#when it plays such a crucial role in what makes him interesting and compelling. his hatred of murder is precisely what sets him apart from | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

lunar-years · 11 days

Text

okay. at risk of being too harsh on Ted...

I genuinely do not think he's a very good coach. And I do not mean that just in the obvious "well he doesn't even know anything about the sport he's head coach for" way, even though like, yeah, duh that really is a crucial point. I mean it in like, he's genuinely not as good at managing and delegating and working alongside his fellow coaches! The way he acts and the ways he manages the team so rarely feels...collaborative? I've been thinking about it a lot after reading posts from other blogs about how he constantly brushes off/ignores Beard's advice and also sends Jamie mixed messages and stuff and it's like. YEAH. It's all very "Ted makes the final decision" about everything and that's deeply goofy because Ted literally knows the least about the game out of all of them!!

We see him ignoring Beard's advice to bench Roy, and ignoring that Beard is actually trying to help the team win, as it is their job to do, until Beard finally snaps at him in s1. When he decides to reject Jamie he doesn't pause to consider it or discuss it with anyone, and even afterwards when he does have the coaches "take a vote" it feels...very performative? Like no matter what they said, it was always going to be Ted's decision in the end, and if they disagreed with what he'd already decided he wanted to do, he was just going to do it anyway.

Then he gets in Jamie's head about being a team player and passing the ball a to the point where it's actually hindering Jamie's role on the team and the strength of his performance. And even though Roy recognizes that, rather than going to Ted about it and making different suggestions, he comes up with the whole signal thing which in hindsight sort of feels...very much like Roy trying to package his complaint in a way that will be digestible to Ted's approval? Like, "oh we'll give him the signal so he doesn't feel bad about playing the way we need him to play. but ONLY when we give him the sign don't worry we'll still control it!" Instead of just being like Ted, look, I don't think your strategy for Jamie works at all and here's what we need to do instead.

It almost feels like none of the assistant coaches really feel comfortable questioning Ted's judgement...because he doesn't foster a space for them that welcomes that kind of feedback from them. Even with the Zava thing, he doesn't listen to Jamie, and Roy and Beard don't question it, BUT Roy offers to individually coach Jamie. Because Roy knows what's happening with Zava is bullshit, and he'd rather pull Jamie aside and deal with the problem himself in the way that he can, rather than talk to the head coach about how it's bullshit. And the ONE time Beard and Roy go off and try something against Ted's wishes (showing the Nate video), it massively backfires and they scramble over themselves to apologize while Ted feels even more vindicated in never valuing their input. It's like a never ending cycle of bad management. and the WORST part is that Ted will TELL them he wants to know their thoughts and hear their strategies, but then he doesn't follow it or he just goes off and does his own thing, so it results in like...a level of unintentional condescension, I think.

At the end of the day, I do not think Ted has bad intentions or is going into this stuff intending to walk over the other coaches, but it happens because his purpose and goal for the team is fundamentally misaligned with what the other coaches value. Ted wants to make the team better by changing the culture at Richmond (at least until he checks out and loses interest in even that) and Beard & Roy (& Nate) want to focus on helping them win matches. I also DO think there's something in all of this that could have been a very compelling major factor in Nate's downward s2 spiral. I've always said that to me the most lackluster part of Nate's arc was not his redemption but his downfall--which had a basis that was severely under-explored onscreen. When he leaked Ted's panic attacks, it felt so severe and sudden a leap because there wasn't enough to back up Nate's headspace throughout the season, even thought the basis is THERE. The foundation for Nate feeling ignored as a coach and having his input constantly undervalued is THERE. They just don't ever let the characters properly explore it, or god forbid allow Ted to reckon with how he's ostracized all of his coaches to some extent.

