#why do those countries have all the resources ew

[butchnavi]

I'm very uninterested in foreign colleges but apparently a couple of indian colleges accept the sat for some reason and i went to check it out? and damn when my dad said "don't practice sat math for too long your math skills will deteriorate and you will lose all your brain cells" he really wasn't kidding. americans y'all wouldn't survive a week in the indian education system fr:')

[demonslayedher]

I'm glad you reactivated the questions, here are some flowers for you: 💐 Seriously speaking I'm sorry that because of a question I asked you a few weeks ago you watched a series of videos of psychopaths 🥲It made me laugh at first but then I felt guilty 💔 it's all Muzan's fault for leaving us all with curiosity (imagine his parents' reaction once they realized there was something wrong with him even as a human)

Yay, flowers (which I shall kill with my black thumb)! And no, no, it’s fine, I had hoped it came off funny! I like listening to stuff like that while I draw anyway because I’m a nerd anyway and I found it very interesting.

Speaking of being a nerd, you have innocuously unlocked the following essay about Heian period nobility and wisteria flowers: There is nothing to state so in canon, but I find it highly reasonable to say Muzan might had been of the very powerful Fujiwara clan. Step inside my office, Anon.

Okay. So. The Heian period, simply put, was a time of cultural flourishing and beautiful pastimes, the origins of a lot of Japanese style aesthetics, and a romantic courtly like of romancing everybody else in the court. This is assuming, of course, that you were at the very, very, very, very top of society. Otherwise, the vast majority of people were poor and sick and starving and ew, in young Muzan’s world, we do not wish to associate with that. In the Heian court, Kyoto basically is the whole cultural world. Even though there were other cities that could rival Kyoto, the emperor was there, so it was essentially the cultural center of the country. The nobles who lived there got money from owning land in far-flung provinces, but actually having to live in those provinces? What a drag! Having to live away from Kyoto for work, even if it wasn’t an official banishment, often felt like a punishment to the nobles and their families who were used to the social scene at court. And, like affluent courts around the world throughout history, understanding all the intricacies of style and “Heian Rumors” was key to having social clout, and popularity was power. And yeah, nobles would be vicious to each other. While clan dynamics and history are complex and not something I’m getting into here (I don’t consider myself well-versed in it enough), the Fujiwara clan is a BIG DEAL.  Basically, in Heian times, children were typically raised in their mother’s home, thereby heavily influenced by their mother’s clan, so besides a young man’s parents, his in-laws also would had been hugely influential in his life, as they will have a long-felt influence on his progeny. The Emperors typically married Fujiwara daughters. This, in addition to other positions of influence of the Fujiwara clan members usually held with influence over the Emperor, means that politically, there was no messing with them. Now, just because I say Muzan might had been a Fujiwara clan member, I don’t necessarily mean a member of the main branch of the family. Often, due to inheritance management, different branches of various noble clans might be given different surnames. The Fujiwara clan does have different branches, some of which did go one to have close ties with the imperial family even after the fall of their power at the end of the Heian period and all the way through the Taisho, and some branches carry some impressive family legacies but otherwise live like normal or high-class common folk in modern-day. (I know one such Ojousama from a renamed Fujiwara branch; she’s a sweetheart and never brings it up herself but every time I hear other people say things about her family, I’m like, dang.) We can venture from Muzan’s likely expensive medical treatment, multiple marriages (meaning other clans sought to be connected with his family even by marrying their daughters to a sick man), and even preparation for cremation as a baby that he was of a very, very high status. 

Being the sick son of a prominent family may have warped his personality in multiple ways: first, he was probably already used to a culture of popularity equated political power. We see in Muzan’s dealings with humans in the Taisho period that he can be exceedingly charming to get what he wants (a psychopath trait, haha), so he was probably pretty aware of the complex ways of socialites in the court. But, even being aware of that, it probably frustrated him to no end that he was too sick to take part in the social pastimes where he’d gain clout. It’s also possible that he was a bit of a bargain husband for his wives’ families who were seeking to a make ties with his family, as they must not had been politically useful enough to be married off to other powerful matches. This may be some of why he was so ruthless to them, for he never saw them as useful to him in the first place. This probably got a bit worse once he became a demon. Now to be lewd, but he probably got more vigorous in his pursuit of more powerful lovers, and knew how to slay the women’s hearts as he liked (you know, popular Heian pastime, everybody had lots of lovers, it was the norm, though political marriages and legitimate children were still important). That new sense of power probably went to his head. But, ultimately, he must had been limited in clout since he couldn’t take part in any daytime activities, thereby limiting his access to more powerful spheres of influence. His reputation from having grown up sickly must had followed him too. It’s anyone’s guess how much affection his parents had for him and how happy they were about his health at first, and if and when they might had noticed his changes. He was a full-fledged adult by the time he turned into a demon, so who knows how closely they even associated with him. They likely had healthier children who they devoted more care and attention to, and invested more family resources in while assuming Muzan would probably die young.

Who knows what the final straw was in Muzan leaving court? Was it frustration at not being able to walk in daylight that made him flee to the Kanto area in pursuit of the blue spider lily (from near where the doctor lived) long before Kanto became politically affluent? Or was it the rumors at court about how he didn’t age, and that he was eating people?

Of note, a lot of the early legends of demons in Japanese culture take place in the Heian period.

In his book “Japanese History of Demon Slayers,” retired Shizuoka University professor Tetsuo Owada capitalized on the success of Kimetsu no Yaiba to dive into a lot of ties between the series and what it may pay homage to throughout Japanese history and culture. While this was published last September and a handful of his theories have been disproven by the second fanbook published last February, and while I think a lot of his theories are stretching a little too far to make strong connections, it’s still deeply, deeply interesting stuff. He goes into some specific comparisons of demons, like Minamoto-no-Raiko and his posse of four big bad warriors taking on the Tsuchigumo (giant spider demon) terrorizing the mountains north of Kyoto harkening to the case of Rui’s family (and, ding ding ding, this was the primary focus of the official Kabuki/Kimetsu crossover last November), as well as takes little questions left in canon and dives into them a bit deeper. One such question is, why were wisteria lethal to demons? According to Prof. Owada’s research, there is no historical basis for this. Some of the talk online is that: 1. Wisteria are in fact poisonous, and consuming too much of them would cause vomiting and diarrhea (though I’ve also seen people make jam out of them because of the fragrance, so, like???) 2. Beans are thrown around at Setsubun to ward off demons (like so, Feat. Muzan and Kimetsu Beans), and wisteria are of the bean family 3. Wisteria like sunlight, so perhaps like Nichirin, they soak up some of the sun’s properties that are lethal to demons 4. In the language of flowers (Hanakotoba), wisteria symbolize kindness, welcomeness, refusing to leave someone’s side, being drunk with love, being straightforward and truthful, not losing the humanity in one’s heart, thereby containing a lot of meaning contrary to the conduct of demons Interesting, but some of its kind of a stretch. While still finding it a stretch to apply it to wisteria being poisonous to demons, Prof. Owada goes on to say that since ancient times, while the wisteria has some negative connotations of how it was sometimes written with characters meaning “doesn’t heal” (不治) and growing downward with smaller and smaller flowers like symbolize the slow downfall of a family line, it conversely also carries positive connotations of longevity and flourishing family due to the fact that its vines grow upward.

Now, you might picked up at some point that the Japanese word for wisteria is “fuji.” Not to be confused with Mt. Fuji (that’s written differently), it IS the same fuji as in “Fujiwara”: 藤.

Prof. Owada goes on to explore the association with the use of Wisteria crests in Kimetsu no Yaiba, especially on the houses of supporters of the Demon Slayer Corp. His recurring thesis is that the pandemic is partly responsible for Kimetsu no Yaiba’s popularity since demon legends have long since had origins in epidemics, and he supposes the Wisteria crest has a protective effect on the houses, similar to a talisman used in a lot of real life rituals for warding off illness and then often displays in or on the entries of houses to protect the family every year (I have one such item gifted to me, it stays by my doorway, along with a couple sticks of charcoal (but the culture of charcoal is a post for some other day)). The talisman is in reference to a god of Hindu/Chinese origins being treated with hospitality by the So clan, so although other families perished in disaster/disease, he promised to always protect the So clan descendants, so the talisman says “Descendants of the So Clan” so that any household may try to claim that divine protection. The gratitude-exchange of hospitality and protection and sure sounds familiar! Prof. Owada isn’t done yet. While the crest design used in Kimetsu no Yaiba isn’t an actual family crest in in real life, there are lots and lots and lots of family crests that use a wisteria design and have the character for “wisteria” in the name. Any time you hear “—tou”, like Satou, Saitou, or even Gotou, you can typically assume it’s 藤. It’s very common nowadays, but the first family to be granted the use of this name was the Fujiwara clan, when one of the pre-Heian and very powerful emperors granted their clan head this surname, which was a major honor, and it marked the start of the Fujiwara clan’s political dominance (there was already influence leading up to this, but meh, we like clear-cut stuff to simply centuries of history, don’t we?). Furthermore, although we often think of the Fujiwara clan for their influence at court, and we might think of the Minamoto clan for warrior heroes who fought demons, Prof. Owada concludes his argument of wisteria’s protective influence by pointed out a long list of Heian period Fujiwara warriors who also were the heroes of demon slaying legends, stating that their name has also long been tied with demon slayer culture. SO!!! Let me go on with my theory here. Muzan is from the same family line as Ubuyashiki. At some point (I assume after Muzan is long gone from Kyoto), the family is told while their children keep dying, and they accept their mission to bring an end to Kibutsuji Muzan and clear this curse on their family line. My thought is that their ancestor was a full blood sibling of Muzan, one whom was more invested in than sickly Muzan. While perhaps already an off-shoot of the Fujiwara Clan and thereby not entitled to the same sorts of inheritance, they probably maintained close ties with them. But, as it was already not direct by that time, the other Fujiwara clan branches were not affected by this curse. To further spare the clan the effects of this curse, this was probably when that sickly branch took the name Ubuyashiki. (And yes, I have things to say about this name and its possible mythological origins which I find a highly, highly interesting connection. Prof. Owada supposes it is tied with Izumo Taisha Grand Shrine and that is why there are nine pillars, but as much as I love Izumo Taisha and its giant pillars I base my argument in separate Shinto (but also Izumo!) mythology and accept that there are not always supposed to be nine Pillars specifically and Gotouge simply chose that number based on the number of strokes in the kanji for ‘Hashira’ (柱) BUT I DIGRESS). So, the Ubuyashiki Clan is it’s own thing, but is sort of like a cousin to the other Fujiwara branches and thereby continues to enjoy Fujiwara support throughout the Heian period, like some of the Fujiwara warriors going out there and slaying some of Muzan’s early demon experiments, and using their influence to bring in other warriors to the demon slaying cause (pet

theory: Genpei War warrior Kumagai Naozane was a member of the proto-Corp and using Kasugai-garasu was in practice since at least late Heian period). While the Ubuyashiki Clan probably already their own inherited land (and funds that came from it), throughout their history, their cousin clans might also have provided financial support to the Ubuyashiki Clan. But, they probably distanced themselves from the clan due to the curse and not wanting to be tainted. When you bring back in the wisteria associations this puts the contrary associations with a flourishing and dying family line in a new light. Furthermore, the “not healing” way of writing “fuji” also means a lot more in the context of Muzan’s, and later the Ubuyashiki clan’s illness.

[postmodernmulticoloredcloak]

Back to my Safari bookmarks! If you’re wondering why I’d make hundreds and hundreds of bookmarks from tumblr, it’s because I had anxiety and didn’t have a blog yet. Took me a while and eventually I just impulsively made it one night.

- awww ancient Stucky fanart

- several etsy articles that are no longer available

- “Oops! Website deactivated”

- many, many, many links to nothing, but also an array of super random tumblr posts, and when I say random I mean random

- this was when CATWS was fresh and people were like :O

- a list of recipes to replicate fast food from some American chains at home... ew why would I want to eat any of these things ew ew

- past me, please explain, why would you bookmark all this stuff. why so many bookmarks of possible iphone cases to buy. you did buy some eventually. why keep these b--

- horizontally cutting an apple and putting peanut butter inside it DOES NOT make it a sandwich, American person who wrote this article about sandwich ideas. Wait, “Apple and Gruyere Waffle Sandwich”? That’s even worse.

- you again?? No, using a tomato instead of hamburger buns DOES NOT make a hamburger. How am I supposed to bite into the sk... nevermind.

- awww a bunch of etsy links about products for babies! This is from when my nephew was born ^-^

- a 2004 essay about Dumbledore

- that manga about Jesus and Buddha in modern Japan

- pictures of blooming tea... I have purchased some from a Chinese reseller through Amazon a very long time ago, but the package is “in transit but late” :(

- Roberto Ferri’s paintings (those beautiful ones you saw years ago all over tumblr)

- pictures from the 1930s/40s in color

- super cute pet videos

- nothing says “Etsy” like kintsugi kits where you’re sent a broken object to repair (I didn’t want one, but the link showed me those)

- sure, pick a theme for your blog where microscopic text is written in beige over white background, I’m sure that’s a good idea

- do you think John Winchester apologists who get really intense when someone brings up literal canon still exist on this site or. Actually no I don’t want to know.

- I miss the Carver era meta guys

- an essay that reads the Iron Man trilogy through the lens of “cyborg feminism” but somehow the Iron Man trilogy seems to be a fever dream. That’s what happens when you make other 9472 terrible movies with Tony Stark in it when he’s always written terribly.

- Oh boi remember fanmail. I miss fanmail. They should being back fanmail.

- random stuff, broken links, random stuff, I’m deading, even Safari is suffering I had to close it and open it again asdfghjkl

- Writing Exercises (I’m not checking if it’s actually useful rn tho)

- this smol 2014 article about the Captain America fandom will make you cry now because we had such a good thing and they chose to punish us for it

- https://musicroamer.com and http://www.liveplasma.com

- oh man an essay on why it would be so important for many people if Johnlock became canon. I feel so sorry for the TJLC people, they deserved better

- damn!! Look at this Etsy store!! Look at this stuff!! I want!!

- that time Sergei Polunin danced to Take Me To Church

- the Supernatural soundtrack, episode by episode

- a twitter account that got suspended?? (But also ewwwww twitter shows me what’s trending in my country and ewwwww)

- Centuries Before Memes, There Were The LOLCats Of Japanese Woodprints

- there’s a broken link to a page inside the site “thetoast” and their broken link page says “Oh, bother.” and a picture of a burnt toast

- http://lexicity.com (The first and only comprehensive index for ancient language resources on the internet.)

- NASA Goddard Youtube channel

- omg this is so funny. An article about “awesome recycling ideas”. The objects to recycle? Include? A grand piano; a sea mine; an old boat; another grand piano; A BOEING 747 JUMBO JET ENGINE; another boat; sliced cars; multiple more pianos... thank you I really needed an idea on what to do with that stuff in my garage

- one of my first tumblr posts............. you really want to see it? do you? okay. But you need to be familiar with that famous Nietzsche passage about the announcement of the death of God. Yeah, I know. I can’t fathom how I got thousands of people to follow me.

- an amigurumi project I actually tried, with an acquaintance’s help and all, but I just couldn’t

- a folder of random stuff lebeled “bau” (“woof” in Italian, you know, what the dog says)

- more resources for my thesis I never used

- the map of the central building of my university (I always get lost in it)

- once upon a time, the most used word on the internet was “codependency”

- thanks, past me, for grouping all these links from tumblr blogs that changed their url all together so I can just delete everything with a single click.

- a folder “sherlock meta”. Blogs that deleted. (*touches the ground*...)

- discussions on the dismissal of the queer reading of Sherlock :’) I’m sorry guys

- it’s a good thing I didn’t have a blog back then. If I’d reblogged all the posts I’ve saved it would have been a mess.

- TEEN WOLF META asdfghjkl I routinely forget that Teen Wolf is a show I actually watched. Sure, I abandoned it at some point. Like everyone else did, I think.

- guys, we’re at posts from the first few days of 2014. We’re about to enter 2013. I don’t know what we’ll find.

- Destiel posts. These are all Destiel posts.

- a link to the Naruto manga on a manga reader site.

The Safari bookmarks end here, I think because for Christmas 2013, if I remember correctly, I got a new laptop. But there’s a folder with some bookmarks I imported from the old one... 

- some resources on disability representation, random tumblr posts, and the family free of the Julio-Claudian dynasty

- super random tumblr blogs?? including the demo.tumblr.com??? idek

- oh boi. A super mega amount of tumblr blogs. How am I supposed to open these?? If I open all the tabs I’ll make my laptop crash... I’m not opening them. Most are unfamiliar, probably fandom blogs that changed their url twice a month, but I can spot a few I still follow :) Congrats, I “followed” you long before I had a blog myself.

Well, this was anticlimatic. Apparently, past me already got rid of all the wild stuff. There’s not even a SINGLE Glee thing? Not one? From 2014? Wait, what was airing in 2014? Season 5? Yeah, maybe that’s a reason. Still.

NEVERMIND I FOUND THEM, they’re no longer saved in a browser, I had changed laptops or sth and I had copied my bookmarks in a email I sent to myself so I could find the links again (which obviously says I made a selection, who knows how many bookmarks were lost. I don’t want to know lmao). I obviously have no reason, time or will to open them, but I can tell you I had divided them in categories:

- uni courses; Japan/Japanese; manga; philosophy and academical stuff; recipes; mixed [oh boi there’s some weird stuff here]; very useful sites; quotes & lyrics [what for?]; videos; Glee stuff; Glee art from DeviantArt; Glee tumblr blogs; Klaine-specific tumblr blogs; Supernatural stuff; Destiel-specific; my most used sites; Deviant Art - fanart [not specified, so I’m betting this is manga fanart - correction from some urls I can tell this is yaoi fanart, yep]; Deviant Art - non-fanart; watercolor images; Deviant Art - food; Deviant Art - pictures of Japan; something very embarrassing I’m not admitting it [no it’s not porn, that would be less embarrassing]; assorted tumblr posts; Supernatural meta; other tumblr posts.

