#they should experience every single iota of their suffering

[hussyknee]

Y'know, when the choice is between voting for one of two tyrannical war criminal genociders and overturning the government, the "lesser evil" is, in fact, overturning the government. That's the difficult but necessary choice, especially since your country is holding most of the world hostage to its interests. Libs just know that their own lives might be part of the collateral, and worse, that their comfort will definitely be. That's what this is all about. After decades on decades of sacrificing Black and brown people in exchange for the stability of their power structures, they've realized that it's finally their turn.

[prettyyoungtragedy]

“It’s Complicated” (9)

Request by @fandomsfor-days

Summary: You lead the most normal life on planet earth, completely oblivious to the world of Avenging that rages around you until you are suddenly thrust into it with the Winter Soldier and an unexpected photo, and now you are the center of a plot that you don’t even want to be a part of.

A/N: So I finally sat down at wrote this, one more chapter and the fic will be done! I promise it’s all happy and sappy at the end! I hope you guys like the chapter, because I love the ending haha! (Its a cliff hanger :P!) drop me a reblog or some feedback and I will love you forever!

Tags are full!

Leave me some feedback and drop me a reblog if you liked it  Sil vous plait :D?

Characters: Avengers!Bucky Barnes x reader

Warnings: None at all :)

Chapters - |Fucking Avengers| Curioser and Curioser | Down the rabbit hole | Curiosity killed the Bucky | Keep Your temper | Begin at the beginning | And go on till you come to the end | Six impossible things before breakfast | Who in the world am I? | We’re all mad here |

There are moments in life that define you as a person. Moment’s that make you who you are today, specific moments when something so drastic or so small could happen that it changes or makes you as a person. You had a few of those in  your lifetime, for example.

The day you graduated high school, stood out for you. It was where your love of photography came from. The day you bought your first camera, got your first job, suffered your first heartbreak from your douchebag college boyfriend. All these moments stand out for you, but one moment in particular in your life stood out more than others.

The day you met James Buchanan Barnes. Somehow you remember exactly what you were wearing that morning, what you ate for breakfast and even what time you walked into the office, almost tripped and looked into those incredibly wonderful starlight blue eyes.

And every moment after that, that you had spent hating him and the Avengers. Suddenly became a memory that stood out for you. Like stark red blood against cold white snow. You couldn’t explain it, and you yourself didn’t know when it happened but you found yourself cherishing those moments with him. Even the time he threw you out a window and jumped off a building with you. As much as you hated those memories, you sort of loved them too.

So when, James Buchanan Barnes stepped into the room that day. Every single thing just, melted away and all you saw was him. There was so much you wanted to say but couldn’t find any words, instead you were left with nothing, just a blank stare.

“Hi.” Bucky said, his voice breaking the deafening silence between the two of you.

“Hi.”

“Are you okay?”

“I think so.”

Bucky moved closer, and took a seat on the chair beside the bed you lay in. You couldn’t look at him for some reason, so instead you looked down at your hands, folded in your lap.

“I uhm...I’m sorry.” He said softly. Bucky wanted to reach out and touch you but he doesn’t, he hesitates not knowing what was the right move in this instance. “About Will…”

At the mention of Will, fresh tears suddenly spring into your eyes, and you quickly wipe them away with the palm of your hand. He shouldn’t have to feel guilty for what happened and you didn’t want him to seeing you crying either. But guilt suddenly ripples through him when he sees those tears and he’s at a loss for words.

The little silver flashdisk  that he held in his hand, suddenly felt as if it carried the weight of the world on it. And Bucky knew what he had to do, what was the right thing to do. He couldn’t keep this from you, you deserved to know. Deserved to have some sort of closure or you would spend your whole life wondering what had happened to Will and why he turned out the way he did.

“I know this isn’t the right time but…” Bucky placed the disk on the bedside table and looked up at you, “I’m sorry for how things turned out and I wish I could take away whatever sorrows you have right now but, I think you need to see this.”

You looked at the flashdisk and then back at him. “What is that?” You asked, with a frown, sniffling a little.

“Will Crawford left it for you.”

Your heart suddenly felt as if it had turned to stone in your chest and your stared wide eyed at the silver disk. What could Will have possibly left on the disk, and why did Bucky have it.

“What’s on it?” You asked.

“I’ll leave you alone to watch it.” Bucky answered cryptically, “F.R.I.D.A.Y will give you access to the TV.” With that Bucky stood up and began to walk out.

“Wait,” You said quickly, and he paused for a second turning his gaze back to you. “Thank you…” You said softly, “For saving my life.”

Bucky smiled at you, “Always.” was all he said before he walked out and shut the door. Leaving you alone with just the haunting silver flashdisk that now sat beside you. Practically screaming at you to watch it.

‘The time is uhhh...7:04PM and I am currently sitting in my living room filming this. I guess Y/N, if you’re watching this it means I didn’t make it out of this whole mess alive.’

Will Crawford’s voice filled the room you were in and and you immediately hit the pause button.

Forcing down the lump in your throat as you looked at your now dead ex boyfriend on the screen before you. He sat in the living room, the living-room you had spent so many days with him in. Happier days when everything was okay, and well wasn’t such a cluster fuck. Tears escaping your eyes,  you took a deep breath and composed yourself, whatever was on this disk, you needed to watch it, to help you understand.

“So, I guess I should start at the beginning” Will’s voice sounded once more as you hit play again. “It wasn’t always fucked up between us,” He sighed and you knew he was talking directly to you now.

“There were really good times, happy times even. I really did love you and I’m sorry it all got so twisted along the way. I’m sorry I used you, even though sorry doesn’t even begin to cover half of what I have put you through. I’m sorry about the Senate dinner, It wasn’t supposed to go that way, but I guess in a way I am glad it did because it put you on his radar.” Will paused and sighed again, taking a sip of the whiskey in front of him before he continued. “OSCORP was my idea entirely, which again I should have been less reckless with your life. I just thought if you had more near death experiences Mr Barnes, who I am sure is watching this with you right now would only want to protect you more. I know I kept throwing you in his path and I never expected him to fall so hard for you, I thought it would be a simple crush, maybe you two would fuck once or twice but I saw it and well...It hurt nonetheless, even though it was me who caused all this. But it what what they wanted, they wanted to hurt Barnes and somehow they knew they could use you to do it.”

Will leaned back against the leatherback couch, and looked directly into the camera, “Y/N, you deserved a lot more than I gave you and I know that now. Hydra won’t stop, they didn’t when my father worked for them and they won’t now that they control my company. I should have gone to the Avengers sooner, but Hydra threatened to hurt my family, to kill you if I didn't comply. I must sound like the world’s biggest asshole to you right now, but I just want you to know that I am sorry for all of it, for the mistakes, for the ugly words I said to you, for putting this burden on your head and for thrusting you into this world you had no business being a part of. I hope that Bucky Barnes takes better care of you than I ever did, because I can assure you, he is a hundred times the man I ever was.”

“On that final note, We had a fight tonight and I’d like you to know I never meant what I said. If you remember it then you know what I am talking about, I was hurt, and angry because I saw you falling for him too and I couldn’t stop it. Not without getting you killed. So, Y/N, I just want you to know you always were my best friend, and I’m sorry I failed you so miserably. I’m sorry I chose Hydra and my family’s legacy over protecting you.”

“And Bucky Barnes, Do right by her, please, because I never could.”

When the recording ended, and the screen faded to black. You sat there, heart thundering wildly in your chest as you let Will’s words sink into your mind. The weight of his confession cascading down on you as if you stood beneath a waterfall at this very moment.

You were at a loss for words, emotions raw and running wild. So many questions, mostly how dare he? How dare he do all this and then die, leaving you with this shitty recording of him admitting his sins and then basically telling Bucky he could have you. Like you were some prize that could be traded between men.

“Asshole!” You exclaimed, “Stupid, fucking asshole!” without thinking you hurled the nearest object you could find at the sleek black screen. The glass shattering on impact.

“Will Crawford, you selfish, stupid, worthless sack of shit. You fucking moron. Oh my god!” You screamed, rage boiling over like a overflowing cauldron and before you knew it you jumped out of the bed and started angrily hurling things around the room.

A mixture of tears and anger as you pretty much wrecked the room. You found yourself repeatedly punching the TV screen where Will’s face was a few moments ago. It didn’t make a single iota of rational sense but your rage was unleashed, there wasn’t a rational thought inside your mind. Blood oozing from the wounds on your knuckles, cuts on your arms from being scratched by the glass and feet bleeding from the glass you had stepped in. Suddenly, a pair of muscular arms wrap around your waist and haul you away from the now cracked and shattered screen,

“Stop!” Bucky’s voice commands but you fight against him, trying to get away. He was the last person you wanted to see right now.

“Let go of me!” You exclaimed, struggling against his vice grip. You twisted every which way, trying to shove him off you but to no avail. He was stronger than you were and he held you to his chest, firmly.

“Calm down.”

“Bucky! Let go of me! For fucks sake!” Suddenly you were crying, you couldn’t decide if it was angry crying or because you were genuinely terrified but hot tears were streaming down your face.

Bucky suddenly releases you from his grip and you stumbled forward, falling to the ground on your hands and knees, gasping for air.

He knelt down beside you and placed his cool, metal hand on your back.

“I’m sorry, it’s okay.” He murmured.

“Get away from me!”

You looked up at him and it was unexplainable the anger you felt, but Bucky knew it was grief and he was the closest thing to you right now that you could take your grief out on so he lets you.

“Y/N…”

“No!”

“I’m trying to help you.” He said exasperatedly reaching his hands out towards you once more

“I don’t need your help, Bucky.” You snarled at him, shitting his hand away.

“I’m sorry, I get it.”

“Get out!” you exclaimed.

“Please let me…”

“Get out.” You screamed at him, and Bucky sighed. He wasn’t going to win this fight and he resigned to the fact. Slowly he rose to his feet casting a glance to you on the floor once more before he stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind him.

You leaned against the bed frame, and suddenly were overtaken by emotion. And uncontrollable sobbing ripped through you as you held your knees to your chest, and sobbed on the floor. Bloodied and messy, you didn’t care.

A few minutes later, you heard the door open again and footsteps crunching over the broken glass. They take a seat beside you, and you already knew who it was without looking up. He sighs deeply and reaches over, placing a comforting hand on your back.

“It’s going to be okay.” Bucky said softly.

The next couple of weeks were shitty to say the least. You had to sit through interview after interview with different magazines and companies and the police and the Avengers. Repeating the same answers again and again to all of them.

Reporters hounded you for more information on Will’s death, to which you had no response to of course. It got to the point where you had to quit your job and move apartments because of the invasion of privacy from those vultures.

Bucky tried to be there for you, he came with you to physical therapy and to almost every appointment at the psychiatrist which you appreciated but you didn’t want to be round him. Not right now, with pretty much everyone’s eyes on you, the last thing you needed was the Winter Soldier shadowing you everywhere. He seemed kind of hurt by you asking for time alone but he didn’t argue it, instead he respected your wishes and stayed away.

Finally six weeks later, everything had seemingly died down and you gained some semblance of a normal life again. Well as normal as it could be, you found a new apartment and a job that would keep you out of the public eye for a while. The sleepless nights still plagued you, sometimes you would sit up and obsessively check the news for anything to do with Hydra, you had to know more, it became a slight obsession. Always looking over your shoulder, became a second nature

The feeling of butterflies in your stomach is such a weird thing to explain. It felt like there were a million butterflies just zinging around inside your stomach, your palms clammy, heart pounding in your chest. But it’s how you felt when you walked into the Avengers tower that morning, nervously saying hello to the security in the lobby and asking to see Bucky Barnes.

An incredulously look on the his face as he looked at you but he phoned up to the tower and a few minutes later, Sam Wilson showed up in the lobby with a grin on his face.

“Well, well, look who it is” He said enveloping you in a hug. An unexpected show of affection towards you and it made you feel welcomed and comforted.

“Hi Sam.” You laughed, returning his hug.

“What brings you to our humble home?” He asked, slinging his arm around your shoulders and guiding you to the elevator with him.

“I uhh…” You hesitated and cleared your throat, “I need to see Bucky.”

“Something wrong?” Sam asked, a worried expression suddenly in his face.

“No, no I just…” You paused, and listened to the whirr of the elevator as it moved up floor by floor. “I need to apologize to him” you said softly.

“Ahhh…” Was all Sam said, with an understanding expression on his face.

You sighed deeply and rubbed your face with your hands, this was hard for you. You had asked Bucky to stay away from you, because you wanted to get your life together, pick up the broken pieces that Will had left behind. And Bucky being around you, it seemed always brought bad luck or so you had thought. He was trouble, him and his Avengers were trouble and as long as you stayed in his path your life would never be normal and that’s all you wanted after Will’s death. Some sense of normalcy.

So you told him to leave you alone, to stay away so you could live your life out of the public eye. Because every magazine that printed something about you or article that was written was calling you the Winter Soldier’s girl all of a sudden, how they came to that conclusion you had no idea. You soon did find out though, when Bucky told you what he did at the hospital for you, how he demanded they give you to the Avengers for medical care. This was kind of the tipping point for you, he for all his goodness and kindness was too protective and intrusive and you needed to get away.

But a slow realization dawned on you in the weeks to come, your life would be anything but normal now that you knew you had feelings for him. You had to eventually see him, it sort of felt like this innate disability your feelings for him. Because even though you wanted a normal life and you had forced yourself to live this vanilla, quiet life away from the public eye. You still sat for hours in front of your laptop, scrolling through news feeds and articles, reading up on Bucky and the Avengers.

And then one morning, you just felt it. The loneliness that comes from rejecting your feelings and you just knew what you had to do.

“How have you been?” Sam asked, interrupting your train of thought.

“Good.” You mumbled, slightly shaking your head to rid yourself of the nervous thoughts that plagued you

“How’s work?”

“It’s you know...business as usual.” You replied.

Sam nodded and thankfully the elevator doors opened onto the landing and the two of you stepped out onto the bustling floor. There were people all about, walking, talking, laughing. Some wore suits, others wore t-shirts that said recruit across it, some were kitted out in full tactical gear with white bold letters Strike written on their chest.

People parted ways as Sam weaved through them, nodding their greetings to him as he led you towards the gorgeous glass walled conference room. Everything on this floor was sleek, glass and looked state of the art. And in the conference room sat Steve Rogers who immediately got to his feet when he saw you walk in with Sam.

Opening the door to the conference room, Sam lets you step in first and shuts the door behind him.

“Ma’am.” Steve greets you formally as if he wasn’t on a more friendly level with you anymore.

“Hi Steve.”

“What uh what are you doing here?” He asked, glancing at Sam momentarily.

“I need to see Bucky.” You replied

“Is everything okay?” Steve asked.

“Yes. I just need to talk to him.” Beginning to feel a little frustrated having to answer the same line of questioning again.

Steve nods at Sam and then Sam walks out of the conference room, leaving you alone with Steve. He gestures to one of the leatherback chairs and you take a seat down, looking around at the room and the people milling about in the hallway.

“Do you want something to drink?” Steve asked.

“I’ll take a shot of tequila if you’re offering.” You joked, and his face faltered for a moment.

“Uhh we can arrange that if you need…” He started saying.

“Steve, I’m kidding.” You shrugged.

“Oh…”

“Yeah.” you muttered, looking down at your hands and nervously wringing them. This waiting was making this whole situation more tortuous for you. You wanted to just get it over with and see him, even though you had no idea what you were going to say. There was this inevitable pull you had towards him and you knew when you saw him, your brain would just somehow find the right words to say. It always did when you saw him.

And so you wait, patiently, nervously, with Steve Rogers in that damned conference room.

Bucky dropped onto the bench, sweat dripping down the side of his face and a thin sheen of sweat covering his bare torso and limbs. He frustratedly tossed his t-shirt to the floor and rolled his shoulders. Over the passed few weeks he had thrown himself into work, whatever anyone wanted he did it. Any mission, any  assignment, all the paperwork, he took it all. He had to occupy himself or he would go crazy from thinking about her.

It had been six weeks of torture for him. He couldn’t see her, or contact her. He tried to keep her off his mind but he couldn’t seem to do that and it frustrated him to no end. It was a frustrating conundrum but he had to deal with it, Steve gave him endless shit about it and his feelings which he had branded as unprofessional and lacking in common sense but he couldn't help how he felt.

Bucky wiped the sweat from his face with a nearby gym towel and slung it over his shoulder before getting up once more. He glanced at the clock on the wall and realized he had a briefing with Fury in a couple minutes. He hurriedly made his way back to the residents floor of the tower and a quick shower and a change of clothes later, Bucky made his way up to Fury’s office.

