#the postgame

[betweengenesisfrogs]

I am curious as to what you think the promised-epilogue might eventually bring to the table in terms of making Homestuck felt more 'complete.' I know that I was underwhelmed by Act 7, but my opinion of it improved with the arrival of the Credits and the subsequent Snapchats; the implication that the story wasn't really over yet. Thoughts?

Ooh, now that is a damn good question! And definitely oneI’ve thought about quite a lot. I’m in total agreement that the Creditssequence and other snapchats brought the character arcs and sense of the kids’future to a much more satisfying place, on the whole. I think it *could* endthere reasonably enough…but you’re right, the Credits seem to drop hints thatthere’s more to be told.

I’m pretty sure an epilogue *is* happening, because Hussieand What Pumpkin friends seem to have indicated so, because of the hints in thecredits, and ‘cause the way Hussie talks these days is pretty classic “I’mworking on something” Hussie talk. Who knows when it’ll happen, but I do thinkit’ll happen at some point. Maybe 10/25? Maybe 11/11? As ever, I’ll just give abig shrug and wait and see. I’ve got a lot going on right now and the wholecarcass of Homestuck to pore over in the meantime, English-like, so I’m prettypatient.

But! Let’s answer your question! What do I think thepossible content epilogue might be like? Like I said, I think the Creditssequence drops some big hints. On the whole I think the Epilogue will be prettyfocused. Not as big as some have suggested. Maybe just one animation, orsomething like that. I think it’ll probably center around the two big lingeringtopics at the end of Homestuck: the weird timeline shit that John is involvedin, and Terezi’s search for Vriska.

We saw that John was dissatisfied at the end of Homestuck(probably paralleling reader dissatisfaction, or just dissatisfaction with theend of the adventure/narrative.) He had this adventure, but he doesn’t know howto move on from it; he’s growing apart from his friends, and he doesn’t knowhow to process the father and other things that he’s lost. Meanwhile Caliborncomes along taunting him (in a very retro John way), and finally he loses it,smashing the phone screen, implying that John is ready to THROW DOWN withCaliborn, and that this will all lead to the god tier kids going up againstCaliborn as we saw in the Masterpiece. I’m hardly the first to come up withthis, of course; this was the subject of a lot of discussion once the Creditscame out.

It’s unclear whether the kids that accompany the John willbe the same ones from the Credits timeline (maybe he goes back and picks upfriends from a different timeline?) but that John probably will be, or at leasthe’ll set the whole thing in motion.

We also saw, much to the relief of those concerned that plotthread had been dropped, that Terezi is still thinking a lot about Vriska, andnot terribly long after their arrival on Earth C, went out looking for her in theFurthest Ring, and is pretty damn committed to the search.

So I could see the Epilogue going something like:

John reawakens his Retcon powers to go back and do battlewith Caliborn. Alternatively, he hops back in time to encourage another versionof him and his friends to do said battle in his place (maybe the ones from thetimeline he took the ring from?) We see the events of the Masterpiece takeplace, and four kids are sucked into the House Juju.

Circumstantially simultaneously, we see Terezi searching forVriska, and finding her somewhere in the destroyed region of space. Maybefinding her just after the weapon has been deployed and she’s attempted tosacrifice herself in the blast. (Since the Furthest Ring has tangled up,subjectively retroactive spacetime, after all—see all the Green Sun and GnosticStuff.

This would be the perfect moment for the four kids to emergefrom the Juju after delivering their final blow to Caliborn and help Terezi—helpher bring Vriska back to their world, if she’s alive, or help Terezi come toterms with Vriska’s sacrifice, if she’s not. Either way, this brings both ofthose lingering plot threads to a close. In any event, the kids from the juju,which ever timeline they hail from, will be able to move on in some fashionwith John’s help. They might even be able to go rescue the stranded Alpha kids,if John has his retcon powers available. And perhaps John, too, will be readyto move on the other side of this adventure.

Hard to say which option I’d prefer when it comes to Schrödinger’sVriska. It depends strongly how you feel about Vriska as a character, and whetheryou think Terezi can help her live in a world where she isn’t the mostimportant, whether Terezi’s flawed relationship with her will ultimately bepositive, even redemptive. I expect heavy and passionate debate about thisquestion when it happens, as per usual for all things Vriska. But I leanvaguely toward Terezi being able to save her because I’m a big romantic softieat heart. Anyway, I’m going to go into the topic of Vriska and Terezi, and whyI think their relationship is very well written both before and after the Retcon,much more in a l8r post. It’ll be gr8. Just you w8. ;;;;)

That’s my Epilogue prediction! We’ll see what ultimatelyends up playing out. Hussie being Hussie, I expect there to be something inthere that comes as a complete surprise, too.  ;) For that, and many other reasons, I’mlooking forward to it. :D

[rakontur-blog]

Director Billy Corben Takes You Into The World Of Backyard Boxing In 'Dawg Fight'

"The [documentaries] that we've always done are kind of a twisted take on the American dream," he says. "These guys think that this is their best opportunity. These are underserved communities where unemployment in off the charts, they are ravaged by crime … These guys see this as their best hope, which in a way is kind of an American Dream."