So yeah that was my 2013, how was yours?

[sabinefm]

( bruna marquezine , cis female , peach ) welcome to aida&stefano , SABINA REUBE ! thank you for choosing to stay here. in this form it says that you go by the SHE / HER , you’re TWENTY THREE years old , you’re originally from SAN FRANCISCO , and you’ve been staying here for ONE YEAR . it also says you’re known to be + RESOURCEFUL , but also - SELFISH. that really shouldn’t be a problem though. check in at the front , hope you enjoy your stay ! (the click of heels, hot sand under your bare feet, chocolate covered strawberries, the imprints a bra leaves on your skin, red lipstick staining your fingertips )

ABOUT THE MUN.  i hope this email never finds you 

hello all, my name is pepper and i have never been on time for anything, ever in my life sdjkdskj this is especially true today, rip. no but honestly, i never thought i would actually get accepted into this beautiful rp so i stalled checking acceptances cause i’m a Scaredy Cat and that made me really late, and then i ended up taking the rest of my coworker’s shift cause she had to go and thus ended up coming home even later than i thought which has made me really really late... BUT against all the odds i’m here! and ready to party! and tell y’all about my bby sabina! but first a little bit about me, i am twenty four (ew), i can’t cook (rip), and i currently spend most of my lonely quarantine days either watching anime or scrolling through tiktok. i am canadian but every canadian that meets me thinks i’m american and i don’t know why. when i was a child i had an irrational (or yk very rational) fear of sharkboy from sharkboy and lava girl, and tbh it has never left me. i was also afraid of gill from kim possible so you can imagine my horror when that fish f*cking movie won an oscar?? when i was younger i also thot god looked like king triton from the little mermaid cause he was white and he had a beard yk. it fit in my little brain. and finally i just recently discovered girl in red and therefore feel like i finally got my bi girl card,,, feeling validated in this chillis tonight. and if that doesn’t tell you everything you need to know about me idk what will. anyways, that’s officially enough about me onto who we’re all really here for, ms sabine!

BIO.  the lengths i would go to to both get attention and avoid it... astounding  tldr ; daughter of a guy who created a dating site + app, came to a&s after leaving her husband to be at the alter after catching him cheating with her mother, wants to be a bad bitch, sometimes succeeds. 

THEN.

sabina came into the world the child of a mediocre stay at home mom and a penniless entrepreneur so it goes without saying that she had very little. her dad had a lot of passion and a lot of drive but no one would really give him a chance, and her mother kind of only married the man because she was expecting him to make it big enough for her to never have to work another day in her life so? yeah she was hella disappointed tbh 

but not sabina! she looked up to her father so much as a child. while her mom was kind of ~emotionally unavailable~ her father was too, but like at least he had a dream he believed in, yk? he wanted to help people fall in love and sabine being the big romantic she was as a child had never heard of anything so noble. her daddy was her hero. sabina honestly had big daddy’s little girl vibes until she was like 22 tkjsdkjd

one day when their family credit card got rejected one too many times sabina’s mother called it quits on yk the whole mother gig. she left sabina on a bench outside of the grocery store while she went to go home and ‘get some cash’ which even at seven sabine knew was a damn lie cause they were too broke to have any damn cash. and yeah that was the last sabina heard of her for a long ass time. it was a reverse ‘dad went to get some cigarettes’ situation but just as traumatic honestly. 

although not as much for sabine’s dad. that man literally saw his wife leaving him as a minor setback and moved on. he threw himself harder into his work, to the point where sabine barely saw him. this was the start of sabine desperately trying to compete with her father’s business for even a sliver of his attention. this was a battle she usually lost. 

sabine raised herself for a while there, since her father yk remarried his job and her mother was following the jonas brother’s cross country. she became both very independent and very lonely for a child, which was an odd combination that both haunted sabine for pretty much the rest of her life after that point and lead her to make most of her worst decisions. but that’s a story for another time, because right when all hope was lost sabine’s father won the lottery. literally. 

all at once they were five million dollars richer. they went from nothing to everything real quick. and this marked a change in the reube’s lives in a way sabine couldn’t have even imagine at the time. 

sabine’s father hector used the money to fund his business and that shit blew up! he created a site by the name of loveisblind that was in the ring with the likes of match.com and christianmingle yk, one of those dating sites. everyone on loveisblind is set up on blind dates based on the information they fill out on their profile and are only allowed to see each other when they reach a certain point of emotional intimacy. the site had wild success rates, and got very popular, blah, blah, the point was the reubes? suddenly rich af!

and you think that would give hector more time to spend with his daughter right? no. it gave hector the money to hire nannies for his daughter. 

yes, somehow despite hector no longer having to work himself to the bone, sabine saw him even less. tragic really. she really became that lonely rich girl trope real quick, and this is what unfortunately got sabine into the habit of seeking the attention she wasn’t getting from her father in other men and women, which she is not proud of. 

that unfortunately didn’t fill the void that sabine had but you know what did? making the loveisblind app so her daddy would love her. basically around the time that tinder started gaining traction and getting popular, people stopped going on the loveisblind site and started instead turning to apps. her father was trying and failing to get into that market, and sabina, being yk, actually a lot more intelligent than her father ever gave her credit for, created the app for his site and pitched it to him over his lunch one day. it was honestly one of the first times sabina can remember her father really paying attention to her in the longest time. it was also the proudest she’s ever seen him. 

the app was a big success! a whole new generation was using it and finding love, including one ms sabine reube. in the early days of the app launch sabine met her prince charming, christopher ‘kit’ johannson. he swept her right off her feet, and she fell HARD, and when they debuted their relationship it wasn’t long until they kind of became the face of the app?? like sabine’s father was the creator after all, the fact that his daughter found love on the app too was big news for a while. people followed their relationship and strived for something like that for themselves. sabine didn’t know it at the time but they were basically a walking advertisement, and her father was LIVING for that.

fast forward a bit and your girl went to yale for computer engineering and business (did her daddy’s status and money ease the way? maybe man, nepotism am i right) whilst kit went to harvard, they were long distance for a bit before they graduated and kit very publicly proposed (the whole thing was well recorded too, gotta get that gram), and then both sab and kit moved in together and both started working for their families respective companies. it was around then that sabine started to understand just how much and how often kit was cheating on her. it was a real wakeup call. 

sabine ended up breaking down to her father about her suspicions, and he basically ended up telling her to suck it up and think of the business. the fact was sabine and kit, the face of their new generation and one of the first successful couples from the app getting married and living happily ever after was amazing for the company. and the two of them calling the whole thing off just because of a little infidelity just wasn’t going to cut it. 

now once again, this is where sabine’s deep desire to be loved and accepted really bites her in the ass. this was one of the first times sabine’s father had ever really asked her for anything so... she did it. or at least she did her best to do it. she lasted until the wedding day around the time where she caught kit and her own mother (who she only invited out of a deep rooted need to actually know the woman who gave birth to her again) going at it in the coat closet of their wedding venue. yeah, at that point sabine pretty much snapped, blacked out, smashed a whole wedding cake over kit’s head, and took their honeymoon to venice on her own. she arrived at Aida&Stefano with running mascara in a ruined wedding dress trying to ask about a honeymoon suite. it was a whole mess, but you know what so is sab so at least she was on brand. 

NOW.

after sabina arrived she spent about a week mourning her failed almost-marriage and yk, destroyed family before she decided to fuck it all and reinvent herself. she desperately wanted to become someone new, someone unrecognizable from who she was before, even if it was only on the inside. so she cut her hair (the first step to every transformation) hardened everything soft about herself and made the irrevocable decision to become a bad bitch. she (mostly) succeeded. kind of. 

sabine basically curb stomped out the soft, hopeless romantic people pleaser in her and decided to become someone more unsympathetic. someone who puts her own needs first instead of burning herself up to keep others warm (cause what good has that ever done her before?). someone who people would be afraid to hurt but who wouldn’t even feel pain anyways. and to sum it up that person is a heartless bitch. or at least she tries to be.

i’m gonna stop here because this is already a lot longer than i wanted it to be and i haven’t even got to the other sections yet rip but you get the point i feel

PERSONALITY.  *feels nothing* mmm, don’t like that *feels something but like too much* mmm not a fan of that either 

most of this is tbd because i’m still developing her but

VAIN. the kind of girl who will file her nails or check herself out in the mirror while you’re talking to her. will reapply her lipstick in the rearview mirror of her car while she’s driving. checks herself out in any reflective surface, i mean i would too if i looked like bruna but Still 

KIND. even though sab tries to be a hard ass she’s probably the most loyal, generous, kind person you would ever meet deep down. like she puts on this persona of being heartless, but if anyone needs her she will be there for them. kind of hates that she’s such a softie sometimes but she can’t help it. 

EMOTIONALLY UNAVAILABLE. doesn’t want to be hurt again and will do pretty much anything to avoid that. tries to keep people at arms length especially romantically. loves making friends though, and will indeed spoil them. 

HEADCANNONS.  who wants to hire me as their maid i’m not gonna clean im just gonna wear a cute maid outfit dust like 6 things and bend down a lot

has the vibes of that drunk rich aunt that’s always smoking like sexily as she looks far into the distance and wears like a super luxurious coat. will gossip with you. will buy you things your mom won’t. will cuss out your toxic father at the dinner table. that’s her energy.

unfortunately actually does smoke. i hate 

okay fun fact, the only reason sabine went to university for computer programming and business was because she felt her father wanted her to. she honestly has no real passion for the subject and just wanted to use her talent to make her father as proud of her as he was on the day she debuted that app to him. but now that making daddy proud isn’t like the only thing occupying her entire brain sabine like is like ??? wait what do i actually want to do with my life ??? and it took her a while to figure it out but after a while she fell back on one of her passions, art. she’s actually making a graphic novel aimed towards young adults about a modern day hades and persephone vibe, kind of about a girl who falls in love with the grim reaper and the lengths she goes to to chase after her (yes it is a Lady Reaper) into the depths of hell,,, it’s wild. she’s very proud of it but also kind of shy about it tbh. her go to critic is georgio, because she knows that little shit will be honest and yk what she respects that. 

but when it comes to making actual money your girl turns to cam work most of the time, because well. at the very least it’s quick, easy, and semi discreet. and sometimes she gets something out of it too. she figures it’s a win win, and she’s been doing it for about a year now, mostly because she absolutely refuses to use any of her father’s money. 

is allergic to cucumber. 

has a different 'relationship’ like every week or so, along with a few one night stands peppered in. unfortunately still attracted to people who are bad for her (kit for example was an asshole and a cheater and DEFINITELY conservative like she messed up on that one), but is also very afraid of falling in love again and letting herself get hurt, so she normally doesn’t let things last too long before she starts self sabotaging. 

if you ever catch sabine with like... her nails growing out or her nail polish chipped, something is wrong. like something is deeply wrong. sabine will have her nails done in the middle of the apocalypse, the only reason they would be less than perfect is if she is having a breakdown. always has colour on her nails, and usually it’s a shade of red, purple, or black. 

always has wild ass stories to tell about her tinder dates or one night stands and will tell them without shame for your entertainment. is a great storyteller honestly, a talent she got from her mother but she doesn’t want to admit that. 

fun fact, her mother mariah was PISSED when hector got rich AFTER she left him and tried for years to sue him or something but no dice. she was so angry and vengeful over the whole thing that she took the opportunity of being invited to her daughters wedding to get back at her husband where it hurt, his business. thus sleeping with kit. didn’t really think about how her daughter might feel about the whole thing because she was yk blinded by rage, but that’s just how mariah is so i mean,,, rip sabina. 

shops when she’s sad, or happy, or angry, or confused sdkjdsj will use any excuse to shop, and at this point she has more clothes than she knows what to do with. her style can be kind of out there at times, but she will let you borrow things though. 

she has a cat named momo. yes that is inspired by her being the peach skeleton. also has a parrot named poe i think. i also have the urge to give her a snake but... i will resist. so sabine wants a snake for sure 

her favourite colours are black and red

she is a horrible terrible driver. don’t drive with sabine unless you’re an adrenaline junkie or like want to die tbh 

her dad 100% set up the relationship between kit and sabine as a pr stunt, but sabine doesn’t know that yet and when she finds out her father used her like that ooh boy things are gonna get wildt. as it is now sabine just thinks she disappointed him and it’s kind of eating her alive. half the reason she’s staying here is because she doesn’t want to face him or yk her old life anymore. her father is so caught up in the shame she caused him that he hasn’t even tried to call her after the whole thing and the one time sabine got hella drunk and called him all he did was tell her what a disappointment she was and ask when she was coming back to work so we love ~parenting~

WANTED CONNECTIONS. girls will “🥺🥺🥺🥺” their way out of everything

close friends please and thanks, best friends also please, uh, can i get some awkward one night stands that avoid each other at all cost, can i get a neighbour who’s ear sabine is always talking off in the hallway between their rooms even tho they just want to go home but can’t because sabine is Oversharing, maybe a flirtationship, but also i would love an enemy (it could be for a ridiculous reason or a completely valid reason but either way please give it to me), someone she goes out dancing/partying with at piccolo, a sibling like relationship, a confidante, someone who she trusts to read her comic and maybe even do some linework, and absolutely anything else okay my brain is fried rn but i want it all! please like this and i will slip and slide into your dms <3

[ladyofthewrittenword]

Arguing w/ the Uninformed: The Saga

Just had a very illuminating conversation, though I hesitate to call it that, with my future mother-in-law about... wait for it... A BUMPER STICKER!! Side note: We live in very small-town Ohio and this is deep in Trump territory. Back to the main plot: Now, we’re driving back to the house after she’s picked me up from work and we’re stopped at a red light when I notice, that displayed very prominently on the bumper of this beat up Chevy in front of us, is a bumper sticker that reads: “Hilary for Prison 2016″ on an American flag backdrop. Hee haw, so clever! But the entire time, I’m internally screaming because, knowing my MIL’s political leanings as I do, I really don’t want her to notice the sticker too and go off on a tangent/rant (which, I guess is just what I’m doing here.... Go, figure!). I’ve had a long day of work, and I hate her and want to spend as little time listening to her speak as possible because frankly, her voice is a like a cheese grater on my eardrums. Still with me? Good! Because it gets better! (Or depending on how you look at it, much much worse....)

Now, this must be the longest light in the history of red lights, but she inevitably notices the bumper sticker, proceeds to read it aloud for the class, snort with laughter, and elbow me in what I can only assume she perceives to be a playful manner. On the one hand, she had started to drive again and my body was like, “EYES ON THE ROAD!” and on the other, my brain was screaming, “Don’t touch me, beyotch, ew.” But, as I knew was unavoidable... the rant begins. (She actually stopped to take a deep breath for this too!) 

MIL, so pleased with herself: “Isn’t that so funny?” ** Snort chortle **

Me, tired, petty AF, and ready to be done with this convo or wherever it’s leading: “It’s been three years. Let it GO.”

MIL: “The Dems still haven’t let the Mueller investigation go...”

Me: “Uh, yeah, because Trump’s whole administration is filled with crooks and criminals. There’s no statute of limitation on treason....”

**awkward silence while the troglodyte formulates her next retort**

MIL: “Hilary broke the law too.”

Me: “When?”

MIL: “All those emails... What was in them, huh? All this about Trump’s taxes, but what about the emails?!” Meanwhile her voice is getting higher one octave at a time and more shrill the more aggravated she gets. “Oh, I wish Pelosi would just drop dead of a heart attack already and let the man get on with it...”

Me: “Well, someone needs to stop the dictator-in-the-making.”

MIL: “The only thing he’s guilty of is listening to people who lead him astray...”

Me: (fed absolutely TF up to here with her nonsensical, hateful BS) “He’s a terrible human being who has no right to be the leader of anything.”

MIL: “Why?” (smugly thinking she’s going to catch me unawares)

Me: “For starters, he’s openly xenophobic, homophobic, racist, and sexist regularly, he separates and locks up immigrant children from their parents in what essentially amounts to ice boxes to die of exposure, the unchecked nepotism with his unqualified kids, and don’t even get me started on the wall!”

MIL: “He’s only doing what Obama and Bush Jr. did before him. The only difference is that now people are bitching about it.”

Me: “What do you mean?”

MIL: “Chelsea Clinton and her parents’ NPO.”

Me: “Do you mean Chelsea Clinton who went to school, studied and interned with her parents, both of whom, despite their personal flaws, are some of the greatest political thinkers this century... What is Ivanka doing? Is she Secretary of Handbags? Trump and his children can’t even form cohesive sentences without insulting someone or stuttering that they don’t know!”

MIL: “Trump’s kids all went to school too.”

Me: “Yeah, maybe for business but that has little to do with politics. And we’ve seen what kind of business people they all are... They’re all unqualified and lack any kind of diplomacy abroad. Being able to communicate with other world leaders without insulting them or making a fool of yourself and your nation should be the very least a President is capable of.”

MIL: “Name one world leader or country he’s offended!”

Me: (Forgive me, I’m SHITE at remembering names!) “Germany, England, and France for starters. All historically our allies for the last half-century, at least... He won’t talk about Climate Change, he’s devastated the EPA and National Parks, and he’s plunged us into a national debt in the trillions all while cozying up to some of the world’s most infamous dictators and tyrants... North Korea, Russia, and Saudi Arabia.”

MIL: “The French have never been our allies! All they’ve done is mooch off of our resources...”

Me: “The helped us defeat the British and win the right to declare ourselves an independent nation. So, even if you were right about them being mooches... I think they’ve earned the right.” We’ve pulled up into the driveway at this point and she’s put the car in park to try and stare me down. But I am unwavering because I know my facts and she’s a foot wart at this point...