The elevator dinged on the landing and Bucky stepped out, tousling his damp hair as he looked at his phone. Sam was texting him meme’s again, something he never understood but found funny anyway. Chuckling as he scrolled through the group chat with him, Sam and Steve. He was so preoccupied with his phone that he didn’t notice Steve standing in the hallway with someone, Sam was there too. Both of them looking at him, waiting for him to notice them .

Steve cleared his throat and Bucky finally looked up, stopping dead in his tracks as his eyes wandered over to where Sam and Steve stood, or rather to who stood with them. She once again, quite literally took his breath away when he looked at her. Her eyes meeting his, a small smile on her face. Bucky swallowed thickly, his mouth suddenly feeling very dry and he couldn’t find the words.

“Hey Bucky.” She said softly, her voice like music to his ears as it sets his heart off racing in his chest.

The two of you sit awkwardly across from each other at one of the tables in the massive canteen. Bucky had suggested it as a place to go and talk, he didn’t know why. It made zero sense to him but you agreed to it immediately.

You walked in silence down to the bustling cafeteria and Bucky got two cups of coffee before the two of you sat down, in silence once more, just looking at each other.

“So…”

“How’s…”

You both talk at the same time.

“Sorry.” You both say in unison again.

“You go first.” Bucky said with a slight chuckle, he picked up his coffee and took a sip. Waiting for you to start talking.

“Uhm..so, I owe you an apology.” You started softly. Your eyes meet his, there’s a softness in them that sudden puts you at ease and you took a deep breath knowing it was okay to be open with him. “I’m sorry Bucky, for the way I reacted to everything. I was dealing with everything and I guess I handled it badly.”

You paused for a moment to sip your coffee, it tastes amazing for cafeteria coffee but of course it would. It was coffee made in the Avengers tower, Tony Stark probably had the coffee beans shipped from some foreign country.

“I have been trying to fix my life and I realized I was just trying to run away from it all.” You said, “I pushed you away and you were only trying to help but that doesn’t mean it makes what you did okay.”

“I was trying to protect you.” Bucky interjected.

“By controlling every aspect of my life Bucky!”

“It’s protection. You were unsafe, I won't apologize for that.” He retorted.

“It was internment.” You snorted in reply.

“Over exaggeration.” He rolled his eyes,

“Ugh, okay listen up idiot.” You snapped, “I came here to apologize for my behavior and words, but you’re being an ass.”

Bucky clenches his jaw, he wants to just blurt out his feelings for you. He feels like he is about to vomit but it’s just the fact that he is holding back his words. He wants to say it so badly, and looking at you and how pretty you still looked, sitting in front of him made him feel like his head was going to explode. He didn’t understand why he was being an asshole, it was like some self defense mechanism that was built in him.

“So apologize then.” He muttered.

“I just did.” You snapped.

“That’s all?”

“Oh my god what were you expecting?!” You exclaimed, throwing your hands in the air almost knocking your coffee over. Bucky quickly reaches out and grabs the cup before it falls over. A few passersby throwing glances at the two of you, but you both ignore them.

Bucky shrugged and shook his head, you could see he was holding back. There was something he wanted to say but he was not saying it and this was annoying you.

“Maybe a little more effort? You just show up here, after running away from it all like everything is just okay?” Bucky said. He was mentally kicking himself for even letting those words come out of his mouth, why was his stupid man brain starting an argument with you. He really needed to fix his pride, it was clearly not working in his favor right now. He sees the look on your face, and knows the verbal lashing he is about to get.

“What the fuck is your problem?” You demanded.

“I don’t know, you tell me!” He shot back.

“You know what, I’m sorry I wasted my time coming here today. Goodbye Bucky” You said through gritted teeth and shoved yourself out of your seat, leaving Bucky and the coffee at the table.

“Wait!” You hear him call out and you stopped, turning back around to face him. Crossing your arms, you watch him rise out of his seat and walk over to you. His 6’2 height towering over you, broad chest hulking beneath that black t-shirt of his. You look up at his starlight blue eyes, momentarily getting lost in them.

“Well?” You say, irritably.

“I…” He started then sighed, “I’m sorry, I’m being an ass but I don’t know how to deal with this.” He said gesturing between the two of you.

“Deal with what?”

“This thing, this...The way I feel about you.” Bucky said, rubbing the back of his neck with his hand, nervously.

“What…?” You murmured, heart suddenly thundering in your chest again. You knew you had feelings for him but you weren’t sure he felt the same way about you. Was he finally going to address it, and why suddenly when the prospect of that was real were you terrified of this.

Bucky looked at you, and stepped closer to you. “I mean, I think it’s obvious? Or maybe it’s not. I don’t know, I’m really bad at this.” He grimaced, “I don’t know where these feelings came from and I have no control over this.”

“Bucky…” You whispered, unsure why you are suddenly feeling terrified that if he kept talking you would run away.

“I know we’ve had this really shit run since the moment we met, but I feel something so strong for you and I can’t get you out of my head, I haven’t been able to since I met you. You are magnetic, I keep finding myself drawn to you. I feel like I have been waiting for you my whole life, you just walked in and unknowingly clicked everything into place for me.” Bucky paused and looked at you, his eyes searching your face for any sign of a reaction. Something that would give him an inclination of how you felt, but all he saw was shock.

“I think I’m in love with you.” Bucky blurted out.

Your eyes widened suddenly at his confession, mouth opening and moving but no words came out.

“This isn’t love.” You said, and Bucky’s face fell. “It can’t be, I ...I don’t know what...Bucky...This...we...can’t.”

“So you feel it too?” He said, he sounded hopeful.

“I do but...:”

“There should be no ‘buts’ if you feel it too!” He said suddenly gripping your hand in his. You throw a quick glance around the cafeteria, people were beginning to stare at the two of you, and you needed to get out of here.

“I can’t.” You murmured,

“Why?”

“I don’t know…”

“I love you.” Those words making your heart flip in your chest as he openly admitted it.

“Bucky,” You shook your head, why the fuck were you so scared of this. There was an undeniable magnetic pull between the two of you, you both knew this. And here he was laying his heart out for you and you were somehow unable to reciprocate.

“Do you love me?” He asked softly, his blue eyes searching your face again.

“Yes.” You murmured breathlessly.

“Well what do you want?!” Bucky demanded, his voice raising an octave.

“I don’t know!”

“What do you want Y/N?!” He repeated firmly,

“It’s not that simple Bucky!” You exclaimed, pulling your hand from his and walking away from him. Bucky sighs frustratedly and starts after you.

“Then let me simplify it for you.” He said, and without any warning, he grabs your hand and pulls you into his arms, his lips crashing against yours. There and then, in the middle of the cafeteria in front of hundreds of people, James Buchanan Barnes kissed you breathless and you let him.

[meshkol]

Day 5 of Kinktober 2018: Shotgunning

Tags: shotgunning, marijuana use, drug use, unrequited love, angst

Pairing: Stony

I have no idea where this came from.  It was originally going to be WinterIron, but then this just happened.  I don't even know.  I like it though.  Unbeta'd as per usual, and there's no character bashing here, just so you know.  Enjoy.

Also read on ao3!

He slips out of the party for fresh air and a moment’s quiet.

He gets why it’s going on of course – they’ve won the war, and everything broken has been repaired, and pardons have been issued, and peace has been achieved – but there’s only so much schmoozing he can do before he uses up his seemingly infinite well of patience and needs to take a moment for himself.  That infinite well has been running dry for years because once he’d found out that Bucky was alive, he hadn’t allowed himself to rest or recuperate until he had finally found his best friend, and after that his entire reality had gone to hell.  The split with the Avengers over the Accords, needing to always be comforting and a strong leader for the people he had brought down with him, Thanos...it’s been non-stop, and he hasn’t had a moment to himself for years, giving every iota of himself to his team and eventually to the entire universe itself.

But now he can take a moment, suck in a deep breath, rest.

He wanders through the Avengers compound, the dark corridors silent and still under FRIDAY’s watchful eye, and recollects himself, allowing himself this moment where he can just be without having to put on a mask of power and justice and collectedness. It’s nice to just wander around in a place he now calls home, every fibre of carpet and every molecule of air familiar and safe, and not for the first time, he feels bone-deep gratitude that he’s able to be here, with the people he calls family in this facility that makes him feel secure, despite everything that’s been thrown at its inhabitants over the years.

He’s not sure how long he wanders, lost in his thoughts and gathering his mental fortitude to return to the party, when he smells smoke.

He pauses, tense as his sensitive nose breaks down the scent of it, and when he’s convinced that it’s simply the sharp, pungent odour of marijuana, he relaxes, because it means that nothing’s burning.  It’s an odd smell in this area of the compound, because the smokers have designated areas with air filtration systems to eliminate odour and this section of the compound – the Avengers training areas – don’t have one of those.  Those sections are sequestered near the living areas, the kitchen, and the staff areas, to eliminate a sizable walk for a cig.

It’s even odder here. Only a few people have access to this wing, as it houses and supports the Avengers directly, and none of the Avengers smoke.  Well, marijuana at least – he knows that Rhodes enjoys the occasional cigar, and Clint and Tony had partaken in the occasional cigarette back when Tony had been...well, going through everything.  Still, Rhodes is a stickler for the rules (and he’d been quite busy with Hope and Sam, all of them remarkably drunk, so he knows that it’s not Rhodes), and the other two are in a better place now, not resorting to vices like drugs and alcohol to cope with the horrors life keeps throwing at them.  In any case, he’s never smelt marijuana in the entire Avengers complex, and while he’s certainly for any medication use (including marijuana, courtesy of an hour-long lecture from Sam waxing poetry about how it can help so much for all sorts of people, including war veterans and trauma survivors), he hadn’t been aware that anyone smoked it.  Well, other than Tony, but that had been years ago.

Though, now that he thinks about it, Tony had hopped out of the festivities a while back and therefore Tony’s the only one that he’s not currently tracking.  It hadn’t been a surprise that Tony hadn’t stayed long; between being sober and the past years of trauma, shoving him in a room full of celebrating, drunken people isn’t exactly the best idea, as Tony had said with his usual, wisecracking nonchalance (laced with self-deprecating humour that Tony tries to hide but doesn’t quite have the strength to anymore). ‘Tempting a sleeping beast,’ he had said, grinning, but the wide smile hadn’t reached his eyes.

Tony doesn’t smile like he used to, and it’s a damn travesty.

Steve Rogers – little, bumbling Stevie, who volunteered for an experiment to win a war and came out looking like he does, but still doesn’t know how to use it all outside of a fight and doesn’t know how to really connect with people without it being about his image – takes a deep breath and follows the scent to the balcony.

He leans against the open glass door for a long moment, just observing.  Tony’s the first thing that he notices, leaning over the clear glass balcony and looking out to the distant New York skyline, a blunt in between his almost elegant but strong fingers.  Tony’s hard to miss, even in a crowd (always so big, his infamous personality and charm making him seem ten feet tall when he really is just a man, a man who’s been crushed by the weight of the universe and suffered for it), but here, alone in the very-early hours of an autumn morning, he’s utterly poignant. The perimeter lights illuminate him dimly and the smoke is curling round his head like a moth, and he looks so tired in the poor lighting (or maybe he’s simply washed off the expensive concealer that he liberally applies to the dark bags under his eyes).  Steve looks him up and down – short, compact body with that lean waist and strong muscles, greying hair getting longer now and slightly curling around his ears, and Steve can’t help but acknowledge for the umpteenth time that Anthony Stark is a handsome man.

It’s always been a tickling thought in the back of his head, wondering what it would be like to touch Tony’s skin and see him shiver, feel him pressed against Steve and Steve licked every millimetre of him, but it’s never been anything too distracting. Tony, despite his clear attractiveness and intelligence, had rubbed Steve the wrong way until he had been forced to examine the reasoning behind Tony’s every action and word, which had nipped any true possibility for attraction in the bud back then. Surprisingly, considering everything, it had been Wanda to explain it to him.  ‘I’ve been inside his head, for better or for worse, and for the most terrible purpose,’ she had said quietly, when he had been warring between guilt that he’d destroyed the lives of his family and the anger that Tony hadn’t listened, had fought people he called allies and friends once, had struck at Bucky, for God’s sake, a man who had been through too damn much himself. ‘He suffers, every single day, Steve, and when you live in a spotlight that the whole world is watching, you put on a mask.  The mask Stark wears is strong and hard and malleable with long use, but it is just a mask, and you do not know his mind like I do.  He is hurting, full of guilt and sorrow, and he fights just as strongly as you to give the illusion that everything will be fine, that everything will be better, even when everything is falling apart around you.  I have spent my entire life hating him Steve, but you cannot blame a man for doing what he thinks is right, even if you don’t agree with his actions, and in hindsight perhaps we should agree. However, in the end, he is human, and he is doing the best he can in a world that will do nothing but break him.’

Steve still doesn’t think he’s ever heard words that opened his world so dramatically since he’s come up from the ice.

Steve can see Tony for what he is now: a man who was shaped by traumas both old and new, who was trying to assuage his guilt by seeking oversight and giving reparations, who puts on a face to protect himself in his softest spots, and who overcompensates with sharp humour and tactlessness in order to assure the world that he is strong and unruffled enough to protect the innocent.

Steve gets that, because he does the same thing, albeit with different mechanisms, and that’s probably the reason why they were never able to really bridge the gap back then.  God knows it’s been better since joining forces to defeat Thanos, though, now that Steve can see underneath the mask Tony displays to the world, and surprisingly, they’ve come a long way since then. Steve, for the first time since meeting Tony Stark, can safely say that he would give his life for the man, can call him family and have it feel honest.

Though, if Steve’s current respect and affection he as for Tony means that he dreams about taking Tony apart with every trick he’s read about, then it’s not like anyone has to know. It’s not like anything would ever come out of it anyway – Tony wouldn’t touch Steve with a bargepole, and honestly Steve doesn’t really blame him.  Even though Steve knows that he’s made some right choices and Tony’s made bad ones, that sometimes he was right and Tony was wrong, it doesn’t change the fact that Steve’s made far more mistakes than Tony has, and maybe Tony’ll truly forgive him for it one day, but Steve can’t blame him if he doesn’t.  There are some things that Steve can’t forgive Tony for, so it’s only fair.

Tony Stark is not someone Steve can have, and while he thinks about him too often to be healthy, he’s still at peace with it.

“You curing your asthma?” Steve finally says lightly, after he’s glanced at the silent, dimly illuminated grounds and sees no other living soul around.  He’s not surprised by that either; with the revelry going on in the public wing, he can’t imagine that anyone would want to get away from that. Even Natasha is enjoying herself, having a few drinks and as she mends things with Bruce, both of them accepting that that relationship will never bloom now but wanting to remain friends despite everything.

Tony doesn’t jerk or startle with surprise, which figures.  FRIDAY had probably told him of Steve’s approach before Steve had even made the conscious decision to journey outside.  Instead, he brings the blunt to his lips and takes a deep drag, holding the smoke in his lungs for long seconds before exhaling slowly, the cloud of smoke billowing around his face.  Once it’s all but dissipated in the slightly chilled breeze, Tony says in a low murmur, “Must’ve been a hell of a time, growing up in the forties, when they gave you smokes and weed for lung issues and heroin for everything else.”

“It had its moments,” Steve says, then adds, “though a lot more people died back then, from cancer and who knows what else.”

In profile, Tony’s lips quirk, and then he turns to lean against the glass railing so he can face Steve directly.  “I can’t imagine you stoned,” he says, chocolate brown eyes scanning Steve’s body as if trying to do just that.  It’s oddly exposing, being looked at as if he’s being dissected by Tony’s genius mind, and Steve almost wants to look away and wrap his arms around his body.  Tony continues, “Were you paranoid as hell or did you smile more instead?”

Steve purses his lips, trying to work out Tony’s angle, and then huffs.  “I’ve never done it, so I wouldn’t know.  Does it make you smile more?”

Tony shrugs one shoulder, takes another lingering drag, and then steps forward.  His gait is steady and strong, but as Tony gets closer to the brighter lights in the corridor, Steve can see that Tony’s eyes are a bit glassy and bloodshot, even if he doesn’t look worse for wear.  He turns when he’s too close and heads to the chairs nestled in a corner, dropping into a chair and draping himself lazily in it. He motions to the other chair pressed against the building as he flicks off accumulated ash into a metal ashtray, and Steve meanders over, relaxing a bit into the white cushions and turning a bit in Tony’s direction.

Finally, Tony admits, “Not really, but I do think really deep thoughts.  I can get a remarkable amount of brainstorming done, and God knows I can stomach SI board meeting better.  Here, try it.”

