For high ranking gov't officials
Pre requisites: 1. Bachelors degree in law, graduate. dapat pag dep't head, field expert or degree holder sa field na un 2. Community service, public welfare service or any same thing for 5 years. 4. No public figure (artista, model, athlete, big business owners, church leader) 5. No relatives hanggang 3rd degree sa gov't na sabay mag sseeve or mag overlap ng serve. 6. May certificate of good morale and good conduct 7. NBI clearance. 8. Declare past work history or past and current business 9. Bawal mag campaign ng sayaw sayaw, kanta or music, bawal slogan.pag violate automatic disqualification. Pwede lang credentials, q&A, debate. 11. Bawal below 23 - above 65 yrs old. 12. Mandatory psychological test 13.. Random drug test 14. High approval rate ng tax audit.

If there's one thing I've learned in life, it's that "broken" systems are often that way because they actually do "work" for somebody. I.e. a corrupt military where leadership positions are sold "works" for the people who get to sell the positions, because in that case the military is just a marketplace for political powemoney and not actually meant to fight peer conflicts.
It's easy to see the Helldivers and Super Earth as some kind of "lol incompetent" faction, what with the muzzle-loading cannons on your FTL warships, and the Schrodinger's paradox of you being elite spearheads and also cannon fodder. However, there's clearly something off going on with just the mere fact that the Helldivers program exists, because let's look at some basic facts first:

• While some Helldiver missions are classic special forces/infantry jobs that do require boots on the ground (i.e. hot evacuations of civilians, recovering data), a good portion are also just pure destruction missions. No territory to occupy, no collateral damage to be worried about. Just kill/destroy stuff.
• In these destruction/kill focused missions, the locations of your targets are already known. Indeed, when deciding your initial drop point you can clearly see your objectives and even get "enemy presence" warnings.
• The Helldivers fight/destroy stuff using Strategem beacons, which are basically these Pokeball-type gadgets that you input a code into then throw to call down weapons, air support, and orbital bombardment strikes.
• SE already has the technology for drones that output the firepower of an infantryman (the Rover backpacks) and independently target enemies outside player control.
• Extreme Helldiver casualties are completely expected, to the point where even 100% casualty rates (no backup divers remaining, full party kill, no extraction) still falls under "Mission Accomplished". Surviving a mission is quite literally just bonus points.
• Helldivers are ideological fanatics, and Super Earth values loyalty.
• The Helldivers, despite being treated like cannon fodder, are clearly expert soldiers and athletes. They can handle dozens of different weapons, sprint with full kit, reload confidently under pressure, etc.
• Helldivers, for soldiers of an autocratic regime, are given a shocking amount of independence. Each Helldiver essentially gets to customize their own loadouts for each mission, spend money on upgrades, and even choose to not partake in campaigns that SE government considers to be of existential importance. They're treated almost more like privateer-infantrymen rather than special forces. SE can say they'll get more Warbonds (i.e. money) if they defend X or Y planet, but nothing stops any given Helldiver from fighting their own war on the other side of the galaxy if they choose.
• As independent as the Helldivers are, they are still overseen by Democracy Officers. Helldivers are all given their own spaceship and crew, and given the freedom to contribute to the war however they wish, yet their activities are constantly monitored by a political commissar who can and will kill them with "their" ship's weapons without hesitation should they do something as simple as stray meet feet out of a mission area for 10 seconds. The Democracy Officers, interestingly enough, seem less fanatical than the Helldivers, preferring to engage in more generic and monotoned political rhetoric as opposed to the mouth-frothing freedom-loving of the actual Helldiver units.
• SE has apparently absolute orbital and naval superiority in space. Helldivers lore and gameplay is remarkably absent of mentions of ship-to-ship combat, the organization of SE's military almost entirely ignores any concept of fleets (i.e. the Helldivers, despite being commanders of warships, receive no naval training), and the ubiquitous Super Destroyers seem almost entirely geared towards ground support rather than fighting other starships.

Cynically, one might suggest that the Helldivers are just glorified "eyes on the ground" whose job it is to fight their way within throwing distance of their objectives, hurl their Strategems, and then die. However, there's an even deeper conspiracy once we put all the basic facts together to get second-level facts:

• Beacons are not actually necessary to launch stratagems: The entire "Beacon" thing is a lie made up by Super Earth. If a Helldiver strays from the combat zone, the Super Destroyers in orbit will automatically begin to accurately target them from orbit without a beacon.
• Super Earth does not need human soldiers: SE could literally win every battle with swarms of Rover drones. They could deploy directly from hellpods, and already demonstrate the ability to independently move, identify, and target enemies. Literally just strap a strategem beacon onto them so they can drop them like quadcopter grenades, and you now have a force that can do anything human Helldivers can.
• Ground combat itself is redundant for a lot of SE's operational needs: Not only can pretty much 90% of a Helldiver's job be performed by simple drones, ground combat itself seems an unforced error. Super Earth can already detect enemy structures and troop concentrations from orbit, precisely fire at exact spots on the first try (i.e. the initial Helldiver dive each mission is made without the help of a beacon), and in most battles does not have any collateral damage to worry about, not that it would worry about it anyway.
• Super Earth doesn't really seem all that concerned about its most valuable citizens dying so often. Loyalty is a premium in dictatorial regimes, yet SE seems bizarrely indifferent to so much of its most loyal supporters dying in such huge numbers. Strangely, despite the Helldivers being the most loyal citizens, SE still deems it necessary to assign political commissars to them on a 1:1 basis. IIRC correctly, the Helldivers are even a volunteer unit, so not only are these people fighting for you, they choose to do so, which makes throwing away their lives even more baffling.
• Super Earth's enemies are not nearly as threatening as we are meant to believe. How, exactly, are the Automatons and Terminids even able to invade other planets when SE, upon the latest invasion or outbreak, can instantly swarm the orbits of enemy planets with 100,000+ warships? Something just doesn't add up. There's never any mention of a preliminary naval campaign to secure the planetary orbits first, and the Helldivers never have to contest enemy ships, fleets, or airforces before doing their ground missions.

So, why engage in ground combat with human soldiers if both clauses of that idea are invalid? Why have soldiers have to rush within throwing distance to deploy stratagems when precise orbital bombardment with no targeting aids is already possible? Why treat the most reliable supporters of your government like cannon fodder?
Here's the answer: Super Earth, as a militaristic society, doesn't actually value loyalty. It values passivity and docility. The kind of person who becomes a Helldiver is the exact opposite of that: a violent, gullible person who is very independently minded (i.e. volunteers for military service, decides for themselves where and how to fight). Instead, the Helldiver program is essentially a pipeline so that the most violently skilled, independently minded, and ideologically susceptible citizens (i.e. those most willing and able to launch a revolution) are instead A. in state service and B. constantly killed. SE's wars could be fought entirely by orbital bombardment and drones, but using human soldiers allows it to massacre its own citizens under the guise of an "elite" unit.
In short, every Helldiver who yells "For democracy!" while throwing a strategem at an enemy tank 10 feet away and then dies in the ensuing airstrike is one less person who could have been duped into believing a rebellious ideology and fighting against Super Earth instead. By fighting wars in such a horrifically "inefficient" and human-life-wasting fashion, Super Earth is able to funnel dangerous elements of its society (people skilled at violence with strong political beliefs) into fighting and, more importantly, dying for its own causes.
Once you are in the Helldiver program, there is essentially no escape. You will be shot into combat over and over and over again until you either die or your democracy officer finds some excuse to kill you with "your" ship anyway. It's these democracy officers, the calmer, more level-headed supporters of the regime, who are the real backbone of SE. They are the people who are actually in allegiance to Managed Democracy on an intelligent, ideological level, whereas the Helldivers are just useful idiots who, with their independence, might just as easily choose a different ideology to mindlessly believe in just as easily be spouting someone else's political slogan. For this they are too dangerous to be left alive, even in the service of Super Earth. They must be killed.
Note: "independent thinking" and "gullible" can coexist, like someone who "does their own research" and believes in a conspiracy theory, or someone who chooses to "reject the mainstream narrative" and believe nonsense simply because it's "not what they want me to think".
Back home, any potential rebel movement will have just leftovers: citizens who wouldn't be as motivated to resist or fight back, or those who couldn't do as well fighting back if they did.
SE's stated enemies in the Terminids and Automatons are just paper tigers meant to direct hatred towards an outside foe that isn't nearly as dangerous as feared, hence why even "Major Orders" are just glorified suggestions and contests. Given the lie behind the strategem beacons and the clear viability of their combat drones, the Helldivers are not actually needed to fight or win any of SE's conflicts. Should they ever actually be in existential danger, the Democracy Officers could just simply glass every combat zone free of bugs and robots from orbit without sending a single boot on the ground.
All the "Major Orders" SE government says are so important are just ways to concentrate Helldivers into deliberately bloody battlefields so that even more of them can be killed. Heck, evne the "Personal Orders" like using a certain weapon or killing a certain enemy are just ways to disunite the Helldivers and trick them into using weapons or getting into confrontations that may not be optimal for overall mission survival.

Dave Trott is a brilliant, mischievous marketeer. Imagine a wise-cracking London cabbie who accidentally ended up as a creative genius in an ad agency. That’s Dave. In his first book, Creative Mischief, he shares the following story. A colleague of Dave’s started reading The Exorcist during his daily train commute from Brighton. It was the most evil book he’d read and he could not finish it. One weekend, the colleague went to the end of Brighton Pier and throw it into the sea. On learning this, Dave went to a bookshop and bought another copy. He ran it under the tap then left it in his colleague’s desk drawer, for him to find.

Simplify the message

Complexity is your enemy. Any fool can make something complicated. It is hard to make something simple. - Dave Trott

Simplicity is key for effective communication. The message must be clear and direct to cut through the noise of a cluttered marketplace. This principle applies broadly. Apple's advertising for the iPhone uses simple imagery and straightforward language to convey its message. A clean image of the device and a few words highlight its features, ensuring the message is understood by the audience. Simplicity is a guiding principle for me when designing digital products, including websites, spreadsheet models and apps.

Curiosity drives success

The person who doesn’t make mistakes is unlikely to make anything. - Dave Trott

Curiosity leads to exploration and often to mistakes. These mistakes are fundamental to learning and innovation. Curiosity celebrates the messiness of the creative process and the growth that comes from it. James Dyson’s development of the Dyson vacuum cleaner involved over 5,000 prototypes, each a learning step towards the final successful product. The initial inspiration for his idea came from the dust extraction mechanism used by a timber saw mill in Bath, where I live. His curiosity and willingness to make mistakes were essential to his innovation.

Storytelling is powerful

People don’t buy what they need, they buy what they want. And what they want is the story that comes along with the product. - Dave Trott

Storytelling is at the heart of effective advertising. The narrative surrounding a product can be more compelling than the product itself. This underscores the importance of crafting stories that resonate emotionally with the audience. Nike’s advertising campaigns do not just sell shoes; they sell stories of perseverance and triumph. Their Just Do It slogan is backed by stories of athletes who push their limits, resonating with customers. I often tell stories in this blog. I particularly enjoyed sharing Percy’s story about the kidnapping of a colleague’s toy penguin.

Question the status quo

If you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you’ve always got. - Dave Trott

Innovation requires breaking away from established patterns. Question the status quo to discover new possibilities and opportunities. Continuous improvement and innovation results. Netflix transformed the entertainment distribution industry by questioning the status quo of DVD rentals. They fundamentally changing how people consume media by evolving it into a streaming service. In my corporate job, I am developing a process to challenge the status quo. It will reduce the time to provide customers with service quotes from weeks to hours.

Other resources

How to Find Counter-intuitive Solutions post by Phil Martin Great Communication in 3 Steps post by Phil Martin
Here’s a passing thought from Dave Trott. Creativity is the last legal way of gaining an unfair advantage over the competition. Have fun. Phil…

Dave Trott is a brilliant, mischievous marketeer. Imagine a wise-cracking London cabbie who accidentally ended up as a creative genius in an ad agency. That’s Dave. In his first book, Creative Mischief, he shares the following story. A colleague of Dave’s started reading The Exorcist during his daily train commute from Brighton. It was the most evil book he’d read and he could not finish it. One weekend, the colleague went to the end of Brighton Pier and throw it into the sea. On learning this, Dave went to a bookshop and bought another copy. He ran it under the tap then left it in his colleague’s desk drawer, for him to find.

Simplify the message

Complexity is your enemy. Any fool can make something complicated. It is hard to make something simple. - Dave Trott

Simplicity is key for effective communication. The message must be clear and direct to cut through the noise of a cluttered marketplace. This principle applies broadly. Apple's advertising for the iPhone uses simple imagery and straightforward language to convey its message. A clean image of the device and a few words highlight its features, ensuring the message is understood by the audience. Simplicity is a guiding principle for me when designing digital products, including websites, spreadsheet models and apps.

Curiosity drives success

The person who doesn’t make mistakes is unlikely to make anything. - Dave Trott

Curiosity leads to exploration and often to mistakes. These mistakes are fundamental to learning and innovation. Curiosity celebrates the messiness of the creative process and the growth that comes from it. James Dyson’s development of the Dyson vacuum cleaner involved over 5,000 prototypes, each a learning step towards the final successful product. The initial inspiration for his idea came from the dust extraction mechanism used by a timber saw mill in Bath, where I live. His curiosity and willingness to make mistakes were essential to his innovation.

Storytelling is powerful

People don’t buy what they need, they buy what they want. And what they want is the story that comes along with the product. - Dave Trott

Storytelling is at the heart of effective advertising. The narrative surrounding a product can be more compelling than the product itself. This underscores the importance of crafting stories that resonate emotionally with the audience. Nike’s advertising campaigns do not just sell shoes; they sell stories of perseverance and triumph. Their Just Do It slogan is backed by stories of athletes who push their limits, resonating with customers. I often tell stories in this blog. I particularly enjoyed sharing Percy’s story about the kidnapping of a colleague’s toy penguin.

