#12/2006 revolver

[earlycuntsets]

"DEATH COMES RIPPING" - SPOOKY ISSUE

'THE BLACK PARADE, THE TRIUMPHANT NEW ALBUM BY MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE MAY HAVE A TRAGIC STORYLINE, BUT IT'S NOTHING COMPARED WITH WHAT THE BANDMATES ENDURED TO BRING THE DISC TO LIGHT

PHOTOS BY JON WIEDERHORN PHOTOS BY JUSTIN BORUCKI

STANDING ON A BALCONY nine floors above the teeming streets of New York, Gerard Way overlooks the city in which My Chemical Romance began assembling their ambitious new album, The Black Parade. The newly peroxide- blond frontman takes a deep drag from a cigarette and exhales with a sigh. He knows he shouldn't smoke, but it's his only remaining vice.

"If I hadn't been sober, I think The Black Parade surely would have killed me," says Gerard, who climbed on the wagon in 2004. "We were going insane the whole time, and I had to cling to my sobriety to stay even a little lucid. The album became like this beast that was consuming us."

Following up a release as successful as 2004's Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge, which sold 1.4 million copies in the U.S. alone, is never an easy task. And the various scares the band experienced as they worked on the new record-drummer Bob Bryar had a near-fatal staph infection, Gerard seriously injured his foot, and some restless spirits at the studio where they recorded kept them all on edge-did not help matters. And neither

did MCR's decision to make The Black Parade (Reprise) a concept disc. Together, Gerard and his bandmates-Bryar, guitarists Frank lero and Ray Toro, and bassist Mikey Way (Gerard's younger brother)-decided to craft a record about a dying young man who is visited by a cast of strange characters that help him examine his short life.

But diving into the conceptual deep end proved well worth the hassle. The Black Parade is not only MCR's most realized offering; it's also one of the most eclectic, enjoyable rock records of the year. One listen to tracks

like "House of Wolves," "The Sharpest Lives," and "Dead!" makes it clear that My Chemical Romance can still rip a good metallic punk tune. But the bandmates are now equally influenced by epic albums like Pink Floyd's The Wall, David Bowie's The Rise & Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars, and Queen's A Night at the Opera.

"A lot of bands from the scene we came from try to strip down their music to 'keep it real," Gerard notes. "But the real you is what you've always had inside you and what you strive to be. So when we started compiling the material we had written, we were like, You know what? This has to be a huge, theatrical record."

MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE started working on ideas for The Black Parade in the back of the bus while on 2005's Warped Tour, after which they flew to New York and rented a rehearsal space for two months. And that's when things started to get weird.

"I was living in Queens, and I had to commute on the subway every day," Gerard says. "I was suddenly very scared and paranoid. I felt more like an outsider than I ever had, and I had no confidence, which is bad when you're trying to work on a record. And I had no anonymity because there were a lot of teenagers on the train." In reaction to the young fans he encountered on the underground,

Gerard wrote "Teenagers," a T. Rex-style romp with the chorus line, "Teenagers scare the living shit out of me." "The song came directly from commuting when school let out and being so terrified of them," the singer says. "I was like, Wait a minute. These are the same people that listen to our band. Why am I scared? And I realized it was because they're scared, too. Teenagers are made to feel like they can only solve their problems with violence. They lash out at each other in a really volatile way." After several months experiencing the joys of mass transit, MCR had completed only a handful of songs and felt like a change of scenery (and climate) might do them some good. "I couldn't keep working in New York," says Gerard. "We wanted isolation."

id: Gerard leads the way to what will likely be the band's second platinum record

So the group relocated to Paramour Mansion, outside of L.A. Nestled high in the hills, the deluxe estate overlooks the trendy Silver Lake area and boasts spacious rooms, a gorgeous pool, lush gardens, a state-of-the-art recording facility-and a few special guests.

"The place is definitely haunted," Gerard says. "Doors would slam, and the faucets would turn on. You'd get a bath drawn for you of freezing-cold water in your room, and you wouldn't know why." As unnerving as its mischievous spirits could be, the Paramour was also inspiring, and contributed to the haunting vibe of songs like "The End" and "This Is How I Disappear." More important, it led Gerard to come up with the bleak, surreal concept for the record. "I would have these night terrors, where it would feel like someone was choking me, and my heart would stop and I would stop breathing," he says. "I would wake up in the middle of the night and write these notes to myself, and one of them read, 'We are all just a black parade.' So I started thinking about how this band is kind of a black parade, like a funeral-procession rock thing. And I used that idea to piece together this story about the idea that when you die, death comes for you however you want." Gerard molded his concept into a narrative about a character he dubbed the Patient, whose strongest memory from childhood is of his father taking him to the city to see a parade. Two songs into the album, he dies, and the black parade comes for him.

"During the rest of the story, he meets this entity of death and all these characters, like Mama, who represents anyone who's ever lost their son in a war," Gerard explains. "It's almost like these Canterbury Tales, where he goes along on this journey, and at the end he decides whether he wants to live or die." With the concept in place, My Chem made the songs as sweeping and theatrical as Gerard's lyrics. They accomplished this, in part, by combing through their own eclectic record collections and pulling choice elements that would set them even further apart from other melodic punk bands.

The first two minutes of "Welcome to the Black Parade" stemmed from Gerard's love for Broadway musicals, the horns in "Dead!" came from Mikey's interest in Blur and Britpop, and the jaunty feel of "Mama" was informed by Tom Waits and Nick Cave. But the most poignant moment on the record, "Cancer," was (unlike its morbid moniker) something of a pleasant surprise. "I was very upset about something in my personal life, and that's when that song came out," Gerard says. "It was really spontaneous, and it was recorded pretty much live with Rob [Cavallo, the record's producer] on the piano and me in the vocal booth. Then we added layers of drums, which gave it a certain urgency. It's the song I'm most proud of because it was the most pure emotion we've ever captured, and it gets such an immediate response. You can't shake what the song is about."

As the CD approached completion, some members of the band began to show signs of nervous exhaustion. The group was scheduled to fly to England to play the Reading Festival, and as the date grew near, Toro, who has a fear of flying, got noticeably agitated. Then, after the band tracked "Welcome to the Black Parade," which was originally called "The Five of Us Are Dying," the guitarist lost it.

"I thought I had this premonition," Toro explains. "I was flipping through the TV channels, and on the news. there would be something about a plane crash, and every time I woke up in the morning, the clock would say 9:11. I was playing Tomb Raider the night before the flight, and on the level I ended up at, there was this whole flashback to a plane crash. So right before the flight I was like, 'That's it. I'm not flying."

Despite his misgivings, Toro boarded the plane, and when My Chemical Romance returned to L.A. (all of them still very much alive, thank you very much), The Black Parade was completed without further incident. Listening back to the record, the band members were in awe of what they had achieved and eager to share it with their fans. "There was a real confidence that came to us," Gerard explains. "Having survived it, we felt like we were changed forever. I feel different as a performer now, and I think we really finally discovered who we were as a band." But just because MCR were done with the record didn't mean that it was done with them. About a month later, the band was shooting a video for "Famous Last Words" with director Samuel Bayer (Garbage, Smashing Pumpkins) on a set featuring walls of flame, when-seized by the moment-lero grabbed Gerard's throat from behind and wrestled him to the ground. The singer rolled one way; his foot went the other. "It bent completely backwards, and I heard a crack and felt this agonizing pain," Gerard recalls. "I tore all the ligaments in my foot, but I got up and continued to perform." "I didn't know what I was doing," says lero, shaking his head. "I wasn't trying to hurt him. I felt awful. I still do." Gerard's injury was serious, and he still walks with a cane, but it paled in comparison to what happened to Bryar. At the end of the shoot, the pyro was so intense, the drummer could feel his leg burning, but he stuck it out for the rest of the song. By then, he had a nasty third-degree burn. And the misfortune didn't stop there. Bryar didn't take his antibiotics regularly, and he failed to keep the wound clean. By the time the band got back from a brief tour of Japan, the burn was severely infected. Then Bryar's face swelled up and, after doing the MTV Video Music Awards preshow telecast and a special club show, stumbled into a hospital emergency room in intense pain. "I thought I'd be there for 10 minutes, but as soon as they saw me, they got all serious and gave me an IV and said they had to do a CAT scan," recalls Bryar."They did all these blood tests and kept me there for 14 hours." Doctors discovered that Bryar's leg infection had spread to his blood and caused an abscess in his face that was creeping dangerously close to his brain. If it had been left untreated for another two days, he could have died. "The whole thing was such a nightmare," Bryar says. "This doctor stuck my cheek with a needle about six inches long and the width of an IV tube. Then he went in and out of the inside of my mouth with the needle about 10 times. Fortunately, the treatment worked, and Bryar left the hospital three days later. With tragedy averted, My Chem are now focusing on touring for The Black Parade. They'll be in Europe for most of November, and when they get back at the end of year, they'll start rehearsing for a U.S. arena tour that starts in February. "We want to put on a full show with props and staging like The Wall," Gerard says. And MCR plan to keep the Patient alive long after they're done touring for the CD. "I would love to see the story turned into a play or a musical, and it could easily be a movie," enthuses Gerard. "Making this record, we cut ourselves open every day, pulled out every organ, and lay them on a table so it would be something we're completely happy with. We want The Black Parade to exist for a long time." "The whole hole thing nightmare. This doctor stuck my cheek with a needle about six inches long and the width of an IV tube." -BOB BRYAR

"I felt more like an outsider than I ever had, and I had no confidence, which is bad when you're trying work on a record."

