#Armand the police dog

[nemonclature]

GUYS. I HAVE A THEORY. IT’S SUCH A GOOD THEORY. ACTUALLY IT’S THE BEST. Actually I’m just gonna go ahead and call this canon. I’m staking my entire identity on it.

So, I was gonna do an in depth art post bouncing off this excellent bit of research. I was expecting some thematic hints a la Hannibal and much fun to be had.

I decided to start with this:

Francis Bacon’s Three Studies for Figures at the Base of a Crucifixion, which hangs on the wall in the Dubai apartment.

Let’s sidestep the Christian connotations of the crucifixion* IMO the Christ bit is misdirection (mostly. We’ll come back to that)

Armand: Witnesses to Christ’s agony. Mr Bacon also referred to these as the Three Furies.

Who are they? The Furies/Erinyes are Ancient Greek Goddesses of vengeance. "The Erinyes, that under earth take vengeance on men, whosoever hath sworn a false oath" ... They are traditionally depicted as … preoccupied with avenging patricide and matricide by hunting down and killing violent criminals ... Their task is to hear complaints brought by mortals against the insolence of the young to the aged, of children to parents, of hosts to guests.” (wiki)

Kinda on point for a vampire that tried to kill his maker, no? Or for a vampire that’s abusing the guests in his home? Or an old man shit-talking two much older vamps. (lol jk not you Danny boy, you trash them all you want bb).

Armand: We’ve received an aggressive offer for the Bacon triptych.

Louis: Oh? I didn’t know we’d made it available.

Armand: It’s a new name, so I’ll have to run due diligence.

Hmm, who could possibly be being setup to enter late season under cover as some innocuous buyer? Who would Armand let into his theatre home in order to wreck it? Who’s presence/interest/existence would he keep from Louis? Who better to complete Bacon's intention and provide the crucified final figure of the set, but...

YES! Our favourite victim of patricide. The ultimate Daddy Vampire. Lestat de fucking Lioncourt.

Guys there’s a reason I’ve been calling him White Vampire Jesus and it’s not (just) because I find myself hilarious.

Real Rashid: The lawyer for the buyer is ready for the teleconference.

Not a massive deal, rich people make lawyers do things for them. But so do VAMPIRES WHO DON’T WANT TO BE IDENTIFIED.

But yeah, lets’ get into that phone call. Mr Philips, the lawyer, is introduced to Mr du Lac (like, in case anyone was wondering how Lestat knew it was Louis who owned it, just fucking use your real name Louis, sure.) The buyer wants it for her husband (GUYS. HE WANTS IT FOR LOUIS).

This is episode 2.03 and, guys, Lestat is EVERYWHERE in this episode. We get Armand opening up, but not about his full past, just about his past with Lestat.

Dreamstat dogs Louis’s footsteps

Louis admits to Armand that Lestat was his maker in this episode.

And the scene directly before the lawyer calls?

Louis and Claudia are talking about Lestat, it moves on to Bruce, but it starts with Lestat.

We could also talk about how, this season, as the focus has moved away from Loustat to Loumand, the action has moved away from the main room with the Triptych, to the tree room and the dining room.

Lets start with the tree room, where Armand (the clinging vine) reaches, but never touches Louis (the tree).

"For woman is a branching tree, and man a clinging vine. And from your branches carelessly, he’ll take what he can find."

(Let no man steal your thyme, trad)

Too much? Then how about the dining room of equally symbolic paintings. (and, side note. Paintings have been IT this season. This is the Armand season, the Amadeo season, the Louis photographer season, the breaking into museums to look at or steal art season. If S1 was music, S2 is art).

The dining room where we find the Ron Bechet, Transformation (A TREE AND VINES FFS), representing Louis (or Loumand) and the (stolen - can we take a moment to appreciate the hilarity that is Louis and Armand dressing up as police officers to carry out one of the biggest art heists in recent history?) Rembrandt, Christ in the Storm on the Sea of Galilee representing Daniel (Fear and Faith).

You can see them more clearly in the S1 scene where Dan and Louis are at either end of the table, each before their own painting.

But also in S2 in combo with the Marius christ-and-demons, representing Armand (or representing Armius?? Lol do they have a ship name? kill me now). I find it very interesting how Armand is sometimes framed with Dan's painting behind him and at other times with Louis', almost like he's being pulled between the two.

Anyway. Point is the GIANT RED ORANGE LESTAT CHRIST SYMBOLISM is suspiciously out of frame this season.

See the difference in framing here in Season 1: (note, this is DanLou first meeting. It's BEEN THERE FROM THE BEGINNING)

And this itty bitty corner shot in Season 2:

And when does the triptych come back into frame? Oh just DIRECTLY AFTER THIS BIT OMFG:

Me too, Dan. Me too.

