#2017 bonus round

[launchpad-mcquacks]

The Battle for 3rd Place!

Who do you think deserves third place in the ranking??

[best-aroace-parent]

Best aroace parent; FINAL ROUND 🔥

Propaganda for Darius Deamonne 💛; The first time we see him interact with Hunter, the kid he'll later adopt, he's rather rude with him, but after reconsidering his opinion of him, we get all of these little moments and hints about how much their relationship has improved and how much he cares, until they actually become a family in the finale.

As for his orientation, a lot of people like to hc him as gay because of his pettiness towards an old friend from his childhood, but aside from one blush, he doesn't actually seem to pursue any kind of romantic relationship with him nor anybody else, rather forming a family with Hunter and Eberwolf, who's been said to be like a brother to him.

As a bonus, his color palette is full of purples and greens just like the aro and ace flags, which is rather fun

Propaganda for Cale Henituse 💛; He mainly parents 3 children (Raon, On, Hong) but also takes care of multiple other children. He is oblivious to other people's affection for him and thinks of beauty objectively and calls others beautiful often without any underlying feelings.

Propaganda for Della Duck 💛; She’s literally the best mom ever (eventually) and this does not once take away her ability to be a character in her own right. She gets trapped on the moon for 10/12 years (sources vary) while her brother looks after her sons and she spends every single day of those years trying desperately to get back to them. Mid season 2 she finally gets back to her kids and tries her best to become the mother she missed out on being while her kids grew up. She learns that she doesn’t need to be the “perfect” mother, it’s just important that she’s there now. She bonds with her kids and is just overall an incredibly supportive and encouraging mother.

As for her being aroace, the father of her kids is never addressed and never even a question asked in universe. Imo she just had kids cause she wanted to have kids, all ready to be a single parent. She also really just doesn’t show attraction to anyone throughout the series so it’s fairly common to hc her as aroace.

[bl-bracket]

Bonus Round: Most Unhinged Plot Finals

[malenjoyer]

YEARS OLD ART!!! 😼

Here’s my art style in 2017 back when I was still a minor… it was very round

Bonus:

[sportsthoughts]

In The Room Masterpost Seasons 5-7 Continuing on from Seasons 1-4 please enjoy my little reference post for the next three seasons of ITR:

Watch In The Room on Youtube here

All Season 5 gifs (2015-16 season) Episode 1: Home of the Penguins part 1 - part 2 - bonus Geno - bonus Sid Episode 2: Taking Shape - bonus helmet - bonus Sid Episode 3: A Season of Change part 1 - part 2 - beach trip - Duper's retirement - Sid's response to Duper's retirement Episode 4: Pulling Together part 1 - part 2 - bonus Kris and the puppy - Sid and Flower in the gym Episode 5: Forging an Identity - 2016 All Star Game part 1 - 2016 All Star Game part 2 - bonus team superbowl party Episode 6: Trusting the Process - Sid's Little Penguins - Kris takes Alex skating Episode 7: Embrace the Race - Night of Assists 2016 Playoffs Rounds 1 & 2 Playoffs Round 3: Games 1-6 - Game 7 (Penguins win the ECF) Episode 8: Just Play - Stanley Cup Final Media Day - Stanley Cup Final Games 1 & 2 - Stanley Cup Final Games 3, 4 & 5 - Stanley Cup Final Game 6 - Game 6 Celebrations - 2016 Stanley Cup Parade

All Season 6 gifs (2016-2017 season) Episode 1: Raising Expectations - training camp - White House visit - 2016 ring celebration - bonus coach Geno Episode 2: A Daily Endeavour - Kris, Rusty and co. play video games Episode 3: We Are Family - bonus Geno - bonus Sid - holiday video behind the scenes - Jake's NHL debut Episode 4: More Than Ordinary - bonus Sid and his stick Episode 5: The Constant - Sid at NHL 100 - Sid at the 2017 All Star Game - All Star Game part 2 - Sid's 1000th point - more Sid's 1000th point Episode 6: New Surroundings Episode 7: Finding a Way Playoffs Round 1 Playoffs Round 2 Games 1-6 - Game 7 Playoffs Round 3 (Pens win the ECF) Episode 8: Back to Back (Stanley Cup Final Games 1-5) - Pens win the cup in Game 6 - celebrating the 2017 cup - locker room celebrations - 2017 Stanley Cup Parade

All Season 7 gifs (2017-2018 season) Episode 1: A Beautiful Thing - cup ring presentation - flashback sidgeno - flashback Sid and the stanley cup - Sid plays baseball - Dumo's day with the cup Episode 2: Bread and Butter Episode 3: Sky's the Limit - bonus core Episode 4: Feel the Juice - bonus Geno Episode 5: One Shot at a Time - Sid and Kris at the 2018 All Star Game Episode 6: A Golden Ticket Episode 7: Enjoy the Ride Episode 8: Family

Sid highlights: Season 5 - Season 6 - Season 7 (coming soon)

Geno highlights: Season 5 - Season 6 - Season 7 (coming soon)

Kris highlights: Season 5 - Season 6 - Season 7 (coming soon)

Flower highlights: Seasons 5 - Season 6

Rusty highlights: Season 5 - Season 6 - Season 7 (coming soon)

Misc: Skates close up - Matt Cullen highlights - Patric Hornqvist highlights (coming soon) - Dumo highlights (coming soon) - Jake Guentzel highlights (coming soon)

[icehearts]

THEN vs. NOW.

Tagged by @sealrock -- thank you friend! This is such a fun idea so I decided to do all three of my (currently) (sorta) active characters! Not sure who has been tagged yet or not, but I'll tag @tsunael @tearlunars @viiioca @spiral-cut and YOU. 🫵

ESCA. 2018 vs. 2024. Honestly? She hasn't changed TOO much outside of a few tweaks and the addition of crimes like hair and makeup. Most surprising to me is that she didn't have her beauty mark when I first made her back during uhhh, late Stormblood, I think? Also it feels so weird to see her forehead now.

SEYUN. 2021 vs. 2024. Pretty similar situation here -- Seyun's DNA is pretty close to her original incarnation. Her hair and eye colors have been SLIGHTLY altered over time since I'm picky and indecisive, and she also got some limbal rings somewhere along the way. It's pretty crazy how much of a difference custom makeup/brows/lashes can make though.

"YURI." 2017/2018 vs. 2024. So. Yuri is a special case, because they aren't an OC for me in the same way that Esca, Seyun, and my other characters are. I'm not attached to a 'canon' appearance (or name or personality or race or gender or aesthetic) for them, and I like feeling free to change things up on a whim. The only constant is that I've been a dragoon main since day 1.

Actually, I've swapped things up SO much on my main that I decided to do a bonus round under the cut:

They started out as a face 4 au ra, but Yuri has also spent some time as a mooncat, fem viera, face 4 au ra AGAIN, male viera, and now fem elezen as of Dawntrail. I'm quite pleased with elezen at the moment, so I don't forsee myself changing any time soon, but who knows!