-GERARD WAY

12/2006 revolver - mcrhollywood on flickr

[officialaemondtargaryen]

Twenty Questions For Fic Writers

Thank you for the tag @st-eve-barnes (ily)

1. how many works do you have on AO3 tumblr?

i am fairly new to a03, so my only fic on there currently is 'a fine line'. all of the rest of my works are here, on tumblr. so i'm going to just going to change a03 to tumblr for the sake of this little quiz.

2. what's your total AO3 tumblr word count?

approximately 115.2k, there are more because i have removed things from my masterlist that you can still find out there but i'm re-writing those currently for other characters.

3. what fandoms do you write for?

currently only writing for HOTD. previously, i have written for marvel, stranger things, the walking dead, and my very first fics were about members of bands that i loved.

4. top five fics by kudos:

age of consent (eddie munson) || a fine line (hotd) || casual (eddie munson) || i wanna hold your hand (bucky barnes) || dinner & diatribes (hotd)

5. do you respond to comments?

i try my absolute best to! comments fuel me in a way that i don't think anyone understands.

6. what is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

it isn't anything that i have published but after 'a fine line' (which is also pretty angsty) i'm going to roll out a new series called 'leave it untold' which will have the angstiest ending i've ever written.

7. what's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

most of my fics have a happy ending.

8. do you get hate on fics?

i have only ever received two hate comments. one was warranted. the other called my oc a 'fat cow'.

9. do you write smut?

it's hard for me to NOT write smut.

10. craziest crossover?

i'm not a huge fan of crossovers.

11. have you ever had a fic stolen?

not that i know of and hope it never happens. i work really fucking hard on these fics, like my world revolves around these stories. it's all i ever think about.

12. have you ever had a fic translated?

i have not!

13. have you ever co-written a fic before?

no, but i'd be happy to collaborate. or at least try!

14. all time favorite ship?

me and aegon ii targaryen.

15. what's a wip you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

i'm terrified of not finishing 'a fine line'. i'm going to, but it's not complete and i'm just scared that i'm going to let everyone down. fun fact about that story is that it started as a steve x reader x bucky (marvel) fic. someone liked the first chapter so much that they messaged me and asked me how i envisioned it ending. i told them the entire plot. so someone out there knows how it ends.

16. what are your writing strengths?

scene building (in my personal opinion)

17. what are your writing weaknesses?

transitioning between scenes

18. thoughts on dialogue in another language?

i am bad enough at english, i don't think i personally could pull it off. but if there was a fic out there that i liked and it happened to have dialogue in another language, i wouldn't be opposed to reading it.

19. first fandom you wrote in?

emo bands of 2006.

20. favorite fic you've written?

at this point in time i'm going to say 'age of consent' because it's a finished series. it gained me a lot of new friends and followers. but as far as how passionate i am about a fic... it's 'a fine line' hands down. the way that fic has taken hold in my brain. it's so personal to me, too. i started writing it in a time where i was so uncertain of myself and what i wanted. and what i have planned for it is really good, i think.

no pressure tags: @madame-fear, @lovelykhaleesiii, @inthedayswhenlandswerefew, @sapphire-writes <3

[queerstuffonscreen]

Bad Girls (1999-2006) [I]

Episode length: 60-90 min.

Country: UK

Genre: Drama

Language: English

Bad Girls was a British television drama series, set in the fictional women’s prison of Larkhall, and featured a mixture of serious and light storylines focusing on the prisoners and staff of G Wing.

Season 1

Episode 1: Them and Us

Episode 2: Drug Wars

Episode 3: Love Rival

Episode 4: The Victim

Episode 5: Tangled Web

Episode 6: A Big Mistake

Episode 7: Playing with Fire

Episode 8: Falling Apart

Episode 9: Pay Back Time

Episode 10: Love Hurts

Season 2

Episode 1: Tug of Love

Episode 2: Shit Happens

Episode 3: Visiting Time

Episode 4: Looking for Love

Episode 5: Mistaken Identity

Episode 6: Losing It

Episode 7: The Set-Up

Episode 8: Babes Behind Bars

Episode 9: The Leaving

Episode 10: Family Plan

Episode 11: Rough Justice

Episode 12: Facing Up

Episode 13: Oh What a Night!

Season 3

Episode 1: Back From the Brink

Episode 2: The Turn of the Screw

Episode 3: The Chains of Freedom

Episode 4: False Identity

Episode 5: Blood Ties

Episode 6: Do or Die

Episode 7: The Great Escape

Episode 8: Uninvited Guests

Episode 9: Common Criminal

Episode 10: Chapel of Love

Episode 11: Battle Lines

Episode 12: Tough Love

Episode 13: Revolving Doors

Episode 14: Fronting Up

Episode 15: Cat & Mouse

Episode 16: Coming Out

Season 4

Episode 1: Fight or Flight

Episode 2: Unholy Alliances

Episode 3: Behind Closed Doors

Episode 4: Fait Accompli

Episode 5: Only the Lonely

Episode 6: Sweet Sixteen

Episode 7: Pillow Talk

Episode 8: Prison Issue

Episode 9: Baby on Board

Episode 10: Family Matters

Episode 11: Battle Lines

Episode 12: Appearances Sake

Episode 13: True Colours

Episode 14: Hard Knock Life

Episode 15: Marriage of Invonvenience

Episode 16: Curtain Call

Season 5

Episode One

Episode Two

Episode Three

Episode Four

Episode Five

Episode Six

Episode Seven

Episode Eight

Episode Nine

Episode Ten

Episode Eleven

Episode Twelve

Episode Thirteen

Episode Fourteen

Episode Fifteen

Episode Sixteen

Season 6

Episode One

Episode Two

Episode Three

Episode Four

Episode Five

Episode Six

Episode Seven

Episode Eight

Episode Nine

Episode Ten

Episode Eleven

Episode Twelve

Watch on Freevee

See Bad Girls post II season 7-8

[candela-540]

Has Ian Flynn been wanting to tell Sonic Fronteirs' story since 2009?

Sonic fronteirs is out, and after 5 long years personally I believe it to be worth the wait! This has been a massive step in the right direction for the Sonic video games and I can only hope Sega will use this as a foundation to keep building on the quality in future titles.

A lot of credit for fronteirs goes to the head writer Ian Flynn, who has been writing for the sonic comics since 2006.

Being an avid fan of the comic book series in his run in both archie and idw I can fully attest to the quality of his writing for the sonic the hedgehog franchise.

Because of aforementioned familiarity with Ian's work I couldn't help but notice a few parallels between an unresolved plot point that was set up in the archie sonic universe series way back in 2009 and the main story of sonic fronteirs.

For those who don't know, sonic universe was a spin off of the main archie sonic comics and focused on side stories from the same continuity. The story in question is sonic universe issues 9-12 written by Ian Flynn himself. This issue revolves around knuckles, and starts with him and his partners searching through ruins on angel island that supposedly pre date the echidna civilization.

The following is taken from sonic universe 9 and 10:

The rest of the arc focuses on the conflict between knuckles and the main villian, however this plot thread was left hanging implied to be touched upon later. In 2017 Sega announced that they were ending their partnership with archie and the sonic comics were canceled, So they never touched back on these ruins (Note: without real world legal issues interfering with the plot). Unfortunately we will never know if these ruins belonged to the ancients or not in the archie continuity.

Anyways, I personally believe that Ian may have taken this forgotten plotline and used it as the groundwork/ inspiration for sonic fronteirs' story. At the same time I could be completely wrong but it is still neat to see the parallels between the two stories. If you're interested in reading more on the snippets above just search up sonic universe 9-12 , it's a very enjoyable read (though you may need some context on the archieverse to understand it)

Stay safe and have a wonderful day!

[spookyoregon]

A Beautiful Gate to Hell Part 2

In modern times, Crater Lake has not been able to shake the reputation of it's legends. From the time of being "discovered" by white settlers and into this current year, death and mystery continues to surround the lake. From missing people, to missing aircraft there are a multitude of recorded events that continue to add to the idea that Crater Lake is really a gate to the underworld.

The Missing Persons Missing person stories have become a popular topic on the internet in the last few decades thanks in large part to David Paulides and his conspiracy theories revolving around national parks. As Crater Lake falls under this category, the stories of people just disappearing have been around since the 1850's. In 1853, three explorers went in search of a missing miner who, allegedly, knew where a gold mine was located near the lake. John Hillman has the distinction of being the first reported casualty in the common era, allegedly falling to his death when his horse lost it's footing. The gold mine has never been discovered.

