#12/2006 revolver

[weaselandfriends]

Were SAO and Ender's Game just a coincidence, or are you deliberately seeking out stories about "gamers"? If it's the latter, would you consider Iain Bank's "The Player Of Games" to fit the brief?

It was a coincidence, actually. I reread Ender's Game recently to prepare to read Speaker for the Dead, its sequel, which I had never read before. Meanwhile, most of the anime I'm watching is part of a groupwatch group of webfic authors. One of the members of the group, Gazemaize, has never seen much anime before, and wanted to watch anime that were particularly influential. We started out by watching all of Evangelion, and then decided that Sword Art Online would also, in a tragic way, qualify as massively influential...

I haven't read The Player of the Games, so I can't comment on that.

I did cut an extended section from my SAO essay on the history of video games in media. This section is fragmentary, but here it is if you're interested:

When Nintendo revived the video game industry in America in 1985, it did so fighting an entrenched social stigma against the term "video game." Two years prior, Atari crashed the market by flooding it with barely-functional shovelware; on top of lingering consumer mistrust, many considered video games to be a fad past its expiration date.

Nintendo tackled this stigma primarily through deception. The Nintendo Entertainment System was marketed not as a "video game," but as a multipurpose electronic toy. As part of the trick, the company drew on its nearly century-long history as a (non-video) game and toy manufacturer, bundling the console with toy-like peripherals like R.O.B. and the Super Scope.

It worked. The NES was a massive hit. But its success came at a price, at least regarding the cultural conception of video games. During the arcade era, video games had primarily been a teen activity, with arcades not just a location to play but a place to hang out. Now, though, the overwhelming image of video games was as a toy for children.

This image was reflected in media about video games. The pre-crash Tron (1982), despite being a Disney movie, was rated PG (before PG-13 existed) and starred an adult Jeff Bridges in a plot revolving around corporate espionage. Not a single child character appeared in the film. But the post-Nintendo The Wizard (1989) starred a 12-year-old Fred Savage and a 9-year-old Luke Edwards. Nintendo would also license multiple Saturday morning children's cartoons, such as The Super Mario Bros. Super Show (1989) and Captain N: The Game Master (1989). Nintendo's kid-friendly mascot characters became the cultural face of video games, recognized by billions worldwide.

Slowly, though, the demographic reality of gaming and Gamers changed. By the mid-90s, hardware had advanced enough for sprawling, narrative-dense RPGs like Final Fantasy VII (1997) to replace the cute, mascot-driven platformers of the preceding generations. By the early 2000s, graphics were capable of depicting gritty, realistic warzones, and first-person shooters became explosively popular thanks to titles like Halo: Combat Evolved (2001) and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare (2007). Teens once more became the core demographic, and adults who grew up with games were sticking around too.

But video games were still not taken seriously by the public at large. Either the kid-friendly image persisted, as through Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over (2003), or video games got sent to the horror movie ghetto via a startlingly long series of cheap, critically-panned films: Resident Evil (2002), House of the Dead (2003), Doom (2005), Alone in the Dark (2005), BloodRayne (2005), Silent Hill (2006), Stay Alive (2006), and the equally-startling number of sequels those films collectively spawned. Most of these adaptations were only marginally faithful to the source material, as if even slasher horror was too good a genre to consider video games a worthy mode of storytelling.

[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

[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

[nursingwriter]