MIL: “The French helped us kick out the British?” 

She’s incredulous and honestly, so am I because she is exactly the kind of person that I fear most being the child of immigrants, being bisexual, being Latina and multilingual, not being religious, and on top of all that... being so outspoken about all these things. But those people who chant “Build the Wall���, “Speak English, this is America”, or “Go Home” are just like her in the way that they claim with such certainty that this is their country, but don’t know the first thing about its history. And that is both sad and frightening... 

But on the other hand.... 

#BitchesGetShitDONE!!

[black-halla]

Fear and Loathing in FS thread or What’s Wrong with Eteri Tutberidze

Disclaimer by me: Sports.ru is a fan web resource full of very toxic people who move from love to hate very easily. They are ready to spend their nights on the site writing mess things about athletes. Why? I don’t know. This article is about disappearing Russian skaters and the faults of Tutberidze, written as reply on the article “What’s wrong with Medvedeva” and also as reply to all toxic haters in fs fandom. A lot of sarcasm here. Please, beware.

«Hate is easier than love. Hate can be explained.»

Prehistory. For those who joined fandom during the Olympics, and do not really understand what’s happening.

In the previous series:

ep.1. On the eve of the Olympics, the story of one cycle. Pre-Olympic seasons 2015-2017.

In the lead roles (titles and age as for May 2018):

Elizabeth «she smoked live on Periscope, ew!!!» Tuktamysheva, World Champion 2015, triple Axel, 21 years old.

Sports.ru hates her for «disgusting programs» , «extra weight»  and laziness.

Elena «fat cheeks, left Goncharenko (her coach), ew!» Radionova, 2-times junior world champion, holder of the badge of CSKA school, 19 years old.

video

Sports.ru hates her for her lifestyle and her «mushroomed» CSKA. [Mushrooms (Russian fs slang) – high PC scores. To get mushrooms – to have high PC’s scores.]

Anna «unstable and injured, ew!» Pogorilaya, bronze medalist of the World Cup 2016, skater with the most unusual programs and stunning looks, 20 years old.

video

Sports.ru hates her less now because she doesn’t skate.

Adelina Sotnikova — episodic role, the Olympic gold of Sochi.

video

(she had such jumps, oh).

She is hated on Sports.ru for everything.

Maria «woman-underotation» Sotskova.

video

Well, obviously, it's hard to hate a person you do not remember.

Team «Tutberidze’s monsters»

Evgenia  «LICEMERIC MEAN SHIT»  Medvedeva, 18 years old. The winner of everything in the seasons of 2016-2017. 

Polina «totally injured» Tsurskaya, 16, owner of the most beautiful « hunged» jumps and talent, yet unrealized.

Alina Zagitova, 15 years old. Olympic champion 2018 had not yet annoy anyone in her first season at the adult, so no nicknames on Sports.ru.

Team «former Tutberidze‘s monsters»  + episodic male roles: 

Yulia  «she leaved Tutberidze because she was lazy and fat»  Lipnitskaya. The one «in a red coat»  who «beautifully put her leg up».

Adyan  «lazy! (not fat because he’s not a girl)»  Pitkeev, the former hope of the dead now men's figure skating.

Sergei Voronov, episodic role.

Team «very former Tutberidze‘s monsters»

Polina Shelepen’ was «lazy and ungrateful»  along before it became mainstream, oh, wait, I mean, before Medvedeva, Lipnitskaya and Tsurskaya. The first student of Tutberidze, who stepped at a high level.

video

(it turns out, she was a swan before the mainstream too!)

Brief content of the 1st episode:

Olympic champion Adelina Sotnikova opens the beauty salon, visits talk-shows, posts in Instagram — in short, goes into the shadows, but sits in the care of the federation. Olympic champion Yulia Lipnitskaya does not cope with eating problems (not confirmed) and injuries (confirmed). After leaving Tutberidze's group (accompanied by scandals), Yulia tries to pursue a career, but the Rostelecom drama and the flow of dirt on Sports.ru come to see her soon.

To replace the champion here comes Liza Tuktamysheva and her triple axel (the same one, for whose performance Mirai Nagasu will become the hero of the US, despite the modest final place), but a year later the axel leaves, and together with him Liza leaves too. Well, she is still here, but there is no chance for her at all.

On the place of leader comes 15-year-old Evgenia Medvedeva, who dominates everywhere for next two seasons. A new world record holder, which guarantees the talented Russian team what it lacks – the stability.

At the pick up Zhenya has Lena Radionova and Anya Pogorilaya, who leave at the end of the episode right before the Olympics. Lena — because of coach changes and sharp growth, Anya .... Anya is a theme for a single episode.

Quintessence of the state of the Russian women's team in 2016-17: World Cup 2017, where the fate of the Olympic tickets was determined. The hellish fight at the Russian Nationals and ... the deafening failure of the 2/3 team at the decisive moment. Medvedeva and her iron nerves pull out 3 tickets for the Olympics. «School Tutberidze» , they say. «Iron nerves» , they say.

Only one problem, «evil, dirty»  tongues whisper quietly behind their back that Tutberidze can not coach adults. If Zhenya will have a hard puberty, her career will be finished: talented Yulia Lipnitskaya left after the Olympics. ET has no students who perform reaching the age of 18 years. The coach is credited with the hellish methods of weight loss (which cannot be sustained after puberty) and indifference to injuries. As confirmation — the trauma of the Main Tutberidze’s Monster, «indestructible» Medvedeva. But Zhenya goes to the starts. Behind her back — the whole team. Problems? First, not everyone agrees with the PC — this is a clear premium from the Federation for stability. Secondly, lutz. A clear technical problem.

At this time, a girl named Alina Zagitova wins the junior world championship. Tutberidze took her in group recently. She’s still in the shade.

ep.2. During the Olympics (All of you has watched this episode)

Prologue: Medvedeva's speech in Lausanne at the IOC meeting, where the issue of Russian team’s admission to the Olympics was decided. Zhukov's gratitude for Medvedeva and her knowledge of the language.

Main action: Olympics. Drama. Technical superiority of the younger rival. The unofficial prohibition of Tutberidze to call «stepdaughter» Zagitova Olympic champion. A stream of mud in the comments: The Sports.ru's troops, of course, begin to protect the defenseless and disadvantaged minors, watering the aging old generation with mud.

ep. 3. After the ball (You are here).

Starring:

«Supernew monsters of Tutberidze» 

Alexandra Trusova. 13 years old, 148 cm, quads in official competitions. 

Alena Kostornaya. 14 years, 146 cm, triple axel. 

Anna Shcherbakova. Broken leg, but now jumps everything, including quad lutz, hello, Misha Kolyada.

«We were in the shadows, but we are also monsters of Tutberidze»

Darya Panenkova. 15 years old, the only one who passed puberty, but not very «danceable, according to the coaches themselves. 

Anastasia Tarakanova. 13 years old, according to rumors all the same dropped out of struggle due to injury.

Evgenia Medvedeva as the main villain.

In this episode: Supernew Monsters of Tutberidze «stamp» the quads in Instagram. Zagitova is in the shadows.

Evgenia Medvedeva after months of rumors leaves the coach. The coach shows on the air of national channel a private conversation in Viber and pretends that she learned about the transition only from news. Medvedeva leaves for Orser, perhaps the world's most famous coach, who just has a free places in group.

There is a lot of gossip and mud: they say, the coach from the group of Tutberidze himself says that the quads of the Supernews will leave soon; someone gloats.

A photo appears where Eteri hugs Zagitova like a mother. From this day Alina can be called the Olympic champion. Now, Alina is the New Hrustalnaya Daughter.

[Hrustalnaya means Crystal; Tutberidze’s rink is called Hrustalniy.]

The main part. What’s Wrong with Eteri Tutberidze?

Before the beginning:

Eteri Tutberidze is an excellent coach. Yes, she does not have athletes over 18 years old. But the successes of Lipnitskaya (in her few seasons on senior) and Medvedeva (under 18 years) cause respect. Yes, the junior coach. But the sport is changing, and Eteri enjoys this very well.

But with all due respect, here are the tense moments collected in one post.

1) The methods of training are clearly not designed for long-term athletes.

About nutrition of Lipnitskaya:

When she needs to lose weight, she eats only powder «Squid» — it's fiber, which gives energy. It's hard, and the weight goes down very slowly — 100 grams a day. But she copes, thank God.

via

It's not very surprising that Yulia started having weight problems, right?

Of course, it's much easier not to put the girls on the weigher during puberty, not to take food from them, not to force running crosses... Of course, the child is hurt, and he very often seeks whom to complain. Not everyone understands that if the coach screams at you, it means that he loves you.

via

Athletes of Tutberidze have usually very small height and weight (Medvedeva is  159 cm and 41 kg according to Tatler). It is purely physiologically impossible for 18 years. She’s even smaller than her mother. And by the way, screams mean love?

2) Medvedeva — not the first one who left Tutberidze like this.

Lipnitskaya and Medvedeva left without saying goodbye. It's not polite. But, whatever one may say, this is an indicator of fear and a general atmosphere in group. Why does Eteri say that all her leaving athletes are beasts? Why along with Medvedeva Tsurskaya left, which in another version may become the second number in the strongest group of the country? Why Shelepen’ left the same way? Are they all «ill-mannered, lazy and ungrateful» , while Eteri is one there who’s the right?

If the young girls were not afraid to go to the Olympics, why did the fear to write to the coach turned out to be more of a fear to go out in front of millions of spectators and give out a skate of the life? Perhaps the famous methods in the style of «wagging on the ice» had the opposite effect, when the athletes become more mature. Adulthood inevitably leads to the appearing of critical thinking.

And by the way, is it possible to speak so loudly about love and family relations, when...

3) Unethical statements about the left (and even not yet time to leave) athletes.

…when after you talk about them in bad manner, giving wvwryone all the small details of the leave? Why do we know everything about the leaving of athletes? Is it necessary for public? What is this for? Eteri has no one to share, and a strong woman does not want to cry near the window alone?

Adyan Pitkeev.

Before leaving:

He is always focused on himself. The presence or absence of several practice mates does not reflects on him. There is such a type of athletes.

After leaving:

At that time, several guys were riding at the same level, but the coaching staff had to prove their love to him on a daily basis. He had sincere tears when he thought he was not needed. The guy ran away, threw the skates into the garbage can. Of course, he didn’t want to leave skating. But he wanted someone to get these skates out of the can, wipe it, bring it back to the locker room and say to him "Adyan, come back.”

He shouted on trainings: “Withdraw me, I do not want to go there as a tourist.” How is it to «withdraw» ? Why «tourist»? Before this European Championship there was a chic Russian Championship. Why does he suddenly start acting like this? We persuaded him with love very long. But in the end we literally forced him to go on the championship.

Polina Tsurskaya.

Eteri says the one of the most talented female athletes had a bad season because of the rare genetic disease.

The mother of Polina denies.

A year later, Polina leaves the coach. She says that she doesn’t know for who she’s going. Clearly cunning.

Yulia Lipnitskaya. 

all about her leaving

The main reason for the transfer according to Tutberidze's version: 

Yulia is very driven. She does everything her mother says her to do.

Zhenya Medvedeva.

Well, you know. Publishing of the private chat, loud complaints for the fun of the public.

The full list of athletes who «for some reason» do not greet Eteri — here.

You know, when people constantly leave that way, even those whom she calls   «her children» (Shelepen’, Medvedeva, Lipnitskaya), are you either a very naive person or a very complicated person? And not all coaches of the group share the negative attitude of Eteri to the «defectors» : 

I can say only one thing: every person chooses his own destiny. If Evgenia decided this, then it remains to hope that she will succeed. I have known her since childhood, I accept her any decision. Is it wrong or not — time will show.

via the choreographer of the group, Zheleznyakov.

Is it possible to blame a person for leaving without saying goodbye the place where people are called pets? Yes, sure, it is. Do we know all the details of the conflict? No, we don’t.

4) Pay attention to the recurrence of the scenario:

From Medvedeva's sincere faith that «we just need to work harder and to not eat»  to the beautiful Alina’s phrase: 

Talking about puberty, when you become fat, it seems to me, that this is all fiction. You just need to close your mouth and not eat! Or, at least, eat a little. I eat, but in small quantities.

via

It’s impossible not to grow up ever. In modern Russian (and world) sports, only Medvedev succeeded. Well, Tursynbayeva and Miyahara too, perhaps. Where is the guarantee that Tutberidze's school will release an adult athlete into life?

5) Choreography.

Daniil Gleichengauz is a wonderful young specialist. The Tutberidze’s group has excellent specialists, but… There are some questions to the choreography.

1) Why did Medvedeva really has the same program every year? It's not she herself who made herself the program with her mouth open.

2) Why do the students of Hrustalniy have such, um, strange topics in their skate? Escape from an asylum for 15-years girl?

Coming out of a coma for Medvedeva? Red lipstick of Panenkova — it's absolutely something weird that will appear in nightmares of fs fans all their life.

In total. The main questions we have to this whole situation.

1) Could Medvedeva progress further in the Tutberidze group? Is her leaving the reasonable step? Was it necessary to wait for another brilliant program in the same style with same elements?

Obviously not. Leaving is a great solution. Was situation ugly? It was. But why we are on the side of coach? Why the fact that the change of coach is an absolutely casual story for figure skating takes the second plan? Radionova left Goncharenko. Gubanova left Turenko. Sotskova and Tarakanova left Panova. All these coaches didn’t throw the skates in the backs of leaving athletes.

The difference is that all that people left because of a lack of ice or PC. And here? Why did Tsurskaya leave? Yes, silent leaving is terribly ugly. But why does everyone leave from Tutberidze without saying goodbye? How did it happen that this talented coach this season will have only adult women? Why all this people are so ungrateful? Is the spreading of information about the leave of each athlete ethical?

2) Why is there such a hype around the phrase «keep Alina one season in juniors» ? Medvedeva should refuse to translate for Zagitova at press-conferences? Where is the line between «hypocrisy» and professional ethics? Is it possible to judge a person for emotions?

3) Yes, the comments of Tarasova and others were incorrect. But what does Medvedeva have to do with it? Why is it so fashionable to hate winners, especially on Sports.ru? Why everyone here  is hated?

And the very main question.

Why do we not appreciate our athletes, knowing well that between 10 talented at a high level will hold 1-2? Of the talented list of Sotnikova, Tuktamysheva, Lipnitskaya, Proklova, Sakhanovich, Pogorilaya, Radionova, Medvedeva, only one potential revealed her potentional. And God forbid it will open further. We do not have many of them.

For the next season, Zagitova, Gubanova, Konstantinova, Panenkova remain competitive, not injured and inclined to struggle. The oldest (and hated by public) of them is 17 years old. The rest are 15 and 16. Our list of hopes: Shcherbakova, Trusova, Kostornaya, Tarusina, Panova's school. Changes in the rating rules from the next season will somewhat «skew» the advantage of the Russian school — jumping in the second half and technical complexity. It will become more difficult.

«Tutberidze’s conveyor» is an ambiguous phenomenon, but it deserves respect. In any hero there is a hint of villain. In any villain there is something human. This is about both sides of the conflict.

But in the argument «girls should be grateful to Tutberidze for who they are» there is one significant omission — Eteri should also be grateful to those who worked for her name. And we too should be grateful if we demand moral superiority over the mortals from the athletes.

And nationalism and general hatred against athletes is bad.

Please, think about it.

[that-jesse]

DOS [a thing that is posted] : a wall for two voices

[thing that feeds thought]

informal public art. informal art. formal art. formal public art? or is that redundant? informal art.

Art. whoa

art that goes public. informal art that goes public. art that goes public informally?

GRAFFITI.

Dos [a thing that is posted]

20 years ago I was given this really cool thing call life. With it I saw things I agree with, others that shock me, things I would die for and some I find genuinely awkward and try to forget. Lots of things. lots of stuff. lots of people. In Toronto you may learn of the world, if you so choose, simply by looking around and seeing what is reflected by the society that surrounds you. Your 4th grade soccer team consists one Isaiah an Izaya, an Eyesayah, three Lazar’s and four Yousefs; each from completely different places east of here. In a city like this there are SO many voices and, sadly, with so much color around you, you often tune them out. When I was 16 we made the hard decision to move 40 minutes away from our precious west end and experience a slightly more diluted version of our vibrant city life. Much fewer voices.

So 2 years go by, it’s 2016 and 18-year-old me accepts a call to serve as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I was assigned to Calgary, Alberta to teach in Spanish and my sole purpose was to teach everyone about God’s perfect plan of happiness for 2 whole years. So I hopped on a plain and headed for the mountains!

Calgary is such a beautiful place and having been away from my family and friends, with a work to do, this became my home. I come from a sphere where everyone wants to say something. If it weren't for social media people in the GTA would have written their opinions on every last leaf by now. That is why it has its fair share of graffiti.

You’re from Toronto?? Ew, who let you into ‘Berta?

NO WAY you’re from the 6ix?? it must be so fun there compared to this!

I hear it’s like New York but in Canada...

haha Ontarion? did you come escaping provincial debt?

I’ve heard it all and for the most part it’s this. Calgary might make fun of Toronto... because it wants to be Toronto. Where Toronto has both meaningful and nonsense graffiti, both intentional public art and byproducts of the ghetto, Calgary is being drawn on in much less abundance. 

To me, that made it easier to appreciate it. 

The demographic of actual ART pieces are usually softer to the soul than most cries for civil revolution we are used to, sometimes Tony the tiger just wants to be on a construction wall. because why not. Sure, I guarantee each piece carries with it a message behind it but from what I could see, both temporary construction-wall graffiti and paid-for murals are art in the purest form. No hidden agenda, no meaning forced down the viewers throat if they aren’t looking for it. just art.

