rocky41_7 posting in

A Memory Called Empire left me in such a place that I of course had to rush after the sequel, A Desolation Called Peace by Arkady Martine. In the second book of this duology, we're tackling the bomb dropped at the end of the last book: that a hostile alien force has been picking at the borders of Teixcalaanli space.

This became a first contact story, which delighted me, because I love first contact stories. The book posits another interesting philosophical question to the readers. Darj Tarats wants Teixcalaan to go to war with these new aliens, because it would likely drag on for quite some time, sucking up Teixcalaan's resources and keeping them focused on something other than colonizing Lsel Station, and might even destroy them in the end. Mahit does not want Teixcalaan to go to war with these new aliens because it would be an unnecessary and vast loss of life on both sides, and because in spite of its nature as an empire, there's so much Mahit likes about Teixcalaan, even though peace allows Teixcalaan much more time and resources to potentially conquer Mahit's home.

Book 2 breaks into a mulit-POV style, which works very well I think for giving us a 3D view of the situation when first contact is made and what happens after. Emotions, naturally, are running very high on all sides, so getting to see many characters' thoughts is helpful to understanding this house of cards.

Martine does a great job I think of presenting us with aliens that are alien, but still people. The question is whether they and the Teixcalaanli can work that out before someone does something fearful.

She also does well with layering Mahit and Yskander here. There are a few conversations Mahit has that hit so much harder now that we have a full picture of Yskander and how long the ambassador to Teixcalaan has been kicked around the Lsel council like a football as they all pursue their own best course for keeping away from Teixcalaan. Knowing that that fragment of Yskander is there, seeing the fallout of his own death and how it came about makes these conversations especially powerful.

The story is laid out gradually and builds to a believable conclusion. The ending is slightly abrupt--there's not really any denouement--but it didn't shortchange the story.

One of the perspectives we see in this book is imperial heir Eight Antidote, now 11. And he's either quite precocious, or Six Direction was a genius, which is possible. This kid's a regular Johnny-on-the-spot, but he is also a narrative tool representing a very different future for Teixcalaan than Emperor Nineteen Adze represents. He is Six Direction unencumbered by years of war and politicking; he is Six Direction without the grim, dog-eat-dog-world attitude of an adult raised by Empire. But he's also young and vulnerable; he represents a Teixcalaan that could be--but also one that could so easily be smothered in its crib, a fate Nineteen Adze is desperate to avoid.

Mahit and Three Seagrass continue to struggle, even more than in the last book, with the nature of their relationship. Three Seagrass is pure Teixcalaanli, and can frequently be insulting without meaning to, but Mahit is also primed by years of Teixcalaan's cultural chauvinism to see insult even where none was intended. I felt like they landed, by the end of the book, somewhere believable--although I would absolutely read more about them if Martine was offering!

I didn't notice this book having the issue with repetition that I found in book 1, so that was a nice improvement as well.

I was worried at the end of the last book how the story would handle this shocking, massive plot drop, but I think Martine did it very gracefully. It feels like a natural continuation of book 1 while still expanding the focus of the story. I would love to see more of this universe, but I'm also satisfied with where we've left things. There are no easy answers to what to do about Teixcalaan, but that doesn't feel unrealistic either. Well done all around!

rocky41_7 posting in

books

wonkette_feed

Posted by Marcie Jones

https://www.wonkette.com/p/congratulations-aipac-you-played

What do you know, in the Democratic primary race to fill New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill’s former seat in the House for New Jersey’s 11th Congressional District, former member of Congress Tom Malinowski has conceded, making progressive Analilia Mejia the nominee! Then April 16 she’ll be up against Republican Joe Hathaway, the mayor of Randolph Township, in a special general election for the (very blue) district.

And in an Altoids-strong statement, Malinowski warmly congratulated Mejia and openly blamed his defeat on the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), which poured $2.3 million into the United Democracy Project (UDP) super PAC, which ran nonstop negative ads against him.

I spoke with Analilia Mejia this morning and congratulated her on her win in our primary. See my full statement below. I will be forever grateful to everyone who supported and believed in me in this race, and in the fight for our democracy that must go on!Analilia deserves unequivocal praise and credit for running a positive campaign and for inspiring so many voters on Election Day. But the outcome of this race cannot be understood without also taking into account the massive flood of dark money that AIPAC spent on dishonest ads during the last three weeks. … The threat unlimited dark money poses to our democracy is far more significant than the views of a single member of Congress on Middle East policy.

The anti-Tom UDP ads didn’t even mention Israel at all, interestingly. Instead they attacked Malinowski for not being progressive enough, emphasizing his vote on a 2019 bill that included increased funding for ICE.

But according to the Times of Israel what actually angered the deep-pocketed group was Malinowski hinting that he might support conditions on aid to Israel, by saying he would approve aid to any ally based on “case-by-case judgments given what’s happening on the ground.” Even though Malinowski calls himself pro-Israel (and is backed by the more liberal Zionist organization J Street), to the UDP his statement was impure enough to start blasting.

Plan failed successfully! Voters saw those ads and were like, you’re right, that Malinowski is NOT progressive enough! And instead of going for the candidate UDP was thought to prefer, Tahesha Way, they went for Mejia, so liberal she was the national political director for Bernie Sanders’s 2020 presidential campaign, who wants to abolish ICE, expand the Supreme Court, cancel all student loan debt, Medicare for all, and who has been much more openly critical of Israel:

[Mejia has] accused Israel of committing genocide in Gaza and pledged not to take any AIPAC-funded trips to the Jewish state. She also began calling for a ceasefire in Gaza within weeks of the bloody Hamas-led October 7, 2023, onslaught on Israel after tweeting on October 10: ‘Every fiber of my being is horrified beyond words at what is furthering in Gaza. Yet again we see how oppression & dehumanization leads to despair & unthinkable destruction.’

Maybe AIPAC should have pushed a “centrist” position, whatever that would be any more? Instead they went full sidewinder missile at the slightest perceived criticism, and AIPAC supporters admit ignoring Mejia’s existence was tsedudlt.

“They could not have gotten a worse result than what they got,” said Alan Steinberg, a journalist in New Jersey who was an EPA administrator under George Bush. “I’m a very pro-AIPAC person, very supportive of AIPAC, but this is one of the worst strategic errors that they could’ve ever made.”

But lose some, win some, in ‘24 UDP spent a record $45.2 million to successfully defeat two progressive legislators critical of Israel, Jamaal Bowman and Cori Bush. Though the $4.5 million it spent was not enough to beat Dave Min for Katie Porter’s House seat in California.

If you are not familiar with AIPAC, it is where the elite of far-right Christian Evangelical doomsday preppers and far-right Jewish Zionists meet, to kaffeeklatch over nuking Iran or whatever it could take so that Israel can defeat its neighbors and rebuild the Temple, so either Jesus will come floating back from outer space, thank Mike Huckabee et al. for defeating literal demon Democrats, and annihilate all of the Jews, OR, all the Jews will have the last laugh on Huckabee et al. when Jesus winds up ghosting everybody.

AIPAC is officially bipartisan, yet always donates to the candidates with the most war-hawk positions. And it’s got a $100 million war chest! Hopefully needless to say, though, supporting the Middle East marching into Doomsday is not the majority view of most Christians, Jewish people, or Israelis. Most Israelis do not even approve of Netanyahu, just like most Americans do not approve of Trump! Not wanting Israel to, like, starve every Palestinian baby, is hardly a fringe position anywhere, and most Americans hold an unfavorable opinion of the current Israeli government.

So, AIPAC, you played yourself. Better luck next apocalypse, good luck finding that next calf or infinity stone or whatever!

[Times of Israel / New York Times gift link]

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https://www.wonkette.com/p/congratulations-aipac-you-played

ineffablecabbage posting in

halfamoon

Title: When Giving Up is the Strong Thing

Fandom: Grey's Anatomy

Characters: Meredith. Pre-Meredith/Addison

Rating: Teen

Prompt: Day 10: Acting the Fool.

Summary: Meredith stands outside the daycare, and for a moment, she thinks about just taking Zola.

But that would be foolish.

On AO3

badly_knitted posting in

get_knitted

Hello to all members, passers-by, curious onlookers, and shy lurkers, and welcome to our regular daily check-in post. Just leave a comment below to let us know how your current projects are progressing, or even if they're not.

Checking in is NOT compulsory, check in as often or as seldom as you want, this community isn't about pressure it's about encouragement, motivation, and support. Crafting is meant to be fun, and what's more fun than sharing achievements and seeing the wonderful things everyone else is creating?

There may also occasionally be questions, but again you don't have to answer them, they're just a way of getting to know each other a bit better.

This Week's Question: What is your favourite thing to make?

If anyone has any questions of their own about the community, or suggestions for tags, questions to be asked on the check-in posts, or if anyone is interested in playing check-in host for a week here on the community, which would entail putting up the daily check-in posts and responding to comments, go to the Questions & Suggestions post and leave a comment.

I now declare this Check-In OPEN!

Current Mood: tired
Current Location: my desk

ao3_conclave_feed

Posted by Sacrilegoose

https://archiveofourown.org/works/79262246

by Sacrilegoose

Akin to a Vestal Virgin…

Aldo smiled grimly, his body itching to budge away from the cold. But there’s nowhere to turn to, he’s stuck into a supine position, helplessly glued to its source.

Words: 509, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English

Fandoms: Conclave (2024), Conclave - Robert Harris
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Major Character Death
Categories: M/M
Characters: Aldo Bellini (Conclave), Goffredo Tedesco (Conclave)
Relationships: Aldo Bellini/Goffredo Tedesco (Conclave)
Additional Tags: Death, Character Death, Non-Graphic Depiction of a Corpse, the bellesco live burial fic that no one asked for

https://archiveofourown.org/works/79262246

wonkette_feed

Posted by Doktor Zoom

https://www.wonkette.com/p/florida-hbcu-clarifies-still-ok-to

vintage postcard showing a red brick Colonial-style university building (much brighter red than in actual photos) with white columns. Several students can be seen outside, coming and going beneath low palm trees. Text on postcard, upper left: 'Lee Hall, Florida A & M College, Tallahassee, Fla.' Handwritten number '84714' is in upper right corner. Image appears to be a tinted version of a B&W photo. — Postcard (ca 1930-1945) of Lee Hall, oldest building on the Florida A&M campus. (It’s named after JRE Lee Sr, the university’s second president, not the other southern Lee guy.) Image: Boston Public Library via Picryl. Public Domain.