[autumngracy]

October TV Show Watchlist

Kid-Friendly

Hilda (2018-2023)

The Good Witch (2015-2021)

Gravity Falls (2012-2016)

The Owl House (2020-2023)

Over the Garden Wall (2014)

Bewitched (1964-1972)

The Halloween Baking Championship (2015-present)

Sabrina the Teenage Witch (1996-2003)

I Dream of Jeannie (1965-1970)

Halloween Wars (2011-present)

Goosebumps (1995-1998)

Goosebumps (2023-present)

Are You Afraid of the Dark? (1990-2000)

Warehouse 13 (2009-2014)

Courage the Cowardly Dog (1999-2002)

That's So Raven (2003-2007)

The Secret World of Alex Mack (1994)

Tales From the Cryptkeeper (1993-1999)

Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! (1969-1970)

The New Scooby-Doo Movies (1972-1973)

The Scooby-Doo Show (1976-1978)

Scooby-Doo and Scrappy-Doo (1979-1980)

Scooby-Doo and Scrappy-Doo (1980-1982)

The New Scooby and Scrappy-Doo Show (1983-1984)

The 13 Ghosts of Scooby-Doo (1985)

A Pup Named Scooby-Doo (1988-1991)

What's New, Scooby-Doo? (2002-2006)

Shaggy & Scooby-Doo Get a Clue! (2006-2008)

Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated (2010-2013)

Scooby-Doo and Guess Who? (2019-2021)

Younger Teens & Up

Anne with an E (2017-2019)

Teen Wolf (2011-2017)

Spice and Wolf (2008-2009)

Sleepy Hollow (2013-2017)

The Twilight Zone (1959-1964)

The Twilight Zone (2019-2020)

The X Files (1993-2002)

The X-Files (2018)

Charmed (1998-2006)

Charmed (2018-2022)

Stranger Things (2016-present)

Supernatural (2005-2020)

Wednesday (2022)

Pushing Daisies (2007-2009)

All of Us are Dead (2022-present)

Murder She Wrote (1984-1996)

Older Teens & Adult

The Strain (2014-2017)

Columbo (1968-2003)

Chilling Adventures of Sabrina (2018-2020)

Todd McFarlane's Spawn (1997-1999)

Only Murders in the Building (2021-present)

Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell (2015)

Dead Like Me (2003-2004)

Midnight Mass (2021)

True Detective (2014-present)

Lovecraft Country (2020)

Santa Clarita Diet (2017-2019)

The Walking Dead (2010-2022)

Fear the Walking Dead (2015-2023)

Love, Death & Robots (2019-present)

Tales From the Crypt (1989-1996)

Reginald the Vampire (2022-2024)

The Last of Us (2023-present)

Ghosts (2019-2023)

Ghosts (2021-present)

Castlevania (2017-present)

The Vampire Diaries (2009-2017)

Being Human (2011-2014)

Twin Peaks (1990-1991)

Twin Peaks: The Return (2017)

A Discovery of Witches (2018-2022)

What We Do in the Shadows (2019-2024)

True Blood (2008-2014)

Interview With the Vampire (2022-present)

Dexter (2006-2013)

Dexter: New Blood (2021-2022)

The Haunting of Hill House (2018)

The Haunting of Bly Manor (2020)

Scare Tactics (2003-2013)

Chucky (2021-2024)

American Horror Story (2011-present)

American Horror Stories (2021-present)

Ghost Hunting Reality Shows

Fear (2000-2002)

Scariest Places on Earth (2000-2006)

Portals to Hell (2019-2022)

Paranormal State (2007-2011)

Ghost Adventures (2008-present)

Ghost Hunters (2004-2016)

Ghost Hunters (2019-2023)

Ghost Hunters International (2008-2012)

Destination Fear (2019-2023)

Ghost Brothers: Haunted Houseguests (2019)

Ghost Brothers: Lights Out (2021)

Paranormal Witness (2011-2016)

The Dead Files (2011-present)

Kindred Spirits (2016-present)

The Holzer Files (2019-present)

Deep South Paranormal (2010-2013)

Ghost Nation (2019-present)

Haunting in the Heartland (2020)

Bonus Round: Web Series and Podcasts

Marble Hornets (2009-2014)

Welcome to Nightvale (2012-present)

The Magnus Archives (2016-2021)

The Magnus Protocol (2021-present)

[ayara-resara]

Jin’s non-kagepro songs Part 1 (2011-2019)

Names in bold are official releases, mostly links from his official site, NND page and Youtube channel. The rest are album exclusives, etc.

2011

Kamoshika ft.Kagamine Rin - Oppai Omurice (arrangement only)

Jin - Kage

Jin - Iro

Mizuta - Kyoukai Necro (re-arrangement & lyrics only; part of fan-project "Touhou Vocal Arrangement" based on game's music)

2012

Jin ft.IA - Nihonbashi Koukashita R Keikaku (album "IA/01 -BIRTH-") + full ver.

Jin ft.IA - Murakumo Girl (album "Shoujo Sensou | ARMS")

Soraru - Kimi no Me wo (album "Sora Ai")

Jin ft.IA - Captain Little (album "IA THE WORLD ~Hikari~") + ~Superhero ver.~ from album "VOCAROCK collection loves IA"

Goboumen×Jin ft.IA - Color Index (album "EX:P3 ~Ex:Producers3~")

Jin ft.IA - Himawari Biyori (album "Shikisai Ongaku Irodoriti")

Nakagawa Shouko - Dream Driver (mini-album "nsum ~Nakagawa Shoko ga Utatte Mita!~")

Jin ft.Hatsune Miku - Sky of Beginning (single with ryo's ODDS&ENDS)

Jin ft.IA - World Calling (single & VOICE FES 2012 theme) + longer ver. + Teddyloid remix

Jin ft.IA - LIVEDRIVE (single & anniversary of Super GT) + full ver.

Jin×Ishifuro ft.IA - Bokura ni Kigeki o Misete Kure (album "VOCAROCK collection 4" & MV from game IA/VT -COLORFUL-)

Jin ft.GUMI - Cinderella Delivery (album "TamStar Records presents ALL VOCALOID ATTACK #1") + IA ver.

Ten, Tsukinouwa, Touyu, Vivienne - QUEST (C83 album "QUEST")

Touyu - Sunrise Battle (C83 album "QUEST")

2013

Jin ft.IA - America ~We are all right!~ (album "IA/02-COLOR" & IA 1st anniversary & Super GT's album "CiRCUiT BEATS")

Hirano Aya - Mirai Voyager (single "TOxxxIC")

Shirakami Mashiro ft.IA - Kagi no Nai Heya (guitar only) + his other song where Jin is credited as "special thanks to"

Jin ft.IA - BOY MEETS GIRL (re-arrangement of old song for album "VOCALOID3 meets TRF")

Haruna Luna - Ai wo Utae (Monogatari Series S2 ED1) + ClariS ver.