For the most part these walls are painted in conjunction with drop in centers or camps that give space for young creativity. As a whole, my money is on the idea that these moments are part of young Albertans expressing themselves and practicing a craft. However, in my time out west I was indeed exposed to a voice that I had rarely ever heard living in the centre of the country: First Nations on native reserves.

On 16th Ave N, down a popular street for moral artwork, a very iconic mural of the crest of the Tsuu’tina Nation on the side of an Aboriginal resource centre of sorts. In the city (which is not the reserve) vary few examples can be found of art that protests anything to do with the injustices that many First Nations reservations face. Within the reserves however, you are more likely to see the minds of the people set free for public display.

Vandalism such as the previous example can also be found in certain pockets of the city where minorities are more prevalent - the quick messages are not confused by many as “informal public art” and definitely degrade the aesthetic of such an area.

The difference, at the end of the day, according to Jesse, is simply an issue of who wants to be heard and who would rather not be heard but feels they should be. The ability to see a spray can and an empty wall as an opportunity to cry out one’s pain, either from systematic injustice, or the struggles of emigration, that is the human condition of coping with emotions. However, the minute one can pick up that can and commit the same civil offense but see it as a canvas to express art, THAT is privilege. Both exist, I’ve seen it. This is the main difference between vandalism and public art; whether you WANT to spray a wall, or moral justice requires it of you

Graffiti is such a broad term but at the end of the day, those who turn graffiti into informal public art have been blessed with a foundation to do so.

JIBZ

[jamesginortonblog]

Americans might not recognize James Norton without his vicar’s collar. The British actor rose to prominence stateside for his portrayal of Sidney Chambers, a vicar turned amateur detective in 1950s Cambridgeshire on Grantchester on PBS (originally on ITV in the U.K.). Now on AMC’s new mini-series McMafia, Norton is trading in his cleric’s robes for designer business suits and a place on the wrong side of the law as Alex Godman, the son of a Russian crime family who finds himself dragged back into the family business when tragedy strikes. If you think it sounds an awful lot like The Godfather, only set in the present day and with Russian mobsters, you’d be right. Norton says he drew upon Michael Corleone and that epic series for inspiration throughout filming. But McMafia is also a lot more prescient for modern-day audiences, telling the tale of shadowy, corrupt global organizations that trade in blood money and influence driven by avarice and a lust for power. Produced by AMC and BBC, the series is based on Misha Glenny’s nonfiction book of the same name and created by Hossein Amini (Drive) and James Watkins (The Woman in Black). It also stars David Strathairn (The Bourne Ultimatum, Good Night, and Good Luck), Juliet Rylance (The Knick, Frances Ha),  and a wide-reaching international cast that includes Aleksey Serebryakov (The Method, Leviathan), and Mariya Shukshina (Yolki 3, Terrorist Ivanona).

Ahead of its Feb. 26 premiere on AMC (10 p.m.), EW called up Norton to get the rundown on playing the reluctant heir to a mafia family, why he’s fascinated by stories of the criminal underworld, and what it was like making a series that felt almost prophetic in light of recent world events.

ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: You’ve done several lengthier mini-series, including War and Peace and Death Comes to Pemberley – what is it about mini-series that keep you coming back for more? JAMES NORTON: The U.K., in recent times, has really nailed that mini-series format. It wasn’t an active choice. There are quite a lot of those in this country, and there are some fantastic writers and directors of the mini-series. We’ve kind of nailed the medium. From the point of a view of an actor and a storyteller, it is wonderful to have six hours to really settle into that headspace and flex the muscles…[Co-creator] James [Watkins] was always saying we’re going to make an 8-hour movie. It’s wonderful to have six or eight hours because you’re so much more in control, and you have time to really indulge in those moments, which in the movies would probably end up on the cutting room floor…As an actor, I’ve never felt so confident. That’s a really empowering feeling when you feel you know someone so well you can put them in any situation you like and you know ostensibly how they would react.

What was it specifically about McMafia that drew you in? The world of the mafia is really compelling. We’re all into it and series like The Sopranos and The Godfather and things. There’s something about the modern-day mafia, which Misha Glenny’s book so clearly portrays as something very different, but it kind of maintains whatever it is — that compelling, anarchic nature. There’s a certain romance attached to the mafia in the past. What differentiated our story is that that romance is gone and it’s a very brutal, financial money-driven world, which lacks the honor and the sort of family which those previous portrayals have focused in on. I’ve never felt like a show has been so much on the zeitgeist. We were virtually on set and the [rumored] collusion between the White House and the Kremlin was breaking – we felt like we were on a show which was, in some ways, prophetic. So, that was a huge draw. As far as the character, he’s a gift — because he has this wonderful complex mix of conflict and contradiction. You never quite know where he stands. I don’t think he quite knows where he stands. He’s constantly explaining to himself that his motivation is honorable and worthy, and it’s all about family and protecting his family and his girlfriend who he loves. Of course, like the most interesting characters, like Michael Corleone in The Godfather or Walter White in Breaking Bad, there is a whole myriad of motivations, whilst the audience perhaps are more aware. Alex is kind of the last to realize he’s being seduced and he’s in it for other reasons — less worthy reasons of avarice, greed, [and] out for power, revenge. To have all those to play with and never quite land on an answer is the kind of role I love. It’s true to life. People never really fundamentally know themselves – they try and that’s what life is about, trying to know and understand yourself, but never quite getting there. Hossein and James wrote a beautiful, textured character in that regard. We never ever lost interest in his journey and his motivation. We would constantly spend lots of time on set mining where he is in the story, why he’s choosing this, how much he’s aware of his true motivation. When you are able to mine a character to that extent, it’s really a testament to how wonderfully written they are, and how much of a joy it is to play for sure.

This series has strong Godfather vibes with its tale of the son of a crime family trying to go straight and getting pulled back in because of family tragedy – was that something you actively discussed on set or that played a hand in your research? For sure. We definitely had our main resources. The John Williams book, Augustus, was also a resource which we talked about. James recommended it because it’s about a young man who very slyly and quietly and innocuously manipulates his way to the top of the pile. Michael Corleone was definitely a source, just because it has a similar-ish structure to The Godfather story and a bit like what I was alluding to before about motivation. What is it that’s driving Michael’s demise into the underworld of corruption? He’s constantly saying it’s “family, family, family,” but early on, somewhere in Part Two when he kills his brother, you realize it’s gone way beyond just protecting family because it’s come down to killing family. We definitely drew on him. And we had other resources — we had Gomorrah, the Italian [film], as far as the authenticity and grittiness of the mafia we wanted to portray. We wanted to show the cost of these incredibly lavish lifestyles, what it is which facilitates that type of lifestyle…Michael Corleone was definitely the most useful for tracking the conflict of the worthy, honorable motivations and the self-interested greed and avarice and power motivation. There’s no one else who does that journey better I don’t think. Perhaps Walter White is the next one, but both of them were certainly kind of the focus for us.

What do you make of the timing of this series, given the heightened presence of Russians and Russian crime in the news of late?   It’s been very, very exciting…What’s wonderful about a show like McMafia is it really has an incredibly real and intact social conscience. It really felt like it mattered. Since the conception of the show and then the making of it, the amount of conversation around corruption and transparency has exploded. The further we move into a populist, right world, which seems to be afflicting many, many countries right now, the power is taken away from the people and the government and put in the hands of the corporations. If you don’t have legislation in place to control those corporations, McMafia happens. Not only is it a sort of warning sign to people, saying “This is what corruption at this level will look like if we don’t make a real stand against it and lobby government, particularly in America and the U.K., to stand up against it,” it also gives them a chance to see what at this point in time that state-level corruption looks like. It’s really hard if you’re not in the world of finance to understand a lot of jargon. Yet, you want to, because you know how important it is. So sitting down and reading all the speculation about the collusion between Trump and Putin, you read articles about these types of things, and it’s quite hard to really engage and follow. What we’ve hopefully done is made a drama which is accessible. It allows people to have a little look behind the curtain to see what this kind of corruption looks like. A show like this, it couldn’t be more timely. It feels great to be part of the conversation. The more we can be a catalyst for that very, very important conversation about transparency and corruption the better.

Did you learn Russian for the role?   I didn’t learn Russian, per se. I only learned it phonetically…It’s quite challenging learning a language like that, which has very little crossover with the Western romantic languages. The sound is so different, so I had to spend a long time learning it by rote, phonetically, endless repetition. Lots of walking around London streets mumbling to myself. It was a wonderful part of the preparation to be able to express yourself in Russian and other languages. It really tapped into something important in Alex. His relationship with Russia is two-fold and very polarized. On the one hand, he’s compelled by it and that’s why he goes to Systema classes, which I did. I went and learned this very bizarre, Russian martial art, which is fascinating to get into the sort of inner psyche and what it is to be Russian. We decided he reads Dostoyevsky and he’s always compelled by his Russianness. But he’s also afraid of it because he feels like a lot of the world has this misconception that being Russian you have a predisposition towards corruption, which is absurd, but because of the world, currently, the word Russian and corruption are often used in the same sentence. Alex is afraid of his Russianness, and whether or not it’s that which is his vulnerability. Is it that which makes him more disposed to being a gangster in the first place? Is it in his Russian genes? So to tap into that was really exciting, and the language was definitely one way in.

How much research or interaction did you have with real members of organized crime? As far as meeting proper gangsters, we had Misha Glenny. He basically knows every gangster under the sun — he wrote the original piece of nonfiction, the book McMafia. He interviews masses of people in organized crime and so he introduced James and Hoss in the writers’ room to some pretty intense, shady characters. I did meet a couple in Zagreb — some interesting characters who I was later told were pretty high up in businesses which perhaps aren’t whiter than white. But I didn’t ask them any questions because my general gangster acumen was pretty shallow. I’m definitely still the actor, not the gangster.

The series is so international, from its exotic locales to its diverse cast. What was that experience like? It was such a joyous job to film, partly because we had so many different, international actors coming on set and they all had different energies and different approaches to the craft. It was a really, truly international gig, more so than anything else I’ve ever done and I’m not sure many other shows can claim to have been shot in 12 different countries, with 150 different actors in massively different countries. It was wonderful to have Merab Ninidze, who was the Georgian actor who played Vadim, and Aleksey Serebryakov, who was Russian, and their energies were so different, yet they were speaking Russian to each other. Then you had the Israelis and the Brits. It was magic in that effect. Most of it was filmed in Croatia, U.K., London, and then Serbia and a bit of Slovenia, but that was wonderful to be able to explore…The Dalmatian coast is just ridiculous. There were a couple of lunches I remember where it was beautiful sun; we were outside standing on a villa; and most of the crew sacked off lunch in order to take off their clothes and swim at the lunch break. A couple of times I was able to join them. It’s rare that you get such extraordinary locations to be able to jump in the water. It was so glamorous because we had yachts and beautiful villas. We filmed in one location in Croatia which was [authoritarian Yugoslavian leader Josip Broz] Tito’s old villa — lavish beyond lavish, quite dark because it was paid for with blood money and dirty money, but it was extraordinarily beautiful and again, how often do you spend shooting days jumping in the water and going for a swim outside this sensational villa in Croatia? It’s pretty special.

Additionally, it seemed like you often were shooting in places like the Victoria and Albert Museum or the British Museum – what was that experience like as a Brit? I’m a Londoner and I love this city, and to show London in all its glory really was wonderful. By definition when you show a tale of gangsters and very wealthy people you get to show their incredibly lavish lifestyle. As I said, we were very keen to show the other end of the spectrum and the cost of what it is to facilitate that kind of lifestyle. For every day in the V&A, we had other scenes that were, on the whole, more shocking scenes, but it was great to show London in all its glory.

[brokestminimalist]

Saving Water

If you’re with us so far, you should already know that drinking water and only water will reduce your expenses and improve your quality of life.  Some hot tea or cocoa is fine once in a while, but you should be aiming for plain tap water as your main source of hydration.  It’s cheap, it’s healthy, and it’s simple.  It goes with anything.  Drink water.

That being said...

For the environment and our utility bills, we want to reduce how much water we use in our day to day life.  In the grand scheme of things this sounds minor, but consider the fact that we here in the US take clean water for granted so much that we use it to fill our toilets.  It comes to us chemically treated and ready to use through pipes, right into our homes.  We even have water heaters. Meanwhile around the world, there are kids walking miles to the river or well every morning and bringing back buckets to cook and wash with.  In some places they are drinking dirty water out of creeks or streams because that’s all there is, and they are dying of diarrhea because it’s all contaminated.  Yes, dying of diarrhea.   It’s the second leading cause of death in kids under five in the entire world.  Cite. 

So, if you’re broke like us, we know you may feel as though you’re at rock bottom every day.  You barely have lights, you eat Ramen for every meal, you walked to work last week because you couldn’t afford gas.  We feel you, we do. We are right there with you. But if you live in a first world country take a moment to check your privilege, because you can go to your kitchen right now and get a glass of clean, disease-free, drinkable water at a cost of just a few pennies a gallon.  For much of human history, until the last couple hundred years in fact, getting safe water to drink has been an issue.  It’s why Europe used to stay so drunk all the time; it was literally safer to drink wine than it was to drink water. Your life could be worse.  Take a minute to appreciate the miracle that is safe drinking water.

♫ SAFE DRINKING WATER♫

Ok, on to the practical stuff.  Below are some important ways to reduce your water consumption for yourself and any family members who live with you.  We’re always on the lookout for new stuff, so if you know of something that we haven’t listed, please let us know!

Repair leaky pipes/faucets:  It might seem like a tiny drip, but stick a bucket underneath it and see how long it takes to fill up.  Probably a lot less time than you thought, right?  Call out a plumber to fix that shit.  That’s literally money going down your drain. If you’re handy, you can probably fix it yourself.  A lot of leaky faucets are caused by simple problems like old washers that just need to be replaced.  They cost a few cents, so if you’re brave, hit the hardware store and give it a try!

Flush less water.  Ok, we can’t really advocate for “if it’s yellow let it mellow” because, you know, ew.  What you can do, however, is fill up a 2 or 3 liter bottle with water and put it in your toilet tank.  The bottle displaces some of the water, making you use 2 or 3 liters less water on each flush.  Are you surprised that it takes more than 3 liters of water to flush your toilet?  Yeah, it’s hugely wasteful.  Go ahead and do it.  Right now.  If you’ve got the extra bucks, buy a low-flow toilet and install it.  But if you’re like us you probably don’t. Maybe next year?

Get a low-flow shower head.  Amazon has one for under ten bucks.  Buy it, replace your current shower head with it.  It’ll reduce how much water you’re using in the shower.  It even has a massage setting!

Take showers, not baths.  Baths are great for once in a while. We love to soak away our stress in a hot bubble bath with some chocolate milk in a wine glass while listening to some classy piano music (we’re so fancy).  But.  They use a lot of water.  More than you think, because we know you like to let it drain some and then add more hot water when it starts to cool off.  Yeah, we saw that.  It’s ok, but don’t do it every day.  Save it for once a week or less.

Time your showers.  Look, we like to stay in there and think Shower Thoughts too, but you’re just letting money run down your drain.  Set a timer on your phone, get in and scrub, and when the timer goes off it’s time to get out.  Five minutes is a decent time.  That’s not to say you can never take a long, hot shower after a grueling day at work, but don’t make it a habit.  Find some other way to wind down.

Wash your dishes.... ok this one is tricky.  If you only have a few dishes to wash, scrub them quickly in your sink and lay them out to dry.  If you’ve got a ton, run your dishwasher.  It probably uses less water than washing a lot of dishes by hand. Save electricity by putting it on air-dry.  However, if you have a very old dishwasher, like from the 80′s, it may use more water and electricity than just washing them by hand.  Find out how old yours is and factor that into your decision.  Avoid letting the water run.  Wet your dishes, then scrub and rinse.

Save rainwater.  Don’t drink it, obvs.  But use it to water plants or wash your car. Our next door neighbor’s dad used to grow tomatoes when we were a kid.  He was in his 80′s then, but still spry.  He had a big rain barrel in his yard and he used rain water to water his tomato plants all summer long.  That was 30 years ago and that old man is long gone. We have yet to meet a tomato that tastes as good as his did.  We’re afraid that we never will.  ;_;

Insulate your pipes.  If you have a pipe burst in the winter because it froze, you’re going to waste a lot of water and pay a really ugly water bill in addition to what the plumber is going to charge you.  Go to your hardware store and get some foam pipe covers, wraps, or even heat tape.  We’ve lived through this one, ok?  We had an outdoor pipe burst a few springs ago and it cost nearly a thousand dollars to fix, plus the ridiculous water bill and the damage to our yard from all the mud.  This having been a pipe in the ground, we couldn’t have prevented it, but still.  Hear our warning.  Insulate.  Your. Pipes.

Don’t run the water when brushing your teeth, washing your face, fixing your hair, etc.  Wet your hands or toothbrush, then turn it off.

Don’t have a pool.  Or a sprinkler system.  Or a fountain.  Or any kind of dumb-rich-people-water-feature-bullshit.  That’s not to say you can’t get your children or your dogs one of those plastic kiddie pools and fill it up with the hose a few times in the summer, but don’t fool with one that requires hundreds of gallons of water or chemicals to treat it.  You ain’t got the money for that kind of crap.  It’ll just breed mosquitoes anyway, and no one wants that.

Only wash full loads of laundry and dishes.  Otherwise, your machines will put in too much water and you’ll be wasting it.  If they have load size settings, adjust it appropriately if you have to, but on most days try to only do full loads.

Don’t pour out old water.  Left a glass on your nightstand over night? Found half a bottle in your car?  Use it to water a houseplant. Don’t have houseplants?  You should, but that’s another post.  Put it in your dog’s bowl, he won’t mind. Or drink it, it’s fine.  Water doesn’t go bad.

