webtoon) signing deals with Marvel and DC creators, and rivaling their readership.

Who or what inspires you? Sanford Greene

Dave Elliott, editor

2018 Projects: MEND and CLICK. First two graphic novels that I am editing for Zuiker Press. Zuiker Press is a new publishing company founded by Anthony Zuiker (creator of CSI) and his wife Michelle. I’m the editor. Graphic novels based on true stories of kids that have gone through something traumatic. First books are Divorce (Mend) and Cyberbullying (Click). Currently in production are books on racial prejudice, body dysmorphia, and autism.

What was the biggest story in comics in 2017? Mark Millar/Netflix.

What will be the biggest story in comics in 2018? Maybe someone starts producing mass market comics again?

Guilty Pleasure: Black Panther movie!!!!

Who or what Inspires you: Rick Remender, only because Seven to Eternity is the only comic I look forward to these days.

Erica Schultz, writer

2018 Projects: Twelve Devils Dancing (Writer) with Dave Acosta and Andrew Covalt, Bingo Love (Editor) with Tee Franklin, Jenn St-Onge, and Joy San, I have a back up story with Natasha Alterici (Heathen) in Destiny NY Vol. 2 from Space Between Entertainment, I’m also working on the Corpus anthology, as well as Where We Live, the anthology benefitting the victims of the Las Vegas shooting drawn by Liana Kangas (Blackout).

What was the biggest story in comics in 2017? I’d say Bingo Love getting picked up by Image Comics is a big story, seeing as it’s the first time Image would be publishing a graphic novel by an African American woman.

What will be the biggest story in comics in 2018? The launch of books from Black Crown and Berger Books, two new imprints will be exciting. Emma Beeby and Ariela Kristantina have a great book about Mata Hari coming out. Also, several comics properties have been optioned lately, so it’d be interesting to see how far that goes in 2018, especially with platforms like Netflix, Hulu, Amazon, etc. looking for content.

Guilty Plesaure: Hmm…Maybe a new season of Sarah and Duck?

Who or what inspires you? There are so many incredibly talented creators out there, I don’t know if I could narrow it down to a few. I adore Tee Franklin (Bingo Love), Meredith Finch (Rose), Emma Beeby (Mata Hari), Eric Palicki (No Angel), Vita Ayala (The Wilds), Natasha Alterici (Heathen), Emily Pearson (The Wilds), Liana Kangas (Blackout), Erik Burnham (Ghostbusters), and so many others. I’m very inspired by my peers who challenge me and push me to do better.

The Beat’s Annual Creator Survey, 2018 Edition, Part Four: Including some incredible preview art from Dargaud We're into our fourth day of creator thoughts, inspirations and projects. As always, thanks to everyone who took the time to participate.

[melindarowens]

Early voting sites open for Georgia special election

With Scott Bland

The following newsletter is an abridged version of Campaign Pro’s Morning Score. For an earlier morning read on exponentially more races — and for a more comprehensive aggregation of the day’s most important campaign news — sign up for Campaign Pro today. (http://www.politicopro.com/proinfo)

Story Continued Below

BALLOT CHASE — In-person early voting kicks off in Georgia House special: Election Day in the GA-06 special election is three weeks from today, which means in-person early voting sites are opening Tuesday morning across the suburban Atlanta district. Interest in the race is incredibly intense and both parties are making a major push to bank votes for Republican Karen Handel and Democrat Jon Ossoff — over 7,200 people already cast absentee ballots by the end of last week, according to Georgia’s voter file. By contrast, fewer than 2,000 people voted by the end of the first day of in-person early voting before the April 18 primary.