The triptych has been on the wall from the start of the show. Looming over everything, haunting the narrative, like a giant bleeding meta signpost.

[dykesynthezoid]

Your little post about Armand and structural dissociation has had me googling stuff since you posted it. The only non-normal dissociation I've ever experienced has been your standard DPDR, and I've never heard much about dissociative parts without the dissociative amnesia aspect separating them. So you've had me thinking.

In the books, Armand seems confused and frightened of the sadistic side of himself, talking about how he has never enjoyed violence (but clearly remembering times when he did, or something close to it). Could this be why he feels a disconnect with that aspect of himself?

Sometimes he seems like he has forgiven and moved on from his beef with Lestat, but sometimes he bring it up again, bitterly (Blood Communion). It never seemed like his disorganized attachment style fully explained that. Could that be part of this? Hell, speaking of disorganized attachment, I've read that there's a connection between that and structural dissociation.

In other words, I'd love you to rant more about this. Book and/or show Armand, both or either.

*shaking like a little overstimulated purse dog* yes yes i will speak to you of the gremlin

YES I think his disgust at his own sadism and his inability to move on from what happened w Lestat are (probably) tied to his structural dissociation IMO.

As a basic breakdown I’ll put out there that, at least in internal family systems, which is the modality I’ll be referencing, everyone has different “parts” in the sense that they have different aspects of themselves and their personality (I think you could analyze the different parts extant in Louis, Lestat, and Daniel as well!), but dissociation bc of early/ongoing trauma can cause those parts to be more separated, right, and so structural dissociation theory is a way of examining what happens when those parts are so cut off from each other that your sense of identity is rendered unstable.

In my head Armand has at least 4-5 major “parts” that exist together, and the one we see the most of is his coven leader/caretaker part (these could be considered separate but I think there’s actually little meaningful separation between them). This part, to me, is the one that’s most absorbed certain traits from Marius, Santino, and Alessandra. It’s both a manager part (seeks to construct/police/control/maintain stability) and a persecutor (actively suppresses and victimizes certain other parts).

Then there’s Amadeo, who is a child part, representing a piece of Armand’s younger psyche. Armand’s dissociation from the identity of Amadeo (refers to him in the third person) and his treatment of people who remind him of that version of himself (Daniel and Claudia) make it clear that Amadeo is also an exile; he’s a part that’s been locked away and rejected by other parts (mainly the coven leader part). Armand sees Amadeo as weak, sacrificial, doomed.

However, I think Amadeo is also in some ways a protector part. In Armand’s book, Amadeo is noticeably protective of the other boys. And given how Armand’s mind is likely structured, I think a lot of Amadeo is actually constructed around protecting Arun/Andrei. I think Amadeo basically holds the “key” to Arun and keeps the other parts from being able to access that part or his trauma; this would help explain why Arun’s memories have remained so untouchable. Amadeo won’t let anyone touch the trauma Arun is holding onto, not outside of very specific situations, and even then I think Amadeo is basically acting as a sort of translator or interpreter for Arun.

Because Arun is certainly also a child part and an exile, and he holds onto a lot of Armand’s “worst” (how can you really grade it, y’know) trauma. I think it’s likely that Arun is sort of non “verbal;” not in that he’s unable to speak, necessarily, but in that in psychology, “verbal” memory is the term used to describe memories that are specific and episodic, that are associated with images and details and concrete information. I think Arun, as a part, has had most of his memories locked away for so long (and probably also just wasn’t encoding memories very well to begin with while he was being abused) that he exists more as a series of impressions and bodily sensations than a specific set of images or events or personality traits. And because of this its very difficult for Armand to find a way to describe or narrate his experiences as Arun, even if he did have those memories, bc none of it really exists in that verbal or explicit space. It’s all, by nature, quite muddied and nonspecific and very very physical.

Now to finally begin kind of answering your question, lmao, but I think Armand’s last most prominent part is the demon/gremlin. I mentioned it a bit in that first post I made, but I think the demon/gremlin is an amalgamation of Armand’s most rejected aspects of himself, similar to a Jungian shadow. It’s everything he least wants to look at. I think it would’ve started forming in his time as Amadeo, and initially as a reaction of Amadeo having to reject certain aspects of himself, mainly his mischievousness and rebelliousness. These traits were deemed undesirable and so he had to cut them off. Then with the coven, Amadeo himself is rejected and locked away, essentially “dying” in the fire and in that cell, and he has to start relying on a different persona to survive (again). This is when his coven leader part starts forming, but I think the gremlin is also there. The gremlin takes on even more rejected aspects, like any sort of hunger or neediness. The Children of Satan are meant to deny themselves, after all.