In 1947, a Mr. Cornelius was on the side of the caldera with his wife. He handed his affairs to his wife and fell, or jumped, into the caldera. Being badly beaten, he still had enough strength to drag himself to the lake's waters and drowned. It is unclear if this was an accident or a suicide.

Charles McCuller wears the grim mantle of being the most spoken of missing person in Crater Lake. In 1975 he journeyed to the lake to take photos of the area during winter. He was never seen alive again. The FBI was involved in the search but no trace of him was found until a year later. His remains, only shin and foot bones, were 12 miles from where he had last been spotted in 1975. While his death was ruled natural, the odd nature of his remains was remarked by park rangers to be like "he melted away".

In 2006, an 8 year old boy went missing. Sammy Boehlke disappeared within minutes of his father, Kenneth, losing sight of him near Cleetwood Cove. The search for him lasted months and again included the assistance of the FBI, but no trace has been found of him to this day.

This is only a few of the many individuals who have gone missing in Crater Lake. It is worth to note that Crater Lake is vast, cold, has dense wood, and keeps a snow pack year round. The snow and cold can cause people to slip or do strange things in the throes of hypothermia.

The Missing Aircraft In 1945, a F6F Hellcat crashed into Crater Lake, taking it's pilot with it. While the plane was discovered in 1946, the remains of the pilot were uncovered only in 1970. A park ranger discovered the pilot's skull under a log, appearing to be staring right at him.

In 1975, Dave Nunn with two student pilots went missing over the lake. Jean Nunn, David's wife, recalled being woken up at 9:30PM that night to the feeling of a hand on her leg. When Jean contacted the Klamath Falls Airport, it was revealed the plane was lost at 9:20PM. The aircraft and it's passengers were discovered in 1982 near Huckleberry Campground. In Dave's pocket was a folder piece of paper that read: "Lose not thine airspeed, lest the ground rise up and smite thee."

In 1995, a helicopter carrying three men to Las Vegas crashed into the lake. It sank immediately, taking it's passengers with it. The bodies have not been recovered from the lake, nor has the helicopter been found. It is believe it shattered on impact with the lake and the pieces are too small to be seen on radar.

The Haunted Topography Wizard Island is the newest volcano cone to emerge from the lake, approximately 7,300 years ago. The island has a reputation for having fires randomly appear on it. Some of these fire alleged to have figures standing around it, but at no point has the fires been actually discovered on the island.

The Old Man is a 35 foot tall mountain hemlock that first began to journey in the waters of the lake 400 years ago, but first documented in 1896. The tree stands upright in the water, three feet above and the rest below. Moss that normally grows on the bottom of the lake also grows on the tree. The cold and clear waters allow individuals to see whole of the tree deep into the lake. Old Man is also reported to control the weather around Crater Lake. In 1988 when a submersible planned to explore the lake, Old Man was tied up to keep from accidentally floating into the craft. The weather grew ugly with heavy winds and storm clouds. When the tree was released to meander around the lake, the weather calmed. Allegedly, this is also why park rangers no longer stand on the tree.

sources: Ancient Origins, Crater Lake Institute, Only In Your State, KTVL, Offbeat Oregon

[eaglesnick]

IS CAPITALISM WORKING?

The economist Kate Raworth has said:

“For me capitalism is an economic system that prioritises, above all, delivering profit for the owners of wealth.”

The owners of wealth  – big shareholders, landowners and financiers - ensure this takes place by "capturing" the legal and political system “so that it can secure and reproduce privilege."

Corporations, on behalf of their shareholders, use lobbyists, public relations firms and thinktanks to influence the political- economic agenda. They use the press and other media outlets to craft the message they want the government of the day to hear.

But the problem is worse than that. It was recently revealed that

“One in five new Tory MPs have worked in lobbying or PR for corporate interests, new openDemocracy research reveals today. Opposition politicians have called our findings “deeply worrying”. (OpenDemocracy: 21/12/19)

Having Tory MP’s, "deeply connected to privileged corporate interests" is  not that surprising, but this problem is not restricted to the Conservative Party. In 1997, Tony Blair exempted Formula One from a ban on tobacco advertising, after the Labour Party received a  £1 million donation from the head of the sports governing body.

This was not a one-off. The “cash for honours” political scandal shocked the nation when it was revealed that the Labour Party was accepting large donations from individuals in exchange for seats in the House of Lords. Rich people were quite literally buying a place in government.

Luckily, the land owning aristocratic class do not need to buy their way into Parliament - they have a hereditary" "right" to help shape the laws the rest of us have to live under. Even though the number of hereditary peers entitled to sit in the House of Lords was reduced under the House of Lords Act of 1999, there are still 91 hereditary peers.

“As of November 2022, there are 4 dukes, 25 earls, 15 viscounts, 45 barons and 2 Lords of Parliament among the 91 hereditary peers entitled to sit in the House of Lords.”  (Wikipedia)

On top of this, we have 25 “Lords Spiritual” who also have an unelected  “right" to sit in the House of Lords and shape the laws we have to abide by. The Church of England is the 13th largest landowner in Britain, holding commercial property, ranging from shopping centres to car parks, as well as the land churches occupy. In 2006 the Church of England’s portfolio was estimated to be worth £4.3bn. It is hard to believe this does not influence the way they help frame and vote for new legislation in Parliament.

Cash for questions  - MP's being paid large sums of money to raise an issue in Parliament - is another way the wealthy influence politics, and scandals involving both Conservative and Labour peers have been exposed at heart of government.

 “The new cash-for-access allegations against two former Foreign Secretaries, Jack Straw and Sir Malcolm Rifkind, suggest little has changed inside parliament’s culture since the scandals that led to Liam Fox’s resignation as Defence Secretary in 2011, and the damage to the Labour Party that followed the former Transport Secretary, Stephen Byers, being caught on camera in 2010 saying he was a “cab for hire” who would work for £5,000 a day.” (Guardian: 23/02/15)

As this was not enough, we have the corrupt practice of the revolving door between government and big business: politicians and civil servants moving freely from politics to business and vice versa. Here is one description of how this works:

“Elected and appointed officials working in government may use their time in office to generate connections with legislators they can call on as contacts after they enter the private sector. Business can send members of its companies to alter policy and regulations to its benefit. But one large group is left unprotected and out in the cold by the Revolving Door -- the everyday members of the general public. If democracies are established to serve the public interest, how is the Revolving Door legal?” (howstuffworks: What Is the Revolving Door)

We can see from the above that our economic-political system allows undue influence by the already wealthy, a rich elite who have disproportionate power over all of our lives, and who shape laws to protect their privileges.

From the former non-dom, non-tax paying wife of our Prime Minister, to the tax avoiding Tory Chancellor, Nadhim Zahawi, we see the system working to the advantage of the wealthy. From the energy companies  making obscene profits in a rigged market, to the water companies given permission to continue pumping raw sewage into our rivers and onto our beaches until 2050. From the continued deregulated of the finance sector in the  pursue profit at any cost, to public school charity status, saving the wealthy millions in additional school fees for their already privileged children.

On their educational website “Bitesize”, the BBC proudly inform our children that:

“Democracy is one of the key principles of the UK’s constitution. It ensures that everyone’s voice counts when the government makes a decision.”

If only that were true.

[lindsaywesker]

Good morning! I hope you slept well and feel rested? Currently sitting at my desk, in my study, attired only in my blue towelling robe, enjoying my first cuppa of the day. Welcome to Too Much Information Tuesday.

Most women prefer to have sex in the dark.

There’s a fountain in Italy that dispenses free wine 24/7.

Smiling is 70% more attractive than wearing make-up.

The average man has 11 erections a day and nine at night.

Other people are not having as much sex as you think they are.

Leonardo da Vinci could draw with one hand and write with the other.

Every Pixar movie contains a reference to the Pixar movie that comes after it.

For every $1000 a record company makes, the average musician gets $23.40.

Women are more influenced by how a man smells rather than how he looks.

Sex acts as a tranquilizer and can be up to ten times more effective than Valium!

Volkswagen's best-selling product isn't a car, it's their Currywurst Pork Sausages.

Singing helps form and strengthen the emotional bond between a group of people.

The Russians arrived 12 days late to the 1908 Olympics because they were using the wrong calendar.

The penis has about 4,000 nerve endings. The clitoris has between 8,000 and 15,000 nerve endings.

In 1932, a 56-year-old man named Thomas Earl was fired, mauled by a bear, and shot by the police, all on the same day.

Lonely people take longer, hotter showers or baths to replace the warmth they're lacking socially or emotionally.

No relationship is ever a waste of time. If it didn't bring you what you want, it taught you what you don't want.

Shakira was rejected for her school choir in the second grade because her music teacher thought she sounded "like a goat".

You have a second brain in your gut called the Enteric Nervous System. This is where the term 'gut feeling' comes from.

The actor John Cazale acted only in five films, all of which either won or were nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture.

Respect people who find time in their schedule to see you. Love people who never look at their schedule when you need them.