#ted lasso #roy kent #ch: ted lasso #coach beard #nate shelley #ted lasso critical #i do not consider this a hate post but i'm gonna add the anti tag to be safe #anti ted lasso #basically I don’t want to take up a character tag with criticism

57 notes · View notes

secondhandsorrows · 2 months

Text

Keys to Crafting Characters Readers Will Root For (w/ some examples)

As a writer and while making up this blog, I’m quite adamant that characters are just as important (if not more) as plot. In the grand scheme of things, an active, relatable, and engaging main character is crucial for a novel's success. But how exactly do we make a character all these things? There’s many ways, in fact. It is up to us as authors to keep track and manage the developmental arc of our protagonist: primarily, who they are on the inside, and how they grow or change / adapt to the situations or people around them.

Here are some examples and tips to help you develop a compelling protagonist (or all kinds of characters). Keep in mind these tips are at their most basic, essential level (there’s just so much that can be explored in each one), so I hope to go further into each point sometime in the future.

~`* They have clear goals and motivations.

First things first: you’d want to clearly define your character's goals and motivations — and the sooner, the better. Proper and well-set goals and motivations provide a sense of direction to the narrative. They should be specific, measurable, and achievable — or perhaps, not achievable, at least to its fullest extent. This would ultimately depend on the type of arc or ending you intend to write for your story, but there should at least be some main goal the character is vying for, and a motivation that dictates how much they want or need it.

For example: An aspiring actress hoping to make it to the stage and audition for the lead role in her favorite play. —> Why does she want to be an actress so badly? What does it mean to her to act in her favorite performance? What does she have to prove, to herself or others?

~`* They are flawed, yet relatable:

I’m sure you’ve all heard this before… but I’m still going to reiterate:

Your character should have relatable flaws that readers can sympathize with. It’s no secret that flaws make characters human and relatable. Flawed characters help us remember that nobody’s perfect, and that we’re not alone in our struggles and in our plights (stay back, Mary Sues!). These flaws can be anything, from fears, limitations, biases, misbeliefs, quirks, shortcomings, or behaviors. It’s useful two have at least two: a minor flaw and a major flaw, where the former affects only the only character and nothing else, and the latter hinders the character and affects the plot.

For example: A highly-knowledgeable yet socially awkward and oblivious professor who can hold a bar of soap better than a conversation. —> Does this flaw make him out to be charming or weird to others? How can his social-awkwardness affect the plot… does it hinder him from connecting to his students or colleagues?

~`* They have unique talents or interests.

Sometimes I read a story, and personally I have a hard time connecting with a character if all they care about from beginning to end is what’s happening in the plot. It’s like they exist for the sole purpose of the plot, and are nothing but a shell to see through the events or its challenges. This is understandable, especially when it’s an action-packed story or thriller.

Personally, I can’t help but wonder what its main character does for fun. What they’re like before the events of the novel.

I think it can be useful your character skills or interests that set them apart. This not only makes them interesting, but can drive the plot in unexpected ways. *Bonus points if they have a particular skill or hobby that conflicts with the way they present themselves to others, or if they hide it well if they are embarrassed by it or afraid of getting judged. Essentially, this is all to clue-in on the reader to the character’s backstory, their personality. It helps them seem more individualistic, like humans with their own sets of interests or ideas that give them more complexity and uniqueness. This can also be useful in creating parallels or connections to your story’s themes or your character’s arc.

For example: A brave warrior with an aptitude for gardening and flower arranging. —> Seems random, right? But what if this warrior had workin in their relative’s flower shop, and has kept the skill alive in their days of battle to see pieces of beauty around them, hope from fear and danger? They might dig graves of their fallen friends and leave behind flowers in remembrance. Just an obscure example, but see all the possibilities something like this can open up?

~`* They have deep, complex relationships.

Sometimes we can get a better idea of a character when we see them interact with the people around them. It’s like showing vs. telling, where we get a firsthand look at how the main character treats his family members, how he accepts or refuses help from those he’s close with, what he appreciates most about his significant other, how he feels about the annoying neighbor next door. Who’s the one person they most admire and never want to let down? Who’s the one person they despise with all their body and soul? Whether it's friends, family, enemies, or romantic entanglements, complex interactions and relationships add layers to your character and in how they showcase themselves to the world.

