Part One Here!
Part Two Here!
Part Three Here!
Part Four Here!
Part Five Here!
Part Six Here!
Part Seven Here!
Part Eight Here!
Part Nine Here!
Part Ten Here!
Part Eleven Here!
Part Twelve Here!
Part Thirteen Here!
Part Fourteen Here!
Part Fifteen Here!
Part Sixteen Here!
Part Seventeen Here!
Part Eighteen Here!
Part Nineteen Here!
We left off at Survivor Series 2017, where the first WWE WarGames match took place, resulting in the Shield standing tall over not only Team Cena, but the assembled anti-Cena forces of Finn Balor, AJ Styles and Samoa Joe. However, that win was a particularly brutal one, and as a result, Cena’s not seen for quite some time, with the Revival disclosing that his back is a mess as a result of the triple powerbomb onto the steel partition between the rings in WarGames. However, they say he’ll be back better than ever, when the time is right. On Twitter, Cena voices his frustrations at the whole situation - he blames the Shield for the injury, as well as Joe, Styles and Balor, but he also blames Kurt Angle and Daniel Bryan for making the match, and forcing him into free agency by “being so uncooperative.”
Road to WrestleMania 34
The Royal Rumble comes and goes without Cena returning, marking the second year in a row he missed the event. However, 2017 saw him return for the Elimination Chamber, so Angle reaches out, as does Daniel Bryan, asking if he’ll be back soon. He says no, and tells them to fuck off. Finally, Bryan snaps, saying that last year, he told Cena he’d fire him if he didn’t come to work. He can’t do that now, as Cena’s a free agent, and he knows he’s injured, but he says the John Cena he knew would fight to rehab faster so he could come back and be the best. He says leading into SummerSlam 2013, he felt like Cena was a parody of wrestling, and Cena proved him wrong by fighting his heart out and passing the torch - but now, Bryan knows he was right. Cena’s just a carny, and now that he’s hurt, he’s acting like a damn coward, refusing to come back and face the people responsible. Cena hangs up the phone, and Daniel looks dejected before we cut back to commercial.
Elimination Chamber passes by without a hint of Cena’s presence, although The Revival say he helped prepare them for their successful Raw Tag Team Title defense at the event. Then it’s Fastlane, and, unsurprisingly, Cena’s nowhere to be seen on the SmackDown-branded event, AJ Styles saying he feels like he got the last laugh as he prepares to face Shinsuke Nakamura at WrestleMania. On the Raw after Fastlane, Kurt Angle has a meeting with the Revival, saying he got a letter from Cena’s doctors clearing him for in-ring competition two weeks ago, and asking where he is. Wilder shrugs, saying Cena’s a free agent, so he calls the shots. Angle sighs, saying that he knows Cena won’t be going to SmackDown because of his beef with Daniel Bryan, so he might as well give it up and come back before he misses the chance to get on the card at WrestleMania. Dawson says he’ll relay the message.
On SmackDown a few days later, Daniel Bryan comes down to the ring with an announcement. He says that he’s been going through rigorous testing since his retirement, itching to get back in the ring. Unlike John Cena, he’s been fighting every day for the opportunity to wrestle again, and today, he got the best news of his life - he’s cleared. He’s fucking back. “YES!” chants ring out in the arena, Daniel Bryan leading them with tears in his eyes before EATING A FRANCHISE LARIAT! The elation turns to disgust as the crowd boo the returning John Cena, who lays into Bryan with a ground and pound before kicking him out of the ring and grabbing the microphone. He declares that like Bryan said he should, he’s back for those responsible, and the biggest culprit is Daniel himself. Shane McMahon rushes down to ringside to check on his GM as Cena leaves, but Bryan pushes Shane aside and shouts after Cena that it’ll take more than that to keep him down - and he wants John one-on-one at WrestleMania, the same venue that Bryan notched the biggest accolade of his career.
WrestleMania 34
John Cena vs. Daniel Bryan
New Orleans is very partial to the Yes Man as he locks up with John Cena, and it’s a technical affair to start despite the tension - Bryan naturally wanting to get the match in his wheelhouse as he works off the ring rust, and Cena wanting to outclass Daniel at his own game. However, once Bryan starts working on Cena’s bad back, John goes into panic mode, the Franchise rejecting the technical matwork in favour of attempting to give Bryan another concussion, preferably as quickly as possible. Bryan swiftly transitions from a Boston Crab to a surfboard, but Cena drops down and ELBOWS BRYAN IN THE SIDE OF THE HEAD, NOW SLAMMING HIS SKULL INTO THE MAT LIKE A BASKETBALL! The referee pulls Cena back to check on Bryan, but Bryan struggles to his feet, only for John to deck him with a haymaker before dumping him unceremoniously to the floor. Cena does a few “YES!” chants of his own, the crowd chanting “NO!” in response before he heads to the outside and SWINGS BRYAN INTO THE BARRICADE LIKE A BASEBALL BAT! He rolls him back in and lackadaisically covers for two, following it with a FIVE KNUCKLE SHUFFLE, BUT BRYAN KICKS HIM IN THE BRIDGE OF THE NOSE! Furious, Cena leaps into mount and starts raining punches, picking Bryan up for an ATTITUDE ADJUSTMENT, BUT BRYAN REVERSES IT INTO THE YES LOCK, TRAPPING THE ARM! HE’S GOT IT IN DEEP! Cena crawls towards the ropes, but Bryan kicks the hand, refusing to release the hold as John reaches out. Finally, Cena manages to roll over and shift the weight enough to get a foot on the rope, the referee telling Bryan to break before being met with an “I HAVE TIL FIVE!”
At four, Bryan releases the hold, but he’s a man possessed as he lays in a series of stiff stomps to Cena, following it with a flurry of kicks to the back as Cena gets to his knees. He lets loose with the Yes Kicks, rallying the crowd behind him for a FINAL ONE TO THE SKULL! ONE! TWO! THR-KICKOUT! Bryan is unrelenting, heading to the corner to go for the Running Knee that beat Cena at SummerSlam five years prior, but CENA TURNS HIM INSIDE OUT WITH A FRANCHISE LARIAT! ONE! TWO! THRE-NOOO! HE KICKED OUT! BRYAN IS THE FIRST MAN TO KICK OUT OF THE FRANCHISE LARIAT, AND THE SUPERDOME HAS ERUPTED INTO YES CHANTS! Cena can’t believe it, but he’s ready to hit another one as Bryan struggles to even get to all fours. He heads to the corner, taunting Bryan from afar, and CHARGES WITH ANOTHER FRANCHISE LARIAT, ONLY FOR BRYAN TO DUCK, BOUNCING OFF THE TURNBUCKLES FOR A HUGE CORNER DROPKICK! Cena rolls out of the ring before Bryan can get rolling, but DANIEL BULLDOZES HIM WITH A SUICIDE DIVE! He sends Cena back in, scrambling to the top rope for a MISSILE DROPKICK! HE’S GOT CENA PRONE FOR A RUNNING KNEE… CENA CATCHES THE KNEE FOR A ONE-ARMED POWERBOMB! ONE! TWO! THRE-KICKOUT, AND NOW BRYAN TRAPS THE ARM FOR A YES LOCK! He struggles to get it locked in, Cena BITING THE FINGERS TO STOP THE HOLD SINKING IN FULLY! Bryan perseveres, but John is able to break free from the hold, muscling Bryan up for an ATTITUDE ADJUSTMENT, BUT BRYAN SLIPS OFF THE BACK, RUNNING THE ROPES AND BEING DECAPITATED BY ANOTHER FRANCHISE LARIAT! ONE! TWO! THREE! JOHN CENA TAKES HOME THE WIN AT WRESTLEMANIA, COSTING BRYAN A FEEL-GOOD RETURN!
John Cena def. Daniel Bryan (20:03)
Road to Backlash 2018
Daniel Bryan knows better than anybody that he had Cena dead to rights had he not illegally bitten the fingers, but he’s still frustrated that he couldn’t make his return a triumphant one. Cena, however, says that he’s mostly disappointed he couldn’t end Bryan’s career for good, and says that if Bryan wants to go another round, he’d be fine doing so - and tells Bryan to meet him in the ring in the main event slot. Bryan does so, and he’s confronted by… nobody, Cena deciding to be a petty bastard and waste Bryan’s time. Bryan chuckles, saying he figured Cena’s request for another singles match was a disingenuous one that would end up a trap, but the idea of just not coming out was a new low. However, he says he’s got an ability Cena doesn’t, and that’s to make matches, because he still hasn’t stepped down as GM. In fact, it’s his last night, and he says his last decree as GM is to set one more match between them for Backlash.
Backlash 2018
John Cena vs. Daniel Bryan
Fuck yeah, let’s run it back. Bryan’s fresh off of winning the Greatest Royal Rumble from Number One, because he’s built fucking differently, and he’s not afraid to rub it in Cena’s face by making this match a test of stamina. He outpaces Cena from the start, John trying to slow it down and use his power to neutralize Bryan, but there’s nothing he can do against a newly revitalized Bryan. Bryan kicks the shit out of Cena, rallying whenever Cena manages to turn the tides, and finally gets on a huge roll that culminates in a SUICIDE DIVE, BUT CENA CATCHES HIM! ATTITUDE ADJUSTMENT ON THE OUTSIDE! All of a sudden, it’s a fight for survival for Bryan, Cena battering him with stiff shots and breaking out the deep cuts from his arsenal, including an EMERALD FLOWSION! ONE! TWO! THRE-BRYAN’S FOOT IS UNDER THE ROPE, BUT CENA IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWS IT WITH A TIGER SUPLEX THAT SENDS BRYAN TO THE FLOOR! Cena is fine with a countout, chilling in the ring as Bryan struggles to stand, finally breaking the count at the last second before CENA UNCORKS A FRANCHISE LARIAT, BUT BRYAN DUCKS IT FOR A SMALL PACKAGE! ONE! TWO! THRE-KICKOUT! Cena rolls back to his knees, but BRYAN NAILS HIM WITH A ROUNDHOUSE TO THE TEMPLE! He frantically scrambles to the corner, a stunned Cena coming to… RUNNING KNEE! ONE! TWO! THRE-CENA KICKS OUT, BUT BRYAN STRAIGHT INTO THE YES LOCK IN THE MIDDLE OF THE RING! CENA’S GOT NOWHERE TO GO, AND HE STARTS TRYING TO BITE THE FINGERS, BUT BRYAN SIMPLY CLUBS HIM WITH HAMMER FISTS BEFORE CINCHING IT IN HARDER! CENA TAPS OUT! DANIEL BRYAN HAS DONE IT!
Daniel Bryan def. John Cena (18:54)
It seems that the loss at Backlash is a bit of a come-to-Jesus moment for Cena, who is shown on Raw rewatching the tape of him tapping out to the Yes Lock. Nursing his shoulder, he says that he’s lost sight of himself. He’s done what he’s had to do to win, and he doesn’t feel badly about that, but he’s been calling himself the Franchise, the Face of the WWE, and he doesn’t know that he’s been proving it. He lost in WarGames, he lost to Daniel Bryan, he lost to Braun, he lost to Reigns, he didn’t get the last laugh against Styles, he’s never been able to pin Samoa Joe, he hasn’t touched a title in over two years. In fact, the thing that frustrates him most is there are championships on Raw he hasn’t held ever before - both the Universal and Intercontinental Championships. This isn’t a matter of “how can I call myself the Face of WWE if I play dirty to earn my accolades,” it’s a matter of “how can I call myself the Face of WWE if I haven’t won ALL the accolades?”
As a result, he says he’s going to take time to heal up fully. He’s going to train with the Revival every day, he’s going to get into the best shape of his life, and he’s going to return in pursuit of the mountaintops he’s never been able to reach - because it’s time for the man with eighteen World Titles to his name to truly make his case for GOAT. The next few months see sparse mentions of Cena’s progress, the Revival putting over the work he’s putting in and promising he’ll be back on Raw soon, ready to scoop up the championships he hasn’t yet held. Seth Rollins and Dolph Ziggler’s feud over the Intercontinental Title ends in Rollins coming out on top, and as he enters a program with Finn Balor, Rollins says that Cena’s welcome to try and take the gold from him if he so chooses - he’s got a decent record over John anyway, and if he wants revenge for everything over the years, he knows where to find him. With SummerSlam and Hell in a Cell in the rear view mirror, it’s this that finally gets Cena’s attention, and WWE starts promoting his return to the company for a Raw in Boston.
Cena comes out to open the show to a warm reception, absence having made the heart grow fonder for his fellow Bostonians, and he’s even in a new t-shirt. However, he says it’s because he’s not here for a match (despite looking fucking massive), and that his usual robe would be too gaudy for a promo. He says he’s scheduled to return to the ring at Super Showdown in Australia, where he wants to face off with Seth Rollins for the Intercontinental Title, the gold that would bring him the WWE Grand Slam. Rollins, already a Grand Slam winner, comes out to the ring and says he’s on, and extends a hand to Cena to make the match official. Before Cena can decide on whether or not to shake it, they’re interrupted by Finn Balor, who says he’s worked too hard for John Cena to swoop in and be handed a title shot. John shrugs and says he’s fine with Balor being in the match too, so that he can properly make up for WarGames by beating a rep from both the Shield and The Club, and Seth, ever the fighting champion, agrees. Finn still doesn’t seem all that happy about Cena being in the bout, but he seems confident about coming away with the win.
