#...they've also got long feelers!)

[colderdrafts]

I'm curious, how would you physically describe Dren and Morgan? :D

Aight so, step by step construction of my mental image of the spoods below. I still want my characters' appearances to be up for the reader's interpretation too tho, so don't take this as a total 100% truth 'mustbethisway! >:C', lmao. Thanks for the question <3

Dren Abdomen species inspiration: Grammostola Pulchra ("Brazilian Black tarantula") His skin is pale like that of someone who never sees the sun, and the rest of him is more or less dark like a cave. His spiders abdomen is completely black and covered in tough hairs, one leg a lil shorter than the others from an old injury. Torso has a strong build with a bit of chub to him, he's a big boy. His shoulders are hairy too, his 'human' arms ending in claws on his hands. He's got scars here an there from all the fighting he's done. His hair's long, black and straight, a completely unruly mess he doesn't really bother taking care of. He's got four eyes total, a pair of dominant eyes and a smaller pair next to them, also completely black with no visible pupil. He's got mandibles with fangs on the end over his mouth. He looks intimidating, but he's got a strangely calming aura to him. He's generally very polite if you're not a threat to him.

Morgan (also partially answered in one ask here but I'll expand a bit here) Abdomen species inspiration: Mix of Loxosceles reclusa (Brown Recluse) and Argiope aurantia (Yellow Garden spider) Morgan's a bit more weathered thanks to all the wandering they do and sunlight they get. Their body's more lean and gangly, built for speed and endurance but still having that uncanny elegance of their orb weaver part. Their abdomen has coloration of both species listed above, brown being the dominant color, but the general 'shape' is leaning more toward the yellow garden spider. They're less hairy than Dren, but still has some tough hairs running on their legs acting like 'feelers'. They also wear clothes on their human torso, mostly a green tunic to keep warm in colder weather (stolen). Their hair is long and chestnut colored, decently groomed and partially covering their face, but their four red eyes are probably one of the first things you notice about them. It's difficult to look away from them. They've also got fanged mandibles above the mouth, and you'll see them brandishing their sharp teeth a lot in a smile. Whether it genuine or hostile depends on who it's aimed at.

[variousqueerthings]

im watching a danish 1918 silent film called "himmelskibet" (the sky ship/spaceship) and it's interesting from several perspectives

for one, i enjoy the idea that these people have the notion of going to space and build a spaceship (an incredibly charming spaceship) in 2 years and it works! lifts ve-e-e-e-r-y slowly out of the atmosphere over the course of several days

for two, they're going to mars. which in 1918 reads differently im sure, than in 2024 and the rich colonialism wet dream -- also because in this movie mars is in fact populated, so it's actually not colonialist in the way it might have been x amount of years later in space-exploration cinema and the martians are depicted as being far more civilised (and also more... back-to-the-earth, we'll get to all of That) than earthlings, which is interesting

for three, they build the spaceship and point it towards mars, but don't have the tools to gauge how long it'll take to actually get there -- they calculate a presumed date before they leave, but whilst on the spaceship just have no idea where they are? this isn't deep, it's just funny to me

point the fourth. mars is populated. it's populated by a bunch of very human-looking aliens, because it's 1918 and the only difference between us and aliens is that the aliens are fruitarian hippies who all wear long robes (yeah, i can buy that) who have overcome everything bad that humanity currently is. the message is a hopeful one, with the lead martian saying "what we are, you will become"

the martian society is presented as a utopia. they're fruitarians, they've got no crime, no violence, and in what feels like some of the most long-lasting of political ideas, when the astronauts bring violence with them, they are made to think about it, but not punished (and there's some christian repent vibes to it, but it's not too egregious as to not work as concept -- the movie as a whole is very christian in feel though) and the protagonist considers how evil it is to throw people into prisons on earth. there's also a whole thing about embracing/celebrating death, rather than fearing it, which i wanna roll around in my head for a bit

but... the film tries very hard to juxtapose this utopian ideal with earth, however can't figure out how to make that work in imagery, or even put its finger on what is actually wrong with earth society that violence abounds in the first place (you'd think there might be some wwi imagery in there, but no, not a one -- its way of "showing violence" is random young well-dressed people on the street assaulting an elderly man and laughing, or smoking and dancing, or implied sex before marriage...)