Don’t water your lawn.  Like, what even is that?  That’s not a real thing.  Don’t do it.  Water your garden, if you have one.  Not your grass.  Your grass will be fine. And if it dies then you won’t have to mow it in the summer.  Win/win!

Water is a precious natural resource that we take for granted in a really nasty, selfish way.  Reduce your consumption as much as you can.  Encourage friends or family to do the same.  Put a few gallons in your basement for the zombie apocalypse.  And the next time you have a few dollars to spare, consider donating to a water charity or purchasing a LifeStraw to donate.

Links: 100 ways to conserve water, SinkPositive

[fapangel]

Syrian Chemical Retaliation 2 - More Than Cruise Missiles Boogaloo

By now everyone's heard that Syria has once again used chemical weapons against their own civilians, and this time the scale of attack is pretty big. Twitter has been absolutely ablaze today with RUMINT relating to White House meetings and Syrian/Russian forces scrambling about, but one need look no further than Trump's own tweets that name Putin explicitly and promise a “big price to pay” to know that the fecal matter is indeed growing more authentic by the hour. There's been decent evidence that the Syrian regime has engaged in repeated use of CW even after last year's warning from the US, but this attack wasn't only far larger, but also came on the one-year anniversary of the US's retaliatory strike on Shayrat air base; punishment for just such an attack. And if that wasn't enough, this comes only days after Trump announced his desire (and a 6-month timetable) for leaving Syria, now that ISIS is (mostly) licked. It's quite possible this timing was mere coincidence, as the attack achieved a real military goal, scoring a victory for Assad in a months-long struggle with a major enemy force. But all that matters now is appearances, and all things considered it's almost certain that Trump's about to crank Assad's mouth open and force-feed him a heaping helping of FREEDOM. Here comes the airplane!

And it will be airplanes this time - not just cruise missiles.

What's the Goal?

The punitive strike on Shayrat air base was effectively a slap on the wrist; even if it did destroy 20% of the SAAF's operational aircraft. Compared to what we could have done, 60 Tomahawks was a restrained measure, and by targeting the airbase the chemical attack had been launched from, we were sending a message. The message was “this is what we can do with exactly two DDGs and nothing more. Imagine what happens when we get serious. Do not do this again.” Since they've done it again, now we're going to get serious.

This entails punishment. The goal is to make Assad bitterly regret crossing this line by blowing up things he really, really doesn't want blown up - things vital to his regime and its ongoing fight for survival. The target list is extensive and endless - anything from actual Syrian military assets of any sort to important government buildings to vital resources and infrastructure (oil wells, port facilities, etc.) are viable targets.

The target list is expanded by the Syrian war's current ground situation. Last year, the regime's survival wasn't seriously threatened, but it wasn't a sure thing, either. Nowadays the Americans seem set on splitting Syria down the Euphrates, with their Kurdish allies controlling all the major oil fields (i.e. revenue sources) in that area, and after repeated clashes with coalition forces - including the shoot-down of a Syrian Arab Air Force Su-24 and the Wagner group massacre - they've made it clear they intend to keep them, even in the face of concerted Russian-supported efforts to the contrary. This likely prompted the refocusing on long-standing western Syrian rebel strongholds like eastern Ghouta - the land grab is over, now it's about consolidation. In short, the US can inflict a higher level of pain on Assad's regime without seriously endangering its very existence, something that's fairly evidently not in US interests at this time. (It'd be a gift to Iran, who's already set up shop in Syria, and Iran's continuing efforts to control Iraq's new political order is a sharp lesson in what post-Assad Syria would likely look like.) The era of pivotal pitched battles is over, but the slow grinding attrition that remains was painful enough to induce Assad to use CW; ergo, weakening the regime (and lengthening the grind) will sting badly without risk of deciding the whole conflict.

A final consideration is visibility. The reason Assad used chemical weapons is because they're hideously effective and cost-efficient. This is indeed the point of any Weapon of Mass Destruction. This is also why they're terrifying - there's a very strong incentive for any military force to use them frequently; the poorer and more desperate the force, the stronger the incentive. So powerful are they that they're effectively the only counter to themselves; the only good military reason to hold them back is the risk of receiving like attacks in turn. (This kept gas off most battlefields for all of WWII.) Likewise, against those that cannot retaliate in kind, they have been used frequently - see Imperial Japan against China, Italy's invasion of Ethiopia, or even Saddam's gas attacks on Kurds. The only thing keeping the WMD genie in the bottle is, and always has been, the threat of punishment. Letting Assad get away without punishment would indicate to all that no punishment from the US or other major players of the international order will be forthcoming, and then things will get ugly. Thus Assad's punishment has to be something dramatic and memorable. This is worsened by the US's obvious need to avoid deposing Assad - many might conclude (as Assad likely has himself) that since the US cannot afford to remove him, he can use chemical weapons without fear of the ultimate penalty. The punishment must belie that reasoning; must inflict negatives so strong that they blatantly outweigh whatever gain Assad reaped from using WMD. (It's worth noting that Assad's regime and Assad aren't the same thing - if the regime's stable enough to survive without Assad, then he's got a bullseye on his back as we speak.)

Therefore:

What Are The Targets?

* The targets will not necessarily be strictly military: government buildings, dual-use resources, sources of revenue for the regime, are all valid targets. Russia's vested interest in keeping Assad in power works against them here; even if the US miscalculates and deals the regime's support network lethal blows, the Russians (and Iranians) will have to pony up to avoid losing their significant sunk cost.

* The targets will include infrastructure: Assad's regime has to feel the impact of this punishment for it to be effective; it has to impose consequences in daily life for months after the fact. Power plants, national infrastructure (ports, roads, rails,) are all fair game. This is similar to the strategy shift that produced results against Serbia. This requires fine planning and target selection, as one's splitting the line between imposing privations on Assad's civilian support base and imposing starvation, but the US's intel coalition (“Five Eyes”) is easily up to this task.

* The targets will include key personnel: The best way to pose an existential threat to a regime you can't afford to actually destroy is to kill key decision makers and commanders - though their regime will live on, even the most idealistic and patriotic of commanders tend to take the prospect of a JDAM landing in their lap rather personally. If key military and government officials pay for their complicity in CW usage with their lives, it'll send a strong message to anyone else contemplating their use in the future. This targeting needn't be explicit; it could be spun as collateral damage consequent to striking known military sites, for instance.

Taken all together, this means the US will be heading into downtown Damascus.

What's the Defenses?

I've taken a keen interest in the Syrian air defense network and especially how the ravages of civil war has affected it; but even with constant monitoring, it's hard to say with high certainty what its current state and disposition is. The pre-war Syrian IADS was one of the most impressive in the Middle East; while the usual mixed bag of SA-2s and SA-3s with a few SA-5s was present, the system really stood out for its extensive use of SA-6 Gainful's in fixed, hardened positions. (It might seem silly to use a system with fairly good mobility as fixed emplacements, but the rugged terrain of western Syria constrains effective deployment locations, and the SA-6 outperforms the SA-2/SA-3 even when tethered.) Even then the defenses around Damascus, Syria's capital and most important city, were notably dense. And while the subsequent civil war played merry hell with this extensive network's readiness, the importance (and relative security) of Damascus has ensured that its defenses remain especially robust. This only applies to Damascus proper; the defense-in-depth their network used to enjoy is gone (for instance, the known SAM/EW locations near/south of Daraa, which used to guard Damascas's southern approaches, have been in rebel-held or bitterly contested territory for years now.)

Syria's legacy systems aren't the only threat anymore, however. Scattered reports of Iranian assistance have given way to confirmed aid and equipment transfers from Russia; that Syria now operates some Russian-supplied SA-17s and SA-22 Greyhounds (Pantsir-S1) is well documented at this point. The SA-17 is a vastly upgraded SA-6 (Buk) system firing more accurate missiles at longer ranges, and the SA-22 is one of the best point-defense SHORAD systems around, well-suited to defending high-value point targets against cruise missiles and PGMs.

Long-range options are decidedly lacking - the Syrian's legacy SA-5s still pack impressive range and performance despite their age, but even if they've received significant upgrades from their Russian benefactors, they're unlikely to triumph against American ECM assets. The Russians are highly unlikely to commit suicide by firing on US aircraft, but firing on incoming weapons in defense of their allies is fine. They have two S-400 systems (one at their airbase at Latakia and another recently deployed to their port facility in Tartus,) and an S-300VM battery (purpose-built for cruise-missile intercept) somewhere further east (pinpointing this has been difficult, but RUMINT places it near something important further east in the country, which makes sense.) Unfortunately for Syria, the rugged terrain in western Syria (and around Damascus) limit LOS horizons against cruise missiles even more than normal. The Syrians will benefit from these systems superb radars, since Russia's officially claimed to have integrated their air defense networks together, but they suffer the same LOS issues.

Generally, against cruise missiles SAMs can only defend what they're parked next to - especially in the mountains of Syria. Since Russia's S-400s are parked near bases filled with Russians (which the US won't shoot at anyways,) they're mostly a non-factor. Much more significant is Russia's two A-50 AWACS aircraft, and to a lesser extent their 12 SU-30SM and 4 SU-34s and their superb air-to-air, look-down/shoot-down radars. These assets will provide the Syrians with much better early-warning of incoming cruise missiles; the Syrian EW network had low-level coverage gaps even before the war and now they're terribly pronounced. They may even have time to scramble the SAAF.

The final factor is simple standoff range - simply put, between US standoff weaponry, ECM support, stealth options and the ranges involved in-theater, the Syrians will only be shooting at incoming PGMs, not American warplanes. (Note how last night's attack on T4 airbase in the center of Syria was carried out by Israeli F-15's firing Delilah cruise missiles from over Lebanon.) It's only 150 nautical miles from RAF Akrotiri to Damascus - an F-18 could fire a JASSM or SLAM-ER about thirty seconds after going wheels-up.

In short, this will be mostly a battle between American standoff weaponry and ECM against a mix of legacy Syrian SAM systems and modern Russian SHORAD.

What's the Problem?

Normally, an air campaign like this has to crack the hard nut of a well-woven Integrated Air Defense System, focusing on vital nodes like hostile runways, major radars and long-range SAM systems, and increasingly, vital communication nodes (radio, fiber-optic, etc.) to start unraveling the overlapping defense and degrade it to something the attacking force can then pick apart piecemeal. In this case, there's no real overlapping defense for a multitude of reasons; with each important target guarded by its own contingent of point-defense systems - and what wide-area coverage there is, is Russian, and thus verboten to attack. Worse, the majority of likely targets are in or around Damascus; the SA-17s have the range to provide fairly good area coverage of the city and environs, freeing up any SA-22s (and whatever SA-8s they have left,) for point defense of the most likely high-value targets (or SA-17s themselves.)

Defended cities are a unique challenge to assail from the air, as Berlin, Hanoi and Baghdad have demonstrated. It's primarily a matter of area; cities tend to be big enough to disperse targets (and their AA defenses) enough to increase their survivability, but are compact enough that medium-range systems (SA-6, 11 and 17 included) can cover much if not all the area no matter where they're positioned. Thus defensive firepower is concentrated and overlapping, but attackers can't simply knock a “hole” in the defenses or pick it apart by eliminating key radars or communication nodes (even if they can't coordinate target assignment for best effect, they can all turn on their own radar and shoot at something.) Worse, this relative proximity means that single long-range systems aren't responsible for area coverage; so point-defense systems near high-value targets will almost surely benefit from enemy salvo attrition before their “Hail Mary” defense begins.

“Salvo attrition” is the big problem here. Cruise missiles are very accurate, smart, and have a fantastic ability to deliver a nasty punch in places you'd never risk a manned aircraft, but they're expensive and heavy; fighters can carry far more bombs than cruise missiles. Last night's Israeli attack on T4 airbase is a perfect example of the math - two F-15Is fired four Delilah cruise missiles apiece, and the Russians claimed that 5 were intercepted, and 3 struck their targets. Assuming the base was defended by an SA-22 Greyhound, that's exactly what one would expect (given the 57E6's twelve mile range and  the flight times involved, it'd only be able to shoot once at each incoming. Even great point-defense is still a Hail-Mary pass.) This attrition imposes a minimum round count expended per important target - either to get through and destroy the target, or to destroy the SAM itself. Which is more efficient depends on how many targets the SAM is defending - and how many missiles it can actually engage. This is where the SA-17s prove problematic - their greater range (26nm; about twice the SA-6) is somewhat mitigated by terrain around Damascus, but still affords a longer window to shoot at incoming PGMs and reasonable magazine depth (considering a battery,) and since the radar vehicle is a TELAR (Transporter, Erector, Launcher, Radar,) it can pair with a Greyhound to form a fully self-contained, highly-mobile, layered range point-defense unit.

This mobility further complicates the weapons assignment problem; as target saturation is a key part of breaking through these defenses, and that's obviously time-sensitive. If you don't know where defending SAMs are, you can't know how many will fire on the cruise missiles assigned to any one target - so you've got to fire extra at all targets to guarantee enough make it through. You could simply do Bomb Damage Assessment and re-strike as necessary, but that might be even costlier. Consider the Greyhound again - 5 out of 8 intercepts is a 62.5% intercept rate, so with four remaining missiles, you can expect two or three more intercepts. That means you're firing three more weapons just to soak up the defenses - if they'd been launched with the first salvo, they would've done damage directly to target.

All the above demonstrates why the USN's ability to disgorge 50+ Tomahawks from a single DDG at a moment's notice is so powerful - it can take a lot of cruise missiles to do real work. A lot will ride on drafting an optimal attack plan to maximize damage from the ordinance expended; ensuring that everything the Administration wants destroyed, is destroyed. That's going to ride heavily on three factors:

* Unparalleled ISTAR capabilities,

* Sheer saturation capacity with Tomahawk missiles,

* New purpose-built penetration weapons like MALD-J and especially JASSM.

JASSM Is Kind Of A Big Deal

Usually a tough nut like Damascus is best attacked with overwhelming force; a lot of Wild Weasels firing a lot of HARMs, which can handily engage previously-unknown “pop-up” targets without a problem. Sadly, the HARM/AARGM's 70nm range would require US aircraft to get too close for comfort. The USAF has a new option, however - the JASSM.

The JASSM is an air-launched, fully-stealth-shaped cruise missile. Not low-observable, but stealthed. “Low-observable” aircraft (or weapons) have had their RCS reduced significantly, but not to the point of allowing reliable deep penetration of hostile radar coverage. It mainly describes engineering priorities - stealth platforms place a priority (and a price tag) on achieving minimal RCS. Low-Observable platforms aren't primarily engineered for it, but have still achieved significant reductions without compromising performance, sometimes impressively so (the Rafale is a good example, or the Super Hornet compared to the Hornet.) Even if it makes no impact on actual detection range (say, against a peer adversary with good radars,) LO is still desirable, as a reduced signature makes it harder for radar-guided missiles to lock on.

Naturally, this goes double for the far smaller RCS of a “full stealth” platform like the JASSM. Stealth shaping on cruise missiles is primarily for infiltration; so it can get close to its target without being detected by AWACS aircraft and pounced upon by CAP fighters. But it also benefits the weapon during the actual attack run. Firstly, the weapon can get well inside the theoretical maximum 25nm range (approx. the horizon distance on flat terrain) before being detected. The inverse-square law is a particularly harsh mistress here; it guarantees even a weak radar will pick up even a stealthy missile in the last few miles before impact; but also means that RCS reductions enjoy (almost) exponential effectiveness in decreasing maximum detection range. Exactly how an SA-17/SA-22 vs. JASSM matchup goes weighs heavily on best-guesstimates of comparative capabilities (radar versus supposed JASSM RCS) and the models you use. The best civilian-accessible tool for this that I know of is Command: Modern Air/Naval Operations, both from a mathematical modeling and performance-guesstimate standpoint, and it suggests a maximum detection range of 5-8 miles, which seems pretty reasonable. Once OODA loops (the time required to shout “oh shit” and punch the auto-engage button,) are factored in, this means the JASSM presents defending SAMs far less time to shoot back than a Tomahawk would.

Secondly, once the missile's actually detected and engaged, its vanishingly small RCS will make life difficult for radar-guided interceptor missiles; lowering their pK%, depleting enemy magazines - or, if they don't have time to fire twice, increasing chances of penetration. Projects like CHAMP exist to destroy radars at a few miles range, to eliminate that last-mile gauntlet completely - and there's evidence that simpler single-use explosive pumped EMP bombs are already in use - but one need not speculate on classified warheads, as the JASSM's stealth makes it more survivable, even in the last mile, than a Tomahawk, JSOW or JDAM is.

Then there's the MALD-J. Originally designed as a simple decoy (Miniature Air-Launched Decoy,) the -J mod introduced a powerful offensive jammer. A small, disposable missile can only pack so much jamming output power, but the inverse-square law works in its favor here; being disposable, it can get as close as it pleases; even escorting missile salvos into the combat area. If that's not enough, it's recently gained a secondary kinetic kamikaze attack and more importantly, a two-way network link; allowing operators to exploit it as an offboard sensor platform, redirect its path in flight, and generally make it work “with” similarly networked Tactical Tomahawk missiles to respond to changing situations. The TLAM-D's two-way link allows it to loiter for a time till controllers give it a target, or to switch targets mid-attack if needed - now the MALD-J can provide responsive OECM support as well.

Combined, the JASSM and the MALD-J offer US forces two very, very potent weapons for overcoming the salvo attrition problem; between offensive jamming and passive stealth, their ability to efficiently penetrate and destroy SAM defenses is unparalleled. 

What's the Plan?

Now that we understand the problems and the tools, we can see how the planned solution will likely look. Simply put, it entails kicking in the door with JASSMs and MALD-J to open the way for a hellacious torrent of Tomahawk missiles.