You will all be glad to know that the word “Black” is not actually prohibited for use by educational institutions in the state of Florida during Black History Month. But for a few days over the weekend, it sure seemed like it had been, thanks to a “misinterpretation” of Florida’s stupid 2023 ban on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion And Also Anything Else That Upsets Certain White People.

Golly, a cynical person might say it’s exactly the sort of chilling effect on speech the DEI ban was intended to have, even if it was ultimately corrected. When the state and federal governments decide that damn near any mention of race or inequality (like planting trees in cities) is “illegal DEI,” such overly broad interpretations are almost inevitable. If students at Florida A&M University’s College of Law hadn’t brought the situation to the media, it’s entirely possible the mistake would have gone uncorrected.

When FAMU’s Black Law Students Association was putting together its plans to mark the month, law student Aaliyah Steward says flyers were denied approval by some administrator because they used words that violated the DEI ban: not only “Black,” but also “affirmative action” and “women.” Steward told local TV station WKMG the words were prohibited in both print and broadcast media.

“We couldn’t use the word ‘black’ in Black History Month. We would have to abbreviate it,” she said. “I was very angry and baffled because this is a Historically Black College and University, and for them to say we can’t use the word ‘black’ was kind of insane.”

Worse, when reporters at the TV station asked the university for a statement, somebody in the press office issued a bland, boilerplate statement that didn’t address the specific claims Steward made, instead saying that the university “has consistently been in full compliance with” the state law and follow-up policy rules issued by the State Board of Governors in 2024.

Neither the law nor the regulations actually prohibited the word “Black,” but both laid out bans on spending any funds to promote DEI, including closing diversity offices and shifting employees and funds around to comply with the DEI ban.

The FAMU statement went on with more boilerplate blather about “fostering a campus community that encourages the free exchange of ideas while ensuring an environment of mutual respect, safety, and awareness,” and about free speech, but again, nothing about what Steward said happened.

Yeah, we can see how that statement got sent, too: If the media asks about anything related to DEI, here’s the reply that the lawyers have ready for us to use. Best to be careful, not rock the boat, and try not to have our budget attacked again by the state Lege.

Monday, the university finally caught up to the story, which was going viral because holy crap, now Florida’s banning universities from saying “Black” during Black Histoy Month, but it’s Floriduh, what do you expect?

FAMU administrators explained, belatedly, that an unidentified employee had told the law students to get rid of the terms in their flyer, and acknowledged (without quite saying so explicitly) that the employee was driven by fear of bringing down the million-pound shithammer of state authorities.

Cecil Howard, interim dean of the FAMU College of Law, said in a message to the law school that the recommendation resulted from a “staff-level error — an overly cautious interpretation that went beyond what the law requires.”

“These provisions address the expenditure of state and federal funds on programs that advocate for diversity, equity and inclusion as specifically defined,” Howard said in the statement. “They do not prohibit the use of any word — not ‘Black,’ not ‘women,’ not ‘affirmative action.’ The regulation explicitly protects the speech and expressive activity of student-led organizations.”

Howard also said that Florida A&M President Marva Johnson had double-checked with an expert on higher-education law, who said there’s no restriction on any of the words the employee flagged. Further, Howard said he’ll be meeting with the law school’s comms team to improve its review process, and that for the time being he’ll be taking over final review of materials for student events.

And in a rhetorical flourish that almost perfectly echoed Aaliyah Steward’s complaint to the local TV station, Howard noted that A&M is Florida’s only public HBCU, so don’t worry, that won’t change. “The word ‘Black’ is central to our mission. Compliance with state law will never require us to erase our identity — and this administration will not allow it,” he wrote. He also said he took full responsibility for the confusion over state law and university policy.

That’s all good and proper, but news outlets all over the country have already carried the initial story, and they may or may not run the correction. Weirdly, although WKMG ran a story Monday taking credit for its reporting having brought about the university’s clarification, the original story still hasn’t been updated (as of our posting time) to reflect the clarification; not even a link.

Ms. Steward told the Tampa Bay Times that she’s glad to know that the Black Law Students Association at her Historically Black University can still say “Black” during Black History Month. But she added that she thinks it’s “unfortunate” that the administration only fixed things after attention from the media put pressure on the school. She added that because the administration “virtually ignored” her repeated inquiries about the initial rejection of the flyers, her student group ended up moving its event to nearly the end of the month.

And that, children, is the real moral of the story: Restrictions on speech may include provisions that keep them just barely in line with the First Amendment, but that doesn’t mean they won’t result in clampdowns that go far beyond the letter of the law. Authoritarianism relies on people complying in advance, as that unfortunate staffer did.

And now, all over Florida, even if the official word circulates, there will be no end of confusion in public schools and elsewhere. People who heard about the FAMU story on social media or who completely missed the correction will shake their heads and remain certain that you no longer can say “Black” during Black History Month.

It’s not at all difficult to suspect — and yes, this is mere speculation — that somewhere down the line, some public school teacher is going to tell students they absolutely cannot say “Black” on a poster or in an assignment, because that’s the law, you know. Maybe it’ll make news, or maybe not. There will be more of this, and that’s really the point of such laws.

Thanks for reading Wonkette! Send this post so people know what great taste you have!

[WKMG / Tampa Bay Times (archive link) / WKMG / Tallahassee Democrat (archive link)]

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As If February Isn't Already Chilling

https://www.wonkette.com/p/florida-hbcu-clarifies-still-ok-to

purplecat

Rory, head and shoulders, in nursing gear

Rory, publicity still as a Roman Centurion with a swirling red cloak

Rory, head and shoulders, side view, looking up.

sanguinity

unsent_letters_exchange is running again this year, hurrah! Nominations open next week, Feb 18. Anyone up for playing with me?

~

I'll post more about this later when my listing is live, but I took the plunge and signed up to offer fic for the 2026 Fandom Trumps Hate charity auction. Because shit is rough out there right now.

My current fandoms are small enough that it was a little bit of a conundrum about what to offer, but I went with:
Broster novels, Hornblower, and Vorkosigan Saga.

Fingers crossed!

~

For a couple of years now, I've been reading The Flight of the Heron to

phoenixfalls over chat. We started at a sentence a day, mostly because she had gotten an idea in her head that there's a tragedy at the end and she wanted to ease into that slowly, idk. Sadly, one sentence a day was a miserable way to go through all the lyrical scenic exposition at the beginning; it was like wandering lost in a nightmare dreamscape with no way out. Also, it was really hard to build any kind of narrative continuity. I did what I could by posting multi-day recaps before each new sentence, but progress was still glacial.

Consequently, it wasn't too long before we decided on two to three sentences a day, with an option for four if I asked nicely first. (Always granted, for she is a gracious person.) That has gone much better.

It's been a lot of fun. It's a lovely excuse to say hello to Phoenix every day, and the novel bears up well to close reading. It's also encouraged me to look up all the things I gloss over at speed, which has had some interesting surprises. (When BCP suggests that letting Ewen accompany them to Lady Easterhall's will bring the party to four and make them a partie carrée, he is making a dirty joke! That they will be a perfect foursome, two men and two women! I imagine them all side-eyeing each other, trying to figure out who the women are supposed to be. “As your Highness pleases, of course,” said O’Sullivan stiffly.) There's also been a lot of time to spin pet theories and get attached to minor characters. (Saunders, Lady Easterhall's servant with the cough, is a favorite.) I've also been able to introduce her to relevant fic as we went, which has also been an opportunity for me to revisit them, too.

Since we've been very consistent, only taking a break when I was in Japan, we have been making good progress. As of this weekend, I can report a milestone: we have just now completed Part II! Hurrah us!

With the move to Part III, Phoenix is anticipating a tonal shift and thus has authorised a whole paragraph a day. (With two or even three paragraphs authorized in dialogue sections!) So we will be cruising along, and finish in... well, it will still be years. But not as many years!

On to Part III! Hurt/comfort, here we come!

littlefics posting in

seasonsofdrabbles

Authors are now revealed, with 335 fics in the collection as of this post! Many thanks to all who participated in this round, especially our wonderful pinch hitters. <3

Reveals doesn't mean you should stop reading and commenting, so we hope you continue to enjoy this round's drabbles.

smartbitches_feed

Posted by Amanda

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2026/02/demons-witches-and-more/

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/?p=166177

The Next Best Fling

The Next Best Fling by Gabriella Gamez is $2.99! This is book one in the Librarians in Love series and it came out over the summer. The main characters enter into a no-strings-attached relationship to get over their crushes on other people.

Two broken hearts decide that the best way to get over their first loves is with a no-strings-attached relationship in this spicy and charming debut romance.

Librarian Marcela Ortiz has been secretly in love with her best friend for years—and when he gets engaged, she knows it’s long past time to move on. But before she gets the chance, she has a bigger problem to contend with in the form of Theo Young, ex-NFL player and older brother of the man she’s in love with. When she discovers Theo’s plans to confess his feelings for his brother’s fiancée at their engagement party, Marcela is quick to stop him—despite how tempting it is to let him run away with the bride-to-be. She manages to convince Theo to sleep off his drunken almost-mistake at her place and when they arrive at a family brunch the next day together, everyone wrongly assumes they hooked up.

Since Theo needs a cover for his feelings for the bride and Marcela needs a distraction from her unrequited feelings for the groom, they decide to roll with the lie. Until one late night at a bar, they take it a step further and discover a layer of attraction neither realized existed. Soon, they find themselves exploring the simmering chemistry between them, whether in library aisles or Marcela’s bed. There are no boundaries for the rebound relationship they form—just a host of complicated feelings, messy familial dynamics, and uncovered secrets that threaten to tear them apart before they can even admit to themselves that their rebound is working. Maybe a little too well.

Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

You can find ordering info for this book here.

The Unfortunate Side Effects of Heartbreak and Magic

The Unfortunate Side Effects of Heartbreak and Magic by Breanne Randall is $1.99! This is paranormal women’s fiction. Check triggers for this, as this does seem to touch on heavier topics.