Shirakami Mashiro - One Day, One reason (guitar only; fan-project "Senbou First Notes" based on Touhou's music) Jin was also a guitarist for song No.4 which starts from 4:22 in crossfade

2014-2016

Jin ft.IA ROCKS - Inner Arts (game IA/VT-COLORFUL- theme)

Jin ft.IA - Neko ni Cider (Omatsuri Ver.) (re-arrangement of Ramune's song for bonus CD of album "8-Bit Cider") no song! only a short snippet starting from 8:18

GARNiDELiA - Ookami Shoujo (guitar only; album "Linkage Ring")

LiSA - ANTIHERO (album "Launcher")

LiSA - Rally Go Round (Nisekoi S2 OP)

Kanshou Vector - DI-DO-DA-DU-LA (single with Jin's re-arrangement of the song he already covered in 2013)

2017

Jin - Re:Re: (re-arrangement of old song for album "AKG TRIBUTE")

Lia - NIRVANA (Japanese Ver.) & NIRVANA (English Ver.)

Aki Okui - Plumeria (18if ED5) + acoustic ver. from 2022's "Allegories" limited edition B?

Haruto Tsukishiro (CV: Nobunaga Shimazaki) - if (18if ED13)

Kaban & Serval (CV: Aya Uchida & Yuka Ozaki) - Nakayoshi March (Kemono Friends character song album “Japari Café2”)

“Doubutsu Biscuits“ (Serval, Fennec, Racoon) - Fun Fun! Melody♪ (Kemono Friends single “Fure! Fure! Best Friends”)

2018

Jin×kemu feat.Hatsune Miku - Million/Ones (HATSUNE MIKU 10th ANNIVERSARY SONGS -Miracle Mirai-)

TOUYU - Halation (album “Second Heart”)

Jin feat.IA - Euphoria (single & IA/04 -STAR-)

Masaaki Endo - Vital (Satsuriku no Tenshi OP) + acoustic ver.

sakana - S•K•Y (piano only) + Miku ver.

Kano - 「Q」 & 「A」 (Purebato!! ED)

2019

Gothic×Luck - Hoshi wo Tsunagete (Kemono Friends S2 ED) + full ver.

Soraru - Gunjou no Musica (single “Eureka”)

Suntory Nomu - Life is tasty! (song for virtual YouTuber) + acoustic ver. from 2022's "Allegories" limited edition B?

"Clover" (Kana Yabuki, Shiho Kitazawa, Serika Hakozaki, Umi Kousaka) - Clover Days (THE IDOLM@STER MILLION LIVE! Blooming Clover 5) + full ver.

Soraru - Genjitsu (album “Wonder”)

Luo Tianyi - T.A.O. (song for virtual singer & Onegai! Ranking ED)

Part 2 (2020-2024)

[toasttt11]

clementine bedard

Clementine Faye Bedard

Number: 89

Season: fourth

Position: C

Height: 5”8

Hometown: Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

S/C: R/L

NHL: NJD

Prev Team: Vancouver Giants

NHL

Selected 1st overall (first round) by the New Jersey Devils in the 2020 NHL Draft.

WHL

Drafted first overall in 2017, the first WHL player with exceptional status, and won the Jim Piggot Memorial Trophy as the league's top rookie player in her debut season.

International

Team Canda

2023 World Championship - Gold Medal, 13 G, 13 A, 10 GP

2022 World Championship- Silver Medal , 10 G, 11 A, 10 GP

2021 World Championship-Gold Medal, 12 G, 12 A, 10 GP

2020 World Junior Championship- Gold Medal, 11 G, 9 A, 7 GP

2019 World Junior Championship- Silver Medal, 9 G, 7 A, 7 GP

2018 World Junior Championship- Gold Medal, 10 G, 6 A, 7 GP

2017 U18 World Championship- Gold Medal, 7 G, 7 A, 7 GP

NHL

Fourth Year (2023-2024)

75 G, 69 A, 80 GP

Singed a contract for 70 millions dollars for the next nine years and three million dollar bonus.

Assistant Captain

Third Year (2022-2023)

67 G, 40 A, 76 GP

Ted Lindsay award

Assistant Captain

Second Year (2021-2022)

50 G, 35 A, 75 GP

Rookie Year (2020-2021)

30 G, 26 A, 56 P, 56 GP

Received the Rookie of the Year award.

Signed a Contract for 12 Million dollars for three years and a 1 million dollar signing bonus.

WHL

2019-2020

Vancouver Giants

30 G, 25 A, 28 GP

Bob Clarke Throphy

Four Broncos Memorial Trophy

Captain

Draft Year

2018-2019

Vancouver Giants

78 G, 77 A, 72 GP

Four Broncos Memorial Trophy

Won the WHL Championship

2017-2018

Vancouver Giants

53 G, 67 A, 72 GP

Rookie of the Year

Four Broncos Memorial Trophy

Before WHL

2016-2017

West Van Academic Prep U 18

65 G, 40 A, 50 GP

2015-2016

West Van Academic Prep U 15

50 G, 36 A, 45 GP

Personal

• Born August 31, 2002

• Daughter of Melanie and Jim Bedard

• Has two siblings Connor and Madison Bedard.

[medievalandfantasymelee]

THE HOT MEDIEVAL & FANTASY MEN MELEE

QUALIFYING ROUND: 42nd Tilt

Sultan Alauddin Khilji, Padmavaat (2018) VS. Sir Tristan “Wet Stick”, King Arthur: Legend of the Sword (2017)

Propaganda

Sultan Alauddin Khilji, Padmavaat (2018) Portrayed by: Ranveer Singh

No Text Propaganda Submitted

Sir Tristan “Wet Stick”, King Arthur: Legend of the Sword (2017) Portrayed by: Kingsley Ben-Adir

“Kingsley kills it in every role he plays, whether as a Ken in Barbieland or a knight with the Round Table – who also happens to be *the* Tristan from "Tristan and Isolde." He has a great smile and is great at playing dashing dudes.”

Additional Propaganda Under the Cut

Additional Propaganda

For Sultan Alauddin:

“Who doesn't enjoy a guy who can dance like this:”

For Sir Tristan:

“I could kvell about this man and his cute face for ages.”

(+ Bonus Arthur)

“I like his smile a lot”

[broadwaydivastournament]

Broadway Divas Tournament: Round 1C

Two-time Tony-winning dancer-extraordinaire Bebe Neuwirth (1958) is best known for her winning role as Velma Kelly in Chicago (1996) alongside her beloved Annie Reinking. After playing Velma off-and-on for some years, she then took on Roxie, and later Matron "Mama" Morton. Bebe has also won for Sweet Charity (1986), and is a two-time Emmy winner for, of course, Lilith in Cheers. Other credits include Here Lies Jenny (2004), Fosse (2001), and Cabaret (2024), opening next month. In addition to her beloved stage, Bebe is a devoted cat-lover, and activist. She founded the Dancers' Resource program to provide support for injured and/or aging dancers.

