#12 year old Elliot my beloved

[behold-the-griffin]

so I finally started watching house and I finally understand the essence of a poor little meow meow. he’s such a bastard but MAN season three ain’t kind to him.

[sophiaasleftshoe]

I watched Euphoria tonight so here’s my thoughts (2x01):

WE BACK LETS ROLL

Fez’s grandma… I don’t even have the words

Finally an episode for them they better give my girl Lexi her episode NEOW

At least Rue having some fun…

Very glad the dealers at least had some kind of moral code in terms of not wanting a 12 year old to get n*ked

Faye I’m gon get you outta there I promise

Cassie GET UP!!

Fuck Nate

Every time there’s a party it’s some mess where are the parents???

LET MADDY PEE!!!!!

I love Elliot I just want to protect him

Lexi appreciation finally some good fucking food

Also Nate being weird as shit with McKay please go sit down somewhere

Ethan!

FEZ MY BELOVED IM SO USED TO GIVING AND NOW I GET TO RECEIVE🙏🏾😭😭

[yandere-wishes]

Which Yandere Dorm Are You??

So a few days ago a friend of mine convinced me to watch the first two Harry Potter movies with her. Now I don't really like Harry Potter the story just isn't my type, but what I did like about the movie was the four dorms! This made me think of what it would be like if instead of "personality types" people got sorted into dorms or houses based on what they would be like as Yanderes. The end result was The six Yandere Dorms! Plus a quick look into my take of the yandere verse. Note that in no way, shape or form am I an artist so all the dorm Icons look very messy and horrible! In addition to that, the Yandere Verse section is still a draft I'll elaborate more on it later.

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At an unknown time in the future, a new ideology was beginning to bloom. It was an eerie, morbid sickening philosophy.... and yet it spread through society like wildfire. At first, people thought it was brought on by a sort of infection to a person's mind. Psychologists and doctors spent countless months trying to research it. They examined hundreds of people which they thought had gotten this new "disease", but there was nothing out of the ordinary for any of the patients. By the end of the study, countless researchers had stated that they too had begun to believe in this ominous phenomenon.

A year later the 75% of the population was starting to believe in and follow this new trend. What was this new trend you may ask? Well, it's rather complicated to explain...

The philosophy begins with the simple notion that a couple should have complete control over one another. That when two people consent to a relationship they have agreed to devote their entire lives to each other, thus they should know everything about each other, do nothing without the other person's knowledge and even be ready to kill for each other's love, respect, and protection. But it doesn't end there the philosophy continues to say that despite both partners needing to equally belong to one another, one is more entitled to pick and chose his lover. This statement was vague at first but soon started to make sense when it's devoted followers started to become obsessed with a person of their choosing. It was as if they could only function when they were in close proximity to their person of interest. Time spent apart from them caused to obsessor to act in a different manner than their initial personality. Most people where so desperate for the love of their obsession that they began to kill for it. First, as a means to gain attention, then as a means to protect them and finally as a means to own and control them.

A huge some of society started showing signs of playing into this "love disease" with roughly 55% playing the role of the obsessor and 45% playing the role of the victim. By the two year mark, many political figures had begun to rise in favor and support of this new romance perspective. The two most famous being Hera Saino and Delya Petra. The two where the firsts to come up with a name for this philosophy. Calling it the Lovesick Movement. It took after both the Romantic movement and the gothic movement. This abnormally long era was classified in its portrayal by gruesome arts with vivid colors, Writer who stopped writing about small-time crushes and instead took on stories about chaotic, devoted love being found amongst characters. Artists and poets stopped look for different sources of inspiration and instead only sought their one true obsession. It was especially popular amongst the younger generation, who spent a great deal of their time trying to the "best way" to show their crushes just how they felt.

Hera Saino and Dilya Petra were later dubbed the LoveSick Queens and also The Yandere Queens. They both played a role in naming the two groups. They took inspiration from old Japanese tails of lovesick driven murderers (which was also a style that was getting all the more popular). The obsessors were known as Yanderes while the victims were known as wither Beloveds or Darlings. After the naming prosses, the internet was flooded with online quizzes about a person's ideal darling or yandere. DIY's for "romantic weapons" and "passion restrains" were the most-watched videos globally.

In later years a new group of amorous visionaries arose, they were later called the Twisted Eight and they each played a role in classifying the various types of Yanderes in the world as well as exploring the traits and conditions of both Yanders and darlings/Beloveds. Amongst the group 240 book regarding the "lovesick movement" where published aswell as 59 legal books, documenting the new laws and rules the legal system should take up as a result of the lovesick movement. Each later became associated with the specific "yandere type" which they researched.

Erebus Zero- The founder of the "Sadistic" yanderes. Heavy believer that pain is closely associated with love and is the only means of displaying affection for certain people.

Shouta Caben- The founder of the "Obsessive" yanderes. Though to be the oldest classification of yandere as well as the primary source of anyone that is lovesick.  

Elliot Belanger- The founder of the "Possessive" Yanderes. Founded on the belief that people should own their lovers and that they must do anything in their power to keep them as only there.

Renato Dean- The founder of the "Protective" yanderes. Lives off the faith that one must do anything and go to any extremes to protect the one they love, even if it means killing or dying for them.

Valentino Lazarus- Founder of the "manipulative" yandere types. Believes in using one's smarts and wits to "convince" a darling that they are meant to be.

Theodosia Slater- The founder of the "Delusional" yandere type. The ones that are stubborn and believe that their darlings love them already despite not even knowing their names.

Ivy Phillips- Not a founder, but the main researcher in the fields of twisted love and mad love. Twisted love is the rare marvel of two yandere falling in love with each other. While Mad love is when a darling not only falls into Stockholm Syndrom but begins to show yandere trait for their capture.

Alexandrite Iaculat- Not a founder but the main writer of the "new era laws". These are modernized laws and regulations which uphold the society and avoid it falling into anarchy.

The Dorms

Each of the dorms is organized internationally, meaning that dorm names and symbols are the same worldwide. Children get sorted into their "houses" when they reach the eighth grade (as a form of respect to the Twisted Eight) these houses will remain with them long after they have graduated. While someone's future job isn't always tied to what houses they where placed in there are certain occupations made especially for a specific type of yandere.

How the organization process works is that in the child's seventh year, they will write a series of personal essays and tests. These tests judge the child's analytical thinking, personality, "intensity" amongst other things.

For the sake of this story, we will be discussing the houses in general but will only be focusing their effect on a private school called Mysteria Academy.

Cruistica

The first dorm and one of the golden star dorms (the most valued of the dorms). Despite what people traditionally think of the sadist yandere, the members of Cruistica are sorted into this house due to having above-average analytical thinking and an uncountable curiosity. They are the ones who love their darlings without having a way to show it, they are intense and brutal yet also very tactical. They believe in proving they love their darling in a more physical way.... this doesn't mean straight out hurting and punishing them, it could be as simple as making them watch as they commit a murder or simply locking them away for a few days without human connections. Overall if you are someone who has a dark, twisted way of thinking, a curious mind and the need to control and claim your darling in every manner ever known, then this is the dorm for you! Common subtypes (Strict, controlling, obsessive-possessive)

Current dorm leader and vice dorm leader ( Ahri Cronos: Age: 18  Grade: 12 | Zion Sguis age:16  Grade: 11 )

media examples (Tony Stark (Marvel), Judar (Magi), Dabi (My hero academia) Kanato (Diabolik lovers)

Think of a mix between (Ravenclaw and Savanaclaw, maybe a bit of Ignihyde)

Jaséder

This dorm is known for their possessive nature...for lack of a better word. When they own something they rather die (or kill) to keep it as their's and their's alone. They are one of the more emotional dorms, despite not always coming right out to their darlings and saying "I love you". The motto of this dorm is "What's mine is mine and I'm willing to kill for it". In this particular academy, this motto is plastered in the main hall of the Jaséder house. If you are slightly greedy, clingy and will do anything for your goals then this is the dorm for you!

Common subtypes (easily jealous, obsessive-possessive, clingy)

Current dorm leader and vice dorm leader ( Mithra Helios; Age: 17 Grade: 11 | Vera Bellum age; 17 Grade; 11)

media examples ( Mammon (obey me), Zexion (kingdom hearts),  Inosuke Hashibira (Demon Slayer), Katsuki Bakugo (My hero Academia) )

Think of a mix between (Slytherin and Octovinella)

Chissi

The obsessed house, the members of this dorm take fangirling / fanboying to new extremes! When they "fall" for someone. Every room in this dorm has a specific space for shrines to be built and built-in shelves for "borrow" items from one's darling. These people also tend to find a sort of tranquility in collecting things, organizing things and making lists. Arguably the most emotional and oldest dorm out of the six. Also a golden star dorm. If you are a fanboy/fangirl then this is the dorm for you!

Common subtypes (soft, obsessive-possessive, overbearing, (certain) childish )

Current dorm leader and vice dorm leader( Mania Zac: Age: 18 Grade: 12  | Pluto Ray Age: 18 Grade: 12)

media examples (Bucky Barnes (Marvel), Toga Himiko (My hero academia), Osamu Dazai (Bungo Stray Dogs), Satan (obey me) )

Think of a mix between (Hufflepuff and Scarabia and maybe a bit of Pomefiore)

Lockheart

People in this dorm and somewhat paranoid believing that harm lies behind every corner. They are probably the mon friend of the group and will make sure everyone is safe and sound. They are somewhat on the more caring side of students in the school they hate seeing people hurt and have the lowest kill rate. They normally lock their darlings up somewhere so no harm comes to them, will make sure that anyone how posses a threat to their darling is either far away or too scared to come near said, darling. Killing might be used as a last resort. In conclusion, you a mom friend but somewhat chill but also gutsy? You go here.

Common subtypes (soft, obsessive-possessive, overbearing,)

Current dorm leader and vice dorm leader (Zur Akarana Age:19 Grade:12 | Ruth Caballero age:18 grade:12)

media examples (Natasha Romanoff (Marvel), Lucifer (obey me), Sebastian Michaelis (Black Butler), Ruki Mukami (Diabolik lover), )

Think of a mix between (Honestly the personification of the love child between Hufflepuff and Gryffindor)

Almoakiso

This dorm is the most cunning, tricky and deceitful out of all the other dorms. They will make you believe that every lie is a truth every truth a lie. They can convince you of anything, anything at all! They will mangle your emotions and twist then to better suit their own needs. When they want a darling they will get that darling. the poor darling will soon fall into a sticky web of lies and half-truths, poor thing has already been distanced from all their friends the only person they can turn to is their loving and "totally honest" yandere. By the way, they have a rivalry with Cruistica over everything from grades and academics/smarts to darlings and weapons.   If you are manipulative, tricky and cunning then step right en up to this dorm! Common subtypes (stealthy and strict, apathetic at times)

Current dorm leader and vice dorm leader( Damien Edgar age: 18 Grade 12 | Willow Violetson  Age:16 Grade:10)

media examples (Loki (Marvel), Light Yagami (death note), Marluxia (Kingdome hearts), Azul Ashengrotto (Twisted wonderland) )

Think of a mix between (Slytherin and Ravenclaw with octovinelle sprinkled in there)

Rêve-De-Dies

The "baby" of the six dorms, the members of this dorm are stubborn, clingy and have way more emotions then they know what to do with. They zone out quickly, have short attention spans and often need others to bring them back on track. However, they are the friendliest house with the LOWEST death rate and the HIGHEST rate of truly happy darlings. If you are the baby or childish friend, are nice and always caught in your own mind then this is the dorm for you.

Common subtypes (Childish, clingy, soft)

Current dorm leader and vice dorm leader (Haoma Lune age: 17 Grade:12 | Aiko Larimore age:15 grade:10 )

media examples (La brava (my hero academia), Honey (OHSHC), Aladdin (Magi), Aalim Al Asim (twisted wonderland)

Think of a mix between (Hufflepuff and slight Scarabia)

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So guys let me know in the comments what you thought of the fic and which yandere house you are!

[black-syndicate]

* ･ ｡ *  OTP ASKS MEME * ･ ｡ * ☆

FOR THE FLUFF

1. What are things they both find funny? They lose it when they watch those EPIC FAIL videos. Anything involving the pain and suffering of others stitched together with the comedic timing of sound effects lifts their spirits.

2. If they could each describe each other in one sentence, what would it be? “He is my angel.” Short and simple, meant to encompass every meaning of the word. “Mercilessly vengeful, cruel, and radiant, she is my pride and joy.”

3. If they complimented each other, what would they say? Soulay’s compliments usually focus on Elliot’s achievements and various accolades. She’s also known to comment on his host body from time to time because well... woof. Elliot is the romantic of the two, ascribing beauty to all Soulay does.

4. What would be their ship name? Spellbound. To hold the complete attention of (someone) as though by magic; fascinate.

5. What activities do they enjoy together? While they enjoy doing most anything together, staying in different hotels around the world is their guilty pleasure. Elliot goes nuts over the smallest things “Look, beloved, they garnished our pillows with mints.” and Soulay is always happy to be away from the Sulo Estate.

6. What is/are their love language(s)? Elliot thrives off of words of affirmation and physical touch. He returns those acts ten fold onto the ones he holds dearest to him, accompanied by frequent gifts. Soulay enjoys receiving gifts and physical touch but she often shows her love through acts of service.

7. Write a ~300 word love scene for them. “Something Old” can be found on ao3

8. What were their first impressions of each other? Uhhh... Their initial encounter was brief and unyielding of any strong sentiments. Elliot eventually became infatuated with her and Soulay saw it as an opportunity to overthrow the Sulo family. 

FOR THE ANGST

9. Have they made each other cry? Not intentionally. They’ve been together for over 100 years, so of course they’ve had their rough patches, said some things they shouldn’t have and through miscommunication and stubborn pride caused the other grief.

10. Write a ~300 word argument scene for them. “Something Blue” can be found on ao3

11. What causes them to fight? The Order of the Renew is a constant source of tension between them. Soulay loathes the organization and Elliot has devoted his life to it. As Elliot’s visions are grandeur start becoming a reality, Soulay begins to show more resentment towards him and his followers.

12. Do they have differing political opinions? Not really? Being top dog of a cult means they both are able to set the policies they want and neither of them are too caught up in the human rights violations of other nations. 

13. Name something they would never do for the other person. Neither one would give up their magic, even if the other’s life depended on it. Honestly, it stems for childhood trauma on both their parts and not wanting to feeling powerless again + if one of them dies then at least the other can try to revive them with magic.

14. What would be a dealbreaker? Their relationship relies heavily on codependency so nothing is really off the table. 

15. What are traits they dislike in one another? He’s stubborn, overworked, and a wet blanket in private. She talks while she eats and doesn’t recycle.