Sadie Revelare has always believed that the curse of four heartbreaks that accompanies her magic would be worth the price. But when her grandmother is diagnosed with cancer with only weeks to live, and her first heartbreak, Jake McNealy, returns to town after a decade, her carefully structured life begins to unravel.

With the news of their grandmother’s impending death, Sadie’s estranged twin brother Seth returns to town, bringing with him deeply buried family secrets that threaten to tear Sadie’s world apart. Their grandmother has been the backbone of the family for generations, and with her death, Sadie isn’t sure she’ll have the strength to keep the family, and her magic, together.

As feelings for Jake begin to rekindle, and her grandmother growing sicker by the day, Sadie faces the last of her heartbreaks, and she has to decide: is love more important than magic?

Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

You can find ordering info for this book here.

How Not to Hex a Gentleman

How Not to Hex a Gentleman by Valia Lind is $2.49 at Amazon! This has a grumpy, witchy heroine, and her helpless neighbor who keeps making a bad impression.

Kennedy Hellebore knows how to keep a secret. She’s been a witch-in-hiding her whole life. But when she moves to Edinburgh for a study-abroad program, the enchanting city seems to have plans of its own. Including magically bonding her to three unexpected new friends.

Bennett MacKay never meant to run (literally) into his beautiful neighbor and would do anything to make it up to her. Lucky for him, she needs help with Edinburgh lore, and that’s his specialty.

Kennedy’s soon had enough of her gorgeous—and frustrating—Scottish neighbor, because Bennett can’t seem to help making a fool of himself as he tries to win over the grumpy beauty. She’s got enough to do without him making her already messy life messier.

Romance isn’t the only magic brewing in the Edinburgh air and Kennedy needs to focus, but as they spend time researching the city’s history, she can’t help but be charmed as Bennett’s sunny personality slowly cracks through her walls.

She’s spent her whole life hiding her powers, and her heart. He’s found out what happens when those you love most, leave you. Can they trust each other enough to risk their hearts? Or is the magic of love not strong enough?

Practical Magic meets Charmed in this cozy fantasy romcom, full of sweetness, found family, laughter, love, and magical shenanigans. How Not to Hex a Gentleman is the first in a series of standalone romances set in Edinburgh, Scotland.

Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

You can find ordering info for this book here.

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2026/02/demons-witches-and-more/

