#7th Street Productions

[world-of-celebs]

Rihanna celebrates a new product launch for her Fenty beauty brand at 7th Street Studios on April 26, 2024 in Los Angeles, California.

[nagler]

Why Did I Spend All This Time Looking At Building Permits For 530 West 27th Street?

With the imminent close of Sleep No More in under a week's time, I found myself interested in when the idea of The McKittrick came into being. The McKittrick itself is a New York invention. The Boston production in its refurbished school setting didn't have The Hotel. But The Hotel is obviously not actually a hotel, it's three nightclubs wearing a trench coat consolidated into a single building. But when did that consolidation take place?

Thanks to a post on Reddit where I wound up musing about the serendipity of the Hotel coming into being in the time between the Great Recession and the opening of the High Line extension, this lead to me going on a deep dive thanks to the one free building report you can access on a free PropertyShark account. For those unfamiliar with what West 27th was prior to the Hotel and the condos, it used to be a cavalcade of nightclubs. Club B.E.D. sat at 530 West 27th street - as DrinkTheHalo has documented extensively, there was Sound Factory and Twilo and Spirit and Home (532) and Guest House (542) making up what we now know as the full Hotel space. After the murder of a club goer in February of 2007 BED closed. On December 27, 2007, the building that we'd come to know as the Hotel was sold for $28,000,000 to 27th Street Property Owner LLC.

There were still nightclubs operating in other parts of the location, but a plan examination was filed on February 27th, 2008. Meanwhile, the Boston production was mounted in the fall of 2009. A town meeting was called on May 19th, 2009 to approve as the school that the housed the production was town property. There has been much written elsewhere about how Boston pulled things together from wherever they could, though the sleepnomoreboston tumblr seems to be gone at this time.

From October of 2009 to February of 2010, Sleep No More ran in Boston. Then, in September of 2010, scaffolding goes up at 530 West 27th. January 2011 sees a flurry of permits, with the final one pertaining to occupancy being filed on February 22, 2011, changing the use to all floors . Come March 7th, the show opened and has been running up until this coming weekend.

Now, we know from the press around the reopening in 2022 that proto-Emursive initially wanted to bring Punchdrunk's Faust to New York (they did on their own, eventually, through Life and Trust). This failed and they turned their attention to Sleep No More, offering it up to Boston and the ART, now chaired by Diane Paulus (the wife of Randy Weiner, sort of but not any more 1/3 of Emursive). Sleep No More runs for a set time period, the kinks are worked out, and the space is secured from 27th Street Property Owner LLC. We know thanks to the Spring 2024 Permitgate A.K.A That's Bullshit Arthur that the lease was formally entered into on December 1, 2010 It had its first amendment in June of 2012, the second in August of 2015, and the third in June of 2022 after reopening but before the closing announcement in late 2023.

With all these dates in hand, we can see that the Property Owner LLC was created in prior to the BED incident, in December of 2007. Centaur (once again, That's Bullshit Arthur). What their plans would have been without Sleep No More are uncertain, probably condos, but they got a tenant who sort of paid the bills for 15 years instead.

The timeline is likely this: proto-Emursive comes to an agreement with Punchdrunk in 2007 or 2008 to mount Sleep No More in New York City with an out of town tryout in Boston in 2009. At the same time Centaur acquires 530-542 in December of 2007 as the 27th Street club era is dying. The Boston production goes as planned, with a building identified prior to the start of the run. The lease of 530 is officially agreed upon December of 2010, with scaffolding being set earlier that fall and the ability to modify in hand thanks to the examination from 2008. The official layout permits are modified in February of 2011, right in time for the show to open in March. All thanks to a theater for Faust falling through.

Timing is everything. Without the club era dying, the building doesn't become available. Without the High Line extension in 2012, the area isn't changed beyond recognition to the point where something other than immersive theater or a strip club makes sense as an investment. I give Emursive a lot of flack. But they threaded the needle near perfectly in terms of timing. Sleep No More, as a show that attracted both the theatrically minded and those with cash to spend, could not have existed at any time other than Bloomberg's NYC. But it's a different NYC now and that's all there is to a permit.

[yuurei20]

Happy birthday to Rook’s voice actor Itokawa Yojiro!

A musical theater performer (Itokawa has only voiced three characters in his career, the first being an unnamed background character and the second being Rook Hunt), Itokawa has spent the past year appearing in stage productions such as 

・Tamakagiru ・Widerstand ・Legendary Little Basketball Team

・Touken Ranbu ・Stage Nanashi - 7th Special Cause of Death Treatment Division ・Tokyo Revengers

・Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street ・Yakyoku Nocturne

[ein-shtink]

Sometimes I think about the fact we’re neighbors. There are more things that bring me and a Palestinian woman living in Gaza together than things bringing us apart.

We grew up watching the same sunsets, the same sunrises. If there were no borders, it would take about an hour for us to go and visit one another. We grew up listening to the same music. Our parents did, too.

Our grandparents read poetry in the same language, watched the same Egyptian movies. The foods are similar, the hobbies are, too. When I was in high school I met a girl my age, who grew up in Gaza but relocated with her family to an Arab village within Israel, a five minute drive from where I used to live. We made movies together. We joked a lot. We were one and the same, more often than not.

I can’t stop thinking about the Palestinians in Gaza. I can’t stop thinking about the horrors they endure. I can’t stop thinking about Palestinian men, women and children, having to fight for food. For hygiene products. For water. I can’t stop thinking about them having no time to hide before a bomb hits, about them not being allowed to evacuate. I can’t stop thinking about the ones who died protesting for a better life, long before this war started. They are my neighbors. We watch the same sunsets.

I can’t stop thinking about the hostages, either. I can’t stop thinking about the desecrated bodies of innocent women paraded around Gaza’s streets. I can’t stop thinking about the sisters who were raped and murdered together, aged 13 and 16. The older one was my sister’s friend. I can’t stop thinking about Shlomo Ron, the art-loving 80 year old man who sacrificed his own life to save his wife and grandchildren. He looks just like my grandpa. I can’t stop thinking about Thomas Hand, who was told his little girl was dead and cried tears of joy, because being dead is better than being taken hostage. I can’t stop thinking about the fact Emily Hand didn’t die, and actually was taken hostage. Ever since she was released, she only whispers, too afraid to speak up.

I can’t stop thinking about the suffering. About the loss. About the mothers on both sides of their border who had to watch their children die. About the pain.

Their faces haunt me.

I don’t understand why the West is calling for a ceasefire when they should be calling for peace. I don’t understand why the West is calling for the destruction of Israel when they should be calling for a solution that will allow both people to live side by side, in peace. I don’t understand why the existence of Israel is a bad thing. I don’t understand why the West refuses to call out Hamas, for the crimes of October 7th and their gross mistreatment and neglectful leadership of the Palestinian people ever since they rose to power. I don’t understand why the West views this decades old conflict through a one sided lens, amplifying the voice of one people’s crying and shutting down the other’s.