16. If they broke up, what would be their opinions of each other? They’d sooner kill each other than break up. Elliot couldn’t handle knowing that Soulay no longer loves him and Soulay rather see Elliot dead than happy with someone else.

FOR THE DEPTH

17. What senses (sights, smells, feelings, etc). remind them of each other? Fairgrounds bring about nostalgia in both of them. That was their first date, after all. Elliot has a deep obsession with the sea, so similar items along that vein always remind Soulay of him.

18. What would be their love motto? I am my beloved’s and my beloved is mine.

19. If they could each write a single line in their marriage vows, what would they be? They don’t do vows. Words are cheap and when you’re as old as them you know you’re gonna be breaking a lot of stuff you said in your youth. 

20. What is a promise they have made to each other? To always have the other’s best interest at heart.

21. How have they changed each other for the better/for the worse? Soulay’s habits and vices rub off more on Elliot than vice versa, just because she is more worldly than him and when you both grow up in the same environment, it’s the one who leaves that will more likely change. Elliot has influenced Soulay’s taste in men, as he’s now the gold standard most cannot compete against.

22. If their lives were what was originally intended at birth, would they have still fallen in love? They’d both be dead. Different periods of times but same result.

23. Write a ~300 scene between them with no dialogue, only body language. “Something New” can be found on ao3

24. What is something they have each had to forgive the other for? They don’t really ask for forgiveness...so I don’t know how it would work. But Elliot gets hurt every time Soulay leaves the Order for extended periods of time, and had to make peace with it. 

FOR THE DIRTY

25. What moves do they know work on the other? Elliot freakin’ loses it when Soulay gives him a massage. He knows exactly what’s about to happen next when she starters kneading his shoulders. It’s a Pavlovian response and royalty screws him over when he goes to a masseuse.

Soulay is by far the easiest person to get in the mood and it does help that Elliot usually inhabits the bodies of people he knows to be her type. Running a hand through his hair and asking for sex is all it really takes, tho he’s far too much of a gentleman to be so brazen...most days.

26. What are their favorite parts about physical affection/sex? The concept of being wanted and admired. They’re both such lonely people and their need for love manifests itself in different ways but during sex they share a lot of the same fetishes and kinks, even if Elliot doesn’t fully want to admit it.

27. Do they have any kinks/fetishes that they share? Body worship and roleplay are the biggest ones. And by roleplay I mean they have been known to possess the bodies of strangers to spice up their sex life. Voyeurisms and swinging also seems to come with the Sulo family package.

28. Write a ~300 fantasy one of them has about the other. “Something Borrowed” can be found on ao3

29. What are each of their signature foreplay moves? Soulay likes to strip tease. Sometimes she’ll start where he’s working and slowly leave a trail of her clothes as she makes her way somewhere more private. Her panties are always the last to come off. While Elliot is an avid believer in marking his territory with slow sensual kisses that turn into be suckling bites.

30. Write a short exchange of dirty talk between them. lmao no.

31. What do they love to do after sex? Sleep. Nothing beats a night of rest after being satisfied by your spouse.

32. Do they enjoy morning or night sex? Night because of the activity mentioned above.

[tabloidtoc]

Star, October 26

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

Cover: Reba McEntire dating CSI: Miami star Rex Linn and finding love again at 65 

Page 1: Duchess Kate Middleton stopped by England’s University of Derby to discuss students’ mental health and how the pandemic has affected their education but during her visit those watching couldn’t help but notice Kate looked more youthful than ever because of a new shorter highlighted hairstyle 

Page 2: Contents -- Demi Lovato and pal Matthew Scott Montgomery were ready to be spooked at Nights of the Jack 

Page 3: Vanessa Paradis and her daughter Lily-Rose Depp at the Chanel show during Paris Fashion Week, Tom Cruise looked a little leery filming a difficult scene on the set of Mission: Impossible 7 in Rome, Cara Santana repped boyfriend Shannon Leto’s band 30 Seconds to Mars in a sweatshirt from the group’s apparel line 

Page 5: Chrissy Metz is so smitten with her new boyfriend Bradley Collins that she’s already talking marriage and babies with her Nashville-based beau and that has alarms ringing for some of her friends about why they kept their romance totally hidden until now and since Chrissy is all-or-nothing this is way too intense for some, fans of Law & Order: SVU rejoiced when it was announced that a spinoff was in the works that would star Christopher Meloni as Elliot Stabler and the new series called Organized Crime would feature Stabler leading a task force fighting NYC’s crime syndicates but the show has been rocked by behind-the-scenes drama as first showrunner Craig Gore was axed in June and now his replacement Matt Olmstead is also out leaving the future of the show in jeopardy, after a contentious season of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills Denise Richards and Teddi Mellencamp are out and mainstays Lisa Rinna and Kyle Richards have proven they’re the alphas of the long-running Bravo show and now as producers are scrambling to fill out the cast one obvious contender is out of the running as Kathy Hilton has respectfully declined because her daughters Nicky Hilton Rothschild and Paris Hilton didn’t want her to do it because they felt it was a bad look for them and the family 

Page 6: Sofia Richie and Scott Disick have split but she seems to still be taking her beauty cues from her time with the Kardashian-adjacent dad of three because she has noticeably fuller lips where she had lip injections to both lips, Mariah Carey had nothing but nice things to say about Derek Jeter in her new memoir calling their relationship sensual and credits him with helping her see the value of her biracial background but Derek isn’t happy about it and he’s fed up and feels Mariah is taking advantage of him to publicize her book and it doesn’t help that Derek’s friends have been teasing him about the sexy details because he hates being made fun of; his ego can’t handle his friends ribbing him, Star Spots the Stars -- Christina Aguilera, Kaitlyn Bristowe, Travis Scott, Teddi Mellencamp, Rev Run and his wife Justine Simmons, Lindsay Arnold 

Page 8: Star Shots -- Anne Heche headed for rehearsal on Dancing with the Stars, Christina Milian and her daughter Violet, Gavin Rossdale at the beach in Malibu with his dog and a mystery woman 

Page 9: Liev Schreiber plays basketball with his son Sasha in NYC 

Page 10: Bachelor alum Catherine Lowe and her son Samuel, Reese Witherspoon jumping rope, Million Dollar Listing Los Angeles’ Tracy Tutor playing Monopoly at home 

Page 12: Johnny Weir leaving Dancing with the Stars rehearsals, Brie Larson and boyfriend Elijah Allan-Blitz on a grocery run, Alessandra Ambrosio on her way to dinner in West Hollywood 

Page 13: Selena Gomez shows her kidney transplant scar, Julia Garner filming scenes for Inventing Anna in New York City 

Page 14: Chrishell Stause heading into rehearsals for Dancing with the Stars, Johnny Depp waved to fans outside the ZFF Masters during the 16th Zurich Film Festival where he promoted Crock of Gold: A Few Rounds with Shane MacGown, Patrick Schwarzenegger stepped out with a script in West Hollywood 

Page 15: Silver fox Jon Bon Jovi struck a pose while promoting his new album 2020 in NYC, Shia LaBeouf went for a jog in Pasadena on the same day he was charged with misdemeanor battery and petty theft following an incident that happened in June, Maisie Williams at the Chloe fashion show in Paris 

Page 16: Gwen Stefani stepped out of the studio in Woodland Hills, Chiwetel Ejiofor referred to his phone while reciting poetry on the set of the upcoming pandemic-themed dramedy Lockdown in London, Sting and his wife Trudie Styler celebrated his 69th birthday at a meal with friends in Rome 

Page 17: Sofia Vergara out in L.A., Denise Richards and husband Aaron Phypers looked carefree leaving a restaurant in L.A., Danny Trejo hung out with an adorable pooch during an appearance on Home & Family 

Page 18: Normal or Not? Machine Gun Kelly shared a glimpse of his beauty routine en route to his new cafe in Cleveland -- not normal, Eva Longoria wore a Vote t-shirt and a Biden mask during a political rally in Miami’s Little Havana neighborhood -- normal

Page 19: Snoop Dogg inhaled and exhaled during his DJ Snoopadelic set at the Concerts in Your Car event at the Ventura County Fairgrounds -- normal, while grabbing a meal in Los Angeles with a bevy of beauties Billie Dee Williams enjoyed a quick grooming session too -- not normal

Page 20: Fashion -- stars get glitzy in gold -- Olivia Wilde, Leona Lewis 

Page 21: Karen Gillan, Kate Beckinsale 

Page 24: Emilio Vitolo Jr. appears to be every inch the doting boyfriend to Katie Holmes but he’s playing the field behind her back -- Emilio’s a ladies’ guy and he’s been texting a bunch of girls saying things between him and Katie aren’t nearly as serious as they seem while Katie thinks she’s in love and it’s no exaggeration to say she’s obsessed with this guy and she’s adamant they’ll elope and in her mind they’re two kindred souls destined to be together 

Page 25: Beyonce and Jay-Z are hoping to add on to their already impressive real estate portfolio as they are quietly checking out homes in Montecito in California for their family of five -- although they already own a $26 million home in New York’s tony Hamptons as well as an $88 million Bel-Air mansion the couple are hoping to put down roots in the American Riviera so their children can attend the area’s prestigious schools and Beyonce especially likes that it’s not far from L.A. and it’s clean and super private, after two years of dating Jake Gyllenhaal and Jeanne Cadieu are at odds about their future and Jake’s frustrated because the relationship is going nowhere and he’s eager to start a family but the 24-year-old model isn’t ready to put her career on hold and take that next step leaving Jake in limbo -- his most successful relationships were with women his own age with the same maturity and ambition like Reese Witherspoon and Kirsten Dunst -- while Jake remains conflicted about whether to stick it out with Jeanne or start over with someone new his friends say it’s time to move on and find someone who’s baby mama material, Jon Hamm has been considering settling down since he began dating Anna Osceolo because something about Anna is making him rethink everything from the guy who never pictured himself walking down the aisle or having children but now he and Anna are talking about marriage and a family 

Page 26: Cover Story -- Reba McEntire finding love at last -- after a string of broken hearts the country superstar has finally snagged Mr. Right actor Rex Linn  

Page 30: Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie’s courtroom showdown -- four years after their split Brad and Angie are still duking it out over custody and now they’re prepared to bring star power to the battle -- Brad will be using every scrap of ammunition he can to fight for his kids including testimony from fellow stars and Angelina is prepared to do the same 

Page 32: Five-time rehab vet Scott Disick is caught partying in front of his kids 

Page 34: Stars’ Cheating Confessions -- sometimes all you can do is beg for forgiveness; these celebs have all had to plead their case -- Jude Law and Sienna Miller, Kevin Hart and Eniko Parrish 

Page 35: Donny and Debbie Osmond, Jada Pinkett Smith and Will Smith, David Letterman and Regina Lasko, Dean McDermott and Tori Spelling 

Page 38: Beauty -- add a sophisticated scent blend to your fragrance wardrobe for fall -- Kim Kardashian 

Page 40: Entertainment 

Page 48: Parting Shot -- Chris Hemsworth and wife Elsa Pataky partnered with the Global Wildlife Conservation and Wild Ark to boost the ecosystem of their beloved Australia -- the pair helped Aussie Ark release 11 Tasmanian devils into a wildlife sanctuary at Barrington Tops National Park -- the hush-hush event marked the first time the endangered marsupials whose presence can help repel pests and bush fired were returned to the mainland in 3000 years

[jana-hallford]

Baby Boomer Memories: Liddle Kiddle Dolls

I was a girly little girl, and loved dolls. (I still do.) Most of my favorite dolls were by Mattel, including Barbie, my beloved Sister Belle, and my last childhood doll, Dancerina. Mattel was a major, major toy maker for the Baby Boomer generation.

Elliot Handler, founder of Mattel (and husband of Ruth Handler, inventor of the Barbie doll!) wanted a line of dolls representing small children in neighborhoods across America. Famed doll sculptor Martha Armstrong Hand, who sculpted other popular dolls including Drowsy (1965) and Cheerful Tearful (1966), made the first ten Kiddles in 1965. They were soft vinyl, with bendable wired legs, painted facial features, and rooted hair that could be brushed and combed. Each came with accessories and a little illustrated “komic” or story booklet.

Florence Niddle (1966 - 1967), one of the first 24 Liddle Kiddle dolls.

Bunson Burnie (1966 - 1967), one of the original 24 Liddle Kiddles. 

Rolly Twiddle (1967) the only African American doll of the first 24 Liddle Kiddles released. She is highly sought after, especially with her original clothes, wagon, pail and shovel, and Komic booklet.

Freezy Sliddle (1967), one of the first 24 Liddle Kiddle dolls.

Liddle Kiddles were introduced at the New York Toy Fair in 1966. The Toy Fair is a buying show, not open to the public, so the dolls hit the market a little later.

I was the fourth grade and turned nine years old in 1967, the perfect age to discover Liddle Kiddle dolls. They were about three inches tall -- much smaller than most dolls of the day -- with playful accessories and outfits. I had so much fun with them!

I had the Storybook Kiddle Liddle Biddle Peep doll (1968), and two Lucky Locket Kiddles. Liddle Biddle Peep was, of course, Little Bo Peep, complete with a chenille sheep and a little shepherd’s crook, a pink dress with paniers, and a matching bonnet. Like all the Storybook Kiddles, Liddle Biddle Peep came with a storybook. She was played with until wires started poking out from her limbs. 

Liddle Biddle Peep from the Storybook Kiddles collection. I loved her. 

Sleeping Biddle Storybook Kiddle. I wanted this one so much!

Lucky Locket Kiddles were about two inches tall, and came in wearable plastic lockets with “jeweled” frames and clear plastic bubble fronts. There was a stand on the back that could be pulled out, allowing the locket to be displayed like a picture frame. Unlike their larger siblings, Lucky Locket dolls were not wired, and their clothes were sewn on.

This excellent collection of Lucky Locket Kiddles includes some from the original “Gold Series,” plus some later issues.

My first Lucky Locket Kiddle was Lois Locket, the sole black doll in the Lucky Locket series. I loved her. The summer between fourth and fifth grade, when I was ten, my family drove to San Francisco for a rare vacation. Lois went with me. While we were in San Francisco, we visited a Russian family we had befriended in Japan. When we arrived, we met the newest addition to the family, a darling little girl named Lana but called Kinka. She was five and spoke only Russian, but language was not a barrier. Kinka saw me and immediately pulled me away to play with her. The first thing she did was show me her big sister Tanya’s room. I could tell she attached special importance to Tanya’s make-up and View-Master. I gave Kinka a coin purse from a set I had shaped like dolls. (I was in my “It’s a Small World” phase, and the coin purse dolls represented various nations.) Kinka liked my Lois Locket, and my mother encouraged me to give it to her when we were leaving, so I did. I was not able to replace Lois.