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/?p=166177

reactor_feed

Posted by Emmet Asher-Perrin

https://reactormag.com/wonder-man-and-the-problem-of-disney-corporate-synergy/

https://reactormag.com/?p=838908

Featured Essays Wonder Man

Wonder Man Was Great, but Disney Corporate Synergy Still Messed It Up

The series was a gem… except for the oversaturated branding

By Emmet Asher-Perrin

Published on February 10, 2026

Credit: Marvel Studios/Disney+

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<p class="syndicationauthor">Posted by Emmet Asher-Perrin</p><p class="ljsyndicationlink"><a href="https://reactormag.com/wonder-man-and-the-problem-of-disney-corporate-synergy/">https://reactormag.com/wonder-man-and-the-problem-of-disney-corporate-synergy/</a></p><p class="ljsyndicationlink"><a href="https://reactormag.com/?p=838908">https://reactormag.com/?p=838908</a></p><post-hero class="wp-block-post-hero js-post-hero post-hero post-hero-horizontal"> <div class="container container-desktop"> <div class="flex flex-col mx-auto post-hero-container"> <div class="post-hero-content"> <div class="post-hero-tags font-aktiv text-xs tracking-[0.5px] font-medium uppercase"> <span class="mr-3"> <i class="inline-block w-2 h-2 rounded-full mr-[5px] bg-blue"></i> <a href="https://reactormag.com/articles/featured-essays/" class="inline-block link-no-animation" aria-label="Link to term or tag Featured Essays 0"> Featured Essays </a> </span> <span class="mr-3"> <i class="inline-block w-2 h-2 rounded-full mr-[5px] bg-blue"></i> <a href="https://reactormag.com/tag/wonder-man/" class="inline-block link-no-animation" aria-label="Link to term or tag Wonder Man 1"> Wonder Man </a> </span> </div> <h2 class="post-hero-title text-h1"><i>Wonder Man</i> Was Great, but Disney Corporate Synergy Still Messed It Up</h2> <div class="prose post-hero-description prose--post-hero">The series was a gem… except for the oversaturated branding</div> <div class="post-hero-wrapper"> <div class="post-hero-inner"> <p class="post-hero-author text-xs font-aktiv uppercase font-medium [&_a]:link-hover">By <a href="https://reactormag.com/author/emmet-asher-perrin/" title="Posts by Emmet Asher-Perrin" class="author url fn" rel="author">Emmet Asher-Perrin</a></p> <span class="post-hero-symbol relative top-[-2px] hidden tablet:block">|</span> <p class="text-xs uppercase post-hero-publish font-aktiv"> Published on February 10, 2026 </p> </div> </div> <div class="post-hero-caption post-hero-caption-vertical [&_a]:link"><p>Credit: Marvel Studios/Disney+</p> </div> <div class="quick-access post-hero-quick-access mt-[17px] tablet:hidden"> <div class="flex gap-[30px] tablet:gap-6"> <a href="https://reactormag.com/wonder-man-and-the-problem-of-disney-corporate-synergy/#comments" class="flex items-center text-sm font-aktiv tracking-[0.6px] font-semibold uppercase translate-x-[1px] translate-y-[1px]"> <svg class="w-[22px] h-[22px] mr-[7px] icon-hover" viewbox="0 0 18 18" aria-label="comment" role="img" aria-hidden="true" aria-labelledby="icon-comment-quick-access-"> <title id="icon-comment-quick-access-">Comment</title> <g fill="none" fill-rule="evenodd"> <path fill="#FFF" fill-rule="nonzero" d="M6.3 18a.9.9 0 0 1-.9-.9v-2.7H1.8A1.8 1.8 0 0 1 0 12.6V1.8A1.8 1.8 0 0 1 1.8 0h14.4A1.8 1.8 0 0 1 18 1.8v10.8a1.8 1.8 0 0 1-1.8 1.8h-5.49l-3.33 3.339a.917.917 0 0 1-.63.261H6.3Z" /> <path stroke="#000" d="M5.9 14.4v-.5H1.8a1.3 1.3 0 0 1-1.3-1.3V1.8A1.3 1.3 0 0 1 1.8.5h14.4a1.3 1.3 0 0 1 1.3 1.3v10.8a1.3 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9.41431V6.41431C2.21205 6.41431 3.64538 6.70197 4.97871 7.27731C6.31205 7.85264 7.47471 8.63597 8.46671 9.62731C9.45805 10.6186 10.2414 11.781 10.8167 13.1143C11.392 14.4476 11.6794 15.881 11.6787 17.4143H8.67871Z" fill="currentColor" fill-opacity="0.2" /> </g> <defs> <clippath id="clip0_1051_121783"> <rect width="17" height="17" fill="white" transform="translate(0.678711 0.414307)" /> </clippath> </defs> </svg> </a> </li> </ul> </div> </details> </div> </div> </div> <div class="post-hero-media "> <figure class="w-full h-auto post-hero-image"> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="740" height="423" src="https://reactormag.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/wonder-man-marquee-740x423.png" class="w-full object-cover" alt="Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as Simon Williams in Wonder Man" srcset="https://reactormag.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/wonder-man-marquee-740x423.png 740w, https://reactormag.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/wonder-man-marquee-1100x629.png 1100w, https://reactormag.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/wonder-man-marquee-768x439.png 768w, https://reactormag.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/wonder-man-marquee.png 1400w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 740px) 100vw, 740px" /> </figure> <div class="post-hero-caption post-hero-caption-horizontal [&_a]:link"><p>Credit: Marvel Studios/Disney+</p> </div> </div> </div> </div> </post-hero> <div class="wp-block-more-from-category"> <div> </div> </div> <p><em>Wonder Man</em> is easily one of my favorite pieces of the MCU’s last five years. (Marvel Studios should have let it be a weird little movie instead of an awkwardly paced miniseries, but I digress, and it’s too early for a digression.) It does the thing that the sprawling cinematic universe did well at its outset and keeps forgetting as its mythos builds: take a few subgenres and aesthetics, and meld them into a coherent narrative with a superpowered person(s) at the center. And the show skimped out on action sequences, to my never-ending delight—so many movies, even within the action movie millieu, could use fewer. (The third act climatic battle has become a punchline rather than a crescendo over the last decade.) We got more talking! More backstory! More thematic resonance!</p> <p>And yet… we’ve got to talk about the Josh Gad in the room.</p> <p>There’s a bubbling issue in our age of deregulated media conglomerates that brings to mind the brand synergy zeal and business word salad that blossomed in ‘80s corporate America. Everything that you “consume”—and that obviously includes media of any kind, according to these folks—is ultimately being optimized to remind you to consume more stuff. That’s what makes the capitalism engine go <em>vroom</em>.</p> <p>And there’s also rights issues to consider, right? Namechecking (or visually showing) an IRL brand in your fictional story typically costs money in one direction or another, and demands sponsorship contracts with clauses galore. You’ve likely heard some of these stories before: <em>E.T.</em> and the fateful <a href="https://www.etonline.com/steven-spielberg-on-ets-reeses-pieces-scene-and-how-it-changed-from-script-to-screen-flashback" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Reese’s Pieces product placement</a> when M&Ms wouldn’t play ball. <em>Wayne’s World</em> devoting <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KjB6r-HDDI0" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">an entire joke segment</a> to egregious sponsorship deals. <em>Wreck-It Ralph 2</em> basically being <a href="https://www.vulture.com/2018/11/ralph-breaks-the-internet-dangerous-rise-of-mashup-cinema.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">a two-hour ad</a> for being online. Superman getting thrown into an IHOP <a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/warner-bros-man-steel-nabs-562225/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">that one time</a>.</p> <p>Remember when <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=clFnF2MIUsw" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">James Bond movies</a> were in the business of making Sony Vaio happen? Anyone?</p> <p>But now that a few measly megacorps own… everything, these references are being reworked to keep you within a super-brand “stable,” as it were. Why make deals with outside companies when you can make a deal with yourself, and get yourself more money? It’s weird enough when television characters spend any length of time debating television, but now characters in Netflix programs inevitably make comments about “cuing up Netflix,” when the subject of cozy evenings arise. Or a buddy is being dramatic, and someone teases that their lives are going to become the subject of a Netflix special. Or a kid comes into the room to tell mom a big secret, but just wait, she’s gotta pause <em>Queer Eye</em> on the giant flatscreen before you can talk!</p> <p>It’s wildly inorganic and throws you out of an immersive state every time, because even if the dialogue or situation doesn’t feel forced (which is rare), you cannot help but be reminded of the fact that you are watching a thing on Netflix, and Netflix wants to remind you of this, so they can encourage you to keep watching a thing on Netflix. Nothing in this world makes me want to exit the app faster. The fact that each individual streamer only uses their own service makes the effect that much worse—in case you forgot you were watching Hulu, don’t worry about it… they’ll be sure to remind you at the thirty minute mark.</p> <p>But I’ve got a different beef with Marvel Studios because they’re owned by Disney, and Disney is determined to be the best at what they do. Part of the difficulty here is that the House of Mouse is now home to some of the biggest fandoms on the planet—they’ve got Marvel, yes, but also their entire stable of animated films (plus Pixar), and all of Star Wars to name a few. (Please don’t get me started on the fact that Disney has gobbled up the studios that produced work by animators and creators they wouldn’t give any creative control or capital to, thereby managing to <em>own</em> reams of work that they once outright refused to bankroll.) Disney knows something about fandom because that’s a business they’ve had to harness in order to survive.</p> <figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1100" height="625" src="https://reactormag.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/wonder-man-branding2-1100x625.jpg" alt="Josh Gad in a club, pouring a drink on man's head while he sings in Wonder Man" class="wp-image-838924" srcset="https://reactormag.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/wonder-man-branding2-1100x625.jpg 1100w, https://reactormag.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/wonder-man-branding2-740x420.jpg 740w, https://reactormag.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/wonder-man-branding2-768x436.jpg 768w, https://reactormag.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/wonder-man-branding2-1536x872.jpg 1536w, https://reactormag.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/wonder-man-branding2.jpg 1874w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1100px) 100vw, 1100px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Credit: Marvel Studios/Disney+</figcaption></figure> <p>So you can see how Josh Gad might have ended up in <em>Wonder Man</em>, and why Disney might have thought itself oh-so-clever for the premise: We’ve got a bottle episode giving backstory on the in-universe ban against superpowered people working in film and television. We need the central character of the episode to enjoy a brief stint working for a celebrity, who can have fun poking at their own career while they play a fabricated version of themselves. If we pick from our own roster, we can lightly roast ourselves (without needing to work out any kind of pesky permissions) while heartily reinforcing brand supremacy. It’s a nice gig for the actor in question, who doesn’t have to commit to an entire series-worth of shooting time in order to make some money.</p> <p>Gad’s an easy choice because he voiced one of Disney’s most recognizable sidekick characters for one of the most popular animated films of all time, a character who’s deliberately off-kilter and lends himself to endless send-ups; if you’ve watched <em>Frozen 2</em>, you already know that Disney has milked this cow before, with an entire extended credits sequence featuring Olaf recapping the plot of the first film to Marshmallow the snow giant. This time we’re treated to Gad in the club, where he’s allowed to perform with the DJ (because he’s famous, natch), and treats the crowd to an adult rendition of “In Summer,” telling the room “We’re melting! <em>Melting, bitches!</em>” as he pours his drink on a guy’s head. Comedy gold, of course. Wow, Disney sure does know how to razz itself by allowing an actor to cut loose and “riff” on his own ultra-famous performance with curse words…</p> <p>Here’s the part that the corporate sector never seems to understand about these setups: It’s not funny when <em>you</em> make the joke. Your implicit permission ruins the gag.</p> <p>This was a major piece of the marketing for <em>Deadpool & Wolverine</em>, by the way: There are countless interviews where star/co-writer Ryan Reynolds and director Shawn Levy tell folks that they were <a href="https://www.cinemablend.com/superheroes/marvel-cinematic-universe/deadpool-cocaine-jokes-switching-to-disney-what-really-happened-feige-shawn-levy" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">stunned at the jokes</a> that Disney and Marvel Studios allowed them to make at their so-called expense. It’s a strange party line to witness because when you take stock of the jokes that fit the description, there’s nothing remotely unsafe about them: Disney says we can’t do cocaine. Disney brought Hugh Jackman back as Wolverine after the studio-previously-known-as 20th Century Fox killed him off. Pegging isn’t new to Deadpool, but it is to Disney (and still is, because no pegging ever occurs, alas). “Alioth is in this thing? From [insert relevant brand connection for further consumption]?”</p> <p><em>Suck it, Fox—I’m going to Disneyland.</em></p> <p>All the while, we’re wholly aware of the fact that Disney is signing off on these jibes because it makes them look better as a company. Disney doesn’t mind if you take the piss; they’re not a regular mega-conglomerate, they’re a <em>cool</em> mega-conglomerate. They’ll make fun of themselves, see? You don’t even have to do it.</p> <p>But they do, in fact, mind when you do it: Disney’s lawyers are famously tetchy if you mess with their IP without express approval. They tried to <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2020/02/06/media/disney-bob-iger-emerson-school" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">fine an elementary school parent teacher association</a> a few years back for screening one of their movies without a $250 permit, as a mild reminder (before realizing that was a bad look and apologizing).</p> <p>And just in case you think that Disney was at least mature enough to steer clear of the dreaded streamer name-drop, I direct you to episode five of <em>Wonder Man</em>: a shot of the El Capitan Theater shows a billboard bearing the words <em>‘Ohana means family’</em> with the Disney Plus logo directly beneath it. But perhaps it was just there when the scene was shot, you might point out? Afraid not, as <em>Wonder Man</em> was filmed and edited over the course of 2023 and 2024—<em>Lilo & Stitch</em> didn’t premiere at El Capitan until May of 2025, well after the show had wrapped. The billboard is there for the obvious reason, which is to subliminally call you toward a different viewing once you’re done. Less awkward than a character suggesting that their favorite movie was just added to Disney Plus, but just as blatant and tacky.</p> <figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1100" height="601" src="https://reactormag.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/wonder-man-branding1-1100x601.jpg" alt="screenshot of El Capitan theater with billboard the says "Ohana means family" with Disney Plus logo below it in Wonder Man" class="wp-image-838925" srcset="https://reactormag.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/wonder-man-branding1-1100x601.jpg 1100w, https://reactormag.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/wonder-man-branding1-740x404.jpg 740w, https://reactormag.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/wonder-man-branding1-768x420.jpg 768w, https://reactormag.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/wonder-man-branding1-1536x840.jpg 1536w, https://reactormag.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/wonder-man-branding1.jpg 1954w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1100px) 100vw, 1100px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Credit: Marvel Studios/Disney+</figcaption></figure> <p>I could go on about how patently strange it is when the MCU tries to intersect bluntly with our own reality (I’m still reeling from <em>Luke Cage</em> suggesting that Barack Obama was president in the MCU, after what we’d seen of their world leaders up to that point). What does it mean for <em>Frozen</em> to be a hit in the MCU, and how did the public handle the film coming out the year after Captain America reemerged from his own thaw? Why is Disney just as obsessed with doing live-action remakes in their universe as our own? Are we allowed to talk about the fact that the high school auditorium quality of <em>Rogers: The Musical</em> indicates that Broadway is still decimated in the wake of multiple attacks and the Blip?</p> <p>But really, all it makes me want to do is think about <em>Who Framed Roger Rabbit?</em> and the endless behind-the-scenes negotiations that film had to go through because two major studios—Disney and Warner Bros.—were in an all-out brawl to demand equal screentime. The quality of the film can be put down to the fact that it was emphatically <em>not</em> an advertisement for other properties; it was meant to be a real world where animated characters were real actors. It was possibly the only time that being deeply referential didn’t feel like a garish cash grab, or a fight for our endless collective attention. The worldbuilding was authentic and the place felt lived-in, inch by two-dimensional inch.</p> <p>The brand synergizing notes that occurred in <em>Wonder Man</em> weren’t massive asides, but they were glaring ones that distracted from the tale they had to tell. It felt like nothing so much as a Disney executive entering my living room with a skateboard to <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fiOMbqPHFwo" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">“How do you do, fellow kids”</a> me until I re-upped my Disney Plus subscription. And I’m not saying that this did or should have distracted everyone else to the same extent—I’m saying that we should all be concerned about the ways in which our entertainment and precious attention are being continually and grossly modified and commodified to aid someone’s bottom line when all we ever agreed to… was being told a story.[end-mark]</p> <p>The post <a href="https://reactormag.com/wonder-man-and-the-problem-of-disney-corporate-synergy/"><i>Wonder Man</i> Was Great, but Disney Corporate Synergy Still Messed It Up</a> appeared first on <a href="https://reactormag.com">Reactor</a>.</p><p class="ljsyndicationlink"><a href="https://reactormag.com/wonder-man-and-the-problem-of-disney-corporate-synergy/">https://reactormag.com/wonder-man-and-the-problem-of-disney-corporate-synergy/</a></p><p class="ljsyndicationlink"><a href="https://reactormag.com/?p=838908">https://reactormag.com/?p=838908</a></p>

smbc_comics_feed

Posted by Zach Weinersmith

https://www.smbc-comics.com/comic/full-dive

Click here to go see the bonus panel!

Hovertext:
In the real life version, you just get extremely emotional ads for Fritos.

Today's News:

https://www.smbc-comics.com/comic/full-dive

lydamorehouse

loon piercing a fish labeled ICE (by Fayrn Hughes)

Image: A loon made of many eyes stabbing a fish labled ICE with the words: Gone ICE Fishing (by Fayrn Hughes)

No laser eyes, but, yes, loons STAB fish with their insanely sharp beaks. There is video. It is wild.

So, I know there is some concern about whether or not I should keep these posts public, but I would like to. I am very careful not to name names (especially after the whole Capclave misadventure), and, I guess, I would be surprised if ICE infiltrated Dreamwidth to track me (or any of the rest of you) down. Obviously, we would be vulnerable to a Google Alert, but I can't imagine what the Feds would search on. ICE in Minnesota is going to get a tremendous number of Google Alerts at the moment. I'm sorry if that cools anyone's enthusiasm to join the conversation. However, I do think it is worth keeping things open so that folks who might not otherwise see this news, will. And my Food Communists have actively been asking people to push out calls for monetary assistance on social media. So, like, going public is one of the ways we are fighting in this resistance.