We deserve better. Palestinians and Israelis deserve better. We deserve to prosper, we deserve to live long and proud of our heritages in the land we both call home.

Maybe one day nations around the world and our own corrupt leaders will stop making us paint one another as the enemy. Israelis and Palestinians, we’re not each other’s enemies. We’re each other’s neighbors.

We deserve to let our children play.

[eretzyisrael]

Good News From Israel

In the 7th Jul 24 edition of Israel’s good news, the highlights include:

Israeli doctors “think outside the box” to save lives.

Good support for Israel from Germany, Taiwan, India and Argentina.

Seven Israeli AI products that benefit society.

Google has signed Israel’s largest office rental agreement.

An Israeli dancing dog astounds the judges on America’s Got Talent.

Read More: Good News From Israel

There are many signs that Israelis are continuing with their work to make a better world, despite the continuing war on many fronts.  The wounded returning to work, Oct 7 victims opening cafes, new innovative medical devices and procedures.

The economy expands with increasing gas exports, private and government support for startups, funding, and partnerships, plus a huge demand for Israeli defense technology. Israel is the new powerhouse in Artificial Intelligence systems that will improve our lives, while Israeli sustainable innovations guarantee to safeguard our planet and feed a hungry world.

You can see all these signs on Israel's streets and in the positivity shown by Israeli youth and in the excitement of the participants of youth groups visiting Israel.

[yyh4ever]

Yu Yu Hakusho POP UP SHOP in Tokyo Character Street

"Japanese-Western style" costumes

A3 Tokyo Company is releasing this new and beautiful POP UP at the Tokyo Character Street Shop in Tokyo Station. Everyone is wearing wayousetchuu, a blending of Japanese and Western styles.

The girls usually appear in GraffArt illustrations of A3, so I am glad Botan and Yukina are included in the standard art this time. I miss Keiko, though.

■ Official Site: eeo.today

■ Pre-order: June 15th to June 19th, 2023 on their Online Shop (overseas shipping available)

■ Period (wagon and mail order): July 7th to July 20th, 2023

■ Location: Tokyo Character Street Wagon (Tokyo Station, Yaesu Underground Shopping Mall, North Exit, B1 Floor)

■ Shipping (mail order): August 2023

■ Goods:

Can Badge

Price: 4,400 yen (complete set, 8 types in total)

Size: 65 mm

Material: tin plate and iron (pin)

Acrylic Keychain

Price: 7,040 yen (complete set, 8 types in total)

Size: 65×65mm

Material: acrylic, metal

Character Acrylic Figure (8 types)

Price: 1,815 each

Size: about H150×W70×D3ｍｍ

Material: acrylic

Types:

Yusuke Urameshi

Kazuma Kuwabara

Kurama

Hiei

Youko Kurama

Koenma

Yukina

Botan

Acrylic Art Board

Price: 2,750 yen

Size: A5 size (148×210mm)

Material: acrylic

Character Clear Case (8 types)

Price: 900 yen each

Size: A5 size (148mm x 210mm)

Material: PVC

Types:

Yusuke Urameshi

Kazuma Kuwabara

Kurama

Hiei

Youko Kurama

Koenma

Yukina

Botan

Premium Postcard Holder

A postcard holder with 30 pockets that can store 100mm x 148mm postcards. The cover is removable.

Price: 1,760 yen

Size:

Closed: Width 125 x Height 170 x 25 mm

Open: 270 x 170 mm

Material: Polypropylene, PVC

Leather Sticky Book (8 types)

Price: 605 yen each

Size: 57×11×77mm

Material: PU leather, paper

Types: Yusuke Urameshi; Kazuma Kuwabara; Kurama; Hiei; Youko Kurama; Koenma; Yukina; Botan

■ Benefit

For every 2,200 yen (tax included) purchase of Yu Yu Hakusho related products, you will get a random postcard (9 types in total).

[atiny-for-life]

Creative Spotlight #6: Song Mingi

Masterlist

Intro: With so many new Atinys coming in, I figured now would be a good time to shed some light on all the boys' creative solo projects over the years, big and small.

Fashion

As a fashion lover, Mingi also received his own show back in 2020, Minkiway, for which he wrote his own little theme song and rejoiced in getting to be the MC for something:

The episode ended with Hongjoong dropping by as a special guest to deliver a gift for Mingi.

The show returned in 2022 with Episode 3 and a new intro (go watch it and spam the comments if you'd like for the show to make a comeback!):

Collab

On August 7th, 2024, Mirani featured Mingi on a song titled Hit Me Up which they performed together live in the released music video. If you're one of the people who've been longing to hear more of Mingi's singing voice, you're gonna love this:

Music Production/Original Songs

Like his captain, Mingi's also a producer and the first time we get to see him in the studio by himself is during his first 1-Day-Vlog:

10 months ago, Mingi showed off his wide range as an artist in an original song titled Untitled, featuring not just rap but also vocals:

The video is shot in retro style 4 by 3 footage and features a rainy street which eventually transitions from video only to a light audible drizzle at the end of the song.

5 months ago, he came back with his first [FIX OFF] Desire Project, titled Tunnel with original lyrics by Mingi and him also participating in the composition and arrangement:

It's the full emo concept with an alter ego and everything - we got the tattoos, the nail polish, the gloomy atmosphere. I love it.

Against a stunning instrumental (I love the drums), we get to hear him sing and rap, including some precisely dropped f-bombs as he laments a lost love and talks about deeply unhealthy coping mechanisms (alcoholism) to escape the memories and fill the void inside himself.

On August 9th, 2024, Mingi's first LP Fix On/Off was announced and release, consisting of a short Preview which shows Mingi painting. Further information was then provided by Mingi himself in his birthday Inside out clip:

And finally, the actual purchase link was shared through Ateez's Social Media platforms:

[thefablemans]

title: last ones out

relationship: geto suguru/gojo satoru

summary: from the corner of his eye, suguru catches a glimpse of white. sunlight reflects off it like holding a flashlight against a mirror. his hand curls into a fist, black lid now crushed inside of his palms.

(there was no need for his eyes to see that which his body already knew. each sorcerer leaks its own unique energy, its soul molding and unmolding. once your soul molds against another’s it is impossible to take it for anything else.)

or: on december 7th, geto suguru visits a café.

DECEMBER 7TH, 2009.

There is something haunting about Tokyo in December: the sun shines, as it usually does, in a feeble attempt to mask the sharpness of the air outside, cold biting and burning each patch of skin it can find; the Christmas decorations come out, and the streets become busy, and then busier, and busier still.

None of that is what haunts him, though.

