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renaramblesaboutcomics · 7 years ago

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Wednesday Roundup 6.12.2017

Another short but completely satisfying week for the Roundup! And this time we have something of a theme -- genre stories and, especially, genre stories that have developed from or are directly a part of Japanese storytelling tropes, which is engaging, interesting, and would have been rather ingenious on my part if it had been on purpose. Which... sure! Totally was on purpose. How smart of me. I’m sure anyone who believes me there is very impressed.

Regardless, let’s get right into the thick of it~

IDW’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Dark Horse’s Usagi Yojimbo, Viz’s Yona of the Dawn

IDW’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2011-present) #77 Kevin Eastman, Tom Waltz, Damian Couceiro, Ronda Pattison

I have to really give it up to the ingenuity that goes into IDW’s take on Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles once again because I am just so stunned and amazed by how near flawlessly they are able to make something that all fans are most certainly familiar with and turning it not just on its head but providing the familiar in completely surprising and innovative ways to where even I, the Turtle Historian that I am, can’t predict where we’re going with this.

It’s not exactly novel that the Turtles had a relationship with the Triceratons prior to the Invasion forces. That dates back to Eastman and Laird’s original stories in the 80s. But every representation of the Triceratons since then and even then have provided an outsider’s perspective as the turtles were caught up in a conflict completely outside of their personal connections and to which the Triceratons were a slaver, gladitorial, and genuinely unrelatable force of evil from the start. With only one-off exceptions of solitary Triceratons they befriended (or... dated in Mikey’s case because the early 2000s Vol. 4 comics were weird), the perspective of the Triceratons was never something that had shades of gray.

After all, they were such a warring, barbaric race that their original origins had it that they accidentally blew up their own planet which had spawned conflict with forces like the Federation to begin with.

But in the IDW comics, villains come in layers and dimensions, to the point that even Stockman as the hilariously played straight Mad Scientist antagonist, is someone that the Turtles and April can conceivably work with to meet the same ends. To the point that we’re at odds with Master Splinter, that him working with Bishop’s forces is not shocking even in the gut wrenching feelings of betrayal.

Everyone has their motivations and everyone has good reasons for those motivations, most especially the Triceratons themselves. They want a home. They were molded by generations of warring and enslavement. They were attacked first. And the camaraderie that they have with the Turtles genuinely makes them not just sympathetic but heartbreakingly backed into a corner.

This is great storytelling made all the better with solid art and even more solid execution of it all together. I am constantly impressed with this series and that doesn’t seem to be ending any time soon. 5/5 stars well earned.

Dark Horse’s Usagi Yojimbo (1984-present) #164 Stan Sakai

Now that we’re on part two of three of this storyline, and fully progressed in the overarching mystery of what I’m for the time being referring to as the Inspector Ishida Mystery, I’m feeling more and more comfortable in assuring new readers of Usagi Yojimbo that the current arc is just a fantastic jumping on point for new readers. Because, really it’s been one of the most engaging and entertaining storylines arguably since the original “Grasscutter” saga itself.

One of the things that Stan Sakai is a master of is the episodic narrative, and how easy it is for readers to engage at any point that they start picking up issues and in any order. And while that continues to be true -- which is marvelous in the current age of pushing for trade-style storylines -- more and more he’s also presenting the outline of the larger narrative and rewarding readers for engaging on every level.

That’s a difficult balance between two very different forms of storytelling but I find myself further awed by just how well Sakai manages it. He truly is one of the great modern masters of the medium and it’s just a comic that fans of the medium have to eventually read for themselves to get a full appreciation for it all.

Viz’s Yona of the Dawn (2009-present) Vol. 9 Mizuho Kusanagi

One of the fascinating things about the current landscape of media is that we have so many examples of how to not only deconstruct certain genres and storyforms, but we’re really living in a reconstruction of them the likes of which hasn’t had the momentum or tenacity that it has now at least in my lifetime. And I think there’s probably no better example of that right now for fantasy and fairy tales than Yona of the Dawn. Yona has been running since 2009, but it’s pretty clear why it was picked up for an anime in the last few years and also why interest in the original manga has reached the English speaking fandom more and more. I can definitely say that there’s more Yona on my dash here on tumblr this year than there was in previous years and it’s certainly not because I follow different or more blogs!

Yona is a feminist reconstruction of fairy tales, of the roles of princesses, and of the nature of strength. The more our titular protagonist yearns and struggles to prove herself again and again by masculine measures, she is inspiring to those around her. But what makes her endearing and what earns her the faith and love of her newfound family and all the people they have helped throughout her kingdom on their journey, is the strength of her more feminine traits and how she does not lose them but instead yields them even more powerfully as she grows into a woman.

I feel like, more than any other volume officially translated yet, Vol. 9 does the most to portray this dichotomy directly and because of that, her reverse harem of faithful suitors’ relationship development with her and with each other this time around feels more earned and feels more respectful of the character that Yona already is. And with the setup at the end, with the second son of the Fire Tribe’s general coming to face her once more, it’s clear that there will be even more juxtaposition between the Yona of the past and Yona as she is now with someone who once knew her confronting her again as the more empowered and more protective force that she has become.

It’s an incredibly exciting read and a fascinating reconstruction of a genre I really love. But it’s still far from perfect. For a feminist work, the fact that no permanent members of the cast are women besides Yona and that, in this volume, no speaking roles are given to anyone but Yona is pretty stunning. And there are some stilted interactions still predicated on the very tropes Yona tries to break down that feel uncomfortable at time, particularly her interactions with Hak and how “innocently sexual” Yona tends to be. I hope like many of the other story elements, these evolve as the story continues but they’re still negatives large enough to drop this volume of Yona of the Dawn from 5 to 4/5 stars.

Hello friends! That’s the end of the Roundup for this week, but fortunately if you enjoyed my takes on the comics of the week, for my Ramble reviews, or more content that I produce, I’m able to continue to do so thanks to the support and backing of my Patrons on Patreon.

As a way of thanking my patrons, I’ve opened up suggestions for future content to be covered -- comics for me to pick up on the Roundups, current comics for the Rambles, subjects for the fledgling future podcast, or more!