I think it’s in the wake of Lestat that the gremlin part becomes completely exiled. Armand’s interactions with Lestat alert him to the ugliness of his own sadism, his desperation and neediness. The coven leader part can be cruel, but it’s only in effort to play out his role. The gremlin is the one who’s sadistic, who’s cruel because he’s hurting, cruel for the sake of cruelty. I think the gremlin comes to represent every bit of mischievousness, rebelliousness, neediness, desperation, mindless cruelty, lashing out, hunger, desire, and selfishness that Armand tries to push away. It’s chaos, where the other parts of Armand strive for order. It’s also the part that I think is holding onto his ability to act for his own sake.

(Plus, it explains why Armand may seem over Lestat one moment, and then completely re-absorbed in that hurt the next. It’s bc that hurt has been locked away in a part of himself he works very, very hard to keep at bay. Ofc meanwhile, the harder he tries to repress those aspects of himself, the more they start to bleed unknowingly into his consciousness in a way he can’t control, and the more they’re actually able to influence him when he’s not paying attention.)

Basically I think Armand getting to go full gremlin is a major step in his development and integration, lmao.

I think we’ve also yet to see Armand’s stable Self, the one that’s a blend of all the other parts and presented when his nervous system is at baseline; when he’s feeling secure. Mostly bc we’ve never seen Armand feeling secure or stable (in the show at least), lol. He is literally always freaking out to some degree. There’s always at least one part trying to manage the others, or, under greater stress, desperately firefighting, or, under even greater stress than that, going completely frozen and unresponsive. But I think the stable Armand is one that’s both playful and focused, active and receptive. I think it probably peeks out when he’s playing on his iPad or even when he has that conversation with Madeleine. I think the Armand putting random shit in the garbage disposal is, in fact, his secure and stable self. Which is honestly kind of hilarious.

This is very long and I honestly have even more thoughts than this but. Yeah. I love him. I also have a bunch of thoughts re:Jungian psychology about him. I think when he’s luring people into accepting death he’s actually tapping into a death drive deep in the collective unconscious. Which is why even if someone, on the level of their ego and actual personality, doesn’t want to die, he manages to find a piece even deeper and more nonpersonal, a lizard-brain sort of drive toward destruction, that does.

I really should’ve said more here about EPs (Emotional Parts) and such bc that’s more in line with the actual structural theory of dissociation and I focused more on internal family systems stuff here but! Yeah. Basically certain emotional states, body states/sensations, and even personality elements get locked away from each other (and having several of these separate parts is associated with CPTSD, OSDD, and DID, with CPTSD kind of existing as a gradation between PTSD and OSDD/DID in terms of how separate those parts have become). CPTSD is what I myself have going on and I can attest to the separate parts thing but with limited amnesia, and in my case that amnesia is just certain memories my youngest child part is probably holding onto. (I’ve made peace with never getting those memories back, tbh). My emotional parts/body memories are the ones that are most closed off from each other, and mostly the different aspects of my personality aren’t too separate and can communicate as needed, with some exceptions. So that’s the perspective I’m bringing into analyzing Armand that way.

And I’m sure it all goes without saying that this is all just my opinion and me having fun exploring Armand’s character through just one (1) potential lens. But it’s a very interesting one!

[monstersinthecosmos]

First, you write a lengthy post claiming that Marius treats Armand like an animal, and then you wonder why Armand and Marius shippers are seen as outcasts in the fandom. You present humiliation, disrespect and devaluation as something sexual and normal in their relationship. There is a difference between not seeing Armand as an adult and independent person and not seeing him as a person at all. Like, you're literally doing ALL the work for the antis, LMAO.

If Marius sees Armand as a cat, then maybe he shouldn't be left alone with animals

just saying.

Like, 'Armand, Marius picked up a shepherd dog from the street today. You both share the same level of love, respect, and significance! 😍 But don’t be upset; being someone's dog can be great! And remember, you actually like it! 🥺'

BEST GASLIGHTING EVER

Maybe he’s okay with this situation because he doesn’t remember what real kindness feels like? Roleplay in bed for the sake of temporary humiliation is one thing, but to see someone you’re in a romantic relationship with as nothing more than an animal is just messed up. What are you even talking about? 😭

Yknow what.

I’ve been marinating on this all day and thinking about ways to respond kindly, because I think leveraging literacy at people in fandom arguments is really fucked up and that isn’t the person I want to be. I've even had my own journey in VC fandom because when I first joined Tumblr, the big meta writers were condescending as fuck and used to make me feel really stupid for liking Marius, and that's such a destructive and unwelcoming attitude. It took me a really long time to feel brave enough to even share meta, because of those folks, and now I have to worry about you chodes. And it's just a never ending Sisyphean task to cultivate a space where Marius fans feel safe. And that's for EVERY Marius fan, not just the ones you deign pure & good enough to exist. In fact, it even goes for all the book fans in general. I don't give a fuck if someone likes Marius--everyone is allowed to participate if they're not going out of their way to hurt people. You're an adult. Block people and curate your space, it's not my job to do that for you.