Super Showdown 2018
Intercontinental Title: John Cena vs. Seth Rollins (c) vs. Finn Balor
Eager to show that he’s not too rusty after his time off, Cena is very much involved in the proceedings of this match, all three men duking it out on fairly even footing without any ducking out of the ring to recover. Rollins and Balor naturally work a fast pace as Cena tries to keep a lock on them, but it’s difficult for him to overcome the odds against two guys who have no qualms about ganging up on him. Soon enough, he eats a 1916 for two before falling out to the floor, Seth and Finn having a back and forth exchange before SETH HITS A PEDIGREE ON BALOR! ONE! TWO! THRE-CENA WITH THE SAVE! He backs Rollins up into the corner, landing a flurry of punches to the head before nailing a bulldog out of the corner, followed by a shoulder block, and another before CALLING FOR A… FIVE KNUCKLE SHUFFLE! HE HITS IT! ONE! TWO! KICKOUT! Seth is on spaghetti legs as he rises to his feet, Cena measuring his man as he gets him up for an Attitude Adjustment, but Rollins slips off the shoulders and NAILS A SUPERKICK! Cena falls to his knees, Rollins running at him and NAILING HIM WITH AN AVADA KEDAVRA, STRAIGHT TO THE BACK OF THE HEAD! ONE! TWO! THRE-NOW BALOR BREAKS UP THE PIN!
Finn nails a Shotgun Dropkick to Rollins, getting him in the landing zone for a Coup de Grace, but Rollins gets out of the way, Finn rolling through and pivoting into a DOUBLE CLOTHESLINE, BOTH MEN DOWN! Behind them, Cena gets to a vertical base, pleased with his good fortune as he waits for both men to get up before SCOOPING BALOR AND ROLLINS ONTO HIS SHOULDERS FOR A DOUBLE ATTITUDE ADJUSTMENT! COVER ON SETH! ONE! TWO! THRE-KICKOUT! COVER ON BALOR! ONE! TWO! TH-KICKOUT! He tosses Seth out of the ring, calling for a FRANCHISE LARIAT ON BALOR, BUT HE’S INTERCEPTED WITH A SLING BLADE! Finn goes up top for a Coup de Grace, but SETH PUSHES HIM OFF THE TURNBUCKLES, STRAIGHT TO THE FLOOR! Rollins clambers up to the top turnbuckle for a PHOENIX SPLASH, BUT CENA MOVES, SETH TURNING AROUND INTO A FRANCHISE LARIAT, BEHEADING THE ARCHITECT! Cena thinks about it for a moment, and now ROLLS OVER SETH, HOISTING HIM UP FOR ANOTHER ATTITUDE ADJUSTMENT! ONE! TWO! THREE! JOHN CENA HAS WON THE INTERCONTINENTAL TITLE, AND CAN NOW CALL HIMSELF A GRAND SLAM WINNER IN THE WWE!
John Cena def. Finn Balor and Seth Rollins (21:07) to win the Intercontinental Title
Road to Survivor Series 2018
Now the Intercontinental Champion, John Cena’s automatically set to face off with US Champion Shinsuke Nakamura at Survivor Series. However, he’s also got to worry about Finn Balor, who wants a match for the gold, and who Kurt Angle says deserves one as he didn’t take the pin at Super Showdown. Despite all the obstacles before him, Cena seems pretty confident, especially as he’s now the first ever man to win a Grand Slam in TNA and WWE. He faces off with Nakamura on SmackDown, Shinsuke communicating that he’s plenty confident too with a simple “come on” to Cena. John smirks, waving his hand in front of his face before going toe-to-toe with the US Champion, Nakamura eventually rolling out of the ring and holding his title high. Cena grabs a microphone, saying he’ll be proving at Survivor Series that he can still outdo anyone and everyone.
On the go-home Raw, Cena is told by Kurt Angle that he’s booked John Cena for a title defense against Finn Balor for that night’s main event. Cena is floored by the impromptu match, but he tries to take it in stride, even if he’s upset with Angle. He says all Kurt is doing is weakening the Intercontinental Champion ahead of a showdown with SmackDown, but Kurt says if Cena’s a real champ, he’ll rise to the occasion. Cena clearly considers walking out, or just hitting Angle, but decides against it, saying he’ll be walking into Survivor Series still the champion.
Intercontinental Title: John Cena (c) vs. Finn Balor
In the main event, Cena and Balor have a back-and-forth bout, Balor working on Cena’s midsection ahead of a COUP DE GRACE, BUT CENA AVOIDS IT! He goes for the Attitude Adjustment, but Finn slips off his shoulders to the apron, Cena decking him before heading out to ringside with the challenger. They brawl on the floor, the referee unable to get control as both men lay into one another. Cena gets Finn up for another Attitude Adjustment attempt, this time by the announce table, but FINN ESCAPES AND SHOVES CENA STOMACH-FIRST INTO THE CORNER OF THE DESK! John is gasping for air as Finn calls for a 1916, but CENA DRIVES HIM OVER IT, BOTH MEN TUMBLING INTO THE COMMENTATORS! The referee’s count hits seven, then eight, then nine, then CENA MAKES IT IN, AND ROLLS BACK OUT TO BREAK THE COUNT! The crowd is elated to see the bout continue, Cena wanting to win decisively, but WAIT A MINUTE! SHINSUKE NAKAMURA IS HERE, AND LEVELS CENA WITH A KINSHASA! He escapes as the referee calls for a DQ, Balor looking on as he realizes the title has slipped through his fingers.
John Cena def. Finn Balor (15:32) by disqualification to retain the Intercontinental Title
Incensed, Balor gets up, and HOLD ON! HE’S GRABBING CENA, TOSSING HIM ONTO THE ANNOUNCE TABLE! BALOR’S LAYING INTO THE CHAMP WITH PUNCH AFTER PUNCH! The referee begs him to stop, but Finn says he wants to make sure that title ends up back with him, climbing up to the top rope for a COUP DE GRACE THROUGH THE ANNOUNCE TABLE! Cena’s left lying as the Revival run out, Balor fleeing as the show goes off the air.
Survivor Series 2018
John Cena vs. Shinsuke Nakamura
Cena walks into this match wounded, but he’s fighting all the same, wanting to make up for a dismal Survivor Series record with only one outright win across seven shows. However, Nakamura’s got a target drawn on Cena’s injured midsection, and he’s absolutely merciless in targeting it with his lethal strikes. John’s power manages to keep the US Champion at bay for a while, trying to pick the leg whenever Shinsuke throws a kick to leverage him into some sort of suplex or throw, but Nakamura eventually overwhelms him with a flurry of Muay Thai knees to the body followed by a WHEEL KICK TO THE HEAD! Cena drops like a sack of bricks as Nakamura covers for two, and Shinsuke drags him out towards the apron for a GUILLOTINE KNEE DROP ACROSS THE BACK OF THE HEAD, FOLLOWED BY A SLIDING KNEE TO THE RIBS THAT CRUSHES CENA’S BODY AGAINST THE RING POST! He again covers for two, Cena continuing to fight on, but eventually Nakamura calls for a KINSHASA, ONLY FOR CENA TO HIT A FRANCHISE LARIAT! ONE! TWO! THRE-KICKOUT! CENA WASN’T ABLE TO GET ALL HIS POWER BEHIND IT, HE COULDN’T GET ANY TORQUE THROUGH HIS BODY!
However, Cena’s in the driver’s seat now, and he takes advantage as best he can with a flurry of suplexes, followed by an attempt at an ATTITUDE ADJUSTMENT, BUT NAKAMURA REVERSES IT INTO A TRIANGLE CHOKE! He keeps one arm on Cena’s head while using the other to throw wild hammer fists to the ribs, but John manages to muscle him up for a HELLACIOUS POWERBOMB! ONE! TWO! THRE-KICKOUT! He calls for the Attitude Adjustment again as Nakamura staggers to his feet, but Shinsuke manages to grab the ropes, holding on for dear life and pulling himself free of the fireman’s carry before slipping behind John for a REVERSE EXPLODER SUPLEX, CENA AVOIDING BREAKING HIS NECK BY A FRACTION OF AN INCH! He’s still completely out of it as Nakamura lines up for a Kinshasa, but he manages to duck the strike for a TIGER SUPLEX! ONE! TWO! THR-KICKOUT! Both men are down and out, the crowd rising to their feet to rally them onwards, and they slowly get to their knees, slugging it out as they struggle to their feet. They throw punches and forearms in a war of attrition, but Nakamura finally throws a vicious thrust kick to the sternum, Cena doubling over for just long enough for SHINSUKE TO OBLITERATE HIM WITH A KINSHASA! ONE! TWO! THREE!
Shinsuke Nakamura def. John Cena (16:03)
Road to TLC 2018
Coming off a loss at Survivor Series, Cena has a natural desire to chase after the man responsible for the injuries that cost him the bout - Finn Balor. Balor is shown backstage, saying he really loved putting Cena through the commentary table on Raw, and he’ll be fine doing so again if that’s what it takes to finally get the Intercontinental Title around his waist. Flanked by Gallows and Anderson, he says he’ll meet Cena for the gold whenever Cena mans up and takes on the challenge. Kurt Angle makes it official for TLC, but also declares that there’ll be a six man tag bout between Balor Club and the Revival and John Cena next week.
John Cena and The Revival vs. Balor Club (Finn Balor, Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson)
All six men put on a show, but Cena’s still licking his wounds from weeks prior as he takes to the ring. He and Balor fight around ringside as The Revival go to work trying to bring home the win against Gallows and Anderson, with the Good Brothers hitting a Magic Killer on Dawson for a nearfall, Wilder saving his partner at the last moment. Eventually, Balor and Cena end up legal, Cena going for an Attitude Adjustment, but Finn reversing it into a 1916! He hooks both legs, but Dawson breaks it up, the Good Brothers charging in and clearing out Dawson before Gallows tags in. Balor goes to work against Dawson on the floor, but Wilder leaps in from behind, giving Cena enough room to reverse a Magic Killer, tossing Anderson out of the ring and NAILING GALLOWS WITH A HUGE ATTITUDE ADJUSTMENT! ONE! TWO! THREE!
John Cena and The Revival def. Balor Club (14:00)
However, the second he gets the pin, Finn Balor’s back on Cena, refusing to let the battle end. The Good Brothers shake off the Revival for long enough to hit a BOOT OF DOOM ON CENA, FOLLOWED BY A MOCKING TRIPLE POWERBOMB THROUGH THE COMMENTATOR’S TABLE!
The next week, Kurt Angle amends the Intercontinental Title match at TLC, saying it’ll now be a Tables match to fit the theme of Balor continuously putting Cena through them. John isn’t happy about the change, but vows to make it work.
TLC 2018
Tables Match for the Intercontinental Title: John Cena (c) vs. Finn Balor
This is a frantic bout, both men liberally employing weapons and interference in pursuit of the Intercontinental Championship. The Revival and The Good Brothers eventually duke it out up the ramp and into the backstage area, never to be seen again, leaving Cena and Balor to wrestle their hearts out. John gets the upper hand despite his injuries, flooring Finn with a Franchise Lariat before setting up a table at ringside. He hoists Balor up in the ring, getting him into a fireman’s carry for an ATTITUDE ADJUSTMENT TO THE OUTSIDE, BUT FINN LANDS ON THE APRON TO AVOID DISASTER, CONNECTING WITH A GAMENGIRI! He climbs up to the top… COUP DE GRACE CONNECTS, BUT NOW HE NEEDS TO GET CENA THROUGH A TABLE! He rolls him out of the ring, laying him out on the ringside table before clambering to the high-rent district once again, but CENA MEETS HIM UP THERE WITH A FLURRY OF PUNCHES, REFUSING TO GIVE IN! It’s a very precarious spot for both men, but Cena attempts a SUPERPLEX TO THE FLOOR, ONLY FOR FINN TO DROP TO THE APRON ONCE AGAIN, SIMPLY KICKING OUT CENA’S LEGS! Cena drops to the apron, landing hard on his ribs, and Finn capitalizes with a COUP DE GRACE ONTO THE APRON, ONLY FOR CENA TO AVOID IT! He picks Balor up for an ATTITUDE ADJUSTMENT ON THE APRON, AND NOW FINN DROPS BACK INTO THE RING FOR A PELE KICK… BUT CENA HOLDS ONTO THE ROPES! Finn lays in a few stiff forearms, lining up for a SHOTGUN DROPKICK, BUT CENA SIDESTEPS! Balor nearly goes through the table, but manages to catch himself in the ropes, Cena attempting a GERMAN SUPLEX OFF THE APRON! Balor frantically holds the ropes, and finally CONNECTS WITH A REVERSE HEADBUTT TO THE BRIDGE OF THE NOSE! Cena’s stunned, and Balor drives an elbow into his ribs, Cena collapsing THROUGH THE TABLE! BALOR’S THE CHAMP!
Finn Balor def. John Cena (15:19) to win the Intercontinental Title
Balor’s handed the gold as Cena stares vacantly into middle distance, brushing off offers of medical assistance as he ponders his next move - but his eyes light up slightly as he seems to have his next idea.