Stalwart theatre veteran Laurie Metcalf (1955) is also a two-time Tony winner and four-time Emmy winner. Her consecutive Tony wins for A Doll's House, Part 2 (2017) and Three Tall Women (2018) places her on an elite list of just six other performers (including fellow Diva Judith Light). She has also appeared in Misery (2015), Hillary and Clinton (2019), and Grey House (2023), an experimental horror play that ultimately flopped. (And I have opinions on that.)

PROPAGANDA AND MEDIA UNDER CUT: ALL POLLS HERE

"Let me be abundantly clear. Bebe Neuwirth is my ultimate Diva. It may be stiff competition, but she wins the bracket of my heart every time. I would follow this woman to the end of the earth and back. I love everything about her from her cats, to her giggle, to her exquisite grey hair. I so admire any woman who chooses to age gracefully and without resentment, and Bebe's really settled into this adorable cozy old cat lady life. Back in the day, it was all stiletto heels and tight little black dresses and yes, that was very sexy. But now she's enjoying the comforts of flat sturdy boots, massive sweaters with cute little cats on them, glasses on chains, and divine grey hair. Gorgeous, yes. Talented, fuck yes. This woman has music in her bones and not even three hip surgeries can steal it away. I love her."

"Oh, Bebe Neuwirth? Love of my life, champion of my soul? Her legs are simply to die for. Not convinced? Search up When Velma Takes the Stand on YouTube and feast your eyes. You’ll be watching clips of her entire Broadway career next, trust me. She is truly a powerhouse of a woman, and one of Bob Fosse’s greatest interpreters." Propaganda submitted by anon "V"

"The pandemic robbed us of many things, but for our purposes here, the greatest loss to theatre was the revival of Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf starring Laurie Metcalf. During the dinner scene, so I'm told by the gays on twitter, she came out in a sheer white blouse and black bra, and I am devastated we didn't get her unhinged Martha. She would have done Uta Hagen and Elaine Stritch proud."

Bonus poll in the tags/comments: Tell me who you think wins in a fight? Lilith from Cheers/Frasier, or Jackie from Rosanne. If you're too young to know what I'm talking about, what are you doing here?

[buckysdolls]

Your Archer of Infamy (Priest x You) Series

Chapter 1

The windscreen wipers were frantically leaping left to right fighting off the rain that was lashing against your windshield screen. Twelve years of driving and you’re a hundred percent sure this was the worst weather you’d ever driven in, not to mention you felt the pressures of being even more cautious than usual as Rhea was in the car with you. You and Rhea had been friends since 2017 when Rhea joined the company. You were older than her by three years and as soon as you were introduced to each other your personalities clicked. That’s why you made such a great tag team, best friends in the ring, best friends out the ring. You and Rhea tried to drown the sound out of the rain with your singing.

“Out the curtain, lights go up, I'm home..”

“WHOA!” Both you and Rhea belted out Downstrait’s ‘Kingdom’, Cody Rhodes’ entrance song. Your phone chimed, it was a photo message from Damian. As you were driving, Rhea opened it up for you, the photo was of Damian, Finn and Dom waiting in the hotel. 

“When are you two going to stop messing about and just do it?” Rhea blurted out, questioning the chemistry that lingered between you and Damian.

“Straight to the point as ever Rhea” Your exhale turning to laughter.

“We’re all just waiting for it to happen.”

“So am I” Your honesty had Rhea in stitches. She turned the music down that was on full blast to answer a video call she was receiving.

“Who is it?” You asked, wanting to look over but you knew you had to keep your eyes on the road. A chorus of ‘Hi’s’ told you it was Balor, Dom and Priest. 

“ETA?” Balor asked, Rhea looked over at your phone’s navigation app.

“Two minutes, we’re just round the corner.” Rhea replied. 

“Has she crashed yet?” Dom liked to pick on you, he was like a little brother to you. You constantly had playful back and forth spats with each other. 

“Fuck you Dom” keeping your eyes on the road you gave him the middle finger which Rhea pointed the camera at so Dom could see. As Rhea hung up you pulled into the parking lot of the hotel, you both looked at each other and nodded as if you knew what each other was thinking. You both threw open the car doors, slamming them shut. Both of you hastily ran to the boot and grabbed whatever bags there were in an attempt to get as little wet as possible from the rain. Heads down to avoid the rain slapping into your faces as the heavy wind pushed it in your direction you both legged it over to the entrance, dropping the bags as soon as you were in the clear from the rain.

“That’s disgusting” You turned to Rhea gesturing to the rain.

“You got us here safely though” Rhea emphasised the word ‘safely’ loudly in an attempt to grab Dom’s attention as the three of them sat on comfortable leather chairs, their backs to the pair of you. They were waiting for you and Rhea to check in and change so you could all head to the gym together.

You and Rhea headed over to the front desk, as Rhea checked in Grayson Waller had approached you. He’d been trying for a while now, vying for your attention and you wondered how long he would keep up with it. You raised your eyebrows at him as if to question what he wanted, to which he just responded with a smirk, licking his lower lip and continuing to chew his gum. 

From afar, Priest watched the interaction. He wasn’t a fan of it, his knuckles were turning white from the hard grip he had on the arm of the chair. He knew you were well liked and often the desires of many lads in the locker room when the topic of conversation was the female roster. He couldn’t blame them though. You were genuinely one of the sweetest girls but for everyone else the talk was superficial, it was always your looks, to him he cared more about how you reflected the same rockstar lifestyle he lived. Thankful for all your opportunities. Trying to be the best version of yourself. Being happy. The look was just a bonus in the neatly wrapped up package. Balor and Dom noticed where Priest’s attention was currently drawn too, Waller rubbing his hand up and down your arm.

“Tell her bro!” Dom yelled into a whisper. Within an instant Dom’s attention was on Balor and Dom.

“Nah. I’m eleven years older than her, I’ll just be holding her back” Priest slumped back in his chair trying not to look over.

“Sounds like some bullshit excuse to me” Balor coughed in between each word. 

As Waller touched your arm you looked at it, as you did you tried to steal a glance over at Priest using your peripheral vision, you were hoping he was looking in your direction and to your pleasure he was. You adored Priest, you wanted him badly. He always gave you signals like touches and comments that told you it was reciprocated but he never acted up on it. You knew it was an ignorant thing to be doing but you tried to use the attention from other guys to get some sort of reaction out of him. 

“Can’t wait to see you in action tonight.” Waller’s attempt to flirt with you was cringeworthy but you smiled to play along.

“Thanks…”

“We can take the action back to my room later if you wanted?”

Internally you were gagging and trying not to let your face screw up into a ball in reaction to the cringe comments leaving his mouth. Overhearing the comments Rhea stepped in trying to save you from any more painful Waller interaction.