Patrons receive notifications about my upcoming content on this blog, but also receive updates on other upcoming projects including exclusive looks at my art.

Currently membership goes for as little as a $1 per project, but if we reach my current goal of 20 patrons I will hopefully be able to move to a $1/per month payment schedule instead.

So please, if you would like to support anything I do here, consider becoming my patron!

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#Rena Roundups #Wednesday Spoilers #SPOILERS #yona of the dawn (2009 )#Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2011 )#Usagi Yojimbo (1984 )

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spectrumscribe · 7 years ago

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Could you write a piece about what the hell were Casey and Shini doing during "When Worlds Collide"? I looked for fanfiction about it for some comic relief (yes, I have no life) and didn't find any. Btw, I love your blog! :)

you know, i’d been meaning to do something like this anyways. kudos to you anon for reading my mind.

In the middle of locking down the whole compound,Shinigami’s phone rings.

It could be Karai, finallysummoning them all to battle instead of leaving them all here twiddling theirthumbs- so she answers it immediately.

It’s not Karai.

“Hey, so. The world’skind of ending for the fifth time or something,” Says a teenage boy overthe line; the one that clings to the turtles and April like a stubborn bramble,despite obviously lacking any formal training.

“I hadn’t noticed,” Shini replies dryly, burying her thrumof worry underneath her persona. It’s not Karai on the phone, and thus herSenpai remains out of contact and unaccounted for. Worrying. “Why are youcalling, I would have thought you’d be throwing yourself into the fray alongwith the turtles.”

“In a sitch like this,kind of not my job.”

“No?”

“Nope.”

This doesn’t sound like something Casey Jones would do, fromwhat Shinigami has observed of him. He seemed like he’d be the sort to keepcharging into things until he either won or died, whichever came first.

“Why?” Shinigami asks, because even with all the chaoshappening around her and her heart clenching with fear about Karai being missing and in danger, her curiosity remains present as always.

“The brothers don’t reallygot people to worry about up here,” Casey Jones says tightly. The sound ofscreeching tires and muffled yelling momentarily takes over the phone line, andthen he adds, “-but me an’ April do.”

“…ah,” Shinigami says, garnering his situation.

“I have a van full of relativesand kind of in-laws, and not a whole lot of options for a hideout. Lair’s toofar and- FUCK,” Tires scream even louder, and Shinigami thinks she hearssomething go thoom, followed by anexplosion. “Okay long story short I need aplace to crash before we literally crash!You got- you guys have basically a fortress, right? The bugs won’t be able toget inside?”

The flurry of evacuation, to lower levels, is stillhappening around Shinigami. Foot soldiers, technicians, and medical staff, allmoving into the sublevels of the church compound. As soon as everything vitaland everyone vital is down there,she’s going down herself, and they’re locking the reinforced doors behind them.No one will get in, or out, untilKarai calls to tell them the apocalypse is over.

Or, she doesn’t call at all, and then the decision of theirnext move will fall to Shinigami.

…they admittedly have room for a few more.

Shinigami has always prided herself on looking out for herfew trusted close ones, leaving everyone else to do what they will, and surviveif they can.

But, Casey Jones isa member of Karai’s extended half family… andhe helped save her Senpai, once or twice before.

Shinigami sighs. Debts are not something she is fond of.

“The bugs won’t be able to get inside, no,” Shinigami says, andthen adds without pause, “How soon will you be able to get here? We’re lockingdown as we speak.”

“Kind of already here,”Jones says, because of course hedoes. “Open your back door so we don’t all getabducted by FUCKING SPACE BUGS-”

The line cuts off. Shinigami doesn’t have to wonder why.

She sends a small squadron to retrieve Jones and his people.Let it never be said she didn’t do a kind thing, or leave a debt like thisunpaid.

–/–

Casey Jones is many things, and fears almost nothing.

But, because he’s an older brother, a son- he’s scaredshitless of losing the small family he’s got. Hence the calling of one personhe never thought he would.

He’ll thank Leo for pushing them to have all numbers of their social group,later. This might’ve saved his family’s life and Mr. O’Neil and Ms. O’Neil’stoo. Probably his as well, since he would’ve stood between them and any stupidalien bug who attacked them until he couldn’t anymore, and then would havestood longer.

As much as he hates being pulled back to defense, Caseysupposes he sees the purpose to it. Maybe he can’t blow things up with hismind, or hide a hundred and one ninja weapons on his person- but he can keep a promise, and he can face downa whole army for the sake of that promise.

Especially when it’s his little sister and dad standingbehind him, and the last two human relatives April’s got.

It still sucks royally,hiding in an underground laboratory while the world goes to shit. While hisfriends are off risking their lives for the millionth time, and he’s not thereto back them up.

His father isn’t making anything easier, questioning Caseyagain and again why they’re hiding in what resembles very strongly a supervillain’s lair, and currently surrounded by armed men and women who donothing to dispel that impression.

“Dad, please, don’t ask about- any of this,” Casey waves hishand at the stone walls and creepy lighting of what used to be Stockman’s lab.Fuck that guy, for real. “If you don’t know nothin’, then you have deniabilitystill.”

His dad’s eyebrows sink a little lower. Ah hell, that wouldbe the ‘I’m worried and angry right now’ expression. “Deniability?” His dad asks in a lowvoice. “Arnold Casey Jones, just what in god’sname did you get yourself mixed up in?!”

Casey winces at the full naming. Oh boy. “Now see, that’sthe part where you don’t ask and keep your deniability…”

“Mr. Jones,” A smooth, sly voice interjects before Casey’sdad can work up another round. Shinigami’s heels click against the stone floor,cool gaze and a coy smile in place as she approaches. Casey sees his dad standstraighter, on guard, and notes that his thirteen year old sister watches theolder woman with interest. Well, can’t fault his sister for her taste.Shinigami is about as beautiful as she is deadly. Which is very.

“Your son assisted us… in saving the life of a very dearperson to me, not more than a few months ago,” Shinigami says, and Casey knowsthat’s not entirely a lie. “Myself and that person gave him a single favor touse as he needed, in exchange for that assistance. He was simply in the rightplace, at the right time, and we’ve hardly interacted since.”