For example: An excellent, compassionate therapist with a strained relationship with his own family member. —> How does this character feel about this kind of relationship? Does it stem out of shared family troubles, or something deeper? Is there a glimmer of possibility the therapist might reconcile with this relative, or are they dashed because of mutual pride or distrust?

~`* They often face moral dilemmas.

It’s time to get philosophical. Human nature is full of paradoxes and tough moral questions, and so characters with conflicting qualities can be intriguing and relatable. Introduce moral dilemmas and conflicting values that force your character to make tough choices and confront their conflicting values. Do they have a friend with conflicting beliefs that challenge their own? Are they forced to act a certain way because of external pressures? Are they forced to choose between saving one person while destroying another?

No matter how serious this dilemma is, you can also add a moment of clarity or self-awareness for your character. This can be a turning point where they acknowledge and confront the conflict within themselves, thus becoming face-to-face with their internal crisis and how they decide to go from there. Do they weigh the pros and cons considerably, do they fumble because they’re hesitant, or do they embrace the new changes?

Despite conflicting values, make sure your character's behavior is consistent with their established personality. Consistency helps maintain authenticity and keeps the character grounded.

For example: A scientist torn between protecting humanity and the pressure of making a groundbreaking discovery. —> How does making this discovery very important to this character? What do they stand to lose… what do they stand to gain? Are they at the risk of becoming something completely opposite of who they were at the beginning of the story, losing their sense of morality or forced to choose a side?

~`* They show their quirks and habits.

Introduce quirks or habits that make your character memorable. These little details can make the character more relatable and interesting, because just like talents or hobbies, this can also give a clearer sense to the reader of what kind of personality the character has and what they’re like. Not to forget, it also helps them to stand out from other characters on the page, giving them a unique voice with their kind of dialogue, their behaviors, style, and mannerisms.

For example: A scholar who can focus only if she’s chewing gum or wearing her lucky ring. —> How might’ve this character started this habit or tradition? Does it actually work? Does it not work, but they still do it anyways because it’s comforting for them? Also, where did they get this quirk from?

~`* They have a backstory.

Most of what we’ve been discussing in this post already leaves some framework for the character’s backstory. It’s important to have a meaningful backstory in mind that influences the character's present actions and explains why they are they way that they are. This adds depth and helps readers understand their fears, desires, and motivations better; not shallow and two-dimensional as cardboard cut-outs.

Sometimes we don’t get a backstory for our character right away. Backstories takes time to brainstorm and shape — let alone into a complex or compelling one — but its helpful to trust the process. What you can do if you’re still looking for the right one, is to ask yourself questions on things that matter to you most. This pertains to your story’s themes and other main ideas you may like writing about, such as grief or family matters. It all boils down to who your character is (the present), and where it stemmed from (the past). If we take this a step further: does this backstory guide them or force them to make changes within themselves, thus leading to their changed self at the end of the novel/series (the future)?

For example: A woman with a fear of marriage because she’s seen firsthand its faults, including her own parents’. —> Is her parents’ divorce still something she’s struggling to come to terms with? Is her misbelief equating marriage to constant conflict? Does she have a secret desire to get married, yet it put off by its pressures? Does she make up for this fear by focusing on other matters? Will this fear later be disproven?

~`* They are often vulnerable.

Every hero needs vulnerabilities. Imperfections. Weaknesses. We’ve talked about strengths and flaws before, but giving them that dent in their armor, any little opening someone or something might get through, leaves a reminder that no one, especially our hero, is invincible. Nobody’s perfect, after all (side-eyeing you, Mary Sues…). Make your characters messy: adding vulnerabilities helps makes them more authentic and genuine, opening up chances for them to learn and evolve as the story moves along.

It can also add a layer of suspense to the story, especially in conflict and tension. How will the character handle someone breaking their walls down, or a bad experience threatening to make them crumble and fall back to old habits? How do they handle their insecurities? How well do they hide their fears, and will they ever admit them?