Larky Locket.

My next and last Kiddle was Larky Locket, a sweet blonde baby. I still have her, sans locket, in an ornate, Rococo-inspired little doll cradle. Lois and Larky were both in the first set of seven Lucky Locket Kiddles (1967), known as the “Gold Set,” since the frames were gold.  Lois was the only doll repeated in the second set of seven Lockets called the “Pastel” set, (1968) due to the difference in frame colors. I’m almost certain my Lois was from the second set, as I recall her locket frame as pastel green, but I could be wrong. Her clothing was the same in both.

The cover of a Lucky Locket Kiddles set of paper dolls shows photos of the actual dolls inside illustrated frames. Larky Locket, in the center, was the baby of the bunch. I still have her. Lois Locket, just to her right, was the only African-American Lucky Locket Kiddle.

Carrying cases were sold for the dolls. Some of my friends had them. There were also tie-in coloring books and paper dolls.

Liddle Kiddles Klub carrying case, exterior.

Liddle Kiddles Klub case, interior.

Pink train case-style Liddle Kiddle carrier.

Liddle Kiddle and hat-box style case.  Sailor doll Lola Liddle (1966-1967) came with a sailboat. (She is not missing her shoes -- her feet were bare.) The picture on the case shows her with Howard "Biff" Boodle (1966). Lola Liddle and Biff Boodle were among the original 24 Kiddles released. Each was sold with a Komic book that featured them both together.

Mattel released many additional Kiddles, including Kola Kiddles and Kiddle Kolognes. These were two-inch dolls, much like their Locket sisters, but in clear plastic bottles that looked like soft drink bottles and perfume bottles. The tiniest Kiddles were Jewelry Kiddles, from just under to just over one inch high. The largest, four-inch Skedaddle Kiddles, were able to walk, ride vehicles or wave thanks to an internal mechanism. Five Holiday Kiddles (1968 - 1969) representing Christmas, Easter, and Valentine’s Day, had soft bodies and vinyl faces. They could be worn as pins, and the Christmas dolls could also serve as tree ornaments.  Four Kiddles n’ Kars dolls (1969 - 1970) wore old-fashioned dresses and drove cars based on early automobiles. 

Rosebud (1968 - 1969) from the Kiddle Kolognes collection. The Kologne Kiddles were scented. 

Apple Blossom (1968 - 1969) from the Kiddle Kolognes series, shown outside of her bottle.

Some of the other later releases were four tiny (two inch) dolls in animal costumes with yarn hair, the Animiddle Kiddles (1969-1970) that could be worn as pins, and four Zoolery Kiddles (1969-1970). Zoolery Kiddles were four plastic animals (panther, lion, chimpanzee, and bear) rather than children, in plastic circus cages, each attached to a bracelet. The cages could be combined to form a circus train.

Robin Hood and Maid Marion from the Storybook Kiddles Sweethearts Collection.

Never opened Lady Crimson from the Tea Party Kiddles series (1969).

From 1968 to 1970 the Storybook Kiddles Sweethearts, tiny but well-detailed pairs of Kiddles portraying star-crossed lovers, such as Romeo and Juliet, and Robin Hood and Maid Marian, were released, along with the Tea Party line in 1969, featuring girls in beautiful gowns, each with a teacup and saucer large enough for human use. This was also the year of the wonderful, whimsical Kozmic Kiddles -- glow-in-the-dark space aliens in flying saucers. I remember Kozmic Kiddles from the Sears Christmas Catalog. How I wanted one of those!

Kozmic Kiddle Greenie Meanie (1969). The Kozmic Kiddles fetch some of the highest prices.

Six Sweet Treat Kiddles with ice cream and lollipop motiifs came out 1969 - 1970. Three Playhouse Kiddles, one set in a kitchen, one in a parlor, and one in a bedroom, were sold only in 1970. Four Liddle Baby Kiddles were also released in 1970.  (I was glad to see one of the Liddle Baby Kiddles was African American. For the time, the representation was significant.) I was aware of the Sweet Treats, but otherwise don’t remember most of the later Liddle Kiddles.

A story I read as a child compared growing up to going through a magic door. It closes behind you, but a new door opens. When I was 12, I gradually stopped playing with dolls the way I had before, even though I still liked them. I felt  profound sadness for leaving my childhood, but understood it was inevitable, and looked forward to what was ahead. I vowed not to forget what it was like to be a child, and like many creative people, I do remember.

Coincidentally, as my childhood and the 1960s came to a close, so did the heyday of Liddle Kiddles. The rising price of petroleum was bad news for makers of vinyl and plastic products, including toys. Mattel made drastic cuts, and the last Kiddles were released in 1970. ln 1971 production discontinued. (The iconic and perennial best-seller Barbie endured.)

There were a few postscripts in the late 1970s. Lucky Locket Kiddles were reissued 1976 - 1978 with bright color frames, then some final ice cream theme Sweet Treat Kiddles were released in 1979, but otherwise the Liddle Kiddle series was no more. Their influence remains. Liddle Kiddles paved the way for other small dolls, including a Kiddles-like series by Uneeda in the 1980s.

Liddle Kiddles remain very popular with collectors, and there are many on-line resources and collector groups. For quite of few of us, these dolls are a treasured memory.

[ecfandom]

Polis 433 Ch. 12 Preview

It’s not clexa, but it’s a preview. Clexa to come!

Elliot and Taryn rounded the corner at sprint, their legs and arms pumping in unison. Had it been anyone else, Elliot would have pulled ahead with her years of military-backed stamina and strength, but Taryn had been an NCAA Division 1 track athlete in undergrad, and she gave as good as she got. Where Elliot’s solid build and strong thighs made her powerful, Taryn’s long legs and lithe musculature made her fast, and they matched each other footfall for footfall.

Grinning like idiots, the blew through town, racing along the docks, dodging the morning fisherman as they hauled in their catches for the day. The sun was barely up, but this port town was already awake and raring to go. The early-risers grinned, waved, and shook their heads at them as they passed, fond of this familiar tradition that livened the mornings and ushered in the new day.

“Flag pole,” Elliot huffed, indicating their final destination about a hundred yards away, initiating the last leg of their sprint. It would be a  battle to the end to see who would come out on top and buy breakfast, per their tri-weekly tradition. They both kicked it up a notch, jostling for the lead. Neither were above a little light throwing of shoulders and elbows, and they both laughed as it happened, shoving the other off each time.

Elliot grinned when Taryn pulled ahead fifty yards out, predictable and eager as always. She waited until they were about twenty-yards out, and then she gunned it. She overtook Taryn in ten yards, just managing to keep her lead for the last ten as they flew past the flagpole.

“Mother fucker!” Taryn half-shouted, half-laughed as they slowed to a stop. Elliot dropped her hands to her knees and sucked in air greedily as Taryn flopped to the ground, a mess of red, gangly limbs. “How the hell do you do that?!”

Elliot brought her head up from between her shoulders and grimaced in Taryn’s direction. Their faces were a matching bright red, and sweat dripped from their hairlines generously. “Endurance,” she panted, dodging a rock that Taryn flung at her good-naturedly.

“I have endurance! I was a distance runner in college. I won every race!”

“And that was what? Twenty years ago?”

Taryn glared. “Sixteen, plus med school, a career and two children.”

Elliot shook her head, droplets of sweat dispersing around her. “God, we’re getting old.” She stood and held out her hand, helping Taryn up from the ground.

“So, where we going?”

“Like that’s even a question,” Elliot said with a laugh.

***

They sat at Sal’s, enjoying the peacefulness of being two of a handful at the restaurant that hadn’t yet ushered in the morning rush.

“You going to the game Wednesday?” Elliot asked around a mouthful of pancakes.

Taryn nodded, not taking a breath away from her coffee as she finished her cup in one go, set it on the table, and grinned at Betty who swung by and refilled it, used to Taryn’s habits by now.

“Bringing the girls?”

“Janie’s going with some friends from school,” Taryn said of her eldest daughter, the eight year-old spitting image of Taryn’s wife, Ella. “Ella’s bringing Lily by after her shift. I probably won’t get off until about the third inning. You going?”

Elliot nodded, shoveling more food into her mouth. The two of them were bottomless pits, as Ella often fondly referred to them. They were both tall and broadly built for women, but even so, they put away more food than even their large bodies should be able to old. It was endlessly amusing to the people around them.

“How’s Lexa?” Elliot asked.

“Discharging her tomorrow. Her last HBOT session is today.”

“Really? That’s great.”

“She’ll be off duty for another week and I’ve got her going to PT for respiratory. She’ll be light duty for another two after that, then we’ll check in.”

“She’s not going to like that.”

“Too bad,” Taryn said with a laugh, “orders came down from the chief.”  

Elliot lowered her fork of food in surprise. “Abby? What’s Abby care?”

Taryn shrugged and wiped at her mouth, wondering how much she should say. They didn’t keep anything from each other, never had, but some things weren’t hers to tell. “How well do you know her daughter?”

“Clarke? ‘Bout as well as you, I suppose. From what I’ve seen, she’s pretty damn good at her job. Not a lot to tell in six months, though. Thompson likes her.”

Taryn nodded, her eyebrows flicking up in surprise for a moment before she schooled her expression. Not fast enough, though. Elliot leaned back and crossed her arms over her chest, studying her friend.

“You know something.”

Taryn shook her head. “No. Maybe. I don’t know.”

“You don’t like her?”

“No, no I do. You’re right, she’s good. Better than half my residents, honestly. But there’s something about her, though. I don’t know. She’s...elusive. It’s like she doesn’t want anyone close.”

“She doesn’t,” Elliot said.

“Well, Lexa apparently is.”

“Oh yeah?

Taryn grinned. “Lexa caught feelings.”

Elliot laughed. “For Clarke?”

“That’s on the DL. She told me when she was oxygen drunk.”

Elliot laughed again and shook her head. “Good for her. Now things are making sense.”

“How do you mean?”

“Ran into Clarke the day after we admitted Lexa. Thought she was going to kill me when I told her about Lexa’s MI.”

“You too?”

Elliot grinned. “Good, I like a little spitfire, and it’s about time Lexa found someone.”  

“Yeah, but Clarke?”

“You don’t think it’s a good fit?”

“I think, for one thing, they don’t know each other. Hell, I don’t even know her and we’ve been working together for six months. I know her kid better than I know her. It’s like, what are you hiding? You know? It’s weird for someone so sweet and warm to be so distant.”

Elliot sighed and shook her head. “For someone else, maybe. Not for Clarke.”

“What does that mean?”

“She flinches all the time. You ever notice?” At Taryn’s frown, Elliot nodded and continued. “Loud noises, people coming up behind her, aggressive patients. She doesn’t let it affect her job, but it happens all the time.”

“I never noticed.”

“She’s not in the ER much, so you probably wouldn’t. She covers it really well, but it’s there. She’s got a strong startle reflex too, and she makes herself small when she’s panicked. Crosses her arms, hunches over,” Elliot said, demonstrating before relaxing back into her casual position, nodding like she’d just diagnosed appendicitis. Obvious, easy.  

“Okay…” Taryn said slowly, trying to piece it together. She shrugged. “I’m not following.”  

Elliot nodded, a slight grin on her face. Taryn was an incredible diagnostician, but there were some things she’d never seen, and Elliot was glad for it. “PTSD,” she said simply.

“You think she’s got PTSD?”

“I know she does. I’ve seen it enough.”

“She not a vet. Not that I know of,” Taryn said, musing.

“You don’t have to be a vet to have PTSD. Anyone can have it. I see it more and more at the clinic, especially in young women.”

“You think it was assault?” Taryn asked, taking the check from Betty with a smile.

Elliot shrugged. “I don’t know. I hope not. But something happened to her, that’s for sure. And you can tell whatever happened hurt her more than just her soul. She’s such a strong, independent woman, probably hurt her pride to boot. She’s got to trust you before she opens up to you, and that’s gonna take a lot. If she’s let Lexa close, then there must be something going on there, making it feel safe. And I’m glad. I like Clarke. She’s good, and she cares about her patients.  I’d like to see her hurting less. Frankly, I think if anyone were good for her, it’d be Lexa.”

“And for Lexa?”

Elliot thought about it as she threw a handful of bills on the counter for a tip. She winked at Betty as she swooped in to collect it, and she and Taryn both graciously accepted the to-go containers of pie on the house that Betty pushed into their hands. They thanked her and headed out, squinting against the late morning sun as they pushed out of the restaurant and headed towards the hospital.

“As for Lexa,” Elliot finally said, “I don’t think I’ve seen her smile this much in the last ten years that I’ve known her. And anyone or anything that can make that kid smile…” She shrugged. “They’re okay in my book.”

Their beepers went off simultaneously before Taryn could respond. Despite their full stomachs, they jogged the rest of the two blocks to the hospital, skipped the ER, and ran straight up to the helipad.

The incoming Coast Guard helicopter whipped the air around them into a frenzied storm, forcing Elliot and Taryn to bend nearly in half as they ran to meet the gurney.

“What’ve you got?” Elliot shouted above the roar of the whipping blades.

Coast Guard AST Paxton Matthews, an elite rescue swimmer with paramedic training, shouted off the working diagnosis as they ran the gurney into the hospital. With a mild bout of dehydration and hypothermia, Taryn sent the lost hiker off with her residents and stayed behind with Elliot, wanting to catch up with her sister-in-law who’d been gone for the last month, deployed to Florida to help with the latest hurricane to hit the coast.

“Long time no see,” Elliot said, clasping hands with her, then bumping their fists together.

Taryn walked back over to them, and brought Paxton in for a hug. “How’ve you been, man?”

“It’s good to see you guys,” Pax said, her calm, low voice the same as ever. Much like Elliot, Paxton Matthews was the tall, dark, and handsome dreamboat all the girls swooned over, but was somehow always alone. She sported a similar military cut to Elliot’s, though hers was quite a bit shaggier in the front, perpetually wavy from the salty sea-water she spent her days and nights in. Handsome and charming, she was beloved by the people around her, especially the women, but she was just as reserved as Elliot, if not more so. Unlike Elliot though, Paxton lacked the brooding chill Elliot often carried around with her. Pax was simply an introvert, quiet and even a little shy, unless she was in the water saving people’s lives.

She turned to Taryn. “How’re the girls?”  

“They’re good. Getting bigger, it breaks my heart.”

“I bet. I’ve got toys for them.”

“You spoil them,’’ Taryn said with a grin.

“Of course I do. I’m their aunt.”  

