#trying to eliminate any ambiguity from the conversation

[oldshittydog]

smth about growing up neurodivergent is it wasnt that *i* struggled with communication, *other* people struggled to communicate *with* me. ive never had problems expressing myself accurately or being understood, im actually really good at it. but people found it really frustrating to talk to me bc i consistently forced them to express themselves in ways they werent used to

[notmuchtoconceal]

I say this with love, but...I really have no clue who some of your most upset-sounding rants are directed to. It seems like it's a different person every time. Do people really wrong you that often? Are they not really directed at a specific person at all, but really just part of an artistic performance? Are they designed to be deliberately ambiguous? Is it wrong for me to make assumptions about you? Is it too arrogant? Is it too close-minded?

One thing that helped me get better (and I still have relapses, as you are well aware) was to outline a set of principles for myself as a means to eliminate ambiguities. And then just stick to them. And it feels rigid and stifling at first. It feels like you're sacrificing complexity. But you learn to find the complexities within those principles. They don't have to be absolute. They don't have to be dogma. But they help people understand how to approach you, because you've made very clear what you want from them.

You're taking a personal grievance you've had with some...Wisconsin otter...somebody with Republican value...somebody who believes they're too poor...whatever...and you've placed them in public. And thankfully you've given hints that these are specific people, but other times these hints are noticeably absent in your work, which makes it less obvious who you're speaking to, or if you're speaking to anyone at all, or if it's a fantasy sequence you're envisioning as part of the art.

Which makes me wonder if you're actually trying to disguise your personal grievances as something ambiguous so that they can be whatever they need to be in any given moment. Call me dogmatic, but I think those worlds should have a thicker line drawn between them.

If I tell you my personal opinion about you, it's not necessarily some cooing diagnosis about how clearly you're in great pain. And to me, you are, but also you've developed a striking and uniquely attractive shape because of it? It's not some manipulative way to make you doubt yourself. I don't even operate on the assumption that I'm correct about you. I'm simply telling you what I think, as an outsider, with no access to your mind. This is how normal humans operate. And if I'm wrong about you (and you have often been wrong about me), it's not meant as a personal attack. If I tell you who I think you are, and I'm doing this fully with the knowledge I could be wrong about you, that's kind of the whole point of conversation.

I wasn't insulted when you laid out your diagnosis of me. I loved you more for it. Even though it was so very, very wrong. But also I think I should adjust myself a bit and reign in my demons more, because you are also right. In other words, you are correct about how I should approach people and you were correct about what the solution is, but wrong about who I am. The slap in the face you gave me was much needed, though. Thank you for that. Please make sure to do it again, if I get out of hand.

I have work to do. You already know that.

The point about principles, which I interpret as being about lack of focus, is the primary reason I wish to both diversify and simplify my approach with additional pages. To cultivate more ambiguity within context.

While I do enjoy the chaotic, free-flowing approach, I feel there are moments where it becomes too overwhelming, too fragmentary, too utterly divorced from anything tangible or rooted in the fleshy and bawdily sensible, or even circumambulatorily coherent.

Mostly I want to narrow my primary account to within acceptable and delineable parameters, and I'm figuring out what those are by just doing it. Sometimes it still surprises me how messy shit can look.

I don't need to tell you about who I'm addressing with these posts. I don't particularly care if people who've been following me for years know who I'm addressing with these posts. Some most likely do, most likely don't.

The person I'm addressing, aside from all the ways in which he is uniquely complicated and special, embodied a plurality of ideologies in lieu of crafting a pragmatic and singular approach to life, hence I feel many of his follies, in isolation, are worth picking over for general consumption without needing to sully things too much with personal details, but yes -- you've caught me. This man I loathe may be your envy.

Every once in a while, for the sake of personal catharsis, I let things become a one man show for a one man audience, and just lance the shit out of the festering boil which keeps trying to pop back up on my ass.

I know he's watching. I'll bring up very specific things this one crazy person said to me a year and six months ago -- respond to insinuations. Pull apart arguments. Put projections back in their rightful context. I'm realizing this is the shit I used to do with all the other assholes I never dated. The long recovery process. All those arguments in your own head, months and sometimes years later, when you realize when the chip went it and you rip that fucker out. Aw, yeah. Can even feel your brain snap.

It's happening again. This time, though? I know the fucker's watching.

I know he's watching me and hating himself and watching me get better and attracting better versions of him who I can love instead.

This time that fucker gets to see how much of a loser he is.

Maybe when you bros get into the really long nasty shit, you can put yourself in my place, adopt that perspective. Really revel in the joys of your piece of shit not-exes clamoring to hear all the shit you're sayin about em cause you're a stud with a page people can't get enough of.

See, there you go.

Now the fantasy is readily at your disposal. Enjoy, bro.

Good things happen when you ask questions.

[antisocialxconstruct]

slaps my hands against my keyboard for a couple hours trying to extract a conversation that’s been floating half-formed in my head for like a month

1.3k, super duper early Sidestep days, no warnings just canon-typical Chargestep banter lmao

---

The commotion behind him fades into a dull murmur as he turns a corner, finally exhaling a long, slow breath. The media presence for something like this is bound to be minimal–a new villain, not even secure enough in their own gimmick to pull it off, might make page three just on the merit of a Ranger being first on the scene–but the police who arrived to mop everything up are the far greater concern. Maksim’s already been on the receiving end of their inclination not to draw hard lines between a criminal and an unmarked vigilante.

Best to just remove himself before anyone gets confused.

He leaves his hood up as he walks but tugs the makeshift mask down to breathe in the unfiltered air. Dry, hot even in the long early evening shadows, but the acrid taste of dust and car exhaust is slightly less pungent this far from the main streets. City air. He would add nothing to it by lighting a cigarette, but he’s just digging into his coat for the pack when he hears a voice raised behind him.

“Hey! Stop!”

He immediately breaks into a faster clip without looking back, scanning the path ahead for a route he can duck down. The streets are all but abandoned but maybe the call wasn’t even aimed at him, if someone’s attention had become focused on him he would have-

Hurried footfalls coming up fast behind him scatter that bit of hope and in a burst of panic he pulls the mask back up over his nose and takes off down the quietest street he can spot. This is a commercial area, there are no dark, grimy alleys to disappear into, just quaint little walking paths and sandwich boards and glass-topped tables. Before a hiding spot can present itself a hand closes around Maksim’s wrist and flight shifts instantly and effortlessly into fight as he turns, breaks the assailant’s grip with a twist of his arm that flows into a fighting stance.

And he’s face to face with Charge, standing there a little wide-eyed with his hands placatingly raised. There’s a jacket over his skinsuit now, breaking up and softening the toned muscle of his silhouette a little, making him look just a little less combat ready. But it’s still emblazoned with the Rangers’ trademark palette and logo to eliminate any possible ambiguity about its wearer.

It takes a beat for Maksim’s rational brain to catch up from where he left it a block or so down the street. When it does he lowers his guard, but he still doesn’t fully relax. He can’t, not really. It makes sense now, the fact that he didn’t realize someone was following him. It could only be Charge, in that case. It doesn’t put him any more at ease to be reminded there’s someone he can’t read and can’t seem to avoid.

Charge is the one to finally break the standoff, stepping back and letting his own posture relax as he remarks, “is this how all our non-battlefied meetings are going to go?”

Maksim wills himself to mirror the other man’s stance as best he can, but he can’t keep the edge out of his voice when he answers. “If you’re sneaking up on me every time it is.”

“Sorry.” The apology seems genuine enough, as does the meek smile Charge offers along with it. “For the record I appreciate you not trying to break my arm this time.”

“There’s still time,” Maksim mutters. He might not have meant it as a genuine threat, but he still resents the light chuckle it earns from Charge, and he resents all the more that it tugs a smile out of him in return. Behind the mask, at least. He reaches up to touch the edge of it where it rests on the bridge of his nose, just for a second, just to reassure himself. Plausible deniability. “Do you have a reason for tailing me through darkened streets? The fight is over.” His gaze wanders briefly to the left and right. He wants to keep walking, work out the sudden tension now coiled up through his limbs. But he doesn’t want to turn his back on Charge.

“Did you want to keep moving?” Charge asks, and Maksim’s attention snaps back to him in an instant. Unpleasantly perceptive. That’s not fair.

“No,” he lies.

“Well I did actually want to talk to you,” Charge continues, making no attempt to press the issue. “I’d been hoping I’d catch you at another scene.” As he speaks he’s rifling through the pockets of his coat, until he pulls out a bulging white envelope.

“It’s a shame LD’s finest can’t handle something like this on their own,” Maksim remarks, the needling almost a secondary impulse at this point. His attention is locked onto the envelope now, trying to assess it, guess its contents from the shape alone.

“Lots of things are just more fun with a partner.” The tone of Charge’s voice makes it feel like the comment came with a wink. Maksim wasn’t looking, and now he doesn’t know for sure. “And if you and I are going to be working as partners then I want to help you out.”

He thrusts the envelope out and Maksim recoils from it on instinct, his eyes darting from it up to Charge’s face and back. He didn’t even have time to protest the assignment of ‘partner.’ “What is that?” he asks.

“It’s… money,” Charge replies hesitantly, with an expression Maksim is struggling to place. A smile, but one he seems reluctant to wear too openly. Maybe he thinks Maksim’s paranoia is funny. Maybe he feels bad about that. When Maksim still doesn’t make a move to accept the offer he presses on doggedly, “I’ve seen you fight, you clearly have a knack for this. I’ve also seen you take some hits that make my bones ache just thinking about them. I figured if you could get your hands on some real gear it might keep you in the game longer.” Another beat. “I… also threw in contact info for a tailor who can source some of the same stuff we wear and won’t ask too many questions. Called in a favor.”

Maksim is still staring hard at the envelope. It feels… dangerous. It feels like a trap. Sure maybe four layers of mismatched sportswear and a pocket knife isn’t the most refined kit for a vigilante, but he’s gotten by. He’s still in one piece. “I don’t need your charity,” he says. I don’t need to be indebted to you.

“It’s not- it’s a gift.” That doesn’t seem to strike the note Charge was hoping for, so he tries again. “It’s a… an investment? For both our sakes. We can always use more good people on the streets.”

Maksim doesn’t believe that for a second. There’s nothing impersonal about this, this isn’t a calculated move for his own benefit or the kind of gesture he’d make to just anyone. A discreet tailor, because Maksim has been so secretive about his identity. Cash, probably small bills, in case Maksim doesn’t have a bank account. And he keeps changing his story, trying to figure out what will make Maksim say yes. He sighs, dares to glance over his shoulder for just a second before facing Charge again. “If I take the money will you let me go home?”

“Sure, that seems like a fair trade.” Still joking, even when he’s got Maksim backed into a metaphorical corner.

With a muttered curse Maksim snatches the envelope out of Charge’s hand and turns on his heel as fast as he can manage. Still not fast enough to avoid feeling like a bear trap has just snapped closed around him.

[hood-ex]

Hey Emily can you and your writer-reader friends help us with this? It's a long story so sorry for that.