Question the status quo

If you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you’ve always got. - Dave Trott

Innovation requires breaking away from established patterns. Question the status quo to discover new possibilities and opportunities. Continuous improvement and innovation results. Netflix transformed the entertainment distribution industry by questioning the status quo of DVD rentals. They fundamentally changing how people consume media by evolving it into a streaming service. In my corporate job, I am developing a process to challenge the status quo. It will reduce the time to provide customers with service quotes from weeks to hours.

Other resources

How to Find Counter-intuitive Solutions post by Phil Martin Great Communication in 3 Steps post by Phil Martin
Here’s a passing thought from Dave Trott. Creativity is the last legal way of gaining an unfair advantage over the competition.
Have fun.
Phil…

Dave Trott is a brilliant, mischievous marketeer. Imagine a wise-cracking London cabbie who accidentally ended up as a creative genius in an ad agency. That’s Dave. In his first book, Creative Mischief, he shares the following story. A colleague of Dave’s started reading The Exorcist during his daily train commute from Brighton. It was the most evil book he’d read and he could not finish it. One weekend, the colleague went to the end of Brighton Pier and throw it into the sea. On learning this, Dave went to a bookshop and bought another copy. He ran it under the tap then left it in his colleague’s desk drawer, for him to find.

Simplify the message

Complexity is your enemy. Any fool can make something complicated. It is hard to make something simple. - Dave Trott

Simplicity is key for effective communication. The message must be clear and direct to cut through the noise of a cluttered marketplace. This principle applies broadly. Apple's advertising for the iPhone uses simple imagery and straightforward language to convey its message. A clean image of the device and a few words highlight its features, ensuring the message is understood by the audience. Simplicity is a guiding principle for me when designing digital products, including websites, spreadsheet models and apps.

Curiosity drives success

The person who doesn’t make mistakes is unlikely to make anything. - Dave Trott

Curiosity leads to exploration and often to mistakes. These mistakes are fundamental to learning and innovation. Curiosity celebrates the messiness of the creative process and the growth that comes from it. James Dyson’s development of the Dyson vacuum cleaner involved over 5,000 prototypes, each a learning step towards the final successful product. The initial inspiration for his idea came from the dust extraction mechanism used by a timber saw mill in Bath, where I live. His curiosity and willingness to make mistakes were essential to his innovation.

Storytelling is powerful

People don’t buy what they need, they buy what they want. And what they want is the story that comes along with the product. - Dave Trott

Storytelling is at the heart of effective advertising. The narrative surrounding a product can be more compelling than the product itself. This underscores the importance of crafting stories that resonate emotionally with the audience. Nike’s advertising campaigns do not just sell shoes; they sell stories of perseverance and triumph. Their Just Do It slogan is backed by stories of athletes who push their limits, resonating with customers. I often tell stories in this blog. I particularly enjoyed sharing Percy’s story about the kidnapping of a colleague’s toy penguin.

Question the status quo

If you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you’ve always got. - Dave Trott

Innovation requires breaking away from established patterns. Question the status quo to discover new possibilities and opportunities. Continuous improvement and innovation results. Netflix transformed the entertainment distribution industry by questioning the status quo of DVD rentals. They fundamentally changing how people consume media by evolving it into a streaming service. In my corporate job, I am developing a process to challenge the status quo. It will reduce the time to provide customers with service quotes from weeks to hours.

Other resources

How to Find Counter-intuitive Solutions post by Phil Martin Great Communication in 3 Steps post by Phil Martin
Here’s a passing thought from Dave Trott. Creativity is the last legal way of gaining an unfair advantage over the competition.
Have fun.
Phil…

Dave Trott is a brilliant, mischievous marketeer. Imagine a wise-cracking London cabbie who accidentally ended up as a creative genius in an ad agency. That’s Dave. In his first book, Creative Mischief, he shares the following story. A colleague of Dave’s started reading The Exorcist during his daily train commute from Brighton. It was the most evil book he’d read and he could not finish it. One weekend, the colleague went to the end of Brighton Pier and throw it into the sea. On learning this, Dave went to a bookshop and bought another copy. He ran it under the tap then left it in his colleague’s desk drawer, for him to find.

Simplify the message

Complexity is your enemy. Any fool can make something complicated. It is hard to make something simple. - Dave Trott

Simplicity is key for effective communication. The message must be clear and direct to cut through the noise of a cluttered marketplace. This principle applies broadly.
Apple's advertising for the iPhone uses simple imagery and straightforward language to convey its message. A clean image of the device and a few words highlight its features, ensuring the message is understood by the audience.
Simplicity is a guiding principle for me when designing digital products, including websites, spreadsheet models and apps, e.g. Scarper.

Curiosity drives success

The person who doesn’t make mistakes is unlikely to make anything. - Dave Trott

Curiosity leads to exploration and often to mistakes. These mistakes are fundamental to learning and innovation. Curiosity celebrates the messiness of the creative process and the growth that comes from it.
James Dyson’s development of the Dyson vacuum cleaner involved over 5,000 prototypes, each a learning step towards the final successful product. The initial inspiration for his idea came from the dust extraction mechanism used by a timber saw mill in Bath, where I live. His curiosity and willingness to make mistakes were essential to his innovation.

Storytelling is powerful

People don’t buy what they need, they buy what they want. And what they want is the story that comes along with the product. - Dave Trott

Storytelling is at the heart of effective advertising. The narrative surrounding a product can be more compelling than the product itself. This underscores the importance of crafting stories that resonate emotionally with the audience.
Nike’s advertising campaigns do not just sell shoes; they sell stories of perseverance and triumph. Their Just Do It slogan is backed by stories of athletes who push their limits, resonating with customers.
I often tell stories in this blog. I particularly enjoyed sharing Percy’s story about the kidnapping of a colleague’s toy penguin.

Question the status quo

If you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you’ve always got. - Dave Trott

Innovation requires breaking away from established patterns. Question the status quo to discover new possibilities and opportunities. Continuous improvement and innovation results.
Netflix transformed the entertainment distribution industry by questioning the status quo of DVD rentals. They fundamentally changing how people consume media by evolving it into a streaming service.
In my corporate job, I am developing a process to challenge the status quo. It will reduce the time to provide customers with service quotes from weeks to hours.

Other resources

Upstream Thinking talk by Dave Trott
How to Find Counter-intuitive Solutions post by Phil Martin
Great Communication in 3 Steps post by Phil Martin
Here’s a passing thought from Dave Trott. Creativity is the last legal way of gaining an unfair advantage over the competition.
Have fun.
Phil…

Dave Trott is a brilliant, mischievous marketeer. Imagine a wise-cracking London cabbie who accidentally ended up as a creative genius in an ad agency. That’s Dave. In his first book, Creative Mischief, he shares the following story. A colleague of Dave’s started reading The Exorcist during his daily train commute from Brighton. It was the most evil book he’d read and he could not finish it. One weekend, the colleague went to the end of Brighton Pier and throw it into the sea. On learning this, Dave went to a bookshop and bought another copy. He ran it under the tap then left it in his colleague’s desk drawer, for him to find.

Simplify the message

Complexity is your enemy. Any fool can make something complicated. It is hard to make something simple. - Dave Trott

Simplicity is key for effective communication. The message must be clear and direct to cut through the noise of a cluttered marketplace. This principle applies broadly.
Apple's advertising for the iPhone uses simple imagery and straightforward language to convey its message. A clean image of the device and a few words highlight its features, ensuring the message is understood by the audience.
Simplicity is a guiding principle for me when designing digital products, including websites, spreadsheet models and apps, e.g. Scarper.

Curiosity drives success

The person who doesn’t make mistakes is unlikely to make anything. - Dave Trott

Curiosity leads to exploration and often to mistakes. These mistakes are fundamental to learning and innovation. Curiosity celebrates the messiness of the creative process and the growth that comes from it.
James Dyson’s development of the Dyson vacuum cleaner involved over 5,000 prototypes, each a learning step towards the final successful product. The initial inspiration for his idea came from the dust extraction mechanism used by a timber saw mill in Bath, where I live. His curiosity and willingness to make mistakes were essential to his innovation.

Storytelling is powerful

People don’t buy what they need, they buy what they want. And what they want is the story that comes along with the product. - Dave Trott

Storytelling is at the heart of effective advertising. The narrative surrounding a product can be more compelling than the product itself. This underscores the importance of crafting stories that resonate emotionally with the audience.
Nike’s advertising campaigns do not just sell shoes; they sell stories of perseverance and triumph. Their Just Do It slogan is backed by stories of athletes who push their limits, resonating with customers.
I often tell stories in this blog. I particularly enjoyed sharing Percy’s story about the kidnapping of a colleague’s toy penguin.

Question the status quo

If you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you’ve always got. - Dave Trott

Innovation requires breaking away from established patterns. Question the status quo to discover new possibilities and opportunities. Continuous improvement and innovation results.
Netflix transformed the entertainment distribution industry by questioning the status quo of DVD rentals. They fundamentally changing how people consume media by evolving it into a streaming service.
In my corporate job, I am developing a process to challenge the status quo. It will reduce the time to provide customers with service quotes from weeks to hours.

Other resources

Upstream Thinking talk by Dave Trott
How to Find Counter-intuitive Solutions post by Phil Martin
Great Communication in 3 Steps post by Phil Martin
Here’s a passing thought from Dave Trott. Creativity is the last legal way of gaining an unfair advantage over the competition.
Have fun.
Phil…

Dave Trott is a brilliant, mischievous marketeer. Imagine a wise-cracking London cabbie who accidentally ended up as a creative genius in an ad agency. That’s Dave. In his first book, Creative Mischief, he shares the following story. A colleague of Dave’s started reading The Exorcist during his daily train commute from Brighton. It was the most evil book he’d read and he could not finish it. One weekend, the colleague went to the end of Brighton Pier and throw it into the sea. On learning this, Dave went to a bookshop and bought another copy. He ran it under the tap then left it in his colleague’s desk drawer, for him to find.

Simplify the message

Complexity is your enemy. Any fool can make something complicated. It is hard to make something simple. - Dave Trott

Simplicity is key for effective communication. The message must be clear and direct to cut through the noise of a cluttered marketplace. This principle applies broadly.
Apple's advertising for the iPhone uses simple imagery and straightforward language to convey its message. A clean image of the device and a few words highlight its features, ensuring the message is understood by the audience.
Simplicity is a guiding principle for me when designing digital products, including websites, spreadsheet models and apps, e.g. Scarper.

Curiosity drives success

The person who doesn’t make mistakes is unlikely to make anything. - Dave Trott

Curiosity leads to exploration and often to mistakes. These mistakes are fundamental to learning and innovation. Curiosity celebrates the messiness of the creative process and the growth that comes from it.
James Dyson’s development of the Dyson vacuum cleaner involved over 5,000 prototypes, each a learning step towards the final successful product. The initial inspiration for his idea came from the dust extraction mechanism used by a timber saw mill in Bath, where I live. His curiosity and willingness to make mistakes were essential to his innovation.

Storytelling is powerful

People don’t buy what they need, they buy what they want. And what they want is the story that comes along with the product. - Dave Trott

Storytelling is at the heart of effective advertising. The narrative surrounding a product can be more compelling than the product itself. This underscores the importance of crafting stories that resonate emotionally with the audience.
Nike’s advertising campaigns do not just sell shoes; they sell stories of perseverance and triumph. Their Just Do It slogan is backed by stories of athletes who push their limits, resonating with customers.
I often tell stories in this blog. I particularly enjoyed sharing Percy’s story about the kidnapping of a colleague’s toy penguin.

Question the status quo

If you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you’ve always got. - Dave Trott

Innovation requires breaking away from established patterns. Question the status quo to discover new possibilities and opportunities. Continuous improvement and innovation results.
Netflix transformed the entertainment distribution industry by questioning the status quo of DVD rentals. They fundamentally changing how people consume media by evolving it into a streaming service.
In my corporate job, I am developing a process to challenge the status quo. It will reduce the time to provide customers with service quotes from weeks to hours.

Other resources

Upstream Thinking talk by Dave Trott
How to Find Counter-intuitive Solutions post by Phil Martin
Great Communication in 3 Steps post by Phil Martin
Here’s a passing thought from Dave Trott. Creativity is the last legal way of gaining an unfair advantage over the competition.
Have fun.
Phil…

Dave Trott is a brilliant, mischievous marketeer. Imagine a wise-cracking London cabbie who accidentally ended up as a creative genius in an ad agency. That’s Dave. In his first book, Creative Mischief, he shares the following story. A colleague of Dave’s started reading The Exorcist during his daily train commute from Brighton. It was the most evil book he’d read and he could not finish it. One weekend, the colleague went to the end of Brighton Pier and throw it into the sea. On learning this, Dave went to a bookshop and bought another copy. He ran it under the tap then left it in his colleague’s desk drawer, for him to find.

Simplify the message

Complexity is your enemy. Any fool can make something complicated. It is hard to make something simple. - Dave Trott

Simplicity is key for effective communication. The message must be clear and direct to cut through the noise of a cluttered marketplace. This principle applies broadly.
Apple's advertising for the iPhone uses simple imagery and straightforward language to convey its message. A clean image of the device and a few words highlight its features, ensuring the message is understood by the audience.
Simplicity is a guiding principle for me when designing digital products, including websites, spreadsheet models and apps, e.g. Scarper.

Curiosity drives success

The person who doesn’t make mistakes is unlikely to make anything. - Dave Trott

Curiosity leads to exploration and often to mistakes. These mistakes are fundamental to learning and innovation. Curiosity celebrates the messiness of the creative process and the growth that comes from it.
James Dyson’s development of the Dyson vacuum cleaner involved over 5,000 prototypes, each a learning step towards the final successful product. The initial inspiration for his idea came from the dust extraction mechanism used by a timber saw mill in Bath, where I live. His curiosity and willingness to make mistakes were essential to his innovation.