Part One Here!
Part Two Here!
Part Three Here!
Part Four Here!
Part Five Here!
Part Six Here!
Part Seven Here!
Part Eight Here!
Part Nine Here!
Part Ten Here!
Part Eleven Here!
Part Twelve Here!
Part Thirteen Here!
Part Fourteen Here!
Part Fifteen Here!
Part Sixteen Here!
Part Seventeen Here!
We pick up in the aftermath of WrestleMania 32, where John Cena lost the WWE World Heavyweight Title in a triple threat match with Roman Reigns to Dean Ambrose, before shockingly assaulting both men with a steel chair after the bell. Naturally, the night after WrestleMania sees a very angry Ambrose marching to the ring with the gold, not granted the usual pomp and circumstance of a brand new fan favourite champion. He says Reigns is out injured for the time being, and he wants a piece of Cena. He doesn’t care if the title is on the line, he doesn’t care what the hell happens, he wants revenge, because that smarmy bastard pulled a Seth Rollins on them.
On the titantron, Cena appears, saying that he’ll be happy to meet Ambrose for the WWE World Heavyweight Title at Payback. Ambrose shouts that if he’s so reliant on chairs, they should make it No DQ, and Cena shrugs, agreeing. He says that Dean simply isn’t on his level one on one - he and Reigns had to team up to take Cena out, and soon enough, Reigns is going to get wise to the kind of man Ambrose is. He can compare Cena to Seth all he likes, but Dean is the Judas, throwing Reigns out of the ring to notch the pin. He’s selfish, just like everybody else is, because it’s a dog eat dog world, even for the Hounds of Justice.
The next week, Cena is set to appear, and he does so with the rule that Ambrose and Reigns are barred from the arena while he’s there. He comes out to explain his actions in a suit and tie, and says that at WrestleMania, he wanted to play fair, just as he had before. He gave Roman another opportunity that he didn’t have to, he didn’t cheat, and he got ganged up on and failed, and everybody he fought for cheered as he lay there, miserable, because he realized he’d been a damn fool. He’d preached his morals and they failed him, and the world laughed. It was Ambrose’s opportune timing that won him the gold, and, as much as he doesn’t like Kevin Owens, he gets where he was coming from last year. Cena’s won titles by playing dirty, and if that’s what he has to do to rectify the error that is Dean Ambrose being the WWE Champion, so be it. If that’s what the fans will go along with, so be it, and if it’s not, fine. He’s teaching people how to truly succeed, how to truly be the best, and that’s to stop at nothing, to not take no for an answer - to never give up. At Payback, Cena won’t give up until the title is back in his hands, the face of WWE is restored, and the Franchise is back on top.
Payback 2016
No DQ Match for the WWE World Heavyweight Title: John Cena vs. Dean Ambrose (c)
Cena enters first with new gear to match the new energy - he’s got boxing shorts with “Franchise” in metallic gold lettering along the waistband, and a US flag-adorned boxing robe draped over his shoulders, left open for the title he intends to walk out with. Ambrose is out next to an ovation, and IMMEDIATELY, IT’S A SCRAP ON THE RAMP! Cena’s power is all the more dangerous without the Franchise looking to keep a lid on it for his opponent’s safety, and he overwhelms Dean with a TACKLE THROUGH THE BARRICADE, FOLLOWED BY AN ATTITUDE ADJUSTMENT THROUGH THE ANNOUNCE TABLE! He sends Ambrose back in, mounting him with a ground and pound, busting Dean’s lip before rolling out of the ring and sending in the steel steps, launching them over the top rope and STRAIGHT INTO THE CHAMPION! He slides in a few chairs next, and sets up a new table on the outside. Finally, he picks up the title too, wrenching it out of the timekeeper’s hands before AMBROSE FLIES INTO HIM WITH A SUICIDE DIVE! Frantically, Dean lands as many blows as he can, flinging a chair at Cena before CLOCKING HIM WITH THE TITLE! Cena’s stunned, not quite sure where he is as Ambrose lays him out on the table, clambering to the top rope with an ELBOW DROP TO THE FLOOR! THESE TWO ARE OUT FOR BLOOD, BUT THEY’RE BOTH DOWN AND OUT NOW!
Ambrose is the first to start stirring, the Lunatic Fringe welcoming the challenge and grabbing a steel chair, looking to inflict the exact same pain on Cena that the challenger did to him at WrestleMania. He lifts it up, but CENA DELIVERS A LOW BLOW! IT’S NO DISQUALIFICATION! Already battered and bruised, Cena sends Dean in, hoping to end things with another Attitude Adjustment, but DEAN DROPS DOWN FOR A DIRTY DEEDS, ONLY FOR CENA TO RUN HIM INTO THE TURNBUCKLES, DRIVING HIS SHOULDER INTO THE BODY OVER AND OVER! Finally, Ambrose slumps over, and Cena rolls out of the ring, grabbing a pair of handcuffs. He attaches one end to Ambrose’s wrist, trying to lock the other one behind his back before Dean NAILS A DIRTY DEEDS! ONE! TWO! THRE-NOOO! Ambrose can’t believe it, but he’s unrelenting, now sliding out himself and tossing a bag into the ring. He empties it out… MY GOD, THOSE ARE THUMBTACKS! Dean chuckles, lining up for a Knee Trembler as Cena comes to in the corner, and CHARGING STRAIGHT INTO AN ATTITUDE ADJUSTMENT! ONE! TWO! THRE-KICKOUT, BUT CENA IMMEDIATELY CUFFS DEAN TO THE BOTTOM ROPE! Springing up, Cena locks eyes with the champion just out of reach, mockingly waving his hand in front of his face before grabbing the steel chair… AND EATING A FACEFUL OF TACKS, AMBROSE THROWING A HANDFUL STRAIGHT AT HIM! Cena’s blinded temporarily, and HERE COMES THE BIG DOG! Reigns unscrews the turnbuckle, Ambrose able to move freely within the ring, and he delivers a… ELEVATED DIRTY DEEDS STRAIGHT INTO THE THUMBTACKS! ONE! TWO! THREE! DEAN AMBROSE SURVIVES JOHN CENA WITH SOME A LITTLE HELP FROM A BROTHER IN ARMS, BUT WHAT A GRISLY WAR IT WAS!
Road to the 2016 Draft
Both frustrated with the loss and nursing his wounds, Cena vanishes from TV for a good stretch of time, filming a few projects before being grouped into Smackdown’s first round of picks, right after WWE Champion Dean Ambrose. He doesn’t appear, but it’s declared he’ll have his first match as a blue brand representative at Battleground, the final PPV before the split is officially enacted. Ambrose is set to defend his title against Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins in a huge Shield triple threat, meaning it won’t be against him, but it’s definitely a man he has a whole hell of a lot of history with - after six years apart, John Cena will once again share a brand with AJ Styles, and both men are very different performers than they were when they last met. Styles calls Cena out the moment it’s announced he’ll be at Battleground, saying he wants to meet the Franchise one on one, beat the blue brand’s biggest name, and assert himself as the Face That Runs The Place. Backed up by the Club, Styles is confident and unafraid to pull some cheap tricks, but he’s definitely got the crowd behind him as an opponent of Cena’s. Cena accepts on Twitter, but brushes AJ off, saying he’s spent the last six years main eventing WrestleManias for a reason, and he’ll illustrate it against Styles at Battleground.
Battleground 2016
John Cena vs. AJ Styles
Styles and Cena finally meet again, and the world is watching as they face off in the middle of the ring, immediately launching into a hockey fight. Cena sends Styles to the floor, driving him into the apron before POWERBOMBING HIM ACROSS THE BARRICADE! He focuses his offense on the back, more than content to just drive a knee into the spine and sit in the middle of the ring for a while, or even apply AN ABDOMINAL STRETCH! AJ’S GONNA TAP! THIS IS IT! STYLES SOMEHOW FIGHTS FREE, BUT NOW CENA’S GOT A BEAR HUG, BY GOD! Cena’s draining the life out of AJ, and finally turns it into a belly to belly, following it with a few shoulder blocks before CALLING FOR THE FIVE KNUCKLE SHUFFLE! The crowd boos as he leans over Styles, but AJ KICKS HIM IN THE CROWN OF THE HEAD, FOLLOWING IT WITH A PELE KICK! Cena’s on the ropes, and AJ lights him up with a phenomenal combination, followed by a snap suplex before hopping to the apron for a SPRINGBOARD 450 SPLASH! ONE! TWO! THR-NOOO! Styles keeps the pressure on, overwhelming Cena with his speed and strikes, but Cena’s power neutralizes AJ’s output when he counters a hurricanrana with a HUGE POWERBOMB, BUT HE HOLDS ON, DEADLIFTING AJ UP… A SECOND FOLDING POWERBOMB! ONE! TWO! THR-KICKOUT, AND CENA GUTWRENCHES HIM UP FOR A THIRD, AGAIN GETTING TWO!
Continuously working over Styles’ back, Cena delivers a few suplexes, followed by a particularly vicious wheelbarrow suplex that folds AJ up like an accordion. He calls for a lariat, but Styles ducks, spinning around behind Cena for a GERMAN SUPLEX OF HIS OWN! Before Cena can even get up, AJ springs off the middle rope… STYLIN’ DDT CONNECTS! AJ hits his signature pose, feeling the energy of the crowd as he looks for the STYLES CLASH, BUT CENA SIMPLY MUSCLES HIM UP FOR AN ATTITUDE ADJUSTMENT! ONE! TWO! THRE-NOOO! AJ struggles to get to his feet as Cena is poised to deliver another Attitude Adjustment, but AJ REVERSES INTO AN INVERTED DDT! Clutching his back, Styles makes his way to the apron, calling for a Phenomenal Forearm as a result of his uncertainty about lifting Cena up. He springs onto the top rope, and CENA PULLS THE REFEREE INTO THE WAY, AJ PAUSING ATOP THE ROPE… AND CENA TAKING OUT HIS FEET FROM UNDER HIM, FOLLOWING IT WITH AN ATTITUDE ADJUSTMENT! Styles is operating on instinct alone as he tries to keep going, Cena not even bothering to cover, but instead DELIVERING A HELLACIOUS LARIAT, BEHEADING STYLES! JESUS, WHAT A MANEUVER! ONE! TWO! THREE! JOHN CENA PICKS UP THE UNDERHANDED WIN!
John Cena def. AJ Styles (21:45)
Road to SummerSlam 2016
AJ comes out on Smackdown and cuts a promo about how he hates WWE ropes, just like he hates lucha ropes, and just like how he hates John Cena. He says he and John have a lot of history, and that last chapter was far from a satisfying one in their story - so he wants another go round at SummerSlam, and he wants to BEAT UP JOHN CENA! The Club back him up wholeheartedly, Gallows and Anderson promising to make sure that at SummerSlam, Cena can’t pull a fast one on the Phenomenal One. It’s Daniel Bryan who makes it official, a disgruntled Cena fairly disappointed to spend SummerSlam outside the title scene, but accepting that he’ll just have to beat AJ’s ass again. They have a face-to-face on the go-home show, both acknowledging their shared history, but Cena saying there’s a reason he got to make the big bucks earlier than Styles. He’s the star, the Franchise, and he’s proven it day in and day out for fourteen years, while AJ’s been having five star matches for a hot dog and a handshake - something that didn’t benefit him at all at Battleground. Styles fires back that Cena may have won his first Rumble, may have won the WWE Title at WrestleMania 27, but it was a long time before he beat the top guy - and AJ’s on pace to do so that much faster, because he’s going to put Cena in the dirt at SummerSlam. They do some additional posturing before Styles throws a punch, Cena going for a lariat before immediately ducking out as Gallows and Anderson appear.
SummerSlam 2016
John Cena vs. AJ Styles
Both men have something to prove heading into this one - while neither shies away from cheating at this point, they both want a clean, decisive victory to hold over the other’s head after so many years apart. It’s a lot of mat wrestling to start as they try to get the mental advantage early, Cena’s power and Styles’ speed and agility still being key on the ground as John tries to muscle AJ into submissions and AJ tries to snake around him and find the right opportunity to strike. Soon enough, John gets fed up and tries to powerbomb Styles through the ring, earning two. They keep the action strictly in the ring, trading holds, strikes and suplexes in equal measure before AJ starts taking to the skies, landing a Stylin’ DDT and starting to work over Cena’s legs. John keeps the offense focused on the back, but soon enough, Styles manages to CINCH IN THE CALF CRUSHER! Cena’s in trouble, and he desperately scrambles to the ropes, Styles more than happy to keep it in until four before releasing the hold and delivering a SPRINGBOARD 450 SPLASH! ONE! TWO! THRE-NOOO!
Styles keeps the pressure on with a flurry of strikes, following it with an Ushigoroshi before calling for the Styles Clash, but Cena simply counters with a back body drop before unleashing a brutal series of backbreakers, followed by an ATTITUDE ADJUSTMENT! ONE! TWO! THRE-NOOOO! Fed up, Cena dumps AJ onto the top turnbuckle, potentially going for his patented avalanche German, but Styles fights tooth and nail to avoid being dropped to the mat. He nails a sequence of elbows, and CALLS FOR A STYLES CLASH OFF THE MIDDLE ROPE, BUT CENA REVERSES… AVALANCHE ATTITUDE ADJUSTMENT! ONE! TWO! THRE-STYLES KICKS OUT? HOW ON EARTH DID HE MANAGE TO GET THE SHOULDER UP? The Franchise is in a state of disbelief, but he elects to go for his massive lariat, waiting for Styles to get up before BEING SENT HEADLONG INTO THE RING POST BY AJ! Styles drags himself to the top rope as John lies starfished on the canvas… STYLES WITH A SPIRAL TAP, BUT CENA ROLLS OUT OF THE WAY, AJ SMACKING INTO THE MAT! CENA GETS HIM UP FOR ANOTHER ATTITUDE ADJUSTMENT, BUT AJ COUNTERS INTO A VICTORY ROLL! ONE! TWO! THRE-KICKOUT, BUT HE NAILS A PELE KICK, STUMBLING TO THE APRON… PHENOMENAL FOREARM, AND NOW A STYLES CLASH! ONE! TWO! THREE! AJ STYLES HAS BEATEN JOHN CENA, CLEAN AS A WHISTLE!
AJ Styles def. John Cena (28:17)
Backlash 2016
Cena’s nowhere to be seen after SummerSlam, Styles celebrating his win and riding the wave into a title match with Dean Ambrose for Backlash - a match that he ekes out a win for, picking up his first WWE Championship at about the same rate as Cena. However, the party is crashed by the Franchise himself, with Cena running down and laying waste to both Ambrose and Styles, his two most heated rivals from the year thus far. He eyes up the WWE Title again, laying eyes on it for the first time since Payback, and it’s pretty clear where this needs to go.
Road to No Mercy 2016
On the SmackDown after Backlash, Shane McMahon and Daniel Bryan reprimand Cena’s actions, but say that as he does have a win over Styles from Battleground, it makes sense for him to challenge for the WWE Championship, should AJ be willing to defend it against him. Styles comes out, brash as ever, but he’s interrupted by Dean Ambrose, who wants a rematch for the gold at No Mercy. AJ says he wants revenge against Cena, and Ambrose can get back in line, but McMahon makes the judgement call - at No Mercy, AJ will make his first defense of the gold in a triple threat match against Dean Ambrose and John Cena.
No Mercy 2016
WWE Title: John Cena vs. AJ Styles (c) vs. Dean Ambrose
It’s a blockbuster triple threat match to open the show, with Dean Ambrose the fan favourite looking to overcome the odds and reclaim the WWE championship against two outright villains in Styles and Cena. However, he doesn’t have to worry about AJ and John teaming up against him, because all three men in this bout loathe each other. Cena makes a beeline for Ambrose, and Ambrose makes a beeline for Cena, leading to AJ just rolling on out of the ring and letting the two enemies duke it out. Cena and Ambrose brawl around ringside, Cena going for an Attitude Adjustment on the outside, but AJ SPRINGING OFF THE BARRICADE FOR A PHENOMENAL FOREARM AS DEAN DROPS DOWN! Ambrose lays out Styles with a Thesz Press, sending the champion back in and going for Dirty Deeds, but AJ reverses into a Northern Lights Suplex, following it with a Pele Kick before going for a PHENOMENAL FOREARM, BUT AMBROSE HAS NO HESITATION IN KICKING OUT THE ROPE, CROTCHING AJ ON THE TOP BEFORE HITTING A DIRTY DEEDS! ONE! TWO! THRE-CENA SAVES IT, FLINGING AMBROSE TO THE FLOOR BEFORE HITTING STYLES WITH AN ATTITUDE ADJUSTMENT! ONE! TWO! THRE-NOW AMBROSE BREAKS IT UP, AND IT’S A HOCKEY FIGHT BETWEEN THE TWO CHALLENGERS! Ambrose gets the upper hand with his frantic striking and absurd resiliency, but Cena responds with a punch to the throat before DECAPITATING AMBROSE WITH A LARIAT, ONLY FOR STYLES TO SEND CENA TO THE OUTSIDE! Cena scrambles to his feet… AJ WITH A PHENOMENAL FOREARM TO THE FLOOR, LEAPING UP TO THE APRON FOR ANOTHER ONE TO AMBROSE! ONE! TWO! THREE! THE TRIPLE THREAT CURSE CONTINUES FOR JOHN CENA, BECAUSE AJ STYLES’ WWE TITLE REIGN LIVES TO SEE ANOTHER DAY!
AJ Styles def. John Cena and Dean Ambrose (23:06) to retain the WWE Title
Road to Survivor Series 2016
Naturally, John Cena’s a little sour coming out of No Mercy, but it’s Daniel Bryan who’s the first to reach out to him. He says Survivor Series is coming up, and it’s brand warfare, and Cena says he doesn’t care. However, Bryan keeps pressing - he says he and Cena have been through wars together, and he needs John Cena to represent SmackDown Live in the 5-on-5 elimination match. Cena might not be all about Hustle, Loyalty and Respect anymore, but he shouldn’t be giving up on this roster. If Cena wants to ever be the WWE Champion again, he’ll have to earn that opportunity, and he’ll have to be granted that shot by SmackDown’s management, so it might be a good idea to endear himself to them. John scoffs, standing up to tower over Bryan, when Bryan drops the big gun: he knows who’s on Team Raw.
This piques Cena’s interest, and Daniel says that they’ve got Chris Jericho, who Cena’s fought against before over World Titles. Cena doesn’t really care about the list man. They’ve got Kevin Owens, the Universal Champion, who Cena went to war with in 2015 and ended up falling short against. NOW Cena’s interested, but not interested enough to commit. They’ve got Seth Rollins, the Architect who stole Cena’s victory at WrestleMania 31. Cena’s intrigue is only growing. They’ve got Roman Reigns, who Cena duked it out with over the WWE Championship on the Road To WrestleMania this year, including at the show of shows itself. Cena looks like he’s about to cave at the opportunity to beat the tar out of these guys, but finally, Bryan says that their last man… is Samoa Joe, the ever-lasting thorn in Cena’s side. Cena’s in. He’ll brave teaming with Ambrose and Styles for one night if it means getting to beat those guys - as long as he gets a title match out of it. Bryan agrees, so long as Cena is a survivor at the end of the night, which the Franchise vows to be. He shoulder checks Bryan on the way out for leveraging him, but at the end of the night, Cena gets what he wants.
Survivor Series 2016
Elimination Match: Team SmackDown Live (John Cena, AJ Styles, Bray Wyatt, Dean Ambrose and Randy Orton) vs. Team Raw (Chris Jericho, Kevin Owens, Roman Reigns, Samoa Joe and Seth Rollins)
It’s an all-timer lineup for this one, perhaps the most star-studded lineup to ever grace Survivor Series, and it’s AJ and Joe starting us off, kicking off what could be a fun inter-brand feud down the line as they take a walk down memory lane. Soon enough, Owens tags in to work opposite the WWE Champion, with the company’s two top champs trading blows and Styles getting the upper hand, forcing Owens to tag Jericho. We get some Y2AJ payoff, Styles taking the fight to Jericho before eating a shocking Codebreaker for two, putting Styles on his heels. He tags in Bray, not wanting to interact with Cena or Ambrose, and Wyatt works opposite Reigns, leading to Cena tagging himself in and RUSHING ROMAN WITH A FLURRY OF OFFENSE! He backs Reigns up into the corner and unleashes on him, Roman managing to shove him away before it turns into a huge brawl, all ten men joining the fray as the referee tries to gain control. Seth tags in, but with the referee occupied, Cena has the opportunity to go low and get the upper hand before NAILING AN ATTITUDE ADJUSTMENT FOR TWO! Joe goes after Cena, which is enough to get the Franchise to nope out of the ring. Let Orton handle that or something. Slowly but surely, everyone cycles in, and once the first elimination strikes in the form of a Dirty Deeds to Chris Jericho, the floodgates open.
Dean Ambrose eliminates Chris Jericho by pinfall (5-4)
Owens immediately jumps Ambrose, Orton fighting the Universal Champion off for long enough to leave Ambrose in the ring with Styles. Reigns and Rollins spot their opening, leaping in to stand up to AJ, and Cena can’t help himself as he blindsides Reigns. It turns into a free-for-all, with the Shield ganging up to take out the completely fragmented Styles and Cena, with Bryan on commentary screaming at Ambrose to not take out Smackdown’s guys. Dean shrugs to him, and now STYLES THROUGH THE ANNOUNCE TABLE WITH A TRIPLE POWERBOMB, BUT CENA SMASHES AMBROSE WITH A CHAIR! IS THAT A DQ? IT’S HIS OWN TEAMMATE! The referee doesn’t really know what to do, and Cena takes advantage by tackling Seth through the barricade and even managing to get an ATTITUDE ADJUSTMENT ON REIGNS, BUT AN OPPORTUNE OWENS SENDS AMBROSE AND STYLES BACK IN FOR TWO STRAIGHT POP-UP POWERBOMBS! ONE! TWO! THREE! AMBROSE IS GONE!
Kevin Owens eliminates Dean Ambrose by pinfall (4-4)
NOW HE PINS STYLES… ONE! TWO! THREE!
Kevin Owens eliminates AJ Styles by pinfall (3-4)
OWENS IS ON TOP OF THE WORLD, BUT NOW RANDY ORTON WITH A PUNT ATTEMPT, ONLY TO BE THROWN OUT OF THE RING AS CENA SLIPS IN BEHIND OWENS TO DELIVER A HUGE LARIAT! ATTITUDE ADJUSTMENT! ONE! TWO! THREE!
John Cena eliminates Kevin Owens by pinfall (3-3)
Cena shouts out to Daniel Bryan that he shouldn’t worry about losing Ambrose and AJ, because the real champ, the Franchise, is right here. He can solo the Shield, nevermind having Orton and Bray by his side, so he advises the SmackDown GM to shut his damn mouth and let him take care of business… AND ROMAN REIGNS LEVELS HIM WITH A SPEAR! ONE! TWO! THRE-BRAY WITH THE SAVE! Wyatt nails a Sister Abigail and tosses Reigns aside, heaving Cena’s lifeless body to the home corner and insisting he tag in, but a cocky Cena disregards it, staggering up to his feet as REIGNS MAKES THE HOT TAG TO JOE! CENA CHARGES IN WITH A LARIAT, BUT JOE SLIPS RIGHT UNDER FOR AN ST-JOE! ONE! TWO! THRE-KICKOUT BY CENA, BUT THE SAMOAN SUBMISSION MACHINE SLIPS STRAIGHT INTO A COQUINA CLUTCH! THE FRANCHISE HAS NOWHERE TO GO… CENA TAPS OUT FOR THE FIRST TIME IN HIS WWE CAREER!
Samoa Joe eliminates John Cena by submission (2-3)
In the end, The Wyatt Family manage to clutch against Reigns, Rollins and Joe once infighting befalls Team Raw (kicking off a Joe and Reigns feud), but John Cena sure as hell isn’t getting a shot at the WWE Title at TLC like he’d hoped, and Samoa Joe has one more win to dangle over him.
Team SmackDown Live def. Team Raw (57:46)
Backstage, as the fanfare begins for Goldberg vs. Lesnar, Cena is seen completely beside himself, shouting at Bryan and Shane about all sorts of people - Bryan himself, Rollins, Reigns, Ambrose, Joe, Owens and Styles. Finally, he storms out of the building, telling Bryan where he can stick his management-approved title match. While before, he’d had a target on his back and all sorts of enemies as the Face of the WWE, he’s now got enemies everywhere he looks as he tries to climb his way back up, no matter what it takes.