“It won’t work,” Steve says, eyeing the proffered blunt.  He’s not adverse to smoking – he had used his ‘prescription’ for asthma when he was growing up, not realising that the cigarettes were actually making his health worse, so he’s certainly no stranger to it.  He also knows that marijuana is relatively harmless (and it’s not like Steve can get normal illnesses, thanks to the serum, so he’s safe no matter what he decides to put in his body outside of napalm or something) and after hearing Sam’s lecture, he’s all for anyone using it.  Knowing Tony, who’s practically allergic to therapy, he’s probably using it to cope, and Steve can’t fault him for that, especially when he could be falling back on his toxic habits of alcohol and prescription drug use. Still, Steve’s pretty immune to pretty much everything, and he doesn’t see the point of trying it if it probably won’t work.

Then again, maybe it would, and maybe the voices in his head screaming at him for the choices he’s made will finally go away for a blessed moment.

He takes it and lifts it to his mouth, pulling deeply and trying not to think about his lips wrapping around something Tony’s own have touched.  His lungs are strong enough and his muscle memory vivid enough that he doesn’t cough, and he mimics Tony’s long pause before he blows it out smoothly. It’s weirdly flavourful in his mouth, something very...earthy and sharp.  He can’t really explain it, but it’s much nicer than the ashy, bitter flavour of the cigarettes he remembers from the forties, and he smacks his lips as he tries to connect it to something familiar.

“Huh,” Tony says, and he sounds a bit taken aback.  His arm is still outstretched towards Steve, fingers lax in surprise.  “I didn’t think you’d actually do it.”

Steve fights the urge to roll his eyes and brings the blunt back to his lips.  He inhales once more, this time the pull a bit hotter and biting as he burns it closer to the end, and reaches to snuff the nub out in the ashtray.  He rolls his tongue in his mouth, tasting pleasantly sharp flavour of the smoke, and then exhales as he says, “I might be an old man without a lot of real-life experience, but I know my way around this sort of thing.  I’m not nearly as stuffy as you all make me out to be.”

“This coming from the man that made me and Hope shake hands after we got into a bitch-fest and constantly tells us to watch our language,” Tony mutters as he reaches to a small tin on the little table between their chairs.  He opens it up, revealing one last blunt, and lifts it to his lips, lighting the end with a deep inhale and offering it to Steve once again.  Steve takes it, ignoring the tingle in his hands and his fingers brush Tony’s, and inhales as Tony continues, “Still, it’s weird. Good-weird, I guess, even though I guess I shouldn’t be egging you on, but still weird.”

“You didn’t egg me on, Tony; I’m a grown man capable of making decisions, and we both know that I’m too stubborn to be goaded into something like this,” Steve says around his mouthful of smoke, and he actually quite likes it, the taste and the smell and the way it feels in his lungs.  He can’t feel anything, which isn’t surprising, but when he glances over, Tony’s smiling, one of his big grins that brightens his eyes and takes years off his face, and maybe it doesn’t matter that Steve can’t get stoned.  He hasn’t seen Tony smile like that in literal years, and he feels a bit lightheaded at the fact that it’s directed toward him of all people.

“You are stubborn.  Probably why we drive each other so batshit all the time,” Tony says with a laugh, but there’s something in his eyes as he watches Steve take another drag.  If Steve was being gracious, he’d probably call it desire, but it’s probably just appreciation that Steve’s relaxing a bit and letting this private interlude be soft and light instead of heavy and filled with ghosts.  Nevertheless, seeing those dark eyes focus on him, bright with amusement but half-lidded and focussed on Steve’s mouth, is actually rather arousing, and he can’t help but swallow thickly as he blows out the smoke. He crosses his legs as naturally as possible, even though he’s certainly not hard, but he still feels the longing in his blood.

“Gimme, you good-for-nothing bastard; you’re hogging my weed,” Tony says and Steve laughs himself, not able to tear his eyes away as Tony wraps those shapely lips around the end and pulls.  Tony’s eyes close, long lashes fluttering against his cheek and casting shadows along his face, and Lord, is Tony gorgeous. Perhaps Steve is feeling something, because he feels a bit tingly and lightheaded, but it can’t be, because no painkillers or alcoholic beverage has been able to affect him since the serum.

A flash – Tony on his knees, wide mouth stretched around him, or Steve on his knees instead – of fantasy, and then he has to look away as he jokes back a bit thinly, “You offered, and besides, you’ve had more than I have.”

“I bought it, I smoke it. Get your own green,” he snarks back, and he almost sounds like his old self.  He slumps even further into his chair, grin tapered off into a small quirk of his lips, and asks, “Do you ever wonder how it would’ve been if we had started like this, instead of how it did?”

Steve sighs, relaxes back against the soft cushions of his own chair, and replies heavily, “Every single day, Tony.  Every single goddamn day.”

He expects a jibe at the language, but instead Tony says quietly, “Me too.  I think I could’ve...”  He trails off, looking a bit wistful, and Steve wants to hear the rest but he can’t bear the thought of hearing it at the same time.  Steve regrets a lot of choices he’s made and stands by the rest, but he can’t stomach knowing what could’ve been had he just opened his eyes sooner, what he’s lost because of the path he walked down.  He thinks it would kill him if Tony could have reciprocated even a tiny sliver of the emotion (it’s love Steve, don’t deny it) Steve feels for Tony, had Steve just looked underneath the underneath instead of the bombastic self-defence Tony wears as a second skin.

They sit in silence after that, passing the blunt back and forth, and when it’s almost gone, Tony clears his throat and asks, “Can I do something?  To share the last of it, y’know?”  Steve tears his eyes away from the silent grounds, something in Tony’s tone making Steve hold his breath, and looks at Tony for a long moment before nodding.

Tony stands, makes his way over to Steve’s front, and then falls to his knees, right in between Steve’s legs.  Steve can feel the warmth of him and he shudders at the sensation as well as the sight of Tony, right in front of him, pupils large from the lack of light and the marijuana.  “Just once,” Tony murmurs almost absently, as if he’s trying to convince himself of the truth in those words, and then takes the last drag of the blunt before blindly snuffing it out in the ashtray and reaching for Steve.

The first touch of that rough hand is electrifying, and feeling Tony pull him close is almost unbearable.  It’s a slow pull, hands cupping Steve’s cheek and bringing them nose-to-nose, and Steve realises what Tony’s trying to do a split-second before it happens: masking the tentative question behind the flimsy excuse of sharing that last drag.

Tony pauses, his nose brushing the side of Steve’s, waiting to see if Steve’s okay with this, waiting to see if Steve will meet him halfway, and oh is Steve more than willing.  He lifts his own arms and then wraps his arms around Tony’s neck, pulling him the rest of the way and slotting his lips against Tony’s own.

They open their mouths in unison and then Tony’s blowing the smoke inside, slowly and intimately, and it’s singlehandedly the most intoxicating thing he’s ever experienced in his life. He inhales as Tony exhales, taking it into his lungs, and then he slowly deepens their connection into a proper kiss, holding his breath and he winds his tongue with Tony’s own.  Tony groans, his other hand gripping Steve’s thigh for leverage as he leans upwards, mouth and tongue moving so fluidly against his own that it nearly breaks Steve’s heart to know that he’ll never get to have this outside of this single stolen moment.

Steve exhales but he doesn’t break the kiss, the smoke practically non-existent, and he pushes closer, wanting so much to make this moment count.  Tony meets him, so much unrestrained passion in his kiss, lips smooth and tasting like smoke, and Steve wants, he wants so much, and he can feel in the shudders of Tony’s body that it’s a mutual longing.

When they finally break apart, both of them panting against each other’s lips, Tony whispers, “That’s what I thought.  Thank you.”

“I’m sorry we can’t have more,” Steve breathes, heart aching as he also acknowledges what could’ve been.

“Me too,” Tony says, voice cracking in the middle, and then pulls away with an obvious hesitance, getting to his feet.  He looks at Steve, takes in every line and angle of Steve’s body as if committing it to memory, and then smiles, something sad but honest, before he turns and walks away, disappearing back into the compound and once again untouchable.

Steve hurts.

[spiftynifty]

LGBT representation in Voltron

UPDATED: I realized I wasn’t coming off as neutrally as I’d like and there were hints of shipping peeking through. I also didn’t feel I had expanded properly on certain aspects. I’d like this particular post to be as neutral as  possible so that it’s accessible to people from all ships and headcanons.

I’ve seen a lot of discussion lately about LGBT representation in Voltron. From shipping wars to insistent demands that headcanons be fulfilled, it’s all getting a little bonkers. I wanted to step back, encourage everyone to take a breather, and discuss the potential of any LGBT on the show, including and excluding popular expectations. So here we go, a post on LGBT representation in Voltron and in cartoons, and why it's not as simple as we'd like it to be. It’s a little long but don’t worry, there are pictures! AND A COMIC!

DISCLAIMER: I do not work on Voltron, nor do I work for Dreamworks or any of its properties. I'm just an animator who's worked on dozens of cartoons for a number of studios and the following is based on my experience in this industry. This post is NOT meant to indict any of the parties involved in the creation of Voltron or other cartoons. Making cartoons is a complicated, collaborative process and no one is a villain.

Here we go:

Before we can talk about LGBT rep & Voltron, we should probably talk about LGBT representation in cartoons in general. In case it isn't clear, I'm speaking specifically about Western cartoons that primarily air in Canada/US. Anime is a whole other category and one that Voltron does not fall under. I'm also removing cartoons that were made explicitly for adults.

LGBT in cartoons is a really recent development. If we include adult cartoons it can date back as far as 20 years (South Park showcasing some SUPER GREAT gay stereotypes :|) but if we're including cartoons geared towards kids (age 5-17)... we're talking this being a thing in the last FOUR years. And the number of times it's been done is so minimal, it can be summed up in these few images:

(left to right, top to bottom) 6Teen, 2010 CANADA ONLY - An incidental female character revealed she liked women. I don’t think this show ever aired in the States but it ran on Teletoon for years. The show also had an episode with an incidental gay character in 2008. Gravity Falls, 2013 - The sheriff and deputy are repeatedly hinted at being in a relationship. I believe in the series finale their relationship is more clearly identified. It was later confirmed by the show’s creator.

Legend of Korra, 2014 - The two female leads, after having previously dated the same male character, are strongly implied to now be dating each other as they hold hands and walk into the Spirit World together. This was as explicit as they were allowed to get with their relationship. The comics continue their relationship romantically and also highlight other characters from both series who are (or were) LGBT). Steven Universe, 2013 - The show doesn’t shy away from its LGBT romances, in particular Ruby and Sapphire and Pearl and Rose.  Star vs The Forces of Evil, 2017 - in a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it panning shot, two background male characters are seen kissing.  Clarence, 2013 - The main character has two moms. In one episode, a handsome male background character is shown greeting another man for a date by kissing him on the cheek. Initially they were supposed to peck on the lips until other countries’ censors demanded the change. Loud House, 2016 - The main character’s best friend, Clyde, has two dads. 

I’m also going to toss out an Honourable Mention to Adventure Time for Princess Bubblegum & Marceline, whose past romantic relationship was sort of hinted at in the show but only confirmed outside of it. 

If we take that list and cut it down to just (broadcast TV) primary or recurring characters, we're left with this: Korra, Steven Universe, Clarence

I should also mention that while I repeatedly use the term LGBT, what I’m really referring to is more LGB. I would love to see a trans character in a broadcast cartoon. I’ve heard Amazon’s Danger & Eggs has a trans character, which is AMAZING and a solid start. However progressively speaking, broadcast cartoons tend to lag a little behind live action TV and movies aimed at older teens and adults, and those genres are still struggling to feature trans characters. 

So why is this?

Firstly, and more importantly, a lot of these shows air in countries that aren't nearly as open about LGBT as USA/Canada are. To say "screw those guys! They should keep up with the times!!" is to cut out a major consumer base and most companies are unwilling or unable to take that financial hit. This doesn't make them evil. Animation, just like filmmaking, may be an artform but it is first and foremost a BUSINESS. Major companies like Nickelodeon or Cartoon Network won’t lose money, but the production studios they hire to do their shows will suffer the brunt of it and could lose the business of these powerful corporations. It’s happened time and time again that a show initially animated in the US or Canada has been taken away from that studio in favor of a cheaper, overseas option. In some cases they’ve closed. 

Second, even in 2018 there is still a lot of pushback from homophobic or “family-oriented” groups with decent clout and numbers. Also, there is a strange pervasive idea that LGBT is something that is Not For Children, likely because too many foolish people still associate heteronormativity with love and everything outside of that with sex. 

Additionally, you may have noticed that on the list of the three shows showcasing LGBT relationships in a primary or recurring character way... ALL of them feature women. The social discussion about why that is honestly merits an entire other post (or 5) so to put it plainly, broadly speaking, people tend to be more comfortable with female queerness over male queerness. We have yet to see a m/m relationship that has any iota of history or character development behind it, or a recurring queer male character.

With this in mind, Voltron, which features a primarily male cast, and thus has more chances of featuring a male LGBT character, has its work cut out for it.

___________________________________________________

Fresh off the heels of Korra, a series that in the 11th hour featured the two female leads ending up with each other, it's no surprise that showrunners Lauren Montgomery and Joaquin Dos Santos( along with other cast and crew) have fielded a barrage of questions about their intention to depict LGBT on the show. At NYCC when asked about it, this was JDS & LM's response: "It's very important to us... we’re fighting to create as open and as broad a spectrum of characters as we can."

Which is a pretty interesting way of putting it, and a pretty understandably CAREFUL way of putting it. Again, I want to reiterate, I don’t work for any studio involved in the production of Voltron so this is largely conjecture.

So here's how the hierarchy works, as far as I can tell. 

I'm not sure who approached who to get a new Voltron made, but primary creative decisions would fall to JDS and LM, who are in charge of things like major plot points, characters, and arcs. When they've figured this stuff out, they pitch it in a multitude of sessions with Dreamworks People... and that's when the battle begins. Pitching a show is always a tug-of-war. Let's be clear: No creator has ever gone in with a show and walked away with every single aspect that they wanted. Compromises and concessions are made because while the Creatives are focused on their story and character, their client is concerning themselves with budget, timelines, audience targets and $$marketing$$. Before they even got to the matter of LGBT, JDS/LM had lost and won battles over some plot and character decisions. You can actually feel it sometimes when you watch the show; key emotional moments that never happen, or character stuff that gets shaved in favor of action or the reuse animation of the lions forming Voltron. 

This show is still aimed at a young, male, market Dreamworks wants to believe is going to buy their incredibly limited line of related toys, and that is a market that is difficult for executives to see as being interested in romance, let alone a queer one.

The point is, as much as JDS/LM seem to want LGBT in their show, it is a negotiation that I'm sure has been on the table since Day 1 and probably one that is ongoing. Here's a vague idea of what MAY have gone down:

Dreamworks: We will consider the idea of two of them in a relationship, but the third has got to go. JDS/LM: .....we appreciate you considering the relationship aspect. Dreamworks: In addition, we feel that to balance the scales so to speak, at least one character needs to be overtly heterosexual. You know, hit on a lot of female characters, maybe even fall for one of them.

(sorry would have finished the comic but I sprained my wrist and I’m not supposed to draw rn but I cheated a little, also can you tell I love Saga)

This is very probably not what happened, but it is an example of what could have. I know there is a lot of support for a certain character in Voltron being bi, not least of all because of something LM drew. 

I think the placement of the characters holding the signs were less about associating the character with the header and more about making sure neither of the two warring ships were represented; it would have incited a new level on the shipping wars and the message and intent behind this art would have been lost.

There is a weird association with relationships and how they define a show if they aren’t hetero. Have only one relationship on a show about space battles and if it’s LGBT, people will start associating Voltron with being “the gay space battle show”. I don’t want to get into Discourse about This Thing because debate gets lost quickly in favor of toxic insults, but I think it’s important to touch on Bi!Lance. To be entirely neutral about it, it is possible that Lance was originally intended to be bi. But if there was the potential for other characters to be LGBT, the showrunners might have been asked to “strike a balance” so to speak, so that Voltron wouldn’t just be “the gay space battle” show since its hetero relationships would outnumber the queer ones. I don’t think Lance’s character has changed at all since his inception; the show needs a funnyman for levity and ridiculousness, and he is absolutely the charmer of the Paladins. He may have been intended to hit on just about any attractive being in his orbit (there are shades of what one might call a “man-crush” in regards to his Shiro hero-worship). While it would have been awesome to have a bi male character in a cartoon, changing his attraction dial from “all” to “female” doesn’t really affect his storyline, especially since it’s hard to contest that the show has been angling in potential for endgame Allurance in seasons 3&4. I realize that sounds dismissive of the bi experience, that’s really not what I’m trying to get at. I’m saying that in the grand scheme of things, it may have been easier to sacrifice an LGBT Lance in order to win another LGBT representation battle. Like I said, making cartoons that maintain the creative, storyline, and character goals you walk in with is a tug-of-war, and you’re going to lose something along the way. 