Storytelling is powerful

People don’t buy what they need, they buy what they want. And what they want is the story that comes along with the product. - Dave Trott

Storytelling is at the heart of effective advertising. The narrative surrounding a product can be more compelling than the product itself. This underscores the importance of crafting stories that resonate emotionally with the audience.
Nike’s advertising campaigns do not just sell shoes; they sell stories of perseverance and triumph. Their Just Do It slogan is backed by stories of athletes who push their limits, resonating with customers.
I often tell stories in this blog. I particularly enjoyed sharing Percy’s story about the kidnapping of a colleague’s toy penguin.

Question the status quo

If you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you’ve always got. - Dave Trott

Innovation requires breaking away from established patterns. Question the status quo to discover new possibilities and opportunities. Continuous improvement and innovation results.
Netflix transformed the entertainment distribution industry by questioning the status quo of DVD rentals. They fundamentally changing how people consume media by evolving it into a streaming service.
In my corporate job, I am developing a process to challenge the status quo. It will reduce the time to provide customers with service quotes from weeks to hours.

Other resources

Upstream Thinking talk by Dave Trott
How to Find Counter-intuitive Solutions post by Phil Martin
Great Communication in 3 Steps post by Phil Martin
Here’s a passing thought from Dave Trott. Creativity is the last legal way of gaining an unfair advantage over the competition.
Have fun.
Phil…

Dave Trott is a brilliant, mischievous marketeer. Imagine a wise-cracking London cabbie who accidentally ended up as a creative genius in an ad agency. That’s Dave. In his first book, Creative Mischief, he shares the following story. A colleague of Dave’s started reading The Exorcist during his daily train commute from Brighton. It was the most evil book he’d read and he could not finish it. One weekend, the colleague went to the end of Brighton Pier and throw it into the sea. On learning this, Dave went to a bookshop and bought another copy. He ran it under the tap then left it in his colleague’s desk drawer, for him to find.

Simplify the message

Complexity is your enemy. Any fool can make something complicated. It is hard to make something simple. - Dave Trott

Simplicity is key for effective communication. The message must be clear and direct to cut through the noise of a cluttered marketplace. This principle applies broadly.
Apple's advertising for the iPhone uses simple imagery and straightforward language to convey its message. A clean image of the device and a few words highlight its features, ensuring the message is understood by the audience.
Simplicity is a guiding principle for me when designing digital products, including websites, spreadsheet models and apps, e.g. Scarper.

Curiosity drives success

The person who doesn’t make mistakes is unlikely to make anything. - Dave Trott

Curiosity leads to exploration and often to mistakes. These mistakes are fundamental to learning and innovation. Curiosity celebrates the messiness of the creative process and the growth that comes from it.
James Dyson’s development of the Dyson vacuum cleaner involved over 5,000 prototypes, each a learning step towards the final successful product. The initial inspiration for his idea came from the dust extraction mechanism used by a timber saw mill in Bath, where I live. His curiosity and willingness to make mistakes were essential to his innovation.

Storytelling is powerful

People don’t buy what they need, they buy what they want. And what they want is the story that comes along with the product. - Dave Trott

Storytelling is at the heart of effective advertising. The narrative surrounding a product can be more compelling than the product itself. This underscores the importance of crafting stories that resonate emotionally with the audience.
Nike’s advertising campaigns do not just sell shoes; they sell stories of perseverance and triumph. Their Just Do It slogan is backed by stories of athletes who push their limits, resonating with customers.
I often tell stories in this blog. I particularly enjoyed sharing Percy’s story about the kidnapping of a colleague’s toy penguin.

Question the status quo

If you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you’ve always got. - Dave Trott

Innovation requires breaking away from established patterns. Question the status quo to discover new possibilities and opportunities. Continuous improvement and innovation results.
Netflix transformed the entertainment distribution industry by questioning the status quo of DVD rentals. They fundamentally changing how people consume media by evolving it into a streaming service.
In my corporate job, I am developing a process to challenge the status quo. It will reduce the time to provide customers with service quotes from weeks to hours.

Other resources

Upstream Thinking talk by Dave Trott
How to Find Counter-intuitive Solutions post by Phil Martin
Great Communication in 3 Steps post by Phil Martin
Here’s a passing thought from Dave Trott. Creativity is the last legal way of gaining an unfair advantage over the competition.
Have fun.
Phil…