Me and a couple close friends found an author in a new fandom, we've been more or less chatting with her anonymously for a few months now and she's pretty nice we share a lot of brainrots as writer-readers ourselves. This author is kind of a niche writer so it's understandable that she really wants her fans to leave comments and be openly supportive, within this time she even had a depressive episode due to lack of engagement and fandom wankery. All understandable really. She came back a while ago and is back in great mood, and she dropped new fics too.

The problem is, the newest fic was sad and dark, the characters were bitter and the ending was ambiguous, tags and summary conveyed that, it was all intentional and her own friends have been hyping it up as sad bitter dark fic (not problematic dark, just dramatically angsty and bleak that fits canon tonally)

One of us has been going thru a very rough time themself, spiraled badly it seems, and I didn't learn about it until today. They read the fic, not their type of fic at all but I think they just wanted to feel something even if it was negative, judging by the comment. They're a big commenter and they left a long comment detailing all the stuff they liked, quotes, and that they really liked how the ending was not necessarily happy. This started the problem. Now the writer is constantly talking about how she hates sad endings, shading sad/ bittersweet endings, got her friends to post a lot of Happy content about those characters all of a sudden, talking to her other anons like she's venting about my friend's comment and my friend who had been avoiding social media happened to check in once, only to find all of that on their dash. They're now really upset at themself.

It's a messy situation and Idk how to help. I got to talk to my friend after days and this is what I see. They're regretting everything from commenting to ever "bothering" that author by chatting with her like It Is A Mess okay, and of course I'm worried about my friend but Idk how to handle the situation so the author doesn't get any flame or thinks we're attacking her? Our other friend is not as invested so he's okay with dropping the author altogether. Please advise us fanfic veterans we need it badly.

As long as your friend didn’t write anything rude/mean in their comment, I don’t see how they’ve done anything wrong in this situation. It sounds like the author is overreacting to a harmless comment.

At this point, it might be best to no longer engage with the author about this particular fic/topic if it’s going to cause distress to any of the parties involved. It might be better for you and your friend to put some space between y’all and the author for now. Maybe unfollow her until she’s done ranting about this topic. Eliminate the stressor from your lives, y’know? It doesn’t mean you can’t still read and enjoy her fics in the meantime.

I’ve personally reached out to people through chat when a problem has arisen (I wouldn’t try this approach anonymously via an Ask). I like this approach because you can be more direct without outsiders (followers) being in your business. However, I know this approach can be intimidating, especially when you’re trying to talk to a larger blog. Your friend also might not want to risk getting further backlash from the author which is understandable.

If your friend does decide to take the direct conversation approach then remind them not to come off aggressive or super defensive. It doesn’t have to be a big deal. Just a simple, “Hey, sorry for bothering you. I’ve seen you making some posts about so-and-so and I wanted to apologize if it was because of the comment I made on so-and-so fic. Just wanted to let you know I didn’t mean anything bad by it/didn’t mean to imply anything negatively about you/your fics.”

There's really not much else you can do about the situation. Just reassure your friend that they didn't do anything wrong/don't deserve the backlash and then try and wait for the author to move past the topic. It's up to y'all on whether y'all want to still engage with this author in the future.

Best of luck to you 🖤.

[tiaragqueen]

OOoo how about a #5 for itachi on the yandere prompts #1?

Because I Trust You

✂ Pairing: Yandere! Itachi Uchiha x Reader

✂ Word Count: 1,2k+

✂ Trigger Warnings: Manipulation, possessiveness, implied isolation

[Edited]

***

5. “Are you doubting my love for you?”

If you like my writing, please support me on ko-fi!

“All the reasons why I let you go, still there's not a day that can go by when you ain't on my mind at all.” - Doubt My Love [Jaz Karis]

It was during this moment where you were reminded of how lonely you were. Specks of white floated down like little angels, blanketing the entire world with their purity. Dead trees, burdened by overlapping snow, clustered together. The wind howled and tapped the glasses, and you could feel its frigidity seeped through the cracks. You slumped behind a window, vacant eyes staring far into the alabaster woods. A blanket draped over your back as you held a cup of hot tea, the heat intensified the redness on your skin.

When was the last time you saw Itachi again? It felt like months, but you were uncertain. He never left you that long, did he? Or maybe he did. There was no use in predicting his movements. He was as mysterious as the sea itself, smoothly deceived you with its calm appearance. You could frolic on the shore, chattering and laughing under the brilliant sky. But you could never guess the true depth of the ocean, just as you could never guess his genuine motivation and expression. Was he angry at you? Was he sad? Was he tired? You didn’t know. You weren’t adept enough to read between the seemingly blurred lines. But he always humored you, stroking your hair like a doting boyfriend and kissing your lips like he hadn’t practically abandoned you for weeks.

No, not abandoned. He’d never abandoned you. He loved you, or so he said. It was hard to know which one was real and which one was a lie. Maybe he loved your innocence only. You were pretty much gullible to him. He could spout random nonsense and you’d probably agree with a starstruck face. That was just proof of how putty you were in his hands.

Gripping the blanket closer, you sighed. Was that a bad thing, though? He’d saved you, after all. When you were teetering on the verge of insanity, he’d swooped into your rescue, the strange cloak billowing majestically behind him. You’d gazed at him with wide, sparkling eyes as he effortlessly eliminated the ninjas who had shattered your whole life. And you’d eagerly accepted his hand when he offered to whisk you somewhere far, away from the piles of dead bodies and everything you’d come to know.

You were so thankful, so desperate for a companion that you failed to notice the darkness that swirled within his crimson eyes, nor were you aware of his tightening grip on your joined hands. You’d stopped thinking that day, simply and enthusiastically putting your trust and soul in him, a mere stranger. And he’d readily accepted those gifts as he locked the door behind him and turned to face the horror of the outside world.

… Maybe you were gullible. Because if he could leave you without a second thought, without a moment of hesitation, then he must’ve not loved you as deep as he’d claimed.

It hurt to conclude that, but at the same time, you understood. Why would someone like him love you? He probably just took pity on you. The gap between your strengths and intelligence was wide and bottomless. It was only natural that he sought a matching partner, right? Affection could only go so far without connection, and once that your mind had cleared itself, you realized that those deep conversations were as rare as his visits. And even if he did come, you were too busy basking in his quiet affection to notice that he hardly talked about his days or past.

It shouldn’t have bothered you so much. You’d spent days without hearing anything, after all. But it wouldn’t hurt to know a bit, right? He’d probably learned something about you, heck, maybe your entire background. A little reciprocation goes a long way, no?

Fate allowed you no time to contemplate further as the front door clicked open. Itachi shook the snowflakes that stacked upon his raven hair and peered around, noticing that you’d yet to leap on him. You were always the affectionate one between the two of you, and it served to shorten the bridge. He was glad that you’d adapted smoothly to the new environment, much quicker than he’d expected. It meant that manipulation was unnecessary, but a sweet word here and there remained vital to keep your trust.

He’d broken his brother’s once, and he didn’t want to ruin another. Not if he could help it.

“[Name]?” His cool voice drifted through your ears like the calming sound of a steady river. A tall figure appeared on the doorway to your shared room, dark irises immediately found their target. Sensing his stare, you turned your head slightly and beckoned him to accompany you. Itachi smiled, an expression that you would’ve missed had you didn’t look deeper and went to claim his rightful spot beside you. You offered him your full tea, and he accepted it with a soft thanks.

“Where have you been?” you whispered, feeling the telltale nervousness building on your throat. You noted a long period had passed before he answered, and even then, it was ambiguous.

“I was out on an errand.”

“That long?” You didn’t know if it was appropriate for you to press on, but you figured something was better than nothing. Unfortunately, Itachi seemed to catch your abrupt curiosity because he stared at you emotionlessly.

“… Something went wrong along the way.”

And that was his only response before he started to sip the warm tea, a clear indication for you to drop the subject. However, you refused to back down. You thought that you deserved some clarity once in a while, especially when you’d been nothing but understanding to his constant disappearance.

“Why? What happened in there? Did someone attack you?” You knew you were beginning to irritate him – you could see his eyebrows twitched slightly – but you persisted nonetheless. “Why won’t you tell me more, Itachi? You’ve been hiding secrets from me. I feel like… you don’t trust me or something.”

“Are you doubting my love for you?”

“W-what? No! It’s not that. I just…” You gripped your forearm as you looked down nervously. “I just want you to be more… honest with me, you know? We’ve been together for so long, and yet, I barely know a thing about you. It feels unfair to me because you know… well, everything about me.”

Itachi sighed and had you didn’t know him any better, you would’ve thought he was sighing in relief. Maybe he was, you weren’t sure. Even during his relaxed state, his face remained vacant. “You should’ve told me sooner.”

“I know, but I’m scared that you’d be angry with me. I don’t want you to think like I’m disturbing you or something…”

Itachi shook his head, a mildly amused smile gracing his features. It felt surreal to witness such a soft expression from him, and you wondered if he was simply entertained by your innocence.

“Of course not.” Lifting you from the mattress, he sat you on his lap and began to caress your arms as though he was consoling you before you could explode to his face. “I’m sorry that I made you think that way. If you want me to be more honest with you, then I’ll try to do so.”

Somehow, the words didn’t sound too comforting. He’d try, but for how long? Until you forgot about his promise and relished the scanty information you had about him? Until you realized that secrets were basically a part of him?

Regardless, you allowed yourself to fall into the snare by kissing his jaw and rested your head against his collarbone.

“… Thank you, Itachi.”

[travllingbunny]

The 100: 7x10 A Little Sacrifice

After The Flock - the show’s weakest episode in a long time - and an unfortunate hiatus after that episode, A Little Sacrifice helped get season 7 back on track. It’s one of the best episodes of the season: it was exciting, things finally happened - a lot, we got a big revelation about what the endgame is likely to be all about, there were fights, an attempted mass murder/genocide (what would a season of The 100 be without those?), some really good character work, and the first major death of the season. 

Yes, Charmaine Diyoza was not a main character. but after being introduced as a villain in season 5, she has grown into one of the most memorable and interesting characters on the show - in large part due to Ivana Miličević’s charismatic performance - with a complex and morally ambiguous characterization and backstory (which I really hope to maybe learn more about one day in the prequel flashbacks? Please?). She has been one of my favorite characters since season 5, and I loved her development and her relationship with Octavia, her mother/daughter relationship between her and Hope, her past fights to protect “expendable” prisoners and her S7 attempts to find peace and renounce violence, and hope (!) that at least her daughter will get to have a different and better life where she wouldn’t need to resort to it.  She became a (not so little) sacrifice for the better future we saw her dreaming of in season 5 in that conversation with Kane - maybe that dream is something we will see the new generations live in the series finale?

The one thing I wasn’t too happy about (I was OK with the lack of Bellamy cliffhanger since we got him in the promo for 7x11 right afterwards) was that Clarke did not have any more screentime than in the other recent episodes. But, especially on rewatch, she had some great subtle little moments.

You know what is not subtle? Sheidheda. He’s finding new ways to be completely OTT. This time he can finally stop pretending to be Russell, so he gets a makeover, more in tune with the...interesting Grounder fashion styles, chews the scenery even more, and then - thanks to Madi - he loses an eye (just as he did during his original lifetime), getting closer to his season 6 Emperor-like look, though he’s missing a cloak this time. He also doesn’t have enough facial hair to twirl his moustache, but he actually hisses at one point. This part of the episode was, this time, really fun and intense, including a really good fight scene and some really emotional and important moments for Indra, Madi and Murphy, but doesn’t need much analysis and doesn’t require attention on rewatch.