But it’s not all about Lance, and again, that’s all theoretical. It’s also possible that Pidge was at one point NB or even trans. There are hints of Coran having a close friendship with Alfor. The original blue paladin is hinted at flirting with a fellow male character in a “did he just--” moment that most people missed. Lotor surrounds himself with female generals but never seems particularly attracted to them. Keith’s undying devotion to Shiro could be interpreted as romantic. There are a dozen main characters whose orientations are nebulous at best and thus have potential to be queer. 

So what does this mean for the future of LGBT on Voltron?

The short version is: I'm actually, really, really hopeful. For a number of reasons.

1) JDS/LM as they've said, are fighting really hard for this to be a thing. Jeremy Shada has said "You'll be really happy" when asked about LGBT on the show. People may feel he’s referring to his character Lance, but I think he’s just hoping that people will be happy with any character who could be explicitly stated to be LGBT. 

2) Netflix isn't a TV broadcaster, which means they can operate under somewhat different rules. Sort of. They certainly don't shy away from LGBT content but they may be regulated under rules of "what is appropriate for children in certain age groups" which frustratingly, for kids 12 and under, does not often include LGBT content. Netflix notoriously doesn't release their viewership data so this is just speculation; but I wonder if the biggest audience taking in this show is actually people, primarily women, aged 14+. Taking this into account won't influence the plot, but the bumped up age could show an increased likelihood of LGBT rep as it pushes the show outside of the "content too sensitive for young children" zone.

3) It would be really nice to see explicit, unambiguous affection between two same-sex characters. However there can still be canonical queer romance without it, shades enough of “just friendship” that they can get past the censors and bigots while those who are more aware of what’s going on can recognize the relationship for what it is. Remember, some people still refuse to believe that Victor and Yuuri kissed in Yuuri on Ice, all thanks to the clever placement of an arm. Furthermore, LGBT doesn’t have to be portrayed through relationships but just the character itself. A character could make a passing comment that alludes to their sexuality. It’s not quite as satisfying as having it out in the open, but DW’s hands may be tied by the stipulations of the contract outlined by Netflix.

4) Despite what certain world events would have you believe, people are becoming more progressive and supportive of LGBT rights and content. We've seen it happen in movies and live-action television. More and more cartoons are going to be including LGBT content, in broader and more overt ways. There will be other cartoons who feature main characters who identify as LGBT, recurring characters in LGBT relationships who are allowed to be affectionate and cutesy with their partners, who are represented no differently or reverently than hetero cartoon romances. Voltron will likely end within the next two years, and within those next two years more and more cartoons will be taking "risks" and more and more broadcasters will feel emboldened to allow them to do so. If Dreamworks keeps its content steadfastly heterosexual while fellow producers embrace LGBT, it's going to reflect badly on them. 

People are desperate for representation in this show and it’s not hard to see why. It is not only one of the few serial cartoons out there, but one that deals with surprisingly adult themes considering it’s aimed at elementary schoolers. I think it’s really neat that people have so many headcanons about the LGBT rep in this show, and I think it’s great that it’s an element that has sparked a lot of passion in people. However, everything is still conjecture, the series is but half over, and putting all your LGBT demands onto one character or one relationship is unhealthy. It’s also pretty insidious to attack or harass crew, cast, or fellow fans whose views on how the LGBT should happen don’t align with your own. The show’s arcs and plot points have been written, the characters decided, but the internal fight over LGBT rep could still be going on. The creators aren’t going to cave to pressure from people who really want their ship or their character to be the sacred cow. Ship what you want to ship but recognize that while LGBT on the show may not happen the way you’d like it to, it’s still important to support its existence no matter what form it comes in. 

In the next part I’m going to cover one relationship in particular as neutrally as possible and whether or not it has potential to become canonically romantic.

[fuzzballsheltiepants]

Chaol: Motivated by Loyalty? Or Fear?

WARNING: TOD spoilers.  Do NOT read if you don’t want to see anything re: Tower of Dawn!!

This was inspired by this post by @my-name-is-fireheart that gave me insight into why so many people dislike Chaol.  I’m going to start with a little review, and then I’m going to go into a long rambling dissertation.  You have been warned.

Chaol is motivated by two things in his life: his love for Dorian, and fear.  Certainly at the end of Heir of Fire, the latter emotion won.  I think that much of what we tend to interpret as rigid morality is in fact fear.  Apparent loyalty to the King when he didn’t warn Celaena about Nehemia being questioned was in fact a result of him being afraid of the King.  When the King first told hime he was going to have Nehemia questioned, he added, “‘I want six men outside the room.  Make sure there are no complications or interruptions.’  The look the king gave him suggested exactly the sort of complication he had in mind - Celaena.  Chaol knew it was risky to ask questions…”  Risky to just ask questions, let alone go against direct orders to keep quiet about it.  He then didn’t tell Dorian what it was about though Dorian asked him directly, nor did he tell Celaena, “though part of him twisted until it hurt.”  He is already beginning to struggle with the strain between what his morals told him to do (tell Celaena) and his fear of what would result (he or Celaena or both likely killed by the King).

At the end of Crown of Midnight, Chaol now knows that Celaena is part-fae and that Dorian has magic.  This could be a death sentence for both of them, and he fears both that and the magic itself.  This in turn is why he sends Celaena to Wendlyn and withdraws quite a bit from Dorian (a process begun by their respective relationships to Celaena but made much more significant by the magic revelation).  He honestly wants to protect them from the King, but he also fears what they are capable of, especially Celaena.  He’s had, after all, a life-long relationship with Dorian but has known Celaena for barely months and doesn’t really understand her and her motivations, and he has seen her mow men down with his own eyes.  Much more powerful than reading about it in a dossier.

Throughout Heir of Fire, he begins to try to find his own morality and he struggles greatly.  Up to that point, his morality had been defined by how he was raised.  He was taught from childhood to trust the King (maybe - ToD hints that perhaps Chaol’s father was not so much the loyal subject), that magic is evil, etc., etc.  It’s a beautiful parallel of people who are raised in a strict religious context, who start to get exposed to people from other religions, or atheists, or whatever, and begin to question their upbringing and try to form their own opinion about whether these “others” are good, bad, or gray.  This is a very difficult thing to do, especially when you’ve come to realize both you and the two people in the world you care the most about (both of whom fit into the “other” category) are in mortal danger.

Chaol demonstrates quite a bit of self-loathing in HoF, QoS, and ToD.  His confidence in his upbringing and moral beliefs has been shaken, and he has found himself making decisions he doesn’t understand out of fear of what will happen to him and the people he loves.  It’s a painful journey to watch, but one that so many of us have to go through.  He is basically the straight person in a supernatural comedy of errors - his experience and reactions parallel what most humans would do, if we’re being honest with ourselves.  We would be afraid of these powers, and that fear would inform our decisions, both for good and for bad.

Here’s where I’m going to go off on a bit of a tangent that I promise relates.  I’ve been a life-long horse person, and several years ago I had a catastrophic accident with a horse that were I a hair less balanced in the saddle, did I have a shade less experience, had the horse involved been an iota less athletic, would have resulted in the death of the horse, myself, or probably both.  Luckily we both survived, but I will live with the repercussions of that accident for the rest of my life as my non-dominant arm was severely injured and I have residual nerve damage and structural damage to it.  However, I still ride, even still ride the horse I had the accident on, who belongs to my very close friend.  

Working with animals ten times my size who could kill me easily either on purpose or by accident (the horse in question absolutely did not want to hurt me, he just had a panicked moment), I live in a constant dance with what I regard as a healthy fear.  A while back I read a brilliant article by a rider who stated that we should replace the word “fear” with “common sense” when talking about horses.  When I throw my leg over a 1300 lb animal who can jump a five-foot fence and run at 30 mph, it is common sense to be respectful of what that animal can do; I have to make the decision every single time to get on, to do something I love, knowing that if something goes wrong I could die.  Likewise, when Chaol is interacting with Celaena/Aelin, especially, there is a part of his mind that struggles to not remember that she was beyond deadly even without her magic, her assassin and fighting skill exceed his own, she has killed many while he has killed only one human (Cain).  He can’t forget her gutting Archer Finn because it terrified him - for good reason.  He didn’t know Archer had set up Nehemia’s death, and Celaena never tells him.  All he saw was Archer beg for his life, tell Celaena she was a “good woman,” and Celaena gut him.  It is common sense to fear someone who can do that if they won’t tell you their motivations.  

Aelin/Celaena’s biggest flaw is her unwillingness to be honest and up front about things.  Chaol is the character who calls her out on that the most, perhaps because he recognizes that same tendency in himself.  His fearful common sense reaction to her is strengthened when he realizes she can set the world on fire.  He both fears her abilitiees and wants to rely on them to save Dorian, save the world, and that’s a tough conflict to live with.  Was he unfair to her when she returned, that he had placed expectations on her that she would come back to save Dorian?  Sure - but he was also heartbroken and killing himself for having left Dorian, and had pinned his hopes onto her considerable abilities.  

Speaking of which…the biggest thing Chaol had to heal from in ToD was for walking away from Dorian when the shit went down with Sorscha and Aedion, and Dorian’s magic showed itself to spare him.  It was fear common sense that made him do so; he knew if he remained he’d be completely unable to help Dorian, while from the outside, with the rebels, he may have a chance.  Likewise it was fear common sense coupled with love that had him fight Aelin so hard when she wanted to (justifiably from her perspective) kill Dorian.  

Fear Common sense is incredibly valuable - until it is paralyzing (pun not intended).  When your fear common sense helps you in your decision-making, it’s brilliant, but when it halts it, it’s catastrophic.  Most people who suffer accidents similar to mine continue to ride at first, but find that their relationship with their horse suffers, and over time, they give up on it, or  their riding becomes much more limited than it was.  They lose the glorious sense of communion with another creature that cannot be matched by anything else; but if you ask them, they wouldn’t say they were afraid.  They often don’t even think about the accident consciously.  But the subconscious doesn’t let go, and the more you try to beat it down, the more it latches on.

Chaol actually doesn’t become overwhelmed in the moment, but over the ensuing months, his self-loathing for his decision making leads to his paralysis, both physically (because he essentially sacrifices himself so Aelin can rescue Dorian) and emotionally (leading him to cling to Nesryn despite his lack of feelings for her due to the safety she represents, leading him to be harsh to Yrene initially, etc.).  The problem he was having, though, It wasn’t until he really was being healed by Yrene that he was able to recognize the fear in himself.  

“He had been so afraid - so afraid of magic, of loss, of everything.  And that fear…it had driven him to it anyway.  It had hurried him down this path.  He had clung so hard, had fought against it, and it had cost him everything…Unmoored and raging, he had not wanted to heal.  Not really…Some part of him had whispered it was deserved.  And the soul-wound…He had been content to let it fester.  Failure and liar and oath-breaker.”

Chaol actually was far from a failure.  He succeeded in escaping sure death at the hands of the King; helped free Aedion; helped Aelin gain funds for the war (by helping with the Arobynn situation); protected Dorian from Aelin, and ultimately gave himself up to save both the magic-wielders.  Was he a liar?  Perhaps, to his father; same with the oath-breaker.  Perhaps one could argue he was to Nesryn as well, but Nesryn had in fact released him from any oath when she left with Sartaq, and he never really lied to her about his feelings.  They were consensual sex partners without commitment in QoS, but never did he really promise her anything other than that he would walk out of the castle (and that was hardly his fault).  But he couldn’t see himself as anything else until he recognized his fear, faced it, and saw it through to the other side.  Until he was able to acknowledge it, and make the conscious decision to love Dorian, love Aelin, despite the fear common sense they inspire in him.  Much as I make the conscious decision to ride my horses every day.

Essentially, Chaol’s role in this series is that of straight man to the supernatural weirdness going on around him.  He feels the same fear common sense that we would.  His responses are natural, and realistic, and human.  He represents the process of getting a moral education, a forced expansion of one’s world, that many of us go through as we mature from children to adults.  And he shows beautifully how healing occurs, both physically and emotionally.

[news4dzhozhar]

**Interesting piece on a subject not often discussed in such terms (IMO)**

In her new book How Emotions are Made: The Secret Life of the Brain, psychologist Lisa Feldman Barrett looks at how we construct emotions. She argues against the view that emotions are hard-wired and universal, and largely uncontrollable. Barrett, a Canadian working at Boston’s Northeastern University, lays out a thesis with implications for many segments of society, including the justice system.

Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, the Boston Marathon bomber, was convicted in 2015 and sentenced to death. Tsarnaev received a trial by jury, a right guaranteed to all Americans by the U.S. Constitution. According to the BBC, who reported on the sentencing, “Only two of the jurors believed Tsarnaev has felt remorse. The other 10, like many in Massachusetts, think he has no regrets.”

Jurors formed these opinions of Tsarnaev’s remorse by observing him closely during the trial, where he reportedly sat “stone-faced” throughout most of the proceedings.

Slate.com noted that Tsarnaev’s defence attorney “did not — or could not — present evidence (that) Dzhokhar Tsarnaev has felt any of the remorse that the prosecution says he is devoid of.”

Trial by jury is considered the gold standard for fairness in a criminal case. Jurors are instructed to make decisions based only on the evidence presented. In a predicting brain, however, this is an impossible task. The jurors perceive every defendant, plaintiff, witness, judge, attorney, courtroom and iota of evidence through the lens of their own conceptual system, which makes the idea of the impartial juror an implausible fiction. In effect, a jury is a dozen subjective perceptions that are supposed to yield one fair and objective truth.

The idea that jurors can somehow detect remorse in a defendant, from his facial configurations or bodily movements or words, is steeped in the classical view, which assumes that emotions are universally expressed and recognized. The legal system assumes that remorse, like anger and other emotions, has a single, universal essence with a detectable fingerprint. However, remorse is an emotion category composed of many diverse instances, each one made for a specific situation.

A defendant’s construction of remorse depends on his concept for “Remorse,” culled from his prior experiences within his culture, which exists as cascades of predictions that guide his expression and his experience. On the other side of the courtroom, a juror’s perception of remorse is a mental inference — a guess based on cascades of predictions in her brain that make sense of the defendant’s facial movements, body posture, and voice. For that juror’s perceptions to be “accurate,” she and the defendant must categorize with similar concepts. This kind of synchrony, with one person feeling remorse and the other perceiving it, even without words ever being spoken, is more likely to occur when two people have similar backgrounds, age, sex or ethnicity.

In the Boston Marathon Bombing case, if Tsarnaev felt remorse for his deeds, what would it have looked like? Would he have openly cried? Begged his victims for forgiveness? Expounded on the error of his ways? Perhaps, if he were following American stereotypes for expressing remorse, or if this were a trial in a Hollywood movie. But Tsarnaev is a young man of Muslim faith from Chechnya. He lived in the United States and had close American friends, but Tsarnaev had also (by his defence team’s account) spent a lot of time with his older, Chechen brother. Chechen culture expects men to be stoic in the face of adversity. If they lose a battle, they should bravely accept defeat, a mindset known as the “Chechen wolf.” So if Tsarnaev felt remorse, he might well have remained stony-faced. Tsarnaev did reportedly become tearful for a moment when his aunt took the stand to plead for his life. Chechnya has a culture of honour, where it is painful to shame your family. If Tsarnaev saw a loved one publicly shamed, say, an aunt begging on his behalf, a few tears would be consistent with Chechen cultural norms for honour. We — and jurors — can only guess when constructing a perception to explain Tsarnaev’s impassive stance. Using our Western cultural concepts of remorse, we perceived him as coolly indifferent or full of bravado, rather than stoic. So it’s possible that our guesswork, in this case, produced a cultural misunderstanding in the courtroom, ultimately leading to his death sentence. Or maybe he really is remorseless.

As it turns out, Tsarnaev actually did convey remorse for his actions in a letter of apology he wrote in 2013, just a few months after the bombing, two years before he went to trial. Jurors never saw the letter, however. It was sealed as confidential under the U.S. Government’s Special Administrative Measures, citing an “international security issue,” and excluded as evidence from the trial.

On June 25, 2015, Tsarnaev finally spoke at his sentencing hearing. He confessed to the bombing and stated that he understood the impact of his crime. “I am sorry for the lives that I’ve taken,” he apologized quietly and calmly, “for the suffering that I’ve caused you, for the damage that I’ve done. Irreparable damage.” The range of responses from victims and the press covering the trial was predictably variable. Some were stunned. Some were upset. Some were outraged. Some accepted his apology. And many just could not decide whether it was sincere.

We can never know whether Tsarnaev experienced remorse for his terrible actions, nor if his letter could have affected his sentence.

But one thing is certain: At a death penalty proceeding, a defendant’s remorse is a critical feature that jurors must rely on, according to the law, to make a decision between imprisonment and death. And those perceptions of remorse, like all perceptions of emotion, are not detected but constructed.