The USNI's Fleet and Marine Tracker, (which conveniently updated earlier this afternoon) shows that 5th fleet doesn't have a carrier in the Med right now, and the one in the Gulf (the Roosevelt) was recently withdrawn after several months of anti-ISIS airstrikes. Even without a carrier nearby, there's no shortage of assets and bases nearby for the US to use. RAF Akrotiri is barely 150 miles distant from Damascus, and of course Incirlik in southern Turkey is perfectly positioned as well. With tanker support, a strike from Al Udeid using Strike Eagles isn't hard to contemplate either. The US Bomber force is especially flexible - I believe some B-52s are still forward-stationed at Al Udeid, but a long-range sortie from Diego Garcia or even CONUS isn't impossible, though the required tankers would make it more challenging on such short notice. B-52s can carry 12 cruise missiles (or MALDs) on external pylons (if they're one of the handful with the new Conventional Rotary Launcher, they can carry up to 20.) A B-1B (which can also sortie from CONUS) can carry a whopping 24 JASSMs. Strike Eagles typically carry two.

Then there's recon assets. The usual twitter jewels spotted RC-135 Rivet Joint ELINT aircraft sortieing from Souda Bay to sniff the radio waves near the Lebanese border, but there's also more close-up capabilities to consider. The RQ-170s public reveal - and the more advanced and all-but-officially acknowledged successor, the RQ-180 - provide stealth options for actually infiltrating hostile airspace to scan for SAM units with FLIR and/or GMTI radar. Combined with other options like tiny sub-launched drones, one may presume US target intel will be pretty robust.

The initial wave will probably involve B-52s and F-15Es from Al Udeid, flying up the Gulf, tanking over Iraqi airspace and launching a mix of MALD-J and JASSM over eastern Syria at safe standoff ranges. The F-15Es might have relocated to RAF Akrotiri; or UK forces from there may participate in a joint strike with low-observable standoff weapons of their own (MBDA Storm Shadow.) USAF Compass Call jamming aircraft will probably support the attack, and Marine F-18s from Incirlik will likely contribute strike mass (missiles) and certainly Growler jamming support (that is, I certainly hope they have some Growlers there, and not Prowlers...) This opening attack will have four main objectives:

* Destroy a significant number of Syrian SAM systems in and around Damascus, focusing on the newest, most capable systems, and ones with the most optimal positioning,

* Destroy crucial C4 nodes to degrade the data cohesion and thus quality of Syrian defensive responses,

* Disable runways at select Syrian bases to prevent them from sortieing CAP fighters to engage follow-on TLAM strikes,

* Stimulate enemy defenses to enable more thorough air defense network degradation during follow-on strikes,

* Outright destroy select priority and/or high-value targets (including key personnel.)

The follow-up attack will come very soon from US Navy assets in the Med; the Donald Cook is rumored to be in attack position as we speak and I expect at least one converted Ohio-class SSGN and its 154 Tomahawks are in the area. The Tomahawks will do most of the real damage; directly striking desired targets as well as performing secondary strikes on newly-identified air defense sites, plus a few suppression strikes on Syrian regime airbases to convince all parties involved that the cool embrace of a sturdy air raid shelter is the best place to be, and not servicing priority targets in an attempt to sortie them. At this point the French and UK forces might add their contributions, if any; their Storm Shadows are better suited to tackling SAM sites than Tomahawks, and they'd be well-used if kept in reserve for follow-on attacks after the first wave stimulates air defenses.

F-22s will likely see use; both as BARCAP (protecting tankers, ELINT aircraft, AWACS, jamming aircraft and other high-value assets that the Syrians might unwisely try to challenge with fighters) and as direct attackers. With the Small Diameter Bomb, the F-22 becomes a deep-penetration fighter-bomber platform armed with low-observable standoff glide-bombs that can penetrate moderately hard targets. The SDB isn't ideal for attacking point-defense SAMs (it's slow and not stealthy, though it is fairly low RCS by simple fact of being small and pointy,) but an F-22 can pack a surprising number of them, making them excellent for saturating SAM defenses. They're also excellent against Hardened Aircraft Shelters, for that matter. Their stealth characteristics also allow them to operate far forward in what'd be denied airspace to any other aircraft; enabling a very aggressive sort of BARCAP, to the point of shadowing hostile fighters and engaging them from close range if they make aggressive motions towards friendlies. I personally believe we'll see more F-22s in strike roles than BARCAP roles, but that all depends on just how many Strike Eagles and B-52s we have forward-deployed in theater right now; information that's not easy to hunt down on the web (for obvious reasons.)

The most difficult part of the strike will be playing cat-and-mouse with Russia's AWACS/EW assets; they've the most capable sensors, we can't simply shoot them down, and the Russians know that and will exploit it. The early warning their aircraft can provide will be of tremendous use to their Syrian allies, so inhibiting it will likewise be critical. I predict a delicate dance of US/NATO jamming aircraft versus Russian AWACs/CAP, with a side helping of targeting spikes from their S-400 batteries to try and rattle morale. (Not that they'll be spooked, because the S-400s' maximum theoretical range is based on the radar-equipped 40N6 missile, which probably isn't operational yet, much less deployed to Syria.)

In Summary

I think we're about to see a demonstration of the balance between higher-end and lower-end capabilities - a relatively small number of advanced weapons opening the door for an onslaught of cost-effective Tomahawks. We're also going to see why ISTAR capabilities are so important, and given the nature of the mission, it's highly likely targets won't be strictly limited to just chemical weapon depots or related infrastructure. It might be, but I predict a Message Will Be Sent.

It's 9PM, and the RUMINT on twitter says I'd better post this before the strikes actually happen and all eight pages of random musing are wasted.

Let's see what happens.

[sveasauvageon]

I can't go when you look this freaking beautiful || GW

☾♔; March 14, 2018 ☾♔; sotd: idk ☾♔; comedian otd: idk ☾♔; GW: Side Character Audition ☾♔; {G} https://goo.gl/XSTtMc ☾♔; mod(s): @themadmonarchist @maybones et moi  

FINALLY DONE WITH THIS

Me every time Russia sends a "love, love, peace, peace" type song to Eurovision: *rolls on the floor laughing my arse off and literally dying from the irony*

GW SIDE CHARACTER TEMPLATE

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ஜ۩۞۩ஜ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀Viggo Asbjörn Rasmus Sauvageon, (21)

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Un jour je suis prédateur ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Un jour je suis la proie ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Un jour j'ai chaud au cœur ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Un jour j'ai tellement froid ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀-⠀Au Coeur de moi - Amir

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ஜ۩۞۩ஜ

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⚜️ THE BASICS

Nickname: Vig, V/Vi, Vígi, storebror (Svea and Lili)   Gender: cis-male Date of Birth: December 24 Place of Birth: Lake Mälaren (it's in Enköping, and next to the Sauvageon estate. He was born in an underwater cave)   Nationality: Swedish Ethnicity: caucasian (swedish/frankish descent), also half-fish person.   Accent: Swedish Blood Status: half-blood/half-breed, he's half-merperson (hey, theoretically, it's possible in the wizarding world, plus, see; Shape of Water, The. 😛)  

Profession: Curse-Breaker for Rökstenen Wizarding Bank (the Swedish counterpart to Gringotts)

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⚜️ PHYSICAL APPEARANCE

Face Claim: Mooms-mooms, I mean Måns Zelmerlöw

Hair: short, black, sometimes dark brown, soft

Eyes: brown, turn into a deep sea-green when he's angry or feeling like a huge surge of love (as in the emotion, don't be gross, also, not limited to romantic love, basically any love that would qualify for "save the world" level up's in anime characters)

Height: 1.74 m/5'7"-ish (he's so short, I mean, I can't really judge being a measly 5'2", but still)

Weight: idk

Body: slim, fit, super hot swede, wannabe James Bond tbh (did he dreaming of being bond as a child? Maybe.)

Any Scars/ Marks?: not scars exactly, but he has sort of scale-like cravings. Like groves in a stone wall, except on his skin and in the shape of scales. He has a large section on the right side of his rib cage, left shoulder blade going down in a slight diagonal angle to the right back of his hips (decreasing in amount as it moves down his back), left angle, and left wrist.

Any Tattoos/ Piercings?: n/a

Quirks/ Mannerisms: - not really a mannerism of his, but always ends up as a thing for Svea to lean on, since they're basically the same height, and in heels, she's taller than him.

Style: as "erratic" as his cousin's, but generally well-tailored, and figure-flattering. Likes wearing shirts that are a bit too tight (ala Marvel superhero tight), but generally walks around either in suits and ties, or a superhero shirt (as in the fit and not a graphic tee) and jeans. Favours Dolce & Gabbana, Ralph Lauren, Burberry, and Guess (because he's a fu.cking nerd).

Additional Information:

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⚜️ PERSONALITY:

Head cannon: Super dorky, super cute. Like Svea, he's super Swedish (ie liberal socialist), but he's a lot nicer and pleasant (well, she's not, not nice, but she's also not nice, ya feel?, less elitist is the phrase I'm looking for). Literally sunshine, he's pleasant and joyful and a lot of fun, somewhat reckless, quite a mess, very loveable. Tiny bit of a wh.o.re (manwhøre, yes, but why do men get a different word that doesn't really have a negative connotation), he's never single. He's always dating someone or "causally" seeing someone. The longest he's been single (since joining the dating game) is a week.

Personality (+ 5, - 5): dork, nerd, smarter than he looks/acts, playful, thrives in stressful situations, prefers to have leadership "thrust" upon rather than actively seek it out, sweet, thoughtful, bad at flirting (seriously, it's embarrassing), lazy magic user (like that stupid scene in fantastic beasts when Tina's sister used magic instead of just sliding her hands into the fu.cking robe herself, that's mooms-mooms. I mean Vig), more vain than he cares to admit (spends a surprising amount of time on his hair every morning), act first-think later type of idiot (will jump into a dark tomb for the # adventure without even checking for curses first), adventurous, reckless, silly, quick on his feet, adaptable, resourceful, loyal, protective (though, usually it's him getting protected, he's more of a sweet summer child with a somewhat hidden armour of steel, valyrian steel)  

Any mental health issues: - bursts into eurovision songs spontaneously, usually with Svea. Like, it's technically not an illness, but at this point, I'm pretty sure I've got it.

Favorite Quotes/ Sayings that your character would use: - "I am Thor, God of Hammers." (Probs Syn: You are Vígi, god of the losers) - "I miss when I had two feet of authority over you." (To Svea, also Syn tbh, pretty she and Svea are the same height) - "you wanna be my Waterloo?" (Vig, attempting to flirt. Tbh, Svea would say the same thing. They have a Eurovision problem) - "a smooth sea never made a skilled sailor" (someone off in the background: you're half-fish, and a curse-breaker)

Additional Information: - I was originally thinking of "Au coeur de moi" as his theme song, but it's so definitely "I can't go on" by Robin Bengtsson  

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⚜️ BIOGRAPHY

Relation to your OC: paternal cousin, like once removed? No, twice removed. he's the son of her grandfather's sister's son.

♣️ Family Background

:: House of Sauvageon ::

The Sauvageon's are a very family old wizarding family, they were originally French, and later immigrated to Sweden in the late 1700's. Unlike most ancient wizarding families (particularly the British ones), they have never shied away from breeding with muggles and muggleborns, often gaining the label of "blood traitor" from the British families, but they're Swedish, and blood density is irrelevant there. There are as liberal and socialist as their country. Despite being loathed by the blood purist-type families, they are still approached very few generations for marital matches, as they are exceedingly wealthy and when the aforementioned house runs out of options.  

One could say he's from a branch family, they're no longer the main family, technically, but are still closely related and also still have the same name. So it's more like a developing branch family. His grandmother (Frida) was Svea's grandfather's (Ludvig's) younger sister, so I think that makes them cousin's twice removed? Or is it three times? I don't know, this sht always confuses me (in my defense, I do have around 6000 cousins, and I don't know how I'm related to any of them. Not even joking about that tbh).

Sauvageon aesthetics (with a tiny bit about both Vig and Svea's maternal families, still editing it though): https://goo.gl/u4nRiU

--only father-side relations listed here-- ▪️ Father: Acke Bengt Adrian Sauvageon | Alex Jennings | 56 | former socialite (kind of missing, lives underwater)

▪️ Grandmother: Eira Katja Karita Sauvageon | n/a | deceased former politician (in the muggle world, rose to mayor of Enköping)

▪️ Grandfather: Danil Benjamin Sauvageon née Vengerbojrn | n/a | deceased (muggle businessman - ran KronLund, which specialized in developing luxury estates, hosting events, and owns far too many wineries. He changed his surname upon marrying Eira, half-Icelandic)  

▪️ Uncle (father's brother): Edvard Ragnvald Fritjof Sauvageon | n/a | missing, disappeared whilst exploring Geiranger Fjord in Norway

▪️ Cousin (closer than Svea and Lili, biologically): Frej Egil Fredrik Sauvageon Bernadotte, Duke of Västergötland | Matthew Goode | 36 | businessman/royal consort (took up control of KronLund after Danil's death, later married the crown princess of Sweden and added her house's name to his. All children of the marriage shall take the name of the royal house)

▪️ Cousin-in-law: Crown Princess Kristina Ulrika Viktoria Margareta of the House of Bernadotte, Duchess of Västergötland | Vanessa Kirby | 32 | heir apparent to the Swedish Throne

Main Sauvageon family/extended family: ▪️ Great-uncle: Ludvig Sauvageon | Patrick Stewart ▪️ Great-aunt-in-law: Linnéa Sauvageon | Judi Dench ▪️ Uncle: Petter Sauvageon | Colin Firth ▪️ Aunt-in-law: Iliana Drubetskaya | Lena Headey ▪️ Cousin: Svea Sauvageon | Cara Delevingne ▪️ Cousin: Lena Sauvageon | Dafne Keen ▪️ Aunt: Brigitta Sauvageon | Gillian Anderon ▪️ Uncle: Kåre Sauvageon | James D'Arcy

:: Maternal "family" :: A merwoman calling herself "Freyja", whilst he's visited his mother and her "family" many times, he's still not quite clear about which merpeople in the Lake he's related to, and which not, nor even how he was born (*cough* conceived but ew *cough*). They basically just sing and sht when he's underwater, and then he goes up, kind of in a haze and with a mild euphoric feeling, like he's been drugged.  

Although he doesn't know much about his mer-family, according to Swedish mermaid legends, they're known for helping lost sailors and are generally considered a friendly peoples. They largely help deal with the lake's grindylow population.

♣️ Family Affiliation: Swedish Ministry of Magic, Durmstrang Institute of Magic (not a happy association, but it's their homeschool, and most Sauvageon's have attended it, including Vig himself), House of Bernadotte, House of Châteaudun (and their successive houses), and the Riddarhuset (The House of Nobility in Sweden -- don't really have any power or special tax exemptions anymore, basically protection of historical titles and coat of arms), Rökstenen (that's more his personal affiliation though, since banks are seperate entites run by goblins who employ some humans)

♣️ Socio-economic status: meh. He technically has a lot of money via family, and earns quite a sum from Rökstenen, but he's one of those rich people who are oblivious to how much things cost (making him slightly disaffected, though, in his defense, he was rasied in palace, basically)

Quick facts: Vig was born underwater in Lake Mälaren to Acke Sauvageon and a merperson who calls herself "Freyja", they're still not sure if it's her real name. He was born with mostly the physical features of a regular human, so he was taken above water to be raised by the Sauvageon's, his father, however, remained underwater (originally he sustained himself via gilly weed and the bubble head charm, but eventually became an animagus and lives as a blue tang because Dory). Closest in age to Svea out of her generation of Savaugeon's, they essentially grew up as siblings, and even attended muggle school together for a time before it was time for him to go to Durmstrang. To say he did not like it there would be an understatement, he nearly flunked out of his dark arts classes out of pure protest, but later actually tried since the information would come in handy when he decided he wanted to be curse breaker. In his 6th year, he attempted to petition the school to change their rules and let muggle-borns in, but lacked support from his fellow students and was ultimately unsuccessful.  

Additional Information: n/a

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⚜️ HOGWARTS INFORMATION Hogwarts Stats: N/A

Whilst a (half-)wizard, Vig did not attend Hogwarts, but instead went to the Scandi homeschool; Durmstrang. Like the other Sauvageon's who attended Durmstrang (as well as Swedes in general, because JKR didn't even fu.cking google Sweden before making it the Scandi school, it's a socialist country, and unlike Denmark and Norway, isn't allergic to migrants!), anyway, like the other Sauvageon's and Swedes, he did not like the school, especially it's attitude towards muggles and muggle-borns (his own grandfather being a muggle). Despite his hatred of the school, he did well, earning the equivalents of Outstandings and Excellents in his exams. Svea jokes that he would've been an "uncool Hufflepuff" (probs would've been in Ravenclaw though, he's smarter than he looks. And acts).

Any Pets?: does Lili count? Not really, she'd reducto his as.s if he said to her face.

Reputation at Hogwarts: doesn't really have one, he only shows up to the events that open to non-students/family, and would really only interact with friends of Svea and/or the Lothbroks. I guess his rep would be "hot dude that sometimes shows up". Also, just to be clear, he literally has nothing to do with the Hogwarts social hierarchy (just in case anyone got confused).  

Additional Information:

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⚜️ INDIVIDUAL MAGIC

Wand: Rosewood Wand Core: Unicorn hair Wand Length: 10½" Wand Flexibility: Swishy Patronus: Arctic Fox   Boggart: drowning (appears as his almost-corpse, like pale and wet, but like seizing and struggling to breath) Amortentia: burning wood (like the scent that arises from a bonfire), cinnamon, sea salt Affinity to any particular magic?: not exactly, but he's naturally drawn towards water related spells and sea type plants. It's not super special, they were just the easiest for him to learn and work with when he was still in school, having completed his education, he's perfectly skilled with other stuff now too. Additional Information: - great singer both above and underwater, underwater it becomes more ethereal, known to occasionally leave listeners with an ecstatic, somewhat loopy feeling, like marijuana does to muggles - he's incapable of performing any of the unforgiveable curses.  