For example: An old woman with bad eyesight and lives alone can’t tell that the reluctant robber breaking into her home is not her grandson. —> This is a fun little example that opens up many possibilities. Her bad eyesight is a physical vulnerability, and so is her soft spot for her supposed grandson. The robber notices this, and he too may have a soft spot for any old woman who treats him kindly. Does he use this to his advantage to rob the house, or does he humor her for a while?

I’d definitely like to expand on these tips sometime. If there’s anything you’d like to share or add, please do so! I’d love to hear y’alls thoughts. Hope this helped!

57 notes · View notes

beggingwolf · 7 months

Note

The "I'm his dog/he's my dog" line is SO compelling. May I offer sid/Tanger? Or I think Geno would HAPPILY be Sids dog

the issue with geno is I don't think he's consistently rabid enough. he's a hard worker, and he snaps and loses his shit sometimes, but there are also moments where he deeply wants to be lazy/uninvolved/not-a-part-of-this-bullshit-thank-you

although that is a very valid way to be a dog (hello greyhounds) I don't think it works for a "he's my dog" relationship. what those need is an inherent power imbalance that is often, but not always, created BY these characters as a part of their identities—like, they CHOOSE to be that guy's dog, it brings them satisfaction and pleasure—and MOST IMPORTANTLY those relationships need a deeply unhinged guy who is going to let someone else be the sole moral guiding light in their life. those relationships are the best when one guy's a weapon and the other guy holds the trigger under his finger, you know?

and sadly I just don't think geno has the right precise type of attitude for that. he likes making decisions for himself (after reading the room a bajillion times to suss out what everyone is going to think of his decision and weighing the scales in his head), and he likes saying stop when he wants to stop, and he likes provoking reactions and hiding behind someone else to take the heat [in this case, hiding in the showers to avoid talking about his great game].

the thing about geno is he doesn't like tension, he likes performance. a good dog/owner dynamic is about that tension. geno wants to get upset, be loud, do something dangerous, and then storm off with the camera on him while stewing in a bit of healthy shame about it all. he's all about catharsis, baby. the simmering tension of an animal and the person holding its leash is all tension, no resolution.

a dog character needs to have no control. they are an animal, they are ready to bite, maul, maim—they have no interest in playing coy or being sly and choosy in their deployment of power. they just want to be a knife. they want to bite. their whole thing is needing a collar and a leash and someone to hold it. and it's an HONOR to hold that leash, but the dog will still fight against it sometimes. they're a dog, after all. they're not well-trained. they want a steady hand. they want someone to tell them "no," and to tell them "yes." and they want to fight against it. and you're never really gonna know who truly has the power. the owner controls the leash. the dog LETS itself be leashed by the owner. without the leash, who are they to each other? why do they bind themselves to each other this way?

geno chooses to be loyal to sid every time he has the chance and it makes him such a tempting candidate for the dog position, because that unwavering loyalty is undeniably crucial to the role. where he stops fitting the mold is he will sometimes wrestle that power back and take over and start making all the decisions just how HE wants to. and that kind of agency just isn't allowed to a leashed animal.

you know who IS going to hone themselves into a weapon and then place their hilt into sid's hand?

kris. kris is. kris does.

25 notes · View notes

heyjude19-writing · 1 year

Note

Hi! You don't have to answer this if you don't want to but I've always been curious about smut writing (and I'm asking you because you're really good at it lol). For specific scenes, do you have an idea of the positions/actions of the characters and outline it or does it kind of just come out as you're writing and letting the creativity flow? Is smut based off of personal preferences/past sexual encounters? I've always been interested in that side of the writing process. Thanks!

I love writing process questions! And thank you :)

I’ll answer your second question first. I’m not the type of writer that uses my own sexual history in my stories. Aside from being an adult in a relationship and therefore knowing how things work in that area, I’ve never wanted to incorporate specific instances from my own life in this regard. As far as preferences, yeah I do think that plays a role since I’m writing for myself first and I know what I like to read.