“Beat it Waller” Rhea rolled her eyes.

“Charming as always Rhea” Waller brought his hand up to his chest as if her words wounded him.

“I’m serious, we’ve got better things to do Grayson” Rhea turned you around so your back was to Waller and although you were finding it hilarious because of Rhea’s bluntness you mouthed ‘thank you’ to her. 

“Check-in” She whispered in your ear before grabbing her bags and walking away to the boys. 

“Think about my offer, yeah?” Waller said as he backed away.

You breathed deeply to regain your composure.

“Hi, I’d like to check in please?”

“Welcome, absolutely, what is the name on the reference?”

You gave the lady behind the counter your name and booking reference, her lips rolled thinly and her eyebrows furrowed as if she was confused. You observed her closely as she kept tapping and scrolling. She’d occasionally look up with apprehension on her face, as she looked at your smile. 

“I’m sorry Miss, it seems there has been a mix up with your booking. The room has been double booked.” 

“How does that even happen?” You huffed in disbelief.

“I’m not sure…” The lady was dumbfounded, as she looked up at you with regret. You weren’t one to yell, it wasn't her fault. 

“Any more rooms available?” You questioned hopefully.

The lady shook her head and pursed her lips outwards “ I’m afraid not, we’re fully booked because of the show. Neighbouring hotels are fully booked too. I could explain your situation to the current occupants and ask if they would mind vacating the room offering them a free stay another time?.”

You shook your head smiling kindly at the lady. 

“That won't be necessary. Could you just make sure you refund me the room please?” You could tell the lady really appreciated your level of calmness, you were almost certain she was used to being yelled at in situations like this.

“Of course, miss. Once again our apologies for this mix up and thank you for being so kind about it”

Turning your back to the counter, you huffed and rubbed your eyes in frustration before making your way over to the group.

“What’s with the long face?” Dom asked. 

“ I don’t have a room, they gave my room to someone else” You flopped over the arms of the chair Damian was sitting on so you were laid across him, letting your body go limp. 

“Shit. I’ve got Buddy staying tonight…” Rhea replied implying she couldn’t offer you space as her boyfriend would need the room. You pulled yourself up like a sit up  then dropped yourself onto the lap of Damian.

“It’s fine, I'll sleep out here. We only ever get five hours of sleep on the road anyway. Zero hours tonight won't hurt. Beside its comfortable”

“It’s only comfortable because you’re sitting on Damian” Dom pointed at the pair of you, You turned to look at Priest who was smirking at you which in turn made the corners of your lips curl upwards. Your eyes darted quickly between his dark eyes and lips, likewise he copied you. You could both sense the tension between you as you’d both forgotten where you were as silence filled the air. 

“I aint complaining” Priest broke first and spoke up, his hands in the air. You refocused, turning back to face everyone else.

“Thanks for stating the obvious Dom” your sarcasm causing everyone to snicker. Priest put one arm round the back of you to lean on your waist.

“Take my bed, I can take the floor for a night” Priest said. You turned to look at Priest, you couldn’t help but look at him lovingly. 

“I can’t do that” 

“I’m not letting you sleep out here on your own” Damian’s other hand gravitated to your leg, settling in between your thighs. 

“This makes me sick” Dom joked as you looked down at the hand. Damian followed your gaze and instantly removed his hand and pushed up to make you both stand up. 

“C’mon let's go.” Priest ignored you as he walked past as if to pretend he didn’t just have you sat on him, his hand grazing your inner thigh..

“Meet here in ten yeah?” Rhea asked and everyone nodded in agreement. You followed behind Damian up to his room. 

The day had dashed by, you were now alone with Priest in the hotel room. You opened the bathroom door to see him in his boxers and you in the only bedtime clothes you had, your lingerie, you weren’t expecting having to share a room with anyone okay! Sometimes pyjamas aren’t needed! You sighed quietly, trying to maintain your composure seeing Damian this way. 

“I’m sorry I dont have pyjamas otherwise I’d wear them” You became nervous as you walked towards Priest, you weren’t sure if you were nervous because you were suddenly overcome with anxiety with how you looked or if it was because Priest made you nervously giddy.

“No need to apologise 

“Like what you see?” Priest’s low gruff voice asked you. Priest was astounded by you, only asking you that question because he liked what he saw.  You rolled your eyes in amusement.

“It’s alright I suppose” You shrugged your shoulders

You watched as Priest laid down on the floor and grabbed the blanket off the bed, his actions confusing you. 

“You’re not actually sleeping there are you?” Priest folded his arms behind his head to lean on, his muscles tensing making your self control even weaker as he just gazed up at you.

“I dunno? Am I?” Reverse psychology… good one you thought. You dropped on to the bed telling Damian to get in. You didn’t need to tell him twice and he was up onto the bed and settled next to you. You turned over to face him, your faces inches apart, all Priest wanted to do was pull you into him and on top of him, his hands grabbing at your ass as you kissed intensely over and over again, him manoeuvring your body to grind against him.

“What do you think of Waller?” His thoughts shattered instantly. Why were you asking him about Waller? Not wanting to let you know he was confused or disappointed, he shrugged his shoulders. 

“Seems fine” Damian’s reply was blunt. 

“I think he wants to go on a date..”

“Enjoy it” Damian smiled and quickly turned over like he was giving you the cold shoulder. He was… he didn’t want to hear about your feelings towards Waller, not that you actually had any. Your reasoning in bringing Waller up had the intention of making Damian jealous and maybe get him to admit his feeling so you could too but his responses had you feeling that your desired outcome had failed.

During the night Damian was woken by your slow movement of turning over and placing your arm over his midsection, curling up to him and resting your forehead on his back. He didn’t want to wake you so he let you cuddle up to him. Was he really going to let someone like Waller get to you before he could?

[itsyagergzero]

gonna rant about my fav fnaf fan game designs !!

Note: some of the creators for these mightve been outed as being shit, i dont know, but know that i dont support their actions or anything i just. Like fan games lol. If they r confirmed weirdos, lmk but yknow.

Anyways!! Starting off: Final Nights. Final Nights is a fan game by JeliLiam that is basically a retelling of the original FNaF story! There are 4 games, and while all of them have wonderful designs, Final Nights 4 has my personal favorite designs for the animatronics. The game is set in Fredbear’s Family Diner during 1973 AND 2017.

Starting off with my favorite design: Spring Bonnie (she/her)

I ADORE her design. She genuinely looks like an animatronic real kids would enjoy - being a nice balance of cute, but also weirdly unsettling like animatronics irl. The gloves really make the design for me, and I’m obsessed with how shaped she is.

Her movements are also so good and so unsettling-she’s incredibly smooth in her animation and the way she leans towards the player is a great level of stressful especially because you cannot move or else you will fail the night. I am sooo obsessed with her yall dont get it.

Next up is Fredbear (he/him)!