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⚜️ USER INFORMATION

Username: @drownedinmoonlight Activity Level (Scale 1-10): 8

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⚜️ OPTIONAL Playlist: Moodboard: Social Media (instagram, facebook, snapchat, twitter, etc) : Storyboard: Aesthetic Collection: Wardrobe/Style Collection: Plotting Set: Story:

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ஜ۩۞۩ஜ

When you have completed the audition, please tag the mods: @.drownedinmoonlight @.themadmonarchist and @.maybones and use the hashtag #GWnpc

Also, don't forget to add it to the group. Happy character creation!

[femmesfollesnebraska]

Nikki Yeager, artist/writer

LFF is pleased to feature a q-and-a with artist and writer Nikki Yeager...

Where are you from? How did you get into creative work and what is your impetus for creating? 

I'm from Wickliffe, OH originally, but I consider New York City home. I think many creative people don't have an impetus, so much as a compulsion to create. By the time I hit puberty I couldn't stop myself from writing and painting. Luckily, my mom recognized this and got me into a vocational art school that allowed me to skip out on advanced math and science classes during my last two years of high school. I may have been creative before then, but my art teacher, Ms. Mellen, made me into an artist.

Tell me about your current project and why it’s important to you. What do you hope people get out of your work? 

I recently illustrated a book my dad wrote many years ago, Nikki Durant and the Terrible Can't. When I was still a toddler, my dad wrote a book about a girl who took off for "There" and overcame all sorts of obstacles including a Stomping Moeleet (who likes to stomp people right into the ground) and a Terrible Can't. His hope in writing the story was that I'd one day grow up to be brave enough to overcome real life versions of those obstacles if I encountered them. I hadn't read the story in many years, but when I circled back to it as an adult, I realized that he had written my entire life's story before I'd even lived it. When I was 17, I left Ohio, even when people told me I couldn't/shouldn't. I started businesses, moved to other countries and followed creative pursuits even when my peers said it couldn't be done. I know now that so much of my ability to do those things came from my dad intentionally instilling those values in me. I view this book as a way to share that confidence with the next generation. I want children all over the world to learn the same values I did. I want girls everywhere to feel brave and strong when faced with opposition. 

What does being a womxn mean to you/your work?

Being a womxn means that I feel an intense obligation to give back to the female community. That might mean supporting other women, or it might mean putting out more female-led children's books to inspire the next generation.

Does collaboration play a role in your work—whether with your community, artists or others? How so and how does this impact your work? 

For this project, I'm just half of the finished product. My illustrations completed the story my dad told. However, I typically avoid collaboration. I love to brainstorm with other creative people, especially women who have similar responsibilities to their families and career, as they are usually supportive of my unconventional ideas to make things work. However, when it comes to completing a project, I prefer to work alone. 

In everything, art included, I work quickly and tend to be all-consumed by the task at hand. That type of work style doesn't lend itself well to collaboration. 

Considering the political climate, how do you think the temperature is for the arts right now, what/how do you hope it may change or make a difference?

I don't think the political climate has directly effected the arts, except maybe by giving long-overdue credit to artists of color thanks to art exhibits focused on topics like Black Lives Matter and police brutality. Because these subjects have gained more attention as our political climate becomes more hostile to minority groups, larger museums and exhibition spaces are dedicating time and resources to artists who focus on those topics.  

Outside of politics, I do think art has become more and more tied to financial gain in the last decade and will continue to change because of that. The popularity of art investing is increasing every day, thanks in part to celebrities like Beyonce and Jay-Z discussing the value of strategic art holdings. Now crowdfunding for well-known paintings is available for entry level investors. Because of that, the traditional art world is becoming even more powerful and emerging/underground artists seem to have even less financial support. Even lower-net-worth-individuals are starting to think about the monetary value of paintings rather than their value in beauty or cultural significance.

Artist Wanda Ewing, who curated and titled the original LFF exhibit, examined the perspective of femininity and race in her work, and spoke positively of feminism, saying “yes, it is still relevant” to have exhibits and forums for women in art; does feminism play a role in your work? 

Feminism impacts everything I do on some level. Women and men are born as equals and we should be treated as such. That's not a belief I hold when convenient, but a foundational truth in my life. I see myself as inherently equal to any man I meet. One day, I expect the rest of the world to catch up, but I don't think we're there yet. 

As for my book, I think every child should feel brave enough to stand up to anyone who tries to tell them they can't do something. However, I think it's even more important for girls to see a female character doing that, because we are still under-represented in similar stories. So for now, this project is a female-forward one. One day, I hope that will become a moot point. When that happens, I think it won't be relevant to have forums focused on feminine perspectives, so much as continuously including all "human" perspectives, even those on the feminine end of the spectrum.  

Ewing’s advice to aspiring artists was “you’ve got to develop the skill of when to listen and when not to;” and “Leave. Gain perspective.”  What is your favorite advice you have received or given? 

"If you need feedback before showing your art to the world, you're not ready to show it." I don't remember where I read that, but it's always stuck with me. There was a time when I'd get a lot of feedback on a piece in order to tweak it before showing it publicly. Those pieces are now my least favorite. Instead of feeling like part of me, they feel like pieces of art I made on behalf of others. I never get criticism on my writing or art beforehand now. I spend a lot of time self-editing and then I release it to the world when I feel ready.

My Website: www.nikkiyeager.com 

My LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/nikkiryeager/

~

Les Femmes Folles is a volunteer organization founded in 2011 with the mission to support and promote women in all forms, styles and levels of art from around the world with the online journal, print annuals, exhibitions and events; originally inspired by artist Wanda Ewing and her curated exhibit by the name Les Femmes Folles (Wild Women). LFF was created and is curated by Sally Deskins.  LFF Booksis a micro-feminist press that publishes 1-2 books per year by the creators of Les Femmes Folles including the award-winning Intimates & Fools (Laura Madeline Wiseman, 2014) , The Hunger of the Cheeky Sisters: Ten Tales (Laura Madeline Wiseman/Lauren Rinaldi, 2015 and Mes Predices (catalog of art/writing by Marie Peter Toltz, 2017).Other titles include Les Femmes Folles: The Women 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016 available on blurb.com, including art, poetry and interview excerpts from women artists. A portion of the proceeds from LFF books and products benefit the University of Nebraska-Omaha’s Wanda Ewing Scholarship Fund.

Current call for collaborative art-writing: http://femmesfollesnebraska.tumblr.com/post/181376606692/lff-2019-artistpoet-collaborations

Current call: What does being a womxn mean to you? http://femmesfollesnebraska.tumblr.com/post/183697785757/what-does-being-a-womxn-today-mean-to-youyour

[glob17-dowe-blog]

Trigger 2

How can a company adjust and thrive in the ever changing world?

Mission - react to change, budget, decision making, predict, risk management, trends, sacrifices

Vision - innovation, develop the product, cross - discipline, flexibility, core competitiveness

Strategy - expand, digitalization, partners, branch out, diversity, core strengths, global sight

How can companies define their mission?

Define the relationship between company’s mission and vision.

What strategies are needed to support the vision?

How can you adapt your strategy to the changes in the market?

How can companies define their mission?

Mission should describe what is the organizations current state or purpose. Why does the company exist? Jennel Evans in Unleashing the power of vision and mission has three questions about why companies exist: What it does, who it does it for and how it does what it does. For example company might be launched to provide a specific set of services but they might realize that changing WHAT it does, WHO it does it for and HOW it does what it does might help them grow faster and more successfully. The mission should be defined so that the employees understand how their job contributes to achieving it. This can increase motivation and productivity. When the mission is clear, it also helps employees understand company- wide decisions, organizational changes and resource allocation. This therefore lessens resistance and workplace conflicts. 

A company can develop a mission with the help of online tools such as The Climb. This is a free tool to help you define a mission and vision. They can also hire a professional strategic planner. (Jennel Evans Vision and Mission, Unleashing the power of Vision and Mission and The Brandling).

Define the relationship between company’s mission and vision. 

Mission defines the company’s business, objectives and the approach method. Vision is the desired future position for the company. A study done by Bain and Company indicates that organizations that have clear Vision and Mission statements, that are also aligned with their strategic plan, outperform those who do not.

Both, mission and vision statements are used to:

Internally

“Guide management’s thinking on strategic issues, especially during significant change

Help define performance standards

Inspire employees to work more productively by providing focus and common goals

Guide employee decision making

Help establish a framework for ethical behaviour.”

Externally

“Enlist external support

Create closer linkages and better communication with customers, suppliers and alliance partners

Serve as public relations tool.” (Bain and Company, publications, articles, insights, Management Tools, Mission and Vision Statements, 2015)

In her blog, Vision and Mission, Unleashing the power of vision and mission, Jennell Evans answers why it is essential to a company to know and clearly define the difference between the two, and have a well written plan around them. According to her, the reason to this is the same as why it is crucial and worthy for any organization to have a strategic plan to lead them towards success. Both serve different but important roles in a strategic plan. 

If a company does not have mission or/and vision statements, or they are lacking, the company might miss out on: 

Attracting/engaging/retaining talent

Building organizational culture

Increasing productivity while taking use of all recourses to successfully implement a strategic plan. 

Jennel Evans describes in her blog that a Vision Statement is such that:

“It defines the optimal desired future for the company, a mental picture of what an organization wants to achieve over time

Provides guidance and inspirations as to what an organization is focused on achieving in five, then, or more years

It functions as the “north star”- it is what all employees understand their work every day ultimately contributes towards accomplishing over the long term

Is written succinctly in an inspirational manner that makes it east for all employees to repeat it at any given time.”

If an organization wants committed and productive employees they should make sure that the employees know how their work contribute’s to accomplishing the mission (today) and ultimately to the vision (tomorrow). (Jennel Evans Vision and Mission, Unleashing the power of Vision and Mission)

In Simple Marketing now, Christine B. Whittemore lists 8 great mission statements. Here’s a few examples:

Google - “Google’s mission is to organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful.”

Amazon - “To be Earth’s most customer - centric company where people can find and discover anything they want to buy online.”

Chipotle - “The Business of good food.” Now it details: “Over 23 years later. our devotion to seeking out the very best ingredients we can - raised with respect for animals, farmers, and the environment - remains that the core of our commitment to Food With Integrity. And as we’ve grown, our mission has expanded to ensuring that better food is accessible to everyone.”

The Virgin - “Our mission statement is simple, yet the foundation of everything we do here at Virgin Atlantic Airways... To embrace the human spirit and let it fly.”

Trader Joe’s - “The mission of Trader Joe’s is to give our customers the best food and beverage values that they can find anywhere and to provide them with the information required to make informed buying decisions. We provide these with a dedication to the highest quality of customer satisfactions delivered with a sense of warmth, friendliness, fun, individual pride, and company spirit.” (Christine B. Whittemore, What great brands do with missions statements: 8 examples, 8/2017)

In Lifehack, in an article written by Kristin O´Donovan, founder and CEO of TopResultsCoaching, an international company providing coaching services in nearly a dozen countries, gives example’s of great vision statements. Here’s a few:

Alzheimer’s Association - “Our vision is a world without Alzheimer’s disease.”

Reston association - “Leading the model community where all can live, work and play.”

Zappos - “Our vision is delivering happiness to customers, employees and vendors.”

Oxfam - “A just world without poverty.”

Microsoft - “Empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more.” (Kristin O´Donovan, Lifehack, 20 Amazing vision statements from great companies)

What strategies are needed to support the vision?

George Ambler, a Executive Partner with Gartner Executive Programs, focuses on work helping CIO’s get the best out of strategic technology in support of their business strategies. On February 3, 2013 he wrote in his blog a list of 10 characteristics of an effective vision. 

Future focused: It describes the company’s desired future.

Directional: Where the company is going. Specific enough to lead decision making, but also open enough to allow innovative strategies.

Clear: Clarity gives individuals around the organization a sense of what is important and what is not. The vision should be clearly articulated and easily understood.

Relevant: Relevant to the organization and the present. It should mirror history, current situation, culture and values.

Purpose driven: Larger sense of purpose for the organization and it’s people. Vision connects people to a meaningful purpose, allowing them to be part of something bigger than themselves. The purpose should mean more than just getting bigger and beating the competition.

Values based: Values are beliefs that the company has about what’s good and bad. Vision should connect people to the core values of the company. 

Challenging: Effective vision should challenge people and set a high standard. It’s something that is not possible today, or maybe even tomorrow. It’s a goal on a highest level that challenges the organization. 

Unique: Sets the organization apart from others, makes it different. 

Vivid: What will the future look like for this organization? How would it be like to work for this organization in the future? Effective vision should describe the future in a way that it’s easy to picture in your mind’s eye.

Inspiring: Effective vision moves people and makes them want to sign up for the cause. It should cause people to pay attention. It is inspiring when it captures the hearts and minds of people. (George Ambler, 10 characteristics of an effective vision, 2013)

How can you adapt your strategies to the changes in the market?

Better your products/services based on market needs.

Protect the products/services from competitors and regulatory compliance omissions.

Price your products/services to gain strategic advantages (Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, 2007)

According to Bob Simpson, a Synchronicity Performance Consultant, to adapt equals to surviving in the market today. Since technology started to play a more constant role in business, the change has accelerated. Companies have to identify what is working for them and what is not in order to reinvent themselves. They have to build up their strengths and get rid of weaknesses. They’re either able to do this, and fast, or they’re most likely out of business in a few years. They should ask themselves, what changes they need to make right now to achieve optimal performance? Simpson also compels the companies to identify where they’re profitable and where not and what are the trends in their business. In order to find a correct answer to the previously mentioned question, the companies should find out their revenue, profits, assets under management, fee-based revenue, commission based revenue, institutional vs. retail vs. corporate finance and 1, 3, 5 and maybe 10 year growth rates in each area of business. Without knowing these numbers he says, it is impossible to know what is working and what is not. (Bob Simpson, Synchronicity Performance Consulting, 06/2012, Strategies for adapting to a changing market environment)

List of references:

Psychology Today, Blog, Vision and Mission - Unleashing the Power of Vision and Mission, Jennel Evans, Access 8.9.2017

https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/smartwork/201004/vision-and-mission

The Brandling, Access 10.9.2017

https://gumroad.com/l/INya

Bain and company, publications, articles, insights, Management Tools, Mission and Vision Statements 2015, Access 9.9.2017

http://www.bain.com/publications/articles/management-tools-mission-and-vision-statements.aspx

Christine B. Whittemore, What great brands do with missions statements: 8 examples, 8/2017, Access: 10.9.2017

https://www.simplemarketingnow.com/blog/flooring-the-consumer/bid/168520/what-great-brands-do-with-mission-statements-8-examples

Kristin O´Donovan, Lifehack, 20 Amazing vision statements from great companies, Access: 10.9.2017

http://www.lifehack.org/articles/work/20-sample-vision-statement-for-the-new-startup.html

George Ambler, 10 characteristics of an effective vision, 2013, Access: 9.9.2017 

http://www.georgeambler.com/10-characteristics-of-an-effective-vision/

Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, 2007

https://www.entrepreneurship.org/articles/2007/01/adapting-to-the-market

[lynccycling]

Welcome to the week of women! We couldn’t be more thrilled to highlight our own community of boss babes who are breaking barriers & making a difference in the world. Read below as we shed some light on our own LYNC women that are doing BIG THINGS in the community. We're celebrating those that inspire us, help break down gender bias in their industry, and support their local girl gang.

Meet Erin Zeller (@erinstellar), a video producer, digital marketer by day and passionate storyteller by night. She’s making noise in a male-dominated field, video production 🎥, and using her talent to tell some pretty jaw-dropping stories.

“As a former news reporter, I found a love for being able give people a voice through video, and tell stories that inspire change. I filmed, edited, and solo-produced UnBound, a short film about human trafficking in Texas through the eyes of a survivor who shares her experience on what it was like being exploited in the sex trade. The name UnBound comes from the anti-trafficking organization who fights to end sex trafficking and advocates for survivors like the woman featured in the film. I’m honored that the story was accepted into the Deep in the Heart of Texas film festival and will be screened in downtown Waco ‪March 29th.‬ “

In April, she’ll be starting a new job at an all-female production company which is huge because it’s such a male-dominated space. In the future, she hopes to create more films that highlight other strong women, non-profits, and changemakers, because “stories are how we all relate, and they have the power to inspire and bring change to a community.”

We’re so proud of Ellen Ewing (@ellenewing2473) for retiring after 32 years in the corporate world! After she cleared out her office, she knew she wanted more. She wanted to get involved with helping children find hope and safety from the sex trade. ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ “I began learning more about human trafficking and learned that in Dallas alone an estimated 400 children are being sold for sex every day. The more l learned, the more I knew I needed to do something to help. My church asked me to co-lead our Anti Human Trafficking Team. We financially support and serve 4 non profits in the Dallas area who are working every day to educate, rescue and rehabilitate these children who are suffering through the trauma they have experienced.” ⠀ Texas is the #2 state in the nation for human trafficking victims, only second to California. The sex trade industry pulls in an astounding $99 billion per year, making it the fastest growing crime in the world. Ellen partners with a local non-profit organization, the @PoiemaFoundation, educating the public and raising awareness in order to prevent sexual abuse, sex trafficking, and other methods of sexual exploitation. 71% of human trafficking targets women & children. Poiema helps survivors begin recovery through a trauma-informed care program and residential housing that provides food, shelter and security. ⠀ Each Saturday, Ellen and her Poiema group head to hotels to hand out out flyers of missing children while looking for suspicious activity to provide to the detectives who are actively working to rescue exploited girls.

Meet Honor (@honorshearer)—a lover of comedy & food. Our two favorites! After doing stand up comedy for 6 years, Honor founded her own catering company, Gourmet at Home.