For your first question, i’d say it depends on what I think the story needs and what makes sense for those specific characters. I treat smut as I would any other plot point in a story when i outline. If I’m writing a multi-chapter, it’s important to me that the romantic moments feel earned, so if you look at a story like Remain Nameless, I spend a lot of time on the foreplay for their first time because after 100k of buildup, it would feel cheap to me for that scene to be quick and short. I like to let the emotions rather than the physicality dictate how I’m writing love scenes. Why are they fucking? Is it just because this is the goal of the story (see, A Delightful Descent into Depravity, Insufferable Insatiability)? Which is totally valid by the way, nothing wrong with some PWP.

Rather than worry about positions and “okay so his hand goes here, and her leg is here, and then this touch has to be here” I’m usually writing any dialogue first and determining that tension break moment. That, to me, is such a crucial part of transitioning the reader into your smut scene. Why now? Why did these two characters feel compelled in this moment to give in? That reasoning will then drive everything else about how i write a scene.

For example, in the first encounter in my current wip, it’s sort of crucial that they don’t kiss and the sex act is all about Hermione’s pleasure. There are established character reasons for both Hermione and Draco as to why the scene plays out the way it does (he’s viewing this as merely a stress release for her and giving her what he thinks she wants, while she’s finally letting herself feel something for him after months of denial.)

I also really like the sex scenes I wrote in A Safe, Devoted Darkness for what they reveal about Draco’s motivations in what he does (and doesn’t) do with Hermione, so if you haven’t read that story, I think those moments are good examples of writing smut with character arcs and tension breaks in mind.

It also doesn’t always have to be clinical body part descriptors (he inserted X into her Y and then they both achieved climax after thrusting for a time). See the smut in Nutcracker Pas de Deux which is a list of questions.

Smut doesn’t have to be this intimidating thing. The best advice i can give is to write to your own comfort level, not what you think readers want from you.

Thanks for the question anon and good luck if you’re writing xx

#thoughts on writing #fic writing #smut writing

12 notes · View notes

inspireblog123 · 1 year

Text

Importance of a Good Thesis/Dissertation

To write a Phd dissertation is perhaps some of the best complex duties carried out through Ph.D./Masters students, yet it is crucial as it plays essential roles in their academic life, in addition to assisting substantially to their final year grades.

A student manages to find out a great deal while reading a phd dissertation in addition to mastering a particular target which, of the training course is of fantastic benefit to him/her. A dissertation is basically an action to a thesis, which can be a subject matter or even a concern as well as a student utilizes it in cultivating a reasonable disagreement about his thesis.

If you want to get assistance of industry-leading expert research writers while preparing your thesis/dissertation, then contact the team of experts atPhD Writing Assistance.

Key Points of a Phd Dissertation

Dissertation is usually longer than any composition and is commonly broken down into chapters. It is usually dealt with in a number of the essays a student has done just before but a great deal of research study needs to be done.

Writing assistance aids in giving your administrator a concept concerning the understanding you might possess gathered throughout your discovering period and how dedicated you are in performing your research study about a specific topic.

The listed below factors stresses on the reasons why thesis/dissertation needs to be taken seriously by Ph.D./Masters students;

1. It Contributes to the Student’s Final Grading

Where the course urges you to write a Phd dissertation before you can finish, it is only right to do it. Dissertation is one of the last analysis documents done at the end of the research study course as well as the student must handle it with all the usefulness it should have.

2. The Student Gets Better at Research

A phddissertation is a long task that will certainly help you to present the study you carried out in the course of your level prosecution. It normally includes the student in a whole lot of research jobs and this enhances his/her research study abilities which create all of them better at investigating.

3. The Process Allows Skill-building ( phd dissertation )

Considering that phd dissertation is a huge extent job, you are bound to gain numerous capabilities along the road which matter for task applications after ending up in college. A few of these skills are

– Time Management

A whole lot of opportunity preparation is needed to create sure that a student is able to fulfill his goals. Phd dissertation is quite entailing as well as takes a significant quantity of a student’s final year in university.