In 2018, Munafri Arifuddin ran unopposed for mayor of Makassar, Indonesia. He lost the election to "None of the above".

The word ‘vulva’ and the brand name ‘Volvo’ come from the same Latin word ‘volvere’, meaning ‘to turn, twist, roll, revolve’.

A statue of Hercules in Arcachon, France, has had its penis stolen so often it’s been given a detachable one for ‘special occasions’.

Vaginas are only 3-5 inches deep. Anything more than that presses on other organs like your bladder, which can make you pee during sex.

You are under no obligation to be the same person you were a year, month, or even 15 minutes ago. You have the right to grow. No apologies.

Researchers at the University of California confirmed that when you are in love, everyone other than your beloved really does seem less attractive.

Masturbating regularly can improve focus and concentration by increasing neurotransmitters involved in learning, memory and motivation.

Studies show that slow music makes people shop leisurely and spend more, while classical music encourages people to buy more expensive items.

A study of Swedish jackpot lottery winners has found that, after a win, men are more likely to get married and women are more likely to get divorced.

In the 1990s, Denzel Washington stepped in and paid the fees for a kid who couldn't afford to attend Oxford's summer theatre program. That student was Chadwick Boseman.

It takes about 50 hours of socializing to go from acquaintance to casual friend, an extra 40 hours to become a real friend, and 200 hours in total to become a close friend.

In 2006, Croatian band Let 3 were fined for performing nude in public. Their defence that they weren’t naked because they had cork plugs in their anuses was not accepted by a judge.

In 1987, sales of Corona dropped because of a rumour that Mexican brewers were peeing in the beer before shipping it to the U.S. Against the odds, Corona was able to trace the rumour back to its source, a Heineken distributor.

George Miller had his wife Margaret Sixel edit ‘Mad Max: Fury Road’. She had never cut an action film before and Miller said, if it were edited by the usual guys, it would look like "every other action movie we see". She went on to win an Oscar for ‘Best Film Editing’.

Okay, that’s enough information for one day. Have a tremendous and tumultuous Tuesday! I love you all.

[90363462]

20 Greatest Comebacks in Hard-Rock and Heavy-Metal History

These artists shook the world by rising from the ashes

Heavy music is for underdogs and comeback kids, anyone who has been considered down and out, but kicked and scratched to earn respect and make their place in this unforgiving world. It's no wonder then that headbangers love a good comeback story — and that heavy music has been full of them.

From unexpected reunion tours to dazzling new albums that rival the records that made them famous in the first place, here are 20 of the most surprising and inspiring comebacks in all of metal, punk and hard-rock history.

Having sold over 50 million copies worldwide, Back in Black is the bestselling hard-rock album of all time, an accomplishment that's all the more incredible considering that AC/DC recorded it just months after the 1980 death of revered singer Bon Scott. The group considered disbanding but ultimately continued with the blessing of Scott's family, and their comeback album — with its opening bell tolls and equally resonant title — is heavy music's definitive statement of rebirth

When lead vocalist Layne Staley passed away in 2002, it seemed like the final nail in the coffin of Alice in Chains, who had already been largely sidelined for years due to substance abuse issues. But in 2005, the surviving members reconvened to play shows, and soon after, enlisted new singer William DuVall and made their first original record in 14 years, 2009's Black Gives Way to Blue. Named Revolver's Album of that Year, it stands up to anything in their discography, and they've continued to chug along ever since. 

No record inspired more contemporary metalcore (see Killswitch Engage, As I Lay Dying, Darkness Hour, et al) than Slaughter of the Soul, these Swedish melodic death metallers' final studio album, released a year before their 1996 breakup. To say that their return to the stage in 2008 was meaningful to a generation of metalheads who never got to see them live is like saying fans at those reunion shows were singing along to every word of "Blinded by Fear": They were fucking screaming along to every word.

Drummer Jimmy "The Rev" Sullivan was a childhood friend to his bandmates and a major songwriter to his band, so when he died unexpectedly in late 2009, it was a crushing blow that nearly ended the group. But Avenged Sevenfold rallied and called in one of Sullivan's idols, Mike Portnoy of Dream Theater, to record on and tour behind their mostly completed new record, Nightmare. It debuted at No. 1 on the charts, A7X's first album to do so, and re-ignited the band's passion to push ahead.

Carcass' comeback came in waves. The Birmingham, U.K., death-grind trailblazers blew people's minds when they re-materialized onstage in 2008 after a whopping 12 years out of the game, and the tours that followed weren't just lazy cash grabs — the dudes could still rip. However, even more impressive was their 2013 comeback album, Surgical Steel, arriving 17 years after their last and legitimately rivaling all of the material from their Nineties heyday. It's one of the greatest reunion albums in metal. Period. 

Celtic Frost's reunion was short-lived but monumental. Having been a crucial building block in the extreme-metal fortress, the Swiss band — helmed by the core duo of Thomas Gabriel Fischer, a.k.a. Tom G. Warrior, and Martin Eric Ain — came roaring back in 2006 with the stunningly great Monotheist and a career-celebrating world tour, including U.S. dates with Type O Negative. Sadly, the album proved to be both reunion record and swan song, the final nail put in the band's coffin when Ain died in 2017 at age 50.

applewebdata://player.vimeo.com/video/136869950?color=

There's only one word to describe what it was like when Faith No More reunited to play shows over 10 years after the alt-metal superheroes fell to pieces: EPIC. With vocalist Mike Patton's calendar seemingly always packed with a variety of zany projects, it seemed impossible that he would ever find the time. That FNM would then later release their first new album in nearly two decades, 2015's Sol Invictus, and it would be awesome — well, that was a minor miracle.

How do you pick up the pieces when you're the drummer of the most important rock band on the planet and your frontman dies by suicide? Well, you become the frontman of your own band, of course, write hit single after hit single, and sell over 10 million albums in the U.S. alone. Amid this, you use your now-astronomical fame to spotlight your favorite metal singers with a killer side project (check Probot ASAP, if you're not already in the know). Dave Grohl now faces another tragedy — the death of Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins — but we know he'll come back again, stronger than ever.

The name of GN'R's initial reunion run says it all: The Not in This Lifetime... Tour. Because that's how improbable the reconciliation of Axl, Slash and Duff seemed for a long-ass time. Bad blood and bitter words constituted their decades apart, but it turns out, all fans needed was a little patience. The trek — which spanned from 2016 to 2019, and marked the core trio's first performances together in nearly 25 years — owns the title of the third-highest-grossing concert tour of all time. Even more amazing, the guys are still getting along and the reunion continues.

At the end of Bruce Dickinson's then-final concert with Maiden in 1993, magician Simon Drake "killed" him, using the band's titular torture device. Far from dead, the vocalist pursued a successful solo career while his bandmates recorded their two least successful albums to that point, with singer Blaze Bayley. But when Dickinson returned in 1999, it sounded as if they hadn't missed a step. These days, Maiden continue to sell out stadiums playing great material both new and old, cementing their spot as metal's still-vital pioneers.

In 2005, after becoming a born-again Christian, OG guitarist Brian "Head" Welch left the band that had made him famous: As the joke went, "Korn gave Head to God." The nu-metal godfathers soon also split with founding drummer David Silveria, and spent years trying to re-find themselves creatively. When Head re-joined the group onstage at Carolina Rebellion in 2012, it seemed like a heartwarming one-off, but a year later he was back for good. Korn have been on a hot streak ever since, with 2019's The Nothing standing out, in particular, as their best album in over a decade.

"No warning?" asked Dave Mustaine when Metallica booted him over his erratic behavior in 1983. "No second chance?" He wouldn't get one from them, but the thrash-metal world welcomed him back later that year with a new group, named after a word he found on a pamphlet during his bus ride home to L.A. from Metallica's New York abode. Within the decade, Megadeth would become the second-best-selling metal band of their generation, and they're a still a genre pillar to this day. 

2016 was an amazing year for reunions. First, GN'R, then the Misfits. In fall of that year, founding members Glenn Danzig and Jerry Only — plus Only's brother, guitarist Doyle Wolfgang von Frankenstein — performed together for the first time in 33 years, under the name the Original Misfits. For a gnarly, underground horror-punk band that played basements in their first incarnation, the results were incredible, culminating in a monumental sold-out headlining gig at Madison Square Garden.

Even though fans clamored for it for years, Mudvayne didn't come back until it was fully on their own damn terms, which made their eventual comeback all the more special. The alt-metal aliens ended their 12-year hiatus with a few chaotic festival shows in 2021 (including one when frontman Chad Gray played while suffering from COVID) and then hauled ass across the country on a 2022 summer tour that rejuvenated them as bandmates and fully made up for all the lost time. Now, new music is even on the way.

To many punks, metalheads and goths who grew up in the 2000s, My Chemical Romance are their Nirvana. The New Jersey band lifted emo's ragged hooks and raunchy guitars out of VFW halls and into stadiums, built up a formidable discography — and then dipped for six years while their legacy metastasized. The way they've conducted their momentous reunion — playing shows with young openers, packing the setlists with hits, and dropping their heaviest song yet as a one-off single — has ensured that they've still got their edge.