It’s a haunting thing, really, the normality of it all – how the habitual buzz of the city remains the same, the transit of humans, their pathetic blindness to the world around them, the stench of the cursed spiraling around until it is all there is to the world, like white noise is the back of one’s mind. In the corner, there is a woman with a small child. He chides and whines and points at products, and she laughs and coos and pays no mind at all to it. Somewhere, on the left, there is a man on the phone, coffee in hand as he adjusts the sunglasses and curses the weather. It is all the same as it was yesterday, as it was last month, as it was a year ago.

This is why he hates them: don’t they know that everything has changed? The world turned on its axis, and in it of itself, and inside out – and yet, still, all is what it was.

[READ MORE ON AO3]

[opencommunion]

"Britain’s largest gathering of counter-terrorism experts assembled in London last month to discuss what one police chief called 'legal but harmful protest' following Israel’s war on Gaza. Inside a cavernous Docklands conference hall, companies at the Counter Terror Expo displayed gas mask-clad dummies and crowd control systems as enthusiastic AI reps promised revolutionary advances in surveillance. Tools for hacking phones with 'brute force,' monitoring someone’s emotional state based on their social media and rapidly digesting the contents of an 'acquired' computer were all up for sale. Among the potential customers were foreign police departments, including officers fresh from Georgia’s violent crackdown on anti-Russia protests.

Several salespeople declined to explain their products to the media. 'I can’t believe they let you people in here,' one rep told Declassified after seeing our press card. 'I think it’s disgusting.' Her company markets AI tools for military and law enforcement to process recordings of people’s voices. 

When delegates weren’t browsing spyware or sipping craft beer with a £12 'world food' meal deal, they could listen to the security industry’s leading lights. These included detective chief superintendent Maria Lovegrove who runs Britain’s Prevent strategy against radicalisation. She trumpeted 53 arrests for terrorism offences since October 7. Only one of these was for violence. The rest concerned social media posts or attending gatherings. Asked whether this data suggests police are overreacting to peaceful pro-Palestine protests, Lovegrove valorised an 'early intervention' approach. She told Declassified this was the 'greatest tool in preventing terror attacks' and insisted officers 'only arrest and prosecute when we have to.' Among those arrests were three women found guilty for wearing paraglider stickers at a protest.

Dom Murphy – the Met’s counter terrorism commander – told delegates he was monitoring 'legal but harmful' protests and the risk of 'low-sophistication' attacks by people radicalised online or at university since October 7th. 'If there are 100,000 people at a protest, and one person holding a Hamas flag, we will find them and arrest them,' Murphy reassured attendees. A majority of recent arrests targeted individuals aged under 17, he boasted, as proof that the 'early intervention' approach was working. 

Another panellist praised Britain’s ability to pre-emptively arrest people for public order offences at demonstrations and target them for terror offences further down the line. Craig McCann, a former senior Prevent officer, expressed the mood in the room when he described ceasefire marches as a 'permissive environment for the transfer of extremist ideology.' Like other speakers, he sought to delegitimise opponents of Israel’s war on Gaza by characterising pro-Palestine protests as an 'Islamist camp conflating with far-Right anti-Semitism.' McCann explicitly linked Palestinian nationalism with Nazism, an Israeli propaganda point. Fellow panellists claimed parts of London were a 'no-go zone for Jews.' Discussing threats from 'street protest all the way through to terrorism,' the conference presented far Left, far Right, 'Islamist' and 'environmentalist' ideologies as equal, inter-related threats to British society. ... After lunch, discussion turned to 'British values' and protecting England from the menace of social media and foreign flags that vexed thousands of officers under Murphy’s command. Many felt the next-generation tech on display would ensure ever more effective crackdowns on street protest and dissent."

[prettyfuul]

Rihanna Celebrates New Product Launch For Her Fenty Beauty Brand at 7th Street Studios on April 26, 2024 in LA

[workersolidarity]

[ 📹 Several severely wounded children are brought to Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in the city of Deir al-Balah after the Israeli occupation forces bombed several residential homes in the Bureij Refugee Camp, in the central Gaza Strip on Tuesday, resulting in a number of casualties among civilians. ]

🇮🇱⚔️🇵🇸 🚀🏘️💥🚑 🚨

GAZA GENOCIDE DAY 277: WORLD'S WEAPONS MANUFACTURERS IMPOSE UNOFFICIAL BAN ON TRANSFERS TO "ISRAEL", HALF A MILLION GAZANS FACE "CATASTROPHIC" LEVELS OF HUNGER, ISRAELI OCCUPATION FORCES CLOSE BAPTIST HOSPITAL IN GAZA CITY, ALL PRCS CLINICS NOW CLOSED AS OCCUPATION IMPOSES EVACUATIONS, MASS MURDER OF CIVILIANS CONTINUES

On 277th day of the Israeli occupation's ongoing special genocide operation in the Gaza Strip, the Israeli occupation forces (IOF) committed a total of 3 new massacres of Palestinian families, resulting in the deaths of no less than 50 Palestinian civilians, mostly women and children, while another 130 others were wounded over the previous 24-hours.

It should be noted that as a result of the constant Israeli bombardment of Gaza's healthcare system, infrastructure, residential and commercial buildings, local paramedic and civil defense crews are unable to recover countless hundreds, even thousands, of victims who remain trapped under the rubble, or who's bodies remain strewn across the streets of Gaza.

This leaves the official death toll vastly undercounted as Gaza's healthcare officials are unable to accurately tally those killed and maimed in this genocide, which must be kept in mind when considering the scale of the mass murder.

Foreign countries' weapons manufacturers, and exporters of raw materials used in weapons manufacturing, have imposed an informal ban on sales to "Israel" as its genocide in the Gaza Strip continues unabated, going into its 10th month.

According to the Israeli news site Calcalist, the Israeli Ministry of Defense, along with its military branches, are concerned with a situation that is developing in which the Israeli entity could face an ammunition shortage after several countries informally stopped trading weapons and materials with the occupation.

Calcalist says that European weapons manufacturers have begun ignoring their Israeli counterparts, no longer responding to their entreaties, while a major foreign power which is "not the United States", which used to trade with the occupation, has ceased trade of raw materials used in weapons manufacturing with the Zionist entity ever since its response to the events of October 7th began.

At the same time, reporting in the New York Times cautioned that the Israeli occupation army faces a shortage of 120mm artillery shells, with some tanks operating in Gaza being deployed with a smaller number of shells to slow the rate at which such shells are expended.

According to the Times, the occupation army is also facing a shortage of spare parts for D9 armored bulldozers, tanks, and armored personnel carriers.

Although the Israeli occupation promotes the establishment of new weapons manufacturing at home, ammunition produced in the occupied territories is expected to cost "tens of percent" more than imported shells and materials.

And while the Zionist entity is expected to boost domestic production of shells and other "simple" ammunition, it remains highly impractical and unlikely for the occupation to produce all the shells it needs.

Even in the case of boosted production, a large share of shells would still need to be imported due to the limited productive capabilities of the occupied territories, at a time when even the United States struggles to supply its Israeli and Ukrainian partners with all the shells the two warring allies require.