When functioning on your Phd dissertation, you will definitely not only learn exactly how to efficiently handle your time but you will be building your crucial reasoning.

– Communication

When writing your dissertation, you need to try to connect your notification in a basic foreign language that your supervisor will simply understand. Make an effort to reveal your aspects in a lay-mans phrase what your research study job is about.

This can be carried out by trying to detail difficult principles and also ensuring to correspond in a way that appropriates to the reader you are dealing with.

– Adaptability

Given that a dissertation is pretty lengthy, you are more frequently forced to adopt various sections of it so as to aid you to fit the requirements of your project. In many cases, you are compelled to modify your creating instructions just in case you recognize the areas are not operating for you.

4. Pursuit of Interests

Some students coming from numerous training courses are generally given a chance to create their dissertation labels which might be a problem to them as well as still intriguing. Listed here, you will certainly possess options to cover a topic or even subject matter you as if as well as the need to have to get more information concerning it.

Choosing an analysis subject matter is not a very easy duty especially if you don’t understand what you are planning to blog about. Yet performing some investigation in the existing literary works can easily help you recognize concerns, subject matters, or areas that have certainly not been explored. You are excellent to start on your dissertation once you have picked the target.

You will definitely be complimentary to approach your research coming from any perspective as well as handle the inquiries you believe are fascinating.

5. Makes the Phd dissertation Get Better

Your examiner is going to be anticipating you to provide your dissertation that has been performed in the appropriate method and also foreign language. It should additionally be completely referenced and also well-structured with no syntactic inaccuracies and punctuation mistakes.

Along with all these needs of the dissertation creating, they drive you to produce extra initiative to give better results. In the end, you are considered to be feeling better along with job-creating. No one pointed out dissertation creation is a walk in the playground, but along with the correct method, pupils can master their jobs.

And since this job is very important in calculating the last grades, it needs to be accorded enough interest. Throughout the dissertation method, pupils are able to discover a considerable number of factors that may be helpful down the road, like when getting projects possibilities.

If you want to get to know more about academic writers, then you can get to work with one while preparing your thesis/dissertation. All that you have to do is opt of for the academic research writing services offered by our team of expert research writers atPhD Writing Assistance.

Conclusion

Along with effective preparation and opportunity management, PhD/Master’s students have the capacity to finish their dissertations within a specified length without jeopardizing various other regions of the research study.

Writing a dissertation is probably one of the most challenging tasks done through Ph.D./Masters students however, it is most important as it plays important jobs in their academic life as well as contributing dramatically to their final qualities.

A student is capable to find out a lot while reading a dissertation as effectively as learning in a particular target which, of the program is of excellent advantage to him/her. A Phd dissertation is primarily feedback to a thesis, which can be an inquiry or a subject matter and a student uses it in cultivating a rational argument regarding his thesis.

But writing a thesis/dissertation can be quite a lot of hard work and time management. But since options such as a thesis/dissertation writing assistance are available to you and everyone around you, you can opt for it and get the best out of your efforts.

Contact our team of expert research writers atPhD Writing Assistance, who have helped thousands of students prepare their thesis/dissertations and other academic papers as well.

#phd candidate #thesis #writing #phd assistance

2 notes · View notes

mafrah-mga2022mi5017 · 1 year

Text

INITIAL SCENE FOR THE ANIMATION

“The key to suspense is that it sets up a question, or several, that the audience hopes to get an answer to and delays that answer by maintaining their interest and keeping them guessing.”

I discovered some techniques that can be used to achieve this :

Limit the point of view –

Instead of an omniscient narrator who can see and relay everything that happens, tell the story from the perspective of the characters. They may start off knowing just as little as the audience does, and as they learn more, so do we.

Choosing the right setting and imagery –

Old mansions or castles with winding halls and passage ways suggest that disturbing things are being concealed. Nighttime, fog and storms all play similar roles in limiting visibility and restricting character’s movements.

Playing with style and form –

You can build suspense by carefully paying attention to not just what happens, but how it’s conveyed and paced.