Rage Against the Machine's latest reunion has been one of tension and release. After nine years, they were supposed to hit the stage in 2020 until the pandemic squashed that — and then again, and then again while the world grew shittier and the band's political screeds became more relevant than ever. Finally, they took the power back in summer 2022, and played riotously hard through Zack de la Rocha's leg injury, staying true to their convictions and reaffirming their status as all-time greats. 

Sepultura were at the height of their power and popularity in 1996, having released a career-defining album, Roots, early that year. Then everything went to shit, and the Brazilian metal trailblazers acrimoniously split with founding frontman Max Cavalera, whose brother, Igor, remained in the band. Suddenly unmoored, Max had a lot to prove and lots of pressure. He responded with a new band, Soulfly. The group's self-titled 1998 debut was a "life-changing" success, Max told Revolver, complete with the song he's most proud of: "Eye for an Eye."

System of a Down had only been releasing music and touring at a national level for eight years when, at the height of their Grammy-winning notoriety, they decided to go on hiatus in 2006. Suddenly dissolving at the peak of their powers like that was devastating, so when they reunited for a string of shows in 2011, it felt like an act of divine intervention. After gigging sporadically in the ensuing decade, they dropped their first songs in 16 years in 2021. C'mon, guys: Now we need that album. 

Sent from my iPhone

[caparrucia]

10, 12, 21 for the behind the scenes ask game?

10. Do you enjoy writing dialogue, exposition, or plot the most?

It depends on the story, for me, on what the original spark for that story was. If my original idea for the story revolves around dialogue, exposition or plot, that's what I'll have the easiest time writing, because that's the thing I keep wanting to write. I do tend to favor dialogue and plot more than exposition. I write dialogue focused stuff when I have a scene very clearly in my head, or when I focus on plot, I just want people to figure out how the pieces fit together.

12. Is there a trope you haven’t written yet but really want to?

I kinda wanna revisit "fake dating" with a ship I'm a lot more invested in. I don't have anything against PromNyx, but that entire series was written out of prompts because it's not a ship I personally ship super hard, so I needed prompts to write more for it. Plus there's some sad/unfortunate associations with how that series came out, so I'd like to give it a shot with a ship I have more positive associations with! Possibly mix in some enemies to lovers, I don't know. Fake dating is one of my favorite dynamics, I just want to do one that makes ME happy, y'know?

21. What is the one fic that got away?

I feel my most defining "oh, let's better not" moment was in 2006, when I was writing FMA fic, and one of my long, sprawling messes got tangled up in the movie verse and I had a moment of blinding clarity while doing research that maybe FMA fic that requires you to research political and military developments in Germany in the 1930s and the 1940's is fic that you... probably shouldn't write? It wasn't even a matter of skill - there's fic I've thought about and then realized I don't have the chops for it - it's just. Y'know. I found myself researching the rise of Nazis for fic and then I decided I was better off not writing fic about fucking Nazis.

I think about that fic a lot, specially every time there's massive wank around Issue fic.

I'm not one to disparage fic. I'm sure fic is important and transformative and worthy of a lot of pretentious adjectives. But at some point you gotta realize that if you're using real life tragedy as salad dressing for your fic, that comes with the decision, conscious or not, to reduce real, actual human suffering to the badly painted background for the stage where you make your dolls kiss. It was a very powerful realization, for me, that. There's themes and topics that when you put them in a story, they just. Dominate the story. You can't have slavery or rape or torture or any number of real world harrowing things in a story, and not have them dominate the story by immediately forcing the story to SAY something about them, one way or another. It's why you see the iddy omegaverse fic so very quickly spiral into grimdark melodrama the moment you expand it beyond the iddy smut one-shot. Because the setting carries consequences and most writers want to explore those. That curiosity and need to really think about and explore consequences is one of the defining things that makes a writer. And I think there's a point where you realize you have a lot of things to say about something or other, and shippy fic about shonen jump teenage protagonists isn't the best vehicle for it.

I feel that balance of how much srs bsns you put into your setting and worldbuilding, framing your story, and how to not fall face first into You've Made It Issue Fic Now, Thanks, is a very underappreciated skill that takes a lot of years to master. And I will always remember that one FMA fic for being the one that taught me that. Because it was clever and witty and to this day I think it made sense, building up on what canon had presented and the type of story I was overall trying to tell. Absolutely.

But it was also a fic that was definitely going to have Nazis in it for it to work, and life is too short to waste it characterizing Nazis with any depth or having to write characters who at any point have to entertain their ideology. Can it be done? Maybe! I don't know. I'm not the arbiter of all things Nazis or anything. But it can't be done BY ME. And teaching me that lesson is why that fic is the best fic I never wrote, and I will remember it fondly probably til the day I die.

[chiefhugo-slade]

Hugo "Chief" Anderson - Son of Nike

Name: Hugo "Chief" Anderson (2006-2011) Age: 30 Godly Parent: Nike Affiliation: Competitor, Alumni Species: Demigod Abilities: fierce speed, godly tenacity, and the will power defying all odds Biography: see below!

Bill Anderson was a champion in his own right. He was a hockey player with dreams of the NHL! He was the star forward in his high school team where he was invited into the AHL but he always strove for greatness. He would have made it too, oh yes, if it wasn't for that one game, that one injury: his Achilles tendon destroyed by an opposing player's skate.

He could almost hear the Fates cutting his string too soon.

Nike pitied him, having watched him from afar, and took the injured player under her wing and into her bed. First with a son Hugo Chief, and then with a second child Riley.

Between their fathers competitive nature and their mothers never ending drive for a win Chief was on his way to the Junior Olympics representing Minnesota. A bus load of 12 year old boys being chased by a monster does shake things up a bit. Beaten with hockey sticks the monster stood no chance and Chief was dragged off to Camp Swynlake.

On the cusp of the war Chief found himself fighting for a cause; and wasn't going to quit until the enemy was taken out! Fighting along with his half siblings and allies. Rallying the House of Nike Chief felt like their rightful leader. A true Hero...even if he wasn't considered one at the end of the war. Rigged. Nobody saw what he did out there against those monsters. Riley and his father gave him his deserved accolades. A winner amongst winners. Now back for the reunion Chief had only a few things on his mind. Boasting around with his younger sibling and entering in the competition. Coming out as victor bringing glory to House Nike and the Anderson's. Will Chief hear his sibling out? See why they want to find glory and purpose with The Hunt? Does happiness really live inside of a gold plated trophy? Can Chief finally get a reality check? Does life really revolve around House Nike?

[crespanub]

Annotated Bibliography

Name: Anthony Crespan                                                Genre: Fiction- Classic/Contemporary, Short Stories, Historical Fiction

1. Title of Text: (cite APA)

Heller, J. (1961). Catch-22. Simon & Schuster

Short Summary of the text:

Catch-22 is set during World War II and follows Captain John Yossarian, a U.S. Army Air Force bombardier, who is stationed on the fictional mediterranean island of Pianosa. The story revolves around Yossarian’s desperate attempts to stay alive by avoiding combat missions. The term “Catch-22” refers to a bureaucratic absurdity, where airmen can be grounded if they are considered insane, but must request to be grounded, which is seen as a rational act, proving their sanity and thus making them ineligible to be relived from duty.

YA Universal Theme(s) text is aligned with:

The novel explores themes of war, the absurdity of bureaucracy, and the struggle to maintain personal integrity in an irrational world.

Appropriate for Grade(s): 11-12

2. Title of Text: (cite APA)

Vonnegut, K. (1963). Cat’s cradle. Holt, Rinehart & Winston

Short Summary of the text:

Cat’s Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut is a satirical novel that explores themes of science, technology, and religion. The story is narrated by John (or Jonah), who sets out to write a book about the day the atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima. In his research, he becomes involved with the family of Dr. Felix Hoenikker, a fictional co-creator of the atomic bomb and inventor of Ice-Nine, a substance capable of freezing water instantly and irrevocably. As John delves deeper, he uncovers a web of absurdity and danger, culminating in a global catastrophe.

YA Universal Theme(s) text is aligned with:

The novel explores themes of the pursuit of scientific knowledge without moral consideration and the human tendency to seek meaning in a chaotic world.

Appropriate for Grade(s): 11-12

3.  Title of Text: (cite APA):

Fitzgerald, F.S. (1925). The Great Gatsby. Charles Scribner’s Sons.

Short Summary of the text:

Set in the Jazz Age of the 1920s, The Great Gatsby tells the story of Jay Gatsby, a wealthy and mysterious man who throws lavish parties in hopes of reuniting with his lost love, Daisy Buchanan. The novel is narrated by Nick Carraway, a bond salesman who becomes Gatsby’s neighbor and confidant. Through Nick’s eyes, we see the decadence and moral decay of the era, as well as the tragic pursuit of the American dream.

YA Universal Theme(s) text is aligned with:

The themes associated with The Great Gatsby are love, ambition, and the illusion of the American Dream.