Did anyone else hear about this conference happening at the end of June?
Several of the invited speakers at this conference have a history of spouting hateful rhetoric that dehumanizes transgender people, and facilitating this event will lead to further harm, hatred, and violence against them and other equity-seeking groups within our community.
Of all 17 guest speakers, these are flagged as the most toxic:

• Lauren Southern is an alt-right political activist known for her controversial views on transgender and non-binary people. Her rhetoric has been widely criticized as promoting transphobia. Southern's views have been identified as hate speech, leading to being banned from the UK after distributing flyers reading "Allah is trans" and also to being barred from entry in Australia. She was also banned from Twitch and Patreon after stunts such as declaring herself “gender non-binary” to change her sex designation to male on her official ID to mock transgender people.
  
• Drea Humphrey, a notorious Rebel News reporter, has a very long record of speaking against trans rights. She stands against SOGI, allowing transgender women to compete in sports and beauty pageants, puberty blockers for minors, trans day of visibility, and drag queen storytime. She also defended Amy Hamm, a BC nurse facing discipline for making transphobic comments.
  
• John Carpay has been widely criticized for his comments and actions perceived as discriminatory, including comparing the rainbow flag to the swastika, denouncing Gay-Straight Alliance clubs in schools, describing protecting LGBTQ rights as authoritarianism, and opposing Saskatchewan policy of allowing minors the use of the name and pronouns of their choice at school without parental authorization.
  
• Lauren Chen has spoken out and organized against policies aimed at protecting and affirming transgender rights, such as access to gender-affirming healthcare. She recently made headlines accusing Biden of "minimizing" Easter Sunday by having it collide with the transgender day of visibility in 2024.
  
• Zuby is a British podcaster. He received media attention after posting a video on Twitter of himself performing a deadlift, then stating he had broken the British women's record while "identifying as a woman". His Twitter account was temporarily suspended for hateful content. He also signed a letter in support of J. K. Rowling’s opposition to transgender people.
  

As an advocate for inclusivity and equality, I firmly believe that giving a platform to organizers and speakers who promote discriminatory views and incite hate contradicts our city's values and poses a threat to the well-being of equity-seeking groups.
Specifically, this contradicts the “Declaration of Ongoing Solidarity with Gender-Diverse Residents of Victoria,” adopted on November 9th, 2023. This declaration states that the Victoria City Council “condemns any and all anti-SOGI mobilizations that seek to undermine the rights and dignity of gender-diverse individuals and their families within our city” and “calls upon community leaders to denounce attacks on transgender and gender-diverse individuals.”
Transgender individuals already face significant challenges, including discrimination, violence, and lack of access to essential services. Allowing speakers who embrace and promote hate speech against them only serves to perpetuate stigma and harm, further marginalizing an already vulnerable population.
As a community, it is our responsibility to create safe, welcoming, and affirming spaces for everyone, regardless of gender identity or expression. I believe that the Victoria Conference Centre needs to uphold the inherent rights of all Canadians to live free from persecution and violence and reconsider offering space to those who promote hate in any of its forms.
It's 2024. Why am I still fighting for basic human rights?
Pissed off about this? Email mayorandcouncil@victoria.ca

I know, I know, I am supposed to be writing my Speak Now deep dives, but this idea came to me, I did not seek it out. If you happen to have adhd, you know that sometimes (read: most of the time) you don’t have control over your brain, it controls you.
I don’t think I would have made the connection though if I hadn’t been spending so much time in the Speak Now era. The themes of this post are connected to SN and what I think started then.
In some ways, writing this post is like writing the conclusion to my Speak Now deep dives first, and then presenting the evidence. So perhaps I am going about this the wrong way, but it wouldn’t be me if I did something in the most logical and straightforward of steps 🤷🏻‍♀️
General Disclaimer: I’m writing about what I think happened, I am in no way saying this is 100% what actually happened - nobody can write about Taylor with that much certainty. I’m happy to hear other interpretations, or if you disagree, that is fine too! I am also not here to dispute the other interpretations that have been written about thanK you aIMee. Like a lot of us are seeing, many of Taylor’s songs likely have multiple meanings. Finally, when I talk about Scott B, I’m just going to refer to him as Scott. Scott Swift isn’t discussed in this post.
Disclaimer #2: I haven’t added this one in a while, but seeing as this post (and my SN posts) are going to be writing heavy vs visual heavy, I feel I need to bring it back. I have adhd so I’m very likely going to make spelling/grammar mistakes - please accept my apology is advance for that. And for my overuse of commas.(My apology as well for all the additional context my adhd is going to give you in parentheses throughout this post).
Now that I have my justifications and disclaimers out of the way lol, let’s get down to business, because I am getting ahead of myself.
Brief synopsis about what I think happened with Speak Now:
It is my belief that Taylor wanted to write queer songs for Speak Now. That idea was rebuffed by Scott/BMR and Taylor didn’t like that so she fought for what she wanted. Some sort of deal was made - a deal that Taylor likely felt forced to take - and she has regretted her decision since then. Whatever went down, irrevocably changed the relationship between Taylor and Scott.
I will go into more detail on what I think happened when I’m writing my Speak Now posts, but in the spirit of brevity (LOL something I’m so good at), I will say that Taylor felt deeply hurt and betrayed by Scott. From SN onwards, I think some of her break up songs are about her processing her feelings over Scott’s actions. I also think that SN is the first album where she started to blur lines and disguised the real story of what she was writing about in the narratives that were created about her public life.
Although there are more, as a quick example, I believe Dear John and the Story of Us are not about a romantic relationship that didn’t work out. I think Scott is the subject of both songs.
I should also mention that I was able to put everything together after I finished my umpteenth rewatch of Ted Lasso. I will not spoil the show for you because I strongly feel that everyone should watch it, but in S3 there is a character talking about what they would say to their dad if given the chance. The character answers “thank you” and “fuck you”. Needless to say, the character has a complicated relationship with their dad, who is flawed.
To me, that is a great description for thanK you aIMee, because as upset as Taylor is/was with Scott, their stories are intertwined and it is almost impossible to write or discuss Taylor’s success without talking about Scott/BMR.
Ultimately as much as Taylor does want to say fuck you to Scott, she also feels the need to thank him for the chance he took on her.
As the kids would say, it’s complicated
First verse

When I picture my hometown
There's a bronze spray-tanned statue of you
And a plaque underneath it
That threatens to push me down the stairs at our school

She says my hometown, but she also mentions our school so she is connecting her experience to the person the song is about.
In Dear John, she wrote:

I’m shining like fireworks over your sad empty town

So, if the two songs are connected, the sad empty town is also Taylor’s hometown which to me means she’s referring to BMR. That is where she got her start in the music industry and probably felt a lot like home to her. Especially if she/her family trusted Scott to look after Taylor and have her best interests at heart.
Using “bronze spray-tanned” statue is a great Kim K red herring, but also, I think an apt description for Scott. He comes across as skeezy and that description works really well for me lol. (Not to disparage anyone who gets a spray tan!)
Pre-chorus and chorus

And it was always the same searing pain
But I dreamed that one day, I could say
All that time you were throwing punches
I was building something
And I can't forgive the way you made me feel
Screamed, "Fuck you, Aimee" to the night sky
As the blood was gushing
But I can't forget the way you made me heal

I don’t know about you, but as someone who isn’t good at confronting people who have hurt me, I spend a lot of time having a conversation where I confront them in my head. Because in my head, I can say what I want to say, I don’t freeze, and I don’t have the other person there to gaslight me into thinking they did nothing wrong.
This is also a good example of the “thank you, fuck you” dynamic I brought up at the beginning of my post.
Taylor is angry at “aIMee” but also acknowledges that at one point, “aIMee” was a source of comfort.
It also reminds me of this line from My Tears Ricochet:

And you can aim for my heart, go for blood

Second verse

And it wasn't a fair fight, or a clean kill
Each time that Aimee stomped across my grave
And then she wrote headlines in the local paper
Laughing at each baby step I'd take

Another potential call back to My Tears Ricochet:

And if I'm dead to you, why are you at the wake?
Cursing my name, wishing I stayed

Whatever went down with Scott/the masters sale, Taylor clearly feels it was unfair to her and one of the reasons for that is because I think she viewed their relationship as a partnership and Scott as family.
Back to the chorus, and as Taylor likes to do, changes have been made (emphasis mine)

All that time you were throwing punches
I was building something
And I couldn't wait to show you it was real

In the first chorus she talks about not being able to forgive Scott for what happened. In this chorus she writes that while he was throwing punches at her, she was building something and she wants him to know that it was real.
We’ve talked a lot about why Taylor has decided to go for maximum exposure when she was already at very high levels of success last year. I think (like always with Taylor) there are many reasons for that. One reason is, if she does come out and “loses fans”, with her current success I think she feels she can weather that storm.
I also think she is doing at as a fuck you to Scott. She is showing him that she can have levels of success that not a lot of people have reached, without him.
One can argue that Taylor should let this go and forget what happened, but we aren’t the ones who felt betrayed and honestly, that just doesn’t seem to be Taylor’s style at all.
I was reminded recently of this quote from Taylor in a comment by u/taytopancakes
The girl keeps receipts and doesn’t forget.
Still on the chorus

Everyone knows that my mother is a saintly woman
But she used to say she wished that you were dead
I pushed each boulder up the hill
Your words are still just ringing in my head, ringing in my head

I think the line about Taylor’s mom makes a lot more sense to be about what went down with Scott vs the Kimye of it all. I’m sure that Taylor’s mom also expected Scott to act in Taylor’s best interests, and protect her, and it seems like he didn’t.
I also see it connecting back to TIWWCHNT, which is also presented to us as a song about the Kimye situation. And while Kimye might be one of the song’s subjects, I also see it partly being about Scott.
I recently made a connection to My Boy Only Breaks His Favorite Toys and TIWWCHNT:

This is why we can't have nice things, darlin'
Because you break them, I had to take them away

As we learned in TIWWCHNT, Taylor definitely told her mama about all that drama.
Bridge

I wrote a thousand songs that you find uncool
I built a legacy that you can't undo
But when I count the scars, there's a moment of truth
That there wouldn't be this if there hadn't been you

We know that Taylor fought a lot for her creative choices with BMR, and those are only the battles we know about. Never mind the other disagreements they might have had.
The other reason I think Taylor is going for maximum career exposure relates to the line about her legacy. She is now in charge (yes, she has a team that works with her, but she is the one driving decisions). Whatever she built with BMR, she has surpassed that. Big time.
The last two lines of the bridge, to me, are the crux of everything this song is about.
As much as Scott hurt and let Taylor down, without him and BMR, who knows where Taylor would have ended up. So much about success in life is about timing - no one can deny Taylor’s talent - but timing matters a lot.
And how hard is it to deal with the fact that someone you have such (justifiable) anger towards, is the same person that you have to acknowledge is also one of the reasons you’re as successful as you are?
Conflicted, thy name is Taylor Swift.
Third verse

And maybe you've reframed it
And in your mind, you never beat my spirit black and blue
I don't think you've changed much
And so I changed your name and any real defining clues
And one day, your kid comes home singing
A song that only us two is gonna know is about you 'cause

I’m sure in Scott’s mind, he is not a villain in the story of Taylor Swift. He is a hero and without him, Taylor wouldn’t be successful.
Regardless of the songs she wrote, or the ideas she had, I don’t think it is a stretch to say that he likely views himself as the reason she became a mega star. Every decision he fought for and won, he probably views as the right thing because of where she ended up.
Clearly though, Taylor disagrees.
Not that it matters to her, but I do as well.
He might have played a big part in her success, but Taylor is nothing without her song writing - she talks about this in Miss Americana - and while Scott’s partnership helped her, she is still the one who created the art.
Taylor tell us that she’s changed the real defining clues about who the song is about (the opposite of what the song title would indicate if you think the song is about Kim K.), something that I mentioned earlier, I believe she’s been doing since Speak Now.
While the time frame isn’t mentioned in the song, mentioning school to me is an indicator that the song is written partly about a younger Taylor.
For me, having such an obvious misdirection in the song title, confirms that there are many songs where Taylor has hidden the true narrative/who the song is actually about, in a public story that everybody knows about.
So much of what Taylor writes about is hidden in stories that make her come across as petty and shallow. Like the Time Person of the Year story - if you read that from the perspective of her actually talking about the Kimye drama years after the fact - Taylor doesn’t come across well. But if you change the perspective and read it thinking about her fights with Scott/Scootethe music industry, everything changes.
I want to close out this post with a comment I made in another post about Taylor hiding her true feelings in a public narrative. Although the comment is about LWYMMD/reputation and what I think was her plan to start coming out, I feel it applies here too. As well as to other things where Taylor writes about being angry or upset, but isn’t being totally upfront about what she is actually writing about.

I think the Kimye drama was real and affected Taylor deeply. I also think it was a deliberate set up by SB to stop Taylor from coming out.
In my opinion she used the fallout from the Kimye drama as the reason for all the anger on the album as a red herring.
People sometimes comment that there's an inauthenticity to the "persona" Taylor puts forward in rep - her angry act falls short. I think what people are picking up on is that while Taylor's anger is real the subject of that anger is not Kimye.
I think it is directed towards, Scott B, Scooter, and the music industry as a whole.
It gives me a new perspective on rep from that point of view.
From the rep prologue:
Let me say it again louder for those in the back
We think we know someone, but the truth is we only know the version of them they have chosen to show us
There will be no further explanation
There will be just reputation
Look at that in relation to the Kimye stuff and it reads like she's a wounded animal ready for blood. Which can come across as cringe.
Look at it from the perspective of her starting a plan to come out and to irrevocably change the music industry. It hits different.