Secondly, for domestic munitions production to dramatically expand would require large amounts of raw materials which cannot be mined in the occupied territories, and so, even in the case of expanded production, many shells would still need to be imported from foreign countries.

Unfortunately for the Zionist entity, aside from the imposition of a quiet ban on sales of munitions to the Israeli occupation, several major suppliers of raw materials used in weapons manufacturing have also banned sales of such raw materials to the occupation.

And while the Israeli occupation has looked to diversify its suppliers of raw materials, and has purchased as much raw materials as possible since the start of the genocidal war in Gaza, defense contractors in the occupied territories have required help from the Ministry of Defense to acquire the necessary materials.

The occupation has caught a few breaks here and there, "another country" has begun selling raw materials to the occupation, while Serbia has provided air defenses since the start of the war.

However, due to the wars in Gaza and Ukraine, a global shortage of ammunition and raw materials has developed, leading to price increases and cut-throat competition for supplies.

Calcalist previously reported that due to the intensive use of ammunition since the start of ground operations in the Gaza Strip, the Israeli occupation army had already used some 100'000 shells by the end of November, 2023, just two months into its genocidal war.

Meanwhile, as the Zionist entity's war of extermination continues in the Gaza Strip, the United Nations' World Food Programme (WFP) is warning that "half a million people in the Gaza Strip are facing catastrophic levels of hunger."

Speaking on Monday in a post to the social media platform X, the WFP cautioned that Palestinian families in Gaza often do not receive full food rations on an ongoing basis.

The WFP declared that "unreliable access to humanitarian aid and limited stocks prevent families in Gaza from obtaining the food rations they need," and went on to to call for an "immediate ceasefire" in the Gaza Strip.

At the same time, United Nations' experts on Tuesday cautioned that famine has now spread throughout the Gaza Strip, explaining that the death of Palestinian children in Gaza as a result of malnutrition and dehydration confirms the spread of famine.

The experts warned that the death of a child the other day from malnutrition and dehydration indicates that health and social structures remain under Israeli attack and are severely weakened by the conditions imposed on the Strip.

The UN experts went on to warn that the Israeli occupation's ongoing starvation campaign against the Palestinian population constituted genocide and caused a famine, continuing by calling upon the international community to prioritize the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza by land, and to immediately end the blockade of the enclave.

Previously, on Sunday, a six-year-old child died as a result of malnutrition and dehydration, bringing the total number of deaths resulting from famine and dehydration in the Gaza Strip to 41 since October 7th.

It was also reported that at least 50 children are suffering from malnutrition and famine in Gaza, while symptoms of famine have been recorded in more than 200 children in total.

The Israeli occupation forces on May 7th took control over the Palestinian side of the Rafah and Karm Abu Salem border crossings, where the majority of humanitarian aid entered the Gaza Strip.

Following taking control over the border crossings, the occupation army burned the crossing's facilities to the ground and have since blocked the entry of humanitarian aid convoys, while at the same time blocking thousands of severely sick and wounded Palestinians from exiting Gaza to seek treatment abroad.

In other news on Tuesday, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine (UNRWA) announced the reopening of its healthcare center in the beleaguered city of Khan Yunis, in the southern Gaza Strip, several months after its facilities were "severely damaged" in January, with the hope of "supporting displaced families who returned to the area in search of shelter."

In a statement about the reopening posted to the social media platform X, the UNRWA said that "Our staff in Khan Yunis were able to reopen our health center after it was severely damaged last January."

"Given the lack of other health facilities in this part of Khan Younis, the clinic is essential to support displaced families who have returned to the area in search of shelter," the UN refugee agency added.

In further news, the Palestinian Red Crescent Society (PRCS) warned on Tuesday that "all medical points and emergency clinics" affiliated with the organization in the Gaza Strip have ceased their operations.

The Society explained that the closure of its facilities is a result of the Occupation's procedures of forced evacuation in various areas of Gaza where medical points and clinics are located.

At the time of publishing, just 15 of 36 hospitals remain just partially operational, with many sustaining damage from Israeli attacks, while the healthcare sector also suffers from a severe shortage of staff and medical supplies, including anesthesia and antibiotics, leaving healthcare professionals struggling to save lives under catastrophic conditions.

Since the start of the Israeli occupation's genocidal war in the Gaza Strip, more than 500 healthcare workers have been killed and hundreds more injured, while the occupation has arrested and detained at least 310 others and destroyed some 130 ambulances during the ongoing aggression.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has previously warned that the volume of medical supplies entering the Strip is "not sufficient to sustain the health response" and that "all medical evacuations out of Gaza remain suspended."

Several UN agencies and international institutions have also previously warned that the Zionist entity's targeting of hospitals and the healthcare sector in Gaza constitutes a clear violation of the principles and standards of International humanitarian law and the Fourth Geneva Convention, which guarantee special protections for hospitals and healthcare centers during armed conflicts and wars, while targeting them amounts to a crime against humanity and a war crime.

Yet, the Israeli occupation continues to target Gaza's healthcare infrastructure in direct violation of, and in disregard of, all international and humanitarian laws.

Meanwhile, the slaughter of civilians continues in Gaza as the Zionist army targets the homes, shelters and tents of the displaced, starving and suffering Palestinian population.

On Tuesday morning, Occupation fighter jets bombed a residential house in the city of Deir al-Balah, in the central Gaza Strip, resulting in a number of casualties among the civilian population.

At the same time, Zionist artillery detatchments targeted several neighborhoods west of the city of Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip, as well as in the vicinity of Al-Shifa Hospital, west of Gaza City, and a school in Al-Nuseirat, all of which were subjected to violent raids.

In further atrocities and war crimes, medical sources with Al-Ahli Arab Baptist Hospital in the city of Gaza stated that soldiers with the Israeli occupation army forced medical staff to close the hospital after its surrounds were subjected to violent gunfire from Merkava tanks and other armored vehicles.

According to residents and staff that witnessed the closure, all staff and patients, as well as displaced civilians seeking shelter in the hospital, were forced to leave under the threat of the occupying forces, exposing them to extreme dangers.

The crimes of the Israeli occupation continued when Zionist warplanes bombed a residential home in the New Camp area of the Al-Nuseirat Refugee Camp, in the central Gaza Strip, murdering at least 7 civilians and wounding several others.

In another atrocity, occupation fighter aircraft bombarded a residential house belonging to the Mahna family on Al-Jalaa Street, in the vicinity of the Ghafri Junction, north of Gaza City, while local paramedic crews managed to recover a small baby from the rubble alive.

Similarly, an occupation raid on the Lababidi area, north of Gaza City, resulted in the deaths of 3 citizens and wounded 3 others.

After another house was bombed by Israeli occupation forces on Al-Nafaq Street in Gaza City, local civil defense crews were able to recover a child, along with several other wounded civilians, from under the rubble of their home.