I’m still not sure how/if these two storylines will connect. But I can see a thematic connection of sorts: Sheidheda is the embodiment of the worst parts of the Grounder culture, with the worship of violence and power and killing all those who oppose you; and not just that - he’s all egotism taken to the extreme, the kind of “wild beast” as Anders would despise, but in this case, he would actually have good reasons to. On the other hand, we have the Disciples with their sterile white rooms, order and the propaganda of the abnegation of self in the favor of the collective, and dreaming of “transcendence” instead of trying to get back to the “old ways”. But they really come off as two sides of the same coin: both ideologies are about worship of and subjugation to a leader, both believe violence is the solution, and both are against love and see it as a danger.

Brand new opening titles - these opens start with a shot of Sanctum and end with the Bardo Stone Room with the Anomaly Stone - and guess what makes a cameo near the end of the credits? That’s right, Earth. I was starting to think that any return to Earth won’t happen, but now I’m not so sure.

Sanctum

The episode opens with the immediate aftermath of Shady’s massacre of the Faithful. We see Madi’s friend Rex (that’s his name according to the credits) - the Sanctum boy who offered Madi’s other friend, the null boy, to play soccer - mourning someone, probably his mother. This scene had to be there so we’d feel some sympathy and sadness over the deaths of the Faithful rather than just be relieved they’re (mostly) gone. One of the wounded ones is Jeremiah, the same guy who developed deep gratitude for Murphy for saving his son. Although the Faithful have been very annoying, I do feel a tinge of sympathy for this guy, who’s so clueless that he never understood he had any agency in what happened to his son and seemed really convinced it was all about the will of the “gods”. He now asks Murphy to take care of his son when he dies, but Murphy insists he will not let Jeremiah die. (Trey, the annoying a-hole who was brainwashing Jordan, and used to act as the leader of the Faithful, is credited in the episode but I didn’t see him anywhere - so I have no idea if he’s among the dead, or he survived and was in a deleted scene.)  

Madi has a really nice mini arc in this episode. She already had PTSD from her experience and possession by Sheidheda in season 6, so she is absolutely terrified when she learns he is back, and when he threatens her in a really creepy way. Excellent acting by Lola. Later, after being comforted by Murphy and joining the survivors,she shows strength in comforting Rex for his loss; and in the end, overcomes her fears and risks her life to save Indra.

Not that it matters, but Sheidheda’s real name is Malachi. (I’m still gonna keep calling him Shady.) We learn that when he recites the lineage - the names and clans of all the previous Commanders, which we know from S3 is a Grounder custom for a new Commander to do. Of course, we only get to hear some of the names in the middle (a couple of random Commanders called Maffei kom Boudalankru - the Rock Line and Kemji kom Trishanakru) and the end, when he mentions Lexa and Madi. The show wasn’t going to spoil the prequel by revealing the names of early Commanders,

The fight itself was really intense and maybe the best Grounder-style duel in the show (yes, I prefer it to the 3x04 one, which involved too much showmanship to look as a real death match). Shady is obviously going to be there for a while and things aren’t going to get so easily resolved, so he wins and is about to kill Indra - who refuses to kneel to save her own life - but just as he’s about to kill her, Madi finds the courage to come as the Big Damn Hero at the crucial moment, pluck out Shady’s eye and save Indra’s life. But then as he is about to kill Madi, Indra decides to (metaphorically, since she’s lying and about to pass out) kneel in order to save Madi’s life. Indra’s arc with Shady has come full circle: this may finally make her understand her mother’s choice and realize she was unfair to her. She grew up blaming her mother for agreeing to kneel to Sheidheda and considering her “weak”. The battle had been lost, her father was already dead, and her mother made the best possible decision and wasn’t just saving herself but her daughter, too. Otherwise, as we see in this episode, Shady would have ordered the daughter to be killed, too, after the mother - as he thinks children of the people he killed should also be eliminated so they couldn’t pose a threat and seek revenge.

That last order even shocked Knight, who may be having some second thoughts about the awesomeness of “Sangedakru’s greatest champion” (but this doesn’t mean he won’t keep obeying him). Penn and the other Trikru guy we know, who are loyal to Indra, reluctantly knelt when Indra asked them to.  

Madi, Rex and the other Faithful (including Jeremiah, who has indeed survived) have gone into hiding with Murphy and Emori - and hiding at the abandoned reactor. We didn’t see Jackson, but i’m sure he’s there. (Sachin is a guest star and must skip some episodes he’s not really needed in.) So now we’re finally reached the part of this storyline where Shady is in power and our heroes are the resistance. And Murphy is now, with Emori, a part of a power couple protecting these people and taking care of them (who would’ve expected that back in season 1?) - much like we’ve seen Clarke and Bellamy do over the seasons - even though most of the same people resented them for being fake Primes just a few hours earlier. Maybe they’re finally starting to get a clue and feel respect and gratitude to people who are trying to save them just because it’s a decent humane thing to do, rather than for being self-proclaimed “gods” who participated in their murder, oppression and exploitation.

Bardo

After 4 episodes, Clarke, Raven and Miller finally left the Stone Room! Yay! Jordan and Niylah stayed in it, and as it turns out, Jordan has a much more important and interesting role to play by reading the Anomaly Stone, while Niylah’s role in S7 has been to be exposition machine for Grounder history and have bad one-liners while Miller has the good ones. I’m glad there was no prolonged “OMG are they really brainwashed and on their side?” misunderstanding, as Clarke and the rest of the group, after learning about MCap from Gabriel, quickly realized that Octavia, Echo and Diyoza are only pretending, since they haven’t blown the secret that Clarke doesn’t have the Flame.

Speaking of one-liners, Miller’s “Get the flock out of here” really made me laugh out loud.

Callie is known as the Pramfleimkepa - the First Flamekeeper - which should mean she was never a Commander (I imagine that would supersede the position of the Flamekeeper or at least be as worthy of mention). I was afraid for a moment that Niylah had given the game away when she told Cadogan that - but fortunately, he didn’t understand what it meant, as he never knew that Becca called ALIE 2.0 “the Flame”.

Gabriel and Cadogan have a long conversation over dinner (or breakfast or lunch of whatever) about Earth before the bombs and Cadogan’s beliefs. The two of them are one of the few remaining humans who knew life before the apocalypse. (After Diyoza’s death in this episode, the only other people left from that time are the Eligius prisoners in Sanctum.) But while Cadogan is chronologically ‘older’ than Gabriel, as he was a Millennial, while Gabriel was born a couple of decades later, and because Cadogan has technically been alive for thousands of years on Bardo - Cadogan spent most of that time in cryo (same as Diyoza and the other prisoners). Gabriel is the real Old Man - at least 260 years old, having lived and experienced all those years. We learn a bit more about Gabriel’s background - that his family were from Colombia and his grandmother was poor, making him a “self-made man” - another contrast between him and the love of his life Josephine (which makes their season 6 parallel to Clarke/Bellamy even more perfect). Gabriel is the go-to-guy this season for having conversations about the worship of false gods and trying to challenge the Disciples’ beliefs. Cadogan, again, denies that he’s a cult leader (sure), reveals he doesn’t believe in God, and claims he doesn’t consider himself one (he sure doesn’t mind being treated like one, though). Instead, he claims his purpose is for everyone to “transcend” and become like gods - though he doesn’t really explain what that would consist of, and he also doesn’t offer any explanations as to why there is supposed to be a “Last War” and who the enemy in that was is supposed to be. Seven episodes have gone by with the characters talking to the Disciples, and no one has ever asked that question: who is the enemy? I guess they don’t even know that, they just think that, when they type in the code, they will learn who the enemy is and the war will begin, for... reasons? He also adds some BS about “this life” being unimportant compared to afterlife. (Now, to be clear - I actually do believe in the afterlife in general (though I don’t know in which form), but I really, really hate it when religions make the afterlife the focus and treat the life we actually know and are sure we have as less important, use it as an excuse to teach people to accept any sort of crap in their lives and not ask for more instead of living their lives to the fullest and trying to build something worthwhile in this life.) Gabriel is less than impressed with Cadogan, and challenges him by pointing out that “You can’t fight a war for the soul of the human race with an inhuman army” and that a life without love, individuality or freedom is pretty worthless, but Cadogan has the afterlife as a ready excuse, even though that doesn’t really answer the question.

The most important revelation that we finally get in this episode is that Cadogan has most likely mistranslated and completely misunderstood the ancient Bardoan text that he’s based his entire belief system on. And his mistake was in large part due to confirmation bias - he saw what he wanted to see, even though the idea of ending wars and violence by starting and fighting a war is absurd. (Niylah, for once, has a good line, when she points out that every major war is supposed to be the “last” but it never is.) Jordan’s interpretation - that it is really about a test that the species needs to pass - makes a lot more sense. Not a literal test - I really can’t imagine the show introducing some kind of godlike “higher beings” - but, I think, something that will require the characters to use all their strength and moral sense and all the experience they’ve had and wisdom they may have gained, to find the best solution to save the human race and rebuild the civilization, hopefully into something better (and it’s really not too hard being better than the mess of tribalism and constant wars and conflicts we’ve seen on the show). I don’t know what this will be, but the words “the orb becomes like a star” make me thing of a natural phenomenon. 

It’s also cool that it was knowledge of the Korean language that helped Jordan decipher the text - proving how helpful it is to be familiar with multiple languages and cultures and how much it expands one’s way of thinking. Do Disciples speak any languages other than English? They seem to foster cultural uniformity, so probably not. (it’s also confirmed now that Monty was half-Korean on his father’s side - Chris Larkin is Korean, but the actress who played his mother, Donna Yamamoto, is Japanese, so I assume Monty is half-Japanese.)

If you doubted that 7x09 flashbacks were a waste of screentime, we get a confirmation early on that Echo has just been pretending to be loyal to the Disciples, while plotting revenge all the time, when she kills a Disciple and saves Hope from being sent to Skyring. This plot could have continued straight from 7x07, when Echo’s Azgeda ritual was strongly hinting that she’s out for revenge. (And yes, the writing in 7x09 was just  that clunky as I feared - of course that Chekhov’s WMD that Levitt mentioned for no reason would be used in the very next episode for someone to try to kill all the Disciples in another Mount Weather parallel.)

A tiny bit of info about the Disciples - a Disciple addressed Hope as “Seeker Diyoza”. I don’t know if that’s a title for those trying to reach Level 1 or something else.

Hope, with her usual anger and impulsiveness, reminiscent of how Octavia used to be once, and her naive black and white views, is all for revenge-genocide, too, in spite of Octavia’s and Diyoza’s disagreement. Her mother tries to, again, teach her the lesson she tried to in 7x07, that she should turn to love instead of violence and killing (which carries a lot more weight when it comes from someone like Charmaine Diyoza rather than a hippy): “I know what it's like to kill innocent people for a cause, and I promise you, it's not gonna fill that hole in your heart. Only we can do that.” But Hope retorts that “There are no innocent people here”, echoing Nikki’s words to Nelson that “There are no innocent people at the end of the world”. It’s not that Hope doesn’t have a point that everyone in Bardo is a part of the society that’s been kidnapping and torturing her family and that stole her childhood, but collective responsibility is a concept that only works in terms of moral responsibility, not as an excuse to commit genocide because you’ve decided that everyone in the other group is evil and the “enemy” and deserves death. Some people have compared it to Maya saying “None of us is innocent”, but I don’t think this comparison works, because that line changes the meaning entirely depending on whether you are holding yourself and your society morally accountable for its failings and complicity in crimes against humanity, or if you’re using it against others, in order to justify hate and commit crimes against humanity.