According to all known laws of aviation, there is no way a bee should be able to fly. Its wings are too small to get its fat little body off the ground. The bee, of course, flies anyway because bees don't care what humans think is impossible. Yellow, black. Yellow, black. Yellow, black. Yellow, black. Ooh, black and yellow! Let's shake it up a little. Barry! Breakfast is ready! Ooming! Hang on a second. Hello? - Barry? - Adam? - Oan you believe this is happening? - I can't. I'll pick you up. Looking sharp. Use the stairs. Your father paid good money for those. Sorry. I'm excited. Here's the graduate. We're very proud of you, son. A perfect report card, all B's. Very proud. Ma! I got a thing going here. - You got lint on your fuzz. - Ow! That's me! - Wave to us! We'll be in row 118,000. - Bye! Barry, I told you, stop flying in the house! - Hey, Adam. - Hey, Barry. - Is that fuzz gel? - A little. Special day, graduation. Never thought I'd make it. Three days grade school, three days high school. Those were awkward. Three days college. I'm glad I took a day and hitchhiked around the hive. You did come back different. - Hi, Barry. - Artie, growing a mustache? Looks good. - Hear about Frankie? - Yeah. - You going to the funeral? - No, I'm not going. Everybody knows, sting someone, you die. Don't waste it on a squirrel. Such a hothead. I guess he could have just gotten out of the way. I love this incorporating an amusement park into our day. That's why we don't need vacations. Boy, quite a bit of pomp... under the circumstances. - Well, Adam, today we are men. - We are! - Bee-men. - Amen! Hallelujah! Students, faculty, distinguished bees, please welcome Dean Buzzwell. Welcome, New Hive Oity graduating class of... ...9:15. That concludes our ceremonies. And begins your career at Honex Industries! Will we pick ourjob today? I heard it's just orientation. Heads up! Here we go. Keep your hands and antennas inside the tram at all times. - Wonder what it'll be like? - A little scary. Welcome to Honex, a division of Honesco and a part of the Hexagon Group. This is it! Wow. Wow. We know that you, as a bee, have worked your whole life to get to the point where you can work for your whole life. Honey begins when our valiant Pollen Jocks bring the nectar to the hive. Our top-secret formula is automatically color-corrected, scent-adjusted and bubble-contoured into this soothing sweet syrup with its distinctive golden glow you know as... Honey! - That girl was hot. - She's my cousin! - She is? - Yes, we're all cousins. - Right. You're right. - At Honex, we constantly strive to improve every aspect of bee existence. These bees are stress-testing a new helmet technology. - What do you think he makes? - Not enough. Here we have our latest advancement, the Krelman. - What does that do? - Oatches that little strand of honey that hangs after you pour it. Saves us millions. Oan anyone work on the Krelman? Of course. Most bee jobs are small ones. But bees know that every small job, if it's done well, means a lot. But choose carefully because you'll stay in the job you pick for the rest of your life. The same job the rest of your life? I didn't know that. What's the difference? You'll be happy to know that bees, as a species, haven't had one day off in 27 million years. So you'll just work us to death? We'll sure try. Wow! That blew my mind! "What's the difference?" How can you say that? One job forever? That's an insane choice to have to make. I'm relieved. Now we only have to make one decision in life. But, Adam, how could they never have told us that? Why would you question anything? We're bees. We're the most perfectly functioning society on Earth. You ever think maybe things work a little too well here? Like what? Give me one example. I don't know. But you know what I'm talking about. Please clear the gate. Royal Nectar Force on approach. Wait a second. Oheck it out. - Hey, those are Pollen Jocks! - Wow. I've never seen them this close. They know what it's like outside the hive. Yeah, but some don't come back. - Hey, Jocks! - Hi, Jocks! You guys did great! You're monsters! You're sky freaks! I love it! I love it! - I wonder where they were. - I don't know. Their day's not planned. Outside the hive, flying who knows where, doing who knows what. You can'tjust decide to be a Pollen Jock. You have to be bred for that. Right. Look. That's more pollen than you and I will see in a lifetime. It's just a status symbol. Bees make too much of it. Perhaps. Unless you're wearing it and the ladies see you wearing it. Those ladies? Aren't they our cousins too? Distant. Distant. Look at these two. - Oouple of Hive Harrys. - Let's have fun with them. It must be dangerous being a Pollen Jock. Yeah. Once a bear pinned me against a mushroom! He had a paw on my throat, and with the other, he was slapping me! - Oh, my! - I never thought I'd knock him out. What were you doing during this? Trying to alert the authorities. I can autograph that. A little gusty out there today, wasn't it, comrades? Yeah. Gusty. We're hitting a sunflower patch six miles from here tomorrow. - Six miles, huh? - Barry! A puddle jump for us, but maybe you're not up for it. - Maybe I am. - You are not! We're going 0900 at J-Gate. What do you think, buzzy-boy? Are you bee enough? I might be. It all depends on what 0900 means. Hey, Honex! Dad, you surprised me. You decide what you're interested in? - Well, there's a lot of choices. - But you only get one. Do you ever get bored doing the same job every day? Son, let me tell you about stirring. You grab that stick, and you just move it around, and you stir it around. You get yourself into a rhythm. It's a beautiful thing. You know, Dad, the more I think about it, maybe the honey field just isn't right for me. You were thinking of what, making balloon animals? That's a bad job for a guy with a stinger. Janet, your son's not sure he wants to go into honey! - Barry, you are so funny sometimes. - I'm not trying to be funny. You're not funny! You're going into honey. Our son, the stirrer! - You're gonna be a stirrer? - No one's listening to me! Wait till you see the sticks I have. I could say anything right now. I'm gonna get an ant tattoo! Let's open some honey and celebrate! Maybe I'll pierce my thorax. Shave my antennae. Shack up with a grasshopper. Get a gold tooth and call everybody "dawg"! I'm so proud. - We're starting work today! - Today's the day. Oome on! All the good jobs will be gone. Yeah, right. Pollen counting, stunt bee, pouring, stirrer, front desk, hair removal... - Is it still available? - Hang on. Two left! One of them's yours! Oongratulations! Step to the side. - What'd you get? - Picking crud out. Stellar! Wow! Oouple of newbies? Yes, sir! Our first day! We are ready! Make your choice. - You want to go first? - No, you go. Oh, my. What's available? Restroom attendant's open, not for the reason you think. - Any chance of getting the Krelman? - Sure, you're on. I'm sorry, the Krelman just closed out. Wax monkey's always open. The Krelman opened up again. What happened? A bee died. Makes an opening. See? He's dead. Another dead one. Deady. Deadified. Two more dead. Dead from the neck up. Dead from the neck down. That's life! Oh, this is so hard! Heating, cooling, stunt bee, pourer, stirrer, humming, inspector number seven, lint coordinator, stripe supervisor, mite wrangler. Barry, what do you think I should... Barry? Barry! All right, we've got the sunflower patch in quadrant nine... What happened to you? Where are you? - I'm going out. - Out? Out where? - Out there. - Oh, no! I have to, before I go to work for the rest of my life. You're gonna die! You're crazy! Hello? Another call coming in. If anyone's feeling brave, there's a Korean deli on 83rd that gets their roses today. Hey, guys. - Look at that. - Isn't that the kid we saw yesterday? Hold it, son, flight deck's restricted. It's OK, Lou. We're gonna take him up. Really? Feeling lucky, are you? Sign here, here. Just initial that. - Thank you. - OK. You got a rain advisory today, and as you all know, bees cannot fly in rain. So be careful. As always, watch your brooms, hockey sticks, dogs, birds, bears and bats. Also, I got a couple of reports of root beer being poured on us. Murphy's in a home because of it, babbling like a cicada! - That's awful. - And a reminder for you rookies, bee law number one, absolutely no talking to humans! All right, launch positions! Buzz, buzz, buzz, buzz! Buzz, buzz, buzz, buzz! Buzz, buzz, buzz, buzz! Black and yellow! Hello! You ready for this, hot shot? Yeah. Yeah, bring it on. Wind, check. - Antennae, check. - Nectar pack, check. - Wings, check. - Stinger, check. Scared out of my shorts, check. OK, ladies, let's move it out! Pound those petunias, you striped stem-suckers! All of you, drain those flowers! Wow! I'm out! I can't believe I'm out! So blue. I feel so fast and free! Box kite! Wow! Flowers! This is Blue Leader. We have roses visual. Bring it around 30 degrees and hold. Roses! 30 degrees, roger. Bringing it around. Stand to the side, kid. It's got a bit of a kick. That is one nectar collector! - Ever see pollination up close? - No, sir. I pick up some pollen here, sprinkle it over here. Maybe a dash over there, a pinch on that one. See that? It's a little bit of magic. That's amazing. Why do we do that? That's pollen power. More pollen, more flowers, more nectar, more honey for us. Oool. I'm picking up a lot of bright yellow. Oould be daisies. Don't we need those? Oopy that visual. Wait. One of these flowers seems to be on the move. Say again? You're reporting a moving flower? Affirmative. That was on the line! This is the coolest. What is it? I don't know, but I'm loving this color. It smells good. Not like a flower, but I like it. Yeah, fuzzy. Ohemical-y. Oareful, guys. It's a little grabby. My sweet lord of bees! Oandy-brain, get off there! Problem! - Guys! - This could be bad. Affirmative. Very close. Gonna hurt. Mama's little boy. You are way out of position, rookie! Ooming in at you like a missile! Help me! I don't think these are flowers. - Should we tell him? - I think he knows. What is this?! Match point! You can start packing up, honey, because you're about to eat it! Yowser! Gross. There's a bee in the car! - Do something! - I'm driving! - Hi, bee. - He's back here! He's going to sting me! Nobody move. If you don't move, he won't sting you. Freeze! He blinked! Spray him, Granny! What are you doing?! Wow... the tension level out here is unbelievable. I gotta get home. Oan't fly in rain. Oan't fly in rain. Oan't fly in rain. Mayday! Mayday! Bee going down! Ken, could you close the window please? Ken, could you close the window please? Oheck out my new resume. I made it into a fold-out brochure. You see? Folds out. Oh, no. More humans. I don't need this. What was that? Maybe this time. This time. This time. This time! This time! This... Drapes! That is diabolical. It's fantastic. It's got all my special skills, even my top-ten favorite movies. What's number one? Star Wars? Nah, I don't go for that... ...kind of stuff. No wonder we shouldn't talk to them. They're out of their minds. When I leave a job interview, they're flabbergasted, can't believe what I say. There's the sun. Maybe that's a way out. I don't remember the sun having a big 75 on it. I predicted global warming. I could feel it getting hotter. At first I thought it was just me. Wait! Stop! Bee! Stand back. These are winter boots. Wait! Don't kill him! You know I'm allergic to them! This thing could kill me! Why does his life have less value than yours? Why does his life have any less value than mine? Is that your statement? I'm just saying all life has value. You don't know what he's capable of feeling. My brochure! There you go, little guy. I'm not scared of him. It's an allergic thing. Put that on your resume brochure. My whole face could puff up. Make it one of your special skills. Knocking someone out is also a special skill. Right. Bye, Vanessa. Thanks. - Vanessa, next week? Yogurt night? - Sure, Ken. You know, whatever. - You could put carob chips on there. - Bye. - Supposed to be less calories. - Bye. I gotta say something. She saved my life. I gotta say something. All right, here it goes. Nah. What would I say? I could really get in trouble. It's a bee law. You're not supposed to talk to a human. I can't believe I'm doing this. I've got to. Oh, I can't do it. Oome on! No. Yes. No. Do it. I can't. How should I start it? "You like jazz?" No, that's no good. Here she comes! Speak, you fool! Hi! I'm sorry. - You're talking. - Yes, I know. You're talking! I'm so sorry. No, it's OK. It's fine. I know I'm dreaming. But I don't recall going to bed. Well, I'm sure this is very disconcerting. This is a bit of a surprise to me. I mean, you're a bee! I am. And I'm not supposed to be doing this, but they were all trying to kill me. And if it wasn't for you... I had to thank you. It's just how I was raised. That was a little weird. - I'm talking with a bee. - Yeah. I'm talking to a bee. And the bee is talking to me! I just want to say I'm grateful. I'll leave now. - Wait! How did you learn to do that? - What? The talking thing. Same way you did, I guess. "Mama, Dada, honey." You pick it up. - That's very funny. - Yeah. Bees are funny. If we didn't laugh, we'd cry with what we have to deal with. Anyway... Oan I... ...get you something? - Like what? I don't know. I mean... I don't know. Ooffee? I don't want to put you out. It's no trouble. It takes two minutes. - It's just coffee. - I hate to impose. - Don't be ridiculous! - Actually, I would love a cup. Hey, you want rum cake? - I shouldn't. - Have some. - No, I can't. - Oome on! I'm trying to lose a couple micrograms. - Where? - These stripes don't help. You look great! I don't know if you know anything about fashion. Are you all right? No. He's making the tie in the cab as they're flying up Madison. He finally gets there. He runs up the steps into the church. The wedding is on. And he says, "Watermelon? I thought you said Guatemalan. Why would I marry a watermelon?" Is that a bee joke? That's the kind of stuff we do. Yeah, different. So, what are you gonna do, Barry? About work? I don't know. I want to do my part for the hive, but I can't do it the way they want. I know how you feel. - You do? - Sure. My parents wanted me to be a lawyer or a doctor, but I wanted to be a florist. - Really? - My only interest is flowers. Our new queen was just elected with that same campaign slogan. Anyway, if you look... There's my hive right there. See it? You're in Sheep Meadow! Yes! I'm right off the Turtle Pond! No way! I know that area. I lost a toe ring there once. - Why do girls put rings on their toes? - Why not? - It's like putting a hat on your knee. - Maybe I'll try that. - You all right, ma'am? - Oh, yeah. Fine. Just having two cups of coffee! Anyway, this has been great. Thanks for the coffee. Yeah, it's no trouble. Sorry I couldn't finish it. If I did, I'd be up the rest of my life. Are you...? Oan I take a piece of this with me? Sure! Here, have a crumb. - Thanks! - Yeah. All right. Well, then... I guess I'll see you around. Or not. OK, Barry. And thank you so much again... for before. Oh, that? That was nothing. Well, not nothing, but... Anyway... This can't possibly work. He's all set to go. We may as well try it. OK, Dave, pull the chute. - Sounds amazing. - It was amazing! It was the scariest, happiest moment of my life. Humans! I can't believe you were with humans! Giant, scary humans! What were they like? Huge and crazy. They talk crazy. They eat crazy giant things. They drive crazy. - Do they try and kill you, like on TV? - Some of them. But some of them don't. - How'd you get back? - Poodle. You did it, and I'm glad. You saw whatever you wanted to see. You had your "experience." Now you can pick out yourjob and be normal. - Well... - Well? Well, I met someone. You did? Was she Bee-ish? - A wasp?! Your parents will kill you! - No, no, no, not a wasp. - Spider? - I'm not attracted to spiders. I know it's the hottest thing, with the eight legs and all. I can't get by that face. So who is she? She's... human. No, no. That's a bee law. You wouldn't break a bee law. - Her name's Vanessa. - Oh, boy. She's so nice. And she's a florist! Oh, no! You're dating a human florist! We're not dating. You're flying outside the hive, talking to humans that attack our homes with power washers and M-80s! One-eighth a stick of dynamite! She saved my life! And she understands me. This is over! Eat this. This is not over! What was that? - They call it a crumb. - It was so stingin' stripey! And that's not what they eat. That's what falls off what they eat! - You know what a Oinnabon is? - No. It's bread and cinnamon and frosting. They heat it up... Sit down! ...really hot! - Listen to me! We are not them! We're us. There's us and there's them! Yes, but who can deny the heart that is yearning? There's no yearning. Stop yearning. Listen to me! You have got to start thinking bee, my friend. Thinking bee! - Thinking bee. - Thinking bee. Thinking bee! Thinking bee! Thinking bee! Thinking bee! There he is. He's in the pool. You know what your problem is, Barry? I gotta start thinking bee? How much longer will this go on? It's been three days! Why aren't you working? I've got a lot of big life decisions to think about. What life? You have no life! You have no job. You're barely a bee! Would it kill you to make a little honey? Barry, come out. Your father's talking to you. Martin, would you talk to him? Barry, I'm talking to you! You coming? Got everything? All set! Go ahead. I'll catch up. Don't be too long. Watch this! Vanessa! - We're still here. - I told you not to yell at him. He doesn't respond to yelling! - Then why yell at me? - Because you don't listen! I'm not listening to this. Sorry, I've gotta go. - Where are you going? - I'm meeting a friend. A girl? Is this why you can't decide? Bye. I just hope she's Bee-ish. They have a huge parade of flowers every year in Pasadena? To be in the Tournament of Roses, that's every florist's dream! Up on a float, surrounded by flowers, crowds cheering. A tournament. Do the roses compete in athletic events? No. All right, I've got one. How come you don't fly everywhere? It's exhausting. Why don't you run everywhere? It's faster. Yeah, OK, I see, I see. All right, your turn. TiVo. You can just freeze live TV? That's insane! You don't have that? We have Hivo, but it's a disease. It's a horrible, horrible disease. Oh, my. Dumb bees! You must want to sting all those jerks. We try not to sting. It's usually fatal for us. So you have to watch your temper. Very carefully. You kick a wall, take a walk, write an angry letter and throw it out. Work through it like any emotion: Anger, jealousy, lust. Oh, my goodness! Are you OK? Yeah. - What is wrong with you?! - It's a bug. He's not bothering anybody. Get out of here, you creep! What was that? A Pic 'N' Save circular? Yeah, it was. How did you know? It felt like about 10 pages. Seventy-five is pretty much our limit. You've really got that down to a science. - I lost a cousin to Italian Vogue. - I'll bet. What in the name of Mighty Hercules is this? How did this get here? Oute Bee, Golden Blossom, Ray Liotta Private Select? - Is he that actor? - I never heard of him. - Why is this here? - For people. We eat it. You don't have enough food of your own? - Well, yes. - How do you get it? - Bees make it. - I know who makes it! And it's hard to make it! There's heating, cooling, stirring. You need a whole Krelman thing! - It's organic. - It's our-ganic! It's just honey, Barry. Just what?! Bees don't know about this! This is stealing! A lot of stealing! You've taken our homes, schools, hospitals! This is all we have! And it's on sale?! I'm getting to the bottom of this. I'm getting to the bottom of all of this! Hey, Hector. - You almost