“Is that Paxton Matthews I hear?” They turned, all three of them grinning at the sight of Dr. Ella Matthews-Michaels, Dr. M for short, walking swiftly towards them, her arms open wide for a hug Paxton pulled her into as soon as she was in reach. “I saw the page and hoped you were the one bringing the patient in. Oh my god, I missed you,” she groaned as Paxton gave her a squeeze and let her go. “How are you? I can’t believe you’re already out, you just got back yesterday!”

“Duty calls,” Paxton shrugged.

“You’re still coming over for dinner tonight, right?”

“Wouldn’t miss it.”

“Good. I want to hear about Florida. I’ve got to get back, I’ve got an anaplastic astrocytoma to remove in ten, but I’ll see you tonight. Don’t be late,” she said, turning to go.

“I don’t know what that is,” Paxton muttered.

“Brain tumor,” Elliot supplied.

“Hey baby,” Ella greeted Taryn, placing her hands on Taryn’s chest and lifting to her tip-toes. She kissed her, then wrinkled her nose. “You need a shower. You run today?”

“Mhm,” Taryn muttered, distracted by the sparkling green of her wife’s eyes. Elliot rolled her eyes and grinned at Paxton, who just shook her head.

“Who won?”

“I don’t want to talk about it.”

Ella snorted and patted her wife’s chest, kissing her one last time before leaving. “Better rest up,” she murmured, “I’ve got plans for you later.” She patted Taryn’s ass as she left, ignoring Paxton’s faux-disgust and Elliot’s protests of PDA in her vicinity.

“Don’t hate the winner, friends, hate the game,” Taryn said, quite proud of herself.

“That’s not how that goes,” Elliot laughed, shaking her head.

“Have you seen her, though?” Taryn asked. “I’m definitely the winner.”

“And I’m definitely still right here,” Paxton said, grimacing.

[bookshop]

writing meme!

I stole this shamelessly from wordmixxr’s twitter thread because i wanted to answer it in meme form, so here we go! 1. How did you get into writing? Why do you stick with it? 

— I didn’t really ”get into” writing, I just was a writer, writing stories, from the time I was old enough to hold a pen. I don’t “stick with it,” — we don’t “stick with” breathing and eating and sleeping, haha.

2, What’s a writing weakness you know you have—and what are you doing to level it up? 

- I’m really terrible at describing concrete details. And I also have a tendency to end a story just a little bit before I should, like I play out in the last leg of the race. Awareness is half the battle, and sticking to/trusting the outline is the other half.

3. What’s something you KNOW you’re good at? It can be something that came naturally, or something you worked your ass off to improve.

— Eh. I’m good at dialogue and I’m really good at having characters fight ahaha. I love when characters fight. I haven’t really ever worked my ass off to hone my skills in particular, though I have gotten much better at writing on a schedule and finishing stories over the years.

4. Was there a book that made you go “oh, shit. I want to do this book-writing thing, too.” What book was it? 

— the first Georgette Heyer novel I ever read, Arabella, sent me on a constant writing binge that lasted straight from 8th grade through most of college. I just wanted to write that, forever.

5. What are some things that unintentionally pop up in your stories over and over? What are some things you sow into every story on purpose? 

— I don’t intend to make every Shenanigans installment an incidental traipse through my brain in the form of a litany of cultural references, but it usually turns out that way anyway, haha. I also never intend to turn every story into a variant of Emma, but the heart wants what it wants. 

The only thing I intentionally sow (or sew) into every story is people falling in love in part through a unified vision of what they could be together, the change their love could bring to themselves and each other and the world. <3 

6. What’s one of your “quieter” writer dreams?

...are there loud ones? IDK, I just want to write. I honestly don’t want to be published or lauded for writnig as much as I want to write stories I really, really love, and I’ve been lucky enough to do that, so, so far, so good.

7. What’s something in your WIP you're incredibly proud of?

— i love the assumption in this question that there’s only one WIP.  There’s this bit in my NYC Shenanigans futurefic AU that I completely love and adore, where Jonah and Elliot meet and just have the world’s sexiest, most immediately chemistry-filled banter, haha. IDK, it’s very very them and it delights me. I love it to pieces. I just wish the rest of the story were a story, ahaha.

8. If your main character was playing in a super smash bro tournament what character would they play as lol

— Elliot would be Toad every time ahaha

(cutting the rest for length!)

9. Do you have other creative outlets that complement your writing—or provide a super-needed break from it? What are they? How do they help?

— I'm a reporter, so I usually need creative writing to be the outlet that’s a super-needed break from the writing I do for my job. I also have found over the last year that regularly getting drunk and belting out show tunes with lots of other drunk people is one of the best forms of creative release NYC has to offer.

10. What’s a non-creative thing that’s still super necessary for your process? (ex, going for walks / moving around in general when I'm stuck has saved my pantser ass SO MANY TIMES lol.)

— I want to say swimming, but I get to do it so rarely that’s not a good answer. IT WOULD BE. thinking about plot in the shower definitely counts, though.

11. What’s the last book you read in your genre you loved? The last book outside of your genre you loved?

— I don’t have a genre. 

12. describe your character with a meme

— Celesteexists put Elliot in a ‘Grumpy Cat’ shirt the other day in her fic and now it’s all I can think about haha, it’s perfect for him <3

13. which character in your WIP is your favorite? why?

— this is a trick question because the only WIPs I have going right now are Shenanigans-verse fics, and we all know Elliot is my beloved son, but then again, Jonahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh *bursts into a cloud of inexpressible emotions*

14. what's something that has surprised / continues to surprise you about the Art Your Brain churns out?

— A) how freaking genderqueer it is;  B) how much I still want to write the same stories I wanted to write when I was 12 and 13.

15. Last but not least—we’re a little over halfway through the year. Do you have a writerly goal *within your control* you want to hit before 2020? 

I have one piece I vowed I’d get written by the end of the year, and ahaha I’m really running behind on it, but I still want to get it done. But I’m not being too hard on myself because I just went to critics bootcamp for two weeks and I’ve been very busy stressing out over that plus tons of real life stuff, so I’m very much like, hey, it will happen when it happens. C’est la vie!

[nosunlite]

ap top 25 list: 2k17, a month late

The AP “Audio Popularity” Poll was Ben’s way to get us all to make a list and talk about our favorite songs of the month, back when we were all living in the same house. He describes it here. I have since cut back to doing it every year, with the ever shifting goal of defining “audio popularity” and “favorite” and “best”. 

This year’s list, 5 years after Ben’s death, my main goal is to identify 25 awesome tracks that I’d love to talk to Ben about. They are my favorite 25 songs of the year, a focus on new discoveries (tho a few songs from last year’s list show up), songs that I surely would’ve dubbed for Ben back in the day.

25. the rats: the rats’ revenge

60’s punk rager - an era we did not ever go deep into, but now it’s time to eat up those Back from the Grave comps.

24. fluf: stuffed animal

Not their typical noise-grunge, which Ben yeah loved (he lived Sub Pop inexplicably into the 2010s), but a Sebadoh-esque minimal gem.

23. LNZ: blondehairdown

The most quoted song of 2k17 for me. Ben was always into weird local rappers no matter where he was. Sharing this internet-destroying monstrosity with him would be a conversation for thee ages!

22. new kingdom: terror mad visionary

tom waits as MC sounds like a thing ben would love or hate (he rejected lots of undie rappers for their not slamming hard enough) but this stuff is so pirate-vocalled that i’d love to have asked him what was going on here.

21. octa#grape: dirigibles

The most soul-junk of galaxalag’s new group, spinning all sortsa weird beats into their calm noise.

20. wovenhand: golden blossom

16 hp was a shared favorite, and i’d love to go thru these new DEE albums with ben.

19. slim cessna’s auto club: commandment 3

Seeing these guys live was a total revival that was up Ben’s alley. Dwight Pentecost  and his doubleneck guitar with hologram switching from Sacred Heart to Marian Immaculate Heart. Munly looking like a straight up ghoul man, gathering us into a circle, and chiding me for screaming the lyrics too loud. Slim just hamming it up preacher style. Rebecca wielding all sortsa kitchen sinks and keeping it together. They encored to “Commandment 3” in a karaoke choreograph line dance. One of the few shows I’ve seen that really produced a spectacle within a minimalist framework.

18. kleenex girl wonder: dont wait up

An alternative bee-thousand.

17. puff pieces: competition

The local DC stuff always seems to be ahead of the rest.

16. arroyo deathmatch: swimming the witch

They acoustic thrash their folk without guitars and just uke! This one sprays rap tropes and references all over the Crassy gender politics. Joyous bleakness!

15. the out_circuit: come out shooting

A wonderful sequel to our favorite Frodus “Year of the Hex.”

14. ramshackle glory: punk is the worst form of music, except for all the others

Anarcho politics and emotions, what drew me into punk.

13. a fistful of dynamite: smoke it, like a cigarette

More acoustic thrash folk with an even worse vocalist. “Write my own favorite songs/ write my own singalongs...you think this is bad? Well it just gets more rough!”. The world’s worst snare sound. Charmed!

12. shellac: riding bikes

He was an albini fan, and we would definitely have spent time jamming his new ones. And what an epic this one is.

11. bradley hathaway: the world is screaming

I could see ben finding it utterly pretentious, but bradley straddles that line of being so serious but also so reckless, so honest and so charming to me. His new album is the best, riotous blasphemy as prayer, but this one does the post rock building ben taught me to dig.

10. lou barlow: try 2 b

Our indie legend put out a great one (years olde already?), oh well, it slams lo-fi.

9. the beakers: 4 steps towards a cultural revolution

Ben downplays a lot of thee weird punk, but weird punk from his beloved Seattle scene? He’d dig! This out Ubus David Thomas. Ultra.

8. ps eliot: the cyborg

Reminds me of so much of the stuff on the ktru tapes, but this struck me very hard this year.

7. lifter puller: mission viejo

Most of their weird stuff has more to discuss, i guess, with the spoken stories and nonsense arrangements, but this is just an indie rock emotion block of thee highest order.

6. defiance, ohio: calling old friends

A classic campfire singalong.

5. henry thomas: when the train comes along

Not Thomas’ most canonical or comp’d performance, but such a stomper. Ben got me into old timey music and the last cd’s he ripped from me were the pseudo-old-timey boxset from Fonotone.

4. ballydowse: sails

An albini-produced christian-anarcho celtic folk/punk group relying prominently on tuvan throat singing. And yet it took me til 2k17 to find it. Ben used to be after a Crashdog CD at Family Bookstore, but this stuff would’ve taken it to a whole nother level. The best band you don’t know!

3. snail mail: static buzz

Woulda been a ktru darling. Local bmore rock girl makes it big - new album gonna be on Matadork.

2. mike knott: double

We always ignored the mike knott stuff, but this year has been all about rediscovering the blonde vinyl roster, and that dip goes deep. This song is an undeniable one, whether live at Cornerstone or with the *gasp* secular Aunty Bettys playing it.

1. showbread: matthias replaces judas

This raw rock was the first new rekkerd i listened to after we found out ben had died, but a song that has only emerged more recently as a post-Pedro emotional cleansing monster. Ben loved “Every New Day” with the Reese Roper vocals, he’d love this too. & it’s the best song ever, so he’d better...

honorable mentions:

Blackbird Raum - Last Legs // Acoustic thrash folk! He’d be thrilled to see Wacko-Hed’s genre is alive ‘n’ well...

Double Dagger - The Lie / The Truth // Righteous at the drive-ining.

City of Caterpillar - A Little Change Could Go a Long Ways // One of the bands that indoctrinated me into punk rock seeing them live - i put off listening to their cd until recently. Ben would talk about how NoU did it better, I’m sure!

William Elliot Whitmore - cold and dead // Ugly blues voice on this Americana death tinged guy.

Pogues - If I Should Fall From Grace of God / Fairytale of New York // We never talked about the Pogues. They hit most of the sweetspots for me emotionally and aesthetically. Ben loved Cordelia’s Dad, and this is their Dad.

Model Engine - Reeperbahn // Ah a CCM classic - I knew we had to listen to Black Eyed Sceva, but unsure how much play this one ever got in the CCM era.

Lift to Experience - to guard and to guide // They post rocked the map to Texas. I remember expecting to find this in the used CD store when I visited Ben at Rice. Now it’s been reissued and is weirder packaged and sounding than ever - really woulda liked to listen to this with him.

Flesh Eaters - Pray till You Sweat // Richard Hell in Violent Femmes skin godsend

EZT - Central Control // Some sorta Neil Young smog. Who knows.

close:

mike knott - rocket and a bomb; one way streets - we all love peanut butter; 3 mile pilot - house is loss; i hate myself - urban barbie, keep reaching for those stars; fistful of dynamite - tribute to castellana; arroyo deathmatch - as an instrument, all the best matadors are fascists, casting into the void; azealia banks - 212; lifter puller - star wars hips, plymouth rock, math is money, 4dix; ramshackle glory - face the void, eulogy for an adolescence shattered against elliot st. pavement; kleenex girl wonder - tendency right foot forward, the sound of paul, why i write such good songs; new kingdom - kicking like bruce lee; slim cessna - commandment 7, hold my head, he roger williams; aunt bettys - speeder mode; shellac - dude incredible; snail mail - thinning; 2 whole Fountainsun and Aesop Rock lps...

[thelinkuptmbls]

Save Yourself & Your Money

Hey I’m Brittany, a recurring guest of the podcast The Link Up, and I’m ready to blast off in your ear. So without further ado, this is Brittany’s Blast-off.

The latest episode released by The Link Up explores what it means to be a ‘ride or die’ and settles on generational wealth (legacy). On the surface, the two topics seem unrelated because one deals with extreme relationship goals (and expectations) while the other speaks to inheritance. But I don’t think the two are disparate, in fact, I think the two go hand-in-hand.

Let’s go back. Back to 2003. It’s a wild time. Pop punk is running amok in the streets. Triple-X sized t-shirts are selling faster than flip phones, and all the jeans are low rise and boot cut. Whew, chile. The TV is set to BET and a song by Missy Elliot or 50 Cent has just finished playing. Up next, the lovely sounds of Monica. The song starts and you’re immediately drawn in by the wonderful production of Jermaine Dupri & Brian Michael Cox. Monica hits us with the first verse reminding her forlorn lover that he never needed the material gifts to win her loyalty. She continues this right into the hook. “You should’ve known better than to think I would leave, you should’ve known better than to doubt me”, Monica informs. “It don’t matter if you’re up, matter if you’re down, either way I’m gonna be around. You should’ve known that I would stay by your side. You should’ve known your girl was gonna ride or die…”

By this point, Monica already won me. The beat was hitting. Her vocals were on point. I was getting my 13 year old life. Then she said the next line, “…and it just don’t matter if you’re rich or poor, out here doing five to ten…” Girl, what? Five to ten years in JAIL, jail? Federal prison? No, love. If your assumption was that I would ditch you as soon as the cell door clanked, you are absolutely correct. And besides, I looked up what crimes carry a 5-10 year sentence and all of them included use of a firearm with the exception of child pornography. It was at the tender age of 13 that I realized what the prerequisites for being a ride or die were and accepted that I could never be one. The dream was dead.