For many people who have a pressing health issue or concern that does not occur when their doctor is in office, the emergency room is their only alternative. An emergency room doctor can’t turn them away, and for the uninsured the ER is often the place where the bulk of their health problems are addressed—including things that are non-emergencies. Now the advent of the urgent care center has changed all that. Research suggests that patients should use utilize urgent care clinics versus an emergency room for non-life threatening medical issues because they are often treated faster, utilize fewer resources, and have less out-of-pocket expenses. Finding patient accessible care has long been a problem. For example, some workers who have to be at work at 8am, before most doctor’s offices are open, might go to the emergency room to get an ear infection treated. Of course, this is how many people view the ER and is one of the problems that causes overloading, overcrowding and long wait times for the emergency room. “A large portion of ED visits fall into the category of avoidable use resulting from patients seeking non-urgent care or ED care for conditions that could have been treated and/or prevented by prior primary care. Use of the ED for non-urgent (or non-emergency) visits grew from 9.7 percent of all ED visits in 1997 to over 12 percent in 2006…Estimates of total avoidable ED use range as high as 56 percent of all visits” (NEHI, 2010). What this data clearly suggests is that there is a definitive way to make ERs all over the nation more efficient, and more empowered to serve the populations that they are meant for. The ideal part of this issue that is so easily fixed revolves around the fact that ERs everywhere are being misused. Since this problem is so easy to diagnose, it really should be easy to fix. It’s like a long line at an ice cream parlor because that is the only business in the neighborhood that sells bottle of water and juice. Once a convenience store can open up, a store that is stocked full of necessary beverages, then that immediately eliminates the long line in the hypothetical ice cream shop. While many experts have mixed opinions about the explosion of urgent care centers, they do offer a viable alternative to the emergency room. Urgent care centers have sprung up and have filled a gaping, aggravated need in the realm of professional medicine. They offer patients health assistance when waiting (not even in the ER) is an option. “Urgent care centers and retail clinics have emerged as alternatives to the emergency department for nonemergency care. We estimate that 13.7–27.1 percent of all emergency department visits could take place at one of these alternative sites, with a potential cost savings of approximately $4.4 billion annually. The primary conditions that could be treated at these sites include minor acute illnesses, strains, and fractures” (Weinick, 2010). Fundamentally, an urgent care center can take on the bulk of the load that boggles down an ER waiting room. For example, a urinary tract infection is definitely not an emergency, but getting one late Friday night and having to live with it until you can see your primary care physician on Monday can feel unbearable. It’s just not fair and not the mark of a first world nation to make someone wait three hours in the waiting room of the ER to see a doctor. For many people, the emergence of the urgent care center has entered society as a godsend. While they aren’t cheap, they are affordable for many and are a safety net for when doctors aren’t in offices and the line at the ER is too long to manage. However, just because urgent care centers play such a useful role in society now, doesn’t mean that everyone uses them or understands their purpose. It takes work to change employee perceptions of urgent care in order to minimize inappropriate ER usage (Saravas, 2012). When ERs are used without discrimination it puts a direct strain on the healthcare system (Saravas, 2012). Once perceptions regarding urgent care centers are transformed, overall healthcare costs can be lowered, as urgent care centers will be utilized more regularly. As we’ve seen so many times in life, education is key in order to create meaningful change in society. As one author illuminates, there are two main aggravated circumstances that create an unhealthy dependence on the ER. The first is that people have trouble making the distinction about which medical conditions require emergency care and which don’t (Fogarty, 2011). For so many people, going to the ER is a default solution to an unexpected medical issue that occurs when their doctor is not available. They don’t even stop and think that there might be another alternative to waiting for hours in the ER. Moreover, there is the fact that many people feel pressured to use the ER as a result of the way their insurance is set up (Fogarty, 2011). On the other hand, insurance companies have been cracking down on the non-emergency use of ERs and recently experienced some pushback from doctors. Anthem Blue Cross sent out letters last year and made headlines. An excerpt from the letter is as follows: “Save the ER for emergencies — or cover the cost… starting July 1, 2017, you’ll be responsible for ER costs when it’s NOT an emergency. That way, we can all help make sure the ER’s available for people who really are having emergencies” (Fox, 2017). This letter received instant criticism from doctors, accusing health insurance companies of just being out to make money. While that is probably true, the new policy change does represent a primitive attempt to get people to stop using ERs