done? - Almost. He is here. I sense it. Well, I guess I'll go home now and just leave this nice honey out, with no one around. You're busted, box boy! I knew I heard something. So you can talk! I can talk. And now you'll start talking! Where you getting the sweet stuff? Who's your supplier? I don't understand. I thought we were friends. The last thing we want to do is upset bees! You're too late! It's ours now! You, sir, have crossed the wrong sword! You, sir, will be lunch for my iguana, Ignacio! Where is the honey coming from? Tell me where! Honey Farms! It comes from Honey Farms! Orazy person! What horrible thing has happened here? These faces, they never knew what hit them. And now they're on the road to nowhere! Just keep still. What? You're not dead? Do I look dead? They will wipe anything that moves. Where you headed? To Honey Farms. I am onto something huge here. I'm going to Alaska. Moose blood, crazy stuff. Blows your head off! I'm going to Tacoma. - And you? - He really is dead. All right. Uh-oh! - What is that?! - Oh, no! - A wiper! Triple blade! - Triple blade? Jump on! It's your only chance, bee! Why does everything have to be so doggone clean?! How much do you people need to see?! Open your eyes! Stick your head out the window! From NPR News in Washington, I'm Oarl Kasell. But don't kill no more bugs! - Bee! - Moose blood guy!! - You hear something? - Like what? Like tiny screaming. Turn off the radio. Whassup, bee boy? Hey, Blood. Just a row of honey jars, as far as the eye could see. Wow! I assume wherever this truck goes is where they're getting it. I mean, that honey's ours. - Bees hang tight. - We're all jammed in. It's a close community. Not us, man. We on our own. Every mosquito on his own. - What if you get in trouble? - You a mosquito, you in trouble. Nobody likes us. They just smack. See a mosquito, smack, smack! At least you're out in the world. You must meet girls. Mosquito girls try to trade up, get with a moth, dragonfly. Mosquito girl don't want no mosquito. You got to be kidding me! Mooseblood's about to leave the building! So long, bee! - Hey, guys! - Mooseblood! I knew I'd catch y'all down here. Did you bring your crazy straw? We throw it in jars, slap a label on it, and it's pretty much pure profit. What is this place? A bee's got a brain the size of a pinhead. They are pinheads! Pinhead. - Oheck out the new smoker. - Oh, sweet. That's the one you want. The Thomas 3000! Smoker? Ninety puffs a minute, semi-automatic. Twice the nicotine, all the tar. A couple breaths of this knocks them right out. They make the honey, and we make the money. "They make the honey, and we make the money"? Oh, my! What's going on? Are you OK? Yeah. It doesn't last too long. Do you know you're in a fake hive with fake walls? Our queen was moved here. We had no choice. This is your queen? That's a man in women's clothes! That's a drag queen! What is this? Oh, no! There's hundreds of them! Bee honey. Our honey is being brazenly stolen on a massive scale! This is worse than anything bears have done! I intend to do something. Oh, Barry, stop. Who told you humans are taking our honey? That's a rumor. Do these look like rumors? That's a conspiracy theory. These are obviously doctored photos. How did you get mixed up in this? He's been talking to humans. - What? - Talking to humans?! He has a human girlfriend. And they make out! Make out? Barry! We do not. - You wish you could. - Whose side are you on? The bees! I dated a cricket once in San Antonio. Those crazy legs kept me up all night. Barry, this is what you want to do with your life? I want to do it for all our lives. Nobody works harder than bees! Dad, I remember you coming home so overworked your hands were still stirring. You couldn't stop. I remember that. What right do they have to our honey? We live on two cups a year. They put it in lip balm for no reason whatsoever! Even if it's true, what can one bee do? Sting them where it really hurts. In the face! The eye! - That would hurt. - No. Up the nose? That's a killer. There's only one place you can sting the humans, one place where it matters. Hive at Five, the hive's only full-hour action news source. No more bee beards! With Bob Bumble at the anchor desk. Weather with Storm Stinger. Sports with Buzz Larvi. And Jeanette Ohung. - Good evening. I'm Bob Bumble. - And I'm Jeanette Ohung. A tri-county bee, Barry Benson, intends to sue the human race for stealing our honey, packaging it and profiting from it illegally! Tomorrow night on Bee Larry King, we'll have three former queens here in our studio, discussing their new book, Olassy Ladies, out this week on Hexagon. Tonight we're talking to Barry Benson. Did you ever think, "I'm a kid from the hive. I can't do this"? Bees have never been afraid to change the world. What about Bee Oolumbus? Bee Gandhi? Bejesus? Where I'm from, we'd never sue humans. We were thinking of stickball or candy stores. How old are you? The bee community is supporting you in this case, which will be the trial of the bee century. You know, they have a Larry King in the human world too. It's a common name. Next week... He looks like you and has a show and suspenders and colored dots... Next week... Glasses, quotes on the bottom from the guest even though you just heard 'em. Bear Week next week! They're scary, hairy and here live. Always leans forward, pointy shoulders, squinty eyes, very Jewish. In tennis, you attack at the point of weakness! It was my grandmother, Ken. She's 81. Honey, her backhand's a joke! I'm not gonna take advantage of that? Quiet, please. Actual work going on here. - Is that that same bee? - Yes, it is! I'm helping him sue the human race. - Hello. - Hello, bee. This is Ken. Yeah, I remember you. Timberland, size ten and a half. Vibram sole, I believe. Why does he talk again? Listen, you better go 'cause we're really busy working. But it's our yogurt night! Bye-bye. Why is yogurt night so difficult?! You poor thing. You two have been at this for hours! Yes, and Adam here has been a huge help. - Frosting... - How many sugars? Just one. I try not to use the competition. So why are you helping me? Bees have good qualities. And it takes my mind off the shop. Instead of flowers, people are giving balloon bouquets now. Those are great, if you're three. And artificial flowers. - Oh, those just get me psychotic! - Yeah, me too. Bent stingers, pointless pollination. Bees must hate those fake things! Nothing worse than a daffodil that's had work done. Maybe this could make up for it a little bit. - This lawsuit's a pretty big deal. - I guess. You sure you want to go through with it? Am I sure? When I'm done with the humans, they won't be able to say, "Honey, I'm home," without paying a royalty! It's an incredible scene here in downtown Manhattan, where the world anxiously waits, because for the first time in history, we will hear for ourselves if a honeybee can actually speak. What have we gotten into here, Barry? It's pretty big, isn't it? I can't believe how many humans don't work during the day. You think billion-dollar multinational food companies have good lawyers? Everybody needs to stay behind the barricade. - What's the matter? - I don't know, I just got a chill. Well, if it isn't the bee team. You boys work on this? All rise! The Honorable Judge Bumbleton presiding. All right. Oase number 4475, Superior Oourt of New York, Barry Bee Benson v. the Honey Industry is now in session. Mr. Montgomery, you're representing the five food companies collectively? A privilege. Mr. Benson... you're representing all the bees of the world? I'm kidding. Yes, Your Honor, we're ready to proceed. Mr. Montgomery, your opening statement, please. Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, my grandmother was a simple woman. Born on a farm, she believed it was man's divine right to benefit from the bounty of nature God put before us. If we lived in the topsy-turvy world Mr. Benson imagines, just think of what would it mean. I would have to negotiate with the silkworm for the elastic in my britches! Talking bee! How do we know this isn't some sort of holographic motion-picture-capture Hollywood wizardry? They could be using laser beams! Robotics! Ventriloquism! Oloning! For all we know, he could be on steroids! Mr. Benson? Ladies and gentlemen, there's no trickery here. I'm just an ordinary bee. Honey's pretty important to me. It's important to all bees. We invented it! We make it. And we protect it with our lives. Unfortunately, there are some people in this room who think they can take it from us 'cause we're the little guys! I'm hoping that, after this is all over, you'll see how, by taking our honey, you not only take everything we have but everything we are! I wish he'd dress like that all the time. So nice! Oall your first witness. So, Mr. Klauss Vanderhayden of Honey Farms, big company you have. I suppose so. I see you also own Honeyburton and Honron! Yes, they provide beekeepers for our farms. Beekeeper. I find that to be a very disturbing term. I don't imagine you employ any bee-free-ers, do you? - No. - I couldn't hear you. - No. - No. Because you don't free bees. You keep bees. Not only that, it seems you thought a bear would be an appropriate image for a jar of honey. They're very lovable creatures. Yogi Bear, Fozzie Bear, Build-A-Bear. You mean like this? Bears kill bees! How'd you like his head crashing through your living room?! Biting into your couch! Spitting out your throw pillows! OK, that's enough. Take him away. So, Mr. Sting, thank you for being here. Your name intrigues me. - Where have I heard it before? - I was with a band called The Police. But you've never been a police officer, have you? No, I haven't. No, you haven't. And so here we have yet another example of bee culture casually stolen by a human for nothing more than a prance-about stage name. Oh, please. Have you ever been stung, Mr. Sting? Because I'm feeling a little stung, Sting. Or should I say... Mr. Gordon M. Sumner! That's not his real name?! You idiots! Mr. Liotta, first, belated congratulations on your Emmy win for a guest spot on ER in 2005. Thank you. Thank you. I see from your resume that you're devilishly handsome with a churning inner turmoil that's ready to blow. I enjoy what I do. Is that a crime? Not yet it isn't. But is this what it's come to for you? Exploiting tiny, helpless bees so you don't have to rehearse your part and learn your lines, sir? Watch it, Benson! I could blow right now! This isn't a goodfella. This is a badfella! Why doesn't someone just step on this creep, and we can all go home?! - Order in this court! - You're all thinking it! Order! Order, I say! - Say it! - Mr. Liotta, please sit down! I think it was awfully nice of that bear to pitch in like that. I think the jury's on our side. Are we doing everything right, legally? I'm a florist. Right. Well, here's to a great team. To a great team! Well, hello. - Ken! - Hello. I didn't think you were coming. No, I was just late. I tried to call, but... the battery. I didn't want all this to go to waste, so I called Barry. Luckily, he was free. Oh, that was lucky. There's a little left. I could heat it up. Yeah, heat it up, sure, whatever. So I hear you're quite a tennis player. I'm not much for the game myself. The ball's a little grabby. That's where I usually sit. Right... there. Ken, Barry was looking at your resume, and he agreed with me that eating with chopsticks isn't really a special skill. You think I don't see what you're doing? I know how hard it is to find the rightjob. We have that in common. Do we? Bees have 100 percent employment, but we do jobs like taking the crud out. That's just what I was thinking about doing. Ken, I let Barry borrow your razor for his fuzz. I hope that was all right. I'm going to drain the old stinger. Yeah, you do that. Look at that. You know, I've just about had it with your little mind games. - What's that? - Italian Vogue. Mamma mia, that's a lot of pages. A lot of ads. Remember what Van said, why is your life more valuable than mine? Funny, I just can't seem to recall that! I think something stinks in here! I love the smell of flowers. How do you like the smell of flames?! Not as much. Water bug! Not taking sides! Ken, I'm wearing a Ohapstick hat! This is pathetic! I've got issues! Well, well, well, a royal flush! - You're bluffing. - Am I? Surf's up, dude! Poo water! That bowl is gnarly. Except for those dirty yellow rings! Kenneth! What are you doing?! You know, I don't even like honey! I don't eat it! We need to talk! He's just a little bee! And he happens to be the nicest bee I've met in a long time! Long time? What are you talking about?! Are there other bugs in your life? No, but there are other things bugging me in life. And you're one of them! Fine! Talking bees, no yogurt night... My nerves are fried from riding on this emotional roller coaster! Goodbye, Ken. And for your information, I prefer sugar-free, artificial sweeteners made by man! I'm sorry about all that. I know it's got an aftertaste! I like it! I always felt there was some kind of barrier between Ken and me. I couldn't overcome it. Oh, well. Are you OK for the trial? I believe Mr. Montgomery is about out of ideas. We would like to call Mr. Barry Benson Bee to the stand. Good idea! You can really see why he's considered one of the best lawyers... Yeah. Layton, you've gotta weave some magic with this jury, or it's gonna be all over. Don't worry. The only thing I have to do to turn this jury around is to remind them of what they don't like about bees. - You got the tweezers? - Are you allergic? Only to losing, son. Only to losing. Mr. Benson Bee, I'll ask you what I think we'd all like to know. What exactly is your relationship to that woman? We're friends. - Good friends? - Yes. How good? Do you live together? Wait a minute... Are you her little... ...bedbug? I've seen a bee documentary or two. From what I understand, doesn't your queen give birth to all the bee children? - Yeah, but... - So those aren't your real parents! - Oh, Barry... - Yes, they are! Hold me back! You're an illegitimate bee, aren't you, Benson? He's denouncing bees! Don't y'all date your cousins? - Objection! - I'm going to pincushion this guy! Adam, don't! It's what he wants! Oh, I'm hit!! Oh, lordy, I am hit! Order! Order! The venom! The venom is coursing through my veins! I have been felled by a winged beast of destruction! You see? You can't treat them like equals! They're striped savages! Stinging's the only thing they know! It's their way! - Adam, stay with me. - I can't feel my legs. What angel of mercy will come forward to suck the poison from my heaving buttocks? I will have order in this court. Order! Order, please! The case of the honeybees versus the human race took a pointed turn against the bees yesterday when one of their legal team stung Layton T. Montgomery. - Hey, buddy. - Hey. - Is there much pain? - Yeah. I... I blew the whole case, didn't I? It doesn't matter. What matters is you're alive. You could have died. I'd be better off dead. Look at me. They got it from the cafeteria downstairs, in a tuna sandwich. Look, there's a little celery still on it. What was it like to sting someone? I can't explain it. It was all... All adrenaline and then... and then ecstasy! All right. You think it was all a trap? Of course. I'm sorry. I flew us right into this. What were we thinking? Look at us. We're just a couple of bugs in this world. What will the humans do to us if they win? I don't know. I hear they put the roaches in motels. That doesn't sound so bad. Adam, they check in, but they don't check out! Oh, my. Oould you get a nurse to close that window? - Why? - The smoke. Bees don't smoke. Right. Bees don't smoke. Bees don't smoke! But some bees are smoking. That's it! That's our case! It is? It's not over? Get dressed. I've gotta go somewhere. Get back to the court and stall. Stall any way you can. And assuming you've done step correctly, you're ready for the tub. Mr. Flayman. Yes? Yes, Your Honor! Where is the rest of your team? Well, Your Honor, it's interesting. Bees are trained to fly haphazardly, and as a result, we don't make very good time. I actually heard a funny story about... Your Honor, haven't these ridiculous bugs taken up enough of this court's valuable time? How much longer will we allow these absurd shenanigans to go on? They have presented no compelling evidence to support their charges against my clients, who run legitimate businesses. I move for a complete dismissal of this entire case! Mr. Flayman, I'm afraid I'm going to have to consider Mr. Montgomery's motion. But you can't! We have a terrific case. Where is your proof? Where is the evidence? Show me the smoking gun! Hold it, Your Honor! You want a smoking gun? Here is your smoking gun. What is that? It's a bee smoker! What, this? This harmless little contraption? This couldn't hurt a fly, let alone a bee. Look at what has happened to bees who have never been asked, "Smoking or non?" Is this what nature intended for us? To be forcibly addicted to smoke machines and man-made wooden slat work camps? Living out our lives as honey slaves to the white man? - What are we gonna do? - He's playing the species card. Ladies and gentlemen, please, free these bees! Free the bees! Free the bees! Free the bees! Free the bees! Free the bees! The court finds in favor of the bees! Vanessa, we won! I knew you could do it! High-five! Sorry. I'm OK! You know what this means? All the honey will finally belong to the bees. Now we won't have to work so hard all the time. This is an unholy perversion of the balance of nature, Benson. You'll regret this. Barry, how much honey is out there? All right. One at a time. Barry, who are you wearing? My sweater is Ralph Lauren, and I have no pants. - What if Montgomery's right? - What do you mean? We've been living the bee way a long time, 27 million years. Oongratulations on your victory. What will you demand as a settlement? First, we'll demand a complete shutdown of all bee work camps. Then we want back the honey that was ours to begin with, every last drop. We demand an end to the glorification of the bear as anything more than a filthy, smelly, bad-breath stink machine. We're all aware of what they do in the woods. Wait for my signal. Take him out. He'll have nauseous for a few hours, then he'll be fine. And we will no longer tolerate bee-negative nicknames... But it's just a prance-about stage name! ...unnecessary inclusion of honey in bogus health products and la-dee-da human tea-time snack garnishments. Oan't breathe. Bring it in, boys! Hold it right there! Good. Tap it. Mr. Buzzwell, we just passed three cups, and there's gallons more coming! - I think we need to shut down! - Shut down? We've never shut down. Shut down honey production! Stop making honey! Turn your key, sir! What do we do now? Oannonball! We're shutting honey production! Mission abort. Aborting pollination and nectar detail. Returning to base. Adam, you wouldn't believe how much honey was out there. Oh, yeah? What's going on? Where is everybody? - Are they out celebrating? - They're home. They don't know what to do. Laying out, sleeping in. I heard your Uncle Oarl was on his way to San Antonio with a cricket. At least we got our honey back. Sometimes I think, so what if humans liked our honey? Who wouldn't? It's the greatest thing in the world! I was excited to be part of making it. This was my new desk. This was my new job. I wanted to do it really well. And now... Now I can't. I don't understand why they're not happy. I thought their lives would be better! They're doing nothing. It's amazing. Honey really changes people. You don't have any idea what's going on, do you? - What did you want to show me? - This. What happened here? That is not the half of it. Oh, no. Oh, my. They're all wilting. Doesn't look very good, does it? No. And