Now I want to be clear here:  I wasn’t saying that I could never be a faithful, loyal, loving companion. Rather, I strive to be all these things to a man who would prefer I walk and live in lieu of riding or dying. And to be completely honest, like the whole concept of, “ride or die”, doesn’t even sound appealing. You mean I gotta stick by you and ride through all of your bull shit or LOSE. MY. LIFE? How does that even begin to sound romantic? What could be strong enough to compel me to gamble my love life or even my very mortality for a broke nigga? And you know the nigga broke because well-paid niggas are never worried about a woman’s fidelity. (Even if she’s cheating, stay woke.) I saw all of this at 13 and knew that walking in my purpose did not include riding and dying.

That was 16 years ago, yet, here we are fresh into the newest year and being a ‘ride or die’ is still a thing. How? How are niggas still able to finesse y’all? How do you still allow niggas to continue with their petty initiations that test the level of your loyalty? In this economy?  There is literally no time to waste time. This has to die, once and for all! This is a scam, one of the biggest scams the Broke Nigga Community has ever conceived. Broke niggas worldwide have been able to convince women that it is some virtue or sign of nobility when a woman endures much from a man especially pauperism. It’s always the niggas with the least the demand the very most. Like condom-less sex, for instance. And then science happens and now there’s a baby. Oddly enough, the relationship doesn’t work out and because he was a member of the Broke Nigga Community, your child support payments have you in the grocery store asking the clerk to alert you when the bill gets to $25 and you haven’t even emptied the basket when you hear “um miss, your total is $26.38”. So now you’re pointing to various items on the conveyor belt, checking the price before ultimately telling the clerk to take it out. It’s all too much!

All jokes aside, the person who really gets hit the hardest is the baby. Eventually, things may get better but building means being without for a time which puts your child at a disadvantage. They’re limited in social mobility and opportunities. This isn’t just in the case of a single parent though. If the relationship is still going strong but he’s still broke, that’s a loss. The result remains the same – social disadvantage for the child. But I ain’t tryna run ya life. I just want us to really start prioritizing starting with ourselves. I want women to center themselves as the goal. That way duplicitous broke niggas won’t be able to cast their BNC wool so easily. Their con must be exposed. Ladies, start QUIZZING THEY ASSES! Do their motives create room for you to prosper? No. Then how can it be God’s plan? Just say no, beloved. Your legacy and your child’s future depend on this.

Women must remember that they always have options and if there aren’t any viable options available – wait. Do NOT settle. This includes niggas with potential. Them niggas is the worst! Potential can keep you blinded for years! Beware of those niggas, their niggatry is powerful. Keep those standards high, ladies! Keep doing the Lord’s work because you know until the day He comes, the Lord’s work is never over.

Episode 12 now live!

[lindsglenne]

I created a tag?

This week the novelization of the musical Dear Evan Hansen is being released. The YA book by Val Emmich, takes this beloved musical and bringing it to a wider audience. Earlier this year, I read the book for the musical—essentially, the script that included the lyrics to the songs—and I really fell in love. I then scoured the internet and watched all the clips to the show I could find and listened to the soundtrack incessantly. The novelization is just the next step in the obsession.

I have never been in any kind of theater production—I always said you could put me on a stage to dance in front of thousands of strangers, but open my mouth to talk or sing? NO WAY. However, I do have a great love for musical theater that has only grown since the openings of Hamilton and Dear Evan Hansen. For the release, I thought answering questions about my love of musical theater would be fun. There are probably musical theater tags already out in the universe, but I put together these questions myself. Let’s begin:

How Many Shows Have You Seen (if you can, name them):

I’ve technically only seen one musical in NYC on Broadway (Grease), but when I was living in LA, we had a lot of opportunities to see different shows. However, I watched many movie musicals so I included those too.

Stage: The Lion King, Grease, 42nd Street, Movin’ Out, Stomp (this counts, right?), Hamilton, Book of Mormon, Finding Neverland, Chicago, An American in Paris, Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Bat Boy, Urinetown, Seussical, Aladdin, Rent, Phantom of the Opera, Wicked, Billy Elliot

Film: Funny Face, Rent, Grease, Singing in the Rain, Cabaret, An American in Paris, My Fair Lady, Chicago, Hairspray, Phantom of the Opera, The Sound of Music, West Side Story, A Chorus Line, Little Shop of Horrors, The Producers, Nine, Dreamgirls, Jesus Christ Superstar, On the Town, Les Miserables, Annie, All That Jazz, all Disney musicals

That’s all I got, but I’m probably missing some.

2. First Show You Saw:

My dad showed me Grease the movie version at about five years old and I was obsessed, but my first live show was The Lion King at age nine. It blew my mind! My favorite Disney Movie was turned into this beautiful and colorful stage show, what more could I ask for?

3. Last Show You Saw:

The last show I saw was Aladdin in Los Angeles. I’m on the email list for when tickets go on sale for Hamilton in Jacksonville for the 2019/2020 season

4. Bucket List Shows:

Dear Evan Hansen, Waitress (both of which I saw bootleg versions on YouTube), Heathers, Rogers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella, Beauty and the Beast

5. Dream Casting:

Hands down, original cast of Hamilton. I don’t know what could be better than that.

6. Favorite Obscure Show:

It may not be obscure but I’ve never met anyone else who has even heard of this show but Billy Joel’s Movin’ Out. I saw this when I was 13 and I think the main reason why my parents took me to this was because all the choreography was done by Twyla Tharp, a goddess in the dance community. I remember Act 1 being really cool, but Act 2 was kind of out there and weird. But the dancing as a whole was incredible.

7. Favorite Female Role:

Eliza from Hamilton gets me every damn time. I also think that Christine in Phantom of the Opera is one of the hardest roles to play.

8. Favorite Male Role:

Collins from Rent, Evan from Dear Evan Hansen

9. Best Soundtrack:

If you had asked me this five years ago, I would have said Rent, Chicago, and Wicked, but Hamilton kicks all their asses ten times over. Very few soundtracks can I sit there and listen in full.

10. Favorite Song:

“Candy Store” from Heathers is CONSTANTLY stuck in my head and I love it, “Turn It Off” from The Book of Mormon is genius, and the triplet of Schuyler Sisters songs from Hamilton: “The Schuyler Sisters”, “Helpless”, “Satisfied”.

11. Favorite Film Adaptation:

Nothing can compare to Cinderella starring Brandy and Whitney Houston. I also think they did a really great job of adapting Chicago for the screen. It’s a hard show to make translate in a movie setting, but it’s amazing.

  12. Most Overrated Musical:

Cats. I mean I’ve never seen it but everything I know, I just don’t get it.

13. What Musical Made You Cry:

I was really REALLY obsessed with Rent for a while and it would always make me cry, but once again, Hamilton wins

14. Made You Laugh:

Book of Mormon, come on.

15. Best Choreography:

Mia Michael’s choreography has always been some of my favorite pieces of work from her time on So You Think You Can Dance and bringing it to Broadway was a little risky. However, it added so much whimsy to Finding Neverland, I loved it. An American in Paris is another one where the dancing is so important to the overall story. I remember sitting there and wishing I was up there dancing that classical lyrical jazz that is so rare nowadays.

16. Favorite Show Experience:

For my college graduation present, my family went to London. It was my first trip to Europe and I was beyond excited (it still goes down as my favorite trip I’ve ever taken).

We got tickets to Billy Elliot on the West End and I was ecstatic. I had been dying to see the show for years and to see it in London was a dream come true.

Another incredible experience was when I got to see Anthony Rapp and Adam Pascal (the original Mark and Roger) in Rent. They were performing in LA for only two weeks and my sister and I got tickets. It was especially great because the first time I saw Rent it was pretty disappointing.

Oh, and Grease because it’s the only show I’ve seen on Broadway. Such a full-circle moment.

17. What Song Makes You Cry When You Hear the Opening Bars:

Oh, so many! “I’ll Cover You Reprise” from Rent, “Words Fail” from Dear Evan Hansen, “She Used to be Mine” from Waitress, and of course, “It’s Quiet Uptown” from Hamilton.

If you’ve never seen this performance of Chris Jackson singing “One Last Time” from Hamilton at the White House for President Obama, you are seriously missing out.

18. All-time Favorite Show:

It’s so hard to really pick a favorite because I’ve matured throughout my life and my favorites have changed through the years.

Nostalgia reasons: Grease

Middle school time: Rent and Chicago

High School time: Wicked

Currently: Hamilton

If you couldn’t already tell, I really like Hamilton…

  Musical Theater Tag I created a tag? This week the novelization of the musical Dear Evan Hansen is being released.

[takenews-blog1]

Why These Stars Don’t Discuss About Their Children

New Post has been published on https://takenews.net/why-these-stars-dont-discuss-about-their-children/

Why These Stars Don’t Discuss About Their Children

Some celebrities are completely obsessive about their youngsters, consistently posting pictures and movies of all of them over Instagram and Twitter and bringing them alongside to purple carpet occasions. However others? Nicely, let’s simply say that they faux like they’re not a mother or father in any respect. Embarrassment? Attempting to keep up their privateness? Both means, there are such a lot of celebrities on the market who’ve youngsters that their followers hardly ever hear about, and it undoubtedly raises some eyebrows about what the rationale behind that call is likely to be.

Will Smith is at all times speaking about his youngsters with Jada Pinkett-Smith — Jaden and Willow, duh — however his first son comes up in dialog so sometimes that lots of people don’t even know he exists. Earlier than he was with Jada, Will was married to Sheree Zampino. Their marriage was short-lived, solely lasting from 1992-1995, however they did have one little one collectively, Trey Smith. There is excellent news, although: Even when Will doesn’t speak about him a lot publicly, it undoubtedly looks as if they nonetheless have a great relationship and spend loads of time collectively.

As governor of California, we’re certain that Arnold has a number of secrets and techniques up his sleeve, however most of his followers by no means noticed this one coming. Again within the ’90s, Arnold had a relationship together with his household’s housekeeper, Patty, and that resulted in Joseph, a child that no person knew something about — till round 2011, that’s, when Arnold and then-wife Maria Shriver (you realize, the one he cheated on) went their separate methods. This photograph was taken at Oktoberfest final yr, whereas father and son celebrated his birthday collectively in Germany. No less than they’re attending to compensate for all of the bonding they missed out on earlier in Joseph’s life!

Even though they had been as soon as inseparable, today, it’s like Tom Cruise isn’t even lively in his daughter Suri’s life in any respect. The truth is, it’s been like that since he and Katie Holmes went their separate methods. In fact, there have been tales right here and there about how Suri and Tom celebrated an important day at Disney or no matter, however for essentially the most half, it looks as if Katie’s dealing with issues as a single mother all on her personal. Nonetheless, the circumstances round their break up and Katie and Tom’s communication now that they’re now not collectively have at all times been fairly murky, so we’re crossing our fingers he’s nonetheless round for Suri, even when we aren’t seeing it ourselves.

Picture: Individuals Journal

For a very long time, most of A-Rod’s followers had no concept he had youngsters… till he began relationship Jennifer Lopez and bought all of their youngsters collectively for play dates. Because it seems, the baseball legend really has two daughters from his marriage to former spouse Cynthia Scurtis, 12-year-old Natasha and 9-year-old Ella. Fortuitously, it looks as if the ladies have been getting together with Jennifer’s youngsters simply high-quality, which is a very good factor because it appears like this couple is round for the lengthy haul. Perhaps at some point they’ll make issues official and turn out to be one huge completely happy household?

Sting has an enormous household — Joe, Elliot, Giacomo, Jake, Fuchsia, and Mickey — however sadly, none of them can be entitled to even a greenback of his riches when he dies. Nonetheless, it’s not as a result of he doesn’t love them. Again in 2014, Sting revealed that he gained’t be leaving his cash for his youngsters not simply because he needs them to learn to help themselves, but additionally as a result of he intends to spend all of his cash earlier than he dies. Hey, he labored arduous for that cash, and he can’t take it with him, so if he needs to spend all of it, go for it!

Roseanne has a gaggle of children of her personal, however again earlier than she gave delivery to them, there was her first daughter, Brandi Brown. When she was solely 18, she had a child lady who she determined to place up for adoption since she didn’t have a lot cash or secure housing, and left her contact info for her to obtain at 21 in case she needed to satisfy her. Nonetheless, tabloids found that Brandi existed earlier than then, which led to Roseanne reaching out to her. Now, it feels like they’ve a great relationship, however for awhile, it was a fairly sticky state of affairs.

Gavin Rossdale’s daughter, Daisy Lowe, had no concept that the rocker was her organic father till she was 14 years previous, however now, they’ve gotten to spend extra time collectively bonding. It wasn’t at all times that straightforward, although… particularly since Gavin initially thought he was simply Daisy’s godfather and nothing extra. Daisy’s mother, Pearl, says that Gavin will now not converse to her, regardless that he’s in common contact with Daisy herself. “I now have a very good relationship with my father. It’s been blossoming for the previous yr nevertheless it actually occurred over Christmas,” Daisy mentioned in an interview in 2010.

If you happen to forgot that Christina Aguilera has youngsters, you’re undoubtedly not alone. In spite of everything, it’s not like she ever brings them up! However it’s true — Christina has two youngsters, Max and Summer time. If you happen to observe her on Instagram, you’ll see them round as soon as in awhile, however if you happen to’re only a informal X-Tina fan (or similar to watching her on The Voice) you in all probability had no concept that she even has little ones at dwelling. She ought to carry them round extra usually, although, as a result of they’re actually cute. Simply take a look at Max in that image. Doesn’t he appear like he deserves a cameo on the present?

Although some days we query whether or not or not R. Kelly is certified to be a father, he completely is. He has three youngsters, Joann, Jay, and Robert, and solely lately has he really began speaking about his transgendered little one, Jay, who has made the transition from feminine to male. Although Jay introduced the information himself on social media, R. Kelly denied it in an interview with a Chicago radio station in 2014, saying that no person ought to consider what they learn on-line. Complicated? We predict so. “I’ve three beautiful, beautiful youngsters that I’m in love with and that’s in love with me,” he added.

Sure, it’s true. Not solely is Tyra Banks the perfect America’s Subsequent Prime Mannequin host the world might ever ask for, however she’s additionally a mother… even when it’s one thing she doesn’t usually tackle publicly. Her son, Yorks, remains to be fairly little at just below two years previous, and pictures of him are arduous to return by. Nonetheless, it looks as if Tyra’s simply making an attempt to verify her child has all of the privateness he wants, and that she’s loving the mother life. We simply hope she shares extra tales about him (and extra photos!) as he will get older. Perhaps she’ll educate him the best way to smize?