“So… you’re saying my kid saved someone you’re close to, butyou didn’t drag him into any of…” Casey’s dad glances around at the Footsoldiers milling around, clearly uncomfortable. His hand on Casey’s littlesister, placed around her shoulders and keeping her close, makes that evenclearer. “…this?”

“No,” Shinigami says, still smiling. Casey only vaguelyknows her through their mutual social group, but it’s still enough that he canspot the subtle, but purposeful beguiling. “Your son has only been someone wemet with… very, very rarely. He has never been involved with the clan’sbusiness.”

Kind of a lie? Casey doesn’t mind, though. Anything to keephis dad from prying further, and possibly finding out about the shit ton of really dangerous stuff he’s beeninvolved with. Or finding out his friends, and his situation with them.

Casey’s dad examines Shinigami for a moment longer, and thennods once. He’s probably decided to notlook a gift horse in the mouth, at least until they get home and he’s got Caseycornered for questioning. Won’t that be fun.

“Thank you for saving us,” He says, and Casey knows it’ssincere despite the gruff tone. His eyes go to Casey’s sister, same time as hisdo. They’re both probably thinking the same thing. “I don’t know what we wouldhave done otherwise.”

Shinigami smiles a little wider; kind, but mysterious. “It’sno trouble, simply repaying a debt. Now, if you would please follow one of myattendants, they’ll take you to a place you can rest until this whole- invasionnonsense is over…”

Shinigami works her magic, (possibly literally?), and hasher Foot soldiers lead Casey’s family away. He lingers, because he’s gotsomething to say, and because he really doesn’t want to hold still long enoughfor his dad to potentially start asking questions again.

“Hey, Shinigami?” He asks, getting the woman to turn hereyes to him. He meets them evenly, because he’s gotten kind of used to beingaround people with subtly dangerous gazes. “Thank you, really. I… it’s my jobto take care of our families when everything goes to shit, and I don’t want tothink about how this could’ve gone down without you lettin’ us in. So. Thankyou.”

Shinigami looks at him for a long moment, and then smilesone of her more unreadable expressions. “Like I said, Jones, it is simplyrepaying a debt. For all the times you saved my Senpai.”

–/–

Hour four drags by, and Shinigami fights with herself aboutgoing after her dearest Karai.

The news channels have all gone down, and only shaky videostaken and posted from cameras remain to relay the situation aboveground. Fromthe looks of things, it’s not going well.

Her scythes weigh heavy on her hips, begging for use andurging her to slip away to search for Karai. Damn the Foot clan- the onlyreason she ever joined was to be by her Senpai’s side. There’s nothing holdingher here except for Karai’s wish that should the worst happen… Shinigami is tocontinue the Foot on its current course, until she finds a suitable heir.

Shinigami doesn’t want to lead the Foot, or find an heir.She wants to be by Karai’s side, protecting her back.

Her fingers trace the very edges of her blades, not drawingthem but unable to keep her hands off them completely. There’s no tellingwhat’s going on with her Senpai at the moment. She could be in danger, shecould be injured, she could be…

The phones won’t connect anymore, not because they’reunderground, but because Karai’s phone seems to have turned itself off. And theturtles’ and April’s…

All of those phones, turned off at such a dire time? All atonce? It’s suspicious, and worrying.

Shinigami is barely holding herself within the safe zone ofthe church. It’s all she can do to not let panic and passion seize her, andsend her running through the chaos stricken streets to find Karai.

“Got the battle-itches?”

Shinigami is caught pf guard by the absurdity of thatsentence, enough that she actually stutters internally. She turns, to findJones leaning on a hockey stick, looking as drawn and frustrated as Shinigamifeels.

“Excuse me?” Shinigami asks. In all her years, that’s a new one for a man to try withher.

“You wanna be up there too, am I right?” He clarifies,nodding vaguely upwards. “I get that feel. This is drivin’ me nuts.”

Shinigami considers him for a moment; the extended hand ofunderstanding and sympathy.

She takes it.

“I… worry for Karai’s safety,” Shinigami admits under herbreath, wary of passing soldiers hearing her concern. Their leader must beunbeatable, unbreakable; she can’t be seen as anything else, no matter how muchShinigami fears for her dear Karai.

Jones rubs his face, sighing harshly. “Yeah, I figured you’dbe. I’m worrin’ about the brothers and April, personally speaking. But they goteach other, all seven of ‘em and whoever else they dragged into things.They’ll… they’ll be fine.”

“You say that, but you don’t look like you believe it,”Shinigami points out softly.

Jones smiles crookedly, more of a grimace, and then laughs.“What? Nah. Not me. They always come through, no matter what. It’s just the waiting that gets to me, you know? I’mnot made to just sit around when there’s ass to kick. They need Casey Jones outthere with ‘em, backing them all up and taking point. Or something like that.”

Shinigami thinks for a moment, and then says, “I should beup there with Karai, protecting her back and taking her right flank. Notsitting here and waiting around like some abandoned sentinel.” She smileswryly. “Or something like that.”

Jones laughs, a sort of startled sound. He seems to relax alittle, out of the wary stance and gait he’s been carrying since the moment heset foot inside Shinigami’s realm of rule. It’s understandable, since theirfriends and loved ones are likely in mortal peril, and this is far from part ofhis territory.

A moment of silence passes, the two of them standing in theentrance to Stockman’s old laboratory. It’s not as awkward or strange likeShinigami might’ve guessed it would be. There’s something to mutual understanding,after all.

A low volume siren suddenly goes off, and Shinigami’s menand women start rushing around. Within seconds, a Foot soldier approachesShinigami, and relays that bugs have breached the upper levels. From what theirsmall team of scientists can discern, the aliens are able to tell there are alarge number of humans below ground, and are looking to break through thedoors.

Shinigami glances at Jones.

He’s already grinning, more so baring his teeth inchallenge.

Shinigami snaps her fingers, and gives the order to engagewith utmost caution. And to get the hell out of their way.

They’ve waited around long enough. Now, they fight.

–/–

When all is said and done, and bug aliens start falling deadwithout Casey hardly tapping them, he figures things could’ve been a lot worsethan they turned out.