I love his design for the same reason as Spring Bonnie’s, but I also love that his design is not just a repaired version of Nightmare Fredbear from FNaF 4! This design is more what I imagine Fredbear to look like, as I always took the FNaF 4 designs with a grain of salt considering they’re from a child’s nightmare.

I do wish he was more round though, as he does kinda look like he uses a similar model to Spring Bonnie, but that’s a very minor critique.

Bonus mentions: I do enjoy Proto Spring Freddy / Bonnie’s designs! They’re quite unsettling and it makes sense why Henry dislikes them LOL

Next up: The Return to Freddy’s!

I don’t have much to say about this series as a whole - it started out as fan game for FNaF 3 prior to the canon game releasing and then spiraled into a retelling of FNaF before becoming it’s own thing. The creators have gotten into hot water - they stole the Candy design from FNaC - and the franchise has since been cancelled, but I have a soft spot for the designs still!

I mostly want to show the Tortured Suits from the cancelled TRTF 5 games!

A unique take on more Nightmare-ish designs, I just love how creepy the designs are and I wish the game was completed so we could see how they operated in game. I also love the use of muted colors. It really sets the tone for the suits and shows they were not made for children, but for an other purpose that unfortunately is unknown.

It’s late so I’ll leave this off here but I’ll continue this tomorrow with more fan game animatronic designs that I love, and if y’all have fan games you like, let me know and I’ll talk about my fav designs from those games too!!

[bl-bracket]

Bonus Round: Most Unhinged Plot Round 1

[Top 5 will advance to next round]

[dweemeister]

Eric's rankings (and comments) for the 2024 MOABOS Prelim groups

Good evening (technically early morning) everybody,

The deadline for the 2024 Movie Odyssey Award for Best Original Song preliminary round has closed, and I actually await only a small number of folks left who had extenuating circumstances (that they informed me in advance about) that resulted in a delay in their rankings. For all those who have completed your rankings, I thank you for your input; your ballots have been accepted, recorded, and mostly tabulated.

I have done almost all of the final tabulations, and at this moment a few things remain in the balance. But those results will come on Tuesday night at the earliest or, most likely Wednesday. The final round begins shortly after the preliminary results are sent.

In an effort to be a little more transparent and to encourage comment-writing, I will now be sharing my ballots to both Groups A and B of this year's Movie Odyssey Award for Best Original Song prelim. If it wasn't already apparent, yes, I am one of the very few people who are able to vote on both groups, but my vote counts for as much as anybody else's (unless we're talking about the very last tiebreaker, which is shared between my sister and myself).

First off, some of my biases and reasonings for them:

The criteria that I outline in the "Instructions" section of my email? That is my own personal criteria - which you should have felt free to follow (or not). However, as you might have figured, some of those criteria I weigh heavier than others...

For example, I value musical interest slightly more than lyrics. It's a bonus if a song is well-integrated into the film's score or is the backbone to that score. If I had some sort of rubric that I gave you, "musical interest" and "context" would weigh heaviest.

When it comes to lyrics, I usually prefer poeticism and simplicity over something busier and complex. Usually (here's an exception). When a complex lyric or lyrical rhythm flows badly with the melody, it just gets overly busy. At certain points of the year, I start cutting songs from MOABOS largely by looking at which ones are musically uninteresting and which ones have uninteresting phrasing.

My biggest lyrical pet peeve: repeating a word or short phrase in order to fill out the meter (e.g. the fake "opera" song "Never Enough" from 2017's The Greatest Showman - a movie I was very mixed about). To me, it's artistic bankruptcy that cheapens the rest of the lyrics and especially the melody. Modern pop music is extremely (and increasingly) guilty of this. One of the few exceptions I allow to this bias? Classic Bollywood, as this was common practice. In pop music? Entirely unnecessary.

My sister is one of the harshest penalizers of songs that appear in the opening or end credits, but are referenced nowhere else. She isn't alone (nor is she the harshest) among MOABOS participants. I am not as harsh as her, as I give a reprieve to songs whose melodies form an important part of a film's score. But I, too, penalize opening or closing credit songs with no presence anywhere else.

Fascinatingly, I've noticed that many of you do not care if I write down the fact that a song is played muted underneath dialogue or the sound effects. In my opinion, good film music is music you can hear. I penalize heavily for not allowing the song itself to shine.

Despite having two left feet, I might be among the most generous when it comes to a choreography/dance direction bonus for a song. Despite my repeated insistence for MOABOS participants to keep choreography and dance direction in mind while judging MOABOS entries, I also sense many of you choose to ignore that entirely. Where music accompanied cinema at its birth, dance - despite having declined in importance over many decades - accompanied the movie musical at its birth. A mass dance number is not a cheesy imposition to me and they usually never take me out of a movie. Instead, it's an extremely important part of a song.

I have no patience for pitch correction/AutoTune (this might explain why there have been so few MOABOS entrants from the 2020s, despite the fact we're now halfway through the decade).

I don't penalize a song for having dubbed a singer or a few.

I sometimes have problems with songs that are too context-dependent and don't have much of a listenability factor when separated from their original film.

Keep in mind I have a running list of potential MOABOS songs that I start at the beginning of every calendar year. There are some songs that were deleted from that list many weeks or months ago and did not make it to the prelim. Even though I might rank something near the bottom of my lists, I had more than enough respect or love for it to put it into MOABOS in the first place.

Without further ado (again, these are NOT the final preliminary standings, nor should they be interpreted at all as "the most likely" to advance to the final; these are simply my personal rankings for each group)...GROUP A (playlist)

"Something's Gotta Give", Daddy Long Legs (1955) Daddy Long Legs is a musical curiously devoid of "big" musical numbers. "Something's Gotta Give" benefits from that void (and was composed deep into production because Astaire thought the musical needed a more memorable number - somewhere, anywhere). Thus, the song hoists almost all of the attention for itself within the context of the film. My only regret here? I wish Caron sung a little more (some of you may disagree, given her heavy accent), but you don't normally have the female lead sing too much in a Fred Astaire number. Still, she does her own dancing alongside Astaire. All of that singing on the offbeats is not frigging easy, folks! It trips up even the best singers. Many, many singers of American Songbook standards covered this one for good reasons.

"You Are My Lucky Star", The Broadway Melody of 1936 (1935) Frances Langford wasn't someone I paid too much attention to going into this movie. And given the fact she was a radio star, I probably won't be doing so afterward. But my goodness, she can sing. As one of my friends pointed out, the fact that the title phrase requires the singer to go up and down an octave is difficult as hell. Essentially, when a singer has to sing at such a large range in a short amount of time, it gets a lot more difficult to control one's vocals and breathing. And though we may not think Eleanor Powell as a singer first, props to her for doing her best there. I also really appreciate the ballet here. MGM liked to recycle some of their musical hits for other musicals (like Singin' in the Rain), and "You Are My Lucky Star" would appear multiple times in the decades to come.