all the scientists/leaders on mars are men, while the women... idk, frolic in beautiful dresses (there are a couple of interesting women in this, but they're not The Thinkers, they're The Feelers). they're all white and christian (if, danish christians rather than american christians). they're all thin and able-bodied and "beautiful." there's a scene where the women dance "a chastity dance." it begs the eternal question of "wait is this actually portraying a white supremacist eugenics cult?" WHICH is not what the movie wants to say, it very much wants to say something about anti-violence idealism as the future for humanity, it's like. got its heart in the right place, even if the final messaging is "we take this woman from a higher culture and within her lie the seeds for a superior earth," which hmm.. yeah. ive. ive heard things like that said before. not about a martian

it's interesting what kind of shorthand we have for storytelling. how the people making this movie undoubtedly were trying to think of the most visually effective way of conveying utopia, and how that imagery is mainly used today to make a viewer go "uh oh" to the extent that i almost briefly wondered if there was going to be another shoe about to drop, even though the movie hadn't been going in that direction at all

very much enjoyed it on the whole though. a moment in time. a very very early scifi film. ye olde danish text

And the most important thing.

Behold A Spaceship:

[brandwhorestarscream]

Could you tell us more about your au's pastel-colored underwater city?

Oh, hell yeah!

The main idea stems from, way back in Cybertron's past, during the Secind Cataclysm. The 13 original Primes were fighting the quintessons, and the war raged with such intensity it destroyed about 95% of all life on the planet. Only a few sparse pockets remained, some in bunkers beneath the surface, some in settlements that couldn't be evacuated but survived by sheer luck. One of the pocket of survivors, probably only a couple hundred mecha off the coast of what we now know to be the Sea of Rust... a giant sinkhole opened up around their compound, and they were swallowed by the planet. Miraculously, they weren't all killed, but were now stranded several miles beneath the surface with no way out

These refugees of the quintessential war were the ancestors of the bioluminescent city. In an undiscovered cave system beneath the Sea of Rust, there's a massive, glow-in-the-dark city that rivals the surface ones in size, millions of bots with every possibly alt mode all living together. The cityscape is lit in softly glowing pastel lanterns, and has a very alien look to it. Crystal flora grows freely everywhere you look, roots of crystal trees that go on for miles, thicker than a warframe's body several times over. The crystal flowers glow blue and green in the dark, and every subterranean cybertronian that lives there has evolved over time to be bioluminescent! Each type of mech has their own unique patterns and markings that glow, in various different colors. They can see extremely well in the dark, and too-bright light, though they've never encountered it, would be debilitating. Final piece of evolution, which I'm very fond of: everyone down there has extendable/retractable cables, one in either side of their head like antenna. They're very prehensile, glowing at the tip almost like anglerfish, each capped with a little suction cup-esque feeler. They use them to explore and fine tune their navigation in dark places, but also as a means to show affection. If a subterranean cybertronian likes you, they'll greet you with little suction cup kisses on your face from their feelers 💖

I've not got an exactly concrete layout decided on for the city, but I know that the caverns are massive, not just length or width but in depth as well. The cave ceiling is high enough a titan could safely stand up inside. There's a river of energon that flows through the entire system, which feeds the people and keeps their little pocket of lush paradise alive. There are roads that twist and turn everywhere, some reading onto the winding branches, and the bots live in a variety of homes. Some have their houses carved directly into the cave walls, at ground level or above, some live on what are essentially house boats and help care for the river, and the majority of flyers live high up on homes built upon platforms anchored to the sheer cliffs of the walls. Every frame type imaginable lives down there, like I mentioned, and functionism doesn't exist as a concept. They came from far before the golden age, after all: everyone lives peacefully as equals, a nice mirror to what Cybertron could have been

I'll stop rambling now cuz this post is getting long, but I do have a few other ideas I can share! Ask me about the baby lanterns or the way the city sings at night 🤭 or! If you have your own ideas, throw em my way! I'd love to hear what you've got ^-^

[wyattjohnston]

key take aways from the feedback i was given about the exchanges. i've responded to a few of the responses that were left :)

you can still leave feedback (even if you didn't participate, i'd be interested in why!)

i got a lot of love, too, which is nice. i don't do this to be praised or anything else but i also do love to know when people are having fun with it

What changes (if any) would you like to see?