Local sources are also reporting that three civilians were killed after the Israeli occupation forces bombed a gathering of civilians in the Tal al-Sultan neighborhood, west of the city of Rafah, south of Gaza, while occupation Apache helicopters opened fire on several western neighborhoods of the city.

In more occupation war crimes, the Israeli occupation forces bombed a gathering of citizens near the Abu Rasas roundabout in the al-Bureij Camp, in the central Gaza Strip, resulting in the deaths of 9 Palestinians, most of whom were children, while a number of others were wounded in the attack.

Another citizen was killed, and several others wounded, after occupation artillery shelling targeted the Al-Maghribi Junction, in the Al-Sabra neighborhood, south of Gaza City.

According to some reports, at least 33 Palestinian civilians have been killed, and dozens of others wounded, as a result of Israeli bombing since dawn on Tuesday.

In more attacks, at least four Palestinians were killed, and several others wounded, as a result of an Israeli occupation airstrike on the Nuseirat Market, in the camp of the same name, in central Gaza.

As a result of the Israeli occupation's ongoing war of extermination against the Palestinian population of the Gaza Strip, the current death toll now exceeds 38'243 Palestinians killed, including at least 10'000 women and more than 15'000 children, while another 88'033 others have been wounded since the start of the current round of Zionist aggression, beginning with the events of October 7th, 2023.

July 9th, 2024.

#source1

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#videosource

@WorkerSolidarityNews

[argyrocratie]

(...)

"What is the Houthi movement?

The Houthi insurgency is a Zaydi Shiite Islamist political movement established in 1992 to challenge Yemen’s longtime, and increasingly corrupt, leader Ali Abdullah Saleh. Following massive street protests, Saleh resigned his post in 2011. After the resignation, a national unity dialogue was held in Yemen’s capital Sana’a to try to resolve a host of Yemeni political conflicts. However, those talks eventually broke down, prompting the Houthis to advance on Sana’a with the goal of taking power. This sparked Saudi Arabia’s deadly US-backed air, ground, and naval invasion of Yemen, which lasted for seven years and killed an estimated 9,000 civilians, as well as significant numbers of Houthi forces, in repeated airstrikes. Despite the overwhelming force used by Saudi Arabia, however, the Houthis gained control over roughly a third of Yemen’s land—and two-thirds of its population—over the course of the war.

In April 2022, Saudi Arabia and the Houthis negotiated a truce that has nearly eliminated the fighting in Yemen. The truce halted offensive military operations, allowed fuel ships to enter Yemeni ports, and restarted commercial flights from Sana’a airport. However, it did not offer a comprehensive political settlement, leaving open the threat of renewed hostilities.

How have the Houthis become involved in the war?

After Israel began bombing Gaza on October 7th, the Houthi movement—which has long held what Yemen expert Helen Lackner called a “fundamentalist foreign policy position against the US and Israel”—announced that it was ready to intervene in solidarity with Palestinians. “There are red lines in the situation related to Gaza, and we are coordinating with our brothers in the jihad axis and are ready to intervene with all we can,” the Houthis’ leader said. As part of this effort, the movement has carried out 27 attacks in the Red Sea between November 19th and January 11th, most of them on commercial ships linked to Israel (although some of the attacks have targeted ships without a clear connection to Israel). The movement has also tried to fire on American warships and on Israel itself.

In the attacks on commercial ships, the Houthis have mostly fired missiles at them, though on November 20th, the group’s fighters seized a cargo ship and detained the crew members onboard. These attacks have discouraged shipping companies from traversing the Red Sea, the fastest route from Asia to Europe; many are instead sailing around the Horn of Africa, which adds $1 million to the typical cost of a roundtrip. On January 11th, the White House cited this trade disruption as a key motivating factor for the US’s bombings in Yemen, noting that “more than 2,000 ships have been forced to divert thousands of miles to avoid the Red Sea—which can cause weeks of delays in product shipping times.”

The Houthi movement’s attacks in the Red Sea, as well as the retaliation the attacks have generated, have revitalized the group’s power within Yemen. Prior to October 7th, the Houthis were facing discontent due to their authoritarian rule, their failure to pay salaries, and their control of aid in the face of spiraling poverty. Their confrontation with Israel, however, has seen “their popularity suddenly skyrocket, including in areas in Yemen where they don’t rule and in stark contrast to other Arab [states] who are at best being silent, or at worse, helping the enemy,” Yemen expert Helen Lackner told Jewish Currents. After incurring significant losses in their conflict with Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, the Houthis’ firm opposition to Israel has also helped them to recruit more young men to their military who believe they will have the opportunity to fight in Palestine, according to Lackner.

In this context, experts say it is unlikely the spate of Western bombings will end the Houthi attacks in the Red Sea—and such attacks could even contribute to the group’s bolstered popularity. “They’re willing to live with some level of retaliation because they can then position themselves as having been targeted by this Western alliance that is serving the interests of Israel,” said Mohamad Bazzi, director of New York University’s Kevorkian Center for Near Eastern Studies. Other experts have also warned that the US strikes risk provoking further escalations: For instance, the Houthis could decide to attack Saudi Arabia in a bid to up the pressure on American allies.

(...)

What is Iran’s role in the regional escalation?

While the groups responding to Israel’s bombing of Gaza—Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis, and the Iraqi and Syrian paramilitaries—are spread out across the region, they are all supported by Iran, which has armed and financed them as part of an overall strategy to contest US and Israeli hegemony in the Middle East. This Iran-supported network is often called the “axis of resistance,” and the alliance’s close collaboration reflects an approach developed by Qassem Soleimani, who was a key Iranian military leader until he was assassinated by the US in January 2020. “A big part of his strategy in the region was for the groups to get to know each other, and to share training and expertise—and that continued after the assassination in Baghdad,” said Bazzi.

Experts emphasize that Iran does not have full control over the groups it funds and arms, which often pursue their own agendas. For example, the relationship between the Houthis and Iran, according to Lackner, “is a bit like Netanyahu’s relationship to Biden. If they agree, and they want to do the same thing, then they do it. But they are not afraid to diverge either,” said Lackner. For instance, the Houthis ignored Iran’s orders to halt their advance on Sana’a in 2014, which sparked the years-long civil war and the conflict with Saudi Arabia. In the current conflagration, Bazzi said, Iran is unlikely to be directing the various forces to pursue “specific attacks,” but Iranian military leadership is “probably involved in larger-scale conversations about the division of responsibilities of different parts of the axis of resistance.”

According to Bazzi, at this moment Iran is carefully calculating how to maintain regional credibility by showing support for Hamas, while not going far enough to provoke a war with powerful foes like the US and Israel. “The primary Iranian calculation is about regime survival, and they don’t want to do anything that seriously jeopardizes their survival,” said Bazzi. Parsi said that so far, Iran has benefited from avoiding risky moves—in contrast to Israel, which has diminished its own “global standing” with its operations in Gaza. “Israel’s pariah status globally—at least outside of the West—is something that the Iranians are drawing benefits from. But that only works to the point that this doesn’t escalate into a larger conflict,” he said.