in non-emergency scenarios. Sometimes commanding people to stop using them when there are other facilities available is a productive way to get people to change their behavior. Other tactics that have proven to have a certain level of effectiveness are increasing the emergency room fee (Do, 2014). This was meant to discourage non-emergency clients from visiting and it did have an impact in decreasing the rate of non-emergency patients (Do, 2014). Furthermore, research has shown that a lot of ER users with non-urgent needs tend to be younger and healthier, often without regular access to a primary care doctor (Adesara et al., 2011). Sometimes primary care doctors will tell them to go to the ER for care on the weekends should they need it, surprisingly enough (Adesara et al., 2011). This clearly indicates that there is a lack of clarity in communicating the need to use urgent care centers and that everyone needs to get on the same page. The bottom line is that shifting patients away from ERs and into retail-centered and urgent care walk-in centers have a markedly positive impact on the bottom line of the healthcare arena as a whole. The benefits are widespread: they lower healthcare costs for everybody, they make care more accessible, and they can minimize the impact of certain chronic diseases (Frederick, 2013). Many experts predict that urgent care facilities are indeed here to stay indefinitely, as they meet a real need in the market. More than ever in today’s fast-paced world, people want a place they can go to receive treatment for their health issues in an immediate fashion. Once people start to understand the unique role that urgent care facilities intend to play, then more people are likely to be in support of them. This is because most urgent care facilities intend to work in cooperation with primary care physicians, and not in competition with them (Ashton, 2017). This is an important distinction to bear in mind, as viewing urgent care facilities as competitors to traditional means of accessing healthcare is how some initially viewed them. “Urgent care is viewed by many as a disruptor in health care, an upstart that is changing the status quo by allowing patients to access care at the time and place they choose. Urgent care centers have definitely rattled some cages, prompting some primary care offices to open on weekends and offer extended evening hours just to compete for patient business” (Kulin, 2015). Competition is precisely what spurs the marketplace forward. Primary care facilities should do everything they can to keep the clients they have, including being open on the weekends. For so long, primary care offices could just do whatever they wanted, because they were the only proverbial game in town. With the emergence of urgent care centers this has all changed. Primary care offices now have to step their game up if they want to survive. Some journalists have argued that the advent of the urgent care center is exactly what has caused the deterioration of the doctor-patient relationship that have long existed (Bonura, 2000). Instead of regular check ups and managed care, people are just going to the urgent care facility for episodic needs and ignoring the need for a consistent relationship with their healthcare provider at all. This isn’t the fault of the urgent care facility. As it remains, urgent care centers fulfill a concrete need and fix a concrete problem in the healthcare delivery system. Cooperation with urgent care and primary care offices is crucial in order to offer the patient a more comprehensive platform for health. One of the other really crucial needs that urgent care fulfills is that any doctor will agree that it is truly challenging to predict the incidences of episodic care: the itchy eyes, the urinary tract infections, the sore throats. As one doctor claims, just when you think you understand patient health patterns, the trend changes and it disrupts any veil of clarity you though you had (Kulin, 2015). “We all know it is tough to schedule regular patient visits months in advance and still leave enough space for urgent needs. This is exactly why primary care shouldn’t see urgent care as a threat, but as an opportunity to improve the care of the larger population” (Kulin, 2015). Some primary care doctors have been happy to no longer be obligated to keep their practices open on the weekends. Many urgent care centers are often very good at communicating with the patient’s primary care doctor or “homebase” knowing that they do receive follow up care there. This is a definitive way that urgent care can work with primary care to create very nuanced cooperative care. Finally one of the things that makes urgent care so successful and so competitive are the hours that they keep. Sure some primary care facilities have a few early or later appointments, but those often get snapped up very quickly. Most clients have jobs that require them to be there at least 9am to 5pm, in addition to travel time. With an urgent care center, the hours are much wider in order to stress patient access. “The emphasis on patient access at UH urgent care centers is reflected in the facilities' open scheduling and business hours—from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekdays and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekends” (Cheney, 2015). Some urgent care facilities are open even earlier. This is good because its bringing competition back to this area of the marketplace. Healthcare has too long been viewed as a necessity (though it is) and not a service industry. The sense of competition and the need to bring one’s A-game to