Maybe like one or two people who are not writing in the fic exchange could act as "beta" and be there to bounce off ideas, help find gifs, give feed back on things that people are writing. Someone that we can talk to without fear of them telling the person we are writing for what the idea is/ worrying they are the person writing for "me". If that makes sense.

this is an excellent idea--i just don't know if it's feasible because most of the people who would act as a beta reader are usually signed up for the exchange

so! i absolutely cannot enforce a blanket ban on asking for help from another writer in the exchange and i wouldn't want to. the only thing you're 'ruining' at that point, is that you aren't writing for the person you've asked to beta. we had 43 people sign up this time around, that doesn't narrow it down too much.

if you do have a beta who is writing in the exchange, just be courteous and don't ask them anything about their fic, and do not put them in the awkward position of having to decline if you offer to beta theirs. also maybe don't put the name of the person you're writing for in the doc/doc title so you're not totally spoiling who the fic is for :)

i'm also around if you need help! it obviously would be impossible for me to help 40 people with brainstorming and editing, but i try to do what i can!

i could maybe add a new question like “would you be down to help someone else with fic ideas/being a beta?” and then if someone told me they needed some help, i could put some feelers out as to who would be best suited. i just don’t know if it would be a question a lot/enough people would agree to just because like i said up top, the people who would beta are usually already knee deep in their own fic

(not verbatim) a couple of suggestions to add a question about what the Main Character’s gender identity should be

will absolutely do this. i usually see people ask the question as an anon for reader insert preference so had taken for granted that that was happening <3

Maybe include a time zone in the deadline

i dont put a time zone with the deadline mostly because it makes it more confusing. if i were to do that i would make it Australian Eastern Time, like the sign ups, and i guarantee that fics will roll in towards midnight of the writers timezones anyway. all in all, the final date is purposely left without a time specific deadline because it gives people an extra day almost. i'll make it clearer that it's literally just midnight of whatever time zone the writer exists in

tbh even the sign up time isn't super hard and fast, as long as i haven't started matching yet then i'm not opposed to opening the form for a last minute entry

Do you have any other feedback?

If anything, maybe a mock-up of "starter questions" to send your match in case people are new and/or don't know quite what to say. That might be helpful.

i'll come up with some questions before the next one and put it in the matches have gone out post. if you've got suggestions, let me know. there’s no fool proof system to it. some people ask lots of questions, some ask very few. some people give super in depth answers and others prefer to let their writer run free

I like having the two-ish months to be able to write instead of a very fast and stressful turn around time

good news! two months is here to stay. giving the halfway and then 1 week follow ups seems to be the key to making sure people don't forget that they've signed up

What were the factors in you not signing up?

timing, re holidays & commitments

absolutely understand, it's not a great time of year with holidays and exams for a lot of people

nervous to sign up

please don't be! i know it's not as easy as that, but if it's something anyone wants to talk about (ever! now, in march, when sign ups open for the summer one), i want to talk to you!

if i see a new person has signed up and i haven't read their fics before, i don't go scrutinising their masterlist and i am never ever going to tell anyone that they're not good enough, or haven't written enough fics, or whatever, to sign up.

i want people to have fun with these and try something new (whether that's signing up in the first place or being adventurous with what they write)

I wasn't sure if I could commit to getting the story completed.

100% understand, writing to a deadline isn't for everyone! if you want to. if it's something you want to have a chat about, hit me up :)

What do you like most about the exchange?

i loved hearing that people enjoyed stepping out of their comfort zones and trying something new! and i also love hearing that people found new writers, my goal is to help make the community a little more *together*

[anewbeginningagain]

I was thinking about the MIDA vibe and why we all found it a bit sterile, and I think I know what they're trying to go for. You know how Montreal are considered the "artists", and now we have IAMO who are kinda the "feelers" but also have strong technical? And even within these camps, you have Marie-France who is kinda the creative visionary, Patch who is the tech master/manager, and Romain who brings the entertainment value and performance. In London, we have Scott as the heart and overall leader, Madi is clearly doing wonders with the students' confidence and performance quality, and Adrian is emerging as the gifted choreographer of the bunch (with Sheri as a dark horse here as well). Even back in the day, we had Igor who was branded as "the technician" and Marina was "the choreographer".

Right. Well. I think MIDA sat down and thought about how they're going to market themselves within this landscape, especially given who their geographical competition is, and what they've settled on is "the professors". I think they're having a rough time, they've bitten off more than they can chew, and think they have to look "serious" in order to keep their head above water on the one hand, and on the other to differentiate themselves in some way. The problem is that they don't have the mettle to back it up and got handed free political points based on their pedigree alone. We know from Charlie's commentary that he can be nitpicky to the point of being petty sometimes, but I don't think he's the kind of person who necessarily knows how to create the missing ingredients, he can just diagnose them. Now, we saw Scott struggle in the beginning too and it's understandable, but the thing is, Scott is much more emotionally sincere. They, on the other hand, I think are panicking right now, people are comparing them unfavorably to the other camps, WolfChen are having a trainwreck of a season, and G/P's momentum from last year has all but been reversed. So what do they do? "Oh, we went to college, we're affiliated with UMich, we're assigning essays to our skaters, we're intellectuals." Except... They kind of have nothing. They don't have that balance of warm, people-first coaching with strong results that the skaters who graduated from IAM have because they've never experienced it, having been with Marina and/or Igor almost their entire athletic careers. And they aren't bringing in the kind of creative talent that they so painfully need, so I don't know how they plan to move forward with this. I actually think Madi and Adrian will decide to stay in London long-term because this setup is working out so well, there's a magic to that crew and their skaters are radiant, the girls in particular are glowing. Anyway, I think Chanith & Co. are out of their depth and they're trying to overcompensate, but it isn't coming off great, especially in contrast with the other camps, and I won't be surprised if at least one team jumps ship next season because I don't see MIDA producing any sort of creative vision. Just my 2c, I hope I managed to explain what I mean, I'm not trying to be snarky or anything, just being real.