Everyone, at every reading level, is allowed to participate in fandom, and I think we can’t be true leftists if we don’t acknowledge the education problem in the US. (Assuming you’re American because Americans Feelings Yakuza tend to behave like this but if you’re not American, good job blending in, it's really embarrassing for you.) I don’t think I can ethically condemn the degradation of our educational system and I don’t think I can condemn this sect of fandom’s violent anti-intellectualism if I don’t also show sympathy for its victims. I'm really sorry that your parents/teachers/whoever failed you this badly and I hope things get better for you, because I don't wish this on anybody.

So when I turn into a cunt in thirty seconds, I want you to know it’s not because I think you’re stupid. It’s because I think you’re a fucking asshole. <3  And I don’t care what the fuck your problem is, it’s YOUR problem, and we don’t have to tolerate this type of thought policing and fascism in a fandom space. You don’t get to talk to me like this just because you don’t like stuff that I write.

Having said that, I also am just, particularly fucking baffled by how incoherent and ideologically unsound this ask is, not to mention how blindingly, willfully ignorant it is. Like, I hate to say this, but it’s SO stupid that I almost can’t believe someone would actually say this to me, and it makes me wonder if you’re like, an outside agitator pretending to be one of these Mariusblr morons to bait me. So I wondered if I shouldn’t validate it with a response, but then I thought,

Fandom deserves to see this lol

You actually did a good job of imitating this attitude that I DO see, for real, in this fandom, so like maybe it’s a public service to bait me to get me to talk about it. So I guess I will.

Now, I did talk about this topic here and I said what I need to say. I already said everything I needed to say on the topic of doting upon the cute little mortal, and to send me this anon after reading that post, the reading comprehension is either ABYSMAL or you’re just pulling an OH SO YOU HATE WAFFLES on me which is like. Why. Lol.

And I can’t help someone who’s determined to misinterpret everything I will ever say, no matter what. But again, I’m kinda posting this as a fandom PSA because this is a great example of the braindead nonsense that goes on in Mariusblr and I think the people deserve to laugh at you lol, so if you want to misinterpret me some more, I can’t help you.

We’re not gonna discuss Marius in this post. What we’re going to discuss is the idea that “””THE ANTIS””” are out to get us, and the irony of couching anti hysteria in this exact message.

So let’s go back to basics and refresh on what the fuck a fandom anti is.

So when you talk about FANDOM ANTIS, I actually have to ask: Babe are you seeing yourself right now? Are these antis in the fucking room? Is the call coming from inside the house?

You don’t get to have a little bit of censorship, or a little bit of harassment.  If someone outside of our fandom saw this post, without the existing context of who Marius and Armand are, they’d think YOU were the anti for telling me how to interpret this ship, not to mention whatever the fuck is this weird kinkshaming. Censorship is bad, full stop. It's not, censorship is only bad when it's the thing I like. Same for leaving people twatty anons. Bullying people is still bad, and you don't get decide who deserves it.

You don’t get to cry about antis and then pop into people’s inboxes to ridicule them because they didn’t read the book the same way you did. You don’t get to lecture me about kink and ship dynamics. YOU ARE NOT FIGHTING ON THE SIDE YOU THINK YOU’RE FIGHTING ON.

And isn’t it ironic that I’ve been Mariusing on tumblr for like, unfortunately, eight fucking years now lmao RIP, and I’ve been harassed about Marius MORE by you fuckin dweebs than I have by the actual antis.

Now, again.

I never want to tease anyone for their reading comprehension. I’m not making fun of you. I’m gonna spell this out because I want to help you, because I can see that reading isn’t your strong suit.

The fight about antis & proshippers & censorship is not a crusade about character apologism and defending ships as being moral, it’s about distinguishing fiction from reality and allowing people to enjoy fucked up art.

You aren’t accomplishing what you think you’re accomplishing here. Like, first of all. I don’t give a single flying fuck about “”the antis””. Let them masturbate in abject shame in the privacy of their pitch black bedrooms. It’s not my business. What horrifies me here is that you yourself are the anti in this situation.

You are in my inbox scolding me for my amoral shipping.

You are in my inbox upset with me because I celebrated that a ship I like is fucked up.

A proshipper would’ve read my post and gone “Eh. I disagree but that’s okay.” And kept scrolling. Maybe they even block me! That’s fine too!

But how the fuck are you gonna sit there crying about antis when you’re the one harassing everybody lol.

And let’s not jerk off here; the sincerity with which you are complaining about antis in my inbox is SO fucking lame. Like can we please go outside?