Without further ado, here's what's been happening in my life.

Let's see. So, last Friday I was chatting with neighbors, as you do, when we were standing outside of our local mosque. A woman there asked if anyone would be willing to join a group that is trying to keep eyes on school pick-ups and drop-offs. I thought I might be able to help out, so I exchanged the proper Signal information, got on the right groups, and then attended an in-person meeting last Sunday. This group is not in my immediate neighborhood, so I travelled to a DIFFERENT Lutheran Church to sit with a bunch of folks and talk about what's going on. This was their usual neighborhood gathering and I was only there to get connected into the Rapid Response team. But, it was generally very fascinating.

Without going into technical details (and I really couldn't even if I wanted to because I am no one's idea of a tech head), I can say that there are neighborhoods in Saint Paul that are already planning for what happens if/when the government shuts down Signal or the Internet in order to stop our efforts to track them. Friends? We are living in the solar punk future and it gives me such hope, I can not even.

As it happens, however, the Rapid Response team did not meet until the very end when I needed to run off, but I happened to sit in a pew next to one of the "guys in the chair," (a volunteer dispatcher), who showed me all the how-tos before I had to run.

Monday was my first patrol and... it was a bit of a technical nightmare at first, but I got connected to the live call eventually... and, I am happy to report, all my students got off their buses safely. There was a tense moment when Saint Paul police happened to be doing parking enforcement at the same time. They aren't SUPPOSED to be aiding ICE, but I did let dispatch know of their presence and that everything seemed legit (and, in fact, was.) That was, as others have probably talked about when they go "commuting," both an extremely tense half hour of my life, and also an extremely boring half hour of my life.

My patrol does cut into the amount time I'm able to spend vounteering with the Food Communists, but Mason has been going with me and picking up my slack. I'm also not planning to do the patrol every day of school. I could? And they absolutely do need people at my particular corner, but, I don't think it would be good for my ability to endure.

I am trying to strike a balance to make sure I stay committed to the things that I started with, like the Food Communists. There are a lot of us in this fight? But there are still plenty of roles to be filled! When I filled out my volunteer shifts for the bus patrol, there were more blank spaces than filled.

I worry that people are getting exhausted. I worry that Americans have already moved on to the next thing.

I do believe many of us will keep up this fight no matter what. We were here before Renee Good was murdered and we'll be here long after the last of the news cameras moves on to the next horror.

reactor_feed

Posted by Stefan Raets

https://reactormag.com/reading-the-wheel-of-time-gawyn-and-bryne-reunite-and-sheriam-receives-orders-in-the-gathering-storm-part-16/

https://reactormag.com/?p=839098

Books The Wheel of Time

Reading The Wheel of Time: Gawyn and Bryne Reunite, and Sheriam Receives Orders in The Gathering Storm (Part 16)

There’s some fascinating info about Sheriam in this week’s section… and some major attitude from Gawyn.