Well, this is actually a fascinating take. I think I really agree with the stuff about I.AM and I.AM Ontario, I think as you said I.AM managed to create a clear identity for their school and a clear identity for the main coaches - as you said Patrice is the technician and the manager (he manages the ice time for the insane number of teams they have), Marie France is the mama bear with the artistic vision, and Romain is the entertainer who knows how to work a crowd. At the same time, they are all more than that, just thinking of how Scott shared how inspired he was by Patrice's calm and focused energy by the boards. With I.AM Ontario like you, I think they are really finding their groove, I think Scott is and will always be the beating heart, but Adria and Madi bring so much to the table just like you described, and I think his family members who have so much experience are really managing to utilize it in the best possible way now, including giving some of the senior teams a bunch or really strong programs.

With MIDA I think you really nailed it by calling out how much they are lacking the variety of experience with different coaches, Charlie trained with Igor and Marina for most if not all of his competitive career, Tanith too with only her last two competitive seasons being with other coaches, and Greg also was only coached by Igor and Marina and worked for years with Igor. That's an alarming lack of experience with other coaching styles and philosophies tbh. And with USFS so eager to make them the US answer to I.AM (at least imo) they gave them too much too fast and MIDA for some reason chose not to use outside choreographers when it feel like they very much needed to.

The thing about the vibe is that Tanith for example came across as very warm and energetic in her commentary style, so it was more than odd to see her so reserved and cold by the boards. Charlie usually had the energy of a puppy dog but here he was also very reserved and severe looking. And Greg is Greg, I usually feel like he gives me nothing tbh. And the thing is, there's a significant level of being performative to being by the boards, some do it naturally because they are passionate people (Romain, MF, Scott, Adria, Barb), some have a strong fierce presence to them even if they are more stoic (Patrice, Madi) and some just feel warm (Pascal). With Charlie and Tanith it just feels like there's a lack of connection with their own teams and that's what the most alarming in it all. It's not that I think it necessarily says something about them as coaches, but it does come across in a very odd way.

But really enjoyed your take on it all, it got me thinking quite a lot.

[blackwldcw]

@staticsqueaks asked: Hosin skips and bounds in, taking in the Cybertronian sights. Everything here is new to him, he doesn’t have names for most of what he sees, but he marvels at it all regardless with mounting zeal.

“My goodness, my goodness, what a beautiful planet, what a fantastical, wonderful place!” He sang as he spun, nearly bumping into you as he goes. “OH! Pardon, I did not mean to startle you! I really should watch my step, but I am just so excited you see!” His little feelers buzz with glee and he thinks a moment, extending a hand. “My name is Hosin of Suppaliax! You are the first Cybertronian I have talked with on Cybertron and it is a massive honor to meet you!”

... What.

The Eukarian scientist glanced down at the other, slightly taken aback by his blatant enthusiasm. They'd never seen an alien species remotely like him before, especially not on or near Cybertron. There were also no badges of affiliation, so he couldn't have been an ally from the war. A tourist from Hedonia who got lost, perhaps?

This was definitely one of the weirder encounters they've had on the streets since the armistice was signed.

They hesitated, briefly, and then grasped his hand. Their brow furrowed. His skin was soft and smooth, almost rubbery in composition. Like latex. Intriguing.

"Blackarachnia of Eukaris. Although I've lived amongst Cybertronians for so long, I might as well be considered one. What brings you here?"

[doodledex-project]

Doodledex - #543 Venipede

Black 2 and White 2 were the first games to have a Poison-type Gym, and the first Poison-type in the Unova dex section doesn’t disappoint! Symbolically taking up Weedle’s slot, Venipede’s a perfect fit for its Bug/Poison typing!