How is the US responding to the regional conflict?

Since October 7th, the US has repeatedly said that it wants to prevent more fighting in the region. Early on, the US dispatched warships and fighter jets to the Mediterranean to deter Hezbollah from entering the fray. Biden administration officials have also ramped up diplomatic efforts to halt a regional conflagration: The president sent envoy Amos Hochstein to Lebanon to try to negotiate a solution to the fighting around the blue line, and reportedly warned Israel against escalation with Hezbollah in private conversations. In October, when Israel had made plans to pre-emptively strike Lebanon, President Biden called Netanyahu to tell him to “stand down” on the attack plans, and ultimately, Israel did not launch a wide scale attack, according to a December Wall Street Journal report. “The priority for the Biden administration is to limit or prevent the broadening of the conflict,” said Schenker.

At the same time, the US has carried out repeated bombings in Iraq, Syria, and now Yemen, even as officials continue to talk about de-escalation. “We’re not looking for conflict with Iran. We’re not looking to escalate and there’s no reason for it to escalate beyond what happened over the last few days,” National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said last Friday, after the first US bombings of Yemen. But yesterday, the US military again bombed Houthi targets for the third time in a week, and then designated the Houthis as a terror organization, blocking the group’s access to the global financial system. By targeting Yemen, experts say the US is significantly expanding the regional war—“escalating regional tensions and adding fuel to a conflict,” as Bazzi wrote in a recent column published in The Guardian. “The conflagration could spiral out of control, perhaps more by accident than design,” he noted.

Many Middle East analysts say the Biden administration’s attempt to avert regional war is failing for one main reason: its refusal to couple a plea for de-escalation with advocacy for a ceasefire in Gaza. “Seeing the wider regional conflict as something that can be managed separately from Gaza is the source of the dissonance [in the administration’s strategy],” Bazzi told Jewish Currents. “You can’t prevent the wider regional war effectively without addressing the core immediate issue, which is the Israeli assault on Gaza. It’s just wishful thinking in the Biden administration that somehow it can separate the two.”

[monste70-comsumer]

To the people who think that this doesn’t affect them, it does. Our state taxes go to Isreal which is killing people who are just living. Most of the population in Palestine are children who are dying every minute. People are living in tents with no clean water and no food. The women have no menstrual products. There is a famine right now. Nobody deserves to be going to bed with the sounds of drones and bombs, and hungry. No parents or siblings need to be holding their dead loved ones. I feel so many things when I see what is going on in the world. And if you were with Ukraine why aren't you with the Palestinians? Say something or do something that could at least save people's lives. “ pick up the stones there are children in the street”. Nobody deserves to live like this. This has been going on for 76+ years and never October 7th.

[seafoamreadings]

week of december 17th, 2023

these are written predominantly for the *rising* signs but they are also intuitively "channeled" enough that they should work for any dominant energy you have! (try your sun if you don't know rising, or more advanced readers can try moon, anywhere you have a stellium, etc and see what works best for you!)

aries: capricorn season, soon, marked by the solstice, puts the focus and highlight on your public image, and the work you do that really matters, trickling down through the generations to your descendants, genetic or otherwise. so do good work. if you can't in your career, you can in your day to day endeavors.

taurus: your week's energy is productive but internal. and it is productive to you and your path through life, but others may not see it as productive - it may not serve them, or their conventions or traditions.

gemini: retrograde mercury backs up into your 7th house again, so relationships get a revisit. maybe you're going back over old fears, old patterns, old problems. maybe you're revisiting what you love, need, or desire. but watch for recurring themes, so you can act accordingly.

cancerians: your sign does tend to be susceptible to 'cuffing season' hype, not least of all due to capricorn season meaning your 7th house season! so do make your home hygge and happy, and if you find someone you truly love let them in, but don't think you need to pair off to be happy and comfortable. go hermit (crab) mode if it's better.

leo: the beginning of capricorn season is less feisty fiery than you might like but it's a really good time to power up your daily routines as rituals; the deep meditation of a good workout, the life force in your food, the shamanism of sleep, etc.

virgo: romantic fires are stoked from capricorn season on. that may be within a pre-existing relationship, or outside of it. it could be the blossoms of a new one, or a dabbling outside of one. try not to let anyone get hurt; you are not the only one with feelings.

libra: particularly in the second half of this week, it's auspicious to make your home nice, to make it a place of restoration, which can be stimulating when it needs to or relaxing when that need arises. it should also be beautiful, without requiring excessive ownership or spending.

scorpio: if, in some small way, you can help someone in your immediate vicinity - a family member, a roommate, a neighbor, a cold or hungry person on the street - then helping them will be immensely rewarded in some surprising way later on.

sagittarius: noticeable if not extremely earthshattering events occur this week around the last degree of your sign and the first degrees of capricorn. so this can seem quite fraught. but don't act too impulsively. mercury is still retrograde after all. you do have more time than it seems. think it out first, and carefully.

capricorn: the sun into your sign starts your season off perhaps chaotically as mercury is also hanging around here at these critical degrees of 29 sagittarius and 0 capricorn. so enhance and fortify your mercury retrograde protocols!

aquarius: like it or not - and maybe you do - but you're doing deep work these days. venus this week opposing uranus in taurus helps, but you have to make choices about your public vs private lives. can you reconcile them or must you give one up?

pisces: the sagittarian quality of the week boosts the most mutable among you but can drain pisceans with the softer and gentler qualities of your sign. so let yourself get a bit tuckered out, but rest and recuperate after, before you continue.

[wherebettertoescape]

A Little Life - Harold Pinter Theatre

For anyone who does wish to attend this production, please don’t take the content warnings lightly - the self-harm is graphic and two characters have full-frontal nudity. 

I (Freddie) attended the matinee production at the Harold Pinter Theatre in London on Sunday 7th May

THIS REVIEW/ANALYSIS DOES CONTAIN SPOILERS FOR BOTH THE NOVEL AND STAGE PRODUCTION, SO PLEASE BE AWARE!

Trigger Warnings: talks of self harm, child abuse, sexual assault, domestic abuse and more

There’s no discernible reaction from the audience when Luke Thompson as Willem makes his entrance onto the stage. He’s wearing a dark blue hoodie, the hood pulled up over his hair - perfectly innocuous, nothing spectacular or grand as he walks about the stage. The lights are still bright, the audience is still chatting, laughter is filling the room. And Luke Thompson as Willem is onstage frying himself some bacon and eggs.