Even though neither Clarke nor Octavia had huge screentime in this episode and may not have done anything big (like Diyoza sacrificing herself and saving everyone, or Jordan figuring everything out), they had some wonderful, subtle little moments that spoke volumes:

I loved the hug between Clarke and Octavia - where Clarke said her condolences to Octavia and then Octavia said them back, letting Clarke know she knew what Bellamy meant to her and that she is grieving just as much. (”I’m sorry, Octavia” - “So am I”)

Raven and Miller exchanged a wordless look - probably because of how awkward it was for Miller to see Octavia again. Although these 4 people all go back to season 1 (and it was the first time in a while they were in the same room), for Miller it’s been just a few weeks since she was Blodreina and he was her follower, and the last time they saw each other (in season 6), he yelled at her that he’s not following her orders anymore - which was about him struggling with his guilt and seeing her as an embodiment of it. But for Octavia, it’s been over 10 years and a huge character development, which Miller doesn’t know about. But they had no time to go over it - instead, she just hugged him and asked him to hug her back, and he did.

When the group went to find Levitt - still tied up and bloody after Echo had tortured him and killed two Disciples in front of him to force him to tell her about Gem9, the WMD that can destroy everyone on Bardo (he must be really traumatized one - Clarke obviously immediately realized what was going on when she saw Octavia come to check on Levitt, going by the look on her face, and her look when she turned to go and the others went after her, while Octavia was still there -as if saying "I realize you need a moment with this guy, but don't wait too long". Although Levitt looked disappointed and shocked that Octavia didn’t untie him, she was really doing what was the most reasonable way to try to protect everyone - the priority was to stop Echo from killing all the Disciples, which would include Levitt, but also to stop Levitt from alerting Anders, which he would’ve done, because Octavia also wanted to save Echo and her people. It doesn’t mean she doesn’t  care for Levitt, but she’s not the 17 year old girl who’d go: “I just met you but you’re immediately the most important person to me and I’m going to prioritize you over everyone I know”.

 And then we get to the final and most dramatic scene of the episode...  Echo’s attempt to commit genocide out of revenge, while Octavia, Clarke and Raven tried to talk her down.

Octavia tried to reach Echo by, again, talking about their shared grief over Bellamy, as she did in 7x07, but again, it did not work - because Octavia and Echo, and Clarke and Echo, are different people, who grieve in different ways and think and act in different ways. It doesn’t mean that any of them are grieving more or less than another one - but their responses are very different. Octavia - this mature Octavia who is more able to empathize with others and doesn’t react with impulsive violence as she used to -  responded by trying to reach out to others who were also grieving for Bellamy, Echo and Clarke, and validating their grief, too. Clarke reacted - after the initial shock and grief - by sucking it up, as she does, in order to take care of the others, and focusing on saving the people Bellamy loved, telling Raven “We do this for him” and focusing on saving Octavia and Echo. Echo, on the other hand, reacted destructively and violently and by killing people for revenge and then plotting genocide as revenge for 3 months. This is the only way she knows how to process grief - she’s never known a different way, as I’m sure Azgeda weren’t known for compassion and sharing feelings. When Bellamy was grieving Clarke in season 6, she asked him “When do we attack?”, because that’s what she expected him to do, too. She’s also lost because she hasn’t lost just a boyfriend, but a leader and anchor in her new post-Praimfaya life, and because she had made saving Bellamy her mission she was waiting to fulfill during the 5 years on Skyring. If she had carried out her plan, I’m not sure she’d know what to do with herself. (I don’t know what it says about the mindset of us, humans of 2020, that so many fans have decided that Echo’s way of grieving is the superior one and the one that shows that she loves Bellamy the best. It certainly doesn’t show anything good.)

Octavia’s next argument - that there are many good people on Bardo she’d be killing - was even less successful, as Echo threw her relationship with Levitt back in her face, pointing out that he stole her memories, talking of him as one of their enemies, and then even saying: "Way to honor your brother's memory!" Echo came off as very judgmental here, and more than bit hypocritical - after all , she personally almost killed Octavia twice, and Bellamy started trusting her and dating her on the Ring, after she had given them both far less reason to trust her than Levitt did. Levitt actually took a risk and was helping her against Anders just out of his feelings for Octavia, while Echo only helped Bellamy and others after she was exiled and had to in order to survive. She seems to value forgiveness only when it’s others forgiving her (”Who knows more about forgiveness than us?”), even though she never expected them to and was a bit shocked that they did.

Clarke then tried to use her standard “This is not who you are” plea, but it didn’t work with Echo, since Clarke doesn’t really know Echo, and the words felt empty. There really is very little reason for Clarke to think this is not who Echo is, except for her tendency to assume Echo must have changed for the better because she’s Bellamy’s girlfriend and Bellamy loves her (see their conversation in 5x12). Clarke also tried to use her own experience - as she did with Raven earlier in the season - telling Echo that “a choice like this” would haunt her forever (of course Clarke would bring up MW, it always goes back to MW for her), but Echo rejected that comparison and, for a moment, channeled me by pointing out that Clarke’s motivations were to save her people, while Echo’s are purely revenge. Which was, however, a strange argument in context - pointing out that Clarke’s reasons were much better and she had no choice but to kill all of the Mountain Men or let them kill all of her friends and family, while Echo wasn’t achieving anything good and could just save all her people and not take revenge on the Disciples. But Echo seemed to be telling Clarke that they different, and she cannot assume that Echo will feel the same way about mass murder Clarke does.

Then Clarke finally brought up Bellamy, pointing out that he would not want a genocide to be committed in his memory. I don’t know how anyone who’s watched the show for 6 seasons could disagree with Clarke. But Echo did. What’s more, she yelled  "You have no idea what Bellamy wanted!" in a really angry, resentful way. It felt personal. I don’t know if Echo has felt romantic jealousy of Clarke over Bellamy - she has sure kept it close to her chest - but it certainly felt like some kind of possessiveness, like resenting the idea that Clarke was as close or closer to Bellamy and knew him better. In any case, this was a moment of extreme dramatic irony - because we know (and really, Echo should know as well)  that Echo is the one who doesn’t seem to know, or is simply ignoring, what Bellamy would have wanted and who he was. And she should know. She was there when he talked down Riley from killing Roan, telling him “War made me a murderer, don’t let it do it to you too”, she was there when Bellamy refused to kill 283 prisoners in cryo sleep and said “Clarke didn’t die for us to go back and make the same mistakes”. And she was there when Bellamy was grieving Clarke but decided not to take revenge for her death - not even by killing the man who murdered her, Russell - but to try to honor her memory by doing what she would want and surviving and keeping their people alive. Which directly contradicts Echo’s statement that Bellamy would be doing the same she is if one of them (Clarke, Octavia or her) were killed. Does she really not know him? Most of the time they spent together were in a time of peace and boredom with just 7 people on the Ring. She seems to be projecting her own ideas and views and character into him. 

Then Raven went on to agree with Clarke (but Echo did not resent her for saying it), pointing out how Bellamy has grown and changed and that the post-season 3 Bellamy certainly would never do that. I was slightly annoyed when she said that Bellamy of season 3 may do that - but to be fair, she did say, “maybe”. Now, season 1 or season 3 Bellamy was certainly angrier and more prone to black and white thinking when it came to enemies, and he may very well have agreed to kill all of the adult Disciples if he thought they were likely to be a threat to his people (which is what he did when he agreed to help Pike kill Lexa’s army), but he sure wouldn’t agree to kill any of them just for revenge, or to kill children and non-combatants (the one time he did it was MW, when he and Clarke knew there was no other way to protect their people from being horrifically killed, and he hated it and was haunted by it then). Nevertheless, that’s a minor thing as the point of Raven’s speech was the way Bellamy has grown and developed. Echo hasn’t really changed, certainly not as much as Bellamy wanted to think in S5. Is there still time for her to change?

In the end, love did save the day - but it wasn’t Echo’s love for Bellamy, it was her non-romantic love for Raven and Raven’s for her. Raven calling her a sister only helped pave the way - but she had to actually threaten to stay there and force Echo to choose between killing Raven and giving up her revenge, for Echo to finally stand down. The fact she did shows that maybe there’s still hope for her to change and give up revenge and violence for things like friendship.

 But then Anders had to appear and ruin everything, He could have just tried to arrest the group, rather than threatening them and giving them speeches about how he despises them for being “beasts raised in the wild”. (I’ve wondered many times since 7x05 is Anders is supposed to be smart or a complete dumbass. He was definitely a dumbass.)

Diyoza took charge, as the most experienced and tactical one, and almost.  And then Hope was again being her impulsive, angry, out of control self - Anders is always the person most likely to set her off - killing Anders (which I wouldn’t mind) but then also making her own attempt to commit genocide. (It’s funny that the four Disciples just froze and did nothing while all of that was happening.)

What happened then was both a heroic sacrifice and one of the best and most heroic death scenes on the show, a fitting ending for Charmaine Diyoza (even a visually beautiful death in a creepy way, as Diyoza turned into a crystal statue), with her final message to her daughter to be “better” than her in the future - and a heartbreaking loss for Hope, who has just been punished by the narrative/fate for her devotion to violence and hate and attempt at genocide, by causing her own mother’s death. She was obsessed with revenge for her lost childhood and the fact her mother was taken from her - instead of focusing on the future and what she still had. I’m sure that Hope will survive to the end of the series, and will have to question herself and change. She still has Aunty O to help her and be her family.

As we’re approaching the endgame, the show here made an obvious point about violence, hatred and revenge and having to give up those things - not for Anders’ unemotional duty to the collective, but for love and compassion/

Rating: 8.5/10

[alyblacklist]

the finale was... a disappointment for longtime fans :(

I understand a lot of people feel that way, anon. However, I’m still very grateful that they took the risk and did this bold, unique episode in an effort to push the story forward into season 8. As a longtime fan myself, there were aspects that disappointed me too, but there were other aspects that I really liked. 

For me, the animation worked better for the action sequences than for the emotional scenes. It’s a real shame that with the way the filming days seemingly worked out, all the big Red/Liz scenes had to be animated instead of live. I think we really would have benefitted from getting that kitchen scene and the car scene with Katarina from the actors. And more live Spader in general! By contrast, the shootout with Ressler/Liz in the hotel worked pretty well with the music and was enjoyable. I also found myself getting a little confused at times trying to recognize the guest actors in animated form and keep track of who was who. I was happy to see Liz and Ressler build on the final scene of Brothers and continue to have honest and open conversations and I was grateful to get those scenes live.