patients and clients is good. Urgent care centers have been that spark that have driven competition back into this particular arena of the industry, and patients stand to benefit. This is particularly crucial, as patients haven’t benefited for so long. “"In part, we want to be a place where physicians want to work. We're in a service industry. There are recruiting battles out there in the urgent care and emergency department areas, and in primary care” (Cheney, 2015). Years ago, a statement like this would have been unheard of, though it is a phenomenon that directly benefits the patient. Recruitment battles mean better doctor for patients and a higher standard of care. For so long, doctors have forgotten that they were members of the service industry. Instead doctors were treated as though they were delicate geniuses whose time was more valuable than the patients. It’s honestly no wonder that there were so many tremendous issues with patients looking for care in evenings and weekends. In the past, many primary care doctors wouldn’t deign to have their practice open on the weekends. Now they are finding it to be more and more of a necessity so that they don’t lose their customer base. As one expert explains, “U.S. healthcare has been a monolith of inefficiency, limited access, and untenable costs for decades, due mainly to a lack of healthy competition. Today’s healthcare landscape, however, spurred by converging market forces, is rapidly evolving into a competitive marketplace, with urgent care being one of the key catalysts for this welcomed and long overdue change” (Ayers, 2017). The most accurate phrase in this excerpt is “monolith of inefficiency”—the healthcare industry was like a slow dinosaur delivering subpar care to patients because they could. With the advent of urgent care centers, a spark of change has been ignited. Now with fresh competition there is finally the possibility for efficiency, and for costs to become competitive as well as the forms of service delivery. Primary care centers shouldn’t bemoan the increased competition, rather it should motivate them to do their jobs in a better fashion, outshining the level of care received at urgent care facilities. One patient who just graduated college explained that as someone who cannot afford health insurance, that urgent care centers gave him “peace of mind” that if anything happened to him, he would be able to take care of it—all in a timely fashion. More over, urgent care centers can act as entry points in to the healthcare arena for people who don’t have primary care doctors. In some cases, the urgent care center has been known to give primary care doctors additional business. In conclusion, urgent care centers represent efficiency and accessibility, two major gaps that existed in the previous model. The previous model can largely be dismissed as healthcare that benefits doctors and insurance companies, not patients—which is ludicrous as the patients were the ones bankrolling everything. One can safely summarize that urgent care centers represent the dawn of change, however slowly, for a flawed and backwards system. References Adesara, R., Spencer, J., & Bost, J. (2011). Office-Based Patient Education Decreases Non-Emergent Emergency Department Visits. Journal of Medical Practice Management, 131-135 Ashton, L. (2017, July). Urgent Care: A growing healthcare landscape. Nursing, 47(7), 21-24. Ayers, A. A. (2018, June 20). How Urgent Care Cultivates Competition in Healthcare | Journal of Urgent Care Medicine. Retrieved from https://www.jucm.com/urgent-care-cultivates-competition-healthcare/ Cheney, C. (2015, November 30). The New Urgent Care Wave | HealthLeaders Media. Retrieved from https://www.healthleadersmedia.com/finance/new-urgent-care-wave?page=02 Bonura, C. (2000, November 20). ‘Urgent’ care centers cut ER waits. New Orleans Citybusiness, 4-5. Cheney, C. (2015, November). The New Urgent Care Wave. HealthLeaders, 38-40. Do, Y. (2014, October 27). The Impact of an Emergency Room Fee Increase on the Composition of Patients Visiting Emergency Departments. Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, 2014(20), 309-316 Fogarty, T. (2011, October 15). Reigning in unnecessary emergency room costs – for individuals and employers. Managed Care Outlook, 24(20), 2-5 Frederick, J. (2013, March 11). Insurers turn to retail, urgent care clinics to keep members out of emergency rooms. Drug Store News, 32-37. Fox, M. (2017, June 5). Is this new emergency room policy bad medicine? Retrieved from https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/major-insurance-company-s-payment-decision-angers-er-doctors-n767766 Frederick, J. (2013, March 11). Insurers turn to retail, urgent care clinics to keep members out of emergency rooms. Drug Store News, 32-37. Kulin, J. (2018, February 16). The Cooperative Model for Urgent Care and Primary Care. Retrieved from https://www.athenahealth.com/blog/2015/04/27/the-cooperative-model-for-urgent-care-and-primary-care NEHI. (2010, March). A Matter of Urgency:Reducing Emergency Department Overuse. Retrieved from https://www.nehi.net/writable/publication_files/file/nehi_ed_overuse_issue_brief_032610finaledits.pdf Weinick, R., Burns, R. M., & Mehrota, A. (2017, August 2). Many Emergency Department Visits Could Be Managed At Urgent Care Centers And Retail Clinics | Health Affairs. Retrieved from https://www.healthaffairs.org/doi/abs/10.1377/hlthaff.2009.0748 Saravas, P. (2012, January 1). Perception is Reality: Six keys to changing employee perceptions of urgent care and reducing inappropriate ER utilization. Managed Care Outlook, 25(1), 2-7. Read the full article