But you’re probably wondering... “am I looking at a centipede or a millipede?” Considering that Venipede is mentioned to search for prey with its head and tail feelers (not to mention it has ‘feelers’ in the first place) and can inject venom strong enough to paralyze large bird Pokemon, it’s a dead ringer for a centipede! Millipedes are harmless scavengers that can’t bite or inject venom, and usually curl up to defend themselves. (...This sometimes involves poison, though!)

[lovecolibri]

Hi. Just wanted to ask your opinion about the new Malex clip we got for 3x06. I felt let down. Michael having faith in everyone but Alex is sad to me. Why does Michael always assume the worst about Alex? To witness actual "Malex" fans being upset over the 'abducted' line Alex says instead of being frustrated by Michael's total lack of belief in Alex is just so typical of this fandom. This clip is another excuse for the fans to rake Alex across the coals. Nevermind the fact that Michael is the one being the asshole here. Maria and Kyle are Alex' people, how dare Michael insinuate Alex doesn't care. This man gives himself to everyone he cares about. For Michael (someone who supposedly loves Alex) to suggest Alex doesn't care is a huge kick in the boobs. Malex are never moving forward if the writing continues to suggest Michael can't stand who Alex is :(

I'm going to be honest, Nonnie, and I'm going to say this same thing to the other anon in my inbox who is of the opposite opinion that Alex is the one who has no faith in Michael- I adore both Michael and Alex and I can see where both of them are coming from so I'm not here to spread hate about either one of them, but I can understand fans on both sides being frustrated with us going around in the same circles of Malex arguing and throwing out barbs and still not communicating or actually getting anywhere. It's been too long for this to still be happening (thanks year-long time jump we had to have thanks to c*rina shipping Liz out to CA) and for the show to still have them in these toxic patterns while trying to tell us they "cosmic soulmates". I think we're all a little tired and frustrated with not only the lack of development but also the criminal lack of Malex at all, and the almost zero information we've been allowed to see on what they are thinking or feeling about each other so everyone is just guessing at this point what Alex or Michael's intent is behind their words. But this looks to be likely a mid-episode scene, probably not right at the opening so hopefully we will be allowed some more insight before and after this scene.

Now as to what you said, in my personal guesswork about where Michael and Alex are at, I don't think Michael has no faith in Alex or him caring about anyone, though Alex did leave for a year and we STILL after 5 episodes have no idea if he and Michael spoke AT ALL during that time (*bangs fists on table* damnit Chris, we need more info!), so Michael might be putting out feelers as to who exactly Alex is right now because he feels like he doesn't recognize him (which kinda tracks because Kyle almost died a couple times and Liz nearly died and Alex was nowhere to be found, though THAT blame I'm putting firmly on the writing team and not on Alex because they are losing my trust week after week). But personally, I feel like Michael was counting on Alex to help him like he always has and when Alex tries to get him to drop it, Michael sees through his ploy and knows he's being lied to so he purposefully pushes a button he knows will get Alex to react. I don't think he doesn't have faith in Alex, I think he's trying to get the truth and is using something he knows isn't true to get a rise out of Alex. Not the nicest thing for him to do, but again if we're going on the assumption they haven't spoken in a year or so, Alex has only been back for a few days and for all Michael knows he's been holed up with Forrest all this time, and the only time they spoke Alex made some grand declaration and immediately left, I can see Michael feeling like they've regressed several years and reverting back to their old dynamic because with everything going on that's at least something that's familiar, even if it's painful.

Fingers crossed the show FINALLY starts giving us some more info and more insight into the two of them and allows us to see that dynamic shifting and changing and please for the love of everything getting rid of the antagonism and misery porn and letting them flirt and gently tease each other and make each other smile. Enough is enough and after 2x01 and Michael saying he wants to be good for someone, it would be nice to get that narrative payoff of Michael and Alex being good for each other.

[ask-crimson-weaver]

So who dragged Tinker and Toomes into the plot? Do you mind us asking?

So from what we were able to uncover, the entire scheme was headed by a guy called Silvermane-- he was a prominent Maggia boss a decade or so ago, but due to internal conflict and Spidery interventions, he ended up losing a lot of his power over the years. But this particular plot that we all got dragged into was a bid to get some of that influence back.

Long story short, on the heist where Toomes faked his death years ago, he was supposed to be stealing something for Silvermane, but instead of bringing it back he took a portion for himself and left the world to think that he was gone for good. Seems that several Maggia members were skeptical that he was really dead, though, and so they'd been sending feelers out for years to try to catch a whiff of his whereabouts.

Silvermane managed to dig up Toomes, and through finding him also managed to find Tinker. His plan was to basically blackmail Toomes into helping him in a series of thefts leading up to one massive heist, and then offing Toomes once he'd gotten what he wanted to tie up that loose end. And in case he didn't stick, he also left an 'explosive surprise' in Toomes' house, which I'm pretty sure he intended for Toomes' son (and the rest of his family, by extension) to find and set off when they came looking for him at home.