Cooking is an industry that is largely represented by men, boasting less than 20% of female chefs. 🍴 But now, Honor is bridging the gap and rockin’ the kitchen. Did we mention that Honor’s cooking is drool worthy?! She creates beautiful cuisine and memorable experiences. Honor, an entertainer at heart, also teaches cooking classes for people ages 9-99 available on @cozymeal.com.

“I became a chef because I love food, but my goal is to create beautiful experiences for people. Growing up, my mom cooked dinner and we always ate around the dining room table while my dad provided these incredible stories. We sat there together, eating wonderful food, talking and laughing. These dinnertime memories are my favorite.”

Honor loves being a chef so that she can provide exquisite food and an avenue for joyful, memorable experiences. We love Honor’s passion for food, creating long-lasting memories together, and founding a female run business in an industry that is lacking balance. 

Meet Tori Schwarzlose (@tori.schw)—for the past four school years, she has had the honor of being a Program Manager for After-School All-Stars (@asasnorthtexas), a nonprofit that runs afterschool programs for middle school students in under-resourced schools.

People often ask her, "Why in the world would you want to work with middle school students?" Her answer typically goes like this. ⠀ “Do you remember what you were like in middle school? I know I had braces, a middle hair part and wore high rise jeans with tie-dye tshirts. If I can help one awkward middle schooler realize that the best is yet to come, then I feel like I have made a difference."

ASAS North Texas provides free after-school programs for over 700 kids across 6 Dallas schools, and over 730,000 kids across the country. Their vision is for their All-Star students is to be safe and healthy, to graduate high school and go to college, to find careers they love and then give back to their communities.

With more than 15 million children home alone after school during peak times of juvenile crime, Tori‘s daily work is making a difference in these kids’ lives. “Every day is a fight to do better, to provide experiences for our future leaders. But every fight is worth it when it's #forthekids.” 

Meet Annie Stock (@annie.stock)! One year ago Annie took her passion for balloons and started her own business, Float Balloon Bar (@float_balloon_bar). She saw the need for personalized balloons in the DFW area and decided that she was going to fill that void. She says her desire to follow her passions and start her own business was sparked during a goal setting workshop we had here at Lync Cycling. She remembers, “We had to write down where we saw ourselves in 10 years and work backwards. I knew I wanted to have my own side business so this was the push I needed.”

This past year, Annie has been pushed out of her comfort zone many times, but has learned that she can meet and exceeded the expectations of her clients. She laughs, “I often say yes to projects and then figure out the details later. It is so satisfying to be scared of a project and then actually complete it!”

She admits that running a small business has been scary, but so rewarding. Throughout the ups and the downs, the final product is always worth it. “I have had many failures along the way, but looking back those have made me stronger and work harder on the next project!”

We are so proud of Annie for being an entrepreneur and a girl boss in our community and can’t wait to see Float Balloon Bar continue to grow!

Meet Lindsay Davis (@lindsayraydavis)! Lindsay started working at SMU after falling for a Mustang (her now husband Joe). They are also expecting their first child this summer! She now works with the Nancy Ann and Ray L. Hunt Leadership Scholars Program and is working for her Masters in Education in Education Policy. She is responsible for 95 students from the point at which they apply to SMU through graduation as well as managing the Hunt Scholar alumni program. Lindsay wears many hats in her role - recruiter, teacher, event planner, life coach, etc. She loves getting to have an impact on these students’ SMU journey!

Lindsay loves her job which is apparent to anyone that knows her. She says, “my job is fun because it’s challenging. Every single day is different, and every student question, concern, and problem is different.” She cares so much about her students and their success and well-being at SMU. “My job is a 24/7 job: the students know I am here for them any day, any time…except for the 45 minutes I make for myself at Lync! (Although, I see a bunch of them in class now, too, which I love!” The past few years she has been bringing the Hunt Scholars in for group rides at Lync at the beginning of ever semester. She tries to practice what she preaches to her students when it comes to life balance. Between her job, her masters degree, her leadership position in the Junior League of Dallas, being a wife, and a soon to be mother, she’s got A LOT going on! She has found a healthy way to relieve stress and have fun through classes at Lync. Lync “is huge source of both energy and mental relaxation.”

Lindsay says there is nothing more rewarding than seeing a student reach a goal that they didn’t necessarily think they could achieve. “Any role I can play in their experience means the world to me, that is what keeps me going.” She believes her job is an exciting opportunity to watch young leaders makes the world a better place. 

Meet Tiffany Fettinger (@tfett1), Owner of Texas Pride Athletics (@texasprideathletics) & current coach of SMU Cheer (@smucheer). Tiffany loves coaching cheerleading and has passionately coached various levels for twelve years. Coachinng SMU Cheer is a dream come true for her, but she has always dreamed of building her own program from the bottom up, so six months ago she opened the doors of Texas Pride Athletics.

“The journey so far has been empowering, emotional, lots of hard work, but insanely rewarding! I get to share my love for cheerelading and tumbling with kids from our community, see their confidence grow as they achieve new skills and their faces light up when they are so proud of themselves. I am hosting tryouts for our very first teams at Texas Pride and I cannot wait to take on the challenges this will bring.”

We stand behind Tiffany and her drive to build a woman-operated business that brings the community together and hosts an empowering place for young kids. “With super strong women supporting me, the sweet and positive mothers that bring their children to the gym, and my staff of smart and diligent young women, Texas Pride will continue to grow and positively impact children in our community!” We can’t wait either Tiffany 👏🏻 

[mustinvestigate]

stream of consciousness headcanon…ish…thing…

...which owes entire countries’ national debts to @niceteeth-nastysmile‘s health & food canon post and @adistraughtthought‘s on MacCready’s teeth and why Lucy was just beyond brilliant.

And this is all fic-related ponderings of general standards of personal upkeep in post-apocalyptia and their divergence from vault or pre-war sensibilities and how exactly romance could surmount this, which doesn’t really earn “above the fold” status, so…

So it’s generally held in fandom lore that folk are too busy surviving to truck much with hygiene, a thought which derails the sexiness of many T+ fics before they start. Like, “We’ve been trekking across the desert nurturing a deadly two-person epidemic of UST and, oops, convenient cave-in, we’re trapped together…carrying several days’ worth of sweat and battle muck in non-breathable armor we seemingly never change, without water to drink or freshen up with, and, y’know, let’s just sit in opposite cave chambers and breathe through our mouths until rescue comes, ok?”

And a vault dweller or pre-war person would live in suspended state of horror at the miasma of human funk and yellowed snaggleteeth when they have any at all, unable to hold a civil conversation no matter how high their charisma stat. As for romancing, well…nope. Nope nope nope.

Except, in settlements at least, with more pooled resources and storage space and security to allow people to spend time on less essential tasks like making tallow soap and extra under-clothing to change regularly and water to wash clothing and bodies, they’d totally raise standards to at least those of a modern week-long camping trip, right? Being clean and in fresh clothing is one of those small achievable luxuries, on the level of toys and games or cards for communal entertainment, that makes a huuuuge difference in feeling like you’re living, not just surviving. And with teeth, well, humans have been cleaning their teeth (albeit sometimes in ways that could not have been kind to gums or enamel) since we’ve been human. Morning breath and stuck-in food bits have apparently always been pretty high on the short list of activities worth spending limited energy on fixing.

Also often found in human settlements? Doctors, or at least some form of medical-type professionals to push for improved sanitation and enough cleanliness to minimise the spread of disease, not to mention heal injuries or perform simple dentistry or help prevent/treat substance abuse and all sorts of other ailments that lead to one being unable to maintain a comfortable-ish body.

(Aside for ghouls: although they’re described in-game as smelling like rotting flesh, I call bullshit. The smell of rot comes from decay, and by definition, things which are decaying are in the process of existing increasingly…uh…less so. [I don’t know, I can’t word good today, ok? Ahem.] And since ghouls are canonically unplagued by senescence [see? Fancy words!], there’s no decay beyond a certain level of damage that would produce that particular offensive smell. And further still since the skin damage would probably render most of their sweat glands gone or non-functional anyway, they’d possibly even lack the traditional human eau du ew at the end of a hard day’s farming. Y’all just decided they smell bad because you don’t like how they look – real nice, post-apocalyptic humans. Real. Nice.)

People living outside of settlements, though…they might be a different story. Like, raiders? Forget it. You’d smell ‘em coming a mile away, where they may be gasping their last due to catastrophic bacterial infection from what started as a wee molar cavity. They’re not expending energy on small personal-upkeep luxuries, or value stealing them from those who do.

Non-sociopathic nomadic types, like traders or mercenaries or people who don’t have useful skills or can’t afford to buy into a settlement (however it works when there’s no pre-war savior throwing away land for free), where carrying space is very limited and they likely don’t have much time or energy for non-essential luxuries…yeah, they might be closer to what we picture as a standard post-apocalyptic citizen. Like…in today’s terms…your stereotypical European gap-year backpacker. You’d certainly bathe and wash clothes when the opportunity and supplies came to hand, but wouldn’t go out of your way unless your red and orange Maslows were all in the black, and if your yellow, green, and blue were already in the pink, why bother?

(Is that a coherent joke? Probably not. Requires googling. But we strike on!)

Hence, in a slightly roundabout way, we come to MacCready’s teeth, and, further, the impact therein on writing a romance with a pre-war character. Or, really, any of the romanceable companion options, but fanon, and Bethesda going out of their way to make him the only one with bad teeth, seem to hold that MacCready’s a special case. He grew up LARPing Lord of The Flies, defiantly proud that there were no adults to make them clean anything they didn’t want to, and he married a girl (brilliant doctor or not) who was part of the same culture and tolerant of near-toxic personal hygiene or at the very least, since they seemed to be on the road when she tragically died, was biding her time until they settled down to enforce better standards.

(And, seriously, Bethesda, just admit it’s the same character as the Lucy he was best buddies with instead of someone who just happened to have the same name…except that does mean that sweet girl died terribly…and now I no longer know what I want to believe. Huh.)

And a pre-war professional lady, one who’d’ve had to maintain a polished image as a non-negotiable element of her career, she’d get past this…how?

Actually…even writing this out, it still doesn’t seem insurmountable. For years, I shared a very small office with a large, manly fellow who didn’t wear deodorant, worked out before work, and ate a lot of fish-heavy lunches. It’s amazing how quickly the human nose shrugs and moves the goal-posts, particularly for lovely people you get on with, or when everyone around you’s more or less at the same level of smell, or when you’re also working out and coming in kinda sweaty and, you know, we’re all human here, right, why are we so dang picky?

And my version of Nora, for all she prefers pretty dresses and parties, isn’t averse to dirty fingernails. She was in the military, had all her hair shaved off and slogged through muddy obstacle courses and dug latrines and everything; she went hunting with her father and helped out in his plumbing shop, getting elbow-deep in animal viscera and worse. A filthy soldier-type would definitely be on her experience spectrum with probably no more judgement than welp, try to stay upwind when possible, even that forgotten after she’s been in the same outfit herself for a couple of weeks.

But the teeth, man, there’s something moreish about bad teeth, right? There’s not just the aesthetics of non-white, non-straight teeth (trust me…having moved to a country [unfairly] famous for poor-quality dentistry, I can report that uniformly white, straight chompers quickly become the weird-looking alternative) but the visceral reaction to class comma lack of, to an indicator not just of “poor” but “poor and not trying to do better.”

Like, I grew up what’s politely called white working class (in a family that mostly passes leisure time with drinking, Fox News, and stockpiling weapons of dubious origins, so, y’know, shruggy-emoticon), and you bet all of us cousins had braces. We were going to get good grades and have office jobs. Our parents were real touchy about terms like “redneck” or “okie” and wouldn’t admit to liking country music. There was something different about the kids who lived in the same area but didn’t get braces. We weren’t encouraged to make friends of them, and as for dating…well…the bad teeth on a significant other brought home would carefully, one could say pointedly, not be mentioned, but every other possible flaw would be.

In college, I dated a mysterious guy I met on Match.com, who wasn’t white and who had the worst teeth I’d ever seen in real life. They were somewhere between ferengi and pirate and I’m sad to say they were the first thing anyone would notice about him. We ended up dating for two bloody years, even talked about marriage, and the funny thing? I never found out what the deal was with those awful, awful teeth.

At first, I didn’t bring it up because, well…how bad did his childhood have to be, that no one made him brush, no one took out a loan to get him in braces? Like, bad teeth were so intrinsically linked with lower-class deprivation in my mind that I just could not even broach the topic with someone of a different ethnic background. And, anyway, he turned out to be solidly middle-class from birth, held two degrees and a software engineering cubicle job that required a tie, even on Fridays. And by that point, well…if the teeth were the first thing you noticed, the second was that he was bubbly and goofy and sweet, and when months later someone looked at a photo of us and asked, “Oh dear, what happened to that poor boy’s teeth?”, it genuinely took me a minute to figure out what she was talking about.

So, my conclusion: even when one’s brought up to see poor hygiene and bad teeth as viscerally, mockably horrifying…as romantic obstacles, they’re quite surmountable. Like, there’d be some half-hearted stocking up of new brushes and mouthwash, nagging to go see the dentist no I don’t care that your childhood dentist looked like Ted Bundy, and probably a collateral raising of their bathing frequency through shared living routines, and it’d be fine, you guys. Totally fine.

Anyway.

This is what happens after a few months without drinking, y’all. These are the brain cells that’d usually get culled off by the friendly gin hammer.

[metbackstagestories-blog]

Interview: Edwin R. Williams, Met Opera Guild Program Coordinator

In celebration of Black History Month, we sat down for an interview with Edwin R. Williams, who oversees logistics and planning for the Guild’s Urban Voices program in Massachusetts. Click below to learn more about challenges he’s faced in his career and why he believes in the importance of arts education.

Met Opera Guild:  Where did you get your start in music? Was it a part of your life early on?

Edwin R. Williams: At the age of five. My mother was a gospel singer in Saint Louis, Missouri and would record albums, perform, and tour the country with her group. I would attend their rehearsals on a regular basis, which helped to train my ear early on. I remember feeling as if I were in heaven as I listened to and learned their harmonies; I could literally sing all of vocal parts, but my favorite was my mother's part--soprano. Moving forward, I became all the more passionate about music and often sang lead roles in musicals and concerts at school,  where I was very fortunate to have been surrounded by teachers who had an intense appreciation of the arts. These teachers encouraged me to perform, to believe in myself, and to use art to strengthen my education and experiences in life. This empowered me on many levels, and it created avenues for me to find my voice--both musically and in the broader sense of humanity and life. 

MOG: Who are your influences (any genre)? 

EW: I have a plethora of musical influences. Despite my classical training, Mariah Carey is the greatest of these. Listening to not only my mother, but also singers like Mariah (and even Minnie Riperton) allowed me to explore the most intricate and--in my experience--the most expressive passages of the voice. What I love about Mariah is that, although her voice has evolved over the years, it remains a rare and beauteous instrument from top to bottom. Marking her evolution has taught me that singing is not about perfection; instead, it is the expression and the sharing of intimate feelings and experiences that would otherwise become powerless. More importantly, I appreciate how my studies of divas like Ms. Carey have given me a unique lens as a classical musician in that there is a bridge to all genres of music that employ my singing, teaching, and advocacy. 

MOG: Did you face any major challenges in your career?

EW: I would say that in my graduate studies (and beyond) it had become quite apparent to me that less and less teachers believed in me as a black man in classical music, and it became solely up to me to push myself to excel and believe in myself as a person and as a singer. There were teachers who told me that, as a black man, I will never sing particular roles. I constantly challenged (and continue to challenge) such finite thinking. Ultimately, it is my hope that my experiences will empower black people and other minorities to support each other and to believe in their competencies and unique offerings to the arena of classical music. 

MOG: What made you want to go into the administrative side of the arts?

EW: The wonderful teachers I've had along my journey. These teachers understood the importance and power of music and art. Therefore, in understanding and appreciating the legacy of organizations such as the Metropolitan Opera Guild, I've developed a passion for supporting the teaching artists and teachers who stand on the front lines, cultivating our young people. In short, it is an honor to know that--at the end of the day (sometimes literally)--the work I do positively impacts other singers, teachers, and future artists and beautiful beings. 

MOG: What aspects of arts education do you find most important? Why?

EW: I find the idea of creating bridges to be most important. There are many forms of art (and genres within these forms), thus artists are often forced to make big, exclusive decisions that potentially alienate them from the most creative parts of themselves. That is, artistic fluidity is another bridge that, once enforced, will allow an artist to find her or his truest voice and to utilize education as a tool to inform styles and technical choices from one form (or genre) to the next. Because the experience of an artist can be very specific to that person or to the demographic to which she or he belongs, there must also be more provisions so that ALL populations have access to ALL art. The goal is to broaden the cultural spectrum of opportunity, particularly in regards to the pool of artists being selected to perform, teach, and administrate. Ultimately, this building and enforcement of such a "bridge," will bring high art into equal heights--in both pedagogy and performance--as all others.  

MOG: What advice would you give those looking to get involved in an arts or arts education career?

EW: Find ways to be engulfed by art and other artists; to consistently seek out teachers, mentors, and resources that will deepen your understanding and appreciation of art and education; to consistently allow personal time to create, stylize, and master your art; to know the importance of improvisation; and to, most importantly, ALWAYS believe in yourself as this will be what allows you to be whole and to succeed at all costs. 

MOG: What is your favorite opera?

My favorite opera is Les pêcheurs de perles, by Bizet. My favorite aria from this gorgeous opera is "Je crois entendre encore," especially as sung by the vocally-versatile Alfredo Kraus, tenor. 

Edwin R. Williams works as the Program Coordinator, supervising the logistics and planning for the Guild’s Urban Voices program in Massachusetts. He is also a classically trained tenor who has worked as a singer, actor and model. This article has been lightly edited for length and clarity.