Edit: I forgot to add that another reason I got to Scott B via aIMee is both names have 5 letters in them. I think aIMee is a stand in for Scott. I know there are other reasons why people think Taylor spelled Amy that way instead of the traditional spelling, but I think a stand in for Scott works too.

The so-called “troubles” in Northern Ireland never go away, you know. Shelves of books continue to be published. There is a sizeable stand at WHSmith in Belfast airport dedicated to the latest crop. Film-makers are still drawn to the subject. One of the most recent, Baltimore, related (poorly) the story of the 1974 theft of priceless paintings orchestrated on behalf of the IRA by Rose Dugdale. And television programme-makers often return to the conflict. At each end of March 2024, for example, the BBC screened two very different documentaries that dealt with its earliest phase. The first was a 13-minute segment in the third part of a series, How the BBC Began. The second, The Secret Army, was a 90-minute film about a film, concerning a “disappeared” documentary about the IRA made in 1972 by an American academic.
It would have been of far greater value if the interrogation of the BBC’s role in Northern Ireland had been given a solo 90-minute slot. As for the second, well, let’s just say half an hour would have been long enough. But both, in their very different ways, reminded us that truth is always a moving target. While retelling a history we know well – or think we know well – they underlined the overwhelming importance of propaganda. In war, and let’s not haggle over that description of what took place for 30 years on the streets of Belfast and Derry, the fabrication assumes as great a role, arguably a greater one, than the reality. As three of the BBC’s former luminary staff made abundantly clear, the story they were required to tell did not come close to fulfilling the stated aim of Britain’s public service broadcaster to present impartial information to its listeners and viewers. Each of them admitted they were prevented from telling what they knew to be the truth.
For the record, here’s what they said. First up, Sir Paul Fox, controller of BBC1 for six years from 1967: “In a way, it was as difficult to film in Northern Ireland as it was to film in the Soviet Union … stuff was censored, there’s no question about it, by the hierarchy in Northern Ireland. I suppose it’s worth saying there were bloody Protestants who were running the BBC in those days and had a grip on it … everything that was filmed by Tonight and Panorama in Northern Ireland had to be seen by the head of programmes in Northern Ireland, and he would act as a censor… There were no Catholics working in the BBC in senior positions. Outrageous.”
Second, Denis Tuohy, who learned on joining BBC Belfast in 1960 that he was the first Catholic to work in the newsroom, because a local paper greeted his recruitment with the headline: “At last, an appointment from the outside.” He said: “Those who ran the BBC in Northern Ireland and the unionist government of Northern Ireland … had lots of mutual friends.” Eight years later, by now working in London, Tuohy’s editor thought him the perfect reporter to send to Belfast to cover the outbreak of riots “to help us to understand” what was happening. But the editor was overruled, explaining to Tuohy: “BBC Northern Ireland have protested at the highest level of the BBC in London to you as the reporter… They feel you would be too close to the story.” Too off-message, more like.

The man in the white suit who was “kind of impartial”

Third, Martin Bell, sent from London to report during the earliest days of the troubles: “I hardly knew the difference between Belfast and Dublin. I’ve never admitted this before, but it is true… I learned very quickly the sort of thing you had to learn… the BBC’s controller in Northern Ireland was breathing over your shoulder all the time… BBC cameras and reporters were attacked by the loyalists because we were not the voice of loyalism, because we were kind of impartial and even-handed, even then, and we were giving a voice to their republican rivals, so I got harassed quite a bit.”
Kind of impartial? Even that was too much for the then-unionist government in Stormont. But, with the greatest of respect to Mr Bell, to refer to the BBC’s coverage of the conflict that raged from 1968 until 1998 as “kind of impartial” is entirely to miss the point. Aside from suggesting that truth is some kind of spectrum, it was wholly incorrect. Not kind of impartial, but very partial indeed. Partial and, in some instances, wholly untruthful. What is now evident, and should have been evident at the time, was the willingness of the BBC, which habitually asserted its independence from the state, to do the state’s bidding. Yet this is not, any longer, a controversial viewpoint. It is mainstream. It is accepted as fact. Note the lack of any reaction by the current BBC hierarchy, by politicians, or by commentators, to those statements by Fox, Tuohy and Bell. They provoked no denials. Nothing we haven’t known for years. That was then, and this is now. Move on.
But shaking our heads and lamenting what some would like to pass off as a historical aberration is just not good enough. The BBC’s news and current affairs output failed every possible test of impartiality. The fact that its censorship has long been recognised does not negate the significance of what happened. Nor should it be allowed to pass into some kind of historical limbo. Each additional revelation of the BBC’s faults during that conflict requires examination and explanation. As Fox rightly indicated, pro-unionist prejudice was embedded within the BBC from its inception. The Belfast-based controllers, all of them drawn from a unionist background and supportive of the Stormont government, were allowed to do as they wished by the corporation’s London headquarters. None more so than Waldo Maguire, controller from 1966 to 1972, who suppressed anything he considered inflammatory, meaning, of course, anything that offered even an inkling of the truth. What he achieved and, through him, the wider BBC, was a bias against understanding.
For example, the framing of civil rights protests in 1969 as some kind of stalking horse for the IRA was a crucial deception, playing on the fears of unionists within Northern Ireland while creating among its audience in Britain a bogeyman enemy which, at the time, did not exist as a fighting force. As Bell recalled, reality was camouflaged. When Catholics were burned out of their homes, he was told: “You’re not allowed to call them Catholics. You have to call them refugees.”
These contributions to a false narrative were also charted, along with several others, in a fascinating and meticulous 2015 study by Robert Savage, The BBC’s ‘Irish troubles’: Television, conflict and Northern Ireland. As he related, matters grew infinitely worse for the BBC once British soldiers were deployed on the streets in August 1969. Their arrival engendered the founding, some four months later, of the Provisional IRA and, suddenly, the shadow enemy assumed factual existence. From this point on, the battles on the streets were echoed by battles behind the scenes for media influence.
Despite Maguire’s malign influence, some BBC reporters refused to toe the line. John Bierman, for instance, broadcast a network news item in February 1971 in which he said: “There are growing doubts about the army’s impartiality among moderate middle-class Catholics desperately anxious to hold their co-religionists back from extremism.”
This report enraged the authorities, in Stormont and in Westminster. It also prompted the British army and Britain’s secret services to get their act together. Seen in retrospect, one of the most remarkable aspects of their response was its speed and sophistication. Informed by counter-insurgency experience elsewhere in Britain’s empire, notably by that of General Sir Frank Kitson, it was understood that censorship was no longer good enough; it must be replaced by its more proactive cousin, propaganda. Far and away its greatest success was to institute what became the conflict’s most persuasive overarching media narrative, the portrayal of the army as the disinterested piggy in the middle between two warring tribes.

Maguire becomes the Godfather of news output

It was eagerly adopted by the “neutral” BBC. But there was no tribal equality. There was never any doubt that one tribe – variously described as Catholic, nationalist or republican – was the state’s main enemy. To hammer home the point, lest the BBC’s journalists stray, various pressures were applied, overt and covert, to reinforce the message. When internment was introduced in August 1971, government ministers openly warned the BBC to beware “bias”. The defence secretary, Lord Carrington, wrote to the corporation’s chairman, Lord Hill, to complain about reports “which are unfairly loaded to suggest improper behaviour by British troops”. The post and telegraphs minister, Christopher Chataway, then made a speech in which he said broadcasters need no longer strike an even balance between the unionist government and the IRA, nor between the army and the IRA. Lord Hill took the hint, writing to the home secretary, Reginald Maudling, to affirm that “as between the British Army and the gunmen the BBC is not and cannot be impartial”. These exchanges had the effect of reinforcing Maguire’s hand, cementing his power over all output relating to Northern Ireland. He forbade reporters from interviewing released internees who alleged army brutality and prevented the screening of an interview with the civil rights leader Michael Farrell on his release. He also overruled the making of an “in depth” programme about the IRA.
Although these decisions were not made public at the time, BBC journalists were aware of them. What they did not know was the army’s decision, in the wake of public hostility to internment, to engage in a covert media war through the formation of its notorious information policy unit. The single aim of this khaki public relations initiative was to disseminate misinformation (aka lies). Working closely with the secret services, notably MI5, and often with the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC), it developed into an agency of deceit. Years passed before reporters realised they could not trust its briefings. Again, this is now well known, a matter of record, and it is therefore tempting to pass it off as a deviation from the norm, the result of the requirement to deal with exceptional circumstances. No need, all these years on, to rake over old coals. Nothing new can be found in those embers. Wrong, so wrong.
By December 1971, disinformation was the order of the day for the army, and one of its central themes was the denigration of the Provisional IRA. Their operatives were to be portrayed as cowards and/or psychopaths who bombed indiscriminately without a care for the local population. One of that policy’s most contentious manifestations followed the bombing that month of a Belfast pub favoured by Catholics, McGurk’s Bar. It was one of Northern Ireland’s deadliest atrocities, killing 15 Catholics, including two children, and wounding 17 more.
Immediately afterwards, British security forces briefed journalists about the bomb having exploded inside the pub. Unnamed “forensic experts” were cited as having “pinpointed” the centre of the blast with “a tell-tale crater” in the main bar area. It was further hinted that the pub was a regular meeting place for members of the Provisional IRA. These falsehoods suggested that the bomb was an IRA device, a scenario enthusiastically endorsed by none other than Kitson, the commander of 39 Infantry Brigade. He noted in his log that the RUC had “a line that the bomb” was “left in the pub to be picked up by the Provisional IRA. Bomb went off and was a mistake”.
Yet a British army technical officer had already reported to his superiors that it was the pub’s entrance that was cratered and was, therefore, “the seat of the explosion”. This dovetailed with the account of a witness, an eight-year-old boy, who told of seeing men drive up and place a package at the pub’s doorway. This statement was subsequently supported by the confession of the only man prosecuted for the crime (in 1977, loyalist Robert Campbell of the UVF was sentenced to life imprisonment, eventually serving 15 years). But it was the lie that gained media traction, especially at the BBC’s “prestigious” current affairs programme Panorama. Weeks after the event, it reported that “an IRA bomb” was responsible for the massacre.
So far, so bad. A tone had been set. In subsequent years, there was a reliance on unattributed briefings and a belief in their veracity. In the BBC’s news report in January 1972 about Bloody Sunday in Derry, in which 14 people were killed by the Paratroop Regiment, one sentence was particularly notable: “The gun battle lasted about 25 minutes.” That lie – there was no battle – was finally laid to rest 38 years later by Lord Savile’s inquiry. It was, however, just one of so many examples where the security forces’ version of events was too readily accepted.
As if the external political pressure, internal constraints and the army’s information policy unit were not enough to keep the BBC in check, it has become apparent that there was another undeclared level of contact between the corporation and the state. Pioneering research into the BBC archives by Belfast-based Ciarán MacAirt, founder of the Paper Trail charity and grandson to two McGurk’s Bar victims, has revealed a fascinating link between a secret section of the Foreign Office, the Information Research Department (IRD), and a well-placed BBC executive. The contact is clear from a letter sent by the IRD’s Josephine O’Connor Howe to John Cecil Crawley, chief assistant to the then-BBC director-general, Sir Charles Curran.

BBC discounted evidence from eyewitnesses to bombing

She offered Crawley “a background paper” on the IRA, adding that “as usual it is sent for your personal background and is not for attribution”. That letter, dated December 6, 1971, was delivered on the day the BBC in Belfast interviewed two witnesses to the McGurk’s Bar explosion, both of whom offered evidence diametrically opposed to the army’s “official version”, evidence that the BBC discounted. Crawley, in thanking O’Connor Howe for the “very interesting” paper, confirmed that he had sent it on to Desmond Taylor, editor of news and current affairs. Taylor had inherited the job weeks before from Crawley, who headed the news department for four years after spending 26 years as a BBC correspondent and editor.
MacAirt has unearthed other files that show IRD contact with BBC managers and journalists. One file of “ad hoc” BBC contacts was compiled by Norman Reddaway, whose 1970 Foreign Office title as “assistant undersecretary for information and cultural affairs” tended to conceal his real role as, to quote his obituary, “an expert in the field of intelligence and counterpropaganda”. It was also the case that the London-based IRD was closely allied to the army’s Belfast-based information policy unit. At least one of its operatives, Hugh Mooney, was a former journalist for the Irish Times and Reuters, who worked for both. The interpenetration of journalists with the secret services is hardly a new revelation, of course, but each new discovery raises important questions.
Nor must we forget that there is a human element to all this obfuscation and secrecy. MacAirt’s grandmother, Kitty Irvine, died in the McGurk’s blast, and his grandfather John, who served in an Irish regiment of the British army, was badly injured. MacAirt is one of the many bereaved who have been campaigning for a generation to expose the truth and to obtain official acknowledgement of what he calls “the casual criminalisation of our loved ones”. They are also seeking an apology from all concerned, including the BBC. The struggle has involved lengthy and expensive court actions. It has also shown up the BBC in a continuing poor light. In December 2021, the BBC failed to mark the 50th anniversary of the bombing. When reminded of the omission, an online news report was belatedly published. The painstaking research into this incident alone justifies further investigation into the relationship between the BBC and the secret services of the state. There are plenty of similar cases that demand attention too
https://bjr.org.uk/who-says-the-bbc-doesnt-take-sides/

Highkey drowning in assignments at school and trying to finish the alt right praxis piece I'm writing, but I couldn't hold back from addressing this because as a Korean communist, this course of news that's been making its rounds lately is infuriating.
Every single time you see a headline for the DPRK trash balloons, it makes it seem like "ooooh the crazzzyy north Koreans they're dropping trash balloons on the only democracy in the Korean peninsula!!!" It's the same old, same old thing we've seen again and again: media completely stripping all context from the DPRK, orientalizing north Koreans, and bootlicking the US's neocolony of the ROK.
Context: south Korea / US anti-DPRK lobbying agencies have been sending balloons to north Korea, often with dollar bills, USB hard drives of their propaganda or things like Kdramas, and notes/letters explaining to them how they (north Koreans) don't know better and the DPRK is actually evil and they're trapped and need to leave. The trash balloons were in retaliation to this bullshit from the US and ROK. Since then, the ROK has suspended a military pact with the DPRK.
What this Korean Marxist has to say: [1] why does the entire world and even the ROK orientalize north Koreans so much? (well... we know why but still to pose the rhetorical question). Imagine if these propaganda balloons were dropped into any Western country, everyone would be enraged that people could think Westerners aren't smart enough to learn about their govt and world on their own or that they're too stupid to know better, or that anybody but them knows the real truth. north Koreans aren't stupid and they aren't brainwashed zombies, they are people. [2] the media does this every time. Strip their articles of all journalistic integrity (as if they had any in the first place), strip the DPRK of context, and eliminate the role ROK and the US often has in provoking the DPRK. They care about selling headlines and remaining within the mainstream leash of the US empire. This is not new and it's infuriating and insulting every time. [3] any US anti-DPRK political org/lobbying org almost automatically gets huge amounts of govt provided money. This is an industry, this is a propaganda business. [4] Not to justify nationalism or to glaze the flaws of the DPRK, (again, the argument "ohh so do you think [said socialist country or socialist] is perfect? never did anything wrong" is pure bad faith, absolutely nobody unironically says that shit outside of memes, it doesn't ever legitimately happen and it's a stupid argument to make in the first place, Marxist offer the most nuanced critical support) but people seriously wonder why the DPRK is so militarized and secretive and nationalistic. Imagine the govt that genocided you guys in the millions keeps fucking around with you like this for decades and decades.
the situation is unfolding more and more, but the vast majority of western mainstream media won't highlight that ROK provoked DPRK. al Jazeera despite its flaws unsurprisingly is the only big news source (to my knowledge) that covered this aspect well enough to start giving the bigger picture: https://aje.io/71tguh
edit: but let's bffr highkey badass to send literal shit balloons to the capitalist neocolony and bourgeois empire fucking with you 💀

I read this book at my local library when I was 12 (2009). It was written by a UK author. The story is that this loneoutcast girl teenage girl ends up dating this older guy, I wanna say they were like 17 & 24ish respectively.
Their relationship escalates pretty fast and it’s this whirlwind sort of love affair. But the guy ends up being emotionally abusive, and at one point I believe physically. The girl ends up leaving him and a few weeks or months later she finds out that he had a suicide attempt and ends up in hospital. She goes to visit him and sees that he has cut an ‘O’ into his hand, which is the first letter of her name. She ends up saying goodbye to him for good after this.
I believe the MC’s name could’ve been Olivia? I also remember the author made a real MySpace page for the fake band of the male character.
I haven’t been able to remember this book for over 10 years. Please help!