— 1,193 of those absentee voters did not vote in the primary, yet have already banked their votes for the two campaigns. Of that group, 339 voted in the GOP primary during the 2016 presidential race, versus 105 who pulled Democratic presidential primary ballots on March 1, 2016. Turnout in round 1 was already near midterm levels — about 193,000 on April 18 compared to 210,000 in November 2014. But both parties are seeking to expand the electorate further in ways that will help them. While Democrats are focusing on thousands of newly registered voters, Republicans have a bigger pool of friendly-looking occasional voters to mine. The Republican analytics firm Optimus Consulting found there were 35,000 voters who cast Republican ballots in the March 2016 presidential primaries but didn’t vote on April 18, versus about 11,000 Democratic primary voters. Indeed, the NRCC has been urging groups involved in GA-06 to target “38,000 high propensity Republicans [who] did not vote on April 18 but are able to vote in June.”

— These relatively small numbers could ultimately make the difference in a tight race. Remember: Ossoff fell 3,612 votes short of winning the seat with a majority in the primary.

— ICYMI — “Ossoff raised $6.9M online in April.” Full story.

— NEW THIS A.M. — Democratic super PAC ad hits Handel on government spending: House Majority PAC and Patriot Majority have partnered on a new TV ad in the special election, backed by a half-million dollars on Atlanta broadcast TV. The ad opens by noting that Handel has run “six campaigns for five different offices,” before the narrator says: “But politician Karen Handel never changes, always taking taxpayers for a ride.” The ad notes spending by Handel’s office as secretary of state on items like a Lexus SUV and “taxpayer-funded air travel,” themes in other Democratic ads in GA-06, too. See the ad here.

MEET THE CANDIDATE — “POLITICO Pro Q&A: Rep. Evan Jenkins,” by Campaign Pro’s Daniel Strauss: “GOP Rep. Evan Jenkins is vying to defeat Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin in West Virginia in 2018. And to do it, he is framing the race as a proxy battle against Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and Sen. Elizabeth Warren. … Jenkins discussed his case against Manchin, the possibility of a primary, and more in an interview with POLITICO. The transcript has been lightly edited for length and clarity. … Manchin has a primary challenger and there are a lot of Democrats who say Manchin is not really a Democrat. What exactly are your problems with his voting record? I think reporters’ analysis is that Manchin has a 84, 85 percent voting record with Harry Reid. He has a 76, 77 percent voting record with Elizabeth Warren. I’m certainly not Joe Manchin’s political consultant, but Joe Manchin will say one thing and will do another in his voting behavior in Washington.” Full story.

Days until the 2017 election: 161.

Days until the 2018 election: 525.

Thanks for joining us.You can email tips to the Campaign Pro team at sbland@politico.com, eschneider@politico.com, krobillard@politico.com and dstrauss@politico.com.

You can also follow us on Twitter: @politicoscott, @ec_schneider, @politicokevin and @danielstrauss4.

HELP FROM MIKE — “Pence to make campaign push amid GOP concerns over Trump,” by POLITICO’s Alex Isenstadt: “Vice President Mike Pence is embarking on a cross-country summer campaign tour amid rising fears that the GOP, reeling from a barrage of Trump-fueled controversies, is headed for a midterm election disaster. Pence is mapping out a schedule that will take him through several Midwestern battlegrounds and to traditionally conservative southern states like Georgia, where an unexpectedly competitive June special election runoff is alarming party strategists. The vice president will also attend a series of Republican Party events that will draw major donors and power-brokers, where talk about 2018 is certain to be front-and-center. The push comes at a time of growing consternation among senior Republicans who say the White House has given them little direction on midterm planning. … the early intensity of Pence’s tour underscores the sudden urgency confronting Republicans. With Trump’s campaign under federal investigation, his approval ratings at record lows, and his agenda badly stalled, once-despondent Democrats have been jolted back to life – and are waging a serious bid to seize control of the House. Some Republicans view Pence’s activity as an effort to calm the waters.” Full story.

… AND HELP FROM JOE — “Biden backs Phil Murphy, says N.J. governor’s race ‘most important’ in nation,” by POLITICO New Jersey’s Ryan Hutchins: “Former Vice President Joe Biden blessed the campaign of New Jersey gubernatorial candidate Phil Murphy on Sunday, describing the upcoming election to succeed outgoing Gov. Chris Christie as the ‘single most important’ of the next three years — even eclipsing the 2018 midterms. In what was largely a repudiation of President Donald Trump, Biden said Democrats haven’t done enough to acknowledge the problems faced by many in middle-class America and said he viewed Murphy — a former Goldman Sachs executive who served as U.S. ambassador to Germany during the Obama administration — as the man to do so.” Full story.