By Sylas K Barrett

Published on February 10, 2026

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<p class="syndicationauthor">Posted by Stefan Raets</p><p class="ljsyndicationlink"><a href="https://reactormag.com/reading-the-wheel-of-time-gawyn-and-bryne-reunite-and-sheriam-receives-orders-in-the-gathering-storm-part-16/">https://reactormag.com/reading-the-wheel-of-time-gawyn-and-bryne-reunite-and-sheriam-receives-orders-in-the-gathering-storm-part-16/</a></p><p class="ljsyndicationlink"><a href="https://reactormag.com/?p=839098">https://reactormag.com/?p=839098</a></p><post-hero class="wp-block-post-hero js-post-hero post-hero post-hero-horizontal"> <div class="container container-desktop"> <div class="flex flex-col mx-auto post-hero-container"> <div class="post-hero-content"> <div class="post-hero-tags font-aktiv text-xs tracking-[0.5px] font-medium uppercase"> <span class="mr-3"> <i class="inline-block w-2 h-2 rounded-full mr-[5px] bg-blue"></i> <a href="https://reactormag.com/articles/books/" class="inline-block link-no-animation" aria-label="Link to term or tag Books 0"> Books </a> </span> <span class="mr-3"> <i class="inline-block w-2 h-2 rounded-full mr-[5px] bg-blue"></i> <a href="https://reactormag.com/tag/the-wheel-of-time/" class="inline-block link-no-animation" aria-label="Link to term or tag The Wheel of Time 1"> The Wheel of Time </a> </span> </div> <h2 class="post-hero-title text-h1">Reading The Wheel of Time: Gawyn and Bryne Reunite, and Sheriam Receives Orders in <i>The Gathering Storm</i> (Part 16)</h2> <div class="prose post-hero-description prose--post-hero">There’s some fascinating info about Sheriam in this week’s section… and some major attitude from Gawyn.</div> <div class="post-hero-wrapper"> <div class="post-hero-inner"> <p class="post-hero-author text-xs font-aktiv uppercase font-medium [&_a]:link-hover">By <a href="https://reactormag.com/author/kjbarrett/" title="Posts by Sylas K Barrett" class="author url fn" rel="author">Sylas K Barrett</a></p> <span class="post-hero-symbol relative top-[-2px] hidden tablet:block">|</span> <p class="text-xs uppercase post-hero-publish font-aktiv"> Published on February 10, 2026 </p> </div> </div> <div class="quick-access post-hero-quick-access mt-[17px] tablet:hidden"> <div class="flex gap-[30px] tablet:gap-6"> <a href="https://reactormag.com/reading-the-wheel-of-time-gawyn-and-bryne-reunite-and-sheriam-receives-orders-in-the-gathering-storm-part-16/#comments" class="flex items-center text-sm font-aktiv tracking-[0.6px] font-semibold uppercase translate-x-[1px] translate-y-[1px]"> <svg class="w-[22px] h-[22px] mr-[7px] icon-hover" viewbox="0 0 18 18" aria-label="comment" role="img" aria-hidden="true" aria-labelledby="icon-comment-quick-access-"> <title id="icon-comment-quick-access-">Comment</title> <g fill="none" fill-rule="evenodd"> <path fill="#FFF" fill-rule="nonzero" d="M6.3 18a.9.9 0 0 1-.9-.9v-2.7H1.8A1.8 1.8 0 0 1 0 12.6V1.8A1.8 1.8 0 0 1 1.8 0h14.4A1.8 1.8 0 0 1 18 1.8v10.8a1.8 1.8 0 0 1-1.8 1.8h-5.49l-3.33 3.339a.917.917 0 0 1-.63.261H6.3Z" /> <path stroke="#000" 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decoding="async" width="740" height="407" src="https://reactormag.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/ReadingWOT_TGSbook12-740x407.png" class="w-full object-cover" alt="Reading The Wheel of Time on Tor.com: The Gathering Storm" srcset="https://reactormag.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/ReadingWOT_TGSbook12-740x407.png 740w, https://reactormag.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/ReadingWOT_TGSbook12-768x422.png 768w, https://reactormag.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/ReadingWOT_TGSbook12.png 951w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 740px) 100vw, 740px" /> </figure> </div> </div> </div> </post-hero> <div class="wp-block-more-from-category"> <div> </div> </div> <p>Gawyn arrives at the rebel Aes Sedai camp. He’s exhausted from his travels and having little sleep. Despite his regret that he can never go back to the Younglings, Gawyn knows that leaving was the right thing to do. Finally he is doing something he believes in.</p> <p>As Gawyn rides through the outer area of the camp, full of camp followers, he nearly runs down a woman in a yellow kerchief. As she scrambles out of the way he catches sight of her face, which has the unmistakable Aes Sedai ageless look. He calls after her, but she hurries away without looking at him again.</p> <p>He continues on to the gateway of the encampment and gives his name and identity, asking for Bryne. The guards don’t believe he is who he claims, talking down to him and insisting that he present himself as a new recruit in the usual way. Gawyn decides that fighting will get him an audience faster than talking his way up through all the various ranks of bureaucracy. He knocks out one of the guards and injures three others; when archers show up, he throws down his sword and tells them to inform Bryne of what a lone blademaster has just done, and that Gawyn is an old student of his.</p> <p>Eventually a group of men, led by Bryne, arrives, and Gawyn is pleased that his gamble has paid off. Bryne informs the sergeant in charge that next time he should send for Bryne, and then takes Gawyn away. Gawyn tries to speak to him but Bryne only snaps at him.</p> <figure class="wp-block-pullquote has-text-align-left"><blockquote><p>Gawyn drew himself up. “General,” he said, “I think you mistake yourself. I’m no longer your student.”<br><br>“I know,” Bryne said curtly. “The boy I trained would never have pulled a childish stunt like that one to get my attention.”</p></blockquote></figure> <p>Gawyn admits that he behaved hastily, but that it seemed the best way to get Bryne’s attention as quickly as possible, because his errand is so urgent. They argue, but slowly Gawyn realizes that he has behaved foolishly, and apologizes, admitting that he is exhausted and on edge. Bryne remarks that Gawyn isn’t the only one, but the apology assuages his anger.</p> <p>When Gawyn tells Bryne about Egwene’s capture, the general is unmoved, explaining that he already knew about her imprisonment in the White Tower, and how, even if they <em>could</em> devise a way to rescue her, she has forbidden them from doing so. Even when Gawyn insists that the White Tower Aes Sedai will eventually kill Egwene, Bryne still holds fast, bound by oath to obey Egwene’s orders. He does, however, promise to get Gawyn an audience with some of the Aes Sedai Bryne serves.</p> <p>When Gawyn mentions the sister he saw in the outer camp, Bryne asks to be shown. As they walk, Bryne tells Gawyn that Elayne has won the Lion Throne, and that Gawyn should have been there with her and should be there with her now. Gawyn admits that he wasn’t aware that Elayne had returned to Caemlyn, and that he thought she might be with the Aes Sedai, as Egwene was. Bryne realizes that Gawyn has been serving the White Tower Aes Sedai, and this is why the raids on Bryne’s soldiers have been so successful. Bryne is angry, but Gawyn insists that he no longer serves the White Tower.</p> <figure class="wp-block-pullquote has-text-align-left"><blockquote><p>But you <em>still</em> haven’t explained why you didn’t return to Caemlyn.”<br><br>“Egwene was with the Aes Sedai,” Gawyn said. “As far as I knew, Elayne was as well. This seemed a good place to be, although I wasn’t certain I liked Elaida’s authority.”</p></blockquote></figure> <p>When Bryne asks what Egwene is to Gawyn, Gawyn only replies that he doesn’t know. Bryne seems to understand this answer.</p> <p>Gawyn asks why <em>Bryne</em> isn’t in Andor, but the general replies that it is no longer his place—not since Morgase banished him and threatened him with execution. Gawyn is convinced that Morgase’s actions must have had some explanation, been part of some scheme or plan, but Bryne assures him that Morgase’s love of Gaebril led her to almost ruin Andor.</p> <p>Bryne isn’t sure he believes the rumors that Rand al’Thor killed Morgase, but he also believes that Rand’s interference saved Andor, and while Bryne is glad that Elayne has won the throne, and it hurts to speak of Morgase this way, he also encourages Gawyn to let go of his hatred of al’Thor, since Morgase was the real problem.</p> <figure class="wp-block-pullquote has-text-align-left"><blockquote><p>Gawyn kept his teeth clenched. <em>Never,</em> he thought. <em>I will never forgive al’Thor. Not for this.</em><br><br>“I can see the intent behind that look,” Bryne said. “All the more reason to get you back to Andor. You’ll see. If you don’t trust me, ask your sister. See what she says of it.”</p></blockquote></figure> <p>It takes some searching, but Gawyn eventually locates the woman with the Aes Sedai face, who is working at a wash tub and trying to keep her head down so as not to be seen. The woman in charge apologizes to her, calling her “My Lady” and pointing out that she knew this would never work. Bryne asks if the woman is an Aes Sedai, assuring her that he will leave if she is and commands it, but despite the ageless look on her face, the woman, who gives her name as Shemerin, answers that she was once Aes Sedai, but is no longer.</p> <p>Bryne tells her that he must take her to the Aes Sedai in camp. Although she appears grief-stricken, Shemerin obeys without argument.</p> <p>Sheriam peeks into her tent, examining it before entering. Things are going well for her now that Halima is gone, and she has learned to enjoy moments of peace in between the pain that comes with serving the Dark.</p> <figure class="wp-block-pullquote has-text-align-left"><blockquote><p>At times, she wished she’d kept her mouth closed, not asked questions. But she had, and here she was. Her allegiances had brought her power, as promised. But nobody had warned her of the pain.</p></blockquote></figure> <p>Sometimes, Sheriam wishes she had chosen Brown instead, and hidden herself away in some library. She doesn’t feel regret for the things she’s done, and believes that all Aes Sedai do whatever they can to get ahead, but she didn’t count on being alive during the Last Battle. Other Black Ajah members see honor and glory in it, but not Sheriam.</p> <p>She becomes aware of a woman with great strength in the One Power outside her tent. For a moment she thinks Halima has returned, but she was never able to sense Halima, who apparently channels <em>saidin</em>. A black figure enters her tent and Sheriam prostrates herself, knowing that she must be facing one of the Forsaken.</p> <p>The figure tells Sheriam that Egwene must be deposed. Even though it was by the orders of the Chosen that Sheriam worked to get Egwene raised in the first place, Egwene has proved to be a problem, rather than a puppet. Sheriam is also ordered to steal all nineteen of the dream <em>ter’angreal—</em>or sleepweavers—and deliver them to the figure. She is given only three days to do so, and told she will lose a finger or a toe for every one she fails to retrieve.</p> <p>In her dungeon under the White Tower, Egwene is visited by Seaine, who tells her that Elaida will be tried for breaking Tower Law by using the One Power to punish Egwene. Elaida is claiming that Egwene is a Darkfriend, and that Elaida expelled her from the Tower before beating her, but Seaine assures her that the charge won’t stand—Elaida can’t prove it, and trying would mean a trial, which would allow Egwene to speak to the Hall.</p> <p>Elaida being found guilty in her own trial would not be enough to remove her as Amyrlin, but would be a blow to her credibility. </p> <p>When asked, Seaine confirms that the signs of the Dark One’s influence seem to be getting worse: servants dying, food spoiling suddenly, and more parts of the White Tower being rearranged. Egwene encourages Seaine to keep bringing these effects up, and to keep working to reunite the Ajahs. Then the time for visiting is up, and Egwene is once again locked away in darkness. Left alone in the pitch black, Egwene worries over being tried as a false Amyrlin, and encourages herself to be strong. The only thing she can give the White Tower right now is the knowledge that she continues to resist.</p> <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-dots" /> <p>Does anyone else get Romeo vibes from Gawyn? He is so obsessed with Egwene, but he barely even knows her. Everyone around him is telling him to calm down about it, but he’s just barreling around and acting like a fool and impulsively starting fights over this girl he doesn’t really know and who doesn’t really need anything he’s offering. She is not the Accepted he believes her to be, a pawn in the hands of the rebel Aes Sedai, but a strong Amyrlin, fighting a brave battle all on her own. She doesn’t want or need rescuing—although one could argue she might benefit, in the future, from having a Warder to have her back and serve her.</p> <p>I could certainly see Gawyn becoming Egwene’s Warder, through his devotion to her and his feelings of obligation towards the White Tower due to his own involvement in the conflict. I could also see him turning from her, either when she becomes Amyrlin or because of her connection to Rand, or simply feeling that his duty towards Elayne outweighs his desire to be with Egwene. There is also Min’s viewing, who saw Gawyn either kneeling before Egwene or breaking her neck, to be considered. Perhaps this portends a choice Gawyn must make, either to serve Egwene or turn away from her. If he does turn away, the choice will eventually lead to her death.</p> <p>Gawyn’s earlier indecisiveness around his service to Elaida when she was so clearly trying to dispose of him and the Younglings, also felt very Shakespearean to me. He was a man struggling with whether or not to make a choice, fearing the consequences, all the while experiencing the consequences of not choosing. Which isn’t to say that I don’t have empathy for his struggles—it’s particularly important to remember how little information Gawyn has about what is really going on, when trying to make decisions about how to act— but it’s just also kind of funny to watch.</p> <p>Gawyn’s just not the brightest character in this story, and since a lot of the protagonists are very intelligent, it makes him stand out a little.</p> <p>I haven’t talked much about the King Arthur parallels with Morgase’s family, partly because it isn’t the worldbuilding aspect that interests me the most, and partly because I assume it has already been discussed at length by fans who have been readers much longer than I. But it does feel relevant to note that Gawyn is a parallel to Gawain of Arthurian legend, and that in many sources, Gawain’s intense loyalty to his family and tendency to be unforgiving brings him into conflict with Lancelot, which contributes to the eventual downfall of Arthur, as well as Gawain’s own death. It’s also worth noting that his half-brother Galad is named for Galahad, Lancelot’s son and the “most perfect” knight of all the stories.