I came to find out that an improvement document that was sent to me from a shipper, They however forgot to add my apartment number. The delivery requested a direct signature. I saw later that they still delivered my package without my knowledge and it has a 100 percent vague signature. Just my initials, completely different from my official signature. The letters were are completely different too mine, (It was in cursive I cant even write cursive). I checked with FedEx that in case there is no apartment number they leave it at the building office. I checked there, they don’t have it. FedEx told me if that doesn’t happen, then the driver is supposed to bring it back, which he didn’t. I believe forging my signature is a criminal act. Please advise on how should i proceed with this.
Those docunents are really important, no amount of financial resolution till 1000$ is going to make up for it. Which i believe is far fetched. What do I do?!

Hi all,
I'd love some input and am happy to edit this with anything you believe will strengthen it. Thanks for reading and thanks in advance for any improvement suggestions!
Trump's "Witch Hunt" Theory
Trump’s “witch hunt” theory misses a crucial thing: his own conduct.
"It’s not like Trump’s behavior is being questioned for no reason. He just keeps doing things that require investigation. He has done so sometimes in spite of, and sometimes with the help of, the advisers and attorneys surrounding him who are supposed to keep him out of trouble."
NC Newsline: Trump claims ‘witch hunt’ but the real numbers just don’t add up
"Donald Trump's remarkable litigiousness demonstrates the absurdity of his claim that American courts are pursuing a witch hunt against him. Despite his claims of political persecution, Trump's extensive history of litigation, including 4,000+ lawsuits as both plaintiff and defendant, shows a pattern of legal troubles that undermine his witch hunt narrative."
Verify: Did Stormy Daniels once deny an affair with Donald Trump?
The article explores claims that Stormy Daniels, who alleges an affair with Donald Trump, once denied the affair in a signed letter. While Trump has denied the affair and cited the letter as evidence, Daniels later stated she was pressured into signing it and reiterated her claim that the affair did happen. This ongoing dispute highlights the complexities of the case involving hush money payments.
Political Donations
Trump donated $1000 to Biden, $965 more than judge Merhan did.
Aileen Cannon donated to the De Santis campaign
Statements About Ivanka Trump
She’s “voluptuous" and agrees with a calling her a "piece of ass": Politico, NY Daily News
"Perhaps I'd be dating her": Splinter News
She has “the best body": Salon
"If I weren't happily married...": HuffPost
"Is it wrong to be more sexually attracted to your own daughter than your wife?": Cosmopolitan
They have “sex [in common],” whatever that even means: Us Magazine
Accusations and Allegations
Also of note: A teen pageant contestant complained to Ivanka in 1997 about Trump barging into the dressing rooms while the competitors were changing clothes. Ivanka’s response: “Yeah, he does that.” How would she know unless he did that to her? Daily Kos
The 2016 testimony of Jane Doe, who claims Trump raped her when she was 13 at one of Jeffrey Epstein’s parties. Doe says that Trump communicated to the recruiter that he was interested in her because she was wearing a blonde wig and reminded him of his daughter. YouTube
Trump Supporters' Threats and Actions
“Dox the Jurors. Dox them now,” one user wrote after Trump’s conviction on a website formerly known as “The Donald,” which was popular among participants in the Capitol attack.
“Me and millions of other gun-loving Americans are just waiting until Trump gives us the green light to take to the streets and start gunning down Democrats”
“Repairing this breach of constitutional norms will require Republicans to follow the age-old maxim: Do unto others as they have done unto you,” urges Yoo. “In order to prevent the case against Trump from assuming a permanent place in the American political system, Republicans will have to bring charges against Democratic officers, even presidents.”
Stew Peters made a startling demand for public executions at the latest stop on the ReAwaken America tour — calling for the death of Joe Biden’s son Hunter as well as Dr. Anthony Fauci, whom Peters insisted should “hang from a length of thick rope until he is dead.” “In the world that we are going to build,” Peters declared, “traitors will hang.”
Christian Nationalism and Right-Wing Movements
Joel Webbon & Trump/Heritage alumnus William Wolfe edited the “Statement on Christian Nationalism” manifesto drafted by OK Senator Dusty Deevers. Webbon says that if he could wave his Christian Nationalist “wand,” women would NOT have the right to vote.
Steve Bannon on Trump’s Project 2025: "We mock your fear, we want you to fear. There will be accountability. We are going to hold everyone who opposes Trump responsible. That will come with authority, the authority of Donald Trump" "They're putting it out into the public the danger of Trump, and the danger of the Trump movement," he said, likening his listeners to the "brownshirts," which refers to members of the early Nazi paramilitary organization the Sturmabteilung, which played a significant role in Adolf Hitler's rise to power prior to World War II.
Statements by Public Figures
Ted Cruz in 2016: “I want to tell you what I really think of Donald Trump. This man is a pathological liar...The man cannot tell the truth, but he combines it with being a narcissist at a level I don't think this country has ever seen.”
Many evangelical pastors are voicing alarm because some of these people have become so militant that they are even rejecting the teachings of Jesus Christ. That’s according to evangelical Christian leader Russell Moore, who discussed this on NPR earlier this week, Raw Story reports. Moore said multiple pastors have told him worrying stories about their congregants being upset when they read from the famous “Sermon on the Mount” where Christ espoused the principles of forgiveness and mercy as central to Christian doctrine. “Multiple pastors tell me, essentially, the same story about quoting the Sermon on the Mount, parenthetically, in their preaching — ‘turn the other cheek’ — [and] to have someone come up after to say, ‘Where did you get those liberal talking points?” Moore said. “And what was alarming to me is that in most of these scenarios, when the pastor would say, ‘I’m literally quoting Jesus Christ,’ the response would not be, ‘I apologize.’ The response would be, ‘Yes, but that doesn’t work anymore. That’s weak.'”
Election Fraud and Legal Issues
Sean Hannity Testified He Didn't Believe Trump's Election Fraud Lies 'For 1 Second'
The Federalist CEO Calls For Republicans to Draw Up Lists of Democrats to ‘Put in Prison’ After Trump Verdict
Judicial and Political Commentary
Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, who accepted lavish gifts from a billionaire, argued that a law prohibiting taking bribes is too vague to be fairly enforced.
Mr. Carlson texts with members of his staff, two months after the 2020 election and two days before the insurrection at the Capitol building, about looking forward to not having to cover Mr. Trump.
Carlson: We are very, very close to being able to ignore Trump most nights. I truly can’t wait. Carlson: I hate him passionately. JAN. 7, 2021 After the riot at the Capitol on Jan. 6, Mr. Carlson texts with Mr. Pfeiffer about Mr. Trump’s culpability in the insurrection and how to deal with viewers who still support him. It was two weeks before the inauguration of President Biden. Carlson: Trump has two weeks left. Once he’s out, he becomes incalculably less powerful, even in the minds of his supporters. Carlson: He’s a demonic force, a destroyer. But he’s not going to destroy us. I’ve been thinking about this every day for four years. Pfeiffer: You’re right. I don’t want to let him destroy me either. [REDACTED]. The Trump anger spiral is vicious.
Trump's Falsehoods and Legal Issues
Trump Lied More Than 30,000 Times During His Presidency. “The public’s apathy and despair towards Trump’s lies, researchers point out, were by design: The attacks mirrored a Russian propaganda technique known as the “firehose of falsehood,” which is exactly what it sounds like—relentless, rapid, bogus information…”
False or misleading statements by Donald Trump
Judge clarifies: Yes, Trump was found to have raped E. Jean Carroll “The finding that Ms. Carroll failed to prove that she was ‘raped’ within the meaning of the New York Penal Law does not mean that she failed to prove that Mr. Trump ‘raped’ her as many people commonly understand the word ‘rape,’ ” Kaplan wrote. He added: “Indeed, as the evidence at trial recounted below makes clear, the jury found that Mr. Trump in fact did exactly that.”
Dictatorship and Authoritarian Remarks
People don’t seem to mind the idea of former President Donald Trump acting as a dictator, he told Time magazine in an interview that drew swift rebuke from the Biden-Harris campaign.
Trump praised Hitler “He said, ‘Well, but Hitler did some good things,’” Kelly said of one conversation with Trump. “I said, ‘Well, what?’ And he said, ‘Well, [Hitler] rebuilt the economy.’ But what did he do with that rebuilt economy? He turned it against his own people and against the world. And I said, ‘Sir, you can never say anything good about the guy. Nothing,’” Kelly told Sciutto, going over how he has responded to this then-boss.
A video posted to Donald Trump’s account on his social media network included references to a “unified Reich” among hypothetical news headlines if he wins the election in November.
“As President, I wanted to give myself the Congressional Medal of Honor but they wouldn’t let me do it... They said that would be inappropriate,” Mr Trump told a crowd of right-wing student activists in Tampa, Florida, on Saturday night.
Trump’s Record on the Military and Veterans

• Only 1 Trump in America has served in the military (Fred Trump, Don's brother, served the Air National Guard); this spans 5 generations, and every branch of the family tree. In fact, the reason his grandfather immigrated to America was to avoid military service.
• Children of deployed US troops will no longer get automatic American citizenship if born overseas during deployment. This includes US troops posted abroad for years at a time (August 28, 2019)
• On August 2, 2019, Trump requisitioned military retirement funds towards border wall
• On July 31, 2019, Trump ordered the Navy rescind medals to prosecutors who were prosecuting war criminals
• In July 2019, Trump denied a United States Marine of 6 years entry into the United States for his scheduled citizenship interview (Reported July 17, 2019)
• Trump made the U.S. Navy Blue Angels violate ethics rules by having them fly at his July 4th political campaign (July 4, 2019)
• Trump demanded US military chiefs stand next to him at 4th of July parade (reported July 2, 2019)
• In June, 2019, Trump sent troops to the border to paint the fence for a better "aesthetic appearance" (June 7, 2019)
• Trump used his D-Day interview at a cemetery commemorating fallen US soldiers to attack a Vietnam veteran (June 6, 2019)
• Trump started his D-Day commemoration speech by attacking a private citizen (Bette Midler, of all people) (reported on June 4th, 2019)
• Trump made his 2nd wife, Marla Maples, sign a prenup that would have cut off all child support if Tiffany joined the military (reported on June 4th, 2019)
• On May 27, 2019, Trump turned away US military from his Memorial Day speech because they were from the destroyer USS John S. McCain
• Trump ordered the USS John McCain out of sight during his visit to Japan (May 15, 2019). The ship's name was subsequently covered. (May 27, 2019)
• Trump pardoned war criminals (May, 2019)
• Trump purged 200,000 veterans healthcare applications (due to known administrative errors within VA’s enrollment process and enrollment system) (reported on May 13, 2019)
• Trump deported a spouse of fallen Army soldier killed in Afghanistan, leaving their daughter parentless (April 16, 2019)
• On March 20, 2019, Trump complained that a deceased war hero didn't thank him for his funeral
• He refused to sign his party's funding bill, which shut down the government, and forced a branch of the military to go without pay. This branch of military was forced to work without pay, otherwise they would be AWOL. However, his appointees got a $10,000 pay raise (Dec 22, 2018 – Jan 25, 2019)
• He didn't pay the Coast Guard, forcing service members to rely on food pantries (Jan 23, 2019)
• He denied female troops access to birth control to limit sexual activity (on-going. Published Jan 18, 2019)
• When a man was caught swindling veterans pensions for high-interest “cash advances," Trump's Consumer Financial Protection Bureau fined him $1. As a reminder, the Trump administration's goal was to dismantle the CFPB, installing Mick Mulvaney as the director, who publicly stated the bureau should be disbanded. (Jan 26, 2019)
• He called a retired general a 'dog' with a 'big, dumb mouth' (Jan 1, 2019)
• He increased privatization of the VA, leading to longer waits and higher taxpayer cost (2018)
• He finally visited troops 2 years after taking office, but only after 154 vacation days at his properties (Dec 26, 2018)
• He revealed a covert Seal Team 5 deployment, including names and faces, on Twitter during his visit to Iraq (Dec 26, 2018)
• Trump lied to deployed troops that he gave them a 10% raise. He didn't give them a 10% raise (Dec 26, 2018). He initially tried to give the military a raise that was lower than the standard living adjustment. This was before Congress told him that idea wasn't going to work. Then after giving them the raise that Congress made him, he lied about it pretending that it was larger than Obama's. It wasn't.
• He fired service members living with HIV just before the 2018 holidays (Dec 19, 2018-present)
• He tried to slash disability and unemployment benefits for Veterans to $0, and eliminate the unemployability extrascheduler rating (Dec 17, 2018)
• He got three Mar-a-Lago guests to run the VA (unknown start - present, made well-known in 2018)
• He called troops on Thanksgiving and told them he's most thankful for himself (Thanksgiving, 2018)
• He urged Florida to not count deployed military votes (Nov 12, 2018)
• While in Europe commemorating the end of WWI, he didn't attend the ceremony at a US cemetery due to the rain - but other world leaders went anyway (Nov 10, 2018)
• He used troops as a political prop by sending them on a phantom mission to the border and made them miss Thanksgiving with their families (Oct-Dec, 2018)
• He stopped using troops as a political prop immediately after the election. However, the troops remained in muddy camps on the border (Nov 7, 2018)
• Trump changed the GI Bill through his Forever GI Act, causing the VA to miss veteran benefits, including housing allowances. This caused many veterans to run out of food and rent. “You can count on us to serve, but we can’t count on the VA to make a deadline,” one veteran said. (reported October 7, 2018)
• Trump doubled the rejection rate for veterans requesting family deportation protections (July 5, 2018)
• Trump deported active-duty spouses (11,800 military families face this problem as of April 2018)
• He forgot a fallen soldier's name (below) during a call to his pregnant widow, then attacked her the next day (Oct 23-24, 2017)
• He sent commandos into an ambush due to a lack of intel, and sends contractors to pick them up, resulting in a commando being left behind, tortured, and executed. (Trump approved the mission because Bannon told him Obama didn't have the guts to do it) (Oct 4, 2017)
• He blocked a veteran group on Twitter (June 2017)
• He ordered the discharge of active-duty immigrant troops with good records (2017-present)
• He deported veterans (2017-present)
• He said he knows more about ISIS than American generals https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2016/10/04/17-issues-that-donald-trump-knows-better-than-anyone-else-according-to-donald-trump/ (Oct 2016)
• He said vets get PTSD because they aren't strong (Oct 3, 2016) (note: yes, he said it's 'because they aren't strong.' He didn't say it's 'because they're weak.' This distinction is important because of Snopes)
• Trump accepted a Purple Heart from a fan at one of his rallies and said: “I always wanted to get the Purple Heart. This was much easier.” (Aug 2, 2016)
• Trump attacks Gold Star families - Myeshia Johnson--gold star widow, Khan family--gold star parents, etc. (2016-present)
• Trump sent funds raised from a January 2016 veterans benefit to the Donald J Trump Foundation instead of veterans charities (the foundation has since been ordered shut because of fraud) (Jan, 2016)
• Trump said "I felt that I was in the military in the true sense because I dealt with those people" because he went to a military-style academy and that he has "more training militarily than a lot of the guys that go into the military". (2015 biography)
• For a decade, Trump sought to kick veterans off of Fifth Avenue because he found them unsightly nuisances outside of Trump Tower. “While disabled veterans should be given every opportunity to earn a living, is it fair to do so to the detriment of the city as a whole or its tax paying citizens and businesses?” - 1991
• Trump dodged the draft 5 times by having a doctor diagnose him with bone spurs.
• Donald Trump Is a National-Security Risk - Nichols argues that Donald Trump's unsuitability for access to classified intelligence briefings stems from a combination of factors, including his hostility towards the U.S. government, erratic behavior, opaque finances, emotional instability, and disregard for democratic norms. Drawing on his own experience with security clearances, Nichols contends that Trump's personal characteristics and actions make him a national-security risk, raising concerns about the potential for him to disclose sensitive information, be manipulated by foreign actors, or undermine democratic institutions.