Sure, New York is pretty much coated in a layer of slime andguts, but they won and everyone is mostly safe. He knows not everyone was aslucky as his dad and sister, or April’s father and aunt, but hey. He got hisown people to safety, and then he keptthem safe.

It’s enough for him. Infinitely better than the alternative.

He will never, everleave them behind again. Not even if the world starts falling apart under hisfeet a second time, he won’t.

He refuses to go through that again.

Shinigami somehow has barely a hair out of place, despitebeing right on the frontlines with him as they drove out the bugs from thechurch. Casey sees the angle of liking a lady like this, the sort that’suntouchable by anything around her. But, personally speaking, he still digs theblood streaked, messy haired, dirt smeared red-head type more.

He’s a little biased, but everyone knows that.

As he ushers his dad, sis, and the O’Neil’s into the PartyWagon, he’s a little surprised to see Shinigami seeing them off. He waits untilshe approaches, and then waits further to hear what she’s got to say.

“If you see Senpai before me…” Shinigami’s mask of aloofnessbreaks for a moment, exposing genuine emotions. “Please remind her to call. Andtell her the Foot remains as she left it, and that…” She mends the cracks, andthen they’re gone. “And that’s it. I apologize, I am a little tired.”

Casey jerks a nod. He gets it without having to ask at all.Being separated from the people really important to you sucks, and it’s not aneasy thing to admit aloud.

He sticks out a hand. “I’ll make sure she calls you, if shehasn’t already by the time I meet up with everyone else. I’ll find ‘em soon asI drop my folks and April’s off, okay?”

Shinigami blinks at his hand, and then slowly takes it. Sheshakes once, and then they let go.

“I wish you and yours good luck, and I hope no serious harmhas come to your dear ones,” Shinigami says, and for once, Casey’s pretty sureevery word is real.

“Yeah, same to you. See you around.”

Shinigami is back to being unreadable and masked by the timehe starts to leave, and gives only an enigmatic smile.

He gets in the Party Wagon, and starts weaving through thedisaster zone New York has become once again. His father and sister sit tenselybeside him, watching the damage go by with cautious eyes. April’s aunt sits inthe back, trying to help Kirby keep calm as they navigate the fresh trauma intheir lives. Casey feels kind of badly for all of them; they’re not as adjustedor familiar with insanity as he is, or as ready to embrace it.

He gets them home safely though, and promises to come rightback as soon as he has April and his friends again. His father gives him adeeply concerned look, but lets him go. Kirby who knows how his daughter and their friends are mixed up in this, justgives him a pale, but thankful smile.

His little sister grabs him before he runs out the door, anddrags him into as bone crushing a hug as her thin arms can manage.

“Don’t be an idiot,” She whispers in his ear. “and come homesoon, okay?”

He squeezes her back, tight. He could’ve lost her a lot oftimes over the years, and he hasn’t refused a hug since the first time. “I’llbe back before you even miss me.”

Walking away from his family is hard, because the sense ofdanger isn’t quite gone yet, but he manages it because he still has people tofind.

His phone finally lights up, as he’s circling the worstimpact zones, and he answers it immediately.

“You son of a fuck,” He says into the phone. “None of you could’ve kept your fuckin’phones on?”

“Sorry, electricalinterference scrambled the signals,” Donnie says, sounding tired andachingly relieved. “Newtralizer cameback, able to teleport of all things,and yeah, that screwed up every single cell tower in the area.”

“How so?”

“Fuck if I know. I’mtired and I’m just trying to get over the fact that yet another of my brothers has died and come back tolife within minutes of each event.”

“Oof,” Casey winces with a grimace. “Which one?”

“Mikey,” Donniereplies flatly. Casey winces again, because yikes.

“He okay?”

“He’s-” Donniesighs. “He’s naked for whatever reason, and breathing, and apparently okay despiteblowing himself up? God I don’t know. I have to do a proper examination later.Anyways. We’re on a rooftop in the middle of day, and the air force is doingcircles nearby. Please come get us before we have to break out of a lab again.” A pause, and then he adds. “I’m really glad you’re okay, by the way.Did you get to somewhere safe with yours and April’s families?”

“Shinigami let us into the church, it was real nice of her,”Casey says. “And I’m glad you’re okay, too. I’m glad all of you guys are okay.How’s April?”

“I think she has thethird highest kill count for bugs today, but only on the account of Y'Gythgbadecapitating anything that got within ten feet of her, and Mikey and hissuicide bomb act. I’d say she’ll be fine after a good shower and some food. Samewith all of us, honestly.”

“I could eat,” Casey turns the steering wheel, avoiding asizable pothole. “Hey, location?”

Donnie rattles off the address, and Casey breaks a fewdriving laws to make it there in less than ten minutes. They shoot shit on andoff as Casey drives over cracked roads and obliterated sidewalks, minding bug corpses strewn about and leftover goop stuff.

“I think I’m going tohave to hold him down until the shock wears off- he won’t stop bouncingaround, Casey.”

“Yeah, Mike’s a little shaky on the whole self-preservationthing.”

“None of my brothersunderstand basic first-aid protocols. And like you have any leg to stand on,adrenaline junkie.”

“You’re just a worry-wart, nothin’ can kill Casey Jones.”

“Sure. I’ll makecertain that’s carved on your tombstone.”

Casey laughs, feeling light, and he draws a chuckle out ofDonnie as he does.

Seeing Donnie, April, and all the rest (plus Y’Gythgba,because she’s sticking around apparently) clamber off the roof is a comfortingsight. No one is limping more than worth worrying, no one has cuts beyond aband-aid level, and they’re all accounted for.

Raph is grinning, with a black eye and an arm around Mikey’sshoulders, who is beaming at everyone around him and still very naked. Leo is walkingwith Karai, and Y’Gygthba, and none of those three look any worse for wearbeyond alien guck caked to them. Donnie has what looks like alien bloodsplattered all over him, same as April, and everyone else. April’s eyes arebright though, alert and high on victory as she smiles at Casey, and thoughDonnie looks tired as he usually does, he gives a weary smile as they allapproach.