I wasn’t really surprised at Liz’s choice in the end because I felt they were building up to that moment all season, but I do wish that her motives and rationale had been made more clear over the course of the season - the pacing really came back to bite them this year with the abrupt cut off - and I think that’s a lot of why this finale hasn’t translated well. Especially because they also refused to eliminate ambiguity once and for all whether this woman is really her mother or not or whether Liz is once more being led down the garden path by another fake relative.  For me, that was the greatest disappointment. Because as I’ve said from the beginning, the story is far more compelling if she is the real Katarina Rostova than if she isn’t and the fact we are still debating that issue a year later is ridiculous. One imposter is plenty, thank you very much. 

Most of the anger I see is directed towards Liz choosing Kat over Red, but I’m not honestly sure that is what she’s doing - I think she’s choosing to pursue the truth by all means necessary because she has reached her limit of being kept in the dark. The animated car scene attempted to convey that I think, with Liz taking Red’s hand to show she still cares about him and saying “it’s complicated,” but the scene would have been much more powerful live.  As much as I love Red, and I want him and Liz to work well as a team against an external force for once, I don’t see how that happens until he comes clean with her about why he entered her life. I think Liz means it when she says she doesn’t care who he is, but she does care why he’s there. I sympathize with Liz being unwilling at this point to sit back and accept that there is any reason why she can’t be allowed to know things that even Dembe knows that affect her life directly. Red trusts her enough to take over his empire but won’t tell her why he built it in the first place?  So her choice was less choosing Kat over Red than choosing the person who seems willing to help her find that truth.

Anyway, I overall liked the episode and I’m happy they decided to do it and I’m still really looking forward to Season 8 whenever it happens! 

[nadziejastar]

We all know that Reno and Axel/Lea share a lot of similarities, but what about their differences?

Elena: Reno, do you think that was really such a good idea!? I mean that the way a professional, a Turk would act!?

Reno: Elena. Don't misunderstood. A pro isn't someone who sacrifices himself for his job. That's just a fool.

Well, I can only judge him based off of the original FFVII, CC, and AC, since I haven’t had a chance to get a copy of the remake yet due to this lockdown. But I found Reno more easygoing. He seemed to genuinely like his job, even if it was shady. We don’t know what kind of past he had. It’s very possible that he comes from a messed up background and got into organized crime that way.

But my impression of him was that he enjoyed his job for the most part. It’s an exciting, fast-paced lifestyle and he probably makes good money. He also respected his higher-ups like Tseng. Unlike Axel, he wasn’t forced to follow orders in fear of being turned into a Dusk. He seemed like he chose to become a Turk. He didn’t seem to have any moral conflicts about his job other than at the end when he and the others refused to fight Cloud’s party.

Axel did not enjoy his job. He never would have chosen to be in the organization and the whole experience was a lot more traumatic for him than Reno. He is a lot more stunted in his personality, which is why he is so obsessed with the past. Axel has a prominent childlike side to him that I never saw from Reno. In this panel HPO were playing frisbee which Lea used to do. He only eats so much ice cream because he used to do it as a kid. Things like that.

Reno can be goofy and playful, and in Advent Children, he had a soft spot for kids. But Axel’s relationship with Roxas and Xion was soooo much different than just being fond of kids. Axel genuinely seemed like he wanted to go back and be a kid again due to unresolved trauma.

Reno: Hey, Rude. Who do you like? What are you getting so embarrassed about? Come on? Who do you like?

Rude: .........Tifa.

Reno: Hmmmm... That's a tough one. But, poor Elena. She...... you......

Rude: No, she likes Tseng.

Reno: I never knew that! But Tseng likes that Ancient...

Reno showed himself to be capable of normal adult relationships. His best friend is Rude, his peer and equal. They have adult level conversations including small talk about which girls they like.

Reno: Hey, partner. This thing got any bite to it?

Rude: Shinra technology at its finest.

Reno: Oh, so you made this.

Rude: If nothing else, it’s flashy.

Reno: Oh good.

Rude: You love it. I know.

Reno gets along well with Tseng, Elena, and the other Turks. He is seen drinking in the pub in Wutai with Rude and Elena. They’re on a normal vacation as friends and coworkers. Reno is a relatively normal and well-adjusted person, despite his job. He talks to his best friend Rude in an adult way. He doesn’t have to dumb himself down. They know each other well and have playful banter.

Day 118: You Changed, Not Me

Author: Axel

Talking to Roxas and Xion always brings back memories of my human life, back when I was a kid. It's a weird sensation.I ought to be able to share all this with Saïx, but I just don't feel like it anymore. It's strange, but I'm content with just missing what's gone.I'm not the one who changed. You did.

Axel’s spent his vacation sleeping all day and being depressed about missing his childhood. He yearned to talk with someone his own age, on his own intellectual level, who would be able to understand him. Someone he could talk about heavier issues with an who he could have more adult banter with. But he had no one like that. So he tried to “dumb himself down” to a kid’s level.

Day 357: To My Best Friend

Author: Axel

Roxas left. It's so like him to just leave that WINNER ice cream stick behind. Come tomorrow, I'll probably get the order to hunt him down, but leaving that here makes it feel so permanent. I wish the three of us—three? No. That the two of us could share some ice cream again someday. That's what it is to be friends.

He actually became more and more childlike as the story progressed. As his relationship with Saix deteriorated, Axel gradually became obsessed with having someone to call “best friend” and eat ice cream with. He was desperate for ANY kind of emotional support. For most of Days, he was trying to do what was best for Roxas. By KH2, he really didn’t care what was best for Roxas anymore. He was more worried about himself. Overall, Axel just came across as waaay more mentally unstable than Reno.

Reno: The correct answer was...

Rude: ...because it's our job.

Elena: Oh, thank you very much...! I never expected you'd to come help......

Reno: Elena, don't act so weak. You're a Turk!

Reno viewed being in the Turks as just a job. He eliminated undesirables like Don Corneo, but he also wasn’t ruthless or merciless. Aerith actually seemed like she was fond of him, despite him trying to kidnap her. They had a weird kinda bond. In the remake, Aerith was actually horrified when Cloud tried to finish Reno off. Because she didn’t see him as a real bad guy or threat to her. At the end of FFVII, Reno and the Turks just let your team go.

Axel: Remember the order: "You must eliminate the traitor." I always follow orders, Marluxia.

Axel was actually darker than Reno in certain ways. Until he met Roxas and Xion, he followed any orders obediently. He seemed to take a lot more sadistic pleasure in the killing part of his job. He wasn’t just doing a job.

Axel: No way!? It's too soon! You can't seriously get rid of him!?

Xaldin: It's an order. Why do you hesitate? You, who has been ruthless towards those who've turned their backs on the Organization?

Axel was enthusiastic about killing. He was venting his anger and hatred, which is not the sense I got from Reno. Of course, since Axel was basically forced to be an assassin as a child, he had another side to him. Reno constantly admonished Elena for being too soft. Axel never ever would have acted that way with Roxas. He tried to shelter him from any of the harsher aspects of the organization. 

The longer you know someone, the less you need to speak in clear terms. Everything gets across with a wink and a nudge, a little reading between the lines...When it comes to what befell our late comrades at Castle Oblivion, ambiguity suits me just fine.

He dissociated from those aspects himself. Deep down, he knew what he was doing was bad, and he used euphemisms and ambiguity to avoid it.

“We don’t disappear… We’re only reborn,” Naminé murmured, perhaps to herself.

“I’m not like you and Roxas,” Axel said flatly. His hand holding the ice pop stick paused in midair. “It’s because I don’t have a heart. I don’t want to disappear, but I’m not upset or sad about it.”

He had a very childlike way of dealing with his job. He used the word “icky” a lot, which is a very childish word that little kids say. He told Roxas he was ordered to do “something bad” which also sounds like something a small kid would say. He couldn’t use the word “kill”. He tried to give Roxas treats in the manga to avoid the “icky” subject.

Roxas: Saïx called her "broken."

Axel: Hmm... Well, if it cheers you up, I'm probably a lot more broken than her.

He knew he was messed up and that’s why he considered himself different from Roxas and Namine. He wouldn’t have a next life. He seemed to have a lot more guilt and self-hatred over his deeds than Reno.

[sockori]

oh god ryu’s rambling about ninjas again- quick, batten down the hatches

 (Episode 1 Season 1: Sasori’s Transformation Interpretations + Brief Reason Why It’s Canonically Written This Way)

‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵ ‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵  a popular ‘headcanon’, or interpretation really, for Sasori I’ve seen pop up a couple of times is: his entire body is quite literally a corpse and not simply just his core. As we know, it’s essentially already been canonically confirmed that this isn’t the deal- but, we all love to disrespect canon rules completely, whether we admit it or not, so let’s roll with it: say we don’t know what Sasori is yet, other then that he isn’t necessarily human, so some propose he’s a human corpse, or another organic material. It doesn’t make a whole lot of sense, at least to me, so I tend to disagree with this whole idea. But I can see both sides of the situation on why people implement this overall change or interpretation. 

Here’s one idea. I would like to believe that Sasori is not entirely impatient. Rather, he values his patience in relation to others much differently to how he views patience in means to his collection/craftsmanship. For example, spending little time on a co-worker, whether it be feelings, personality and wants, yet very much willing to spend large amounts of time with his puppets. And a thought that comes to mind is, well, that’s because of many factors (ex. Sasori hates the trivial matters of humanity, instead retreating to puppets who won’t argue with him, which is true), and make the point that they’re artworks not necessarily co-workers, which is also true, but I think this can also illustrate where Sasori’s channeling his overall energy to in the big picture- that being he’s focusing much more his work and himself. So where in the world am I dragging this whole almost off-topic mess to? And, right here, is my other hand on the matter.

Embalming (looking at the modern example of the Russian scientists who work(ed) on both the corpses of Vladimir Lenin and various North Korean leaders) is a tedious process that is, overall, time consuming. One body alone requires a whole slew of careful monitoring, regular re-embalming, and scheduled cleaning, which can go from many hours, to multiple days at a time. Realizing just how much work is inserted into fighting the grim reaper that is decomposition, one can imagine that Sasori has quite a lot of work on his hands already. If he constantly has to dedicate his focus to the preservation of multiple puppets at once on a regular basis, how would he have any time for his own body?

And, in an counterargument, the believer of the headcanon probably has this to say: what if his suspected ‘kinjutsu’ surrounding the creation of human puppets pretty much eliminates this whole process to begin with? such as, the chakra channeled into this technique possibly making the conversation of organic material a self-sustaining process- thus, no need to keep up with the whole collection (at least not incessantly) and, in turn, have more time to focus on their functionality as puppets. If that is the reason one would want to propose to fill the void of ‘famously ambiguous human puppetry’, then Sasori’s body can, indeed, perhaps be a preserved version of himself, and provide a reason as to how he can take care of his work.

However, there’s a whole side of the coin we haven’t flipped yet- and that’s the subjective purpose. The reason behind Sasori’s wanted transformation to mechanics- philosophically and psychologically. Why go through all the trouble with such a complex, complicated metamorphosis if one wants a quick, easy escape from weakness? Or, in much simpler terms, why even turn yourself into a puppet(-like form) to start? Based on all the inner tribulations with see with gross puppet man, here’s the potential/general reasons that we know (not all of them, but the most important).