[hiriajuu-suffering]

My views on Heteronormative Feminism are...problematic?

I didn’t used to think this way, I used to think men and women were morally equal, that generally both genders had the same conceptions for happiness. Having gone through almost 90% of my 20s, I can’t feel the same. I’m unable to feel the same. I’m totally numb to feminine experience because it garners no empathy of giving value to others intrinsically. While I think toxic femininity is a direct result of patriarchal norms, ultimately, feminism itself champions these negative traits rather than highlight them as repercussions of the patriarchy.

Women don’t find men attractive beyond what they can provide. Women don’t want men, they want the additional 22% average earnings a man makes to be taken away from the man they’re with and be given (most likely unearned) to them. Women don’t want sex with men, they’re driven by the biological need for sperm to reproduce to think they want men but are nurtured into thinking women are more attractive than men, thereby making it such that their attraction to any masculinity outside of a normative conception be nullified. Women don’t like men, the natural tendency for any pending issue in their lives is diverting blame to those in power instead of taking responsibility. Women don’t treat men as equals, men’s social opinions are automatically deemed lesser due to what male privilege provides (though female privilege affords basic things social instincts like interacting with children and acknowledging feelings) whilst adding toxic masculinity to the act of sex itself by assuming men are devoid of attachment oxytocin.

Women are Hobbesian, men are Lockean. I’m, of course, referring to state of nature theories here. Men’s desire to promote conflict and strife for the advance of power/status is a direct result of what the women said men desire and the perceived deficits women have of a men. Why are all the shortest dictators in history the most violent? Why is one of the largest postmodern marketing tropes about penis size (arguably eclipsing cup size)? Why do men prioritize their physical appearance (meathead culture) in a contrast where the feminine narrative is body positivity? Why don’t we talk about how men feel and why men (not just attempting) killing themselves at higher rates? A woman can rightfully feel fulfilled by simply being a parent, but a man has to be a good parent, professional, provider, lover, advisor, counselor, and source of emotional support all in one. It doesn’t matter what’s in a woman’s bank account to anyone, but it always matters what’s in a man’s bank account to a woman. A woman is a more attractive public figure because men flock to her, a man can’t fly through the roof in the same way because masculinity caps at normativity (hence why women pull more than 70% of the views on twitch/youtube while being less than 10% of the content base and having a generally lesser level of expertise in their target niche).

Our crossroads is heteronormative femininity gets every social advantage imaginable which systemic barriers remain in place in which men get punished for. Feminism shouldn’t be at the expense of men, any decent feminist should tell you this. Yet, frankly, it most often is. OnlyFans culture is the exploitation of men’s desirability complexes, the model itself doesn’t function when you ask women to pay to see men at that level of intimacy (and no, that has nothing to do with the wage gap). Women have a unique advantage of having the option to sell their body, labor, or mind; men can practically only sell their labor with a small possibility of their mind. The unavailability for a man to sell ones body professionally means while men “get paid more on average,” they will always have less opportunity because society will always pick a woman first. Heck, if we were to take the wage gap literally, it’s economically advantageous to pay equal work for 82% of its worth, meaning women have more opportunity to partake in occupational freedom holistically. Alimony and child support law is a relic of patriarchal norms all feminism ignores for its own benefit.

I can’t find myself to be a moral agent force for good if my physiological need to reproduce is making me beholden to the desires of women. What women desire for my life is my suffering, to undermine my existence to the point of nothingness because I am a South Asian American man that can’t even normalize within his own hyperminority. I can’t think of a single woman in my whole life that looked at my welfare selflessly, not even my mother, sister, or aunt (S.A.W.), the three women in my life that are supposed to care more about me than any other women should even if I were to take a wife. At this point, I think it’s impossible. Not because of these ridiculously contrarian views I’m spouting, because I’m simply that repugnant to the feminine ire that I can no longer see myself as attractive to those I care about attracting. Don’t get me wrong, I have a general disdain for all of humanity, how it treats it medium of exchange (money) over the valuation of personhood (hence why people have been bought and sold from the beginning of time until now), but because women are in primary control of the social forces at play, women are primarily responsible for money coming over personhood. No one will like me, but because a woman’s perspective is just a kaleidoscope of social normativity, it especially won’t be a woman.

I don’t want a woman who hangs on my words and come away from this hating their own gender, but there’s a reason many empathize with the notion of a woman who prefers the company of men over women. Not because she finds them attractive, no-no-no, they’ve all been friendzoned, it’s because they’re less morally manipulative specimens in a social arena. There’s not a constant play for social advantage or social dominance. Whereas men show their pride by flexing more literally, women step on each other much more willingly to get ahead and feminine engagement becomes a status-chase (even if the status itself empathy/emotional quotient). Every woman, from a very young age, is taught they must always do one thing well: exploit a man for everything he’s worth but never show your appreciation for what he’s worth, otherwise, it’s a sign of weakness and submission. Maybe that’s why lots of men find submission attractive, they see it as genuine appreciation...when in reality it’s often an even greater social ploy because no self-respecting woman would ever submit to a man by choice, even if they are completely, profoundly, and utterly wrong. Feminine submission always comes as a tradeoff for something else, masculine submission is expected as a necessity for consent which ironically somehow makes the person less masculine (way to internalize toxic masculinty, btw).

It’s gotten to the point where simping has become so normalized, every single girl that ever shows an iota of interest in me is always trying to get something out of me before she’s placed any of herself to be committed. Women just expect $1,000+ to be handed to them for showing a physical interest in a man at all, not committing to be with the man in any capacity, mind you. Even then, for most women, it’s just not enough. It’s like they want every man to be destitute while creating the least amount of real pleasure on men possible. When they say “suck you dry,” they mean your wallet and bank account, not your prostate. They want all of us to die in our Mid-50′s of prostate cancer because of course they don’t actually want to have sex at all so they would rather see us die a slow and painful death than follow their base instincts to put out once in awhile. If I haven’t made this painfully clear already, I don’t hate women. I want to hate women because I recognize every foul way they treat me, but I have a physical inability to hate women because of my own heteronormativity. My core claim is every woman is demisexual and only a statistical blip isn’t completely asexual to me, so why should I seek out happiness by companionship with one? Every moment I’ve spent pursuing the experience of a woman has detracted from something comparatively more morally productive, but I’m bound to it because life is suffering. Exploitation is the worst possible way to dehumanize one’s experiences and women seek to actively do that in their romantic relationships on a diachronic basis.

I know how fucked my views are right now, and I’ll delete them and this post when a woman proves me wrong and restores my faith in femininity. A depersonalized proof has no bearing on my personal views because I have to live my truth (funny how men are often denied the ability to live their truth out of monetary constraints yet women will always have another to lean on). I have no faith in the woman I love the most to be able to retain strength in femininity and she’s the only one I’ve experienced to appreciate me intrinsically. Even as an exception to a lot of the general patterns, she remains steadfastly unwilling to act for my, and thereby our, welfare with those intentions, making her a rather pitiful exception to say my views are wrong. If women want to be seen as positive morality, they have to stop working within the realms of being a slave to the patriarchy. Actively breaking down those barriers, even when a gender stands nothing to benefit, is good on its own. Patriarchal norms, in fact, pinpoint my specific ethnic diaspora and gender as the most abhorrent in the world and actively seeks to exterminate me when I’m not properly segregated to the group I was born into.

I’m going to get so much hate for this if any woman deems worthy of even so much as a reply, I doubt it though.

[stephenaltrogge-blog]

During a crisis it is so easy for us to focus on everything that is happening in the world, and all around us, and to take our eyes off the Lord. Almost every day we can be consumed with how many new cases have moved into our area or what steps the government is taking during this time.

And there is nothing wrong with being concerned for our health and safety and that of our family and nation, and friends and the world. But we must not forget to keep our eyes on the Lord. To make God our main focus. Here are 12 critical and powerful truths about God to remember and regularly call to mind during these times.

Truth About God #1: God is sovereign

…for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose Isaiah 46:9-10

Our God is in the heavens; he does all that he pleases. Psalm 115:3

God is on his throne. He is in complete control of every single thing that happens on this earth. Nothing can happen unless he allows it. He is not taken by surprise by this virus. It cannot spread a single iota beyond what he allows. Our God is in complete control of every single atom in the universe. He knows the beginning from the end. He knew when this would begin and he knows when he will bring it to an end.

Satan may possibly be behind this virus but remember that in the book of Job Satan had to ask God’s permission for every single thing he did to Job and when God allowed Satan to afflict Job he set boundaries. He said, “You may do this and this but you may not do this.” God is in complete control.

Truth About God #2: God is infinitely greater than this virus

He determines the number of the stars; he gives to all of them their names. Great is our Lord, and abundant in power; his understanding is beyond measure. Psalm 147:4-5

God is infinitely greater than Satan and all the demons of hell. He is infinitely greater than all of the angels in heaven. The whole universe is but a speck compared to him. He can bring this epidemic to an end whenever he desires because he is all powerful. It cannot last 1 second longer than he allows.

Truth About God #3: God has a purpose for anything and everything he allows

Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand. Proverbs 19:21

The Lord has made everything for its purpose, even the wicked for the day of trouble. Proverbs 16:4

The counsel of the Lord stands forever, the plans of his heart to all generations. Psalm 33:11

God has a plan. This wasn’t by accident. And God‘s plans for his people are always good plans. For I know the plans I have for you etc. because so many of us have had our “plans“ disrupted – perhaps plans to travel, our daily plan to go to work etc. we may feel I’m happy about it but God has plans to use this for our good and his glory.

We can’t possibly fathom why God would allow such a horrific plague, but  he has a purpose for allowing it, and he is completely wise. This isn’t some random event happening in the world. “The Lord has made everything for its purpose…” Someday in heaven we will see how this pandemic fulfilled God’s purposes.

Truth About God #4: God causes all things to work together for good for his children

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28

We may not be able to see how a worldwide disease can be working for good for us but God‘s word tells us it is.

What are some ways God could be working this for our good? He is causing us to look to him and trust him in ways we have never had to before. He is building patience into us as we hunker down and do our social distancing. He is reminding us of our total dependence on him. He is stirring us to cling to his Word and his promises. He is causing us to appreciate how blessed we have been for so many years to never experience anything like this before. And a thousand other things he is doing.

Truth About God #5: God is infinitely good.

The Lord is good to all, and his mercy is over all that he has made. Psalm 145:9

Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him! Psalm 34:8

Because God sometimes allows evil does not mean that he is not good. God allowed Joseph’s brothers to sell him into slavery and affliction in Egypt but down the road Joseph saw that God had a loud it for good, for the salvation of multitudes during the famine, Including his brothers who had sinned against him and their families.

God is always perfectly and infinitely good. We may wonder how could a good God allow us to suffer like this? We don’t always see how God can be good in this life. But we must trust his word. He is always good and never wavers from being good.

Truth About God #6: God desires to save multitudes

But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.  2 Peter 3:8-9

God is so patient and forbearing. He could have destroyed the human race with plagues centuries ago. But he has withheld so much evil, because he is patient with us, not desiring for any human to perish, but that all should reach repentance. Perhaps one of his reasons for allowing this is to cause many to turn to him for salvation. Let us pray to that end – that this virus will cause multitudes to turn to God and be saved.

Truth About God #7: God hears every single prayer we pray

We may feel like our prayers are puny and weak compared to this massive, worldwide sickness. We may feel like we are standing in front of a Tsunami, and trying to blow it back with a paper hand fan.

But the God tells us our prayers are powerful.

…The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth. Then he prayed again, and heaven gave rain, and the earth bore its fruit. James 5:16-18

And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him. Hebrews 11:6

Truth About God #8: He delivers us from evil, including sickness and disease.

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Matthew 6:13

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say to the LORD, “My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust. For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence. Psalm 91:1-3

Jesus demonstrated what God is like. He healed every disease. He healed thousands. He opened blind eyes and deaf ears. He healed lepers and cripples. He hasn’t changed. He is still a healer. He still delivers from evil.

Truth About God #9: God is always with us and he will never forsake us.

When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you. Isaiah 43:2

Just as God was with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego when they were in the fiery furnace, so he will always be with us, no matter what we have to go through. Whether we’re locked down in our homes, or in a hospital, or anywhere else, God will be with us. He will never leave us. And he will eventually take us home to be with us forever in heaven.

Truth About God #10: Someday he will wipe away every tear from our eyes

He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” Revelation 21:4

Someday we will have no more sickness. No more pain. No more sadness. No more tears. No more fears. We will be at the marriage feast of the Lamb, gazing upon the infinite beauty of the One who saved us from our sins, sustained us through every affliction, and brought us to himself in heaven. The coronavirus will only be a faint memory if we remember it at all.

Let us try our best to keep our focus on God in the midst of all the news and struggles we are going through. He is our delight, our protector, and our deliverer.

Photo by Tobias Bjørkli from Pexels

The post 10 Powerful Truths To Remember About God During The Coronavirus appeared first on The Blazing Center.

[a-alex-hammer]

Top 5 Cryptocurrency Hacks in 2018

With over a billion dollars worth of coins stolen in crypto hacks in 2018, we take a look at the top 5 cryptocurrency hacks in 2018.

The distributed architecture of blockchain technology is one of the strongest appeals for cryptocurrencies as a secure form of money. Since the creation of Bitcoin in 2008, blockchain technology has gained a credible reputation for being a secure network that is extremely hard to infiltrate.

A decentralized network is far less prone to hacks and security attacks as compared to a traditional centralized structure since the latter is vulnerable to a single-point-of-attack.

It is much easier to hack a single database as compared to a distributed network made up of many databases.

However, despite the security strength of blockchain technology, various hacks have occurred within the cryptocurrency industry. These cyber-attacks are not focused towards the blockchain itself, but towards the several institutions and entities within the ecosystem, such as cryptocurrency exchanges and digital wallets. These targets are much easier to hack as compared to the blockchain itself, and the perpetrators can get away with a tremendous amount of coins and tokens worth millions!

In fact, hackers stole $927 million from various cryptocurrency exchanges and other platforms in 2018, according to a recent report from blockchain security firm, CipherTrace.

Let’s take a look at the top five cryptocurrency hacks in 2018.

(Read also: Cryptocurrency Investing vs Trading: What’s the difference?)

Top 5 Cryptocurrency Hacks in 2018

1. IOTA Phishing Attack

$4 million worth of IOTA coins was stolen from user wallets after they generated seeds on a fraudulent phishing website called Iotaseed.io (not defunct). IOTA holders were caught like a rat in a trap in this phishing scheme since it was advertised at the top of Google search as an official IOTA seed generator.

Phishing is a fraudulent attempt to steal sensitive user information such as credit card details, usernames/passwords and personal information by disguising as a credible and trustworthy website.

Visitors that created their IOTA wallet on Iotaseed.io provided hackers with their private keys for their wallet, thereby compromising the digital wallets. The cybercriminals behind the phishing website had been collecting passwords and seeds for an unknown period of time, and finally cleaned out the wallets of unaware IOTA users on January 19, 2018. At the same time, some of the full nodes on the IOTA network also suffered from a Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attack, which compromised the ability of the network to validate and process transactions. Upon further investigations, however, the IOTA founders claimed they did not find any connection between the DDoS attack and the fake phishing website.

Unfortunately, little could be done to reverse the transactions since the blockchain was created to be immutable and tamper-free. Moreover, the hackers abused valid user credentials, so all the transactions were legitimate from the point of blockchain security.

(See also: Guide to Stablecoin: Types of Stablecoins & Its Importance)

2. Coincheck Hack

On January 26, hackers compromised user accounts of Coincheck, a Japan-based cryptocurrency exchange. A whopping 560 million NEM tokens worth around $530 million at that time was stolen, making Coincheck’s hack one of the biggest the industry has ever seen, even surpassing the hack of Mt. Gox!

Upon further investigation, it was found that Coincheck exchange suffered from a security lapse that enabled the hack. Apparently, one of Coincheck’s internal computer systems was infected with malware that led to a data breach. The virus allowed attackers to collect many private keys a couple of weeks prior to the hack. Hackers successfully ran off with the stolen coins easily since the Coincheck kept their assets in hot wallets, which are more vulnerable to hacks than cold ones due to their connection to external networks.

Hot wallets are digital wallets that are connected to the internet, such as those at your cryptocurrency exchanges or your mobile app wallets. Cold wallets, on the other hand, are those that are not connected to the internet, such as hardware wallets and paper wallets.

In addition to that, Coincheck’s processes suffered from another vulnerability. There was no multi-signature (multi-sig) security process to strengthen the security process. Multi-sig requires multiple (trusted) users to confirm and approve transactions before sending the funds.

Fortunately, the NEM developers quickly responded to the attack and returned almost all of the stolen funds to the victims.