"Belleville Rendez-vous", The Triplets of Belleville (2003, France / Belgium / Canada / United Kingdom) I saw Triplets of Belleville in February. Thus, this song has stayed on my 2024 MOABOS master list the second-longest of any other this year. Oh it fits the tone of the film perfectly. Don't say I didn't warn you if any of you ever find this film! I get a kick at what the guitar is doing, the propulsive harmonies, the use of one's cheeks as percussion, everything. This movie was never beating Finding Nemo for Best Animated Feature (this will get me raked over the coals by many of you but... maybe it should've beaten Nemo), and it was never beating the buzzsaw that was The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King for Original Song (hot take: RotK is annoyingly structured and shouldn't have had its perfect sweep). But those two nominations are as cool as it gets! I wish Sylvain Chomet made more animated movies (I think his next one comes out... soon-ish), and I wish he composed more music for movies.

"El Dorado", El Dorado (1966) I truly wonder how many of you saw "Western" and immediately decided to put it near the bottom, reflexively. For those of you who didn't already know, my two favorite genres are the musical and the American Western - my reasons for both are extremely different, and are too long to get into here. I simply think this is a great, unvarnished Western ballad and George Mellomen's basso profundo is just a joy to listen to. Nelson Riddle? I have one criticism of this composition. I don't think the string should just simply double the lyrics here, they should branch out and get a more complex harmony in there or something!

"Amor de Gitano (The Love of a Gypsy)", The Loves of Carmen (1948) Rita Hayworth's first real appearance at MOABOS took a long time to get to. And I think of her two entries in this prelim round, this is the better song, the harder song to sing. But I like it a lot less than the other. I don't know how much of a tongue-twister this was for her, but this was a tongue-twister for my poor Spanish skills. And this is in addition to the fact that she is giving a performance to enchant her audience. To act while delivering lyrics that are just flying by has got my respect for sure.

"Broadway Rhythm", The Broadway Melody of 1936 I am admittedly forgiving a lot here lyrically because of a) Frances Langford's performance and her looks here, b) the filmmaking involved, c) and the Buddy and Vilma Ebsen dance that is just not available online at all. Unfortunately, all of you have been deprived of that Ebsen sibling dance and it annoys me to no end.

"Dam Bhar Jo Udhar Munh Phere", Awaara (1951, India) I simply think there's a big gap, musically, between this and the next-best song in Awaara. The performances are stupendous, and the context is great. But I didn't 100% buy how Nargis' Rita could be so dense and not understand what Raj Kapoor's Raj is trying to tell her!

"Puppet on a String", Girl Happy (1965) That tinkly piano screams to me music reflective of a Deep South or Southwestern environment. I do not consider Fort Lauderdale culturally part of the Deep South, so this feels really, really off to me. I'm about a dozen or so movies into Elvis' filmography, and the knowledge of how much I've got to get through and how I know there's better to come (although, I've already seen Jailhouse Rock, Viva Las Vegas, and Blue Hawaii, so I sense there's not much of a "peak" left) also is affecting this judgment.

"A Million Miles Away", Mars Express (2023, France) Oh my gosh, I like the vibes to this one and yours truly is decidedly not a synth guy. And yet, I think the lyrics could do more here. The lyrics could've made more direct reference to the events that conclude Mars Express. I think it could be even more bitter than it already is.

"Goodbye Girl", The Goodbye Girl (1977) Everything in my musical DNA and my lifelong listening history says I should like the soft rock of the late '70s. And this is really soft rock (it's the lead singer of BREAD for crying out loud - and of my dad's copious amount of albums from the '70s, that Bread anthology album is one of his albums that I have the most difficulty getting through). But good lord "Goodbye doesn't mean forever" is as clichéd as it gets as a lyric. Honestly? This is the one song near the bottom that, in my heart, I know could rebound dramatically given time. How much time? I have no idea, but it might not be in time for the MOABOS Final. Not appearing in the body of the film does not help. And being in a film that I was mostly exasperated by (Richard Dreyfuss' character reminds me too much of my first-year undergrad roommate) also does not help.

"Camp Isn't Home", Theater Camp (2023) No, this is not Eric's "eff them kids" moment. Or maybe it is. Please don't put that on a meme. I really enjoy "Camp Isn't Home" in context, and it's a great capper to a hilarious movie I partly connect to as someone who was one degree removed from many theater kids. In the end, those kids still composed a song that has some of the hallmarks of certain things that I dislike about some modern Broadway musicals. What the hell is going on here: "Camp isn't home / But is it, kind of? / Kind of is / I think it kind of is". You know what, as the MOABOS Sheriff, I'll let the kids off with a warning. It was a fun plane movie.

"Game of Death" (Mandarin version), Game of Death (1978, Hong Kong) The Cantonese version is superior, in terms of how much better the Cantonese lyrics contour with the melody. The composer, lyricist, and singer Roman Tam all spoke Cantonese primarily, not Mandarin. And I can hear the difference. The Mandarin sounds a bit jumbled, for lack of a better word.

GROUP B (playlist)

"I've Been Kissed Before", Affair in Trinidad (1952; technically a tie for 1st) The context is doing a lot of carrying for me for "I've Been Kissed Before", as is Rita Hayworth's performance. There's a lot going on this number - as well as just before and just after this performance - that I could not spoil for you, potential viewers. Combine all that together, and you've got a spectacular number in a spectacular comeback performance.

"I've Got a Feelin' You're Foolin'", Broadway Melody of 1936 (1935; technically a tie for 1st) This is just playful flirtation from a song all the way down. Sly, winking, and deliciously filthy if you think about it. It almost belongs to the pre-Code era (this refers to the Hays Code, a self-censorship code used by the major American studios from 1934-1968, replaced by the current MPA ratings system) with its sexual openness. The costumes are wonderful, as is the choreography. And man, I can't get enough of that furniture either.

"Tere Bina Aag Ye Chandni", Awaara (1951, India) The better of the two songs, in my opinion, from Awaara in this preliminary round. This is going to sound kind of strange, considering that this is essentially a dream sequence where reality dissolves all around the characters, but I admire the restraint of this number. On both his and her sides of this thing. Her side could easily have been a more Busby Berkeley-esque affair with dancers galore, but it keeps it on her personality and her being a figure of singular romantic affection for him. On the hellish side, Raj Kapoor could've easily plunged too far into the demonic side of things (I've seen multiple examples of how this could've been done from other countries), but he doesn't. And the juxtaposition of romantic bliss and torment is complete. Just incredible imagery and Bollywood mythos-making here.

"Aren't You Glad You're You?", The Bells of St. Mary's (1945) I'm actually stunned by the level of support of this one among Group B participants. "Aren't You Glad You're You?" is not among Bing Crosby's better-known songs, and Bing Crosby songs have historically landed flat with a thud in a MOABOS prelim. I was expecting this to get something very close to the bottom and it has defied expectations. So why the hell this one? Sincerity of performance, sincerity of lyrics, and sincerity of context. For those who wish to seek this movie out, you actually need to start with the first film first, Going My Way (1944) - even though there's little narrative overlap between the two. These are quintessential Sunday School movies, although I must admit I do appreciate them myself.