[joannmathews]

Women and Adversity: Margaret E. Knight   ‘Woman Edison’ Inventor of Machines My second December repeat post is of Margaret “Mattie” Eloise Knight. She is quoted as saying, “I’m only sorry I couldn’t have had as good a chance as a boy.” Knight wasn’t like the average girl who played with dolls and wanted to be a wife and mother. Her world revolved around tools and machines. She was born in 1838 and at age 12, invented a safety device that prevented the shuttle from falling off a loom. She couldn’t patent her invention because she was too young to get a patent. Flat-bottom bags are part of our shopping experience and most of us, I’m sure, have never questioned how they were invented. Look back to Knight, who wanted to find a way to make bags easier to fold. In 1867, while working at The Columbia Paper Bag Company in Springfield, Massachusetts, she saw the machine had problems, so she invented a machine that cut, glued and folded a bag so its bottom was flat. There’s more to the story. She made a wooden model and asked machine shop worker Charles Annan to make an iron model of her design. He stole her design and had it patented. She filed a lawsuit against him and got the patent in 1871.  She and a partner then established the Eastern Paper Bag Company, acquired two more patents that made the production more efficient and then mass-produced paper bags. The machine is displayed in the Smithsonian National Museum of American History. Among her other inventions: 1883 -  dress and skirt shield 1884 - clasp for robes 1885 - barbeque spit for cooking meats 1890 - shoe cutting machines 1894 – window frame and sash  Bio: Born February 14, 1838, in York, Maine When her father died, the family moved to Manchester, New Hampshire 1850 - Left school and began working 1867 – Moved to Springfield, Massachusetts and worked at Columbia Paper Bag Company 1880s-1890s – focused on inventing household items 2006 – Inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame Knight never married. She died on October 12, 1914 at the age of 76. More information: www.youtube.com/watch?v=M3-lgR2EHUc biographies.framinghamhistory.org/margaret-e-knight www.encyclopedia.com/science/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/margaret-e-knight My ebooks are available at amazon.com and barnesandnoble.com: Honoring 23 Black Women, Recognizing 23 Notable Mothers, Saluting 23 Faithful Suffragists    