(Read also: Understanding Cryptocurrencies: Game of Thrones Edition)

3. POWH Coin Hack

Proof of Weak Hands (POWH) Coin was advertised as a legitimate and autonomous pyramid scheme that rewarded early users with 10% of dividends. Despite several warnings towards this scheme, many investors still participated and the value of POWH Coin quickly grew to over two million dollars within a short period of time.

The idea behind POWH was simple: a parody pyramid scheme designed to be as transparent as possible. Using Ethereum smart contracts, POWH tokens would rise in value by 0.25% whenever a unit was bought and decreased by 0.25% when a unit was sold. This was similar to a game where those with an ‘iron hand’ (someone who could withstand the volatility of the market by not selling their coins) would be rewarded. Many invested in this project as a joke to make a quick buck.

However, on January 28, a white hat hacker managed to drain user wallets by exploiting a common blockchain vulnerability, an unsigned integer underflow. Essentially, the underlying smart contracts of POWH got hacked three days after the initial coin offering (ICO) went public. A total of 866 ETH worth over $950,000 was stolen.

(See more: Guide on Identifying Scam Coins)

4. Verge Hack

The Verge network hack was a prominent hack that was designed to generate excess Verge (XVG) coins fraudulently, rather than stealing the coins from unsuspecting users. Starting from April 4 to May 22, attackers exploited several blockchain security vulnerabilities, such as manipulating the blockchain’s difficulty, faking timestamps, and dominating the hashrate of the network. These actions allowed cybercriminals to mine (create) new coins at a higher rate, with a cumulative value of counterfeited coins that were worth over $1 million.

The hackers managed to dominate the Verge network three times for intervals of several hours at a go and disabled payments from other participants. During these intervals, they mined new cryptocurrency at a rate of 1,560 Verge coins per second. Additionally, the attackers reduced the mining difficulty of the blockchain by using fake timestamps and thereafter abused a single algorithm to generate new blocks faster.

In order to mitigate the attack, the Verge developers set limits on consecutive blocks created with one algorithm. However, the hackers successfully repeated their hack by exploiting two algorithms at once. The final solution from the blockchain developers was to reduce the block creation window to 10 minutes (similar to the Bitcoin’s blockchain), so it made the timestamp fraud impossible.

(Read more: Guide to Consensus Algorithms: What is Consensus Mechanism?)

5. Bancor Exchange Hack

On July 9, cyber criminals hacked the Bancor exchange and enriched themselves with $23.5 million of native tokens. The unknown hackers compromised a wallet that was created to upgrade certain smart contracts. Possessing credentials from this wallet, the attackers then stole $23.5 million worth of cryptocurrency, of which $10 million was in the native Bancor (BNT) coins.

The mystery still remains as to how the attackers obtained credentials to one of the key accounts in Bancor. A leading theory is that there was a data breach from one of the Bancor developer’s computers initiated either internally or accessed through phishing attempts. After getting access to the account, hackers invoked the withdrawTo function and transferred the funds to their account.

The developers of the exchange managed to freeze $10 million in BNT from being accessed, while the rest of the stolen coins were denominated in other cryptocurrencies. Bancor also transferred the smart contract ownership from the compromised account to other accounts. In order to prevent future attacks, the Bancor developers introduced a multi-signature confirmation to their smart contracts, requiring at least two trusted accounts to confirm and verify every transaction.

(See also: Guide to Ethereum: What is Gas, Gas Limit and Gas Price?)

Conclusion

Although blockchain technology is inherently secure, there are always vulnerabilities and attack vectors that criminals can exploit to their advantage. These million-dollar heists negatively affect the reputation of cryptocurrency and blockchain technology as a whole, creating an apprehensive attitude from the general public. Cryptocurrencies are already complex and hard-to-understand for an average Joe, and news of hacks or cybercriminals getting away with their fraudulent attempts would further hinder mass adoption.

With every setback, however, there are definitely lessons that we can take away. For one, the attack vectors of these hacks can be rectified by the developers’ community to ensure that future projects or iterations would not suffer from the same security issue.

(You should also read: Guide to Market Capitalization: Everything You Need to Know About Market Cap)

Beneficial Resources To Get You Started

If you’re starting your journey into the complex world of cryptocurrencies, here’s a list of useful resources and guides that will get you on your way:

Trading & Exchange

Wallets

Read also: Crypto Trading Guide: 4 Common Pitfalls Every Crypto Trader Will Experience and Guide To Cryptocurrency Trading Basics: Introduction to Crypto Technical Analysis.

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Enroll in our Free Cryptocurrency Webinar now to learn everything you need to know about crypto investing.

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You can also join our Facebook group at Master The Crypto: Advanced Cryptocurrency Knowledge to ask any questions regarding cryptocurrencies.

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Source/Repost=> http://technewsdestination.com/top-5-cryptocurrency-hacks-in-2018/ ** Alex Hammer | Founder and CEO at Ecommerce ROI ** http://technewsdestination.com

[petsupplyandmore]

Animal Abuse: What You Can Do to Assist

A acutely aware animal, able to love and creating pleasant relationships; may be devoid of those sensibilities by enduring ache, concern, anger, and anxiousness as an alternative. For a hen that might fly within the open, is locked up in a cage like a showpiece. Whereas a canine meant for a chilly area, it’s domesticated in a sizzling, rugged atmosphere the place it’s saved indoors in AC. Even a horse that grazes in open pastures of land is fed twice a day inflicting him gastric ulcers. Animal cruelty can happen in lots of kinds. As a matter of reality, whereas studying this, one other animal is being abused, uncared for, slaughtered and or deserted. What does it take to create a protecting atmosphere for animals and stop it from occurring?

The reply doesn’t lie in a sentence or some steps which you can observe. To start with, it’s crucial to acknowledge the totally different types of animal cruelty. How can we establish them? As accountable people grow to be self-aware concerning the ins and outs of animal cruelty, we’ll be capable to educate others. The month of April is Prevention of Cruelty to Animals month, so let’s discover out extra about it.

What’s Animal Cruelty?

Cruelty in direction of animals, neglecting them or stripping them of their primary requirements is animal abuse. These circumstances might be occurring in your neighborhood, your office, a close-by laboratory, animal park, zoo and even animal shelters. Zoosadism is pleasure derived from inflicting ache to animals; it’s a psychopathic conduct trait, a part of the Mcdonald triad that’s associated to serial offences. There are a number of circumstances of animal cruelty that fall into totally different classes. Let’s look into a few of these prevalent circumstances.

Bodily Abuse

Animals can’t converse for themselves. Subsequently, they’re kicked, nagged, and whipped for failing to reply to instructions. We people, take undue benefit of their circumstances and deal with them in essentially the most inhumane approach attainable.

An essential side of animal abuse, is that it occurs behind closed doorways. For instance, a horse rider could whip a horse when it refuses to observe a command; or a canine could also be punished when it doesn’t act a sure approach. Though this may sound regular, think about the ache the animal undergoes each time a smashing whip hits their coat. There are members of regulation enforcement that examine the circumstances of animal abuse. Nonetheless, a few of these circumstances go unreported, and offenders get away with the crime.

Neglecting the Animal

Unawareness and ignorance is the foundation reason behind animal neglect. Lack of information on care for the animal is the first cause why 60 p.c of the domesticated animals die. Not with the ability to take care of an animal will not be an excuse for its loss of life.

Having disinterest is one more reason for neglecting animals. Pet homeowners needs to be morally and legally obligated to take their injured/sick pets to the vet. Some folks select to disregard their pets or use residence treatments that find yourself making it worse. They aren’t keen to spend cash and the time essential to heal the pets; leading to no meals as a result of the proprietor forgot. Not grooming the pets effectively are different examples of animal neglect.

Exploiting Animals

Animal exploitation has been prevalent in our society for hundreds of years now. This goes unnoticed and unexposed and for some cause, all people has come to phrases with exploiting animals for egocentric motives. There’s a sense of entitlement in direction of animals, however folks assume that they’ve the proper to make use of animals as they want. Zoos, circuses, animal parks, aquatic theme parks are notorious for exploiting animals.

Nonetheless, it’s now below management after animal welfare organizations like PETA, raised their voice towards the cruelty animals should face. 96% of circus animals spend their life in dingy cages and a few trainers have been discovered responsible of utilizing whips, tight collars, muzzles, electrical prods, and bull-hooks to coach animals.

Animal Testing in Laboratories

The Silver Spring experiment is a basic instance of animal cruelty; prevalent in scientific researches and experiments. Ranging from 1981 till 1991, the experiment grew to become the primary animal analysis case to succeed in the US Supreme Court docket. Seventeen wild born Macaque monkeys, indigenous to Philipines; have been saved in Silver Spring, Maryland on the Institute for Behavioral Analysis. They have been used as a analysis topic by Edward Taub, a psychologist who had minimize the spinal ganglion of the monkeys that provides sensation to the mind from limbs. Animals like birds, lizards, snakes, frogs, rats are used within the laboratory for experimenting.

Utilizing Animals for Financial Beneficial properties

Individuals justify animal slaughtering to learn the pores and skin business; making hundreds of thousands every single day from hundreds of animals being slaughtered. From promoting fur, and stealing physique elements, just like the tusk of a rhino, are a number of the some ways animals are tortured. As a substitute of minting cash out animals, contribute to them by making donations to an animal charity.

Animal Cruelty in Livestock

Livestock bred to offer us with meat, eggs, and milk; have been a sufferer of life-long struggling. Even natural livestock merchandise come on the value of animal cruelty. Producers usually put these labels on meals with out altering a lot of the dwelling situations of the animals.

Animals equivalent to chickens, cows, and different livestock spend their days stuffed in dingy cages the place there’s no correct cleanliness as a consequence of which ailments can propagate rapidly. Even worse, the animal physique organs are mutilated by debeaking, dehorning, castration with out anesthetic, and stay plucking. Heinous acts like this may be stopped by spreading consciousness.

How Do You Cease Animal Abuse?

Don’t flip a deaf ear in direction of animal abuse. For those who witness it round your self, report it to the native animal management or regulation enforcement. Professionals can take the matter into consideration; and if the crime is confirmed, offenders might be punished. If an animal is abused, unhealthy, and requires speedy consideration; officers can take it into custody. Rescued animals might be despatched into rehab the place it is going to be taken care of by a gaggle of pros who excel in animal rehab.

Don’t attempt to rescue a pet from a possible abuser or legal; this isn’t solely harmful, it’s unlawful.

Listed below are sure issues you are able to do contribute to creating our society a secure place for animals:

Conduct animal consciousness meetups at your native church or golf equipment. You are able to do the identical at animal daycare, faculties, parks to unfold the phrase amongst children. Conduct a speaker session in your workplace. Name upon a speaker from animal assist teams to debate subjects of pet care, animal coaching, and animal welfare points. Get pet care guides from native animal retailers for a good friend who has simply obtained a brand new pet. You possibly can additionally reward packets of treats or pet parenting merchandise and a pet-care e-book. Help initiatives to spice up your state’s anti-cruelty legal guidelines. Write your native paper and TV station at any time when animal cruelty tales seem. Give your voice to penalizing animal abusers.

Conclusion

The subsequent time you see an individual hitting an animal for no rhyme or cause, query him for his actions. For those who ever come throughout animals which are unkept and never effectively groomed; enquire about their situation from their proprietor. Make them really feel notice that it’s their duty to take care of their pets. Educate your children to be type in direction of animals and deal with them as equals. By taking these child steps, we positive will create an iota of impression, and collectively it would make an enormous distinction.

from Pet Supply and More http://petsupplyandmore.com/index.php/2019/04/19/animal-abuse-what-you-can-do-to-assist/

[davidcdelreal]

How To Start A Blog And Make Some Cash While Doing It

If you’re here to start a blog, congratulations!

Starting my first blog was one of the best decisions I ever made, and the people I’ve reached (not to mention the money I’ve made) are just a couple of the benefits I’ve experienced over the years.

Knowing where to begin with your first blog is challenging.

But, what if you don’t have a clue what a domain is, or how the heck a host works?

Even if you don’t have one iota of experience with content writing or starting a website, I promise you can do it.

With this guide, you will be crafting your first post about a topic you love, on a fully functioning website you own, in just one hour.

Ready?

Then read on, future blogger.

I’m going to walk you through everything you need to know to get your blog started and earning a side income.

Why You Should Start a Blog

If you’re like most of the others who come across this page, you’re here because you want to use a blog to help you earn a side income, or even become a passive income source.

Of course, there are more benefits to owning a blog than earning money.

Let’s take a closer look at what a blog allows you to do:

Get creative. Nothing gets your creative juices flowing like writing a blog post on a subject that intrigues you. As you write more content it will lead you to answer more questions inside your chosen niche. For many bloggers they find that they grow more creative with every post.

Have a voice. A blog lets you talk about what matters to you. Whether you’re a self-proclaimed political pundit, a passionate fashionista, or a financial advisor like me, move beyond the treacherous minefields of Facebook comment threads and say what you need to say in your own space. Be LOUD. Be quiet. Be formal. Don’t. The beauty of a blog is that it reflects your personality and your ideas, from the font to the pictures to the words on the page.

Do what you love. Creating a blog is one of the best ways to learn more about your hobbies, enjoy yourself, and pursue your passions, too. If not a single person read your blog (they will, promise!), you’d still be gaining so much in the self-fulfillment department as you learn for yourself and educate others.

Make connections. Everyone has a passion, and blogging has a unique way of connecting you with people who care about the same things you do. It adds your voice to a global conversation, with endless possibilities for advancing in your profession, making friends, and growing your blog’s reach.

Make a difference. One of my favorite parts of blogging is positively impacting people. People are looking for information and you are able to provide them with an honest opinion that can really make their lives better. Whether it’s unlocking a new hobby, simplifying their life, helping them get out of debt, or restoring a relationship, blogging truly helps you reach people. It’s such a rewarding experience to hear from a reader who’s benefited from content I wrote even years ago.

Make money. Generating a profit on your blog might be slow-going at first, but hang in there! With the right tools in hand, you can start making money with your posts through ads, sponsorships, and/or affiliates. No need to worry about exactly how those work just yet. Just know, in time, your site can be a major moneymaker if you do the right things over a long period of time.

Grow your business. Blogging doesn’t just profit you in the immediate sense. The longer you blog, the more connections you make, and the better your content gets, the more your street cred improves. You can establish yourself as an expert through blogging, get published, and further the success of your business.

Those are just a few of the benefits of starting a blog.

I could go on and on.

But let’s go ahead and get you started.

How To Start A Blog

Choose Your Niche

Name Your Blog

Hosting & Domains

Initial Set-Up

Choose your Niche

Don’t skip this step unless you are sure you’ve got a plan already laid out.

In just a moment, I’ll show you how to purchase a host and domain, but first you need to pick a subject area for your blog.

While your ideas can change down the road, you need a clear direction before you create your site so you can start building a strong brand and avoid abandoning your blog down the road.

You might see a blog that’s doing really well, with an abundance of hardcore followers, major monetization, and top Google rankings.

Does that mean you should automatically follow that writer’s lead and create a blog in the same niche?

Not necessarily.

You have to ask yourself a few questions before you get started.

And as you work your way down the list, you’ll probably see a clear topic for your blog emerge.

Get out a pen and some paper, and let’s dive in.

What do you love?

Raise your hand if you chose a major or career you didn’t love based on salary or similar features.

Fake it till you make it might work in some fields, but personal blogging isn’t one of them, trust me.

You need to be certain the niche you choose to write in matters to you, or at least interests you.

Why?

Because it shows. When you genuinely love the subject you’re writing about, the passion will be evident in every word on the page. Conversely, write on a topic you have zero cares for and your content might suffer (and so will your readers).

Because passion drives motivation. You might be able to churn out some content on one of those topics, but don’t assume you’ll have the long-term motivation to sustain a thriving blog.

Because you’ll be researching it… a lot. I had an English teacher who always advised the class to carefully weigh their research topics against their interests.

Brainstorming, she would say, was the time to change your mind multiple times. Once you submitted your topic, though, you were married to it.

Do you love your blog topic enough to marry it, to dedicate hundreds or thousands of hours getting to know it?

If that mental image gave you major anxiety, you may want to reassess your blog idea.

It’s harder for some people than others to identify their passions, so here are a few questions to ask yourself if you’re still in the dark (but often times, the first few ideas which pop into your head are truest to your heart):

What high school or college classes pique(d) your interest?

Now turn to the media. What kinds of news stories interest you? Sports? Politics? Technology? Literature? Art?  Scroll through your search history or peek at the pages you follow on social media for more insight.

Look at your hobbies. What do you dedicate your time, resources, and energy to? Maybe you love antique shopping, hiking, or planning awesome vacations for your family. What you do for fun is a great focal point for what you write.