Toomes is alive, fortunately-- in jail for now, but I've heard that they're considering altering his sentence to be a house arrest since, according to Hannah, his health took a hit from the heist in general, but also from what Silvermane did to try and kill him. Tinker's in better shape, but like I mentioned before, they've really been shaken by this whole thing. But since Silvermane is out of the picture for good at this point, hopefully they'll be able to get back some peace of mind eventually-- and at the very least, Han and I are going to help them try.

[tabloidtoc]

OK, March 8

You can buy a copy of this issue for your very own at my eBay store: https://www.ebay.com/str/bradentonbooks

Cover: Bruce Springsteen

Page 1: Big Pic -- as part of Coach's latest campaign Jennifer Lopez posed with a supersized pink version of their new Pillow Tabby purse

Page 2: Contents

Page 3: Contents

Page 4: Chris Harrison gone for good? The Bachelor host's future with the show remains uncertain after his controversial interview with Rachel Lindsay

Page 6: Since the start of his career Justin Timberlake has endured his fair share of scandals but after welcoming his second son with wife Jessica Biel over the summer and celebrating his 40th birthday, he is confessing that he feels immense guilt about the past and he won't be making the same mistakes in the future -- Justin's done some soul-searching and accepts that he's wronged a lot of people over the years with his own terrible mistakes and he says he's still a work in progress, but step one has been to stand up and admit he's hurt too many women -- in addition to a boozy night out with his Palmer costar Alisha Wainwright in 2019 and his part in the now-infamous Nipplegate incident with Janet Jackson at the 2004 Super Bowl, Justin recently came under fire again due to the documentary Framing Britney Spears which showed him exploiting his breakup from Britney Spears to help his solo career -- Justin's learned from his mistakes and has a lot more sensitivity about the impact of his actions on other people and that's the big difference between the Justin of today and his old, immature self and that self-awareness was evident in an emotional statement that he posted apologizing to both Britney and Janet for the errors in his ways -- his words drew praise from his wife Jessica who says he's come a long way as a husband, a father and more importantly, a human being

Page 7: Wendy Williams is on the prowl for a new man and he's got to be husband material and she is ready for a serious commitment -- Wendy's been staying up until all hours of the night checking out guys online and on exclusive dating apps and she wants someone age-appropriate, fun, kind, independent and of course has no history of cheating -- she's feeling very optimistic and even buying new perfume and clothes and jewelry for all the dates she hopes to have once lockdown lifts

* Texas native Matthew McConaughey is seriously considering throwing his hat in the ring to become the state's next governor -- he's been putting out feelers to see if he's got sufficient support and if enough donors are willing to write checks, he'd mount an aggressive run in 2022 -- he's already gotten the thumbs-up from his wife Camila Alves and their three kids -- at this point, he needs to see an actual path to winning because he's not interested in just making a protest statement; don't be fooled by his aw-shucks attitude, Matthew means business

* Now that Keeping Up With the Kardashians is coming to an end, the hunt is on for a new family to replace the clan and one reality pro is poised to nab the prize: Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star Lisa Rinna -- there's already been talk about Lisa picking up the torch and her family is camera ready, consisting of husband Harry Hamlin, and their daughters Delilah Hamlin who's dating Love Island's Eyal Booker and Amelia Hamlin who's dating Scott Disick

Page 8: Things keep going from bad to worse for Armie Hammer -- he was forced to drop out of his upcoming movie Shotgun Wedding with Jennifer Lopez after direct messages he allegedly sent to women in which he described himself as a cannibal and detailed disturbing sexual fantasies were leaked online -- Armie was also fired by his talent agency WME and now the disgraced star may get cut from his new film Next Goal Wins which has already been shot -- he's radioactive and everybody knows it and his completed but unreleased work is getting a second look as studios want to do damage control, and that includes another of his finished projects Death on the Nile where his part could end up on the cutting room floor -- he's a pariah now and it's hard to see how he's ever going to come back from this

* Jennifer Aniston has always had a spiritual side but these days she is taking things to a whole new plane -- Jen has surrounded herself with psychics and has been doing Goddess Circles with the same group of close friends for 30 years, but now she's taking courses to learn to heal herself and be her own guru -- BFF Courteney Cox has been a big influence and Jen's learned a lot from Courteney, who's had a long-term interest in mediums, astrologists and horoscopes, and she's trying to fuse it all together into her own brand of spirituality -- Jen's had a lot of time alone, which has only deepened her questions about the universe and how she can make the most of her life and she's determined to find the answers