It’s the best damn sight Casey’s seen all day.

Casey grins, and salutes lazily as his second family and co.gets into the van. Safe and sound, and where he can watch their backs again.

–/–

When Karai slips in through the window of the church,Shinigami feels her whole body relax.

Her Senpai smiles, wide and confident despite the filth andlight injuries all over her. Shinigami can’t help but smile back, warm to hertoes with relief.

The throne room is crossed in a blink of an eye, and thenKarai is warm and safe in Shinigami’s arms. Curling around Karai, in a brief moment of care beforeanyone sees, solves everything that had been snarling itself with worry in herchest.

“Welcome back,” Shinigami says softly, holding Karai closeas she can without hurting her.

Karai’s arms tighten around her neck, and she replies, “Gladto be back.”

When they break apart, Shinigami allows herself one lastindulgence to brush Karai’s messy bangs from her face. Her Senpai’s makeup isslightly smudged on the edges, and a blooming bruise graces her jaw. Well, thatwon’t do at all.

“Come,” Shinigami says, taking Karai’s hand and pulling hertowards the exit. “I have the medical staff, a bath, and dinner ready. You looklike you need all three.”

“That sounds wonderful,” Karai says, gratitude clear in hertone. As they walk briskly, her hand around Shinigami’s is tight, unrelenting,and so very alive.

It’s more of a relief than anything could be.

AN: it would have been really fuckin simple for the writers of TMNT to add a phone call cameo somewhere in the episode, or off-hand mention that Casey and Shini are the ones who hold down the fort when things go south. literally so simple.

and by the way, if you feel like it, consider buying me a Ko-fi so i can keep busing to work and making you all fanfics. :)

#When World's Collide #tmnt #tmnt 2012 #Casey Jones #Shinigami #presenting the token humans of the group #AKA the last defense squad while everyone else is busy blowing shit up #someone's gotta keep the home base safe #and its gonna be these two #(me @ canon: this was such an obvious thing to think of #why didn't you)#My writing #Request Night #technically?#not really though #*hints strongly at my favorite pairings*#i mean what

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baxtonme · 5 years ago

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Riding Boots Show Horse Saddle Fitting And Riding Rugs Supplies By Western World Saddlery Clothing Equipment Caboolture

If the boot fits…

Anyone heading off towards the Gympie Music Muster in Queensland this August will need to look the part – and it all starts with a rocking pair of cowboy boots. Whether aiming for practical workhorses or all-out fabulosity, Melissa Gibson, co-owner of Australia’s leading country outfitters, Western World Saddlery and Saddleworld Caboolture provides sound advice on how to find and fit the perfect pair.

“Gympie Music Muster is an iconic Australian event,” says Melissa, “where everyone wants to fit in and look the part.” The old faithfuls are coming to the end of their life, but the thought of buying a new pair is daunting: those were circa 1992, after all. Someone else might be dying for a pair, but not confident about how their flat feet would fare in those pointy toes. Never fear, says Melissa, as while there’s no hard and fast rule to choosing a perfect pair of new cowboy boots, considering a few things will make the task of choosing easier.

“Knowing what they will be used for is the key; horseback riding or line dancing. Perhaps they’ll be worn often with a lot of walking. Some people prefer a basic or traditional design, while others want the heels and bling,” she explains. “And they’ll all be on display at this years Gympie Music Muster.”

RELATED ARTICLE: https://baxton.me/blog/show-horse-saddle-fitting-and-riding-rugs-supplies-by-western-world-saddlery-clothing-equipment-caboolture/

There’s so much to consider and the competition to look best at The Gympie Music Muster is stiff. The heel and pointiness of the toe is often simply a matter of preference, Melissa says. Should the boots be worn often and for a variety of reasons, one should opt for a lower heel, although for horseback riding, some sort of a heel is required. “Then again, if the boots are to be used exclusively for kicking it up over the weekend, the sky’s the limit,” Melissa grins.

The same applies to decide the height of the shaft. A taller shaft offers more protection at work, although their length is entirely up to the wearer. “The bottom line is that comfort should come first. It’s not worth having the trendiest pair of cowboy boots if your feet are pulverised every time you wear them,” Melissa said.

Here’s how cowboy boots should fit. In a nutshell, like a glove: snug but not tight, with some flexibility. “If they are the proper fit, they will feel like a second skin from the get-go,” Melissa says. “Bring along a pair of the type of socks you’ll be wearing with your boots. Also, especially in summer, try them on towards the end of the day as feet and legs tend to swell when it’s hot,” she advises.

Boots could either be tried on sitting down (easier) or by standing up into them. It should take a little effort to push a foot into a boot, but it shouldn’t be forced. There may or may not be a popping sound when the foot seats itself into the footbed. This is an indication of a good fit.

The toes should not be squished and should be able to wiggle. A good way to check for room at the toes is to remove the insole and stand on it. There should be about a thumb’s width clearance at the front of the toes and the heel should be cradled. Also, make sure there is no overspill at the widest point of the foot.

It might sound strange, but it’s normal for the heel to slip about half a centimetre forward at first: more than that and the boot is too big; none at all means it’s too small. Because the boot is new and the sole stiff there is nothing preventing the heel from rising up and down. Once the sole starts to loosen up, most of the slippage will disappear. The instep holds the boots on, so it should not be too loose and the ball of the foot should align with the widest part of the sole.

Melissa recommends trying on a few different pairs and taking a walk around in each. “There is an extensive range of styles and sizes, with very detailed sizing charts, with height and width fittings for men and women. If you have your heart set on a pair of cowboy boots, you shouldn’t be held back by the fear of buying the wrong pair. They should, and could be, the most comfortable shoes you’ve ever owned.”

A Basic Rundown Of Cowboy Boots

The Classic Western – Simply designed and straightforward, classic westerns are your all-round pair of cowboy boots. The shaft will usually be around 30cm long.

The Shortie – An old and shorter variation of the western boot, these became popular because they were lighter, more practical, and less expensive compared to the classic.

The Western Workboot – These are functional and durable, distinguished by an extremely comfortable modified heel and rubber sole. Meant for people who spend up to 14 hours a day on their feet.