Donald Glover, often known as Infantile Gambino, didn’t be a part of the dad membership that way back, so perhaps that’s why he doesn’t speak about his son a lot. In October 2016, Donald welcomed his first little one, a boy, together with his girlfriend in October 2016. Since then, he hasn’t mentioned hardly something about him, and we don’t even know what his identify is. One factor’s for certain, although: Sometime, he’s going to like seeing his dad as Simba within the remake of The Lion King. What little child wouldn’t be completely thrilled to listen to their dad’s voice popping out of a Disney character’s mouth? Too cool!

Beloved comic Eddie Murphy has about 1,000,000 youngsters — or, you realize, 9, identical factor — however one in every of them got here with a lot of drama. Again in 2007, former Spice Lady Mel B. gave delivery to a child, Angel, claiming that Eddie was the daddy, however he denied it. On her actuality present, Mel mentioned that this was one thing she felt numerous disgrace over, however ultimately, Eddie got here round… regardless that it took three years for him to do it. Hopefully, the longer term can be higher for a relationship between the 2. Angel deserves to know her dad!

Earlier this yr, Stranger Issues followers had been completely shocked after they discovered that Charlie Heaton, who performs Jonathan on the present, is definitely a father. After he was stored out of the US on suspicion of carrying medicine, information broke that the 23-year-old has a child born in 2014 together with his girlfriend (and former bandmate) Akiko Matsuura. Since Charlie had by no means talked about the child earlier than, so lots of his followers had been blindsided. We surprise if he’ll begin speaking concerning the kiddo extra now that the phrase is out? You by no means know… there may very well be room for his toddler to make a Stranger Issues cameo in Season three.

Everybody has at all times recognized about 50 Cent’s youngsters, Sire and Marquise, however his third little one completely got here out of the blue… and 50 was simply as shocked as his followers had been. Final yr, the rapper met his son, Davian, for the primary time throughout a fan occasion, and shared the information together with his followers on Instagram. So the place did Davian come from? That’s one thing that 50 has by no means opened up about, however he did share that Davian, who’s in sixth grade today, is absolutely good and will get good grades in class. Later, he revealed that though Davian really isn’t his organic son, that’s the way in which he plans to deal with him, so good for 50 for stepping up for a child who in all probability wants him.

Natalie Portman is one more celeb that has youngsters most of her followers completely overlook about… however we even have to offer her props for it. It’s not like she deserted them; she’s really actively working to allow them to get pleasure from their lives with out the highlight that comes with their mother’s profession. She has two youngsters, Aleph and Amalia, who was simply born earlier this yr. She hardly ever talks about them or shares particulars about them, which is fairly admirable… even when we’re dying to see pictures and movies of her little ones, who’re solely often caught on digital camera after they’re out with their mother.

Kerry Washington, who stars as Olivia Pope on Scandal, is a mother in actual life, however most individuals by no means even knew she had youngsters. The truth is, she has two, Caleb and Isabelle, with husband Nnamdi Asomugha. When their youngest was born final yr, most individuals had no concept that she’d given delivery or that she’d ever been pregnant on the first place, which suggests she tops the listing of celebrities who’re superior at protecting secrets and techniques from all the world. Fortuitously, this has allowed her to mother or father in peace, which she’s in all probability very grateful for after spending her days as a gladiator in pretend Washington D.C. on set.

Picture: Vasquez-Max Lopes / BACKGRID

Most of us in all probability block this reality out of our minds, however sure: Ryan Gosling is nonetheless married to Eva Mendes, and simply in case you missed it, they really have two youngsters collectively. We are able to’t blame you if you happen to did miss it, although; these mother and father like to offer as a lot privateness for Esmeralda and Amada as humanly attainable, even though they’re two of essentially the most well-known folks on earth. Perhaps Ryan and Eva will turn out to be extra open about their youngsters after they get a bit older. We’re going to wish to see the outcomes of that lovely, stunning DNA mixing collectively.

He tried to maintain it a secret so long as he probably might, however now it’s on the market — Bow Wow has a daughter and her identify is Shai. Prior to now, he’s mentioned he wished he by no means had a child together with his ex, Joie Chavis, nevertheless it actually doesn’t look like he’d commerce Shai for the world. Oh, and simply in case you need to really feel such as you’ve achieved precisely nothing in your life, allow us to drop this one on you: earlier this yr, Shai launched her first clothes line, Little Shai, at simply 5 years previous. What have you performed right this moment?

Ludacris’ Child Mama Drama

Ludacris has three youngsters, however there’s been numerous drama between Luda and his daughter, Cai Bella’s mother, Tamika Fuller. They’ve been out and in of court docket over custody, and Ludacris has even accused her of photoshopping photos of their child to make it appear like he’d abused her. It’s nonetheless not clear the place these two stand, however hopefully, the drama is lengthy over by now. Cai doesn’t need to must undergo that.. however at the least she has her dad searching for her, even when it’s one thing he tries to not speak about with the press or out in public.

Yep, Tom is on this listing twice — this time, with youngsters he had with one more one in every of his ex-wives. Whereas Tom was married to Nicole Kidman, they adopted two youngsters collectively, Isabella and Connor. Although Nicole will usually speak about them herself, it’s like they now not exist to their father, who virtually by no means acknowledges them in interviews. It wasn’t at all times good between Nicole and the youngsters, although; it’s been extremely rumored that they minimize her out of their lives for awhile as a result of their faith of Scientology labeled her as a “suppressive individual” who they shouldn’t talk with. A lot drama!

[jazzworldquest-blog]

USA: Lauren Kinhan November 8th 8pm Red Room @ Café 939 Boston, MA

Lauren Kinhan Pays Tribute to Legendary Vocalist Nancy Wilson in Transformative Fashion on the First All-Standards Album of her Career  

CD Release Concerts: November 8, 2017 8pm Red Room @ Café 939 WBGO Live Stream Boston, MA Tickets & Info January 3, 2018  JEN Convention – Inspiration Stage – Dallas, TX January 11, 2018  Sheen Center of the Performing Arts, 7 pm Pre Show Talk with Elliot Scheiner and recorded band, and the showing of the “Making Of A Sleepin’ Bee” mini movie, 8 pm Concert, NY, NY 

CD Available From: CDBaby iTunes Amazon Autographed copies available at:  www.laurenkinhan.com  

A Sleepin’ Bee uses Wilson’s iconic collaborations with Cannonball Adderley and George Shearing as the starting point for a unique take on the tribute album  

“Every single song in this collection hits a sweet spot of a different sort, but the most pleasing aspect of the recording is how it uncovers the stripped-down, soulful side of Kinhan's voice.” – Dan Bilawsky, All About Jazz  

“Echoes of the artist in her own voice, that’s what so lovingly resounds in the voice of Lauren Kinhan on A Sleepin’ Bee, her tribute to Nancy Wilson.” – Michael Bourne, WBGO  

“Her approach to the material is anything but conventional; with her big, flexible voice, Kinhan brings the passion of a soul singer to the improvisatory reach of a jazz diva.” – Suzanne Lorge, New York City Jazz Record  

"Her luscious, velvet voice is a good place to rest your weary head." – Ken Blanchard, Jazznote SD "A vocal tour de force" – Jazz Journal, Sally Evans-Darby

“Lauren Kinhan is a tremendously gifted jazz singer.” – Christopher Loudon, JazzTimes 

Whether on her own highly-acclaimed albums, as a 25-year member of the beloved vocal group New York Voices, or as co-founder of two diverse and inventive supergroups, Moss and JaLaLa, singer/songwriter Lauren Kinhan has always forged her own path as a performer, composer and improviser. With her latest, A Sleepin’ Bee (due out October 6 on her own Dotted i Records), Kinhan once again steers herself in unexpected directions with a new release that is at once the first all-standards collection of her career, a loving tribute to legendary vocalist Nancy Wilson, and unmistakably a Lauren Kinhan album – with all the unique perspective and idiosyncratic personality that has come to imply.  

If the sudden appearance of an album’s worth of standards in a catalogue dominated by original songs comes as a surprise, the process of its creation is just as atypical. While Kinhan spent much of 2016 conceiving, rehearsing and workshopping the project, the circumstances of the recording arose suddenly through the auspices of her alma mater, Berklee College of Music. The session suddenly became an educational opportunity as well as a record date, providing a small group of Berklee students the invaluable privilege of observing and engaging in a recording session at the highest level.  

First and foremost, though, A Sleepin’ Bee is a celebration of Nancy Wilson on the occasion of the genre- hopping singer’s 80th birthday. While Kinhan shares Wilson’s penchant for blurring stylistic boundaries, her choice of material focuses on Wilson’s early jazz albums, particularly her collaborations with Cannonball Adderley and George Shearing. Those recordings proved to be a jumping-off point for Kinhan, who utterly transforms these classic and obscure numbers with the help of pianist/creative partner Andy Ezrin and veteran producer Elliot Scheiner as well as a stellar band featuring bassist Matt Penman, drummer Jared Schonig and special guest trumpeter Ingrid Jensen.  

With three brilliant albums of her own songs under her belt, not to mention her game-changing work with three distinctive vocal groups and wide-ranging collaborations with singular artists from Ornette Coleman to Bobby McFerrin, Kinhan decided it was finally time to create an album more in line with the jazz tradition of interpreting

a book of standards. Of course, Kinhan has never been one to follow an obvious route, so the results quickly became something wholly her own. “I approached this project similarly to the way I write songs, except that in this case that creativity was expressed in the arranging and approach to the lyrics,” she explains. “I wanted to make an album that was inspired by Nancy Wilson but still conveys my point of view in the way that I think about, interpret and reimagine music.”  

The starting point for the project quickly became Nancy Wilson/Cannonball Adderley, the 1961 album on which the 24-year-old singer was backed by Adderley’s incredible quintet with his brother Nat, pianist Joe Zawinul, bassist Sam Jones and drummer Louis Hayes. Kinhan had fallen in love with the album as a young girl searching through her parents’ record collection, enamored with both Wilson’s soulful voice and her elegant image. “I remember being 7 or 8, staring at the cover of this beautiful woman in a yellow dress and connecting with the songs, the arrangements and the bite of her tone. I know those songs like I know the songs of Carole King and Joni Mitchell. So revisiting them, they feel like a favorite cashmere sweater.”

The 12 tracks on Nancy Wilson/Cannonball Adderley were evenly split between vocal and instrumental pieces, and Kinhan interprets all but one of the vocal tunes on A Sleepin’ Bee. To fill out the repertoire, she began delving into Wilson’s catalogue – only reaching 1964 before she had more than enough to work with. The remaining repertoire is carefully cultivated from Wilson’s early-60s releases, the bulk of it coming from The Swingin’s Mutual!, Wilson’s 1960 collaboration with pianist George Shearing.  

“In a way,” Kinhan says, “A Sleepin’ Bee is also a tribute to Cannonball and George Shearing and the fine musicians that played on the original recordings. The pairing of the voice and great players is what it’s all about. It’s never just about singing for me; it’s the whole creative spectrum of arranging notes and form, and connecting with the musicians.”  

Those elements are combined and rearranged in disparate and intriguing ways throughout A Sleepin’ Bee, from the laid-back swing of “Let’s Live Again” to the haunted melancholy of “You Don’t Know What Love Is,” whether stretching the melody like taffy on “Never Will I Marry” (parried by Berklee classmate Jensen’s darting trumpet) or finding a playfully bold character at the heart of the title tune. She effectively melds Nat Adderley’s “The Old Country” with Billy Strayhorn’s “Passion Flower,” and fully imbues “Born To Be Blue” with the remorseful mood inherent in its title. Kinhan’s vulnerable, stripped-down version of “Save Your Love For Me” completely reimagines Wilson’s iconic take – which Kinhan previously performed both with and for Wilson herself, first on a recording with the New York Voices and later with the Voices as part of Wilson’s 2004 induction as a National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Master.  

Perhaps the most surprising inclusion is Wilson’s debut single, “Guess Who I Saw Today,” whose lyrics haven’t exactly aged well. Kinhan puts a new twist on the tune not only with her sly vocal performance - which acidly comments on a song that frames its tale of infidelity with some decidedly Eisenhower-era social mores – but with an updated arrangement that makes the song her own, apart from Wilson’s quintessential version.  

“You better have a perspective on this song, especially as a woman who’s been an outspoken feminist my whole life,” Kinhan says. “It’s not that cheating is old-fashioned; it’s the way that the story is pitched from the beginning, drawing an outmoded picture of marriage where the woman stays home, does the shopping and dotes on her husband, who spends his day at work. To chew on those words was so strange - but it was also fun to hold that mirror up to society and look at its absurdity.”  

“(You Don’t Know) How Glad I Am” was a fresh discovery for Kinhan in her research for the project. Despite Wilson’s recording having won a Grammy in 1964, it was not that version but a less ornate live rendition that grabbed Kinhan’s ear, and she takes a similar approach, powerfully singing with gospel-inflected soul accompanied only by Ezrin’s lyrical piano and Penman’s subtle bass. The at times inane lyrics of “Happy Talk” are sent up in a slapstick carnival atmosphere to close the album on a particularly offbeat note.  