For the sake of “Eternal Beauty”, or an artistic reason: that being to exist long into the future while still pertaining an ‘attractive’ physical form.

To bypass the process of decomposition, or to gain the ability to do the opposite (synthesize- be able to be re-assembled after deconstruction).

Potentially eliminate physical human processes altogether, such as eating, drinking, sleeping/resting, among other steps.

Eliminate weaknesses in combat, such as fatigue/pain, blood loss, being mortally wounded, or wounded altogether (at least, when you disregard getting stabbed in the core)- in relation to being rid of physical human processes.

To destroy emotional connections, such as ties to people or memories (big clue: eliminating the ability to literally grieve).

To hinder the control that emotions and feelings have over the mind; to tear down impulses; to level the physical sense of feeling.

The list, at a glance, seems to portray: Sasori has transformed to separate himself from the concept of humanity or a “mortal lifespan”- to create distance between him and the fragility and ‘weaknesses’ of organic life by, in a rebellious way, converting to an inorganic form.

It’s obvious that the puppeteer has had bad experiences with being a human being- anguish from death, lack of appreciation/affection, lack of encouraging stimuli, unsatisfactory higher authority, and mental disturbance due to all these factors. It would make sense for Sasori, in response, to generate quite a lot of distrust, if not all out hatred, for the concept of a human body, and to go against its principles (and to take it out on others, but the complications of that could be another post entirely). Looking at Sasori’s canon descriptions of himself, he very much emphasizes that his inorganic form and his organic part (the core) are two separate entities (”   My heart… is just like this body…“ or his most famous “I am an unfinished puppet, whose lifeless frame still contains a beating heart at its core. I am neither dead, nor am I alive.“). I mean, seriously, in one of these situations, he looks down upon Sakura and Chiyo because they’re being human, describing helping each other as pointless, speaking of his inability to feel, such as the possibility of his grandmother’s death, as a higher-ranking trait in comparison. The divide is right there.

So, if THAT’S the case- why persist to be a preserved human life form and go against that goal entirely? If one believes Sasori thinks puppets are superior to human beings, and/or himself being superior to his puppets, wouldn’t it make more sense for him to push past merely being a hollowed out dead body, and further pursue being an actual puppet?- Not only for the emotional reasons, like the distance, but to emphasize his dominance over humanity itself by simply not being apart of it? Wouldn’t him being an inorganic form better portray his ability to manipulate mortality (being different from his human puppets)? Wasn’t all the effort he put into, canonically, for the attempt to push himself away from mortality as much as possible?

And THAT’S why I disagree with this concept.

So In conclusion, I think our puppet man staying a preserved corpse could work physically and scientifically, but not subjectively. The possibility is there, certainly, with the right factors, but the overall purpose of it is unreasonable, particularly to the definition of his role as an antagonist. With all Sasori’s personal opinions about preservation, eternity, puppetry, humanity, etc. I think him wanting to stay human would be pretty ‘ooc’ of him.

What I’m trying to say is, Sasori in canon right now- turning his body into an incomplete puppet, containing the ‘beating heart’ at its core- is incredibly crucial to his overall character. Very much symbolically. Again, keep in mind, Sasori does have organic life residing within him still- that already portrays the hypocrisy (or at least some form of oxymoron) of his beliefs and his actions. It does a phenomenal job of that alone, and should stay that way. ‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵ ‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵ ok ryu are you done yet

I just wrote this entire “rant but an analysis but an argument but also a rant analysis post” for no reason at all other then impulse and I hope and pray that an explanation about some skinny mannequin guy does not lead to any potential discourse within the much s̶u̶r̶p̶e̶r̶i̶o̶r̶  sophisticated sasori stan community cause i know some folks in the naruto world really can’t handle even the slightest disagreement

oh and there’s probably a lot of weird phrasing in this because i typed it all without thinking, so if there’s any inconsistencies i am sorry

 yes I’m aware this is a Wendy’s drive thru    

[funkymbtifiction]

Enneagram Defense Mechanisms

Each Enneagram type has a particular defense mechanism, which triggers when they feel threatened. They are:

Ones: Reaction Formation

Reaction Formation is a defense mechanism by which individuals reduce or try to eliminate anxiety caused by their own thoughts, feelings, or behaviors that they consider unacceptable by responding in a manner that is the exact opposite of their real responses. The One’s active inner critic dictates what is acceptable based on social mores, contextual expectations, and moral principles, and reaction formation becomes a defensive remedy when Ones experience what they deem “unacceptable” reactions. A subtle example often seen in Ones is when they dislike someone yet are especially nice and polite to this person. A more blatant example – one that is not exclusive to Enneagram style Ones – is an individual who crusades against corporate corruption, only to be discovered later as having embezzled money from the organization.

Twos: Repression

Repression is a defense mechanism by which individuals hide information about themselves from themselves – for example, feelings, desires, wishes, aversions, fears, and needs – that are too difficult to acknowledge consciously. However, the repressed information doesn’t disappear; expression of the repressed data is controlled or held down while it continues to influence the individual’s behavior. For example, Twos may feel anxious and need reassurance, but they may be only minimally aware of this. Instead of exploring these feelings or seeking comfort, the Two reassures another person who appears to be in distress.

Threes: Identification

Identification is a psychological defense mechanism in which a person unconsciously incorporates attributes and characteristics of another person into his or her own personality and sense of self. Identification is a way of bolstering one’s self-esteem by forming an imaginary or real alliance with an admired person, then taking on that person’s characteristics. When Threes model their own behavior after someone else or the idea they have of someone, they are usually not aware they are doing so. For this reason, it becomes complicated for them to untangle who they really are from this image. Threes identify most with images of individuals who are admired in the Three’s desired social context, and the image with which Threes identify often changes as their context changes.

Fours: Introjection

Introjection is a counter-intuitive defense mechanism. Instead of repelling critical information and negative experiences that can cause a person anxiety or pain, individuals introject the information – that is, they fully absorb, internalize, and incorporate these data into their sense of self. Fritz Perls, the father of Gestalt Therapy, refers to this phenomenon as swallowing something whole without being able to differentiate between information that is true from information that is untrue. Fours introject negative information – and repel positive data – about themselves as a way of coping with painful information and neutralizing external threats. They prefer to deal with self-inflicted damage rather than having to respond to criticism or rejection from others.

Fives: Isolation

Isolation occurs in Fives as a way for them to avoid feeling overwhelmed and empty. Fives isolate themselves by retreating into their minds, cutting themselves off from their feelings, and compartmentalizing – that is, isolating each part of themselves from the whole or the related parts. For example, Fives separate their thoughts from their feelings and/or feelings from behaviors, as well as separating their personal and work lives. Fives may also isolate themselves from other people and separate their relationships so that their friends never meet one another; in fact, some Fives even have secret lives.

Sixes: Projection

Projection is a psychological defense mechanism in which individuals unconsciously attribute their own unacceptable, unwanted, or disowned thoughts, emotions, motivations, attributes, and/or behaviors to others. While the projection may be positive, negative, or neutral, it occurs because the individuals who are projecting perceive the projected attributes as difficult to acknowledge or threatening to believe about themselves. Because Sixes make these attributions unconsciously, they imagine that they are true, although at a deeper level they are not entirely certain about this. Although Sixes use projection as a way to create some certainty and thus reduce their anxiety in ambiguous, uncertain, or potentially dangerous situations, these projections – particularly if they are negative in nature – ironically raise the Six’s anxiety level. In addition, when Sixes project either something negative or positive that is untrue, they create a false reality without knowing they are doing so.

Sevens: Rationalization

Rationalization is a defense mechanism by which individuals explain unacceptable thoughts, feelings, and behaviors in a way that entirely avoids or obscures their true motivations, intentions, or the effects of the behavior. When Sevens rationalize, they do so by positive reframing, justifying their behavior by explaining it in highly positive terms. Sevens use reframing to avoid pain, discomfort, sadness, guilt, and anxiety, as well as to avoid taking personal responsibility for what has occurred.

Eights: Denial

Denial is a defense mechanism by which individuals unconsciously negate something that makes them feel anxious by disavowing its very existence. These can include thoughts, feelings, wishes, sensations, needs, and other external factors that are unacceptable to the Eight for some reason. Denial comes in a variety of forms. A person may deny the reality of the unpleasant information altogether, admit that something is true but deny or minimize its seriousness, or admit that both the information and its severity are true but deny any personal responsibility for it.

Nines: Narcotization

Narcotization is a psychological defense mechanism in which individuals unconsciously numb themselves to avoid something that feels too large, complex, difficult, or uncomfortable to handle. Nines narcotize and distract themselves by engaging in prolonged rhythmic activities that are familiar, require very little attention, and provide comfort – for example, washing the dishes; working in the garden; continuous pleasure reading of books by the same author or within the same genre; going for a walk or a bike ride; engaging in frequent or extended casual conversations; or continuously changing channels on the TV. Nines also use daily routines such as morning or evening rituals to immunize themselves from being fully aware, and they feel agitated, irritated, or disoriented when these repetitive activities become disrupted.

Source.

[things-that-rhyme]

Men Without Hats, The Safety Dance: is it?

This is what happens when I have too much time on my hands:

We open with a wide 2-shot of men traversing a field of waist-high grass. Or, I should say, waist-high and shoulder-high, as one of the men is a dwarf. Judging by the dress, we appear to be in Merry Olde England. The relationship between the two men will remain ambiguous for the duration of the video, but for now we may say they appear collegial. They are not yet dancing, safely or otherwise, but the dwarf is, confusingly, wearing a hat. Perhaps we’re meant to contrast the behavior of the man WITH a hat against the man WITHOUT a hat, who will—through titular implication—be joined by similarly-bareheaded compatriots to form the collective (plural) men without (multiple) hats.

(NOTE: I did google the preferred terminology for people with dwarfism, but there didn’t seem to be a consensus of opinion. There was this sensible guidance: “Unless physical stature is of relevance in a conversation, simply using a person's name is appropriate.” While the actor is Mike Edmonds, the character remains unnamed. But since he wears a Rhythm of Youth t-shirt throughout, let’s just call him Roy. Roy’s traveling companion is of course is Men Without Hats lead singer and 1983’s top-ranked Canadian heartthrob Ivan Doroschuk, who for clarity’s sake we’ll just call Ivan.)

In due course Roy and Ivan exit the field and arrive at a literal forked road, the interpretation of which is left up to the viewer. Is one choice “safe” and one less so? Does only one route lead to dancing? Both seem equally well-traveled, so Frostian guidance is of no use here. In the absence of any state-approved signage, our pair is left to attempt to find meaning in the ambiguous movements of a manic blonde siren, who one can assume is engaged by the local municipality to encourage/discourage tourism depending on the preferences of the town. Roy falls under the siren’s spell, but Ivan, displaying Homeric fortitude, concentrates on the task at hand, quickly opting for the up-pitching left fork—literally and notably, the high road. He is followed by the dancing siren, who abandons her post with shocking insouciance, and Roy, now dancing as well, in what can only be viewed as a commentary on the contagious nature of joy and definitely NOT a commentary on anything else that was contagious in the early-to-mid-1980’s because Ivan Doroschuk has said it’s definitely not that.