The Roper – A favourite with working men in the rodeo system, these boots have the ability to get the job done. They are light, practical, and have a wider sole.

The Buckaroo – Flashy and tall, these attention-grabbing babies are for show – and should be worn with swag.

Stockman Boot – A hybrid not necessarily designed for the saddle, it has a rubber sole, shorter heel and wider toe box, often with the same detailed stitching as the classic western. It’s differentiated by a scallop at the top.

Local Acreage & Lifestyle Property Sales Specialist, Gail Bernardin, a long-time customer of Western World Saddlery says “Whether in-store or online I cannot recommend Melissa and Debby high enough, they know their stuff, have an extensive range and give good old-fashion service with a smile every time.”

If you require Horse Riding Equipment, Western Saddlery, Horse Supplies, Saddles, Horse Rugs for Sale, Western World Saddlery, Australian, English Saddlery, Western Show Clothing, in Caboolture, Brisbane, Australia or anything equine then go no further than the expert team at Western World Saddlery in Caboolture or call (07) 5428 1564.

Syndicated by Baxton Media, the Market Influencers.

Riding Boots Show Horse Saddle Fitting And Riding Rugs Supplies By Western World Saddlery Clothing Equipment Caboolture was originally published on Baxton

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foursproutwealth-blog · 7 years ago

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Stockman: Debt, Taxes, Growth, And The GOP Con Job

New Post has been published on http://foursprout.com/wealth/stockman-debt-taxes-growth-and-the-gop-con-job/

Stockman: Debt, Taxes, Growth, And The GOP Con Job

Authored by David Stockman via Contra Corner blog,

During more than four decades in Washington and on Wall Street it is quite possible that we never picked up any useful skills. But along the way we did unavoidably acquire what amounts to a survival tool in those fair precincts – namely, a nose for the con job.

And what a doozy we have going now as a desperate mob of Capitol Hill Republicans attempts to enact something—anything— that can be vaguely labeled tax reform/tax cut. And for a reason that lies only slightly below the surface.

In a word, they are scared to death that the political train wreck in the Oval Office will put them out of business for years to come. So they are attempting to erect a shield of legislative accomplishment that can be sold in 2018 as the work of the GOP Congress, not the unhinged tweet-storm in the White House.

To be sure, some element of political calculus always lies behind legislation. For instance, the Dems didn’t pass the Wagner Act in 1935, the Voting Rights Act of 1965 or the Affordable Care Act of 2010 as an exercise in pure civic virtue—-these measures targeted huge constituencies with tens of millions of votes at stake.

Still, threadbare theories and untoward effects are just that; they can’t be redeemed by the risible claim that this legislative Rube Goldberg Contraption is being jammed through sight unseen (in ACA redux fashion) for the benefit of the rank and file Republican voters—and most especially not for the dispossessed independents and Dems of Flyover America who voted for Trump out of protest against the failing status quo.

To the contrary. The GOP tax bill is of the lobbies, by the PACs and for the money. Period.

There is no higher purpose or even nugget of conservative economic principle to it. The battle cry of “pro-growth tax cuts” is just a warmed over 35 year-old mantra from the Reagan era that does not remotely reflect the actual content of the bill or disguise what it really is: Namely, a cowardly infliction of more than $2 trillion of debt on future American taxpayers in order to fund tax relief today for the GOP’s K-Street and Wall Street paymasters.

On a net basis, in fact, fully 97% of the $1.412 trillion revenue loss in the Senate Committee bill over the next decade is attributable to the $1.369 trillion cost of cutting the corporate rate from 35% to 20% (and repeal of the related AMT). All the rest of the massive bill is just a monumental zero-sum pot stirring operation.

For instance, the new $2000 child credit will cost $584 billion over the decade (nearly $700 billion with the Rubio amendment to give rebates to taxpayers who don’t owe anything!).

But that is offset by the $1.22 trillion gain from repealing the current $4,050 personal exemption; the $134 billion gain from short-sheeting the indexing mechanism that protects taxpayers from inflationary bracket creep; and the $978 billion gain from eliminating the SALT (state and local taxes) deduction along with some other minor loopholes such as interest on home equity lines, non-disaster casualty losses and tax preparation expenses.

Then again, going in the other direction the bill will cost $737 billion owing to doubling the standard deduction to $24,000 per household and will further deplete Uncle Sam’s revenue collections by $1.17 trillion via rejiggering the current seven rate brackets.

But when all the zigging and zagging is done on the personal income tax side, what you get over 2018-2027 is a $1.20 trillion net reduction in personal income taxes.

But $83 billion of that goes to the estates of 5,500 dead people per year owing to doubling the estate deduction to $20 million per couple; and another $769 billion goes to about 5 million wealthy taxpayers (3.5% of filers) who are assessed the Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT) .

The latter is designed to catch taxpayers with unusually heavy use of tax deductions, exemptions and deferrals such as depreciation on personal property and real estate.

In the one year for which the Donald’s tax returns that have been leaked, for example, he paid $38 million in Federal income tax. But $31 million of that was snagged by the AMT owing to his obvious heavy use of deductions for depreciation and local taxes on property and real estate income.

We happen to agree that the AMT is a tax code monstrosity that should be repealed forthwith—having been afflicted by it ourselves. But we are also quite certain that it has nothing to do with supply-side incentives and economic growth and jobs.

No one who pays the AMT is going to work any harder or invest any more capital on account of its long overdue repeal. In fact, they actually will hire fewer people and pay lower wages and salaries—-that is, AMT payers will fire the legions of tax attorneys, accountants and consultants they employ to cope with it.

So aside from dead people and rich people, what you have left is a tiny $352 billion tax cut for the balance of 145 million tax filers over the entire next decade.

That computes to just 1.7% of CBO’s baseline revenue estimate of $21.1 trillion for the individual income tax (excluding AMT) collections over 2018-2027; and even that is written in disappearing ink, as the entire individual income tax section of the bill sunsets after 2025—save for the $32 billion per year tax increase owing to short-sheeting the inflation index.

But as they say on late night TV: Wait—there’s more!