I’m no stranger to fandom drama (like I said, I’ve been Marius Tumbling for like 8 years and I’ve done my time in Sheith Hell) and I understand when these terms are useful shorthand for a fandom-specific problem. But I also think, what if we grow up and speak honestly about what antis are? It really blunts the harm of the entire ideology, especially when you're misusing it this egregiously, and I think there are times when we deserve to take censorship and fascism seriously, because it's not a coincidence that it's spreading inside fandom at the same speed it's spreading outside in the real world, and I want you to think really hard about which side you're on.

Like, what if we use the term “conservative” or “Frollo” or “fandom police” or “FANDOM MAGA” ?? You come to me upset that I’m somehow giving some boogeyman ammunition when like. THEY ALREADY HATE MARIUS, WHO THE FUCK CARES. When you change the topic from “Fiction is allowed to be fucked up” to “It’s okay to like Marius because he actually didn’t do anything wrong” you’re COMPLETELY missing the point, and in the same motion you are upset with ME for implying that Marius did something wrong.

And it’s so fucking hypocritical? Like this is the same as when the fandom conservatives have ACAB in their bio while also harassing people--you are adopting language to fit into an identity when you don't actually understand what you're saying. I would've thought VC fans--especially Marius fans--would be more aware of cult behavior & groupthink and see the red flags more easily. (Again, having sympathy for you: Please escape this cult.)

How often do we see arguments break out in fandom where we go “If you’re upset with Marius, why aren’t you upset with everyone else?” Or like, I CAN ACCEPT THE MURDERING AND RAPE BUT DRAW THE LINE AT WHIPPING THE 17 YEAR OLD. Like. Where do YOU draw the line?

Is it okay to talk about Marius as a murderer? But we’re not allowed to say that he has some emotional problems? Also didn't one of you chucklefucks accuse me of being ablest lmao the irony.

It’s also fascinating that this camp in fandom is constantly crying about how like, antis DON’T UNDERSTAND ANNE RICE and how MARIUS/ARMAND IS CANON and yet …………………. Was anything I said not also canon? And where do you get the balls to use Anne Rice as a shield when she also said the same things that I said. She wrote the fucking book.

You know what.

I feel really strongly that like, in a fandom, people need to have better etiquette when they complain about THE THING vs THE FANS OF THE THING. For example, I have zero problem with someone coming out of TVA disgusted and triggered and writing analysis of Marius being a disgusting creep. We don’t have the right to tell someone not to feel that way.

What I DO have a problem with is when people say “Marius is a disgusting creep and his fans are gross for enjoying it.”

And what YOURE saying, essentially, is that I’m gross for enjoying Marius in the way I read him.

Not to be like, a fucking, egomaniac, but. I have to say this lol. Do you know who I am?

Are you new here?

Have I not worked hard enough to establish that he’s my favorite literary character of all time and I adore him to death?

But I have different headcanons than you so I’m a bad person?

Anyway.

This has gone on long enough, I think I’ve made my point.

I genuinely can’t tell if someone like ChatGPT’d this anon to me just to rile me up and get me mad at that side of Mariusblr, but the truth is that like. I’ve seen them say these things. I’ve been blocked by these folks. Every time I write meta where I acknowledge that Marius isn’t perfect, they vague me to fuck. So honestly like. It’s not out of the range of possibility and I’m going to take this opportunity to talk about it because some of us are fucking normal about a book and we just want to have fun and post meta and write fics and like. If you don’t like my meta and fics you can simply move along.

And you know what else!!

WE ALL SEE THIS. You make fandom uncomfortable for everybody. Every time I do acknowledge this, I get people in my inbox talking about how uncomfortable you’ve made them and how they became hurt and decided not to share in fandom anymore. That’s you doing that. It isn’t ~ the antis ~. It’s you, because you don’t let anybody enjoy the books the way they want to enjoy the books. And I think it’s really interesting that I’ve noticed that half of fandom sort of cannibalizing itself lately. And I don’t think it’s a coincidence that  this whole group of clowns blocked me around the same time, when their jackass ringleader originally got mad at me for flagrantly misunderstanding something I said. This is that same abysmal reading comprehension and violent anti-intellectualism coming back to bite you in the ass. And so like, I have to also ask, if you have some issue with me, maybe consider the source, and if this person is perhaps a complete douchebag who will cannibalize their own friends the second they step out of line. And I wonder if there are any receipts for my alleged atrocious behavior, or if I was always just minding my own business and writing fanfic and sharing meta and being nice to people, and encouraging people to ship whatever they want, and allowing people to read the book differently than I did.

You don’t get to tell people what type of content they’re allowed to create. If you’re very concerned about how people read Marius, maybe write your own meta. This is MY space, not yours, and you’re not going to kinkshame and censor me, and you’re not going to bully me.

This is ridiculous and you’re a joke.

[101flavoursofweird]

Me: I lack motivation to write. The character interactions feel bland and usually consist of them sitting around a room talking. I want Character A to talk about their trauma, but not TOO much. I want them to heal as well. We need some levity in the scene-

Also me: Give them a DOG.