What has struck me again and again whenever I reread A Little Life - because, yes, I get a masochistic kind of joy from putting myself through that pain repeatedly - is the intimacy of it. Naturally with any book, the reader is granted the chance to feel close to the characters, to garner a look at their lives behind the veil. But if you were to ask me, I would say that there are very few - if any - novels that create this illusion as Hanya Yanagihara’s does. For 813 pages you are allowed to experience this life as they are, to experience snapshots of their lives - the good, the bad and the unimaginably horrifying - even as the rest of New York, the rest of the world, goes on as normal, with no thought spared to what is occurring within the walls of Lispenard Street and their subsequent homes. 

The awareness that despite what Jude is revealing to the readers about his past, the beyond nightmarish history he has, the world is continuing to go on as normal was perhaps the aspect of the novel I adore so much that I was most scared about losing in adapting it for other mediums.

But from the moment Luke Thompson stepped onto stage, transformed into Willem and beginning to go about his daily life, with the moving images of New York streets surrounding him in his apartment, I knew that my worries had been unfounded. Ivo Van Hove with his unbelievable direction paired with Jan Versweyveld’s set design had found a way to maintain that understanding. 

Throughout almost all of the performance, there is no moment of stasis. Be it JB and Malcom painting and working at desks on the right side of the stage, or Andy reading his book in his clinic, or the ever-present Willem and Harold. 

The former is always in the same spot on a sofa at the back of the stage, flipping through scripts, determined to make it big as an actor, pouring all of his attention and focus onto learning the lines, dedicated to making his dream a reality, and yet always there ready to support Jude. In the second act, Luke Thompson takes the exact same pose when listening to Jude revealing the details of his childhood, desperate to understand his best friend, and at this stage his lover, in the same way he had been desperate to make it as an actor.

Harold, however, spends much of his time on stage left, stationed at the kitchen set up. Constantly in movement, cooking several dishes throughout the course of the play. A reference, perhaps, to the number of Thanksgivings Jude is reported to have spent with him and his wife, Julia (absent from this adaptation). 

Despite the eternal loneliness that James Norton as Jude exudes with just his presence, he is only truly alone for a few moments - the harrowing whisper of “x equals x” that he gasps out after Elliot Cowan as Caleb leaves him naked in the street. It is then that he is alone onstage, laying in his blood, until he is retrieved by his loved ones and taken to rest on Andy’s hospital bed.

It is this detail of James Norton’s performance as Jude that I found the most powerful - which is saying something, considering that I am considering suing him for emotional damages, hasn’t anyone ever told him to think about using his acting powers for good, rather than evil? He captures a side of Jude that I had not previously considered - Jude views himself as a side character in his own life. He doesn’t feel worthy of attention, of his friendships, he is lonely in spite of being surrounded by those he loves the most and as a result feels unable to call out and ask for the help he desperately craves but does not believe that he deserves. 

The contrast between this and the fact that Jude is always centre stage is immense and almost disconcerting to watch and caused me to spend the entire performance practically begging him in my head to just turn around, they’re right there!

But this desire to be helped and to be heard is brought to life by the presence of Nathalie Armin as Ana. The first person in Jude’s life to truly care about him, and the only female in this adaptation of the novel. Armin has a commanding presence on the stage, even as she is a mere figment of Jude’s imagination. Dressed in all black, a stark difference to the bright set, allowing her to melt into the darkness when the spotlight focuses on Norton. 

In many ways, Ana vocalises the audience’s own thoughts - pleading with Jude to confide in his friends, desperate to stop him from harming himself further, and the relief in Armin’s expression as Jude finally tells Willem his story. 

The choice to keep the cast small causes a heavy weight to be put on Elliot Cowan’s shoulders, as he is tasked with portraying three different, truly heinous characters. Even without the costume changes, however, I truly believe it would be possible to tell which of the three he was in each scene.

Cowan gives truly fantastic portrayals of each of the villains of Jude’s life, as Brother Luke he shows the softer touch which allowed for him to manipulate Jude in his innocence, he never handles Norton roughly when playing the part of Brother Luke. Carefully pulling him along, coaxing Jude to trust him to the point that the child does not realise just how wrong it is what Brother Luke asks of him. 

This acting from Cowan makes Jude’s words all the more heartbreaking in Act 2 when talking to Willem, as the audience is able to see why Jude insists that Brother Luke was different, that he did love him.

When taking up the role of Caleb, however, he becomes the manifestation of everything Jude believes about himself. He has none of Brother Luke’s gentleness, but all of his intensity and possessiveness. The last that we see of Caleb, is when he lifts Jude up by the arm, Norton’s body used to reflect the words he says - “x equals x”. Being with Caleb has brought to life Jude’s darkest thoughts of himself, and Jude views this as proof that no matter what he will always be the same. Damaged and unlovable, to be blamed for everything he had been subjected to in his youth.

As Dr Traylor, Cowan’s words are clipped and straightforward. He is the most detached of Jude’s abusers, not caring for his name and only referring to him as “a prostitute” and reinforcing what Jude already believes about himself. It is not until Jude’s “release” that we see any true kind of emotion from Dr Traylor. Cowan shows Dr Traylor with a manic kind of joy upon forcing Jude to run from him, all the while on the tail in his car. The chase scene is long, and dramatic with the incredible musicians rising in volume and intensity with their instruments. The length of the scene forces thoughts back to Jude’s earlier response when JB asked about his legs - “I used to run cross country”.

In all of his roles, Cowan has the same commanding presence onstage as Armin. The moment he leaves the wings, regardless of who he is in that moment, the audience’s attention is drawn to him. As though by sheer glares and willpower we will be able to change Jude’s story, that we as mere observers will be able to push against Cowan’s slow, purposeful steps and keep him away from Norton. 

Zubin Varla and Emilio Doorgasingh gave masterful portrayals as Harold and Andy, respectively. They are markedly different to the presence of Willem, Malcom and JB - in what proves to be a very physical play, Harold rarely touches his son, while Andy only does so as necessary in his medical examinations of Jude.

This respect for Jude’s boundaries when it comes to physical contact is what truly sets Harold and Andy apart from the other older figures in Jude’s life (those villains played by Cowan). Varla’s portrayal of Harold is always evaluating his own movements, always second guessing himself before moving towards Jude - he does not seek out the easy, casual contact shown by the other three young adults. But when Jude comes to him for comfort, Harold is always eager to provide it.

The final scene of Harold and Jude embracing - Jude in his wheelchair, Harold knelt on the ground in front of him, with the rejected trays of food scattered on the floor around him - when Norton practically falls into Varla’s arms, sobbing into his shoulder, as a screen slowly comes down to hide them, JB on the outside, is one that I believe will stay with me for years to come. 

There is an emotion in Varla’s voice when he confides in the audience the story of Jacob, his first son. And in that closing scene we are forced back to that monologue, when he confesses to anyone listening that when Jacob died, there was a little part of him relieved, as that meant it was over. And although it is heartbreaking, it is this statement that makes it no real surprise that when the screen lifts again, Harold is alone in front of that wheelchair to report Jude’s suicide.