To wit, fully 102% of this tiny $352 billion cut (i.e. more than all of it) is accounted for by the Senate’s small business “pass-thru” provisions, which allows 17% of eligible business income to be deducted at a cost of $362 billion over the period.

Again, we have no objection to cutting taxes on the unincorporated small businesses and entrepreneurs who create most of the nation’s new jobs. The fact remains, however, that the overwhelming share of the benefit from this provision will not go to the enterprising homemaker who hit the jackpot selling especially tasty cupcakes over the internet—nor any of the other earnest small business people being featured in the K-Street ads pumping the bill on TV.

In fact, more than half of “pass thru” business income is earned by the top 1%. And given that they would ordinarily be in the Senate bill’s new 38.5% bracket, they will get upwards of 80% of the estimated $362 billion of tax savings from this new deduction.

So there you have it. When you peel the onion back just a few layers on the individual side what you get is a giant pool of approximately 145 million taxpayers (excluding the top 1% and AMT payers) who in the aggregate will get tax relief of zip, zero, nichts and nada, too!

To be sure, there will be a lot of random careening shots within the total pool of individual income taxpayers. The Tax Policy Center’s distributional analysis, for instance, shows that in 2025 (the year before sunset), taxpayers in the middle quintile (incomes of $53,000 to $92,000) will get an average “cut” totaling the grand sum of $16.92 per week—-or enough to go to Starbucks every other day for a cappuccino and banana.

But inside that pool of about 30 million tax filers, 85% will actually get a cut of $24 per week, while the other 15% will experience a tax increase of $23 per week. Still, for the pool as a whole—-which is the heart of the middle class—-the total cut will amount to a mere 1.2% gain in after-tax income.

Technically, you might call that a “tax cut” because it does involve a tiny minus sign. But it is also undoubtedly the smallest, not the biggest, individual tax cut in history; and given the facts essayed above, it will not move the needle one single bit when it comes to the issue of growth, jobs and revenue reflows.

Stated differently, save for the business income tax cuts for corporate and pass-thru entities the Senate bill’s Laffer Curve is as flat as the restaurant table it was purportedly drawn on: You positively do not get an incentive effect from NOT cutting taxes!

So that gets us to the bill’s $1.7 trillion of business rate cuts—of which nearly 80% is due to cutting the corporate rate to 20%.

On the tax policy point, we wish to be very clear. The corporate income tax is a dysfunctional, obsolete relic that generates comparative meager Federal revenues ($324 billion or 9% of the $3.69 trillion revenue base in 2018)—-even as it fosters monumental and costly tax avoidance shenanigans in corporate America and heavy, costly but futile enforcement efforts at the IRS.

So call it a $3.9 trillion tax policy blight and nuisance over the next decade that should indeed be fixed. But a nation heading into a demographic twilight era with $31 trillion of public debt already built in by 2027, and saddled with a sputtering economy to boot, cannot prudently fix a nuisance by massive borrowing to get rid of it.

The right thing to do would be to cut Uncle Sam’s $53 trillion spending baseline over the next decade by the 7.5% that would be need to offset the revenue loss from repealing the corporate income tax; or better still, replacing it with a VAT or other consumption tax—- since trillions of spending cuts will be needed anyway to prevent the structural deficit from exploding later in the next decade.

In short, eliminating some or all of the corporate income tax with a “payfor” w0uld be a constructive endeavor. But borrowing $1.37 trillion to cut the rate to 20% under the nation’s current dire fiscal circumstances is an act of sheer madness; and to pretend that it will pay for itself in whole or part is one of the greatest con jobs every perpetrated in the Imperial City.

The fact is, in today’s central bank falsified financial system, corporate executives and other decision makers do not operate on anything which resembles the Laffer Curve, wherein a lower rate of tax ostensibly incentivizes a higher rate of output and the revenue flow-back therefrom.

The overwhelming reason for that proposition is that the central banks have made debt and equity capital dirt cheap and almost infinitely abundant. For instance, the average after-tax cost of debt capital carried by the big US corporations today is 2% or even less, and the earnings yield on equity capital for the S&P 500 is hardly 4%.

In all of modern history, there has never been lower return on capital barriers to business investment and output expansion.

Indeed, if the corporate income tax were responsible for recent tepid economic growth, as GOP politicians loudly declaim, then the chart below couldn’t exist. The path of the red line (3-year rolling GDP growth) and the blue line (effective corporate tax rate) are plain and simply a smoking gun.

In a word, the effective corporate tax rate, which is what companies actually pay after all of their tax planning and avoidance maneuvers, has dropped from 50% during the Korean War era to hardly 22% today; and aside from recession caused fluctuations, the trend (dotted blue line) has been steady downward for more than a half century.

And so has the dotted red line—-the trend rate of GDP growth. And that parallel path is fundamental to the GOP tax con job.

If there is no evidence that the corporate tax has accounted for the sinking trend of economic growth—especially since the late 1980s—-then it cannot logically be expected that a reduction of the statutory rate will generate the opposite; and as we show tommorrow, it would take a tsunami of extra growth to pay for the corporate rate reduction.

That’s especially the case because all of the propaganda in favor of the big corporate tax cut is essentially a Keynesian argument based on enhanced after-tax cash flow to corporate treasuries, not the marginal rate incentive effect from supply side theory.

For instance, IBM most recently reported an effective tax rate of 11%, which is a far cry from the statutory rate. We have no idea what it would do with its winnings from the Senate bill, if any (we suspect it would buyback more stock on top of the $100 billion it has purchased in the last decade).

But clearly its calculus would start from 11%, not 35%. Not a single decision-maker in Armonk has thought about the statutory tax rate for decades, let alone made an investment decision based upon it.

The problem on that score is that as the GOP tax writers struggled with a limited $1.5 trillion deficit envelope they perforce needed to broaden the business tax base in order to reduce the net cost of the rate cuts.

On the pass-thru side, for example, the Senate bill effectively lowers the rate on qualifying business income to 31% via the 17% deduction. But the $362 billion cost is partially offset by a $137 billion 10-year increase in revenue due to a new provision that would drastically curtail the ability of essentially the same taxpayers to deduct active losses in excess of $500,000.