[ellestra]

Home for Christmas

Not all resolutions were given the depth I hoped for (it felt like to much of it was cut and come on Disney nothing was stopping you from making it longer) but I was very satisfied that Tomas made up with his girlfriend. Even if it meant they went to Maroon 5 concert instead of Imagine Dragons. And it was nice of him to thank Kate.

And I suppose many of the theory channels were disappointed but I loved that Jack turned out to be nothing more than comic relief. And almost a hero (maybe even joining all the LARPers). The real villain in the family clearly is Armand the VII. The MCU's next big bad.

I was also glad none of the LARPers got killed. I loved that people only listened to them when they put on costumes. After decade and a half the civilians in the MCU know now that costumed people are the ones in charge in emergency and you should listen to them.

I was pretty sure that Maya’s story resolution will end up with her just cutting ties with the criminal world so this ending was fine with me. I didn’t expect her to kill both her main anchor points - Kazi and Uncle - but I suspected she would ask Kazi to leave with her (but he was way too much 2014 Nebula). This is what her father wanted so it had to end there before her own series.

Still, I suspect Fisk is not dead. We didn’t see the body and Echo series still needs a villain. Whether managed to block the shot or survived it he is going to be pissed and that conflict would be nice starting point of Maya’s trajectory of becoming a hero. But that Christmas Eve should teach him not to underestimate women.

However, his turn in this was a little disappointing.  The way he was so easily left unguarded and vulnerable. The way you can't really feel how big a threat he is without watching Daredevil. The way he is basically on the run from the police anyway because Yelena managed to get him and Eleanor on tape. All this ending with him being taken down with so little effort makes Hawkeye being all worried about him getting involved feel disappointing. He's only scary because I watched Daredevil on Netflix. But there was not enough of that intensity here to really feel the danger (and him using Tracksuit Mafia as henchmen doesn't help as they are to inept to ever succeed). It needed more time to at least properly set up him being there in person. Although the way Vincent D'Onofrio just threw Hailee Steinfield aground looked awesome and properly Kingpin.

Although it wasn't as fun as the fight where Yelena is trying not to hurt Kate too much but also gets more and more annoyed but finally respectful was really well done. It is a start of a beautiful friendship for the next generation of Black Widow and Hawkeye.

I was also certain Yelena thing would be resolved by talking. Yelena’s interactions with both Kate and Clint were great. Of course Clint knew about Yelena and the whistle. Natasha would've told him who else (besides Laura and the she was hoping to get back and why it mattered so much. She already regained family that seemed irrevocably lot once (and saw that love isn't just for children) so she kept the hope it could happen again when Clint lost it. Of course she told him why. She kept Avengers going through the Blip all the way to getting means to reverse it even if it meant never seeing people she lost again. The important part was that they will be alive even if they had to deal with her loss afterwards. That they didn't get enough time together breaks my heart but I appreciate show taking the time to show us how much she mattered when Endgame didn't.

And I loved how in the end Clint admitted he and Kate are partners. Even if every time he says "Kate - no" she says "Kate - yes" they work really well together. It was great he took her in along with the dog (who got his proper name Lucky off screen - one more proof this episode left too much on cutting floor). Adopting new family members is a Burton family thing. Especially ones with really messed up family (although I was a little disappointed Yelena didn't come too). And now that he burnt the Ronin suit and got Laura's SHIELD watch too (he did marry Agent 19) he can properly retired (despite that great new outfit) and pass the name (Lady Hawk is a good movie but bad code name).

I just wish that Clint's time as Ronin didn't got swept under the carpet again like it never happened (yes, I'm complaining about lack of consequences). Kate sends her mother to jail for doing bad things but she doesn't even bat an eye when she learns about Clint. Yelena was right - just being one of Avenger is not a reason to ignore the bad shit they do. And yet, in the MCU, they never suffer any consequences (I suppose it's true to life but this is supposed to be a fantasy).

Still, I loved how Kate explains why Hawkeye mattered to her so much as a hero. The way he showed that you can still matter without superpowers or a suit. Just a guy with sticks and string fighting aliens and helping save the day and making her believe she could be a hero too. New Hawkeye even.

[beardedmrbean]

The mother of an infant dubbed “Baby Jane Doe” after she froze to death when abandoned in the Maine snow in 1985 has been arrested after a DNA breakthrough cracked the decades-old cold case.

Thirty-seven years after Baby Jane’s tragic death, 58-year-old Lee Ann Daigle was arrested in Lowell, Massachusetts, Maine State Police announced in a statement this week.

Ms Daigle, who was identified as the child’s mother through DNA testing, is being held without bail and appeared in county court on Wednesday morning where she has plead not guilty to one count of murder.

“This case was the culmination of decades worth of investigative work from dozens of now retired and current detectives who never gave up finding answers and justice for Baby Jane Doe,” the press release from the department said.