* Princess Eugenie is over the moon after welcoming her first child, a baby boy with businessman husband Jack Brooksbank but now the new mom is torn about taking time out from her royal responsibilities -- Eugenie would love to take a long break from everything and focus solely on raising her son however she knows deep down how much she's needed, especially since Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are showing no signs of coming back -- as she weighs her options, Eugenie is looking to her multi-tasking cousin-in-law Duchess Kate for some inspiration because she's impressed by how Kate is able to juggle her official duties while raising three young kids

Page 10: Red Hot on the Red Carpet -- stars captivate in enchanting puff-sleeve numbers -- Bel Powley, Aubrey Plaza, Lupita Nyong'o

Page 11: Kaitlyn Dever, Lucy Boynton, Margaret Qualley

Page 12: Who Wore It Better? Hilary Swank vs. Madeline Brewer, Bella Hadid vs. Devon Windsor, Alison Brie vs. Dua Lipa

Page 14: News in Photos -- Tayshia Adams and her fiance Zac Clark felt on top of the world when the visited the Empire State Building together

Page 15: Chrissy Teigen and John Legend were inseparable while out and about in Beverly Hills, Bill Murray and NFL player Larry Fitzgerald Jr. were among the many stars to shoot their shot during a charity golf tournament in Pebble Beach, Rita Ora performing on an episode of the U.K. show Dancing on Ice in Hertfordshire

Page 16: At the Australian Open Serena Williams came out on top during the fourth round, Bachelorette alum Jordan Kimball and fiancee Christina Creedon couldn't wait until they got home to enjoy Candy Pop popcorn's new Peanut M&M's flavor from Sam's Club in Houston, Heidi Montag spent the day hitting the slopes at Lake Tahoe

Page 17: Hailey Bieber starring in Beyonce's new Ivy Park x Adidas collection

Page 18: Brody Jenner had a blast snow tubing while shooting the second season of The Hills: New Beginnings in Lake Tahoe, Avril Lavigne stepped out with her new boyfriend Mod Sun for a romantic dinner in West Hollywood

Page 20: Justin Bieber looked like he'd just hopped out of bed in a sweater and checkered fleece pants in L.A., Robin Thicke in front of a piano in L.A.

Page 21: Steve Martin doubled up on face coverings on the set of his new project Only Murders in the Building in NYC, Michelle Obama on her new show Waffles + Michi, Cardi B spoiled herself with high-end goods during a day of shopping on Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills

Page 22: Brooke Burke romancing with boyfriend Scott Rigsby on Valentine's Day, Lucy Hale accessorized her look with her newest rescue pup Ethel in L.A., Jessica Lange and Susan Sarandon masked up for a snowy outing in NYC

Page 24: For Galentine's Day Vanessa Lachey snacked on macarons and sipped on wine in L.A.

Page 25: Bella Hadid alongside models Mayowa Nicholas and Heejung Park in Michael Kors' new campaign for the Spring 2021 collection, Hugh Grant stepped out for some fresh hair in London, Sofia Vergara kept it casual during a visit to a pal's house in Beverly Hills

Page 26: Inside My Home -- Katherine Heigl and Josh Kelley's Rocky Mountain retreat

Page 28: Marriage isn't easy especially during a global health crisis but for Kristen Bell and Dax Shepard divorce is not an option -- Kristen said she and Dax at the start of the pandemic were at a point in their marriage where they definitely needed a little therapy brush-up and every couple of years they're being very antagonistic towards each other and they don't want that so they go back to therapy and figure out how they can serve their team goal better and it's been incredibly helpful and even in the toughest times they always have each other's back and they're committed to being each other's biggest support systems -- while their relationship may never be perfect, they're happy and love each other and that's what matters most

Page 29: Now that Tom Brady has won his seventh Super Bowl with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, he has set his sights on the next prize: baby No. 3 with wife Gisele Bundchen -- they've been telling friends they hope to make an announcement by summer at the latest and Tom and Gisele have been super loved-up since leaving Boston and moving to Florida after the QB signed on with the Bucs and the change of scenery has worked wonders on their love life and put them in baby-making mode -- the duo, who recently bought a $17 million spread on Miami's exclusive Indian Creek Island, plan to build a luxury mansion there complete with a nursery and they hope to be all settled in when the new arrival comes -- they've never felt healthier or been happier

* Aaron Rodgers looked positively giddy when he revealed he had a fiancee, Shailene Woodley at the NFL Honors, but the QB is dreading the next step: bringing her home to meet his parents because it's no secret that Aaron's been estranged from them for years and the last thing he wants is for Shailene to get caught up in the drama -- Shailene wants Aaron to clear the air with his folks, but he's not ready to do that and he doesn't want to bring Shailene into a toxic environment