You know that one topic you’re always talking to your friends or family about, the one that both excites and interests you? Hint, that’s your passion. Pursue it!

What’s your job? If you are passionate about your profession, consider writing about it! You can offer both passion and expertise, which all of the best blogs do.

What’s your dream job? If you didn’t have any financial cares in the world, what would you be doing with your life? The answer to that question is a great place to start your blog.

What Do You Know?

Experience goes hand-in-hand with your passion.

While you certainly won’t have all the answers starting out, it’s important to write on a subject you’re knowledgeable about.

Because I guarantee your top competitors will be.

Again, look at your career, your hobbies, and your life experience to choose a niche, and pick a topic you can provide your own unique insight to.

How Specific Is Your Niche?

The pendulum swings both ways here, as there are pros and cons to writing for a really broad category of people as well as for a super-specific niche.

The key, once again, is research.

Did you know you can find out what people are searching for in your niche right now?

With a simple keyword search tool (which we’ll introduce you to later), you can pinpoint users’ top searches surrounding your subject area, which can help you decide the overall structure and content of your blog.

Maybe you’re a yoga instructor who wants to write solely about your art.

Instead of branding your site as one of many in the niche of health and wellness, make it a sub-niche exclusively targeting others who love yoga.

On the other hand, you could find yourself with a wealth of financial information (like me), and choose to build a blog around a variety of fiscal topics.

Remember the idea of marrying your topic. 10 years from now, will you be content solely posting in your niche?

If not, you may want to expand it a bit.

In addition to knowing how specific your subject area should be, you need to know your audience.

Who do you want to come to your site?

How will you pull them in?

What questions will they have that your blog answers?

Going in with a specific niche in mind will help you plan your content and design.

Where’s the Money?

If your goal is just to express your thoughts and expertise, you may not care about monetizing your site; however, most bloggers have a desire to do both.

Who wouldn’t mind money coming in passively from content you posted long ago?

And, while your blog might not be an overnight moneymaker, you can create one as a side hustle which could grow to a full-time gig.

I did it, and I’ve written multiple posts to show you how you can make serious bank with your blog, too.

The fact of the matter is, some niches are more profitable than others.

There are some surefire strategies to make money in any niche, but if you’re seriously considering blogging as a business venture, you need to research it thoroughly to assess the level of competition in your niche and the potential for profit.

Here’s some pre-blog practice in creativity.

You’ve got that paper and pen handy, right?

Here’s what I want you to do…

First, jot down each of the blog categories you’re considering.

Got those down?

Now, for each of those categories, give yourself a set amount of time, maybe 3-5 minutes, and come up with as many blog post topics as you can.

I’m not saying the longest list of topics should automatically win here, but the subjects you were able to crank out lots of ideas for may be your best bets!

And the niche where you struggled to string two sentences together may need to go.

Now, Let’s Talk Blog Names!

Once you know your niche, you get to keep flexing those creative muscles and come up with a name for your blog.

While naming your blog might seem even more intimidating than choosing a subject, it doesn’t have to be.

Have fun with this step!

Here are few pointers to get you started.

Unless you’ve been sitting on a brilliantly creative and incredibly unique name for your blog since the idea to start one struck, you’re going to need some strategic planning here.

Do your research. Luckily, you did a lot of the work for this step when you researched your blog topic. When you choose a name, you need to think carefully about your niche and your target audience.

You want the name of your site to encompass how in depth your niche is. For example,  I give financial advice on a lot of topics. The name of my site reflects that.

You also need to scope out the competition. Which ones are thriving?  You can’t copy their actual names, but you can copy their techniques.

Do more formal and technical terms work better for your niche, or can you have some fun with your name?

Then, think about the content. What kinds of words do you associate with your site and the kind of info it will provide.

If you need a little help, try a keyword search. Tools like Google’s SERPS show you the top keywords users are searching in your market. Make note of them.

Be creative. In addition to the considerations above, think about your voice and brand.

What do you want your title to say about you and your blog? Do you want a catchy and intriguing title people have to click to understand? Or a straightforward one that will help establish you as a credible informational source?

Now take those keywords you jotted down and play around with them. If you have a hard time recalling synonyms on the fly, pick up a thesaurus and find some there.

Another great tool? Alliteration. Your moniker can be a monumental moneymaker. (See what I did there!?) If there’s any room for a play on words or slang that might appeal to your audience, add it to the list.

Another great go-to? Your name. Lots of authors focus their brand around their name, and it could be a great way to brand your blog and set you up as an authority.

Be practical. While it’s true witty, creative names are some of the biggest winners, remember what your goals are.

If you want to drive people to your site, be a top-ranking source in your niche and make money, your name needs to contribute to those goals.

Having a name that’s easy for new followers to type, search, and remember can go a long way.

And it helps to show some connection to your blog’s subject, especially if it’s a really specific sub-niche.

Search availability. We’ll get into domains in greater detail in a moment, but here’s the gist.

You know that frustration you run into when a site asks you to create a password then tells you the one you entered is already taken?

Or when Instagram rejects the handle you entered, because there are apparently more you’s out there than you realized.

Did you throw in the towel and decide Instagram wasn’t worth the trouble?

Of course not.

You soldiered on, tapped into that crazy creativity deep inside, and devised an awesome new name your followers love.

Same thing with the blogging world. There are literally hundreds of millions of blogs online today, and depending on how popular your niche is, the name game might be a competitive one.

With sites like GoDaddy, you can enter your name and see if it’s available. If not, go back to the drawing board, try some of the creative approaches above, and see what your alterations bring up.

Getting Your Site

You’ve done your homework and landed on the perfect niche that combines your passion, expertise, and profit potential.

And you have an idea for an available name.

Now what?

You’ll want to go ahead and start looking to see if it’s available.

HostGator, for example, has a nice little search feature. Check it out here.

Keep in mind while some offers might look appealing now, they may not be the best money in the long run.

And if you’re the prospective blogger I mentioned earlier who really has no idea what those terms even mean, no worries.

As promised, I’ve got you covered!

What’s a host?

First things first, let’s define what a host is.

You can build out an awesome website chock full of content, but in order for other people to be able to access it on the Internet, you need a host.

A hosting service basically books you space on a server, which is the place where websites are stored.

I like to compare hosts and servers to real estate. In the world of virtual real estate (the web), your host is the land you purchase to build your home (your website).

Whenever you type in a web address, let’s say GoodFinancialCents.com, you’re being connected to my server and shown my content, all because I have a host.

Make sense?

Good. Let’s move on to domains.

What’s a domain?

Here’s the simple breakdown:

As you now know, the host is the virtual location housing your site.

The website, then, is the blog itself.

The URL, on the other hand, is the address, i.e. the full web address you see in the search bar at the top of a site.

And the domain is just the name that follows the http:// portion of the URL.

People tend to get these terms confused, when they’re actually unique and pretty easy to understand.

Let’s plug those definitions into (hopefully) your favorite financial site.

Good Financial Cents is the website you’re perusing right now.

The URL is https://www.goodfinancialcents.com/ and the root domain is goodfinancialcents.com.

So, when I talk about choosing and purchasing your domain, I’m referring to your site’s name.

And just like your site’s space, you have to purchase the name before you can use it.

Types of Hosts

You might be itching to buy your domain first if it checked out in your domain name search, but I’m going to recommend you start with your host.

Here’s why.

A lot of hosting services out there offer you the opportunity to register your domain with them as well, sometimes for free, or otherwise offering domain promotions with your hosting registration.

And where and how you choose to host will play a bigger part in steering your site’s success than where you buy your domain will.

When it comes to hosting services, there are ultimately two types:

Free Hosted Platform

Self-Hosted Blog

Understanding the differences between the two is key.

Free Hosted Platforms

There are a ton of free services who will allow you to start your blog right away. They make it really easy to get going, but, ultimately, you lose a lot of control by going this direction.

This loss of control frequently includes:

Not being able to generate income from the blog on day one

Difficulty moving your content to another platform

Not having a domain that you own

Limited options for the design of your blog

In the long run you are going to be much happier if you start by spending a few dollars, a little extra time, and establish your blog up with the best foundation possible. That leads us to…

Self-Hosted Blogs

The main difference between hosted and self-hosted sites is a matter of real estate.

But there’s so much more to a self-hosted site than having your own server.

If you still aren’t convinced, here are even more pointed reasons you should self-host your blog:

You get your own domain (which looks more legit). Instead of owning a sub-domain on someone else’s site (example.blogspot.com), you truly own the domain you want to represent your brand (example.com).

You can customize everything. One of the best parts of a self-hosted blog is how it allows you to make your site your own. There are thousands upon thousands of themes to choose from (many of which are free), and far more functions and features to add to your site.

You make more money. Seriously. Not only can you customize the look and feel of your blog, but also optimize its performance. With a self-hosted site, you can place ads the way you want them, learn and implement SEO (search engine optimization) strategies, and make a bigger impression on Google.

You get more for your money. If you’re serious enough about blogging to buy a domain through your free blog host and pay for a theme, you’re far better off advancing to an affordable self-hosted site.

You can spend money on your externally hosted site all day, and you’ll still never come close to matching the functionality or results of a self-hosted site.

I’m all about purchases that make good financial sense, so this one is a no-brainer.

How To Set Up Your Self-Hosted Blog

Ready to get your site launched?

Here’s what you need to do:

Step 1: Choose your host

Most self-hosting bloggers choose to manage their sites through a third-party system like HostGator.

For a basic package, you could be spending around $3-$7 a month (which sometimes includes a free domain!) with a plethora of free themes and software installations at your disposal.

Step 2: Choose your plan

At this stage, you get to choose what features you want your site to have and you can add or remove features down the road.

Generally, a basic plan will offer you standard features and the tools you need to successfully start your new blog, and an upgraded package will offer you unlimited versions of those same features plus added security benefits.

Let’s take a look at some key features you’ll get with most popular hosting sites.

Websites

Most hosting sites offer you 1 website with their basic package. As you upgrade, you can host more sites.

For instance, Bluehost’s plus plan, which costs $2 more a month, allows you to host unlimited sites with your subscription. You may need to pay more for those additional domains, though.

Domain

As I said earlier, you should be able to obtain your domain from your hosting site. You usually get one domain with a basic package, sometimes more, if you upgrade.

You should also look to see if your hosting site offers any free parked or subdomains.

While your main domain is the key way users get to your site, these alternate domains account for slight differences in URLs, directing them all to your site.

Usually, you’ll pay around $9.99 a year to register a .com domain, which you then renew annually.

Bandwidth

Bandwidth has to do with your site’s speed, specifically how quickly data can be transferred over your internet connection.

If you have a site that’s saturated with multimedia, bandwidth matters.

The good news is that sites like Bluehost and HostGator offer unmetered bandwidth, meaning it should be substantial for all of your sites and you won’t be charged more based on how much you need.

Storage

Hosting sites usually measure your space in GBs, and you’ll notice that a lot of standard plans offer 50 GB.

Is that enough space for your site?

Chances are, yes.

Blogs don’t take up much digital storage, and the amount should be plenty to house your blog for quite some time.

SSL

Short for a Secure Sockets Layer, an SSL certificate safeguards you and your readers by guaranteeing the data between their browser and your server stays encrypted.

Do me a quick favor.

Look at the top of your address bar and you’ll find a little lock icon, followed by the term secure in this case.

Click the lock and you can see the site’s certificate and settings and learn more about how your information is being protected.

Platforms like Bluehost offer a shared SSL with their lower-end packages and a private SSL unique to your domain with upgraded packages.

If you’re planning to process people’s debit or credit card payments through your site, a private SSL is crucial.

Luckily, with HostGator, this is free:

Do note, however, a shared SSL might result in a pop-up security warning on your site.

Email

One of the most convenient benefits of a self-hosting site is email. Most platforms offer you a certain number of email accounts tied to your blogging business, often granting you unlimited emails with an upgraded account.

There also may be some limits to email storage, so make note of this as you shop around. In addition to the convenience they add, official email accounts linked to your blog work to build your brand and establish your professional credibility.

It’s a win on every level!

Email Management

If you pay a little extra for a premium account, you might encounter email management systems.

For example, Bluehost utilizes SpamExperts, a software which archives your messages and filters out spam for you.

It’s not necessary but convenient if you anticipate some major traffic in your blog’s inbox.

Dedicated IP

You may encounter the term dedicated IP as a feature of upgraded hosting plans.

What in the world is it and do you need it?

First, an IP address is used to pinpoint the actual location of your site.

With a shared IP address, your site is stored on a shared server.

On a private IP,  has its own unique address.

So how does that difference impact your blog?

For the most part, it shouldn’t. Much like an SSL certificate, a dedicated IP is primarily needed for a business handling commerce.

Marketing Credit

Host sites may offer you promotional advertising credit when you sign up. For instance, Bluehost offers credit for Google AdWords and other pay-per-click ad services.

Essentially, you create an ad with some carefully chosen keywords that Google features atop or beside people’s search results.

When people click those ads and enter your site, Google gets paid, hence the name pay per click.

If you choose a package which offers these promotions, you can use your sign-on credits as a starting point for marketing your blog.

There you have it.

Although some self-hosting sites offer more features and some offer fewer, you should have an ample amount of information to decide on a plan.

Weigh your blog’s needs, your expectations, and your budget to decide what kind of plan is best for your blogging venture.

Step 3: Choose Your Domain Name

If you’ve followed the steps in this post, you should already have your domain name locked and loaded.

At some point in the registration process, you’ll be prompted to enter your domain name, which will either be accepted or rejected based on its availability.

If circumstances have changed in the time since you brainstormed your domain name and it’s no longer on the table, no need to worry!

That’s why you compiled a list of multiple options.

Plug in another and see if it’s available.

Continue the process until you land on one which doesn’t already exist.

Pro Tip: If you want to purchase additional parked domains with different extensions, more power to you. If you think you may build out an entire brand, definitely do it now.

But for the primary domain name, choose a .com extension.

Not only are they the most popular among bloggers and familiar to users, but they tend to do better business in terms of SEO (search engine optimization), which means more money and followers for you.

Step 4: Build your site

With a plan purchased and domain name registered, you’re ready to get started!

At this stage, you need to decide what type of software is going to meet your skills as a designer, your site budget, and your needs for the site.

There are quite a few options on the market for building your self-hosted blog, like WordPress.

Wait, back up.

Didn’t I discourage you from starting a WordPress blog earlier?

That statement needs a little clarification.

Understanding the Difference Between WordPress.com and WordPress.org

When people talk about using WordPress for their blogs, they could be referring to two different tools.

There’s the WordPress I referred to earlier, which is WordPress.com, a free hosting site.

And there’s WordPress.org, a site where you can download software to build your self-hosted blog.

So when I suggest you utilize WordPress to build your blog, I’m referring specifically to the site-building software, not the free host.

Choosing a Theme

While WordPress is by far the most popular choice among users, it’s one of several optimized for use with a self-hosting site.

On sites like Bluehost and HostGator, WordPress and other site builders are integrated into the platform.

With one click, you could be working with WordPress through your hosting site to build out and edit your blog.

WordPress offers thousands of free themes in Bluehost, one of which could be perfect for your blog.

WordPress is appealing to both technically savvy bloggers who work to customize their sites on the back end and novices looking for clean, free templates to manage with ease.

Remember, you’ll get better at designing and navigating whatever software you choose as you spend more time with it.

And you can find a ton of resources online to help you learn how to build and customize your site.

(I highly recommend you choose to build your site on WordPress. The site you’re reading right now is!)

Free Vs Premium Themes

If you’d like to move beyond free themes, other theme shops offer thousands of templates available for purchase, some more technologically advanced than others.

The possibilities are endless, all depending on the look, feel, and functionality you want your site to possess.

Free templates can be a great starting point for your blog, but they may have some limitations.

Aside from being unique, premium templates usually offer features like additional color choices, more layout options, and shortcodes (which simplifies normally time-consuming and complex coding tasks).

Beyond the aesthetic of your site, you also want to consider how the site-building software functions.

Some tools are prime for users who want what’s known as a drag-and-drop interface where they can visually build their site from a user’s perspective, dragging and dropping content directly onto the page, exactly where they want it.

If you aren’t a designer but want a blog which really looks professionally built, you might want to check out all your options and even install a few to test them out before finalizing your decision.

Shop around, try out some templates, and get to work!

Bottom Line

Setting up your blog is not difficult.

You can add starting a blog to your mental list of tomorrow’s to-dos (never to be touched), or you can set aside 1 hour, right now, to make your dream a reality.

With a little creative brainstorming, research, and your new blogging terminology in hand, you can confidently launch your self-hosted blog today.

Write what you love, impact readers, and start making money today!

I promise you won’t regret it!