So the net tax cut on pass-thru businesses is actually just $225 billion.

Likewise, the corporate rate cut costing $1.36 trillion is offset by base broadeners and loophole closers totaling $690 billion over the period. Foremost among these is a limit on interest deductions to 30% of adjusted taxable income, which alone is estimated to raise $308 billion over 10-years.

So on an after-tax cash flow basis, the viewpoint of advocates, the net tax cut on corporate income would amount to $682 billion or just half of the pure rate cut (and AMT) provisions in the Senate Committee bill. And for all US businesses— including pass-thrus—-the net tax savings over the decade is $907 billion.

To be sure, we don’t think that’s chopped liver, but it’s actually a big number that must be compared to a far bigger one. To wit, the CBO baseline for total domestic business pretax profits (corporate and pass-thru) is $18.2 trillion over the period.

Accordingly, the net gain in after tax cash flow embedded in the Senate bill amounts to just 5% of profits. Even if American businesses were starved for capital—-which is hardly the case—such a modest release of pre-tax earnings is hardly going to incite a tsunami of investment, output, jobs, wages and tax revenues.

In fact, however, we think the overwhelming share of this 5% gain in after-tax cash flow will go to owners and shareholders in the form of dividends, stock buybacks and other forms of capital return, including LBOs.

There is absolutely nothing wrong, of course, with business owners and equity investors getting bigger returns and more money in their bank accounts. That is, so long as Uncle Sam doesn’t borrow the money to make it happen—-exactly as does the Senate tax bill.

In this context, we offer two charts which we think nail the case that nearly all of the net $900 billion of business cuts will end up flowing to the top 1% and 10% who own most of the business equity in the US.

On the one hand, US business has been borrowing in the bond markets like there is no tomorrow. It appears that total corporate issuance this year will hit nearly $1.8 trillion, which is triple the turn of the century level, and nearly 165% of the pre-crisis borrowing peak in 2007.

There flat-out is no scarcity of capital or economic barrier to corporate investment in the US.

At the same time, net investment in real plant, equipment and technology is still 35% lower than it was at the turn of the century. Funding has exploded, but investment in real productive assets—after allowing for current year depreciation on the existing stock— has effectively imploded.

There is no mystery, however, as to where all the borrowed cash went—to say nothing of the trillions of internally generated business cash flow. To wit, it went into $15 trillion of financial engineering—stock buybacks, M&A deals, unearned dividends and LBOs—-over the last decade.

We have demonstrated ad nauseum that the Fed’s Bubble Finance regime has turned the C-suites of corporate America into financial engineering joints and stock market speculation arenas. The data for stock buybacks alone is dispositive.

Recall that in honest free market capitalism the purpose of equity markets first and foremost is to raise new capital; and the purpose of trading on the secondary market is to create liquidity for existing stocks and to provide a forum for honest price discovery.

The chart below belies that presumption completely. Wall Street runs a continuous movable feast of equity liquidation, not new capital raising.

US corporations have been incentivized by essentially one-way, central bank supported casinos— which masquerade as stock markets—-to convert their cash flows and balance sheets into massive stock purchases.

Give US companies an additional $900 billion over the next decade and the main result will simply be even longer blue bars in the chart above.

Nevertheless, tax bill advocates keep arguing that notwithstanding the overwhelming evidence above, that US business would invest more at home if the business income tax rate were lowered relative to those abroad. That is to say, capital has never been cheaper at home, but purportedly it is even cheaper on an after-tax basis abroad.

That’s exactly what 100 prominent conservative economists recently argued in the flowing missive:

In today’s globalized economy, capital is mobile in its pursuit of lower tax jurisdictions. Yet, in that worldwide race for job-creating investment, America is not economically competitive. Here’s why: Left virtually untouched for the last 31 years, our chart-topping corporate tax rate is the highest in the industrialized world and a full fifteen percentage points above the OECD average. As a result of forfeiting our competitive edge, we forfeited 4,700 companies from 2004 to 2016 to cheaper shores abroad. As a result of sitting idly by while the rest of the world took steps to lower their corporate rates, we lowered our own workers’ wages by thousands of dollars a year.

We will complete our debunking of the GOP tax con tomorrow, but for the moment consider the case of the world’s single greatest company—-Apple Inc. It starkly illustrates why the above claim that 4,700 companies have moved production abroad owing to high tax rates is just plain nonsense.

For purposes of simplification, Apple has a product sourcing department and a tax planning department. The former has moved production and jobs abroad for economic reasons that will not change owing to the GOP tax bill; and the latter department has moved the company’s tax books to low rate havens in Ireland and elsewhere for, well, tax avoidance reasons.

Since Apple’s effective tax rate owing to the aggressive and creative work of its tax planning department is already about 20%, the new GOP tax regime will have little effect except to extract a one-time 5% levy from the $185 billion of notional cash that Apple has stashed in off-shore tax books (actually most of the actual cash is in New York and other US based banks). The whole thing is a pure paper chase.

On the other hand, Apple’s sourcing department contracted-out virtually all of its massive gadget production to Foxconn, which produces exclusively in China and employs upwards of 1.1 million workers. And the reason for that is labor rates which are perhaps 10% of the fully loaded cost (including payroll taxes and fringe benefits) of producing iPhones and iPads in California, Arizona or Wisconsin.

Needless to say, the Senate will not change this massive labor cost gap, either. Apple will only bring jobs back to the US if some state government is foolish enough to pay them a giant subsidy to close the gap.

In short, US companies have off-shored their tax books because they can. Thanks to favorable tax rulings over the years this has been made all the easier by blatant but legal sheltering devices—-such as having an Irish subsidiary own the technology patents and charge the US tax entity a stiff royalty for using them.

But as we will show tomorrow, Apple is no outlier. The overwhelming share of production and jobs which have been off-shored—such as IBM’s 130,000 workers in India—have happened for economic reasons which far outweigh any impact of the statutory tax rate.

At the end of the day, the GOP tax bill boils down to borrowing more than $1 trillion from the American public in order to pay higher dividends to wealthy private stockholders.

And that’s a real con job.

#Wealth

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foursprout-blog · 7 years ago