* It's only been two years since Miranda Lambert married Brendan McLoughlin but she's already itching for some alone time -- she's headed to Texas in April for her first concert in over a year and she's told Brendan he shouldn't come because it will be all work and no play but she really wants to get away from him for a while and after the pair's recent road trip together, Miranda is desperate for some space -- sometimes Miranda feels like she's living with a baby because Brendan whines and complains about life on her farm

Page 30: Kourtney Kardashian and Travis Barker's romance is heating up fast, so much so that she's practically handed over the keys to her Calabasas estate and she loves having Travis sleep over and sometimes he'll stay the whole weekend -- he gets along famously with her children and Travis has been a friend of the family for years, so the kids have pretty much known him their whole lives and they'll do fun stuff together like hiking or playing video games and Travis loves making breakfast and showing off his pancake-flipping skills --Travis is spending so much time at Kourt's place that he's moved a bunch of his stuff in to make it easier for his kids Landon and Alabama with ex Shanna Moakler to visit him there -- everyone's convinced they'll be living together full-time before you know it

* Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were met with a flurry of well-wishes after they revealed they're expecting baby No. 2 -- the couple decided to wait until Meghan was safely into her second trimester to share the news and they only told a handful of family members before the public and they wanted to cherish this secret for as long as they could -- Harry and Meghan have been nesting at their Montecito mansion and have been busy prepping the nursery and making sure it's eco-friendly with energy-efficient lighting and they're keeping it as plastic-free as possible

* Love Bites -- Clare Crawley and Dale Moss reunited, Kit Harington and Rose Leslie welcomed a baby boy, Paris Hilton and Carter Reum engaged

Page 32: Cover Story -- Bruce Springsteen's private world -- he's an open book in his songs, but here's Bruce's untold story of his struggles with depression and regret -- he still has dark thoughts from time to time but therapy and medication have helped a great deal

Page 36: Stars' Cheating Confessions -- sometimes all you can do is beg for forgiveness; these celebs have all had to plead their case -- Donny and Debbie Osmond, Jude Law and Sienna Miller, Jada Pinkett Smith and Will Smith

Page 37: David Letterman and Regina Lasko, Dean McDermott and Tori Spelling, Kevin Hart and Eniko Parrish

Page 40: Interview -- Elizabeth Olsen -- the Avengers star dishes about getting witchy again for Marvel's mind-bending WandaVision

Page 42: Golden Girls -- how these Golden Globes nominees get their award-worthy figures -- Anya Taylor-Joy, Nicole Kidman, Lily Collins

Page 43: Kaley Cuoco, Michelle Pfeiffer, Amanda Seyfried

Page 44: Aadila Dosani's vegan recipe for Chickpea and Potato Soup

Page 46: Style Week -- Ashley Graham is the new global brand ambassador for self-tanning label St. Tropez

Page 48: What's Hot Right Now -- create a naturally gorgeous, flushed look with fashion designer Jason Wu's namesake makeup collection

Page 49: Haute hippie retro jeans -- take a trip back to the '70s with Revice Denim's ultra-cool capsule, Los Angeles Lovers -- Delilah Belle Hamlin

Page 50: Flower Power -- floral prints are spring's hottest trend -- rock the pretty blooms for a fresh, boho-chic look -- Kaia Gerber

Page 52: DIY Blowout -- these foolproof finds deliver impeccable hair right at home -- Drew Barrymore

Page 54: Entertainment

Page 55: Q&A with Mary Fitzgerald of Selling Sunset

Page 58: Buzz -- after months of playing it coy, these celebs confirmed their relationships on Valentine's Day -- Scott Disick and Amelia Hamlin

Page 59: Vanessa Hudgens and Cole Tucker, Sharna Burgess and Brian Austin Green, Kourtney Kardashian and Travis Barker, Kendall Jenner and Devin Booker

Page 60: Sound Bites -- Halsey on not conforming to conventional beauty standards, Anderson Cooper on coparenting with his ex, Ashley Graham on the importance of self-care, Kate Winslet on feeling like a fish out of water in Hollywood

Page 61: Tom Holland on the plot of the next Spider-Man flick, Mila Kunis joking about keeping her family entertained during quarantine, Drew Barrymore when asked if she's ever been skinny-dipping, Madelaine Petsch on playing a teen in Clare at 16

Page 62: Horoscope -- Pisces Lupita Nyong'o turned 38 on March 1

Page 64: By the Numbers -- Riz Ahmed