[steinbergsports]

Leigh Steinberg: Setting The Record Straight On Bankruptcy, Addiction And Career

Wednesday, January 11, 2012 8:56 pm 

Written by: Leigh Steinberg - Click here for the original article

**Leigh Steinberg has represented many of the most successful athletes and coaches in football, basketball, baseball, hockey, boxing and golf, including the first overall pick in the NFL draft an unprecedented eight times, among more than 60 first-round selections. His clients have included Hall of Fame quarterbacks Steve Young, Troy Aikman and Warren Moon, and he served as the inspiration for the movie "Jerry Maguire."

 The public interest in my financial affairs and the inaccurate descriptions of my situation have led me to write this column: Today I have filed for Chapter 7, personal bankruptcy.

I delayed taking this step for a number of years because of my moral and legal obligation to people who advanced me funds or performed services in good faith. But the constant and aggressive collection efforts and press initiatives undertaken by creditors have harassed my family and prevented me from working to be able to pay these debts. Prospective clients have been pushed away after receiving notice of my debts. It doesn't seem logical to prevent a person who owes you money from working in their chosen field by attempting to ruin his reputation, but that is what has happened. I have lived with this in recent years, and it is time to follow a more constructive path.

I have struggled with alcohol for a number of years. In the past five or six years I began to check out episodically for short periods. My judgment and oversight of my affairs was not consistent and was at times impaired. I am responsible for my own addiction -- no one forced me to drink -- and in revealing my struggle with alcoholism, I am in no way justifying or excusing my circumstance. But I discuss it to provide context as well as understanding and inspiration to those who also battle addictive behavior. I surrendered to the reality that I was an alcoholic and my behavior was impacting family and associates in March 2010. I surrendered to the concept that until I tackled alcoholism, other priorities needed to be put aside.

I lived in Sober Living for a time and began to actively work a 12-step program. I was aided in this effort with the help of a loving family, supportive friends, a closer relationship with a Higher Power, and a remarkable fellowship. Debt and default judgments occurred during this period. I am responsible for these debts. But my priority was sobriety, and I have been continuously sober since that time.

 I have tried during the past 40 years to make a positive impact on this nation and the athletic community and to make a contribution to young men's lives. This has involved emphasizing core values such as self respect, nurturing family, spiritual connections, and active involvement in community. I've helped form high school and college scholarship funds and foundations to tackle basic issues. Our athletes have raised more than $660 million for charity. I created a national training program for volunteers fighting racism and hate, along with funding numerous other programs for good.

My Dad instilled in me two core values: 1) Treasure relationships -- especially family. 2) Help make a difference in the world by aiding the less fortunate. Sponsor-supported Super Bowl parties for the past 25 years have raised money to send a water machine to Haiti during the earthquake and fund causes such as autism research and the environment among others. Our company has done live television interactivity with troops in Iraq and wounded soldiers in military hospitals. But the grip of alcohol made me less effective in upholding those values.

I plan to change that by focusing my efforts on helping athletes, fighting climate change through the Sporting Green Alliance, raising awareness about the undiagnosed health epidemic of concussions, bringing pro football to Southern California, and combating steroid and supplement abuse in high schools, combating teen bullying, and other community and charitable efforts.

When a bench warrant for me relating to my debt was authorized last month, the portrait painted in the media was that a "missed hearing" was the equivalent of my hiding or running from the law. That couldn't be further from the truth. I have been rebuilding a business that will be active in representation, consultation and content supply. We have a website, blog, Facebook and Twitter interactive efforts. I mention public appearances and speeches on these sites. I was never unavailable except for the period in early sobriety, which was a necessary aspect of the program. I was a loyal tenant of the Irvine Company for more than 20 years before expensive rent and these other difficulties forced us to close that office two years ago. A hearing on the matter was scheduled and my attorney agreed to change the date and called the night before to tell me not to show up. He failed to reschedule, didn't appear at the hearing that went on without my knowledge, and didn't inform me. I am responsible for all my actions, but I assumed I could rely on counsel.

The underlying cause of my inability to earn money and resolve my debt situation occurred in 2003. One of my employees admitted that -- without my knowledge -- he had taken a $300,000 loan from one of our NFL clients. It was exactly the kind of transaction that I had specifically forbidden, and it violated NFL Players Association regulations. The NFL player understandably fired me, then went to a rival agency. As a matter of background, you should know that this company is run by an agent who used to work at our firm. We filed a lawsuit to challenge the way this agent had left our firm, and we won. Two attorneys on the losing side are involved in the current case concerning my debt.

Since then, I have made repeated offers to repay the player far more than the original $300,000. There are many legal complexities, but in a nutshell, his representatives -- the ones who lost the lawsuit -- have insisted on collecting monies without informing the NFLPA that the matter is settled. This point is crucial because I did not apply for recertification by the union after one of their agents (and his wife) filed suit against me in 2006. If I cannot be recertified, I cannot work in the field that I have been trained in, which is to the benefit of this rival agent. Keeping me out of business seems to be a priority above collecting the debt, and although substantial payments have been made, the demand is now four times the original amount. My attempts to rebuild my life have been hamstrung.

I have attempted to make amends for damage my drinking caused to others. I believe that I have many productive years ahead and hope through this process that once again I will be able to make a positive impact on athletes and the world.

***

(A call from ThePostGame to the opposing counsel was not immediately returned.)