This will probably end up being a long post. I (42f) was adopted as a newborn. My adoptive parents told me from the beginning that I was adopted and my birth parents loved me, but they wanted me to have a better life than they were able to provide at the time. My adopted parents were very supportive and even helped me research to find them. After a couple of years, I petitioned the court and received the information about my birth mother. I contacted her and she was so happy to hear from me. It was truly overwhelming, unique experience to meet her. She has become a part of our family. She told me about my birth father, and said he also wanted to be contacted.
They met at a company function. He was legally separated (with 4 kids) and she had been amicably divorced (with 2 kids) for a couple of years. They were very happy together and took things very slow. They were together for almost 5 years before he proposed. He filed for divorce so he could get married again. At this time his estranged wife threatened to take their 4 kids away from him. (This was back when mothers had unfair advantages when it came to divorce and custody) my birth parents were both heartbroken, he needed to be a dad first. After a lot of anguish, tears, and conversations, he returned to his no-longer-soon-to-be-ex-wife.
It was shortly after this that my birth mom found out she was pregnant. She contacted him and they both decided that adoption was my best future. He told her he would love to meet me someday and they both signed the agency form allowing their information to be released once I was 18.
Shortly after I met my birth mother, she felt comfortable giving me my birth father's information. I reached out to him and he was thrilled to talk with me. He and I talked a few times a week for months. He wanted to know so much about me and told me all about himself and his kids. One of his kids has the same name as me, even spelled in the same less common way.
Here's where things get complicated. While he was legally separated from his wife, she did not know he was in a relationship. (Don't judge, she sounds scary af). After talking and emailing with birth dad for several months, he decided to tell his family about me. He wanted to introduce me. He was very nervous but thought it would be ok. He was wrong. So wrong.
Two days,I received an email with one sentence. "I'm sorry, I can't be in contact with you"
Several days after the email I received a handwritten letter from his daughter (same name as me, and also very similar pretty script cursive!). She said that my life seems to have been fine without him, clearly I don't need anything anything from him. She called my birth mother an affair. Said the situation has caused a huge Rift in their already difficult family. She told me that he owes me nothing and I should not continue to contact him.
As much as it broke my heart to read this, I understood where she was coming from. I couldn't imagine the impact of a father saying he has another child with somebody else. The kids were likely not to know about the seperation (aged 6-11), especially if life was always difficult. My response was a simple typed letter asking for genetic information and that I would not continue contact, but my door was always open. I received a very short response from her that gave minimal genetic info. Basically the cause of death in extended family members. There has been no contact since.
Whew, sorry for the long back story. Most of it wasn't necessary, but you got it anyway. Let's fast forward approximately 20 years. My husband and I have accounts on both 23andMe and ancestry.com. I am fascinated with all of the genetic information that can be gleened from it. My birth mother and my birth daughter also have accounts, and I have thoroughly enjoyed seeing all of the heredity traits and behaviors between the three of us. It's astonishing how it DNA puzzle pieces fit together.
I would really really love to have the full picture of my DNA. I know what I have from my birth mother, I realize that everything else is probably from him. But I still want to see both how both DNAs came together to create me.
My problem is that I don't want to cause another explosion in my birth father's family. On the other hand, it has been 20 or so years. Genetics have come so far since then! The kids are all grown and probably have their own families. I want to ask if he would complete a DNA kit (i would pay for all of it). I'm not asking for a relationship or contact. BUT, I was blatantly told to go away 20 years ago by his family, not him. although He decided it was in his best interest to agree with their decision.
Is it worth potentially causing trouble in his life to ask for a little of his spit? If so, how could I go about it causing the least amount of waves?

I want to understand the blurring what happens with script tattoos. I want script on my arm. Not cursive and fine line. I want block letters just big enough not to become illegible. What size is that? My tattoo artist showed me a picture of fine line cursive from 10 years ago to today and it’s completely illegible now. We were consulting about another tattoo and the script question was just an aside, not for this tattoo. Just hoping I can get more info here than google. I’d really appreciate any information/advice for size/care or anything that will help me decide if script of any kind on arm is worth it. Thank you!

Here's a game I did a while back. If you have fun suggestions for similar 'Grand Connections' let me know. I just started listening to the podcast Fourplay (which works a similar way - only without trivia) and it reminded me of this game I wrote.

1. What recurring character portrayed by Wayne Knight (who also played Dennis Nedry in Jurassic Park) is Seinfeld’s arch-nemesis, often being welcomed into a scene by Jerry’s snide and condescending tone. Newman
2. The X-Men superhero Wolverine is known to his friends by the surname of his biological father, who he killed before discovering the truth. What name does Wolverine use? Logan
3. What 2-letter chemical symbol (don’t need the name) can be found in the following: the ‘king’ of the dinosaurs; a hair-tie finding renewed popularity with 80’s revival fashion; a mechanical force generated by engines to propel rockets, for example? Ru
4. Inspired by the container cranes in the Port of Oakland (across the Bay from ILM’s San Raphael offices), what is the nickname of the Star Wars armoured vehicle officially classified as AT-AT? Walker
5. Many of us first encountered social media in the early 2000s with MySpace. What was the name of your first MySpace friend? (Bonus point for full name) Thomas Anderson
6. How are answers 1-5 connected? Famous Pauls
7. In what part of the body would you find the smallest bone? (Bonus point for naming it) Ear (Stapes/Stirrup)
8. In what sport does a pugilist partake? Boxing
9. How do locals refer to the Pacific Coast Highway? This is also the nickname of Neo in The Matrix. The One
10. What is the nickname of former wrestler and actor Dallas Page? The word also describes a shape alternatively known as a rhombus or lozenge. Diamond
11. In Italian it is “nozze.” In Spanish it is “boda.” In German it is “hochzeit.” What is it in English? Wedding
12. How are answers 7-11 connected? Rings
13. What state has a state route marker with a silhouette of the president after whom the state is named? Washington
14. Who is the host of the Hardcore History podcast, once called, quote, “one of the greatest storytellers in the world,” end quote? Dan Carlin
15. Gavin Rossdale, ex-husband of Gwen Stefani, is famous in his own right as frontman of what rock band? The band found success in the 90s with the albums Sixteen Stone, and the single Glycerine? Bush
16. What word fills in both blanks of this quote: “_________ and _________!” Cried Alice. She was so much surprised, that for the moment she quite forgot how to speak good English.” Curiouser
17. Who was known as the Sultan of Swat? George 'Babe' Herman Ruth
18. Connection for the 13-17? All Georges
19. Which president, speaking in West Germany in 1963, declared, “Ich bin ein Berliner,” which, while understood to mean “I am of Berlin,” also translated to “I am a jelly donut.” JFK
20. Locals might catch a game at Coors Field or Ball Arena, a concert at the Red Rock Amphitheatre, or a train at Union Station. In what city? Denver
21. What HBO comedy stars Bill Hader as a disillusioned hit man who joins an acting class? Barry
22. TWO FILMS ONE TITLE. 1985: Tom Cruise tries to prevent Tim Curry from killing the last unicorn. 2015: Tom Hardy plays British gangster twins Reggie and Ronnie Kray. Legend
23. Set in the Salinas Valley and Monterey Bay, who was the author of East of Eden, Cannery Row, and Tortilla Flat? Steinbeck
24. Connection for 19-23 Famous Johns
25. What connects the 4 connections? The Beatles

Part 2
While I was deciding what to do next, Aimee burst through the door. She was soaking wet and shivering. Her clothes were matted down with dirt and mud.
“Where were you?” I asked.
“I was lost in the woods,” she said.
“How did you get there?” I asked.
“I don't know…I just remember going to sleep next to you and then all of a sudden I was in the woods,” she said as she continued to shiver.
I helped her into the bathroom and wrapped my arms around her to try and warm her up.
“You'll get all dirty,” she said.
“It's okay, I don't mind at all,” I said.
She kissed me before leaning her head into my chest. Then she stepped back and looked at me. “Looks like we'll both need a shower now,” she said. “Want to join me?”
She carefully took off her dirty clothes and piled them on the floor. Then she helped me get mine off before grabbing my hand and leading me into the shower with her.
After we were finished and dry, we got dressed. She put on new clothes and I had to put the same ones on again. “Guess I should have gotten clean clothes first,” I said.
“I'll go with you so you can get changed and hopefully Josh will be there…we really need to talk to him,” she said.
“I agree. He's been acting weirder than the rest of us have.”
We took the stairs to my floor and walked over to my room. The door was slightly ajar. We pushed it further open and peeked inside before going in. At first, we didn't see anything, but after we walked in, Aimee was the first to notice him.
“Oh my God!” she shouted.
It was Greg's roommate, Amir. He was lying on the floor behind my bed. Bubbles of drool were coming out of his mouth and his eyes were wide open. He looked terrified and his mouth was twitching but he made no sound.
“Get help!” shouted Aimee before she knelt down beside him.
I called 9-1-1 on my phone while running into the hall and yelling for help. Some of my floormates came over first. Then the RA joined us with a first aid kit. He pulled out a CPR mask and began doing chest compressions before breathing into Amir's mouth.
The paramedics arrived pretty quickly and took over for the RA. Campus police showed up next while the EMTs were putting Amir on a stretcher and wheeling him to the elevator.
We were questioned by the campus police and then by the local police. Greg and Emily came over while we were still talking to them and couldn't believe what happened. The police told us to stay out of my room while they looked around but that we were free to go.
I peeked inside before we walked away and saw a dark shape moving around inside. “Hey, I think someone's in there!” I shouted to the police. They ran inside and looked around. There weren't many places to hide so their search was quick and didn't turn up anyone.
“Sorry,” I said when they came back out. “I thought I saw something move in there.”
“You can stay in our room,” Emily said. “I'll stay with Greg…poor Amir. I wonder what happened?”
“We should look for Josh,” said Greg.
I tried calling Josh but it went straight to voicemail. “Call me back,” I said before hanging up. I also sent him a text message asking where he was and to call me.
“He's probably in the room,” I said.
Emily brightened up. “We should go now and see if he is there,” she said.
“I need something to eat first,” I said. “Want to go to the cafeteria first and then head out?”
“Good idea,” said Greg.
We went to the cafeteria and shared a table after getting our food. All of us, except for Emily, had class today, but we were all okay with skipping so we could find Josh.
After we were finished eating, we went outside. The sun was out but there were a lot of clouds moving in.
“That doesn't look good,” said Aimee, pointing to the low dark gray clouds heading towards us.
Lightning flashed followed pretty quickly by a rumble of thunder.
“Maybe we should go back in and wait this out,” I said.
Before anyone answered, the rain began to quickly fall. We all ran back inside as more lightning lit up the darkening day.
“Now what do we do?” asked Greg.
“I guess we should go to our classes,” I said.
Emily let me borrow her umbrella since I couldn't go back to my room yet and we all went our separate ways.
I sat down near the back in my Economics class and hoped nothing weird was going to happen. The girl that was at Josh's table the other day was a couple rows in front of me. During class she kept looking back at me every so often and smiling.
After class was over she came over to me. “Aren't you Josh's roommate?”
“Yes, I'm John.”
“My name is Nicole. Can I talk to you for a moment?”
“Sure. Let's go out in the hall.”
We found a bench to sit on. Her eyes were wide and she seemed to be having a hard time containing her excitement.
She waited for the last few people from class to clear out of the area before talking.
“Do you know where Josh is? He was supposed to text me earlier so I could go with him to this special place he found.”
I was about to answer, but she cut me off and kept on talking.
“He told us all about this room where the ceiling is alive. None of us believed him at first until he showed us this trick. I don't know how he did it, but he had us come to his room and he did something with the ceiling. I was sure there was a projector but I couldn't find one. Do you know how he did it?”
This time she waited for me to answer. “I don't know how he did it and I am trying to find him too. The room he is talking about might be dangerous…I wouldn't go if I were you.”
“I have to see it! The others want to, too,” she said.
“Who else did he tell about it?”
Her phone buzzed. She quickly pulled it out of her backpack and looked disappointed. “It isn't Josh, but I have to take this.”
She answered her phone as she walked towards the door to go outside. I wondered if she knew what happened to Amir. I felt like I should tell her.
When I stood up to go follow her, I heard a door opening behind me with an audible creak. I turned around and watched the door gently bounce off the rubber wall protector.
The hallway was silent and it didn't sound like anyone was in the room. I looked back outside and I didn't see Nicole…or anyone else. There should be people here for their next class. I looked up at the digital clock on the wall. It showed 1:00.
I pulled out my phone and texted Aimee. She was in class so I didn't want to call her. I heard noises coming from the classroom that I couldn't make sense of. Before I knew it, I was walking towards the open doorway. When I walked inside the room, I saw black fog coming down from the ceiling. The walls seemed to pulse with life and I felt my shoes sticking to the floor. I tried to lift my foot but it wouldn't budge. The fog was growing bigger and filling up the room. I felt it swirl around me and felt voices inside my head. They were trying to tell me something but I couldn't understand.
I looked at the floor again and saw eyes staring up at me. The whispers turned into pictures in my head and I knew what I had to do. I turned around and walked back into the hallway. Pushing my way through the doors out into the cold stormy day.
I walked down the steep hill leading to the baseball field and toward the woods. Thunder rumbled all around me and the strong winds pushed through the trees.
I still hadn't seen anyone, but I didn't care, I just had to get to the room. Voices filled the silence and encouraged me on my path.
Music tool my attention away from the room and I reached for my phone. Aimee was calling.
I stopped and answered. “Hi.”
“Hey, where are you? Your class was done hours ago and no one has seen you,” she said.
It was like the view in front of me glitched. Then blue sky appeared and I could hear cars driving by behind me.
“I'm by the rec center,” I said. “Are Greg and Emily with you?”
“No, they just left to get some food. Are you coming over here?”
I looked towards the woods, which would take me to the room and was trying to think what I should do.
“John…John!” Aimee shouted.
“What? Why are you yelling?” I asked.
“You wouldn't answer me but it sounded like you were mumbling something to yourself,” she said.
“That's weird. What was I saying?”
“I have no idea. It was gibberish to me…so, are you coming over?”
“Yes…yes, I'll be there shortly,” I said.
“Great! Can't wait to see you.”
“Same here,” I ended the call and headed towards the dorms.
A sudden loud rumble of thunder made me jump. I looked up at the mostly clear sky above me and as far as I could see. I heard another loud one just before I ran into the dorms.
I went up to Aimee's room. She ran over and gave me a hug. “We were worried about you.”
We sat down and started talking. At first we spoke about everything but what was currently going on. Finally, Aimee steered the conversation to what we really should have been talking about and asked, “What do you think happened to Amir?”
“I don't know,” I said. “But he looked absolutely terrified.”
“I wonder what he saw,” she said.
My mind was spinning with everything happening and I didn't really want to think about it anymore. I leaned in and kissed Aimee. She wrapped her arms around me and kissed me back. We made out for a while before falling asleep in each other's arms.
I woke up to shadows dancing along the walls and dim light coming in through the window. Aimee was sitting at her desk. She was drawing something.
“Hey, what are you doing?” I asked.
“I had this nightmare,” she said. “And I keep seeing these pictures in my mind when I close my eyes.”
I looked at her drawing. It was mostly water with thick black strands coming out of it in the middle. She pulled out another piece of paper and it was just this scribbled out human shape with long tendrils coming out of its head. There wasn't much detail to the drawing but it reminded me of the shadow I saw on the wall in my class.
“I saw something like that in my class,” I said. “Thought I must have imagined it.”
We met Greg and Emily for breakfast in the dorm cafeteria and made our plan for going back to the tunnels. It was raining outside but there was no thunder or lightning. The way Emily took us last time was mostly outside and we didn't feel like getting drenched before going back to the room.
I was weirdly excited to be going back there and it looked like the others were as well.
“I want to see if I can go back in my room and get changed before we go,” I said.
We finished our food and took the elevator to my floor. When the doors opened, there was a loud boom of thunder and the lights flickered.
“That’s great, maybe we won't be able to go,” said Emily.
“Let's just see how bad it is, maybe we can still just run quickly to the tunnel entrance. Or maybe we can find another way in from the basement of one of the other buildings,” said Aimee.
Lightning flashed outside the windows at the end of the hallway followed by an even louder roar of thunder.
The storm was getting worse and the building shook with each rumble of thunder. The lights flickered a few more times when we walked through my door and then they completely went out. I used my phone light to find my flashlight in the desk drawer while the others sat down.
When my light moved past Josh's desk, I noticed paper everywhere, including on the floor. Each piece had some writing on it.
“What the hell,” I said, picking up a piece of paper. There were unique looking symbols drawn all over this one. They were written in organized columns and were intricately detailed. Another piece had what looked like mathematical equations except there were no recognizable numbers or symbols.
“What is it?” asked Aimee.
“I don't know,” I said.
The others came over and started looking through the pages with me.
“This one looks like cursive writing but doesn't make any sense,” said Emily.
I picked up another one that had random letters spaced out like words but none of them made any sense. I turned towards Emily. “This reminds me…Emily, I forgot to ask about this weird text you sent me.” I opened up my messaging app and showed her what she had sent.
She stared unblinking at the message. Then she apparently tried to read it out loud. “Ph'nglui mglw'nafh umr wgah'nagl fhtagn.”
Emily grabbed the paper I had been holding and started to read that one too. Of course, none of it was making any sense to us, but she was reading it aloud like it was normal English.
“Ngai syha'hrii hupadgh ep shugg. Ngai shagg nafl shuggog ftaghu hrii stell'bsna throd y-s'uhn. R'lyeh hrii kadishtu, ya s'uhn ngai vulgtlagln.” Emily closed her eyes and dropped the paper. There was a rumbling above us that wasn't from the storm.
Aimee, Greg, and I looked up to see the night sky where the ceiling used to be, with the stars brightening the darkened room. A ripple flowed across the ceiling and we stared in amazement at it. It was beautiful just like the room in the tunnels. Time seemed to stand still as I lost myself in the neverending night sky.
I climbed on my bed and raised my arm, stopping my hand just before where the ceiling should be. Then I slowly reached up with one finger breaking the plane into the impossible sky above. There was surface tension that caused more ripples to spread across the ceiling and then my finger broke through.
I shouted in pain, immediately pulling my hand back down. It was freezing cold. My fingertip had no color to it and now felt numb.
“What happened?” Aimee said as her gaze slowly turned away from the ceiling and towards me.
“I don't know,” I said. “But I think we should get out of here.”
Greg was still looking up and didn't move when we called his name. Aimee grabbed my pillow and put it over his face so he couldn't see the ceiling anymore. He looked over at us like he was waking from a dream.
“Come on Greg, let's get Emily and go somewhere else,” I said.
Emily was now sitting at Josh's desk flipping through the papers and whispering fast. It was more of the nonsense words she was reading before.
“Emily…we need to go,” said Greg.
She continued reading and didn't move. Then she stood up and raised her hands towards the ceiling. As she moved them, we could see the stars above moving just like what Josh had done the other night when I thought I was dreaming.
New stars appeared as the night sky circled around above us. Aimee and Greg appeared to be stuck looking at it again. Although I wanted to see what would happen, I think the pain in my finger must have allowed me to keep some focus on the real world around me.
We stood there watching for a long time as the sky continued to move. A brighter star appeared with planets spaced out around it. The biggest planet grew closer and eventually took up the whole ceiling. Then the middle of the ceiling began to droop down like a slow drip of syrup. I felt a low rumble inside my head and could hear some of the words Emily had been speaking. Pictures of a barren planet with a vast ocean appeared before me. Something big was coming out of the water. I started to focus back on the pain in my finger and the room around me.
I grabbed Aimee by the arm and pulled her towards the door. She didn't even seem to notice what I was doing. After I got her through the door, I ran back and did the same for Greg.
The part of the ceiling that was dripping down formed into a large tentacle and began reaching for me. Another one emerged and went towards Emily. I ran to her and pulled her to the ground with me. The rumble in my head grew louder, causing excruciating pain. I fought through it and crawled along the floor dragging Emily with me and staying just out of reach of the appendages. When we reached the door, one of them slid across Emily's leg. She screamed. I stood up and pulled her quickly out the door, slamming it shut behind me.
Aimee and Greg were just standing there in a daze. Emily was crying with her eyes wide, frantically looking around. The thunder outside was almost constant, but I didn't hear any when we were in the room. It must have masked the sound of Emily's scream as I didn't see anyone else in the hall.
I shook Aimee and Greg and called their names. It took a while but they both eventually returned to consciousness.
“Emily needs help,” I said.
I looked at her leg and it was much worse than the marks on Aimee's back. There was a thick patch where the skin was gone and blood was coming out. Greg kneeled down beside Emily, who didn't even seem to notice he was there while Aimee and I went to get help. We knocked on a few doors but no one answered. I ran to the bathrooms and grabbed some paper towels to use to stop the bleeding.
In a minor pause between thunder, I heard the tornado siren as I ran back to Emily. Greg took the paper towels from me and held them to her leg.
“I heard a siren,” I said. “Everyone must be in the storm shelter in the basement.”
“What do you think is happening in your room?” Aimee asked.
“I'm afraid to check,” I said. “But at least nothing is trying to break down the door.”
Greg had grabbed Emily's head and was looking in her eyes. “Emily, it's me.”
He kept talking to her and trying to get her attention. Aimee and I grabbed Emily's arms and pulled her up. She still didn't seem to be aware of her surroundings but she could at least stand with minimal help from us.
“Let's take her to her room,” said Greg.
We led her down the stairs and into her room. Then we got her to lie down on her bed while Aimee ran to the bathroom for antibiotic ointment and bandages.
“I should go see what is happening in my room,” I said.”
“I'll go with you,” said Aimee. “Greg, we'll be back soon.” She grabbed her flashlight and we went out the door.