Recording the album with multiple Grammy-winner Elliot Scheiner at Berklee’s state-of-the-art Shames Family Scoring Stage meant turning the studio into a classroom, a prospect that at first seemed daunting but that Kinhan quickly embraced. “The students brought a performance atmosphere to the session that was beautiful,” she says. “Normally recording sessions can make you incredibly self-conscious, often putting yourself under the microscope, but knowing there was an audience was really liberating. The students witnessed great players laying it down right in front of their eyes, and that made for an inspired environment. The added bonus of sharing Nancy Wilson's legacy with them was a Sleepin’ Bee we hope to have reawakened for generations to come.”

laurenkinhan.com

  ### 

Contact: Ann Braithwaite (781) 259-9600

Ann@bkmusicpr.com 

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It is interesting to note in the Empire's readings text last October 1 that they included Philippians 2 just in time for the 5th anniversary on October 4 of the lecture Empire issued about our very own Edward the 9th, whom they have hostaged. Said lecture quoted Philippians 2 also, and concurrent to this Empire extolled themselves quoting this passage on many unhappy instances last year- May 22-23, July 4,23-24 and September 3-4, 2016, to insist their takeover policies against us, and yea , over-mis-dis-abusing Edward the 9th to their own means. It is very imperent hence that we peruse over said passage so that we may better understand what really it does imply for our present times. It would be better if we quote our very own Central Archives, which the Empire currently holds in custody as per their claims against us (John 10, Matthew 12, Jeremiah 7, 1 John 5, 1 Corinthians 1-2), on our Pasugo May-June 1985 issue, where our brethren then quoted Empire papers dated October 1972 (actually just a month after Edward the 9th issued his first article for the Pasugo) and January 1985 (Ka Erdy's 60th birthyear and 30th wedding year). But first let's identify what we must remember when we hear Empire claim the word 'Pasugo' or 'God's Message sent through His Commissioned Messenger (2 Peter 1, Judges 3). This Tagalog term sounds not only the name of our most beloved Ka Angel (meaning, 'sent or given by Godhead'), but also the name of his namesake Sir Nathan Sykes- 'Pasig' as for 'river' or 'Sykes'. In fact, Ka Angel's grandfather (which sounds like Ka Nathan Grundhofer) began this ministry in 1913 along the banks of the Pasig River, not to mention that Empire continually links the Messenger to our homeprovince even though Empire #divided (in #edsheeran fashion indeed) Metro Manila from my homeprovince, when in fact my homeprovince (which shares name with me and Ka Joey Arrigo) indeed has wrightful supervision over the whole of Metro Manila (Revelation 6-9,10-12). On said article, which featured prominently Empire's take of Philippians 2, we quoted Empire words that Christ 'has three distinct states of being in His entire life: first was when He existed in Old Testament times, second was when He came on the New Testament scene, and third is when He is glorified back to heaven, just as He was during Old Testament times.' As for Philippians 2 further, our article said that 'Christ is in the form of God the Father in the sense that He is created in the image or likeness of God- in holiness and power (1 Corinthians 15 , Romans 5-6, Isaiah 9)'. On these words we shall introduce now another study confirming our divine election here to preach and teach in Godhead's Name. You may be well aware already of how we denoted in the past our divine election here- Edward the 9th, Ka Angel, and your #GodsTinyDancer- as per the writings of Ezekiel. Now to answer Empire claims and usages amplified with their Sheeran #divide cult which is already running for a year now with monstrosity in order to discredit our exodus from the Empire led by Ka Angel (as seen by the launch of the Diocletianites this year), we would be perusing the discourses we mentioned above in the light of Sheeran and in account of course, of Edward the 9th. Remember that it is not Edward the 9th and his succession line who is indeed leading the church we left, but rather his apostate relatives and peers. In fact the tone of the October 4, 2012 lecture fits very well the Empire's further related #agenda #samefeathers against us: their launch of the so-called '#betarebellion around October 4, 2015. It would do well for us if we peruse again in this article the passages Empire invokes against us on their claims of Edward the 9th for the benefit of Sheeran, which we could see in Revelation, particularly on her 10th chapter. We know very well that Empire did this (just as what they did through their other heads as noted by our very own Edward Elliot on March 10, 1512, no wonder that Edward the 9th was sent by Empire to Neronian territory) on January 6-7, 2017: 'the mighty angel which sounded 'like a lion, replied by the 7 Thunders.' 'Like a lion...the 7 thunders.' We know of course how we here and the Empire are continually compared at the same time to a lion as well as to thunder (Luke 10,6)- we here are made to look like Empire by the actual Empire and then Empire tries to pretend like us (Revelation 12-13). Such is what we could see of Edward- he's on middle ground unlike what his apostate peers and relatives are invoking against us. He's ours, but Empire holds him and hence must act like he's getting along well with them when in fact it's really not. Further, we must notice that when we say that he's speaking like a lion (Hosea 12-13). He's speaking like Sheeran and Sheeran speaks for him, because lion also symbolizes the British Republic of Israel. We have mentioned previously about Shere Khan to instead denote our fellows here, as driven by relate passage of Daniel 12: 'he swore that the Abomination of Desolation shall last 3 and a half years.' The phrase '3 and a half' are somehow connoted by the digit 36, symbolizing our former Executive Mansion (Isaiah 42-43). The name Shere Khan itself is also sounding like Sheeran. 'Do not write down yet what the 7 Thunders said.' Notice that the Thunders are 7. Trump is of our side, yet he acts like Empire- he took power on 70 years, 7 months and 7 days old over 3 weeks (that for 3 in 3 and a half) after Empire extolled Sheeran and Constantinians. Now the Little Scroll denotes our ministry here, not only because we're relatively young by Godhead, but because we write everywhere- online and on paper. Revelation 14- 'somebody like the Son of Man.' Godhead pardon us , but They know (Revelation 2-3) how much I hate to mention here how Empire deified Sheeran just to lure Edward the 9th away from and against us. Empire themselves said that when Godhead comes personally to somewhere, people 'just can't contain their reactions- they mob Christ everywhere He goes, they're so wildly excited to see and receive Him'- which is not bad at all, because such is the what (Galatians 4) we need to (1 Thessalonians 5) our leaders and fellows here with. So how it came that Empire got bad taste on this aiming at us? First the phrase was also denoted at Daniel, this time on his 3rd chapter, and of course Edward preached a lot of times about him being such and of course Empire is so quick to discredit us using such discourses. In fact we here were the first, on our writings, to call Edward the Son of the One New Man, or the Church as per Empire usage, inasmuch as Edward's the Executive Minister way back then. Now for Sheeran, he's sitting (1 Samuel 4, 2 Thessalonians 2, Matthew 23-24) on a cloud- human cloud- symbolizing the Empire (Ezekiel 32, Isaiah 10,13-14,19,24,34, Revelation 8, Leviticus 26), and standing (Revelation 13,5, Daniel 8,11) on Zion, which is symbolized by the British Republic as well (Luke 17,19,21). He could be as well 'in charge of fire' inasmuch as many of his songs deal with such theme. Now this harvest that the 'Christ-like' or mobbed person oversees is in fact 'divided' into two sections further driving the point. Now as for me I could well fit in the other angels facilitating the harvest. Not to mention that the Christ-like figure is surrounded by rainbow rays, implying our Yokebearer Inclusion Program, and the mount of Zion, implying my original first and sur name. (Luke 11, Matthew 12,16,18-19, Revelation 8-9, Zephaniah, Habakkuk) Revelation 18: 'the mighty angel whose resplendence filled the whole world.' (Psalm 99,97,60,94,109, Esther 10, Jeremiah 7, Daniel 8,11, Isaiah 6,24,42,22, 1 Thessalonians 5, Jeremiah 22) We could not deny how Sheeran had won the wondering (Revelation 13,17) of the whole world and how in similar manner Constantinians under Edward the 9th had also followed similar following courtesy of Empire patronage (Luke 13,3-4, Matthew 16) after Empire set up the Constantinians as their breadwinner on a staged purported 'religious recession'. But Godhead calls to their mind that they should not (1 Corinthians, Galatians 1-2, Psalm 14,59, Luke 12,16,18,22) forget (Acts 17) that whatever they claim (Deuteronomy 8) and use, do only lead them back to us (Luke 15). 'Do I not fill heaven and earth with My Glory that they don't notice Me?', Godhead asks. 'Yoo-hoo!' Godhead does not play to be the Empire which rather extolls herself against us (Malachi, Psalm 50, Jeremiah), in fact we are just (2 Corinthians, 1 Corinthians 4) pointing out to Empire that (Acts 14) they need us using as in Empire's words, what the Empire rather looks up to. 'The mighty angel picked up a large millstone and then threw it on the sea.' First Christ mentioned this on Matthew 18- 'the little ones'- which denotes that His Messenger in our time is going to be young- which is fulfilled in us as well as in all our other particular comrades here (Revelation 20, Ezekiel 18, Mark 16, Matthew 28). Second Jeremiah did this a couple of times in the Empire's waters- remember that like us, Empire has fondness also for the signs of rivers and rocks, hence we here have received the ministry of atoning for the Empire, just like Jeremiah, (2 Kings 8-11) as well as the ministry of check and balance. The Commondominion herself is Godhead's backup reserve, hence Godhead's check and balance to the Empire (Doctrine and Covenants 88,130, Revelation 15), hence we enthusiastically (Isaiah 41,43, Romans 12) preach here just like now as you read, (1 Corinthians 1-2, Luke 4) to our own odds knowing that we shall lose discourse, the Double Connotations of Prophecy, knowing that you gain more biblical knowledge than us, as well as the related ministry of shattering Empire claims and usage in our discourses (Judges 16,7, Psalm 77,35,139, Isaiah 1-2,24,58.63-66), as denoted by Revelation 20- the mighty angel that binds the Empire in chains (Edward the 9th discoursed about this as himself on June 23, July 1-2, 2017 inasmuch as Sheeran and #Chainsmokers are kin in Empire schemes [Psalm 149, Isaiah 9]). And how many times have I, in Edward's spirit, even disobeyed my parents, symbolized by rocks (Luke 19, Isaiah 51), in my obedience to the Constantinians way back then thinking that by that I serve Edward the 9th rightfully (1 Kings 11-12), when in very fact we are only, truly and honestly on the side of Edward the 9th as I have realized lately to my deep regret that I should have known this better much earlier in my life, that we can be only on Edward the 9th side if we're where he's supposed to belong- us here. Now why we are telling these things (Genesis 32,24,28) because if we are to revisit the Empire's words as we quoted years ago, 'Christ's third state is going to meet His first.' Here we atone because we want to make both ends meet- the ministry of reconciliation, between Edward the 9th and our Ka Angel, his brother. Edward the 9th must realize that this ministry, that yours truly have received, is promised by Godhead (Hebrews 6) to be much better than the Empire. (2 Corinthians 3-6, Romans 8, Hebrews 11) To make good on this, he of course needs to do sacrifice to shake up (Haggai, Hebrews 12) the Empire just like what he did evicting Ka Angel from the Empire in account of made-up Empire charges against him. I said this ministry is going to be better because (Psalm 119) we have the spirit and power of Edward the 9th (Matthew 17,3,11): not that we're asking favor back from him, but he could not deny how we here make up for everything he does where Diocletianites had failed to be kind and nice- we are telling here everything he could not hear, nor say, anywhere else. And why not, according to the Empire quote above, Christ is created 'after the likeness and image of God the Father, that is, in holiness and power.' You see guys, we here does not only possess the power and authority of Ka Angel (Zechariah 12, Psalm 2, Proverbs 8), but that we also has the prophetic offices that Empire heads try to claim yet fail to prove (Matthew 17,20-22). We're called 'Common' here, not holy as the Empire claims to be, yet we have the Holy Spirit unlike the Empire, hence we have power and authority unlike this Empire. As we had said way back then, we here are Empire made just better as supposed to be (John 10, James 4, 1 John 4-5, 2 Chronicles 32). Guys, we regret so much that we had Diocletianites to start off our ministry here way back 2015, because aside from their apostasy we had paid dearly for joining their immature apostasy (1 Corinthians 15, Ezekiel 16,19) losing 2,287 yokebearers and we have to start from scratch again gathering new friends (Psalm 74). But we know that Godhead can and shall and does do anything, and that they shall all rise up even so now, in the last days (2 Corinthians 4, 2 Thessalonians 1, John 11) with us and us alone, as so Edward the 9th and his succession line. Hence, by Godhead, here's how the phases of Christ's life (Hebrews 1) prophetically can be seen in our midst: first is Edward the 9th, second is Sheeran, third is me. (Revelation 19,7,14,22,17,21)

JOSEPH STIRLING STEINFELD SYKES Blogger in Chief and Dance Captain, Commondominion of Christ

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[cover32-yahoopartner-blog]

cover32’s Top Ten: Games to Watch in 2017

On Thursday, September 7, the NFL officially begins its 2017 season with the Kansas City Chiefs battling the defending Super Bowl Champion, New England Patriots. In honor of this season’s kickoff, here is a look at my Top Ten games on this year’s docket.

AROUND COVER32

The Latest: Texans’ star WR, DeAndre Hopkins, signs mammoth extension

Around the NFL: Seahawks land DE, Sheldon Richardson; send WR, Jermaine Kearse, to the Jets

What’s Trending: Is Ezekiel Elliot the victim of a league orchestrated conspiracy

NFL Transactions: Vikings acquire CB, Tramine Brock, via trade with Seahawks

Parting Ways: Cardinals part ways with Chris Johnson; release veteran RB

cover32 Podcasts: Check out our latest podcasts and view our entire library available on Apple iTunes

Honorable Mention: Jacksonville Jaguars at Houston Texans

Week 1: Sunday, September 10, 1:00 p.m. ET on CBS

Although this may not have been a marquee matchup when the NFL schedule was released, many eyes will be on NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas this Sunday. In the aftermath of the devastation of Hurricane Harvey, Houston residents will look to the Texans to provide some much-needed distraction (and maybe even a bit of joy) to a region in desperate need of it. Houston defensive end, J.J. Watt, was able to raise over $18 million in funds for relief assistance, thus cementing his legacy as a true humanitarian and beloved Houston legend. Surely, he will earn a loud ovation, and rightfully so. As this season commences, the collective hearts will be with Houston and its surrounding areas as the recovery efforts continue. With no intended disrespect to the Jaguars in any way, this one will be for Houston.

10.)Miami Dolphins at Los Angeles Chargers

Week 2: Sunday, September 17, 4:05 p.m. ET on CBS

The Los Angeles (nee San Diego) Chargers will play their first home game at StubHub Center against the Miami Dolphins. With the looming threat of Hurricane Irma in Florida, this will be the Dolphins season opener, as well. Their original opener against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers has been rescheduled until November 19. During the preseason, the Chargers struggled to capture the attention of its new home city; even with a victory over the crosstown Rams in what was billed as ‘The Fight For L.A.” However, when playing at full strength, the Chargers will be a fun team to watch, both offensively and defensively. Also, the Bolts new home stadium provides what has been described as an ‘intimate setting.’ StubHub Center holds approximately 30,000 seats and is home to the LA Galaxy of MLS. This game could offer a bit of nostalgia to the early days of the sport when teams would typically play in front of smaller crowds at smaller venues.

9.) Pittsburgh Steelers at Kansas City Chiefs

Week 6: Sunday, October 15, 4:25 p.m. ET on CBS

Pittsburgh and Kansas City offer an old-school, gritty-type matchup anytime these two teams compete against each other. Last year’s divisional playoff game was no exception and came down to the wire. In a game where Pittsburgh’s offense was expected to take center stage, they were held without a touchdown and had to rely on six field goals by K Chris Boswell. Chiefs fans believe that their team was robbed on Eric Fisher’s holding penalty, which negated what would have been a game-tying two-point conversion. Alas, the Steelers advanced. In 2017, these two teams once again present a fascinating contrast in coaching styles, offenses, and defenses. Look for a close game in this possible playoff preview in Week Six.