On a brutally cold night in December 1985, a dog discovered the abandoned newborn’s remains inside a gravel pit in Frenchville, Maine, a small French-speaking town located on the other side of the Canadian border. The dog then carried the child’s corpse less than 700 feet to his owner’s home, according to authorities.

WGMA, a local news outlet who was in the town at the time of the incident, spoke with the owner of the dog, Armand Pelletier, who first saw the infant’s remains in 1985.

“I saw the baby and I couldn’t believe it at first, I thought it was just a little doll, rubber doll that my dog had brought back to the house but the more I saw it the more I thought it was real,” said Mr Pelletier in an interview with the news outlet. “After I realised it was a real baby, it’s when I saw the umbilical cord hanging from the baby.”

Police in the town were able to trace the dog’s path from where it had retrieved the child, and upon discovering the site they reportedly found blood and what appeared to be placenta, WGMA reported.

The cold case was headed up by Detective Jay Pelletier of the State Police Unsolved Homicide Unit, who recalled in an interview the intense media attention the case drew, noting how it was hard not to be touched by the case as a local resident himself.

“I knew the history of the case, also I knew the retirees that had worked on it before me and kept in close contact with them, so in conjunction with them, reading the reports and trying to determine who the mother was of Baby Jane Doe, this was one that was definitely workable for our unit,” said Mr Pelletier in an interview with WGMA.

Eventually, through the assistance of advancements in technology, the team was able to gain some traction in their leads, which eventually pointed them towards Ms Daigle.

“In collaboration with the Attorney General’s Office, Daigle was indicted by an Aroostook County Grand Jury on one count of murder and an arrest warrant was issued,” the police said, adding that the mother was arrested outside her home on 13 June without incident and was later taken to Maine where she is being held at the Aroostook County Jail in Houlton.

Ms Daigle’s next court appearance will be in Fort Kent District Court on 8 August.

[kathyprior4200]

Angel, Alastor, Vaggie mothers and Molly in heaven

Molly, Angel’s white spider mother Alessia/Aranea D’ Angelo, Alastor’s red doe mother Antoinette Moreau/Poena, and Vaggie’s moth mother Valencia Nique Vasquez/Valencia are all in Heaven, separated from their children and families. They get to meet Charlie and try to help her redeem her clients so they can reunite. It seems that these mothers and a sister will be the key to the characters’ redemption and closer bonding. Poena, Aranea, Valencia and Molly will do all they can to see their loved ones again. But the clients will have to do their own part to better themselves. Plus Valentino, Alastor’s father Aramnd/Neleus, Henroin/Henry, Adina and the angels will make things difficult.

Alastor’s Family:

Armand Louis Moreau – Christian French white father. Wanted Alastor to be more manly and serve God. Started to neglect, abuse and molest Alastor and demanding his wife to meet expectations. Felt pressure from his parents to conform to the social norms. Was killed by Alastor after he attempted to leave for divorce. Arrived in Hell as Neleus, an evil black dog with black antlers. He later joins forces with Adina and the evil angels.

 Antoinette Loretta Moreau – African American French Creole mother. Taught Alastor cooking, voodoo rituals, sewing, singing and dancing. Told him to always be polite to women and “you’re never fully dressed without a smile.” Died from the Spanish Flu in 1918 and went to Heaven as a red doe humanoid named Cerva/Poena.

 Alastor – born Jan 24 1900 – died on Hunter’s Moon fall 1933 by dog attack and gun to the head. Had medium brown skin, brown eyes and short brown hair.

 Angel Dust’s Family:

Italian mafia in Apalachin, New York 20th century:

 Mafia Boss – Henry/Henroin (appears as a grumpy gray spider in Hell, was a black haired strong man with white skin and a thick beard named Henry. Abused Angel Dust for being gay, neglected Molly/abused her and drank a lot. Pressured Arackniss to follow the rules as his second in command)

 Underboss – Arackniss the older brother (appears as a black short spider in Hell. Was a practical short man named Alfonso with short black hair who smoked)

 Consigliere – family advisor, Angel’s mother Alessia (human name)/Aranea (appears as a white fluffy spider in Heaven with several arms and wearing Italian woman’s clothing from the 20th century. (Was a beautiful and tough women with long blonde hair and deadly weapons but who loved her children. Only in Heaven because she didn’t kill anyone.)

 Soldiers – Arackniss, Anthony/Angel Dust, Molly

 Anthony D’ Angelo/Angel Dust (appears as a white spider in Hell with six arms and two legs. Was a gay man with white skin, and long hair, black at the top with white blonde toward the bottom. Died from PCP overdose.)  

 Molly (appears as a white/pink humanoid spider in Heaven with thick white/pink hair and four legs. Died from molly overdose and attack from rival gang. Only in Heaven because she didn’t kill anyone.)