</p> <p>What interests me about this is that Galad has always seemed like much more of an antagonist so far in the series. His rigidly lawful nature made him less welcoming to Rand the day he fell into the gardens, while Gawyn sided with Elayne in protecting him from possible repercussions. Elayne feels less close to Galad, less able to trust him, because of his tendency to “do what is right, no matter who it hurts.” And of course, Galad is a Whitecloak now, which puts him on the side of the Light in words, but not necessarily in deed. Gawyn, on the other hand, initially felt more like an ally, but now presents the possibility to be a real problem. With his single-minded hotheadedness, I wouldn’t put it past him to attempt some kind of rescue even against Egwene (and Bryne’s) wishes. I also wouldn’t put it past him to do something rash in the other direction. And of course, even knowing that Egwene supports Rand and having heard Bryne’s accounts of his mother’s actions, Gawyn still wants to kill Rand al’Thor.</p> <p>Which makes Rand the Lancelot in this iteration, I suppose. He’s even related to Galad, a half-brother instead of a father.</p> <p>Of course, if Gawyn can learn that Gaebril was really Rahvin, and that his mother’s actions were the result of Compulsion, that would finally be enough to stop his hatred of Rand. But I doubt he would believe such an explanation if it came from anyone but Morgase—and Morgase herself doesn’t know the full story. So in order for Gawyn’s attitude towards Rand to be truly changed, Morgase’s identity must be revealed, and then she and Rand need a chance to talk, and then Gawyn needs to hear the whole story. </p> <p>Somehow, it seems unlikely we’ll get this exact chain of events. It feels much more likely that Gawyn’s desire for revenge will push him into doing something dangerous or impulsive.</p> <p>In any case, the fact that no one knows the truth about Morgase is one of the most striking examples about how the lack of information affects how events in this world unfold. It’s particularly tragic that Morgase, a good, intelligent, and loving Queen, should be so disgraced through no fault of her own, suffer so much pain and indignity and danger at the hands of one of the Forsaken, and not even understand what was happening to her enough to know that it wasn’t her fault. It is also tragic because it led to war in Andor, something that never would have happened if Morgase had died as beloved and trusted as she was for most of her reign. Also, I find it fascinating that Bryne and Gawyn are both right, and both wrong, in the way they are thinking about Morgase.</p> <p>Bryne was there to see how Morgase changed, to see how she treated her allies and to be treated badly himself, in a way that left both personal and professional scars. He understands the state the crown and the ruling of Andor was in at the end, and sees Rand as a savior who put an end to that problem.He’s right, factually, that this is what happened, but he has no way of knowing that Morgase was suffering under Compulsion, changed by the One Power in a way that no one could have resisted, altered into a foreign, corrupted, and weaker version of herself.</p> <p>Gawyn, on the other hand, is refusing to accept the information he is being given, even though it comes from a man he trusted and respects, a man who was with Morgase while all this was happening. He refuses to believe what Bryne is telling him, either about Morgase or about Rand. However, his belief that there must have been something else behind Morgase’s actions is correct, even if it is based on his emotions, rather than the facts in front of him.</p> <p>And you can’t really argue with that, can you? Gawyn knew his mother better than most people, maybe even better than Gareth Bryne. It isn’t really unreasonable for him to believe that there must be an explanation for his mother’s change in behavior—and indeed, we the readers know that there is one.</p> <p>Come to think of it, it is perhaps unfair to call Bryne’s perspective unbiased and logical. He even admits to Gawyn that Morgase’s actions hurt him, and Gawyn is aware that the hurt must be very deep if Bryne was willing to admit to it at all. It might very well be easier for Bryne to wallow in that pain a little, rather than to wonder if there might be some explanation, especially if any conceivable explanation would have to be far outside his understanding.</p> <p>I enjoyed the little moment Bryne had of understanding that Gawyn is in love with Egwene based solely on his answer of not knowing what she is, exactly, to him. It’s clearly the answer he would give about Siuan, and the fact that he seems to be drinking tea “for his health” was also a nice little nod to Siuan’s presence in his life.</p> <p>Speaking of getting information, I am so pleased that we finally know why Sheriam chose the Black! I always felt like she didn’t make much sense as a Black sister, and the exact nature of her ambitions were never very clear. But this chapter gives us some really good character work for her and I’m here for it.</p> <p>I am not here for the characters of Sheriam and Shemerin being in the same chapter, though. Apologies to my editor for the inevitable mixing up of those two names.</p> <p>Sheriam is a kind of Darkfriend that must be quite plentiful, but that we haven’t encountered yet, at least in a POV character. We learn in this chapter that Sheriam swore to the Dark solely to gain power in the ranks of the Aes Sedai, and that she deeply regrets that decision because she didn’t count on being alive during the Last Battle. I’m sure there are quite a few Darkfriends out there who feel similarly—people who wanted power or wealth or status and didn’t think about what bargain they were really making past what it would do for them in their current, short lives.</p> <p>I guess I can understand how most people might not consider “what if I end up living in the end times” before signing away their soul to the devil, but I am again reminded that not only are plenty of Darkfriends only concerned with getting to the top in their real lives, and not with becoming high-ranking among their dark brethren, but also that a surprising number of people, even intelligent people like Bors or Sheriam, don’t seem to consider the fact that one day they will die and their soul will belong to the Dark forever. </p> <p>Is it that future suffering after death just seems too abstract, in comparison to the power and wealth and status that are already at their fingertips in life? Or do they just not comprehend what the Dark One really is? Do they, like the Chosen, believe that their souls will still have value to the Dark One after he has achieved his own ends?</p> <p>It’s just baffling to me, and I would love to see this concept interrogated within the narrative.</p> <p>But the fact that Sheriam’s goal wasn’t eternal glory under the Dark, but instead the material power she could gain within the White Tower itself, makes so much sense for her character. And frankly, her assessment of the other Aes Sedai isn’t exactly wrong. It’s just exaggerated.</p> <figure class="wp-block-pullquote has-text-align-left"><blockquote><p>Every sister in the White Tower tried to get ahead; that’s what life was about! There wasn’t an Aes Sedai who wouldn’t stab her sisters in the back if she thought it would give her advantage. Sheriam’s friends were just a little more… practiced at it.</p></blockquote></figure> <p>In some ways, Sheriam’s character feels a little bit more like Elaida’s. She’s intelligent, but her amoral ambition has landed her in a situation she really ought to have known better than to get herself into. And now she’s sinking. Her only goal at this point seems to be self-preservation, which indeed was her goal in swearing to the Dark to begin with.</p> <p>It will be interesting to see if she manages to steal all of the sleepweaver ter’angreal, and how she explains losing digits if she is unable to get all of them. I assume the Forsaken who visited her was Mesaana, since she returned to the White Tower.</p> <p>The revelation that the Black Ajah was partly responsible for getting Egwene raised to Amyrlin wasn’t exactly shocking, but it was a surprise to me. We know a lot of Egwene’s election was due to Siuan’s manipulation, but now we also know that Sheriam was ordered to see it happen. I wonder if this was an independent directive, or if Sheriam was reporting Siuan’s campaign to the Chosen and the Chosen agreed that it would be a good choice to install a puppet Amyrlin so that the Dark could control her, through Sheriam, just as the Hall intended to control her, and as Siuan intended to control her.</p> <p>The Wheel weaves as the Wheel wills, but perhaps we should also say that the Wheel weaves in mysterious ways. Events that appear entirely unrelated seem to conspire to make exactly what the Light needs to happen, even when none of the conspirators know what events they are really setting into motion. </p> <p>It almost makes you wonder if Rand’s ta’veren power is at work, but I sort of feel like that is giving the Pattern itself not enough credit. Ta’veren specifically exist to be elements of change and specific effect within the Pattern, but the Pattern itself still has a design. Every life is a part of it, and drawn to specific action and a specific place within the greater design. It is why I continually wonder about fate, and how much free will exists in this world. Is Egwene Amyrlin because she was meant to be, placed there by the Wheel itself as it weaves the Pattern? Or is it by a series of chance and circumstance that this very crucial event happened at all? Some events seem to be set in stone (or set in the Pattern) if you will; Min’s visions prove this. If she sees a vision and knows what it means, those events will come to pass. There is no chance of changing them, either deliberately or by accident. However, we also see that some events appear uncertain, by the rules of Min’s vision. As discussed above, she saw two conflicting images above Gawyn’s head, one in which he knelt to Egwene, one in which he broke her neck. This seems to imply that there is a choice to be made, and that the moment is not fixed, as it appears to be in other cases.</p> <p>This is only speculation, of course. No one really understands how Min’s visions work, least of all Min herself. She has observed certain rules about them, but that doesn’t really explain the power as a whole. Perhaps the vision over Gawyn wasn’t an either/or. Perhaps both moments she viewed will come to pass—first one, then the other. Or perhaps both images foretell the same moment, with Gawyn’s choice to kneel eventually resulting in Egwene’s death for some reason. Much of what Min sees is symbolic, of course, so the snapping of the neck itself might not be literal.</p> <p>Once again we have Egwene and Rand thematically switching places, as now she is the prisoner locked away in the dark. I have to say, I am really enjoying her characterization during her time as Elaida’s prisoner, because her thoughts, actions, and motivations are some of the most interesting in the last two books. I wish Elaida would bring her to trial as a Darkfriend; I’d love to see how Egwene handled that.</p> <p>I’m also very aware of the looming threat of the Seanchan invasion. We know it will come to pass—Egwene’s Dreams are as unerring as Min’s visions—but not when. It could be soon, though. Tuon decided to delay plans for that attack while she deals with Rand, but depending on how that meeting goes, she might give the order pretty soon afterwards. Her generals think it is the right time, and she seems to agree.</p> <p>I also wasn’t expecting to see Shemerin show up at the Aes Sedai camp, though I probably should have expected that she wasn’t done being part of the narrative yet. I’m curious about whether or not the Three Oaths were removed from her after she was demoted; I feel like we did learn at some point that the ageless look takes time to fade, though now I can’t quite remember where or when I read that. Perhaps I just assumed it would, since we know it takes a little while for the ageless look to settle on a woman after she has sworn the Three Oaths.</p> <p>In any case, I feel like they must have lifted the Oaths from Shemerin when she was demoted, since the Three Oaths are such an important part of the Aes Sedai identity that I can’t imagine them leaving the Oaths on someone who isn’t considered a full sister.</p> <p>Although it’s also true that there is no precedent for what happened to Shemerin, and it’s possible that no one thought of it. Or that most of the sisters expected Shemerin not to accept the demotion (as Sylviana tells Egwene) and removing the oaths would have confirmed her demotion. So it’s possible Elaida removed them herself, but I guess it’s also possible they are still on Shemerin.</p> <p>Shemerin does not see herself as Aes Sedai anymore. But if she is still bound by the Three Oaths and forever bound to have the Ageless look of an Aes Sedai, it somehow makes the whole situation feel even more messed up. I’m curious to know what will happen if she stays with the rebel Aes Sedai long enough for Egwene to reunite the Tower and be raised as the sole and true Amyrlin. Will Shemerin view herself as Aes Sedai again? Or will she be unable to regain the confidence that Elaida has taken from her?</p> <p>I checked my notes and was reminded that Shemerin was present for the meeting in which Elaida made everyone look at the painting of Rand and talk about the Dragon Reborn. Shemerin was overcome with fear to the point of falling to her knees, and had to be helped up again. It makes me wonder if she, like Sheriam, really wishes that she hadn’t been born during this time, and would rather hide away amongst washerwomen, or perhaps in the ranks of the Accepted, just as a part of Sheriam wishes she had chosen the Brown, so that she could hide herself away in a library somewhere.</p> <p>I can’t say that I don’t have sympathy for that. Who wouldn’t consider running away when faced with the kinds of trials the world is undergoing? But of course, there can’t be any running away. Not really. The unraveling of the Pattern could happen to anyone. Death by Shadowspawn or Darkfriend could come to anyone who found themselves accidentally in the wrong place or the wrong time. As Tolkien once wrote, “All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.”</p> <p>No one living in this age got a choice about when they would be born or what strengths they would have. In that one way, Shemerin is no different than Egwene. And Sheriam is no different than Rand. </p> <p>It’s a fascinating thought, isn’t it?</p> <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-dots" /> <p>Next week we will cover chapter 26, in which Aviendha and Min have a conversation and Aviendha confronts the Wise Ones. Also, Romanda schemes, and the rebel Aes Sedai learn about Shemerin’s demotion.[end-mark]</p> <p>The post <a href="https://reactormag.com/reading-the-wheel-of-time-gawyn-and-bryne-reunite-and-sheriam-receives-orders-in-the-gathering-storm-part-16/">Reading The Wheel of Time: Gawyn and Bryne Reunite, and Sheriam Receives Orders in <i>The Gathering Storm</i> (Part 16)</a> appeared first on <a href="https://reactormag.com">Reactor</a>.</p><p class="ljsyndicationlink"><a href="https://reactormag.com/reading-the-wheel-of-time-gawyn-and-bryne-reunite-and-sheriam-receives-orders-in-the-gathering-storm-part-16/">https://reactormag.com/reading-the-wheel-of-time-gawyn-and-bryne-reunite-and-sheriam-receives-orders-in-the-gathering-storm-part-16/</a></p><p class="ljsyndicationlink"><a href="https://reactormag.com/?p=839098">https://reactormag.com/?p=839098</a></p>