Where Armin’s Ana shows the sympathetic side of the audience, the aching desire to hug Jude and promise him it will be okay, to protect him both from the world and himself, Doorgasingh’s Andy exhibits the rougher side of it. His frustration at Jude’s abject refusal to accept help, his anger at watching someone he loves destroy themselves. The hopelessness he feels when his advice goes unnoticed, and his frequent calls to Harold and Willem - often screaming at the two people Jude is closest to, desperate for them to be there for him more.

Andy does not have the same stage presence as many of the other characters do, instead he - and the same can be said for Malcom - almost fades into the background at times. But they are there, ready to pick up the pieces. Both Doorgasingh and Wyatt are spectacular in their characterisations. In the novel, Andy and Malcom show an awareness that they are not the most important people to Jude, that they cannot help him in the ways others can, and in this adaptation, the actors bring that feeling to life.

They are there, working in their own lives, on their own projects. Malcom quietly sees what Jude refuses to acknowledge about his worsening condition and accommodating for it even despite the push back of his best friend. And Andy who can be seen pacing at the side of the stage, calling Jude when he can sense everything is getting too much for him - they are both there for him in their own quiet ways, and their loyalty and love for Jude is never questioned by the audience. It is also important to note that in this adaptation of the novel, neither of these characters address the audience directly - the only two whose focuses are solely within the story with no fourth-wall breaks.

Omari Douglas as JB, on the other hand, stands out more than anyone. First as a result of his costumes - often more brighter than those of his castmates - and then just as how he presents himself. Anyone who watched his performance in It’s a Sin will recall how Douglas’ presence demands to be noticed, and this is carried forth onto the Harold Pinter Stage. He captures the heart of JB’s character - desperate to be heard, to be needed by his friends. Charming in his own way, despite how his messy character causes him to betray his friends at several points in the story. 

Douglas transitions well from how JB is around his friends - brash, loud, confident - to how he truly feels when talking to the audience. His voice is softer, he somehow seems a little smaller as he talks about watching Jude, how he feels Willem doesn’t value his friendship as highly as the others, how he feels they don’t need him anymore.

While JB’s drug addiction is rather rushed in this adaptation - it’s discussed at length in the novel - Douglas eloquently displays his anguish to the audience, his desperation to quit. A previously difficult to like character, after having seen him mock Jude’s disability, and betray his trust, the audience is able to empathise and understand him better. And when it is just him and Jude left at the end of the show, Douglas doesn’t say anything, but takes up the same space as had previously been filled by Willem and Malcom. He quietly watches Jude - just as he had before with his painting, only this time, it’s out of concern for his friend, rather than concern for his career and viewing him as a muse.

I have already mentioned how this production brought me to tears on several occasions, however none made me sob more so than Luke Thompson’s monologue at the end before his car crash. Having already read the book several times, I had known that this was coming and yet it didn’t stop me from hoping that somehow I’d misunderstood the plot point and that Willem did actually survive. So when Thompson took centre-stage and I knew what was next, my sister took my hand as the two of us prepared ourselves.

Beyond the tear-jerker of a monologue, when I later considered the adaptation as a whole I wondered over the choice to mention Hemming at that point. Perhaps this mention worked some some of the audience, however for me I felt it should have been mentioned earlier, as it is in the novel. With Willem only mentioning Hemming before he dies and only in reference to Jude, it caused me to reflect somewhat poorly on their relationship. It’s a minor point about the adaptation, however I do wonder if mentioning his older brother earlier, before Jude himself begins to use a wheelchair, it would have been more impactful.

I could sing praises about the chemistry between Norton and Thompson onstage - however considering I have the voice of a dying seal, it’s probably best that I don’t. Instead, I’ll simply say that their interactions in the second act, as Willem confesses his attraction to Jude, and he struggles to understand it caused my heart to skip a beat. 

Norton captures Jude’s innocence throughout the play perfectly - from the moments that he slips into his childhood self in flashbacks, to when he’s so unsure in his relationship with Willem, unused to being with someone who does genuinely love and care for him. 

All in all, I enjoyed this stage adaptation of A Little Life - if “enjoy” can be the correct word for a production that brought me to tears and caused me to question the meaning of life. It was hauntingly beautiful, heartbreakingly sad and utterly harrowing. I don’t believe I’ve ever been quite so moved by a whole troupe of actors and the way that they characterise their roles. While I certainly have some criticisms and hang-ups about this show and the story in general, I shall save those for another post, hopefully less long and wordy.

Would I return to the Harold Pinter Theatre to watch it again given the choice? Truthfully, I’m not sure. While I fell in love with these actors, the direction, set design and music, I’m unsure if I could watch it again and feel the same level of intensity as I did on this watch. Also, I cried enough to give myself a headache by the end - so if I were to watch again, I’d have to remember to bring a water bottle to ensure I stayed hydrated.

[scuderia-hamilton]

Hey, my lovely mutual, could you please enlighten what exactly Lando did and preferably with receipts if you don't mind so more people would be educated on this?

hello, thank you for asking nicely, i'll do my best to summarize everything. :))

so, yesterday Lando posted on his land0.mov account, and the post is a video about him walking around in Melbourne and there was a shot of him holding a Starbucks cup.

people quickly noticed and started calling him out on it, because of the ongoing boycott against Starbucks, which is happening because of the genocide of Palestinian people. people were trying to educate him and make him realize that his actions were wrong and ignorant.

some of his fans started defending him, saying that he may not be aware of the boycott, which i find highly unlikely. he's known to be chronically online, there is no way he didn't hear about it at least once. there are also protests happening worldwide, people are rallying on the streets and more and more celebs speak out, demanding an immediate and permanent ceasefire.

the other argument they brought up in his defence was that Starbucks has nothing to do with Palestine, because the boycott originally happened because the company sued their Workers Union over a post they made following October 7th (when the current genocide started) that was expressing solidarity with the Palestinian people. the law suit was filed because of copyright infringement, the Union's logo is very similar to the Starbucks logo. the company also stated that the post does not represent their views, saying they have no stance on the situation and they deleted the post shortly after, following numerous complaints against the company. if you want to you can read more about that here:

the company is not on the BDS movement's official list, but they backed up the union and Starbucks is widely accepted as one of the companies to boycott in support of Palestine. it also has ties with Nestle and Pepsico, which are two major companies on the BDS movement list. there are more important companies to boycott and you should by all means boycott them, but that does not mean you cannot boycott Starbucks too. it is one of the most widely known boycotts happening right now, because the company is extremely popular.

i will post some articles and websites that explain this situation in depth, so if you're interested you can check them out.

and here is the official BDS movement's list of the most important companies we should boycott.

i tried to keep this brief, cause i already made a lot of posts about it, so if you want to see those too, i'll link them below.