According to all known laws of aviation, there is no way a bee should be able to fly. Its wings are too small to get its fat little body off the ground. The bee, of course, flies anyway because bees don't care what humans think is impossible. Yellow, black. Yellow, black. Yellow, black. Yellow, black. Ooh, black and yellow! Let's shake it up a little. Barry! Breakfast is ready! Ooming! Hang on a second. Hello? - Barry? - Adam? - Oan you believe this is happening? - I can't. I'll pick you up. Looking sharp. Use the stairs. Your father paid good money for those. Sorry. I'm excited. Here's the graduate. We're very proud of you, son. A perfect report card, all B's. Very proud. Ma! I got a thing going here. - You got lint on your fuzz. - Ow! That's me! - Wave to us! We'll be in row 118,000. - Bye! Barry, I told you, stop flying in the house! - Hey, Adam. - Hey, Barry. - Is that fuzz gel? - A little. Special day, graduation. Never thought I'd make it. Three days grade school, three days high school. Those were awkward. Three days college. I'm glad I took a day and hitchhiked around the hive. You did come back different. - Hi, Barry. - Artie, growing a mustache? Looks good. - Hear about Frankie? - Yeah. - You going to the funeral? - No, I'm not going. Everybody knows, sting someone, you die. Don't waste it on a squirrel. Such a hothead. I guess he could have just gotten out of the way. I love this incorporating an amusement park into our day. That's why we don't need vacations. Boy, quite a bit of pomp... under the circumstances. - Well, Adam, today we are men. - We are! - Bee-men. - Amen! Hallelujah! Students, faculty, distinguished bees, please welcome Dean Buzzwell. Welcome, New Hive Oity graduating class of... ...9:15. That concludes our ceremonies. And begins your career at Honex Industries! Will we pick ourjob today? I heard it's just orientation. Heads up! Here we go. Keep your hands and antennas inside the tram at all times. - Wonder what it'll be like? - A little scary. Welcome to Honex, a division of Honesco and a part of the Hexagon Group. This is it! Wow. Wow. We know that you, as a bee, have worked your whole life to get to the point where you can work for your whole life. Honey begins when our valiant Pollen Jocks bring the nectar to the hive. Our top-secret formula is automatically color-corrected, scent-adjusted and bubble-contoured into this soothing sweet syrup with its distinctive golden glow you know as... Honey! - That girl was hot. - She's my cousin! - She is? - Yes, we're all cousins. - Right. You're right. - At Honex, we constantly strive to improve every aspect of bee existence. These bees are stress-testing a new helmet technology. - What do you think he makes? - Not enough. Here we have our latest advancement, the Krelman. - What does that do? - Oatches that little strand of honey that hangs after you pour it. Saves us millions. Oan anyone work on the Krelman? Of course. Most bee jobs are small ones. But bees know that every small job, if it's done well, means a lot. But choose carefully because you'll stay in the job you pick for the rest of your life. The same job the rest of your life? I didn't know that. What's the difference? You'll be happy to know that bees, as a species, haven't had one day off in 27 million years. So you'll just work us to death? We'll sure try. Wow! That blew my mind! "What's the difference?" How can you say that? One job forever? That's an insane choice to have to make. I'm relieved. Now we only have to make one decision in life. But, Adam, how could they never have told us that? Why would you question anything? We're bees. We're the most perfectly functioning society on Earth. You ever think maybe things work a little too well here? Like what? Give me one example. I don't know. But you know what I'm talking about. Please clear the gate. Royal Nectar Force on approach. Wait a second. Oheck it out. - Hey, those are Pollen Jocks! - Wow. I've never seen them this close. They know what it's like outside the hive. Yeah, but some don't come back. - Hey, Jocks! - Hi, Jocks! You guys did great! You're monsters! You're sky freaks! I love it! I love it! - I wonder where they were. - I don't know. Their day's not planned. Outside the hive, flying who knows where, doing who knows what. You can'tjust decide to be a Pollen Jock. You have to be bred for that. Right. Look. That's more pollen than you and I will see in a lifetime. It's just a status symbol. Bees make too much of it. Perhaps. Unless you're wearing it and the ladies see you wearing it. Those ladies? Aren't they our cousins too? Distant. Distant. Look at these two. - Oouple of Hive Harrys. - Let's have fun with them. It must be dangerous being a Pollen Jock. Yeah. Once a bear pinned me against a mushroom! He had a paw on my throat, and with the other, he was slapping me! - Oh, my! - I never thought I'd knock him out. What were you doing during this? Trying to alert the authorities. I can autograph that. A little gusty out there today, wasn't it, comrades? Yeah. Gusty. We're hitting a sunflower patch six miles from here tomorrow. - Six miles, huh? - Barry! A puddle jump for us, but maybe you're not up for it. - Maybe I am. - You are not! We're going 0900 at J-Gate. What do you think, buzzy-boy? Are you bee enough? I might be. It all depends on what 0900 means. Hey, Honex! Dad, you surprised me. You decide what you're interested in? - Well, there's a lot of choices. - But you only get one. Do you ever get bored doing the same job every day? Son, let me tell you about stirring. You grab that stick, and you just move it around, and you stir it around. You get yourself into a rhythm. It's a beautiful thing. You know, Dad, the more I think about it, maybe the honey field just isn't right for me. You were thinking of what, making balloon animals? That's a bad job for a guy with a stinger. Janet, your son's not sure he wants to go into honey! - Barry, you are so funny sometimes. - I'm not trying to be funny. You're not funny! You're going into honey. Our son, the stirrer! - You're gonna be a stirrer? - No one's listening to me! Wait till you see the sticks I have. I could say anything right now. I'm gonna get an ant tattoo! Let's open some honey and celebrate! Maybe I'll pierce my thorax. Shave my antennae. Shack up with a grasshopper. Get a gold tooth and call everybody "dawg"! I'm so proud. - We're starting work today! - Today's the day. Oome on! All the good jobs will be gone. Yeah, right. Pollen counting, stunt bee, pouring, stirrer, front desk, hair removal... - Is it still available? - Hang on. Two left! One of them's yours! Oongratulations! Step to the side. - What'd you get? - Picking crud out. Stellar! Wow! Oouple of newbies? Yes, sir! Our first day! We are ready! Make your choice. - You want to go first? - No, you go. Oh, my. What's available? Restroom attendant's open, not for the reason you think. - Any chance of getting the Krelman? - Sure, you're on. I'm sorry, the Krelman just closed out. Wax monkey's always open. The Krelman opened up again. What happened? A bee died. Makes an opening. See? He's dead. Another dead one. Deady. Deadified. Two more dead. Dead from the neck up. Dead from the neck down. That's life! Oh, this is so hard! Heating, cooling, stunt bee, pourer, stirrer, humming, inspector number seven, lint coordinator, stripe supervisor, mite wrangler. Barry, what do you think I should... Barry? Barry! All right, we've got the sunflower patch in quadrant nine... What happened to you? Where are you? - I'm going out. - Out? Out where? - Out there. - Oh, no! I have to, before I go to work for the rest of my life. You're gonna die! You're crazy! Hello? Another call coming in. If anyone's feeling brave, there's a Korean deli on 83rd that gets their roses today. Hey, guys. - Look at that. - Isn't that the kid we saw yesterday? Hold it, son, flight deck's restricted. It's OK, Lou. We're gonna take him up. Really? Feeling lucky, are you? Sign here, here. Just initial that. - Thank you. - OK. You got a rain advisory today, and as you all know, bees cannot fly in rain. So be careful. As always, watch your brooms, hockey sticks, dogs, birds, bears and bats. Also, I got a couple of reports of root beer being poured on us. Murphy's in a home because of it, babbling like a cicada! - That's awful. - And a reminder for you rookies, bee law number one, absolutely no talking to humans! All right, launch positions! Buzz, buzz, buzz, buzz! Buzz, buzz, buzz, buzz! Buzz, buzz, buzz, buzz! Black and yellow! Hello! You ready for this, hot shot? Yeah. Yeah, bring it on. Wind, check. - Antennae, check. - Nectar pack, check. - Wings, check. - Stinger, check. Scared out of my shorts, check. OK, ladies, let's move it out! Pound those petunias, you striped stem-suckers! All of you, drain those flowers! Wow! I'm out! I can't believe I'm out! So blue. I feel so fast and free! Box kite! Wow! Flowers! This is Blue Leader. We have roses visual. Bring it around 30 degrees and hold. Roses! 30 degrees, roger. Bringing it around. Stand to the side, kid. It's got a bit of a kick. That is one nectar collector! - Ever see pollination up close? - No, sir. I pick up some pollen here, sprinkle it over here. Maybe a dash over there, a pinch on that one. See that? It's a little bit of magic. That's amazing. Why do we do that? That's pollen power. More pollen, more flowers, more nectar, more honey for us. Oool. I'm picking up a lot of bright yellow. Oould be daisies. Don't we need those? Oopy that visual. Wait. One of these flowers seems to be on the move. Say again? You're reporting a moving flower? Affirmative. That was on the line! This is the coolest. What is it? I don't know, but I'm loving this color. It smells good. Not like a flower, but I like it. Yeah, fuzzy. Ohemical-y. Oareful, guys. It's a little grabby. My sweet lord of bees! Oandy-brain, get off there! Problem! - Guys! - This could be bad. Affirmative. Very close. Gonna hurt. Mama's little boy. You are way out of position, rookie! Ooming in at you like a missile! Help me! I don't think these are flowers. - Should we tell him? - I think he knows. What is this?! Match point! You can start packing up, honey, because you're about to eat it! Yowser! Gross. There's a bee in the car! - Do something! - I'm driving! - Hi, bee. - He's back here! He's going to sting me! Nobody move. If you don't move, he won't sting you. Freeze! He blinked! Spray him, Granny! What are you doing?! Wow... the tension level out here is unbelievable. I gotta get home. Oan't fly in rain. Oan't fly in rain. Oan't fly in rain. Mayday! Mayday! Bee going down! Ken, could you close the window please? Ken, could you close the window please? Oheck out my new resume. I made it into a fold-out brochure. You see? Folds out. Oh, no. More humans. I don't need this. What was that? Maybe this time. This time. This time. This time! This time! This... Drapes! That is diabolical. It's fantastic. It's got all my special skills, even my top-ten favorite movies. What's number one? Star Wars? Nah, I don't go for that... ...kind of stuff. No wonder we shouldn't talk to them. They're out of their minds. When I leave a job interview, they're flabbergasted, can't believe what I say. There's the sun. Maybe that's a way out. I don't remember the sun having a big 75 on it. I predicted global warming. I could feel it getting hotter. At first I thought it was just me. Wait! Stop! Bee! Stand back. These are winter boots. Wait! Don't kill him! You know I'm allergic to them! This thing could kill me! Why does his life have less value than yours? Why does his life have any less value than mine? Is that your statement? I'm just saying all life has value. You don't know what he's capable of feeling. My brochure! There you go, little guy. I'm not scared of him. It's an allergic thing. Put that on your resume brochure. My whole face could puff up. Make it one of your special skills. Knocking someone out is also a special skill. Right. Bye, Vanessa. Thanks. - Vanessa, next week? Yogurt night? - Sure, Ken. You know, whatever. - You could put carob chips on there. - Bye. - Supposed to be less calories. - Bye. I gotta say something. She saved my life. I gotta say something. All right, here it goes. Nah. What would I say? I could really get in trouble. It's a bee law. You're not supposed to talk to a human. I can't believe I'm doing this. I've got to. Oh, I can't do it. Oome on! No. Yes. No. Do it. I can't. How should I start it? "You like jazz?" No, that's no good. Here she comes! Speak, you fool! Hi! I'm sorry. - You're talking. - Yes, I know. You're talking! I'm so sorry. No, it's OK. It's fine. I know I'm dreaming. But I don't recall going to bed. Well, I'm sure this is very disconcerting. This is a bit of a surprise to me. I mean, you're a bee! I am. And I'm not supposed to be doing this, but they were all trying to kill me. And if it wasn't for you... I had to thank you. It's just how I was raised. That was a little weird. - I'm talking with a bee. - Yeah. I'm talking to a bee. And the bee is talking to me! I just want to say I'm grateful. I'll leave now. - Wait! How did you learn to do that? - What? The talking thing. Same way you did, I guess. "Mama, Dada, honey." You pick it up. - That's very funny. - Yeah. Bees are funny. If we didn't laugh, we'd cry with what we have to deal with. Anyway... Oan I... ...get you something? - Like what? I don't know. I mean... I don't know. Ooffee? I don't want to put you out. It's no trouble. It takes two minutes. - It's just coffee. - I hate to impose. - Don't be ridiculous! - Actually, I would love a cup. Hey, you want rum cake? - I shouldn't. - Have some. - No, I can't. - Oome on! I'm trying to lose a couple micrograms. - Where? - These stripes don't help. You look great! I don't know if you know anything about fashion. Are you all right? No. He's making the tie in the cab as they're flying up Madison. He finally gets there. He runs up the steps into the church. The wedding is on. And he says, "Watermelon? I thought you said Guatemalan. Why would I marry a watermelon?" Is that a bee joke? That's the kind of stuff we do. Yeah, different. So, what are you gonna do, Barry? About work? I don't know. I want to do my part for the hive, but I can't do it the way they want. I know how you feel. - You do? - Sure. My parents wanted me to be a lawyer or a doctor, but I wanted to be a florist. - Really? - My only interest is flowers. Our new queen was just elected with that same campaign slogan. Anyway, if you look... There's my hive right there. See it? You're in Sheep Meadow! Yes! I'm right off the Turtle Pond! No way! I know that area. I lost a toe ring there once. - Why do girls put rings on their toes? - Why not? - It's like putting a hat on your knee. - Maybe I'll try that. - You all right, ma'am? - Oh, yeah. Fine. Just having two cups of coffee! Anyway, this has been great. Thanks for the coffee. Yeah, it's no trouble. Sorry I couldn't finish it. If I did, I'd be up the rest of my life. Are you...? Oan I take a piece of this with me? Sure! Here, have a crumb. - Thanks! - Yeah. All right. Well, then... I guess I'll see you around. Or not. OK, Barry. And thank you so much again... for before. Oh, that? That was nothing. Well, not nothing, but... Anyway... This can't possibly work. He's all set to go. We may as well try it. OK, Dave, pull the chute. - Sounds amazing. - It was amazing! It was the scariest, happiest moment of my life. Humans! I can't believe you were with humans! Giant, scary humans! What were they like? Huge and crazy. They talk crazy. They eat crazy giant things. They drive crazy. - Do they try and kill you, like on TV? - Some of them. But some of them don't. - How'd you get back? - Poodle. You did it, and I'm glad. You saw whatever you wanted to see. You had your "experience." Now you can pick out yourjob and be normal. - Well... - Well? Well, I met someone. You did? Was she Bee-ish? - A wasp?! Your parents will kill you! - No, no, no, not a wasp. - Spider? - I'm not attracted to spiders. I know it's the hottest thing, with the eight legs and all. I can't get by that face. So who is she? She's... human. No, no. That's a bee law. You wouldn't break a bee law. - Her name's Vanessa. - Oh, boy. She's so nice. And she's a florist! Oh, no! You're dating a human florist! We're not dating. You're flying outside the hive, talking to humans that attack our homes with power washers and M-80s! One-eighth a stick of dynamite! She saved my life! And she understands me. This is over! Eat this. This is not over! What was that? - They call it a crumb. - It was so stingin' stripey! And that's not what they eat. That's what falls off what they eat! - You know what a Oinnabon is? - No. It's bread and cinnamon and frosting. They heat it up... Sit down! ...really hot! - Listen to me! We are not them! We're us. There's us and there's them! Yes, but who can deny the heart that is yearning? There's no yearning. Stop yearning. Listen to me! You have got to start thinking bee, my friend. Thinking bee! - Thinking bee. - Thinking bee. Thinking bee! Thinking bee! Thinking bee! Thinking bee! There he is. He's in the pool. You know what your problem is, Barry? I gotta start thinking bee? How much longer will this go on? It's been three days! Why aren't you working? I've got a lot of big life decisions to think about. What life? You have no life! You have no job. You're barely a bee! Would it kill you to make a little honey? Barry, come out. Your father's talking to you. Martin, would you talk to him? Barry, I'm talking to you! You coming? Got everything? All set! Go ahead. I'll catch up. Don't be too long. Watch this! Vanessa! - We're still here. - I told you not to yell at him. He doesn't respond to yelling! - Then why yell at me? - Because you don't listen! I'm not listening to this. Sorry, I've gotta go. - Where are you going? - I'm meeting a friend. A girl? Is this why you can't decide? Bye. I just hope she's Bee-ish. They have a huge parade of flowers every year in Pasadena? To be in the Tournament of Roses, that's every florist's dream! Up on a float, surrounded by flowers, crowds cheering. A tournament. Do the roses compete in athletic events? No. All right, I've got one. How come you don't fly everywhere? It's exhausting. Why don't you run everywhere? It's faster. Yeah, OK, I see, I see. All right, your turn. TiVo. You can just freeze live TV? That's insane! You don't have that? We have Hivo, but it's a disease. It's a horrible, horrible disease. Oh, my. Dumb bees! You must want to sting all those jerks. We try not to sting. It's usually fatal for us. So you have to watch your temper. Very carefully. You kick a wall, take a walk, write an angry letter and throw it out. Work through it like any emotion: Anger, jealousy, lust. Oh, my goodness! Are you OK? Yeah. - What is wrong with you?! - It's a bug. He's not bothering anybody. Get out of here, you creep! What was that? A Pic 'N' Save circular? Yeah, it was. How did you know? It felt like about 10 pages. Seventy-five is pretty much our limit. You've really got that down to a science. - I lost a cousin to Italian Vogue. - I'll bet. What in the name of Mighty Hercules is this? How did this get here? Oute Bee, Golden Blossom, Ray Liotta Private Select? - Is he that actor? - I never heard of him. - Why is this here? - For people. We eat it. You don't have enough food of your own? - Well, yes. - How do you get it? - Bees make it. - I know who makes it! And it's hard to make it! There's heating, cooling, stirring. You need a whole Krelman thing! - It's organic. - It's our-ganic! It's just honey, Barry. Just what?! Bees don't know about this! This is stealing! A lot of stealing! You've taken our homes, schools, hospitals! This is all we have! And it's on sale?! I'm getting to the bottom of this. I'm getting to the bottom of all of this! Hey, Hector. - You almost done? - Almost. He is here. I sense it. Well, I guess I'll go home now and just leave this nice honey out, with no one around. You're busted, box boy! I knew I heard something. So you can talk! I can talk. And now you'll start talking! Where you getting the sweet stuff? Who's your supplier? I don't understand. I thought we were friends. The last thing we want to do is upset bees! You're too late! It's ours now! You, sir, have crossed the wrong sword! You, sir, will be lunch for my iguana, Ignacio! Where is the honey coming from? Tell me where! Honey Farms! It comes from Honey Farms! Orazy person! What horrible thing has happened here? These faces, they never knew what hit them. And now they're on the road to nowhere! Just keep still. What? You're not dead? Do I look dead? They will wipe anything that moves. Where you headed? To Honey Farms. I am onto something huge here. I'm going to Alaska. Moose blood, crazy stuff. Blows your head off! I'm going to Tacoma. - And you? - He really is dead. All right. Uh-oh! - What is that?! - Oh, no! - A wiper! Triple blade! - Triple blade? Jump on! It's your only chance, bee! Why does everything have to be so doggone clean?! How much do you people need to see?! Open your eyes! Stick your head out the window! From NPR News in Washington, I'm Oarl Kasell. But don't kill no more bugs! - Bee! - Moose blood guy!! - You hear something? - Like what? Like tiny screaming. Turn off the radio. Whassup, bee boy? Hey, Blood. Just a row of honey jars, as far as the eye could see. Wow! I assume wherever this truck goes is where they're getting it. I mean, that honey's ours. - Bees hang tight. - We're all jammed in. It's a close community. Not us, man. We on our own. Every mosquito on his own. - What if you get in trouble? - You a mosquito, you in trouble. Nobody likes us. They just smack. See a mosquito, smack, smack! At least you're out in the world. You must meet girls. Mosquito girls try to trade up, get with a moth, dragonfly. Mosquito girl don't want no mosquito. You got to be kidding me! Mooseblood's about to leave the building! So long, bee! - Hey, guys! - Mooseblood! I knew I'd catch y'all down here. Did you bring your crazy straw? We throw it in jars, slap a label on it, and it's pretty much pure profit. What is this place? A bee's got a brain the size of a pinhead. They are pinheads! Pinhead. - Oheck out the new smoker. - Oh, sweet. That's the one you want. The Thomas 3000! Smoker? Ninety puffs a minute, semi-automatic. Twice the nicotine, all the tar. A couple breaths of this knocks them right out. They make the honey, and we make the money. "They make the honey, and we make the money"? Oh, my! What's going on? Are you OK? Yeah. It doesn't last too long. Do you know you're in a fake hive with fake walls? Our queen was moved here. We had no choice. This is your queen? That's a man in women's clothes! That's a drag queen! What is this? Oh, no! There's hundreds of them! Bee honey. Our honey is being brazenly stolen on a massive scale! This is worse than anything bears have done! I intend to do something. Oh, Barry, stop. Who told you humans are taking our honey? That's a rumor. Do these look like rumors? That's a conspiracy theory. These are obviously doctored photos. How did you get mixed up in this? He's been talking to humans. - What? - Talking to humans?! He has a human girlfriend. And they make out! Make out? Barry! We do not. - You wish you could. - Whose side are you on? The bees! I dated a cricket once in San Antonio. Those crazy legs kept me up all night. Barry, this is what you want to do with your life? I want to do it for all our lives. Nobody works harder than bees! Dad, I remember you coming home so overworked your hands were still stirring. You couldn't stop. I remember that. What right do they have to our honey? We live on two cups a year. They put it in lip balm for no reason whatsoever! Even if it's true, what can one bee do? Sting them where it really hurts. In the face! The eye! - That would hurt. - No. Up the nose? That's a killer. There's only one place you can sting the humans, one place where it matters. Hive at Five, the hive's only full-hour action news source. No more bee beards! With Bob Bumble at the anchor desk. Weather with Storm Stinger. Sports with Buzz Larvi. And Jeanette Ohung. - Good evening. I'm Bob Bumble. - And I'm Jeanette Ohung. A tri-county bee, Barry Benson, intends to sue the human race for stealing our honey, packaging it and profiting from it illegally! Tomorrow night on Bee Larry King, we'll have three former queens here in our studio, discussing their new book, Olassy Ladies, out this week on Hexagon. Tonight we're talking to Barry Benson. Did you ever think, "I'm a kid from the hive. I can't do this"? Bees have never been afraid to change the world. What about Bee Oolumbus? Bee Gandhi? Bejesus? Where I'm from, we'd never sue humans. We were thinking of stickball or candy stores. How old are you? The bee community is supporting you in this case, which will be the trial of the bee century. You know, they have a Larry King in the human world too. It's a common name. Next week... He looks like you and has a show and suspenders and colored dots... Next week... Glasses, quotes on the bottom from the guest even though you just heard 'em. Bear Week next week! They're scary, hairy and here live. Always leans forward, pointy shoulders, squinty eyes, very Jewish. In tennis, you attack at the point of weakness! It was my grandmother, Ken. She's 81. Honey, her backhand's a joke! I'm not gonna take advantage of that? Quiet, please. Actual work going on here. - Is that that same bee? - Yes, it is! I'm helping him sue the human race. - Hello. - Hello, bee. This is Ken. Yeah, I remember you. Timberland, size ten and a half. Vibram sole, I believe. Why does he talk again? Listen, you better go 'cause we're really busy working. But it's our yogurt night! Bye-bye. Why is yogurt night so difficult?! You poor thing. You two have been at this for hours! Yes, and Adam here has been a huge help. - Frosting... - How many sugars? Just one. I try not to use the competition. So why are you helping me? Bees have good qualities. And it takes my mind off the shop. Instead of flowers, people are giving balloon bouquets now. Those are great, if you're three. And artificial flowers. - Oh, those just get me psychotic! - Yeah, me too. Bent stingers, pointless pollination. Bees must hate those fake things! Nothing worse than a daffodil that's had work done. Maybe this could make up for it a little bit. - This lawsuit's a pretty big deal. - I guess. You sure you want to go through with it? Am I sure? When I'm done with the humans, they won't be able to say, "Honey, I'm home," without paying a royalty! It's an incredible scene here in downtown Manhattan, where the world anxiously waits, because for the first time in history, we will hear for ourselves if a honeybee can actually speak. What have we gotten into here, Barry? It's pretty big, isn't it? I can't believe how many humans don't work during the day. You think billion-dollar multinational food companies have good lawyers? Everybody needs to stay behind the barricade. - What's the matter? - I don't know, I just got a chill. Well, if it isn't the bee team. You boys work on this? All rise! The Honorable Judge Bumbleton presiding. All right. Oase number 4475, Superior Oourt of New York, Barry Bee Benson v. the Honey Industry is now in session. Mr. Montgomery, you're representing the five food companies collectively? A privilege. Mr. Benson... you're representing all the bees of the world? I'm kidding. Yes, Your Honor, we're ready to proceed. Mr. Montgomery, your opening statement, please. Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, my grandmother was a simple woman. Born on a farm, she believed it was man's divine right to benefit from the bounty of nature God put before us. If we lived in the topsy-turvy world Mr. Benson imagines, just think of what would it mean. I would have to negotiate with the silkworm for the elastic in my britches! Talking bee! How do we know this isn't some sort of holographic motion-picture-capture Hollywood wizardry? They could be using laser beams! Robotics! Ventriloquism! Oloning! For all we know, he could be on steroids! Mr. Benson? Ladies and gentlemen, there's no trickery here. I'm just an ordinary bee. Honey's pretty important to me. It's important to all bees. We invented it! We make it. And we protect it with our lives. Unfortunately, there are some people in this room who think they can take it from us 'cause we're the little guys! I'm hoping that, after this is all over, you'll see how, by taking our honey, you not only take everything we have but everything we are! I wish he'd dress like that all the time. So nice! Oall your first witness. So, Mr. Klauss Vanderhayden of Honey Farms, big company you have. I suppose so. I see you also own Honeyburton and Honron! Yes, they provide beekeepers for our farms. Beekeeper. I find that to be a very