The high road quickly appears to be the best of all possible choices, as Ivan and friends are greeted by the denizens of a quaint village with waves and smiles, which Ivan returns to the best of his ability, though his attempts appear less like greetings and more like someone angrily trying to swat invisible bees. This is reflected in the accompanying lyrics: “And you can act real rude and totally removed, and I can act like an imbecile.” Maybe he’s bitter because he was raised hatless among the hatted? We can only hope time will tell.

Briefly thwarted in their bipedal progress by a locked fence (not to worry, the lyrics assure us, “everything is under control”), Ivan seizes the opportunity to update the viewer that in regard to dancing, “They’re doing it from pole to pole.” Ivan punctuates this lyric with body language that can only be described as “deeply paranoiac,” a sort of duck-and-cover maneuver paired with a rapidly shifting side-to-side eyeball movement, which leaves the viewer wondering how comfortable—if at all—he is with this exponential global expansion of dancing. (The parallels with our current misfortunes need not be commented upon, though the lyrics “everybody look at your hands” are particularly prescient.) It’s here that the signature symptom of the dancing contagion is observed: the affected form a stiff, almost robotic “S” shape with their arms, while simultaneously bending spasmodically to one side. The “S” presumably indicates the “safety” in “safety dance,” though other s-words can’t be definitively eliminated.

There’s a small time jump here, as we don’t see how the locked-fence obstacle is overcome, but let's assume they were granted access by one among the crowd we see in the next shot. Our heroes are now in the town proper. During a brief series of shots of general revelry the viewer can contemplate if the enclave is meant to symbolize literal geographic isolation or perhaps the spiritual/emotional separation one feels when one perceives oneself as “other”—by virtue of one’s own internal nonconformities or one’s external lack of hats.

There is now universal dancing.

The village—which exhibits the ethnic diversity that is to be expected in a gated community—appears to have been wholly affected, with every man, woman and child (and not a few human-sized chickens) participating. “Everybody,” as Ivan remarks, is—zoonotically speaking—“takin’ the chance.”

We catch glimpses of Roy and the blonde siren, now they are but two among many. Our attention focuses on Ivan. He is a man at war with himself, alternately joining the crowd in choreographic unity and pacing in dissonant confusion, both participant and observer, puppet and puppetmaster. He claps on the 4 but not the 2, signifying his deeply conflicted feelings about the effect his presence has had on the village. “It’s safe to dance!” he declares, to no one in particular. “Yes, it’s safe to dance!” he reiterates, unprompted, to convince the crowd…or himself? No matter. They are beyond hearing. We close on Ivan, waving his arms and repeating “It’s safe to dance” to various spots in the air above him, again seeming to address the invisible bees by which he was earlier plagued. He seems discomfited. He’s created…something…among these country people, the lasting effects of which he can never know. The safety of his dance is by no means certain. And yet he remains to the end…defiantly and eternally…hatless.

[tluohsalohcin]

I found myself trying to guess what was draw on that storyboard they gave to Sophie Turner. For what we know, it may be something that looks very daily for Sansa, or specific actions we had seen before, that nobody who had seen the drawings hanging in Sophie's apartment had guessed it is her final scene ever.

That means the next options for that specific scene are eliminated:

Sansa's third wedding.

Sansa getting killed.

Sansa killing someone.

Sansa being crowned queen.

Sansa kissing with any male character (*cof* Jon *cof*).

Sansa with a baby in arms.

Sansa giving birth.

Sansa walking around there pregnant.

Any scene of Sansa in King's Landing (considering if some details of the Red Keep are drawn).

What could be, but it's still on the thin line of actually being decoded:

Sansa and Jon looking down from the battlements happy to some kids training *cof* their kids together *cof* (kind of a parallel to Ned and Cat in S1).

What could be, appealing at the power of the ambiguity something can have without context:

Sansa knitting/sewing something by the fire (with context she can be knitting something for her children, or maybe she just knew she is pregnant, or maybe she is doing her wedding dress, but since she decided not to wear any light color for being a reminder of past weddings, it could be perceived as she sewing another cloak).

Sansa walking through Winterfell, with the yard full of people and children and she smiling to them (with proper context, the North had won their independence, or maybe the 7K stays together but now Winterfell is the new royal palace and she is the Queen).

A sesion with Jon by her side in the Great Hall with the Northern Lords (it could be confused with S6 and S7 scenes, but now they are king and queen, but they don't like to wear crowns because that's unnecessary for them).

Jon and Sansa having a conversation in style of Season 6 at the top of Winterfell.

The same as above, but with Arya like in S7.

Maybe the three of them.

Be free to add more. These are my guesses for now.

[mostlysignssomeportents]

Civilized Societies Don’t Call It Censorship, but Copyright

Xnet:

With the approval in the European Parliament of the final text of the Copyright Directive, which will be definitely put to the vote in a very few months’, the European Union has lost a historic opportunity to produce copyright legislation adapted for the Internet in the twenty-first century. What the European Parliament will finally vote on is a technophobic text, tailor-made for the interests of the copyright monopolies which, moreover, doesn’t guarantee the right of authors to have a reasonable standard of living as a result of their work.

If the law is eventually passed, it will be used for wholesale curtailment of freedoms and more censorship, in keeping with the bizarre idea that anything that doesn’t produce hard cash for the major players– which doesn’t mean authors! – has to be prohibited and eliminated.

This is a tragedy for workers in the domain of culture who (with a few, brave, and praiseworthy exceptions) have once again been frivolously incapable of informing themselves about the real state of affairs. They have passively swallowed the version fed to them by their masters and, avidly playing the victim, have become the chief mouthpiece of freedom-killing propaganda without the slightest understanding that this is not going to enhance their rights but will do away with the rights of everyone.

Alarm bells started ringing almost two years ago when we discovered that, rather than being a proposal for an obsolete copyright law, the directive is being used as a Trojan horse to introduce surveillance, automatic data processing, government by opaque algorithms, and censorship without court orders, etc.

This threat to such basic rights as freedom of expression and access to culture and information lurks in ruses which are mainly hidden in two articles of the Directive:

Article 11: no link without a license. Article 11, otherwise known as the “Linktax” article, has created a new economic “right” for magnates of the written press. This ‘right’, moreover, implies indefinitely restricting the possibility of citing the press online.

If this seems absurd, arbitrary and counterproductive, we invite you to read the proposal itself. This is an ambiguous text, described by the jurist Andrej Savin as “One of the worst texts I have ever seen in my 23-year-long career as a law scholar.” Given its muzzy formulation, the safest response for any platform will be not to link to any media publication without explicit permission.

This perverse measure will be the equivalent, on a European scale, to the “Google tax”, which is already in force in Spain and Germany. Even its promoters were soon to regret it, when Google shut down Google News in Spain after it was approved. The Google tax is paradoxical and those responsible for initiating it know very well it won’t work in Europe. For example, Xnet revealed that the big German publishing company Alex Springer was paying itself – having linked up to pay itself – in an outlandish pretence that “everything’s fine”.

Where are they trying to go with this? What sense is there in this move by the press barons to push laws which prevent you from linking up to their content, disseminating it, and commenting on them? Is this just a mix of ignorance and greed, or something like shooting yourself in the foot?

There is certainly something of this involved, but we believe that this is a mix of ignorance and greed which, in the end, means cutting off your nose to spite your face (when you’re trying to damage someone else’s face). With laws like this, the press barons can engage in legal harassment to the point of closing down social aggregators and communities like Meneame or Reddit, eliminating any new competitor, consolidating their monopoly, and thus becoming the lone voice on the Internet, the only ones who speak. In short, they are aspiring to become a new kind of television.

Article 13: no uploading content without a license. Platforms – from medium-sized providers of services storing subject material through to the giants of the Internet – will be considered responsible for any copyright infringement committed by their users, and they are bulldozed into taking preventive measures. In other words, this isn’t a matter of eliminating content but directly preventing people from uploading it.

Of course, nobody is forcing them to do anything. They are simply being made responsible for material uploaded by their users. It’s like a car salesman being held responsible for crimes committed by people who buy his cars. This can only end up with algorithmic upload filters being applied to absolutely everything or, in other words, prior, automatic, and massive Internet censorship. This can only end up with algorithmic upload filters being applied to absolutely everything or, in other words, prior, automatic, and massive Internet censorship.

Recently, YouTube prevented the pianist James Rhodes from uploading one of his own videos in which he is playing Bach. This kind of “error”, which always favours privatisation of the public domain, is the everyday reality for all authors who use YouTube.

And this isn’t just about the “errors” that lead to the privatisation of the public domain. It is about the difficulty or impossibility of uploading on the Internet any kind of derivative work: parodies, memes, remixes, fandom, satires, and so on or, in other words, the very essence of culture, political freedom and freedom of expression.

Repeating the Medieval Experience of the Invention of the Printing Press

This whole setup, which looks like a science-fiction dystopia, an impossible attempt to lock the doors when the horse has bolted, or an exaggeratedly grim prophecy being spread by concerned activists, is already being implemented today on big platforms.

At present, there are two options:

The Spotify model

In this case, the platform would acquire all national and international licences and then make all contents available unidirectionally in such a way that users can’t upload content. Even so, in the case of Spotify, one of the few giants with the resources to do this today, paying the copyright monopolies has raised its overheads so much that, despite its commercial success, its medium-term sustainability isn’t guaranteed. If this is the situation of Spotify, it’s not difficult to imagine what will happen to medium-sized Internet companies.

This model has another defect which is obvious to most artists. The amount of money the real authors receive in the end is zero or almost zero. The amount of money the real authors receive in the end is zero or almost zero.

TheFacebook/Google model

These new Internet monopolies refuse to share the cake with the old copyright monopolies and therefore opt for large-scale, automatic filtering of all content. They will find it easier to adapt to Article 13 since now they will only need to apply the filtering mechanisms before uploading takes place.

This technology, besides being opaque and exclusive, is very expensive. Since it will be obligatory, it will also mean that these giants are very unlikely to have competitors that have any chance of prospering.

Google has spent approximately 100 million dollars to create the technology that has so far enabled it to respond to copyright claims coming in from only 1% of its users.

The effect which these arbitrary regulations will have on free Internet conversation, on diffusion of culture and information, and access to them will be devastating.

https://www.nakedcapitalism.com/2018/10/civilized-societies-dont-call-censorship-copyright.html

[dailylogistics]

Will ONDC affect Gig delivery partners positively?

Written By:

Eugene Panfilov

General Manager, Borzo, India

India’s ambitious plan of an open network to facilitate e-commerce is seeing light of the day. Recently, the government launched the beta test in Bengaluru which saw a promising start. In the trial phase, more than 200 grocery stores and restaurants were onboarded across 16 pin codes of Bengaluru for select users. Well, ONDC is on course to democratize the online market to bring in transparency for businesses across scale by reducing the control of ecommerce giants and giving sellers, brands, MSMEs, a push to maximize returns from the open network. ONDC will not only impact ecommerce sellers but also the allied sectors that includes logistics partners, warehousing players, Gig delivery workers and dark stores.

One of the important segments in the chain of order fulfillment are delivery partners. Most of the delivery partners are part of the larger gig economy, delivering goods for different logistics players based on pay, flexibility, incentives, distance etc. ONDC is aiming to completely change how ecommerce functions in India and in the process it will certainly have an impact on the backbone of its logistics partners, the gig delivery workforce.