Next Steps

I’ve walked you through getting your blog up and running, so what’s next?

Once you’ve determined your niche, purchased your domain and host, and selected a theme, it’s time to start writing!

Here are the steps you need to take to get your blog off the ground and into the stratosphere of success.

Your First Pages

The first pages you want to have on your blog are going to be about your mission (the “home” page) and about you (an “about” page).

Your “home” page should be something which tells the user about what your site is for, and allows them to navigate the main topics of your blog.

The “about” page is a page specifically to talk directly to your audience, and tell them who you are. Build trust here, don’t “sell them” on your brand.

This makes it clear to the person coming for the first time what the site is all about and why you are the right person with the right answers.

Plan Your Content

When I first started my blog I wrote a big list of all the topics I thought would be great to help educate people on their finances.

It wasn’t nearly long enough, but it got me started and excited about my topic.

The one thing I learned over time was I needed to have a plan of where to take people once they reached my site.

So if they started on a retirement planning article, they would then have the option to read more relevant content.

Make sure your articles are taking people on a journey with you, not just coming for info and leaving.

Build Your Brand

Congratulations! You are now an Internet sensation!

Your brand can always look bigger than you really are.

Just make sure to set up all the social media accounts to go with your brand and take the time to connect with people. People are amazingly loyal if you make them feel a part of your tribe.

Be Diligent

You may hit a hot topic, have it go viral, and be an overnight success, but more likely, you will build your following over time.

So keep at it! 

As Dave Ramsey once said, “It took us 15 years to become an overnight success.”

The great thing about the Internet is that things move faster than when Dave was building his following.

Happy Blogging!

The post How To Start A Blog And Make Some Cash While Doing It appeared first on Good Financial Cents.

from All About Insurance https://www.goodfinancialcents.com/how-to-start-a-blog/

[sommeliercourses]

Who’s Your Daddy… Of RRV Single Vineyard Pinot? (Davis Bynum Recent Releases)

sushi – it’s not just for Pinot anymore

Recently, I was invited for a media-lunch-tasting-type-thingy in Philly with the affably hippie-ish-appearing Greg Morthole, who has been making wines for the Davis Bynum label since 2010. Davis Bynum wa purchased by Rodney Strong in 2007, and before that was a bit of a Sonoma-area legend, based on its eponymous founder.

That Davis Bynum (who passed away in 2017) is literally the daddy of Russian River Valley single-vineyard Pinot Noir, having harvested the first ever such varietal wine in 1973. Bynum got his start as a home winemaker in the 1950s, went pro in the 1960s, and at times had vineyard land in Napa and handshake grape deals with the Rochioli clan. And those last two sentences are a gross oversimplification of why Bynum’s name is well-regarded in the vinous world; I mean, this is also the former San Francisco Chronicle reporter who famously bought a box of grapes from Robert Mondavi for less than $2, once employed the about-as-legendary winemaker Gary Farrell, and used to haul grapes to his Albany winery in a 1946 Studebaker flatbed.

Morthole speaks fondly of Bynum, and if he’s suffering from any pressure-related performance anxiety related to making wines under Bynum’s name, he doesn’t betray an iota of it in his laid-back, California dude demeanor. Here’s what we tasted together over bites of Zama Sushi in Philly (and, yeah, Pinot works with sushi, depending on how earthy a cut you order, and how reserved your application of wasabi is…)…

2017 Davis Bynum Virginia’s Block Jane’s Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc (Russian River Valley, $25)

“This is my favorite vintage [of the Sauvignon Blanc],” Morthole mentioned to me, “and I’m not just bullsh*tting you!” And there is definintely something special about this release, which hails from a mere five acres of sandy-clay loam soils, and sees twenty percent acacia and older oak barrel action. Sporting melon, lemongrass, spice, blossoms, and tropical fruit aromas/flavors, this holds its palate weight deftly; I mean, it’s curvy, but it’s also firm.

2015 Davis Bynum River West Vineyard Chardonnay (Russian River Valley, $25)

A change of label accompanied this vintage, along with a change in the oak regimen (less was used, as you’d probably already guessed mid-sentence). The result is a zesty Chardonnay that showcases lemon, blossom, and flint action along with its peaches-and-cream profile. “I like where this is at now,” Morthole mentioned, and I am inclined to agree with him.

2014 Davis Bynum River West Vineyard Chardonnay (Russian River Valley, $25)

Broad, toasty, tropical, and dead-sexy, this is alive and kicking. Ripe peaches, cream, crème brûlée… you know you’re in California, for sure, and in this case there’s balance along with the opulence and you don’t mind it even one little bit.

2016 Davis Bynum Jane’s Vineyard Pinot Noir (Russian River Valley, $35)

A vintage built for some aging, this Santa Rosa plain vineyard Pinot hails from low-vigor soils, and in the `16 incarnation has a tight, earthy, spicy, and dark-fruited profile. It’s big, it’s structured, but it’s also floral, with lovely herbal overtones and great balance between its riper and tarter berry and plum fruit flavors. And yeah, it worked with raw tuna (like, big-time).

2015 Davis Bynum Jane’s Vineyard Pinot Noir (Russian River Valley, $35)

This is a richer, toastier vintage of the Jane’s, with ample spice and black tea leaf aromas. There are sexy black fruits, lithe red fruits, and lots of berry fruits in general. The finish is what really works well here; it’s long, toasty, and not taking No for an answer.

2014 Davis Bynum Jane’s Vineyard Pinot Noir (Russian River Valley, $35)

This is the kind of wine that should dispel doubts about whether or not the Bynum wine legacy is in good hands. Aromas of wood, tea, and pepper spices mingle with big, juicy, red and black berry fruits. As long and toasty of a finish as we’ve come to expect, and basically just kick ass the entire time during the drinking experience.

2015 Davis Bynum Pommard Clone Jane’s Vineyard Pinot Noir (Russian River Valley, $55)

A new venture for the Davis Bynum label (hey, you heard it here first, kiddos!), from Huichica soils that, along with the clone and rootstock choices, provide some water stress to the Pinot vines from whence this wine came. It’s big, earthy, toasty, spicy, and dark; bring your penchant for black tea, citrus peel, and plummy fruits. Underneath it all, there’s tannic and acidic structure that provides both scaffolding and liveliness. 17% new oak, 14.49% abv, and basically 99% Kick-Ass.

Cheers!

Grab The 1WineDude.com Tasting Guide and start getting more out of every glass of wine today!

Shop Wine Products at Amazon.com

Copyright © 2016. Originally at Who’s Your Daddy… Of RRV Single Vineyard Pinot? (Davis Bynum Recent Releases) from 1WineDude.com – for personal, non-commercial use only. Cheers! Source: http://www.1winedude.com/whos-your-daddy-of-rrv-single-vineyard-pinot-davis-bynum-recent-releases/

from Linda Johnson https://meself84.wordpress.com/2018/06/06/whos-your-daddy-of-rrv-single-vineyard-pinot-davis-bynum-recent-releases/

[cacophonyofolives]

Who’s Your Daddy… Of RRV Single Vineyard Pinot? (Davis Bynum Recent Releases)

sushi – it’s not just for Pinot anymore

Recently, I was invited for a media-lunch-tasting-type-thingy in Philly with the affably hippie-ish-appearing Greg Morthole, who has been making wines for the Davis Bynum label since 2010. Davis Bynum wa purchased by Rodney Strong in 2007, and before that was a bit of a Sonoma-area legend, based on its eponymous founder.

That Davis Bynum (who passed away in 2017) is literally the daddy of Russian River Valley single-vineyard Pinot Noir, having harvested the first ever such varietal wine in 1973. Bynum got his start as a home winemaker in the 1950s, went pro in the 1960s, and at times had vineyard land in Napa and handshake grape deals with the Rochioli clan. And those last two sentences are a gross oversimplification of why Bynum’s name is well-regarded in the vinous world; I mean, this is also the former San Francisco Chronicle reporter who famously bought a box of grapes from Robert Mondavi for less than $2, once employed the about-as-legendary winemaker Gary Farrell, and used to haul grapes to his Albany winery in a 1946 Studebaker flatbed.

Morthole speaks fondly of Bynum, and if he’s suffering from any pressure-related performance anxiety related to making wines under Bynum’s name, he doesn’t betray an iota of it in his laid-back, California dude demeanor. Here’s what we tasted together over bites of Zama Sushi in Philly (and, yeah, Pinot works with sushi, depending on how earthy a cut you order, and how reserved your application of wasabi is…)…

2017 Davis Bynum Virginia’s Block Jane’s Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc (Russian River Valley, $25)

“This is my favorite vintage [of the Sauvignon Blanc],” Morthole mentioned to me, “and I’m not just bullsh*tting you!” And there is definintely something special about this release, which hails from a mere five acres of sandy-clay loam soils, and sees twenty percent acacia and older oak barrel action. Sporting melon, lemongrass, spice, blossoms, and tropical fruit aromas/flavors, this holds its palate weight deftly; I mean, it’s curvy, but it’s also firm.

 2015 Davis Bynum River West Vineyard Chardonnay (Russian River Valley, $25)

A change of label accompanied this vintage, along with a change in the oak regimen (less was used, as you’d probably already guessed mid-sentence). The result is a zesty Chardonnay that showcases lemon, blossom, and flint action along with its peaches-and-cream profile. “I like where this is at now,” Morthole mentioned, and I am inclined to agree with him.

2014 Davis Bynum River West Vineyard Chardonnay (Russian River Valley, $25)

Broad, toasty, tropical, and dead-sexy, this is alive and kicking. Ripe peaches, cream, crème brûlée… you know you’re in California, for sure, and in this case there’s balance along with the opulence and you don’t mind it even one little bit.

 2016 Davis Bynum Jane’s Vineyard Pinot Noir (Russian River Valley, $35)

A vintage built for some aging, this Santa Rosa plain vineyard Pinot hails from low-vigor soils, and in the `16 incarnation has a tight, earthy, spicy, and dark-fruited profile. It’s big, it’s structured, but it’s also floral, with lovely herbal overtones and great balance between its riper and tarter berry and plum fruit flavors. And yeah, it worked with raw tuna (like, big-time).

 2015 Davis Bynum Jane’s Vineyard Pinot Noir (Russian River Valley, $35)

This is a richer, toastier vintage of the Jane’s, with ample spice and black tea leaf aromas. There are sexy black fruits, lithe red fruits, and lots of berry fruits in general. The finish is what really works well here; it’s long, toasty, and not taking No for an answer.

 2014 Davis Bynum Jane’s Vineyard Pinot Noir (Russian River Valley, $35)

This is the kind of wine that should dispel doubts about whether or not the Bynum wine legacy is in good hands. Aromas of wood, tea, and pepper spices mingle with big, juicy, red and black berry fruits. As long and toasty of a finish as we’ve come to expect, and basically just kick ass the entire time during the drinking experience.

2015 Davis Bynum Pommard Clone Jane’s Vineyard Pinot Noir (Russian River Valley, $55)

A new venture for the Davis Bynum label (hey, you heard it here first, kiddos!), from Huichica soils that, along with the clone and rootstock choices, provide some water stress to the Pinot vines from whence this wine came. It’s big, earthy, toasty, spicy, and dark; bring your penchant for black tea, citrus peel, and plummy fruits. Underneath it all, there’s tannic and acidic structure that provides both scaffolding and liveliness. 17% new oak, 14.49% abv, and basically 99% Kick-Ass.

Cheers!

Grab The 1WineDude.com Tasting Guide and start getting more out of every glass of wine today!

Shop Wine Products at Amazon.com

Copyright © 2016. Originally at Who’s Your Daddy… Of RRV Single Vineyard Pinot? (Davis Bynum Recent Releases) from 1WineDude.com - for personal, non-commercial use only. Cheers! source http://www.1winedude.com/whos-your-daddy-of-rrv-single-vineyard-pinot-davis-bynum-recent-releases/

[canvasclothiers]

Who’s Your Daddy… Of RRV Single Vineyard Pinot? (Davis Bynum Recent Releases)

sushi – it’s not just for Pinot anymore

Recently, I was invited for a media-lunch-tasting-type-thingy in Philly with the affably hippie-ish-appearing Greg Morthole, who has been making wines for the Davis Bynum label since 2010. Davis Bynum wa purchased by Rodney Strong in 2007, and before that was a bit of a Sonoma-area legend, based on its eponymous founder.

That Davis Bynum (who passed away in 2017) is literally the daddy of Russian River Valley single-vineyard Pinot Noir, having harvested the first ever such varietal wine in 1973. Bynum got his start as a home winemaker in the 1950s, went pro in the 1960s, and at times had vineyard land in Napa and handshake grape deals with the Rochioli clan. And those last two sentences are a gross oversimplification of why Bynum’s name is well-regarded in the vinous world; I mean, this is also the former San Francisco Chronicle reporter who famously bought a box of grapes from Robert Mondavi for less than $2, once employed the about-as-legendary winemaker Gary Farrell, and used to haul grapes to his Albany winery in a 1946 Studebaker flatbed.

Morthole speaks fondly of Bynum, and if he’s suffering from any pressure-related performance anxiety related to making wines under Bynum’s name, he doesn’t betray an iota of it in his laid-back, California dude demeanor. Here’s what we tasted together over bites of Zama Sushi in Philly (and, yeah, Pinot works with sushi, depending on how earthy a cut you order, and how reserved your application of wasabi is…)…

2017 Davis Bynum Virginia’s Block Jane’s Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc (Russian River Valley, $25)

“This is my favorite vintage [of the Sauvignon Blanc],” Morthole mentioned to me, “and I’m not just bullsh*tting you!” And there is definintely something special about this release, which hails from a mere five acres of sandy-clay loam soils, and sees twenty percent acacia and older oak barrel action. Sporting melon, lemongrass, spice, blossoms, and tropical fruit aromas/flavors, this holds its palate weight deftly; I mean, it’s curvy, but it’s also firm.

  2015 Davis Bynum River West Vineyard Chardonnay (Russian River Valley, $25)

A change of label accompanied this vintage, along with a change in the oak regimen (less was used, as you’d probably already guessed mid-sentence). The result is a zesty Chardonnay that showcases lemon, blossom, and flint action along with its peaches-and-cream profile. “I like where this is at now,” Morthole mentioned, and I am inclined to agree with him.

2014 Davis Bynum River West Vineyard Chardonnay (Russian River Valley, $25)

Broad, toasty, tropical, and dead-sexy, this is alive and kicking. Ripe peaches, cream, crème brûlée… you know you’re in California, for sure, and in this case there’s balance along with the opulence and you don’t mind it even one little bit.

  2016 Davis Bynum Jane’s Vineyard Pinot Noir (Russian River Valley, $35)

A vintage built for some aging, this Santa Rosa plain vineyard Pinot hails from low-vigor soils, and in the `16 incarnation has a tight, earthy, spicy, and dark-fruited profile. It’s big, it’s structured, but it’s also floral, with lovely herbal overtones and great balance between its riper and tarter berry and plum fruit flavors. And yeah, it worked with raw tuna (like, big-time).

  2015 Davis Bynum Jane’s Vineyard Pinot Noir (Russian River Valley, $35)

This is a richer, toastier vintage of the Jane’s, with ample spice and black tea leaf aromas. There are sexy black fruits, lithe red fruits, and lots of berry fruits in general. The finish is what really works well here; it’s long, toasty, and not taking No for an answer.

  2014 Davis Bynum Jane’s Vineyard Pinot Noir (Russian River Valley, $35)

This is the kind of wine that should dispel doubts about whether or not the Bynum wine legacy is in good hands. Aromas of wood, tea, and pepper spices mingle with big, juicy, red and black berry fruits. As long and toasty of a finish as we’ve come to expect, and basically just kick ass the entire time during the drinking experience.

2015 Davis Bynum Pommard Clone Jane’s Vineyard Pinot Noir (Russian River Valley, $55)

A new venture for the Davis Bynum label (hey, you heard it here first, kiddos!), from Huichica soils that, along with the clone and rootstock choices, provide some water stress to the Pinot vines from whence this wine came. It’s big, earthy, toasty, spicy, and dark; bring your penchant for black tea, citrus peel, and plummy fruits. Underneath it all, there’s tannic and acidic structure that provides both scaffolding and liveliness. 17% new oak, 14.49% abv, and basically 99% Kick-Ass.

Cheers!

Grab The 1WineDude.com Tasting Guide and start getting more out of every glass of wine today!

Shop Wine Products at Amazon.com

Copyright © 2016. Originally at Who’s Your Daddy… Of RRV Single Vineyard Pinot? (Davis Bynum Recent Releases) from 1WineDude.com – for personal, non-commercial use only. Cheers!

Source: http://www.1winedude.com/whos-your-daddy-of-rrv-single-vineyard-pinot-davis-bynum-recent-releases/