Appropriate for Grade(s): 9-10

Annotated Bibliography

Name: Anthony Crespan                                                Genre: Non Fiction/ Informational-  Content area (Science or History), Informational text ( primary texts; articles; biographies)

1. Title of Text: (cite APA)

Wiesel, E. (2006). Night (M. Wiesel, Trans.). Hill and Wang. (Original work published 1958)

Short Summary of the text:

Night is a memoir of Elie Wiesel’s experiences as a Jewish teenager during the Holocaust. Wiesel describes his life in the Romanian town of Sighet, his deportation to Auschwitz and Buchenwald concentration camps, and the brutal conditions he endured.

YA Universal Theme(s) text is aligned with:

Themes associated with Night include the horrors of the Holocaust, loss of faith, dehumanization, silence and indifference, as well as survival and guilt.

Appropriate for Grade(s): 11-12

2. Title of Text: (cite APA)

Frank, A. (1993). The diary of a young girl (D. van der Rol & R. Pressler, Eds.; B. M. Mooyaart-Doubleday, Trans.). Doubleday. (Original work published 1947)

Short Summary of the text:

The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank provides an account of a Jewish teenager’s life while in hiding from the Nazis during World War II. Written between 1942 and 1944, the diary details Anne Frank’s experiences as she and her family, along with four others, live in secrecy in Amsterdam, Holland. Anne describes the daily struggles, fears, and hopes of living in hiding, as well as her thoughts on adolescence, identity, and human nature.

YA Universal Theme(s) text is aligned with:

The themes aligned with The Diary of a Young Girl include the horrors of war and persecution, the struggle for identity, the resilience of the human spirit, isolation and companionship, and adolescence.

Appropriate for Grade(s): 9-10

3.  Title of Text: (cite APA):

Brown, D. J. (2013). The boys in the boat: Nine Americans and their epic quest for gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics. Viking.

Short Summary of the text:

The Boys in the Boat by Daniel James Brown tells the true story of the University of Washington’s rowing team, composed of nine working-class American boys who competed in the 1936 Berlin Olympics. The story focuses on Joe Rantz, a young man with a difficult past, and his journey to find belonging and purpose through rowing.

YA Universal Theme(s) text is aligned with:

The themes associated with The Boys in the Boat are perseverance and resilience, teamwork and unity, social class and inequality, and the power of sport.

Appropriate for Grade(s): 9-10

Annotated Bibliography

Name: Anthony Crespan                                                Genre: Diversity/ Multi-Cultural

1. Title of Text: (cite APA)

Hosseini, K. (2003). The kite runner. Riverhead Books.

Short Summary of the text:

The Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini follows the life of Amir, a young boy from Kabul, Afghanistan. The story begins with Amir’s childhood in the 1970’s, where he forms a friendship with Hassan, the son of his father’s servant. However, their bond is tested by jealousy, betrayal, and the societal divisions of class and ethnicity. Against the backdrop of Afghanistan’s tumultuous history, Amir embarks on a journey of redemption as he seeks to atone for his past mistakes and confront the guilt he carries for betraying Hassan.  

YA Universal Theme(s) text is aligned with:

Themes expressed in The Kite Runner include loyalty, forgiveness, the consequences of choices, and the enduring bonds of friendship and family.

Appropriate for Grade(s): 9-10

2. Title of Text: (cite APA)

Cisneros, S. (1984). The house on Mango Street. Vintage Books.

Short Summary of the text:

The House on Mango Street is a coming-of-age novel told through a series of vignettes. It follows Esperanza Cordero, a young Latina girl growing up in a poor, Hispanic neighborhood in Chicago. Through her observations and experiences, Esperanza reflects on her surroundings, the people in her community, and her dreams for a better future.

YA Universal Theme(s) text is aligned with:

The themes associate with The House on Mango Street include identity and self-discovery, home and belonging, gender roles and feminism, poverty and socioeconomic struggles as well as cultural heritage and assimilation.

Appropriate for Grade(s): 9-10

3.  Title of Text: (cite APA):

Thomas, A. (2017). The hate u give. Balzer & Bray

Short Summary of the text:

The Hate U Give is a novel by Angie Thomas that details the story of a sixteen-year-old Starr Carter, who navigates between her impoverished, predominantly black neighborhood and the wealthy, mostly white prep school she attends. Starr’s world is shattered when she witnesses the police shooting of her unarmed best friends, Khalil. As the sole witness, Starr faces intense pressure from all sides, including the police, her community, and her school.

YA Universal Theme(s) text is aligned with:

Themes discussed in the novel include identity and code-switching, the power of voice and activism, family and community, justice and injustice, as well as friendship and loyalty.

Appropriate for Grade(s): 9-10

Annotated Bibliography

Name: Anthony Crespan                                                Genre: Social Issues

1. Title of Text: (cite APA)

Lewis, J., Aydin, A., & Powell, N. (2013). March: Book One. Top Shelf Productions

Short Summary of the text:

March: Book One is a memoir that recounts the early years of civil rights leader and Congressman John Lewis. The book begins with Lewis’s childhood in rural Alabama, where he developed a sense of justice and learned about the power of nonviolent protest. It then follows his involvement in the Civil Rights Movement, focusing on key events such as the Nashville sit-ins, where he and other activists challenged segregation at the lunch counters.

YA Universal Theme(s) text is aligned with:

Themes associated with March: Book One include civil rights and social justice, leadership and activism, courage and resilience as well as nonviolent resistance.

Appropriate for Grade(s): 9-10

2. Title of Text: (cite APA)

Yousafzail, M., & Lamb, C. (2013). I am Malala: The girl who stood up for education and was shot by the Taliban. Little, Brown and Company.

Short Summary of the text:

This memoir of Malala Yousafzai, details her heroism standing up against the Taliban. The story chronicles Malala’s childhood in the Swat Valley of Pakistan, her passion for learning, and her activism for girls’ education. The story recounts the events leading up to the Taliban’s assassination attempt of Malala in 2012 and her recovery as well as continued advocacy afterward.

YA Universal Theme(s) text is aligned with:

Themes expressed in this book are education and empowerment, courage and resilience, gender equality, identity and belonging, as well as tolerance and understanding.

Appropriate for Grade(s): 9-10

3.  Title of Text: (cite APA):

Morrison, T. (1970). The bluest eye. Holt, Rinehart and Winston

Short Summary of the text:

The Bluest Eye tells the story of Pecola Breedlove, a young African American girl growing up in Ohio during the Great Depression. Pecola longs for blue eyes, believing that they will make her beautiful and desirable both romantically and to a society that idolizes whiteness. As Pecola grapples with the trauma of racism, abuse, and neglect, Morrison weaves a narrative that exposes the devastating impact of internalized racism and societal beauty standards on individuals sense of self-worth.

YA Universal Theme(s) text is aligned with:

The novel explores themes of identity, belonging, and the quest for acceptance in a world marked by prejudice and injustice.

Appropriate for Grade(s): 9-10

[motioncapturelucian]

Creative Practice:

Art, Design and Communication

Unit 6 Project Proposal

Candidate Name lucian

Candidate Number

Pathway computer Games Design and Development Year 2

Project Title King Midas and the Thief

Section 1: Rationale

(approx. 150 words)

For this project I have decided to explore the process of animations made specifically with motion capture software.The aim of this project is to gain understanding and skills in this area, such as how to use motion capture software with rigged skeletons and implementing this into unreal engine to be used in a game. I will also be looking into different motion capture software to see how they work differently and what would be better to use. This also means i'll be looking at what software produces the best skeleton that is most compatible with other skeletal rigs 

Section 2: Project Concept

(approx. 250 words)

My concept is a game that uses motion capture from a kinect using the product to be animations for a non built game even though i have not made a game for this the animations are going to revolve around that idea - For the project i plan to develop motion capture, To produce a technical showroom that uses the unreal engines render program, My theme - The animation showroom will focus on human movement and interaction, the animations will incorporate movements inspired by The film Indiana jones, this also takes inspiration from military and combat situations like reloading, shooting even just the looks, i plan to create a minimum of 10 fully animated and rigged assets - the based game that will influence this is going to be zombie themed from the using of items or the interactions

Extended Diploma

In Art and Design

Unit 3 Project Proposal

Section 3: Evaluation

(approx. 100 words)

I am going to be posting this onto my blog talking to my examiners and getting feedback from my peers

Proposed Research Sources and

Bibliography

(Harvard Format)

The Mummy. (1999). Universal Pictures.

The Da Vinci Code. (2006). Sony Pictures, Columbia Pictures, Gaumont, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment.

National Treasure. (2004). Walt Disney Pictures, Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, Touchstone Pictures.

Jumanji. (1995). TriStar Pictures, Sony Pictures Releasing. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0113497/.

Journey 2 - The Mysterious island. (2012). Warner Bros., New Line Cinema, Warner Bros. Pictures.

Indiana Jones Raiders of the Lost Ark. (1981). Paramount Pictures, Paramount Home Entertainment.

Atlantis: The Lost Empire. (2001). Walt Disney Pictures, Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures.