“On the screen, Alfred Hitchcock’s cinematography is known for its use of extended silences and shots of staircases to create a feeling of discomfort”

Use of dramatic irony –

Sometimes, suspense is best served by revealing key parts of the big secret to the audience but not the characters.

Using cliffhangers –

This is where a chapter, episode, volume or season cuts off right before something crucial is revealed, or in the midst of a dangerous situation where there is a slim chance of hope. The wait makes us imagine the possibilities of what could happen next, building extra suspense.

“Suspense is all about giving the audience information. Without it we’re kept in the dark without nothing to cling to or care about.”

With these considerations in mind, I wanted to use a slice-of-life concept for my story as well, but I also wanted there to be some tension between the homeowners and the lodger. I then came up with a scenario :

When compelled to leave the usual school dorms, Mitsuo (the lodger) would travel to the school's poor and troubled students' dormitories. He opens the front door. It would be an extremely dramatic, unsettling image of the hallway.

He hears someone cry, "I'll kill you!" as if they are killing someone, and then Akio (homeowner 1) enters the room through the kitchen door with a knife with blood streaks on it. creating uncertainty about what's happening. As he noticed the blood on the knife, Mitsuo got the chills and assumed there had been a murder. He then backed up and turned to find Maki-sensei (homeowner 2) with a smug and unsettling expression looking down on him. He suspects she is intoxicated because of her unprofessional and hostile greeting and the beer can in her hand. He turns around once more when Kaemon (homeowner 3) enters the scene from the living room while holding a controller in her hand. It appears that Mitsuo misinterpreted the circumstances. There was no murder. There were only Kaemon's animated and boisterous gaming and Akio's attempts to fillet a fish in the kitchen. Mitsuo finds Kaemon to be extremely hyper and noisy as he jumps on top of him, hugs him, and welcomes him to the dorm.

While Mitsuo desired a typical high school experience and typical friends, he is left to wonder if these are the types of people he will be sharing his home with.

0 notes

rolliper · 2 years

Text

Universe for sale

banks wouldn’t touch him-his underlings formed a new company, Glencore, which played an outsized role in the new economy and, naturally, in the book. When his eponymous firm became too toxic-U.S. Blas and Farchy describe how his firm dominated shady dealings with rogue regimes, physically connecting the people who had things like oil with the people who needed it. Take Marc Rich, the trader who made a killing in the 1970s before becoming a tax fugitive. What they found isn’t pretty-but it’s plenty illuminating. The World for Sale: Money, Power, and the Traders Who Barter the Earth’s Resources, Javier Blas and Jack Farchy, Oxford University Press, 416 pp., $29.95, March 1, 2021 The World For Sale: Money, Power, and the Traders Who Barter the Earth’s Resources, Javier Blas and Jack Farchy, Oxford University Press, 416 pp. The book is superbly researched and tidily written: There’s no overwrought prose or tortured jargon, just a clean, compelling chronicle of the central role that commodity traders have played in the global economy from the end of World War II to the present. They mined thousands of pages of legal filings, company reports, prospectuses, and other rich veins of information. If you have the slightest interest in how the modern world was made, by whom, at what price, and at what profit, this is the book for you.īlas and Farchy, who both covered the commodities industry for the Financial Times before moving to Bloomberg News, have spent years talking with people who don’t talk. There’s not a word about the Bronze Age in The World for Sale, from Javier Blas and Jack Farchy, but there’s a motherlode about the people who literally created the world we live in now by trading the modern equivalents of tin, whether oil, coal, or cobalt. Now we do know-maybe not about them, but about the modern tin traders. We don’t know who they were, what they earned, or what corners they cut. Somebody found a source-in Cornwall, or Devonshire, or Brittany-and somehow delivered it to Egypt or Sumer. It was a crucial commodity, mixed with copper to make the rudimentary swords and spears that drew the borders of the ancient world. The Bronze Age, which midwifed the modern world, relied upon unknown traders in tin, a metal in short supply across Europe and the Middle East.

#Universe for sale

0 notes