"Wave-a-Stick Blues", Ozzie Nelson & His Orchestra (1940 short) Okay, most things on MOABOS are thanks to still having cable and Turner Classic Movies (TCM). In between feature films on TCM sometimes are random short films that may or may not tie with the movie you have just watched. This was one of those times where I hung around after the movie has finished and *voila* extra entertainment and an extra MOABOS entry in there. Hilarious stuff!... also, when I was in HS orchestra, I swear that one of our orchestra teachers (they also both did band) once told us a story about how some jazz world hot-shot (I forget the name) once gathered all of his musicians on the bus after the performance and fire them all immediately, on the spot. Ozzie Nelson, if this on-screen persona is to be believed, is too nice for that. But him being too nice makes this number hilarious, so never mind.

"Même plus l'amour", Mars Express (2023, France) I really like this song, and I thank VAALA Executive Director Ysa Le and her tennis partner, Emelie Tran, for the translation and the lyrics (which are printed nowhere online). However, I penalized this number heavily for committing a cardinal sin in my books: not being able to hear it during the movie itself. The song is played muted, underneath dialogue and other sound effects during the scene it appears. However, it appears that very few of you either cared or read the contextual blurb.

"Sing Before Breakfast", Broadway Melody of 1936 No, no one is saying that Buddy Ebsen has the best singing (and speaking) voice in the world. But it's a distinctive one. The future Davy Crockett and Green Acres star has a really fun turn here with his sister and, combined with the ever-great Eleanor Powell, boy is this a fun dance number. It's a great interlude between more dramatically compelling moments, and a neat introduction to the friends of Eleanor Powell's character in this movie.

"Game of Death" (Cantonese original), Game of Death (1978, Hong Kong) Simply better than the Mandarin version across the way in Group A in almost every way. Again, the composer, lyricist, and performer were all primarily Cantonese speaking, and shaped this song specifically for Cantonese. It flows better, it sounds better, and it'll get you pumped up for Bruce Lee sending a flying kick to the face of someone who deserves it.

"Farewell Amanda", Adam's Rib (1949) You're welcome, Amanda! Still needs a verse! A song that I think fell victim to the fact that I cannot at all spoil the hilarious contexts in which the song is reprised repeatedly. Movies like Adam's Rib usually do not appear at MOABOS - this is a highly-rated romcom that will make appearances in many other categories during the Movie Odyssey Awards, so it will have the last laugh. Pun intended.

"River Song", Tom Sawyer (1973) It's early in John Williams' career, and I can hear it. I actually think the Sherman Brothers do better on the lyrics here (albeit I've heard more inspired lyrics from them before). And it makes me wonder if these three wanted to collaborate again, what would that have looked like? I appreciate that this is a summation of all the film is trying to say. Running in that Missouri heat and humidity makes my feet hurt. There's a large difference between this song and the rest of the songs in TOM SAWWWW-YERRRR! and this is a musical in desperate need of a heartfelt showstopper somewhere.

"Giấc Mơ", Before Sex (2023, Vietnam) I bet this placement is going to shock most of you, me being the Artistic Director of Viet Film Fest and all. But in my personal capacity, I generally do not see how this is much different from all of the other Vietnamese indie pop music that I listen to when I watch VFF submissions. It also receives major deductions in my head for being played only in a fragment (not even a part - a fragment) during the scene it shows up in. One could also argue that the comedic context also undermines it. Is this a case of reacting against something I've been overexposed to very quickly? Probably.

"Girl Happy", Girl Happy (1965) In a sense, it's a great encapsulation of this movie. I'm a little embarrassed that I outed myself as a fan of beach party movies (they're a very guilty pleasure and the terrible plots and the stupid teenage drama are all part of the fun, really) to Group B participants. But there's much better Elvis elsewhere.

Well now, many of you have had your commenting fun over the years. I wanted to actually join in on the fun of comment-making alongside my MOABOS ballot, too.

More to come on results very, very soon. Stay warm, and keep your eyes peeled

[grits-galraisedinthesouth]

IRS to go after executives who use business jets for personal travel in new round of audits

Private jets sit parked at Scottsdale Airport Jan. 27, 2015, in Scottsdale, Ariz. IRS leadership said

FATIMA HUSSEIN Feb 21, 2024

WASHINGTON (AP) — First, there were trackers on Taylor Swift and other celebrities’ private jet usage. Now, there will be more scrutiny on executives’ personal use of business aircraft who write it off as a tax expense.

IRS leadership said Wednesday that the agency will start conducting dozens of audits on businesses’ private jets and how they are used personally by executives and written off as a tax deduction — as part of the agency’s ongoing mission of going after high-wealth tax cheats who game the tax system at the expense of American taxpayers.

The audits will focus on aircraft used by large corporations and high-income taxpayers and whether the tax purpose of the jet use is being properly allocated, the IRS says.

“At this time of year, when millions of hardworking taxpayers are working on their taxes, we want them to feel confident that everyone is playing by the same rules,” IRS Commissioner Daniel Werfel said on a call with reporters to preview the announcement. Tax season began Jan. 29.

“These aircraft audits will help ensure high-income groups aren’t flying under the radar with their tax responsibilities,” he said.

There are more than 10,000 corporate jets in the US., according to the IRS, valued at tens of millions of dollars and many can be fully deducted.

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, passed during the Trump administration, allowed for 100% bonus depreciation and expensing of private jets — which allowed taxpayers to write off the cost of aircraft purchased and put into service between September 2017 and January 2023.

Werfel said the federal tax collector will use resources from Democrats’ Inflation Reduction Act to more closely examine private jet usage — which has not been closely scrutinized during the past decade as funding fell sharply in the last decade.

“Our audit rates have been anemic,” he said on the call. An April 2023 IRS report on tax audit data states that “continued resource constraints have limited the agency’s ability to address high-end noncompliance” stating that in tax year 2018, audit rates for people making more than $10 million were 9.2%, down from 13.6% in 2012. And in the same time period, overall corporate audit rates fell from 1.3% to .6%.

Mike Kaercher, senior attorney advisor at the Tax Law Center at NYU said in a statement that the IRS should also revisit how it values personal use of corporate aircraft, beyond just how flights are reported.

“The current rules allow these flights to be significantly undervalued, enabling wealthy filers to pay much less in taxes than fair market value would dictate, and it’s within the IRS’ authority to revise these rules,” Kaercher said.

Werfel said audits related to aircraft usage could increase in the future depending on the results of the initial audits and as the IRS continues hiring more examiners.

“To be clear, that doesn’t mean everyone in a high-income category partnership or corporation is evading or avoiding their tax responsibility,” Werfel said. “But it does mean that there’s more work to do for the IRS to make sure people are paying what they owe.”"