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Posted by Marcie Jones

https://www.wonkette.com/p/drip-drip-drop-little-epstein-files

President Donald John Trump sure would like everyone to forget about those boring Epstein Files, in which he’s referenced 38,000 times, so far, that we know of!

But that’s not happening. Latest: A select group of lawmakers given only four computers had a chance to look through what Rep. Jamie Raskin said were 30 to 40 unredacted pages of the 3.5 million documents that have been released. You know, of the 5.5 million files that the law required the DOJ to have released or explained not releasing last month. At this rate will take them literally years!

But what they did see, claim Reps. Jamie Raskin, Thomas Massie, and Ro Khanna, was evidence of a cover-up right in front of their faces, surprise surprise. Redactions that should not have been made, including the names of at least six other men who were redacted and should not have been, like Les Wexner’s. And Trump’s, such as Epstein’s lawyers saying that Trump never asked Epstein to leave Mar-a-Lago. Incompetent and evil!

The six include a US citizen, a foreigner high up in government, HM. See you at the Judiciary Committee in a few days, Pam Bondi!

Who was Epstein emailing, “where are you? are you ok I loved the torture video”? Who emailed Epstein, “I found at least 3 very good young poor but we was so tired. i will cover up this week. Meet this one, not the beauty queen but we both likes her a lot.”

But sure, Kash Patel, no co-conspirators, no pimping.

Who was this redacted sender lamenting being called a pervert?

“the key are the 14 to 15 year old girls—i am a sexual pervert because i say they are now of a reproductive age? [...] being called a sexual pervert is no fun. less so if you have served time for the crime. as i have not—they are calling me one merely for not urging your death by beheading.”

Some co-conspirators were found to have also been trafficked victims themselves, but we don’t know what the case is here, because the DOJ hasn’t followed the law and explained.

Plus they’ve exposed the victims! Enough found their information not redacted to think it’s all too much to be a mistake, and must be instead a strategy to intimidate others from coming forward.

We might add, Ghislaine Maxwell testified over Zoom from prison that she’d be a-pleading the Fifth but would talk for clemency, LOL. She already talked quite a bit, though, and Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche had to strain real hard not to hear it.

After deeming Trump a perfect gentleman, Maxwell dropped some other names too, like Eva Andersson-Dubin and her husband Glenn, and the members of Trump’s own Cabinet (who turned out to be RFK Jr. and Howard Lutnick, so far), Elon Musk and Sergey Brin, and under-pimps she tried to claim were the real masterminds. And the FBI already had 11 names Blanche and Bondi could be looking into, but nope, not gonna do it. Just gonna do cover-up in everybody’s face.

Other countries, though…

Other countries have not been blase, though, about the security implications of this scandal. Multiple including Norway, France, the UK, Latvia, and Lithuania have started investigations into the potential trafficking of children from their countries, or government figures who might have been involved or had knowledge. People are getting fired just by association, like Mona Juul, Norway’s ambassador to Jordan, whose husband dined with Epstein weeks before he was arrested, and whose children were set to receive $5 million each in a will Jeffrey Epstein signed two days before he died, weird.

In the UK, that leaky Andy lost his entire prince-ship, and now British PM Keir Starmer is in trouble because he appointed Peter Mandelson as Britain’s ambassador to the US in spite of knowing of at least some of his former association with Epstein.

And Poland is getting right to the point: Prime Minister Donald Tusk announced authorities there have opened their own investigation into any potential Polish victims, but also Epstein’s connection to Russian secret services, because, he says, it all sure looks, smells, and quacks like a KGB honeytrap.

“More and more leads, more and more information, and more and more commentary in the global press all relate to the suspicion that this unprecedented pedophilia scandal was co-organized by Russian intelligence services.
“I don’t need to explain how serious this possibility would be for Poland’s national security. If Russian services co-organised this scheme, it can only mean one thing, that they may hold compromising material on many leaders who remain active today.”

Epstein and Maxwell’s child rape schemes predated any known Russian contacts, though. It sounds more like Epstein had the scheme, then brought the Russians in on it.

Epstein’s attempted contacts with Russian officials appear to have started in 2013, coincidentally the same year Trump traveled to Moscow to attend the Miss Universe pageant, appear in an oligarch’s son’s music video, and to try to sell the Russians on the idea of a Trump Tower Moscow.

Epstein emailed former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak that Thorbjørn Jagland, then the secretary general of the Council of Europe, wanted to introduce him to Putin. Jagland, Epstein said, “is going to see putin in sochi” and said he’d asked him, Epstein, to make himself available to meet with Putin “to explain how russia can structure deals in order to encourage western investment.” Epstein had demands of his own, though, he told Barak: “Putin asked that i meet him in st petersburg the same time as his economic conference I told him no, . If he wants to meet he will need to set aside real time and privacy, lets see what happens.”

Then, in 2014, then-director of the MIT Media Lab Joi Ito wrote to Epstein, “I wasn’t able to convince Reid [Hoffman] to change his schedule to go to meet Putin with you. ;-)”

If that direct meeting ever happened or not we may never know, as Russian infosec is probably better than a gmail account, and Epstein is a known braggart. But a transcontinental friendship did soon follow! Epstein became close comrades with Sergei Belyakov, then Deputy Minister of Economic Development, and later head of the St. Petersburg Economic Forum Foundation, which runs the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF). Belyakov is also a graduate of the FSB Academy which prepares Russian intelligence officers, and he ALSO served as an advisor to the Deputy Director General of Oleg Deripaska’s Basic Element Industrial Group, remember that guy, Putin’s favorite oligarch, the one who paid Paul Manafort many millions of dollars and helped introduce him to the Ukrainians? Throwback! And then Trump tried to get Deripaska unsanctioned, so many moons ago.

In a 2015 email to Peter Thiel, Epstein referred to Belyakov as “my very good friend.” Epstein passed along advice to try to help Russian companies avoid the sanctions following Putin’s invasion of Crimea. And Belyakov helped Epstein deal with problems, like one “Guzel Ganieva. she is attempting to blackmail a group of powerful biznessman in New York, it is bad for business for everyone involved.”

PREVIOUSLY!

And in a 2016 exchange between Belyakov and Epstein, Belyakov tells Epstein that he has started a new position with the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) — the country’s sovereign wealth fund — and that he was looking to attract investment for Russian projects.

“I will do anything [that] is helpful to you,” Epstein wrote to Belyakov in another email later that same week.

Belyakov also helped Epstein’s assistant Svetlana (Lana) Pozhidaeva get an O-1 talent visa to the US, writing a letter:

“Svetlana has been helping our Organizing Committee since 2014, advising upon the Western participants and ensuring cooperation between Western business leaders and Russian authorities. It was an honor having Svetlana participate in the Forum in 2014 and I am looking forward to hearing her speak at the Forum this year.”

And Pozhidaeva was not just a model: She was educated at the Moscow State Institute of International Relations, a training ground for Russian diplomats and known as an incubator for the KGB. She was photographed for the first time in December 2010 leaving Epstein’s mansion with Prince Andrew, it’s a small mir after all.

Epstein was also in contact with Russia’s ambassador to the United Nations Vitaly Churkin, who died suddenly in June 2018; Epstein had even offered to help Churkin’s son, Maxim, get a job doing wealth management in New York.

Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick, who sure has been lying his ass off about a much longer and closer relationship with Epstein than he ever let on — and who literally was in a business partnership with Epstein a full nine years after he claimed he’d never darken his door again — did call Epstein the greatest blackmailer of all time.

In short, we have seen only the tip of a very large and disgusting iceberg. It seems Epstein handed out children for rape like a bank would hand out a toaster for new accounts to high-level men all over the world. How many men participated, and how many knew about it and never told a soul? And what was Steve Bannon’s role?

Tick tock, perverts.

Some accountability would be nice!

[CNN / AP]

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Given it’s the most watched (original) series ever on Netflix, Stranger Things was a must-view for many. It was also a show whose story was dragged out for so long that its characters aged into adulthood. Is it great when a favorite gets extended into many seasons? Or is the lure of a potential franchise something that ruins what was once enjoyable? Does the type of story being told matter?

smartbitches_feed

Posted by Amanda

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2026/02/habo-she-witnesses-a-crime-at-a-ball/

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/?p=166204

This HaBO was sent in by Jamie, who wants to find this historical romance:

I am hoping to get some help on finding a book that I read over 10 years ago. It was a hardback book that I got at a used book sale. The cover was a reddish color, with a photo of a woman in a red or gold dress facing away from the camera on the back. It’s a regency-era historical romance, but with some adventure elements.

The details are pretty fuzzy, so they may not be remembered exactly correctly.

The main character has red hair and while attending a ball, she witnesses some sort of crime or break-in that the hero is somehow involved in, leading to a sort of accidental kidnapping situation. They end up traveling through some sort of smuggler caves or cellars, and are being pursued by some other bad people. I believe near the end they end up eloping in Scotland or Gretna Green.

My guess is that it may be part of a series, since it mentions in the beginning that the heroine has at least one happily married sister, but is not particularly interested in finding a match.

Sound familiar?

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2026/02/habo-she-witnesses-a-crime-at-a-ball/

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/?p=166204

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Book review: A Desolation Called Peace

Recent Reading: A Desolation Called Peace

Congratulations AIPAC, You Played Yourself!

Day 10 - Fic -Grey's Anatomy - Meredith Grey

Check-In Post - Feb 10th 2026

Death bless me with you

Florida HBCU 'Clarifies': Still OK To Say 'Black' During Black History Month. Maybe Even After.

Rory Icons

(no subject)

Authors Revealed!

Demons, Witches, and More

The Next Best Fling

You can find ordering info for this book here.

The Unfortunate Side Effects of Heartbreak and Magic

You can find ordering info for this book here.

How Not to Hex a Gentleman

You can find ordering info for this book here.

Wonder Man Was Great, but Disney Corporate Synergy Still Messed It Up

Wonder Man Was Great, but Disney Corporate Synergy Still Messed It Up

Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal - Full Dive

News from the Resistance (Saint Paul edition)

Reading The Wheel of Time: Gawyn and Bryne Reunite, and Sheriam Receives Orders in The Gathering Sto

Reading The Wheel of Time: Gawyn and Bryne Reunite, and Sheriam Receives Orders in The Gathering Storm (Part 16)

Drip Drip Drop Little Epstein Files

Other countries, though…

Three from the news

TV Tuesday: A Good Thing?

HaBO: She Witnesses a Crime at a Ball

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