SIGN OF THE TIMES — “How Trump is already shaking up the Georgia governor’s race,” by The Atlanta Journal Constitution’s Greg Bluestein: “…A fight is already under way on the GOP side of the ticket between candidates pledging to ‘drain the swamp’ vying against more mainstream Republicans with long records of experience in public office who aren’t tying themselves directly to Trump’s presidency. The battle lines have already being drawn: Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle didn’t mention Trump at his campaign kickoff, while Secretary of State Brian Kemp’s official announcement practically oozed Trump-ian themes. … A pair of Democratic rising stars – state Reps. Stacey Abrams and Stacey Evans – both figure to put their opposition to Trump at the center of their bids.” Full story.

DEBATE NIGHT — “Pragmatism vs. populism at cordial final debate in Va. Democratic gubernatorial race,” by The Washington Post’s Fenit Nirappil: “The two Virginia Democrats locked in a tight race for their party’s gubernatorial nomination were cordial in their final debate but offered competing visions for a swing state where Republicans control the legislature. In a 30-minute debate televised Sunday, Lt. Gov. Ralph Northam touted his experience and relationships in Richmond, saying they make him the ideal choice to shepherd through pragmatic policies to help working families. Former congressman Tom Perriello urged a more dramatic approach, saying the state’s next leader needs to champion an expansive progressive platform, complete with new social programs funded by tax increases on the wealthiest, even if it faces opposition from Republican lawmakers.” Full story.

YEP, THAT’S A LOT — “22 candidates crowd into race to replace Chaffetz — so far,” by The Deseret News’ Lisa Riley Roche: “Candidates crowded into the race to replace Rep. Jason Chaffetz, R-Utah, with 15 Republicans, four Democrats, two Independent American Party members and one Libertarian signing up to run by Friday’s 5 p.m. filing deadline. …There could end up being even more names on the ballot for voters to choose from because unaffiliated candidates — those not running as a member of a political party — have until June 12 to file with the state Elections Office.” Full story.

OPERATIVE TURNED CANDIDATE — Democratic strategist Buffy Wicks has formed a campaign committee to run for state Assembly in California next year. Wicks was Hillary Clinton’s California state director during the 2016 presidential primaries and previously held senior roles in the Obama White House, his two presidential campaigns, and Priorities USA Action.

CHOOSING PRIORITIES — Priorities poll finds Russia hurting Trump, not GOP Congress: “A new polling memo from a leading Democratic super PAC argues that the ongoing investigation into Russian meddling in American politics is dragging down President Donald Trump’s approval numbers, but health care is having a greater impact on the popularity of the Republican-controlled Congress. Full story.

ADMINISTRATION SPEED READ — “Investigation Turns to Kushner’s Motives in Meeting With a Putin Ally,” by The New York Times’ Matthew Rosenberg, Mark Mazzetti and Maggie Haberman: “Jared Kushner, the president’s son-in-law and senior adviser, was looking for a direct line to President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia — a search that in mid-December found him in a room with a Russian banker whose financial institution was deeply intertwined with Russian intelligence, and remains under sanction by the United States. Federal and congressional investigators are now examining what exactly Mr. Kushner and the Russian banker, Sergey N. Gorkov, wanted from each other. The banker is a close associate of Mr. Putin, but he has not been known to play a diplomatic role for the Russian leader. That has raised questions about why he was meeting with Mr. Kushner at a crucial moment in the presidential transition, according to current and former officials familiar with the investigations.” Full story.

CODA — QUOTE OF THE DAY: “I guess we could be more concerned if she was the wife of the president. Hopefully, this is just her issue.” — Patti Strand, president of the National Animal Interest Alliance, on Lara Trump, wife of Eric Trump, who hopes to champion beagle adoption, which is “a little problematic,” POLITICO reported.

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