Hello! I'm a 27 gay M from the southeastern US looking for 1-2 penpals to share in the calming, vintage aesthetic of exchanging handwritten letters. Have recently gotten into fountain pens and trying to improve my cursive handwriting. I work as a resident physician in internal medicine. My hobbies include drinking gongfu tea and fine wine, board games, music discovery, classic menswear, and cycling. Am also into all things Japanese culture (tea, food, anime, art, etc.). Am looking for someone with whom to exchange letters anywhere from 1x/wk to 1x/mo. DM me if you're interested!

Today felt as if there was a collective inward breath as people tried to figure out what yesterday’s jury verdict means for the upcoming 2024 election. The jury decided that former president Trump created fraudulent business records in order to illegally influence the 2016 election. As of yesterday, the presumptive Republican nominee for president of the United States of America is a convicted felon.
Since the verdict, Trump and his supporters have worked very hard to spin the conviction as a good thing for his campaign, but those arguments sound like a desperate attempt to shape a narrative that is spinning out of their control. Newspapers all over the country bore the word “GUILTY” in their headlines today.
At stake for Trump is the Republican presidential nomination. Getting it would pave his way to the presidency, which offers him financial gain and the ability to short-circuit the federal prosecutions that observers say are even tighter cases than the state case in which a jury quickly and unanimously found him guilty yesterday. Not getting it leaves Trump and the MAGA supporters who helped him try to steal the 2020 presidential election at the mercy of the American justice system.
After last night’s verdict, Trump went to the cameras and tried to establish that the nomination remains his, asserting that voters would vindicate him on November 5. But this morning, as he followed up last night’s comments, he did himself no favors. He billed the event as a “press conference,” but delivered what Michael Grynbaum of the New York Times described as “a rambling and misleading speech,” so full of grievance and unhinged that the networks except the Fox News Channel cut away from it as he attacked trial witnesses, called Judge Merchan “the devil,” and falsely accused President Joe Biden of pushing his prosecution. He took no questions from the press.
Today the Trump campaign told reporters it raised $34.8 million from small-dollar donors in the hours after the guilty verdict, but observers pointed out there was no reason to believe those numbers based on statements from Trump’s campaign. Meanwhile, Trump advisor Stephen Miller shouted on the Fox News Channel that every Republican secretary of state, state attorney general, donor, member of Congress must use their power “RIGHT NOW” to “beat these Communists!”
The attempt of MAGA lawmakers to shape events in their favor seemed just as panicked. Representative Jim Banks (R-IN) posted on social media that “New York is a liberal sh*t hole,” and Jim Jordan (R-OH) today asked Manhattan district attorney Alvin Bragg, who brought the case against Trump, to testify before the House Judiciary’s Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government about “politically motivated prosecutions of…President Donald Trump.” Representative Dan Goldman (D-NY) noted that Trump is a private citizen and Congress has no jurisdiction over the case, but that Jordan is using his congressional authority illegally to defend Trump.
MAGA senators were even more strident. Republican senator Mike Lee of Utah melted down on X last night over the verdict, and today he led nine other Republican senators in a revolt against the federal government. Lee, J. D. Vance of Ohio, Tommy Tuberville of Alabama, Eric Schmitt of Missouri, Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee, Rick Scott of Florida, Roger Marshall of Kansas, Marco Rubio of Florida, Josh Hawley of Missouri, and Ron Johnson of Wisconsin issued a public letter saying they would no longer pass legislation, fund the government, or vote to confirm the administration’s appointees because, they said, “[t]he White House has made a mockery of the rule of law and fundamentally altered our politics in un-American ways. As a Senate Republican conference,” they said, although there were only 10 of them, “we are unwilling to aid and abet this White House in its project to tear this country apart.”
It was an odd statement seemingly designed to use disinformation to convince voters to stick with them. Ten senators said they would not do the federal jobs they were elected to do because private citizen Trump was convicted in a state court by a jury of 12 people in New York, a jury that Trump’s lawyers had agreed to. The senators attacked the rule of law and the operation of the federal government in a demonstration of support for Trump. A number of the senators involved were key players in the attempt to overturn the 2020 presidential election.
Awkwardly, considering the day’s news, a video from 2016 circulated today in which Trump insisted that Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, who he falsely insisted had committed crimes even as he was the one actually committing them, “shouldn’t be allowed to run.” If she were to win, Trump then said, “it would create an unprecedented constitutional crisis. In that situation, we could very well have a sitting president under felony indictment and, ultimately, a criminal trial. It would grind government to a halt.”
Josh Marshall of Talking Points Memo put it correctly: this is not an “outpouring of rage and anger,” so much as “an overwhelming effort to match and muffle the earthquake of what happened yesterday afternoon with enough noise and choreography to keep everyone in Trump’s campaign and on the margins of it in line and on side.”
Still, there is more behind the MAGA support for Trump than fearful political messaging. Trump has been hailed as a savior by his supporters because he promises to smash through the laws and norms of American democracy to put them into power. There, they can assert their will over the rest of us, achieving the social and religious control they cannot achieve through democratic means because they cannot win the popular vote in a free and fair election. With Trump’s conviction within the legal system, his supporters are more determined than ever to destroy the rules that block them from imposing their will on the rest of us.
Today the Heritage Foundation,* which is now aligned with Victor Orbán’s Hungary, flew an upside-down U.S. flag as a signal of national distress. Their actions were in keeping with Russian president Vladimir Putin’s statement that Trump is being persecuted “for political reasons” and that the cases show “the rottenness of the American political system, which cannot pretend to teach others about democracy.”
Ryan J. Reilly of NBC News reported today on a spike in violent rhetoric on social media targeting New York judge Juan Merchan, who oversaw Trump’s Manhattan election interference trial, and District Attorney Bragg. Users of a fringe internet message board also shared what they claimed were the addresses of jurors. “Dox the Jurors. Dox them now,” one user wrote. Another wrote, “1,000,000 men (armed) need to go to [W]ashington and hang everyone. That’s the only solution.”
This attack on our democracy was the central message of a crucially important story from yesterday that got buried under the news of Trump’s conviction. In The New Republic, Ken Silverstein reported on a private WhatsApp group started last December by military contractor Erik Prince—founder of Blackwater and brother of Trump’s secretary of education, Betsy DeVos—and including about 650 wealthy and well-connected “right-wing government officials, intelligence operatives, arms traffickers, and journalists,” including Representative Ryan Zinke (R-MT), who served as Trump’s secretary of the interior.
Called “Off Leash,” the group discussed, as Silverstein wrote, “the shortcomings of democracy that invariably resulted from extending the franchise to ordinary citizens, who are easily manipulated by Marxists and populists,” collapsing Gaza into a “fiery hell pit,” wiping out Iran, how Africa was a “sh*thole of a continent,” and ways to dominate the globe. Mostly, though, they discussed the danger of letting everyone vote. “There is only one path forward,” Zinke wrote. “Elect Trump.” Another member answered, “It’s Trump or Revolution” “You mean Trump AND Revolution,” wrote another.
And yet the frantic MAGA spin on the verdict reveals that there is another way to interpret it. Americans who had lost faith that the justice system could ever hold a powerful man accountable as Trump’s lawyers managed to put off his many indictments see the verdict as a welcome sign that the system still works.
“The American principle that no one is above the law was reaffirmed,” Biden said today. “Donald Trump was given every opportunity to defend himself. It was a state case, not a federal case. And it was heard by a jury of 12 citizens, 12 Americans, 12 people like you. Like millions of Americans who served on juries, this jury is chosen the same way every jury in America is chosen. It was a process that Donald Trump's attorney was part of. The jury heard five weeks of evidence…. After careful deliberation, the jury reached a unanimous verdict. They found Donald Trump guilty on all 34 felony counts. Now he’ll be given the opportunity as he should to appeal that decision just like everyone else has that opportunity. That's how the American system of justice works. And it's reckless, it's dangerous, and it's irresponsible for anyone to say this was rigged just because they don't like the verdict. Our justice system has endured for nearly 250 years and it literally is the cornerstone of America…. The justice system should be respected, and we should never allow anyone to tear it down. It’s as simple as that. That's America. That's who we are. And that's who we will always be, God willing.”
Today the publisher of Dinesh D’Souza’s book and film 2000 Mules, which alleged voter fraud in the 2020 election, said it was pulling both the book and film from distribution and issued an apology to a Georgia man who sued for defamation after 2000 Mules accused him of voting illegally.
MAGA Republicans confidently predicted yesterday that the stock market would crash if the jury found Trump guilty. Today the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained almost 600 points.
—
EDIT: I originally misidentified the Federalist Society as flying the upside-down American flag, which also meant I associated the Federalist Society with the Danube Institute. This was very much an error: I meant the HERITAGE Foundation. I’ve corrected it. I’m sorry about that.
—
Notes:
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/trump-supporters-try-doxx-jurors-post-violent-threats-conviction-rcna154882
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/05/31/business/media/cnn-nbc-trump-speech.html
https://www.npr.org/2024/05/31/g-s1-2298/publisher-of-2000-mules-election-conspiracy-theory-film-issues-apology
https://www.politico.eu/article/charges-against-donald-trump-are-politically-motivated-vladimir-putin-says-russia-us/
https://talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/owhat-trump-requires/sharetoken/hnWkPTYknWwi
https://newrepublic.com/article/182008/erik-prince-secret-global-group-chat-off-leash
https://www.reuters.com/world/us/trump-supporters-call-riots-violent-retribution-after-verdict-2024-05-31/
X:
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https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/p/may-31-2024

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Deltas from OP Gobears6801

• 1 delta from OP to Saranoya for "Yes. I understand that. But: 1. The fact that you "naturally" tend to connect some letters when yo..."
  
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