Margaret E. Knight, Inventor (Boston Sunday Post, March 31, 1912, p. 4) Women and Adversity: Margaret E. Knight   ‘Woman Edison’ Inventor of Machines My second December repeat post is of Margaret “Mattie” Eloise Knight. She is quoted as saying, “I’m only sorry I couldn’t have had as good a chance as a boy.” Knight wasn’t like the average girl who played with dolls and wanted to be a wife and…

[showbizndentertainment]

All Jason Statham Movies, Ranked 🎥🔥

1. Spy (2015)

2. Furious 7 (2015)

3. The Bank Job (2008)

5. Snatch (2000)

4. Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (1998)6. The Italian Job (2003)

7. Fast & Furious 6 (2013)

8. The Beekeeper (2024)

9. Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw (2019)

10. The Fate of the Furious (2017)

11. Wrath of Man (2021)

12. The Expendables 2 (2012)

13. Crank: High Voltage (2009)

14. Crank (2006)

15. Safe (2012)

16. Cellular (2004)

17. Gnomeo & Juliet (2011)

18. The Transporter (2002)

19. The Mechanic (2011)

20. Transporter 2 (2005)

21. Operation Fortune: Ruse de guerre (2023)

22. Blitz (2011)

23. The Meg (2018)

25. The Expendables (2010)

24. Redemption (2013)

26. Homefront (2013)

27. Death Race (2008)

28. Transporter 3 (2008)

29. Parker (2013)

30. Mean Machine (2001)

31. The Expendables 3 (2014)

32. Mechanic: Resurrection (2016)

33, Wild Card (2015)

34. Kil-ler Elite (2011)

35. Meg 2: The Trench (2023)

37. Revolver (2005)

36. John Carpenter's Ghosts of Mars (2001)

38. London (2005)

39. Expend4bles (2023)

40. The One (2001)

41. War (2007)

42. Turn It Up (2000)

43. 13 (2010)

44. In the Name of the King: A Dungeon Siege Tale (2007)

[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

[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

[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!

[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.

[ilovetheideaofu]

The Skarsgård children about growing up with their mother's alcohol abuse

My Skarsgård is the mother of six children after the 32-year marriage to Stellan Skarsgård. During the children's upbringing, she suffered from alcohol abuse, something that her youngest son Valter Skarsgård now shares his views on.

Stellan Skarsgård and My Skarsgård had six children during their marriage, and the majority of them are not hidden gems. Several of the siblings have chosen to follow in their father's footsteps. We often see Alexander, Gustaf, Bill and Valter in feature films, on the big screen, in Swedish series or in Hollywood itself.

Eija and Sam are the two in the crowd who do not engage in acting today.

Valter Skarsgård on how his mother's abuse affected him

Valter Skarsgård, who is now 26, is now a guest on the podcast Nemo meets a friend , and tells about growing up, when a large part revolved around mother My's alcohol abuse. In the podcast, he is asked how her addiction has affected him.

- Incredibly much, my whole personality of course, he says and explains that her addiction lasted during basically his entire upbringing.

My Skarsgård herself has previously told about her alcoholism, which gained momentum after she suffered from cervical cancer in the late 90s, and alleviated her anxiety and fear with vodka.

Since 2006, My has been sober, and since then she has held sobriety courses as an alcohol and drug therapist - a course that Valter took even before he had even started consuming alcohol.

My relationship with alcohol and all that stuff ... I'm really not some kind of absolutist. I can drink sometimes, but I'm vigilant. If I have been on the Way out West type and you have been drunk for two or three days in a row, then I become like 'god, now I can not drink for two months because I am starting to feel that now it's balling out'. I am incredibly attentive and very aware, which is very good.

The support from the siblings

His older brother Gustaf, 41, has also had problems with alcohol. He started drinking at the age of 12, and suffered from substance abuse problems until he was 30. Seeing both his mother and his brother go through what they went through meant that alcohol was not glorified for Valter, quite the opposite.

- I got to see the warning flags quite early. I guess I have a pretty realistic view of alcohol, he says.

Some who really existed as support while growing up are his siblings.

- Dad worked all the time, mother was in the condition she was then. It becomes clear that you grow up without any security and as a child you need it, and then I had my siblings, but my sister is only three years older than me, he explains and adds:

But you have learned from it too. I'm so grateful for the family I have now and how everything is today so I do not know if I would necessarily have wanted to change anything, but it is clear that it has left its mark.

[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.

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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. 

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[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.