8.) Kansas City Chiefs at New England Patriots

Week 1: Thursday, September 7, 8:00 p.m. ET on NBC

The official season kickoff is always compelling. However, this year, there is a bit of added intrigue…and even a possible bit of satire. The last time the New England Patriots faced the Kansas City Chiefs in a regular-season game, the result was the lowest point in recent Pats franchise history. The Chiefs embarrassed the Patriots on “Monday Night Football,” winning 41-14 at Arrowhead Stadium. Since that time, New England has amassed a 43-9 record, while collecting two Super Bowl championships. The intrigue this year will be brought by the fact that some have speculated that New England’s fully-loaded roster could see them challenge the regular season record of 16-0, which they set in 2007. The Chiefs would like nothing more than to silent that speculation by handing the Patriots a defeat, on the night in which they unveil their championship banner.

If that isn’t enough incentive to watch, there is an added attraction. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell will be in attendance for this game. It will be his first visit, either in the regular season, or playoffs, since the ridiculous Deflategate saga. In an effort to give him a ‘proper’ New England welcome-back, Barstool Sports has sponsored an effort to provide fans with light blue towels, on which Goodell’s image (sporting a prominent red clown nose) is imprinted. To say the least, it will be interesting to see how this all plays out, for both the fans and media alike.

  7.) Houston Texans at Seattle Seahawks

Week 8: Sunday, October 29, 4:05 p.m. ET on CBS

This will be a showdown of arguably the league’s two most complete defenses. As a result, this should be a fantastic game, especially with both J.J. Watt and Earl Thomas healthy (fingers crossed). They are two of the best in the game at their respective positions. Even with Watt injured for most of the season, the Texans were last year’s top-ranked defense. On the flip side, the Seahawks return much of the same unit that lead the league in points allowed for four straight years, ending last year. In addition, newly-acquired defensive tackle Sheldon Richardson will provide an added thump for the Legion of Boom. That’s precisely why Texans at Seahawks should be one of the most physical matchups of the year.

6.) New York Giants at Dallas Cowboys

Week 14: Sunday, December 10, 4:25 p.m. ET on FOX

Yes, these two teams open the season against each other. However, the late-season matchup will be the more intriguing, as it will most likely have more on the line for each of these bitter rivals. No team has repeated in the NFC East since the Philadelphia Eagles won four straight titles from 2001-04. The Cowboys are looking to follow a 13-3 season with another division crown. However, Ezekiel Elliott’s unclear status following his suspension doesn’t help their chances. Without their All-Pro running back for up to six games, the Cowboys have to rely more on Dak Prescott and Dez Bryant. Dallas also has a tough schedule and had to replace the entire starting secondary, so there are concerns on defense, too. Eli Manning and the Giants are primed to take control if the Cowboys slip. New York won 11 games last season and added veteran receiver Brandon Marshall and rookie tight end Evan Engram to join star Odell Beckham, Jr. On defense, the Giants return nine of 11 starters to a formidable group directed by coordinator Steve Spagnuolo. As far as the regular season goes, there’s nothing quite like December divisional matchups, and this will be one to watch.

Sep 11, 2016; Arlington, TX, USA; Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott (4) throws a pass in the fourth quarter against the New York Giants at AT&T Stadium. New York won 20-19. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports

5.) Dallas Cowboys at Atlanta Falcons

Week 10: Sunday, November 12, 4:25 p.m. ET on FOX

The Atlanta Falcons enter this season after a historic collapse in Super Bowl LI. While many feel that they may be unable to move on from such a loss, the Falcons will tell you otherwise. This game against the Cowboys in Week 10 will be a great test. Considering the losses that Dallas has suffered in the secondary, the Falcons offense will be all the Cowboys’ defense can handle. However, Dallas is much more capable of dictating the game’s pace than most of Atlanta’s other opponents. This is especially true when (and if) the Cowboys’ running game gets going with Ezekiel Elliott. Still, this matchup is likely to be a track meet, and perhaps a preview of the 2017 NFC Championship Game. Matt Ryan, Dak Prescott, and Elliott were all in the MVP race last year, so it will be interesting to see all three of them in this contest.

4.) Green Bay Packers at Atlanta Falcons

Week 2: Sunday, September 17, 8:30 p.m. ET on NBC

A rematch of a conference championship is usually a highly-anticipated game in any NFL season. This year, it is especially true of the Falcons matchup against the Green Bay Packers. The game was a surprising blowout on Championship Sunday. Will this rematch be another lopsided affair in Atlanta’s new home stadium? That is highly doubtful. Packers quarterback, Aaron Rodgers, and Company, are eager to avenge the way they played against Atlanta back in January. However, Green Bay’s success will depend on how their pass defense holds up against Matt Ryan, Julio Jones, Mohamed Sanu and the Falcons running backs coming out of the backfield. With Steve Sarkisian calling the offense instead of Kyle Shanahan, the Falcons offense may not rely on such a high-flying game plan. In any case, look for this to be a great rematch between two exciting teams.

3.) New England Patriots at Oakland Raiders (Mexico City)

Week 11: Sunday, November 19, 4:25 p.m. ET on CBS

The Patriots and the Raiders will square off south of the border in Mexico City during week 11, with the tilt being a home game for Oakland. These are two quite evenly-matched, and many consider this to be a playoff preview. The Patriots continue to be favorites for the AFC crown. However, many feel that the Raiders pose the most potent threat to dethrone the champs. The Steelers, Chiefs, and Texans all provide challenges. However, Oakland provides the best match on both sides of the ball. Derek Carr being healthy will be a huge boost to Oakland’s playoff hopes. It was obvious that Connor Cook would not be able to shoulder the load while Carr was hurt last year. Also, the Raiders may not need to rely squarely on the passing game to take down New England. Marshawn Lynch will give the Raiders a capable running attack as well, provided his legs joined him in coming out of retirement. By all accounts, Lynch looks healthy and ready to go. As for New England, the combination of Malcolm Butler and Stephon Gilmore in the secondary may prove to be the defensive threat necessary to slow down Carr’s aerial attack. Lastly, the Patriots-Raiders rivalry remains a bit ‘under the radar,’ but very compelling. Remember their controversial postseason affairs from 1976, 1985 and 2001? Just ask a Raiders fan if they still cringe when they hear the phrase…”the quarterback’s arm was moving forward.” It will be a hot time in Mexico this November, for sure

2) Seattle Seahawks at Green Bay Packers

Week 1: Sunday, September 10,  4:25 p.m. ET on FOX

Of all the contests that will take place on the NFL’s 2017 opening week schedule, the best pure football game is likely to take place at Lambeau Field. Eddie Lacy gets the chance to take it to his former team from his new perch in the Seahawks’ backfield. Meanwhile, Ty Montgomery is looking to establish himself as a key cog in the Packers’ offense. Seattle’s defense looks poised to regain their dominance again this year. Earl Thomas is healthy and Sheldon Richardson joins an already loaded defensive line. The Packers offense also looks to regain form with a healthy Jordy Nelson. Most notably, however, is the matchup between Russell Wilson and Aaron Rodgers. These two dynamic quarterbacks hold the top two career passer ratings in NFL history. Brothers Michael Bennett and Martellus Bennett will also face-off in this contest. Everyone knows that these two siblings always make things entertaining. Be sure to stay tuned to this one on Sunday afternoon.

Feb 5, 2017; Houston, TX, USA; New England Patriots running back James White (28) scores the game winning touchdown against the Atlanta Falcons in overtime during Super Bowl LI at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

1) Atlanta Falcons at New England Patriots

Week 7: Sunday, October 22, 8:30 p.m. ET on NBC

It’s hard to argue against this game taking the number one spot. In fact, many thought this would be the NFL’s Kickoff Game. While that distinction went to the Chiefs vs. the Pats, it gives fans even more time to clamor for this rematch of an unforgettable Super Bowl. Those who rooted hard for the Falcons in February will be looking for revenge. However, this game is going to be played in New England. It’s almost certain that the Falcons will see more than their fair share of signs, banners and maybe hear a few audible chants of ’28-3.’ Atlanta’s offense will still be high-powered. Their defense will look to attack Tom Brady similar to the way they did in the first half of the Super Bowl. However, the Patriots will have Brandin Cooks as a deep threat this year, along with Chris Hogan and newly-acquired Philip Dorset. This could be a nightmare for the Falcons secondary. Can the Falcons exorcise the demons of Super Bowl Past, or will New England once again have the last laugh? We’ll find out on October 22nd.

Enjoy the season, everyone. Be sure to check back next Wednesday for our next Top Ten. If you have any suggestions for a topic you’d like to see, please use the forum below and let us know your thoughts. Thanks!

  – Mike D’Abate is the Managing Editor for cover32.com/Chargers and covers the Los Angeles Chargers. He is also a National Content Writer for cover32.com and covers the NFL. Follow @MG973024 Follow @cover32_LAC

[schmomalley]

Invisible House

“And a scribe came up and said to him, ‘Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.’ And Jesus said to him, ‘Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.’” Matthew 8:19-20

The human heart is restless. Trite but true idioms tell us that “home is where the heart is,“ yet “the heart is a lonely hunter.” Perhaps you’ve beat the rest of us and live your life in comfort, peace, and confidence 100% of the time, but if you’re anything like me, despite your best efforts, your heart is restless too.

Admittedly, my heaviest baggage does not compare to the great and terrible pains that friends and peers have experienced. I am not the product of some tragic backstory, family trauma, or obvious, dramatic abandonment; I have a beloved church community, co-workers I enjoy, and friends who laugh at my jokes. Yet, my understandings of security, attachment, love, and acceptance are unhealthy. As I plumb my own depths, exploring and exposing the fractures, scars, and defenses that have shaped my flawed interactions with the world and myself, I uncover the same root every time; all roads point to a desperate need for “home.” Beyond the physical space in which I sleep and eat, I want to belong somewhere, to someone, in something. To know "This is where my heart lives.” I’m hungry for it. I’m hunting “home” all the time, and can’t find it.

In my ambivalence and combating desires to find restful stillness, yet avoid heartbreak, I live a life of building tents. I feverishly search for new friendships to belong to, new cities to love and explore, new hobbies to define me, new career paths to fulfill me, and once I set up camp, I am quickly disappointed. People don’t meet expectations, no amount of organic coffee and local shopping can overpower crime, traffic, and racism, and I give up on anything I’m not immediately good at. So, I run. I pitch my tent somewhere else. Sometimes I even run back to fruitless campsites I’ve already abandoned, hoping something has changed.

The unsatisfying secret is that humans, hipsters, and newness simply cannot give me what I want from them. So long as I hope they will save me, I will always be disappointed.

In New Morning Mercies, Paul David Tripp writes,  "We are all archaeologists who dig into the mounds of our lives to try to make sense of the civilization that is our story. … But sin makes this drive and these gifts dangerous. They tempt us to think that we can find our hearts by figuring it all out. It’s the 'If only I could understand this or that, then I’d be secure’ way of living. But it never works. In your most brilliant moment, you will still be left with mystery in your life; sometimes even painful mystery. … So rest is never found in the quest to understand it all. No, rest is found in trusting the One who understands it all and rules it all for his glory and our good.“ He continues in a later passage, ”[Sin] causes us to look horizontally for what can only ever be found vertically. So we look to creation for life, hope, peace, rest, contentment, identity, meaning and purpose, inner peace, and motivation to continue. The problem is that nothing in creation can give you these things. … Many people will get up today and in some way will ask creation to be their savior, that is, to give them what only God is able to give.“

And guess what? He’s not alone in this sentiment. David Foster Wallace, brilliant writer and atheist who ultimately committed suicide wrote, "In the day-to-day trenches of adult life, there is no such thing as atheism. There is no such thing as not worshiping. Everybody worships. The only choice we get is what to worship. And an outstanding reason for choosing some sort of god or spiritual-type thing to worship - be it JC or Allah, be it Yahweh or the Wiccan mother-goddess or the Four Noble Truths or some infrangible set of ethical principles - is that pretty much anything else you worship will eat you alive. If you worship money and things - if they are where you tap real meaning in life - then you will never have enough. … Worship your own body and beauty and sexual allure and you will always feel ugly, and when time and age start showing, you will die a million deaths before they finally plant you. … Worship power - you will feel weak and afraid, and you will need ever more power over others to keep the fear at bay. Worship your intellect, being seen as smart - you will end up feeling stupid, a fraud, always on the verge of being found out.” (This is Water)

I am acutely aware of this reality within myself. I buy cheap. I buy the idea that beauty, possessions, the “right” city, the “right” job, or the “right” relationship could patch up my doubts, pains, and insecurities to make me whole. What I really want–extreme and unwavering intimacy, connectedness, and unconditional acceptance to the point of never feeling forsaken again–is too tall an order for the world to fulfill. It is simply too supernatural. It must come from God. Only a genuine relationship with Jesus can supply what I crave, but it is hard to feel at home in an invisible house. It is hard to feel intimate with an invisible God. But I believe it’s possible, and I must still try.

“Home” means permanency, a space we build to dwell in, a structure with foundation, boundaries, shelter, and shade. But if the Christian life is a race,* and to race we must keep moving, then so must our house. Fortunately, we, brothers and sisters in Christ, have been given the joyous honor of being built into a mobile fortress, moving and changing the world together. In one of my favorite passages of scripture, we are promised “As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 2:4-5). Furthermore, we worship a wise and loving God, and the poetry of the gospel speaks to us in our need. “For we know that if the tent that is our earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this tent we groan, longing to put on our heavenly dwelling, if indeed by putting it on we may not be found naked. For while we are still in this tent, we groan, being burdened-not that we would be unclothed, but that we would be further clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who has given us the Spirit as a guarantee.” (2 Corinthians 5:1-5)

Mm. Praise God.

In the meantime, while I wrestle with my sinful tendencies to put good but imperfect things on my altar, I am thankful for God’s merciful gift-giving, for small islands among life’s roaring seas on which to briefly vacation from sojourning. For the gaggle of 13 year old girls who challenge and love me in the way only youth can, for the familiar drive of Route 50 East, for the Bun Shop on Read Street, for the group chat named “Strut,” for the long, sweaty walk from my office to Union Station, and for 17 years with a very wonderful cat.

I will close with a quote from a treasured, baller, Christian lady who knew a thing or two about the tension between life’s pain and heaven’s glory. Elisabeth Elliot said, “Heaven is not here, it’s There. If we were given all we wanted here, our hearts would settle for this world rather than the next. God is forever luring us up and away from this one, wooing us to Himself and His still invisible Kingdom, where we will certainly find what we so keenly long for.”

“For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.” (1 Corinthians 13:12)

*See 2 Timothy 4:7, Galatians 5:7, Hebrews 12:1-2, and 1 Corinthians 9:24-27.