How will logistics work on the ONDC network?

The current ecommerce model is platform centric. ONDC aims to restructure the model by making it decentralized, democratic and free from monopolies. All the sellers irrespective of their size and irrespective of the platforms they are listed on, will get an equal opportunity. For eg. When a buyer is looking to purchase a product, let’s say candles and opens ONDC to browse through some app, let’s say Snapdeal, they will be able to view candle options from sellers on snapdeal as well as options of candles available with the other apps and nearby sellers.

Lower abandoned carts

Most of the abandoned carts are due to lack of decision making and lack of information on a single window. Customers get into comparison mode and want to look for the same product on different apps to get the best deal. The route of finding a product, shortlisting it, adding to the cart and finally making the payment is a long process. Since customers will be able to view any product sold by multiple sellers across different platforms on a single open network, this will save time for the customer and save the hassle of logging in to different apps, searching for the same product and adding them in the cart on different platforms.

Once there is transparency and detailed information at the buyer’s disposal, it will enable them to compare product attributes, price, quality, availability, earliest delivery, discounts etc. in real-time leading to faster cart conversions instead of abandoned carts on other platforms.

Impact on Last-mile logistics

The impact of ONDC on logistics cannot be understated. Logistics players will have a bigger role to play to enhance customer experience of orders placed through the ONDC network. Online shopping and logistics is a concurrent process that begins as soon as the customer intends to place an order and later anticipate a seamless delivery. Taking a cue from the above example, let us say, the buyer on snapdeal orders the product due to some reason, the seller on snapdeal cannot dispatch the order through the registered delivery partner then the seller can opt for the delivery services facilitated by other apps who are part of ONDC network and cater to that pincode.

ONDC will try to eliminate the ambiguity of delivery and ensure Timely dispatch/pickups from the warehouse or the store itself. The end customers are interested in tracking the location of their parcel accurately instead of the logistics players that are completing the delivery. At the moment, ONDC will allow deliveries through registered logistics partners, but it needs to be seen as the network develops, will the order fulfillment be limited to only registered logistics partners or it will slowly evolve into an actual open network where listing of new players becomes seamless.

Impact on Gig Delivery Workforce

According to a NITI Aayog, the gig workforce is expected to expand to 23.5 million workers by 2029-30. A report by BCG in 2021 reported that India’s gig workers will service 23.5 million jobs in the next three to four years out of which the logistics sector will provide 3.4 million jobs. With ONDC in place, the ecommerce market will continue to expand and as a result, the job market for gig workers will increase significantly. Entry barrier to sign up for deliveries with any logistics partner is low. With the entry of multiple ecommerce and delivery partners on this open network, facilitating cross channel integration and communication, the gig workers as one of the important stakeholders of the platform can leverage the ONDC protocols to connect with different retailers and get an opportunity to widen their delivered order scope.

However, there’s still a long road to fully integrate the new model of ecommerce. Complete integration of large ecommerce companies, large brands, better policy framework, more channel partners will determine its mass adoption.

Source: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/blogs/voices/will-ondc-affect-gig-delivery-partners-positively/

Website: https://borzodelivery.com/in

[safarijust]

Just to clarify meaning

Just to clarify meaning how to#

By asking this type of question after receiving the message, the listener makes sure they properly understood the message and obtain important additional information. What are clarifying questions?Ĭlarifying questions are questions that the listener asks the speaker in an attempt to eliminate or prevent any misunderstanding, confusion or ambiguity.

Just to clarify meaning how to#

In this article, we discuss what clarifying questions are and when you should ask for clarifications, and we also provide tips and examples on how to ask for clarification. Regardless of your role within a team or organization, proper communication can have a direct impact on your efficiency.Īsking the right clarifying questions is a valuable skill, but it takes research and practice. Conversations, email dialogues, and even text messages progress best when everyone has the same understanding.Knowing how and when to ask clarifying questions can help you in many situations by helping you understand what someone is saying to you. Open Question: What were you expecting to experience?Ĭlarity is the key to effective communication. Open Question: How will you be an asset to the company if we hire you?Ĭlosed Question: Was this experience what you expected? Open Question: When did you first notice that it was a challenge working with him?Ĭlosed Question: Will you be an asset to the company if we hire you? Open Question: What was it about Bob’s approach that seemed disruptive to you?Ĭlosed Question: Did you always feel that it was a challenge working with him? They allow the person to expand on the topic rather than giving a simple yes or no response.Ĭlosed Question: So, you felt Bob’s approach was too disruptive? Asking clarifying questions shows that you’re actively listening and want to understand. Sometimes we need clarification when we want to get a better handle on where others are coming from. When You Want a Better Understanding of Someone’s Position If you’ve suggested a better, clearer path, the other person can simply agree and things can move forward with an unambiguous vision. When you lay out your summary, present the steps in the way you’d like to see things handled. Here’s a tip: Asking for clarification can serve as a subtle way of directing a project. To avoid that loop, start by explaining what you do understand and ask whether you have it right. When someone asks you to re-explain a complicated task, your first inclination is probably to say, “Wait, what? You want me to explain the whole thing all over again?” This dynamic can create a frustrating feedback loop for both parties. If the instructions someone sends you are about as clear as furniture assembly instructions written in something other than your native language, you’ll need to ask for help. Let’s take a look at some common cases that can come up in our work and personal lives and consider the best ways to respond. There are all kinds of situations where you might need to ask clarifying questions. Don’t make the other person flail around trying to figure out what you do understand and what you don’t. If there’s a specific thing that’s unclear to you, name it. If the conversation has been a lengthy or complex one, it can be helpful to give the other person a summary of what’s taken place up to this point. You’ll get a much better response from, “Would you explain that to me again?” than “That was as clear as mud!” Don’t say anything that sounds accusatory. Don’t be vague, simply state that you don’t understand. Admitting you need more information makes the next step much easier for the person you ask. There are a few simple steps to follow when you’re looking for further explanation. Asking for clarification shows that you’re attentive and that you care enough to make sure you thoroughly understand what you’ve been told. In fact, guessing and getting it wrong is more likely to cause problems than politely asking for more info. Some time in your elementary school life, you may have had a teacher who said, “The only stupid question is the one you don’t ask.” That stock teacher phrase couldn’t make things any clearer-it’s okay to ask for an explanation if you don’t understand.

[thelandscapingemployeetrap]

Story time with Keith Kalfas

Today’s episode will be a bit different. This is a trendy thing. A lot of people liked it when I would read books. I called it “Story time with Keith.” And I haven't done it in a long time. And here we are; I'm going to be reading about fear setting and escaping paralysis. If you have analysis paralysis and are paralyzed by fear, this is for you. It may not be apparent to you, but this could change your life. This is such a great piece that I just felt my heart calling me to share it with you. It might inspire you to take the leap of faith and take action to do something you've been procrastinating and putting off in your life. So come along with me as I share this powerful book called "Tools of Titans." 

  "A person's success in life and I'm going to circle on this can usually be measured by the number of uncomfortable conversations he or she is willing to have resolved to do one thing every day that you fear."

  Why do you have to listen to today's episode.

  5:40 - “These days, he often sees his former self, and the underemployed and overworked professionals. He takes out on the waves, waiting for the swell, and the true emotions come out. “God, I wish I could do what you do.” His reply is always the same. You can.” 

It proves that fear has no place in the pursuit of your dreams. A person can only overcome their fears by facing them head-on. 

  12:35 -  “Then a funny thing happened in my undying quest to make myself miserable. I accidentally began to backpedal. As soon as I cut through the vague unease and ambiguous anxiety by defining my nightmare, the worst-case scenario, I wasn't as worried about taking a trip; suddenly, I started thinking of simple steps I could do to salvage my remaining resources and get back on track.”

In times of trial, fear can help you understand what you should do with your life.

13:19 - “I realized that it wouldn't be that hard to get back to where I was, let alone survive. None of these things would be fatal, not even close to mere panty pinches on life's journey.”

This only proved that in the event of a failure, getting back to the starting point would not be a problem. 

14:43 - “I started planning my adventures and eliminating my physical and psychological baggage.”

You need to start planning your life. Don't hold on to your emotional baggage. There is no point in trying to fix your problems this way. 

There are a few questions the author has for you. Answer the questions honestly and wholeheartedly using a pen and paper. Reading your answers afterward allows you to understand them and uncover what is hindering you in achieving your goals...

15:36 - Number One   “ To find your nightmare. What's the absolute worst that could happen? If you did what you were considering? What doubts, fears, and what ifs would pop up? As you consider the big changes? You can or need to make envision them in painstaking detail. Would it be the end of your life? What would be the permanent impact? If any, on a scale of one to 10? Are these things really permanent? How likely do you think it is that they would actually happen?” 

  15:59 - Number two  “What steps could you take to repair the damage? Or get the things back on the upswing? Even if temporarily? Chances are, it's easier than you imagine?”

  16:16 - Number three  “What are the outcomes or benefits? Both temporary and permanent? Have more probable scenarios? Now that you've defined the nightmare? What are the more probable or definite positive outcomes? Whether internal confidence, self-esteem, etc.? or external? What would be the impact of these more likely outcomes? What would they be on a scale of one to 10? How likely is it that you could produce at least a moderately good outcome? Have less intelligent people done this before and pulled it off?” 

16:45 - Number four -“If you were fired from your job today? What would you do to get things under financial control? Imagine the scenario and run questions one through three above. If you quit your job to test other options, how could you get back on the same career check if you absolutely had to?”

16:59 - Number five  “if you were putting it off out of fear, what are you putting off out of fear? Usually, what we fear most doing is what we most need to do, define the worst case, accept it and do it.”

  18:36 - Number six  “What does it cost? You don't only evaluate the potential downside of action. It is equally important to measure the atrocious cost of inaction if you don't pursue those things that excite you. Where will you be in one year, five, and ten years? How will you feel having allowed circumstance to impose itself upon you and having allowed ten more years of your finite life to pass, doing what you know will not fulfill you? If you telescope out ten years and know with 100% certainty that it is the path of disappointment and regret. And if we define risk as the likelihood of an irreversible negative outcome, action is the greatest risk of all.”

  19:15 - Number seven  “What are you waiting for? If you cannot answer this without resorting to the BS concept of good timing? The answer is simple. You're afraid, just like the rest of the world, to measure the cost of inaction, realize the unlikelihood and repairability of most missteps and develop the most important habit of those who excel in the joy of doing so action.” 

    Key Takeaways 

  “I repeat something you might consider tattooing on your forehead. What we fear doing most is actually what we most need to do. As I have heard said, a person's success in life can usually be measured by the number of uncomfortable conversations he or she is willing to have.” 

  “And there's a saying that I love, where you'll be in five years is directly proportional to the people you associate with, the books that you read, and the uncomfortable conversations that you're willing to have.”

  “A person's success in life, and I'm going to circle on this, can usually be measured by the number of uncomfortable conversations he or she is willing to have resolved to do one thing every day that you fear.”

    Connect with Keith  

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  Resources/People Mentioned:

My Podcast Page: The UNTRAPPED Podcast

James Clear: Atomic Habits

Greg McKeown: Essentialism

Tim Ferris: Tools of Titans

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