Project action plan and timetable

Week

Date Week Beginning

Activity / What  you are intending to do - including independent study

Resources / What you will need to do it - including access to workshops

1

05/02/24

Research

Google, Tumblr,

2

12/02/24

Research

Google, Tumblr,

3

19/02/24

Research

Google, Tumblr,

4

26/02/24

Research,Recording/Mocap

Google, Tumblr, Kinect desktop

5

04/03/24

Research,Recording/Mocap

Google, Tumblr, Kinect desktop

6

11/03/24

Recording/Mocap

Kinect desktop, Blender

7

18/03/24

Modelling, 

Blender

8

25/03/24

Modelling, 

Blender

9

01/04/24

Modelling, Recording/Mocap

Blender, Kinect desktop, 

10

08/04/24

Modelling, Recording/Mocap

Blender, Kinect desktop, Unreal

11

15/04/24

Modelling, Recording/Mocap

Blender, Kinect desktop, Unreal

12

22/04/24

Final details

Blender, unreal

[tc-fmp]

GARRY'S MOD

Garry's Mod is a sandbox game developed by Facepunch Studios. It, in it's base "sandbox" mode, has no objectives and revolves around the player experimenting with different physics-based items and objects. Garry's Mod has inspired me to slightly alter my game's concept, as it is hugely popular and is still retains a large presence today despite being created in 2006.

Quoting a review [1], Garry's Mod "is really just a giant toy box". This is quite evident by looking at some of the creations that are possible in the game - for example:

The screenshot above was taken as promotional art for the video game, but is very much possible within the game. I like this aspect of the game and I intend to add features to my game which have been inspired by Garry's Mod.

1: Rose, D. (2024). 15 Best sandbox games PC. (online) PCGamesSN. available at: https://www.pcgamesn.com/15-best-sandbox-games-pc [Accessed 12 April 2024]

[avalkorn]

MOVIE & TV SHOW

1. Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts (2022)

2. The Falcon and the Winter Solider (S1) (2021)

3. Loki (S1) (2021)

4. Hawkeye (S1) (2021)

5. Bird Box (2018)

6. Annette (2021)

7. Harry Potter and Sorcerer’s Stone (2001)

8. Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald (2018)

9. Bumblebee (2018)

10. The French Dispatch (2021)

11. The Courier (2020)

12. Rocky (1976)

13. Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (2017)

14. The King’s Man (2021)

15. Tick, tick… Boom! (2021)

16. Army of the Dead (2021)

17. House of Gucci (2021)

18. Nightmare Alley (2021)

19. Левиафан (2014)

20. Westworld (S1) (2016)

21. The 355 (2022)

22. I Am Zlatan (2021)

23. Westworld (S2) (2018)

24. Fahrenheit 451 (2018)

25. Uncharted (2022)

26. Moonfall (2022)

27. Peacemaker (S1) (2022)

28. Last night in Soho (2021)

29. Last Looks (2021)

30. Encanto (2021)

31. The Adam Project (2022)

32. Neon Genesis Evangelion (S1) (1995)

33. The End of Evangelion (1997)

34. Squid Game (S1) (2021)

35. Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (2017)

36. Pleasure (2021)

37. Cowboy Bebop: The Movie (2001)

38. Infinite (2021)

39. Akudama Drive (S1) (2020)

40. Kiki’s Delivery Service (1989)

41. The Lincoln Lawyer (2011)

42. Watchmen (2009)

43. Charlie’s Angels (2019)

44. Bungo Stray Dogs (S1) (2016)

45. Казнь (2022)

46. Карамора (S1) (2022)

47. Operation Mincemeat (2021)

48. Spellbound (1945)

49. In the Aisles (2018)

50. Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City (2021)

51. The lighthouse (2019)

52. Armour of God (1986)

53. Top Gun (1986)

54. The Electrical Life of Louis Wain (2021)

55. Водоворот (S1) (2020)

56. Donnie Darko (2001)

57. Chungking Express (1994)

58. The Truman Show (1998)

59. Fire of Love (2022)

60. Цвет граната (1968)

61. Jagten (2012)

62. What, If…? (S1) (2021)

63. Чики (S1) (2020)

64. Псих (S1) (2020)

65. Being John Malkovich (1999)

66. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022)

67. The Grey Man (2022)

68. The Pray (2022)

69. Everything everywhere All at once (2021)

70. Jason Bourne (2016)

71. The Happening (2008)

72. The Italian Job (2003)

73. The Devil’s Advocate (1997)

74. Snow White and the Huntsman (2012)

75. Kingdom of Heaven (2005)

76. A Sound of Thunder (2004)

77. Paprika (2006)

78. Revolver (2005)

79. Boss Level (2019)

80. Smokin’ Aces (2006)

81. Trance (2013)

82. Black Hawk Dawn (2004)

83. Avatar (2009)

84. The Hunt (2020)

85. The Expanse (S5) (2021)

86. The Expanse (S6) (2022)

87. Bullet Train (2022)

88. The Greatest beer run ever (2022)

89. The Boys (S3) (2022)

90. Passengers (2016)

91. Thor: Love and Thunder (2022)

92. Stranger Things (S4) (2022)

93. Black Adam (2022)

94. House of the Dragon (S1) (2022)

95. Good morning, Vietnam (1987)

96. Jurassic World Dominion (2022)

97. Men (2022)

98. Only God Forgives (2013)

99. Three Thousand Years of Longing (2022)

100. Wasabi (2001)

101. The Office (S1) (2005)

102. Amsterdam (2022)

103. The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power (S1) (2022)

104. Westworld (S4) (2022)

105. Our Flag Means Death (S1) (2022)

106. Avenue 5 (S1) (2020)

107. Enola Holmes 2 (2022)

108. Gorbachev. Heaven (2020)

109. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022)

110. The Office (S2) (2005)

111. C’mon C’mon (2021)

112. Death on the Nile (2022)

113. Leon (1994)

114. Howl's Moving Castle (2004)

115. The Book of Eli (2009)

116. The Menu (2022)

117. Lightyear (2022)

118. Poker Face (2022)

119. In the Mood for Love (2000)

120. The Umbrella Academy (S3) (2022)

121. The Office (S3) (2006)

122. Wednesday (S1) (2022)

123. The Woman King (2022)

124. Devotion (2022)

125. Moon Knight (S1) (2022)

126. Pulp Fiction (1994)

127. The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)

128. Vincent (1982)

129. Frankenweenie (1984)

130. Scream (2022)

131. The Office (S4) (2008)

132. Avatar: The Way of Water (2022)

133. Violent Night (2022)

134. Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore (2022)

135. Spirited (2022)

136. Don’t worry Darling (2022)

137. The Guardian of the Galaxy. Holiday Special (2022)

138. The Book of Boba Fett (S1) (2021)

139. Chinatown (1974)

140. The Banshees of Inisherin (2022)

141. Glass Onion (2022)

BOOK

1. The Witcher. The Lady of the Lake (1998)

2. Morphology of the Folktale (1928)

3. The Hero with a Thousand Faces (1949)

4. To Unknown Lady (1956)

5. Cinema. Who want to do everything (2018)

GAME

1. Assassin’s Creed Valhalla (2020)

2. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (2017)

3. Uncharted 3. Drake’s Deception (2011)

4. Fortnite (2017)

5. Destiny 2 (2017)

6. Mario + Rabbids Kingdom battle (2017)

7. Titanfall 2 (2016)

8. Disco Elysium (2019)

9. Mass Effect: Andromeda (2017)

[otakusmart]

12 South Korean Movies that have to be on Everyone’s Watch List (October 2022)

South Korea is the top name in music today, with bands like BTS and Blackpink at the top of music charts around the world. Their songs are upbeat and optimistic even if the listener doesn’t speak Korean. The rise of k pop has been both a boon and a detriment to Korea’s movie industry. So here are 12 movies you might have seen or not; those deserve a re-watch or first watch, which are grittier than Zack Snyder directing a comic by Frank Miller whilst chewing handfuls of gravel. We hope you are not too lazy to read subtitles for a bunch of these movies:

12 best South Korean movies to watch today

The Call (2020) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hxkKeniT-0Q&ab_channel=NetflixAsia This is science fiction, and a thriller melded into one movie. It follows the exploits of two girls who can communicate with each other via landline phones. These phones are not indifferent where’s but rather different whens. One is in the year 1999, while the other end leads to 20 years into the future; this knowledge of what is to come greatly helps the girls prevent an accidental death of a parent and the death of another would-be murderer. The Call stars Park Shin-Hye and Jeon-Jong-Seo as the main characters of Seo-Yeon (Park Shin-Hye) and Young-sook (Jeon-Jong-Seo). Originally to be released theatrically but was released on Netflix in November 2020 due to COVID Lockdowns. Also Read: Top 15 Best South Korean Comedy Dramas To Watch Today The Wailing (2016) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=43uAputjI4k&ab_channel=RottenTomatoesIndie When a mysterious Japanese man comes to South Korea to start fishing, after his arrival, there is a marked increase of people with skin conditions, violence, and seizures so hardcore it can break bones. The Japanese fisherman was metaphorically fishing for people; you never know who’ll take the bite because randomness leads to chaos. The movie stars Kwak Do-won as Jong-goo, a policeman on the prowl to find a cure for his daughter, also afflicted with the curse, with Jun Kunimura as the Japanese stranger. Train to Busan (2016) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pyWuHv2-Abk&ab_channel=ZeroMedia Right around when the entire populace had gone bored with the standard zombie trend, Train to Busan came out to break Korean records. The movie centers around a father, Seo Seok-woo, a fund manager whose wife left him because of his selfishness, and a daughter who wants to see her mum in Busan for her birthday. The night before, a biotech company just had an accident at the job, and now zombies are everywhere. Even inside a speeding bullet train. The movie also raises questions of elitism as well as selfishness, as said by Ma Dong-Seok as Yoon Sang-Hwa, when the front passengers nearly left them behind. As well as personal sacrifices for your group or others by trying to stem the tide of vicious zombies. The Quiet Family(1998) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Szo2wqsOfGA&ab_channel=PuFFiN The Quiet Family is a black comedy horror movie set in a lonely country mansion. The plot revolves around the titular family trying to hide the bodies of their lodge guests, who all die randomly at one point or another in increasingly ludicrous ways. With the authorities trying to figure out what happened at the lodge, it is up to the family to remain as unsuspicious as possible. In India, it was remade for Tamil as Yaamirukka Bayamey, Kannada as Namo Bhootatma, and Telugu as Next Nuvve. Also Read: 29 Korean Dramas To Watch Before You Die The Host (2006) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1HRTy26s4hw&ab_channel=Shudder The Host is a 2006 South Korean monster film directed by Bong Joon-ho(of Parasite fame). The film concerns a monster kidnapping a man's daughter and his attempts to rescue her. The family arms themselves against local gangsters and forms a ragtag group to go save Hyun-Seo. Unlike most monster movies, this film emphasizes the chemistry and bond of the family trying to save their daughter than conventionally on the creature. Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance (2002) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3lOuAeUiNiY&ab_channel=CARLOSAPOLO-TRAILERSGEEK Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance is a 2002 South Korean thriller directed and co-written by Park Chan-wook. It marks the beginning of the Vengeance trilogy, a trio of movies directed by Park Chan-wook with similar themes of violent retribution for the main characters. In Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance, a deaf mute named Ryu needs to find a kidney donor for his sister. As he is not a match for the transplant, Ryu tries to exchange his kidney with black-market organ donors. He gets cheated out of a kidney, and the severance pays money. He finally finds a compatible donor but does not have the money anymore. His anarchist girlfriend, Yeong – mi, suggests kidnapping the daughter of his rich former employer. The movie’s climax features the deaths of Ryu’s sister, his girlfriend, and the little girl they kidnapped. Also Read: Best 5 Animated Horror Movies For Horror Fans Oldboy (2003) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2HkjrJ6IK5E&ab_channel=BillGnk This movie is probably the most famous movie of the ‘Vengeance Trilogy. It retells the story of a Japanese manga of the same name. The film follows the kidnapping of Oh Dae-Su, who disappears on the night of his daughter’s birthday. He is kept in a hotel-type cabin for 15 years, where he studies boxing and tries to dig himself out of his room. He is let go after 15 years and given a timetable to find out why and where he was held for such a long time. Chaos ensues when the riddle is pieced back together from High School to the present. The fight choreography in this movie is second to none in terms of looking as real as possible and not a movie fight scene. Lady Vengeance (2005) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MM1XAl38l4k&ab_channel=CARLOSAPOLO-TRAILERSGEEK This movie is the last of the ‘Vengeance Trilogy’ by Park Chan-wook. Generated by the goodwill of moviegoers and critics alike, Lady Vengeance got a significantly higher budget. This budget can be seen to work in the cinematography of the movie amongst the plot and subplots. The titular character in the film is a young woman named Lee Geum-Ja, (Lee Young-ae), a confessed murderer of a young boy. Although she confesses to the murder, the police detective who takes on the case knows she was lying to protect someone maybe while Geun-Ja uses the time to locate the killer as well as do favors for her cellmates which she asks them to return once out of prison and on the hunt. The movie is way darker in tone than the already dark themes of the preceding two movies but with a huge amount of catharsis by the end of the movie. Memoir of a Murderer (2017) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zqWdrispQuE&ab_channel=RottenTomatoesIndie The movie features a serial killer who develops degenerative Alzheimer's disease after an accident. He goes back to his veterinarian job. The blackout seems to have completely restructured his memory so that he does not remember who he was and what he saw. He was in a rear bumper with a stranger’s car, and his suspicions were raised further when the killer started dating his daughter and, as far as he knows. The blackouts are more frequent and longer; a friend tells him to keep a journal before forgetting everything again. This starts off the cat and mouse game where our protagonist is also a killer, so the audience does not know who to be rude to. The memoirs that he kept indicted him in many ways if it fell into competent hands. The book this was based on and the movie ‘Memento ’ borrows heavily from them. It is a suspenseful thriller as the audience is taken into a world through the incomplete remembrances of a person dealing with degenerative mental conditions. Also Read: 31 Spine-tingling horror movies you cannot watch alone GONJIAM: HAUNTED ASYLUM (2018) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KKEgeojjcGg&ab_channel=GSCMovies This found footage movie came out well after found footage had become a thing and was drawing large sums of money, but also the genre suffocating the other genres of the time. Gonjiam is easily one of the best movies in the genre. The movie follows a group of amateur ghost hunters (aka The Horror Times Crew) to the real-life Gonjiam Asylum. They are looking to make a cool 500,000 or so from the live stream. There were some scares orchestrated by the director and some of the participants during the first half of the crew, but then some unplanned events started to happen which were not in the script. The patients and their director are the spirits who haunt the asylum, and all I can tell is the sound of a table tennis ball will send a tingle up your back. It reminds me of older found footage of who uploaded the stream or got the videos to release the footage. R-Point (2004) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mh4Mz5oukJE&ab_channel=CARLOSAPOLO-TRAILERSGEEK R-Point is a wartime psychological thriller written and directed by Kong Su-chang. It is set in the 1970s during the Vietnam war. The movie is about South Korean soldiers picking up a distress call from Romeo-Point. They send a team of nine soldiers to go on this search and rescue. They are immediately ambushed by the Vietcong, and their luck goes down another notch. The nine soldiers get killed several ways until only 1 left. Sergeant Jang Young-soo led the rescue team, but the bodies of the eight other soldiers had vanished. Also Read: The Best Live-Action Movies Inspired From Anime A Tale of Two Sisters (2003) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4YmCIp4qlGg&ab_channel=HorrorLover Written and directed by Kim Jee-Woon, this is a psycho-horror drama inspired by a Korean folktale. It is the highest-grossing South Korean horror film and the first South Korean picture to be screened in American theatres. The plot centers on two sisters and their relationships with their father and his new wife. The tired trope of evil stepmom was used as a genius diversion. As with most Korean movies of the era, ‘A Tale of Two Sisters comes up with one that is strictly better seen than read. The parasite is not included because, face it, it is a movie that tops every horror listicle and if you haven’t seen it, what are you doing here? They are just people who watched and loved it but seeing it here could just be a knockoff and missing the point about financial equality and how one family tries to climb into the household of the very rich. Read the full article

[lesbianrobin]

gonna make a post ab something nobody else cares about as per usual! as a bit of a redneck it bothers me when people use "glock" to refer to all guns SO i am gonna provide a wittle bit of info relevant to the st fandom.

if ur writing st fic where people use guns: nancy has a soviet makarov (which is a semi-automatic pistol) that she got off one of the dead dudes in s3, and a smith & wesson revolver stolen from lonnie byers in s1. in s3, she uses a remington 12-gauge shotgun that belongs to hopper when the meat flayer attacks the cabin. the shotgun that she saws off in s4 is a winchester model 1200. hopper also uses a smith & wesson revolver in s3 and that would presumably be his personal weapon, not something issued by the hawkins pd. most people in hawkins, like hopper and lonnie, would probably favor american manufacturers like smith & wesson, colt, and remington. jason threatens lucas with a colt python.

it's also likely that a lot of citizens in hawkins would have hunting rifles. if you want a specific model to namedrop, one of the most popular rifles of all time is the winchester model 1894 (or model 94), which was produced from 1894 until 2006. they're often used for hunting deer and if someone says "deer rifle" they are probably talking about the model 94 or something very similar.

anyway that's ab it that should be like the basics u need for any fic casually involving guns in hawkins. if you have no personal experience with firearms and ur gonna write about actually loading and firing i'd recommend you watch a lil youtube video of someone loading/firing the type of gun you're thinking about. i will say that loading a handgun magazine can be deceptively difficult if you have small hands at least in my experience because it seems like a lot of them are manufactured with Dude Hands in mind. anyway that's all bye pls nobody unfollow me for having fired guns before <3