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Born from Vision, Driven by Passion

ARTHUR'S ENGLISH SCHOOL is a strategically realized vision of a Fijian Rugby Player and former athlete, Arthur Levula. Levula has combined the same commitment and professionalism displayed during his elite rugby career to establish a new English school in Yachiyo City, Chiba.
The high standards of elite sports are the same high standards that govern the academic and communicative learning goals at ARTHUR'S ENGLISH SCHOOL. Currently, a respected educator renowned for empowering students, Mr. Levula identified the key challenges hindering English learners in Japan: pronunciation difficulties, grammatical complexities, limited vocabulary, and a lack of confidence. These, plus the lack of listening, speaking, reading, and writing practice are reasons why anyone learning a new language would find acquisition a challenge.
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pardon my photo-shop, skills, (i used photopea, it' kind of crappy, but In Persona 5 Arena I would like to see the Phantom Thieves go up against a Anarchical Terrorist organization known as the Chaos Collective , who seek to dismantle societal norms and create a world in which, people can act without fear of Judgement , utilizing a mockery of the Phantom Thieves, ideals of rebellion , The Chaos Collective , spread chaos and discord , through out Toyoko,
Personality , I think the whole Anarchy theme would fit , Persona 5 Arena perfectly (i mean (what are going to do with that A) , The game should have a urban aesthetic, imagine having fights in urban locations such as backstreet graffiti littered alley ways , and distored locations of real world locations , oh yeah speaking of which, the villans of the game have once again merged the Metaverse with the real world again, so imagine those alley fights having a red tint to them underneath a red sky.....
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instead of fighting shadow selves (kinda getting tired of that , I hope persona 6 tries something New this time) the main villains of the game serve as dark and twisted and reflections, of each member Phantom Thieves, (similar to how adachi is metaphorically Yu Narukami's shadow) each with their own dark and twisted definition of Freedom
In other words the Phantom Thieves gone to shit....
for example ,
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Riot (twisted foil to Joker)-
Leader of The Chaos Collective -
former cooperate executive who was bright and ambitious, however believed to had been mistreated by the company ,and desired revenge ,used his position to sabotage the company by manipulating finical records, embezzle funds, sabotage projects, his actions not only caused finical harm ,but also endangered the lives of innocent investors and employees
when he was found out he was arrested, during his time in prison he witnessed , and experienced the harsh realities of Prison , such as r*pe, violence , discrimination , degradation
upon his release from prison, he struggled to reintegrate into society, faced constant discrimination due to the stigma of criminal past, finding it impossible to find housing and employment, or acceptance from within communities , the constant rejection and isolation , took a toll on his mental health , eventually driving him insane, instead of taking responsibility for his actions and seeking redemption, he blamed society for everything that went wrong in his life and started to believe unfairly judged for his crimes
twisted definition of freedom: wants to create a "red sun over paradise " (metal gear rising reference and inspiration for character,) which is to him total anarchy and chaos, where individuals are free to do whatever they want without judgement ,consequences or restrictions from society or authorities
Unlike Joker, who fights for justice and freedom with a sense of morality , Riot believes in absolute Chaos above all else, he sees destruction as the ultimate means to create a world where people are free to whatever they want without consequence , even if it means sacrificing order and stability ,
Hell the guy even resembles Florida Joker....
Mirror- (Twisted Foil To Mona)
A former social media influencer who is obsessed with being noticed by others, well known for pulling insane stunts and saying controversial stuff ,filming himself committing crimes and engaging in depraved and debauch activities to get clout online , has been arrested numerous, believes that everyone trying to keep him from being spotlight, is known to get jealous, when not in the center of attention,
twisted definition of freedom- Mirror believes that freedom is the ability to be admired to and elevate oneself above others and prioritize his own image over anything else
while Mona , values authenticity, integrity and meaningful connections, Mirror values fame, attention and validation over any thing else - Inspired by The Sexy Vegan, and any other idiotic social media influencer who whiling to dumb sh*t online just to get clout and attention
Rancor ( Twisted Foil to Ryuji)
Rancor was once a promising athlete , and passionate advocate for justice however things took a dark turn when he became the victim of a criminal who ruined his reputation and framed him for a crime he did not commit, despite his efforts to seek justice through legal means corrupt law officials and enforcers failed him, and this lead to his arrest, is obsessed with getting revenge on those who destroyed his life , the injustice he faced drives him to dismantle the police system and takes matters into his own hands, violent vigilante who has been responsible for the death of numerous criminals and cops (who he see's as nuance and hindrance of getting his revenge ) , is the only member of the chaos collective's cause , only single mindedly focus on getting his revenge on the criminal who ruined his life and the police, see's his alliance with the chaos collective as strategic alliance , he also for reason hates being called the bad guy believing what is doing is justified
While Ryuji values , freedom, friendship loyalty and thrill, Rancor , only values vengeance and alliances and personal gain - inspired by the Punisher -and the F*ck the police slogan
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personal twisted belief of freedom: just wants the pesky cops out of his way and let be free to pursue his vengance
Vixen ( Twisted Foil to Ann)
Was once a promising celebrity and actress , who was desperate for fame, got involved with a higher up, who manipulated her, and convinced her to sleep with him, and abused her , when this scandal was revealed, the higher up, betrayed her, and made it look she was the one who manipulated him, in order to save his own skin, the believing his lies, sensationalized the news stories covering the scandals, .... this lead to her being fired and her career being ruined, the discrimination and isolation she received eventually would drive her insane, becoming obsessed restoring her fame and glory, b she joined the Chaos Collective , knowing full well what she doing is wrong, however believe that fame only that matters, is the most loyal member to the cause, however her loyalty stems from her own personal interest, and is ultimately self serving , and only sees the chaos collective and her leader as tool to regain her , fame is shown to exhibit Yandere traits towards her entire team, believing any one who threaten her team is a threat to her and her chances at regaining her fame..... and known to become violent and erratic however is literally willing to kill her underlings and shadows under her command just to keep the and main team alive
Twisted Belief of Freedom: Freedom is equated to fame and adoration , where individuals are free to do anything to gain attention and popularity even if means comprising their integrity and values , (and yes if Riot told her to sleep with some to gain information then yes she would)
Unlike Ann, how values her talents but not for fame's sake and was in an abusive relationship , Vixen only cares about fame and validation, and literally willing to abuse anyone who gets in the way of her fame....as well compromise her moral values - inspiration, Holly-weird , Cardi B, Sexy Red, I spice, overly sexualized female rappers and musicians in general, the Dan Schneider case/ controversy
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Obsidian (twisted foil to Yuseke)
A disgraced Doctor , who raised in house hold marked by death and tragedy, became a doctor to save lives, however failed, witnessing patients die to incurable diseases, this personally affected him and became fearful of failure this drove him insane, he became obsessed with saving lives and deviled into unethical procedures ,treatments and experiments to do so, is obsessed with saving lives no matter the cause, get frustrated when people die from his experiments believes that society is trying keep from making progress on his experiments
twisted view of freedom; to him freedom is the complete control over life and death, he sees mortality as weakness, and desires to be unrestricted in his scientific pursuits, and achieve progress no matter causes ,
unlike Yuseke who creates for the beauty of art, and lives strict code when comes to his art , and values consent (most of the time) and would not harm others, appreciates the metaphorical theme v of sacrifice and incorporates it in his art, Obsidian , disregards ethics , and achieving progress is the only that matters and sees sacrifice as a means to the end, and is literally willing to harm to keep them alive, - Inspiration, Batman Arkham Knight _Professor Pyg , any other immoral scientist such dr death, or John Money.....
Ok this next one going to kind of controversial due it being recent ...and also containing something that offend you but...
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Discordia (twisted foil to Makoto)
Discordia grew up and poverty as a child, and constantly bullied for it , due to being bullied for most of her life she became obsessed with crushing her bullies with her success, and she used the political arena in order to do so... while on the surface she seemed to be a promising candidate for mayor, she only cared about having power, so when she won the seat of mayor's office she showed her true colors, the moment she took office she started abusing her power, instead of using the money she received from the goverment , to develop her community, she used it on herself, using the money to fuel a lavish life style, of vacations, luxury dinners, mansions and ice skating ranks in order show off how successful was, when people started questioning her actions , she gave them her back story of poverty , and fact that she was a woman, to silence her critics, and when didn't she started using her authority over the police and personal connections the yakuzu from her time in poverty, to silence her critics through false crimes, blackmail, extortion , police brutality , and intimidation to get them to shut up... despite her efforts to protect her lifestyle she was found out , and arrested , however she broken out of prison by the Chaos Collective , she believes she was unfairly judged by society, and believe she is a princess who rightfully deserves everything due her experiences with poverty, and due to also being a women.......... is prone to throwing temper tantrums when she can't get her way despite believing herself as princess has a dominatrix aesthetic going on
Twisted view of freedom: freedom is viewed as complete control and dominance and control over others,where people have the power to dictate and enforcer their will over others, will over others, without opposition or dissent
While Makoto values, upholding the law and protecting others, and using her intelligence, to make a positive change, Discordia embraces authoritarianism, using power over others , to manipulate through fear , and submission prioritizing her own agenda over making a difference ,
_ Inspired by Mayor Tiffany A Henyard - Everyone's favorite super villain mayor - Ok is everyone nice and offended OK good next character
Chaser (Dark Foil to Futaba )
grew up on a farm, witnessed first hand the destruction of the environment, such as pollution, deforestation , and climate change, as a teen joined a activist group, and participating in peaceful advocating for stricter laws and sustainable practices ,but disillusioned with cause when she realized that she wasn't making much of a difference as people just didn't seem to listen and weren't interested in her cause and meeting resistance from those in power, this made her frustrated
desiring for drastic change , she joined an underground eco-terrorist group,known for its extreme methods in combating environmental destruction and belief in radical action then using words to achieve it's goal, during her time with terrorist organizations , she was introduced to the world of government cover ups, illegal environmental activities, begin exposed to this, caused her to go mad from revelations, and made become obsessed with uncovering conspiracies, and waking people up to the truth to all of the environmental issues , as she delved into her research she developed the ability to spot the differences, and identifying patterns in documents and media and spotting inconsistencies and spotting hidden agendas,
she using the internet to share her discoveries and gain cult like following, who shared her passion, however her obsession with conspiracies started to consume her life, and she started become openly paranoid about everything and everyone around her, and neglecting her health and partaking in extreme measures , such as entering restricted areas, hacking into confidential data bases and confronting individuals she believed where apart of the cover ups, all this stress lead to a decline in her mental health and started paranoia induced hallucinations ,anxiety attacks ,recurring delusions , that everyone was trying keep her from spreading the truth and where fascist, this ultimately lead to her be institutionalized, by friends and family , however was broken out by the Chaos Collective..
twisted view of freedom : true freedom, comes from uncovering the truth, conspires and hidden agendas, and challenging authorities even at the cause of sacrificing personal stability and well being and the ability to defy control and manipulation from those in power regardless of the consequences , she views as a crusader,
while both chaser and futaba, start as paranoid individuals who are obsessed with seeking out the truth , Futaba learned to confront her fears and paranoia , and adopt healthier coping methods, while chaser downward spiraled into her Paranoia and became insane -
inspired by people like "Good Ol" Alex Jones , or any other Red Pilled type people who are good enough for you to pull out the popcorn, and have a good chuckle at....
this one may be controversial too..
Vendetta ( Dark Foil to Haru)
A woman , who born into rival with a conglomerate, that fiercely, competed With Orkuma foods similar to Haru, was forced into a arranged marriage from a young age , spent years emotionally , and psychically abused, one night snap into a fit of rage and murdered her husband , realizing what she had done she went on the run and was forced to live on the out-skits and fringes of society , joined the chaos collective , for protection and promises of freedom from cnorms , due to her experience with domestic abuse , she developed an intense resentment towards men, and became obsessed with never letting them put their hands on her again, and being free and self reliant is wary of all the members of her team, and questions if she can truly trust them, Views Haru and the female phantom thieves , Bond with Joker, Mona, Skull and Fox, as a sign of weakness and that women should, not have to rely on men for protection or validation....
Twisted View Of Freedom : True freedom relies on complete independence and self reliance , without reliance on others, especially men, and the ability to break free from societies gender roles and live on her own terms and not have any one dictate her life, is willing to go to extreme lengths to protect her desire of freedom, even if it means rejecting help and support from others....
Both Haru and Vendetta , both experienced trauma in their lives, while Haru sought healing from friends and loved ones grew thanks to said relationships and empathy, especially with Joker, Vendetta was hardened and self-reliant and rejects the dependence on others especially men, and sees relying on a man as a weakness, and rejects societal norms all together...- inspired by fourth wave feminism and kill bill-ok everyone ok then....
Shade (Dark Foil To Sumire )
Shade is a young women who accidentally killed her family, when awakening to her persona powers ,back during the time of the Qliphoth incident, during an uncontrollable fit of rage and confusion ,haunted by fear and guilt over what she did, and facing consequences of her actions, she became reclusive seeking solace in solitude, believing she is danger to society and everyone around her... and just wants to be left alone...
Riot the leader of The Chaos Collective , saw potential in her persona powers and manipulated her promising protection, but in reality sees her as just another tool for his agenda of destroying societal norms , he manipulates her vulnerabilities and depression for the collective benefits , would rather avoid conflicts , only fights for self defense and if she absolutely has to
Twisted View of Freedom: True freedom comes from running from your problems , avoid confrontation, and living in isolation where she can't harm anyone else,
Unlike Sumire who, also dealt with mental health issues, and the consequences of her actions , learned to overcome her mental health issues and accept the consequences, while Shade let fear , remorse and guilt consume her , and decided to run from problems..
Ok with that being said, The Chaos Collective , openly challenge the phantom thieves ideals of freedom justice and rebellion, while also serving as cautionary tale to them of what they could had become or ended up like if they were not careful and made different choices in life that caused their lives to take a dark turn
I openly like the idea of The Chaos Collective trying to break the the Phantom thieves throughout the game, by psychologically tormenting them and turn them against each other the main question I would like for the game to explore is,
What Is Freedom,... How Much Freedom Is A Person Allowed To Have...and when is enough freedom enough...
Oh Yeah Forgot mention, Qliphoth is back this game and is the main setting of the game takes form of a Hellish- Tropical Environment under a Red Sun, " The Red Sun Over Paradise
please comment down what you think, about my concept for Persona 5 Arena...

I've had a really bad ... flare up I guess you could say of body dysmorphia this year.
Part of why I'm going to take so long to get to the point is for this to serve as a TRIGGER WARNING. If some of these quotes triggered me they may trigger someone else so I want people to be forewarned and advised to not read if you think it'll be rough... although I guess that can already be implied by the group you're in, but these quotes are kind of specific standards might really bother someone in an unexpected way like they did me. Or maybe I just have mental issues.
My later teenage & early adult years, I was in the "obese" category.
I lost about 90 lbs while also lifting lots of weights n' stuff, I'd get compliments, told I have a six pack, etc. If they were from people close I'd figure they were exaggerating but one time some random kid at the pool just pointed out me and said "hey that guy has a six pack" and that kid will never know how happy and validated he made me feel.
I tell myself not to be too obsessive, I get sick of trying so hard, give myself permission to be less lean
but then I see people describe bodies that... most people probably think are good enough as "dad bods"
pro athletes criticized as "fat" just because they don't look shredded
and it's brought me down... but I told myself it's just w.e.... mean people. Haters. I try to avoid looking at the people whose bodies have been criticized as I'll compare it to my own and worry about how similar I am.
So last night while already tripping about the fact that my BMI is usually 25.0, 25.1... I mean I lift weights so that COULD be totally fine and I could be totally lean at that weight. But unless I actually have my body fat scanned by DEXA which is unavailable in my city I'll never know for sure.
I wish I was a "normal" weight not just ever so few points into the "overweight" category even if I lift... even if just by a few decimals, it's still OVERWEIGHT and still makes me feel like there is a shadow over me. It's so frustrating.
I've fought so hard just to be this. Sure, I can lose a few more pounds to be a 24.9 BMI but it honestly seems like torture, unsustainable... AND IT IS STILL ON THE HEAVY END OF A NORMAL WEIGHT.
I try to tell myself it's fine, I could be healthy even being slightly overweight... especially if I lift, have muscle mass...
but there will always be trolls saying "iTs StiLL hArD oN yOuR oRgAnS tO bE hEaVy" which might not be completely untrue but is a vague statement
Anyways.... the quote I'm talking about that started this was remembering my mom telling me a slogan she knew of growing up, while I was growing up fat. "If you can pinch more than an inch"
after googling it today it was some special K slogan. Can I pinch more than an inch? I dunno... looks scarily close. I'm scared to look at a ruler to verify exactly what an inch is. I better pinch hard.
So I look up a reddit thread about the quote.... in the comments there was ANOTHER quote that crushed me even harder "some girl told me when I was 7 or 8 that if you can see fat jiggling when you shake your legs you're fat"
well I was silly enough to shake my legs. I don't think they would ever not jiggle. Can someone link me gifs of in shape people who still have loose skin that jiggles if they shake their legs? cause it's really bumming me out that like... no matter what... even in the best shape of my life that I have intermittent fasted, counted calories, ran THOUSANDS of miles, lifted hundreds of thousands of lbs... I am still fat by someone's standard. No matter what.