 Other associates who work for them

 Committed crimes and sold a variety of drugs, near unstoppable to law enforcement. Was disbanded after police discovered them. Angel Dust and his family were one of the Five Families in New York. (Bonanno/Maranzano, Colombo/Profaci, Gambino, Genovese/Luciano and Lucchese/Gagliano)

 Finger pricking initiation ceremony undertaken by Arackniss and Angel Dust to swear their allegiance. No one was allowed to have mustaches. Members often had mistresses, including Henroin, which Aranea/Angel’s Mother wasn’t happy about. Molly was expected to lay low and obey her brothers.

 Omerta – code of silence taken very seriously. Henroin threatened to kill his own family if they ever broke the code.

 Angel’s mother/Aranea died from a poisonous spider bite sent by a rival gang.

Henroin/Henry died from heroin overdose

Angel Dust/Anthony died from PCP overdose in 1947

Molly/Molly died from molly drug forced on her by gang rape

Arackniss/Alfonso died from a fatal shooting by police

 Henroin will kill anyone, even his family members if they try to turn in anyone to the police. For Henroin, homosexuality is incompatible with the mafia code, thus leading to Angel’s distance from his family after he sought a life of porn, drag and gay sex. Molly was closest to the mother, Arackniss was closer to his dad while Angel was the middle child stuck in the middle.

 Vaggie’s Family:

 Valentino – Italian father. Was a dark skinned pimp on Earth, neglectful/abusive to Vaggie and her siblings. Arrived in Hell in the 70s as a pimp Overlord, owner of porn studios and owner of clients like Angel Dust. Wants Vaggie to be a straight submissive prostitute but Vaggie prefers other women, dancing and fighting.  Slept with other women behind the mother’s back.

 Valencia Vasquez/Vaggie’s Mother – El Salvadorian woman. Appears as a gray moth humanoid angel in Heaven named Valencia. Married to Valentino to sustain herself as a former prostitute. Worked hard to feed and sustain her children, but died from an illness/overwork at a young age.

 Vagatha/Vaggie Vasquez – Latina woman with brown skin, thick brown hair with pink highlights, broken heart shirts and skull earrings. Day of the Dead is her favorite holiday. Grew up in New Mexico in the 1990s with El Salvadorian culture in a working class family. Vaggie loved punk rock music (Especially My Chemical Romance), martial arts, cultural dancing and other women. People bullied her for being a lesbian and Latina. Vaggie had several siblings: brother Dick, sisters Virginia and Agatha. Vagatha died in 2014 by a brutal gang rape. Appears as a gray moth demon in Hell who distrusts men due to her trauma she faced.

[if-you-fan-a-fire]

“FARMERS MAY SHOOT SHEEP-KILLING DOGS,” Montreal Star. March 14, 1932. Page 8. ----- QUEBEC, March 14 — (Star Special)- Sheep-killing dogs may be killed by farmers whose flocks are being worried by these animals, it was ruled by Magistrate Metayer in Murray Bay, when he dismissed an action brought by Armand Bellefeuille, farmer of that district, against a neighbor, Ernest Beaulieu, for $50 damages for the death of his dog.

Beaulieu having shot the police dog, stating that it had chased his sheep In their pasture and that he did nout know who owned the animal, while evidence was introduced to show that a number of his sheep had been killed and eaten during last summer, Bellefeuille’s dog having been seen chasing Beaulieu's sheep.

Last December Magistrate Matayer, in dismissing the case, held that defendant had been quite justified in shooting the dog.

[aion-rsa]

Stewart Copeland on How The Police Found Synchronicity Under the Volcano

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Gracie Otto’s documentary Under the Volcano tells the story of a rock star paradise which became a modern Atlantis. Air Studios Montserrat, the recording studio built by The Beatles’ producer George Martin in 1979, captured the truest sounds of the biggest musical acts of the 1980s before it succumbed to the island’s natural disasters. Custom-built in the shadow of the active Soufrière Hills volcano, AIR generated its own heat. Songs recorded at the studio burned up the charts, and reinvigorated burnt out artists.

Paul McCartney retreated to the remote musical getaway shortly after receiving the devastating news about the murder of John Lennon. Paul recorded Tug of War, one of his best post-Beatle works there, as well as Pipes of Peace. He flew in Stevie Wonder, who jammed at a local club until the early hours, for harmonic collaboration. The Rolling Stones reunited to record Steel Wheels, bringing Keith Richards together with Mick Jagger for the first time since their respective solo recordings. The Police took a different direction.

Formed in London in 1977, The Police rode the punk wave to international fame and the pressures of delivering on their musical promise. With Sting on lead vocals and bass guitar, Andy Summers on guitar, and Stewart Copeland on drums, this was not a three-chord, minimalist-mode trio. Merging rock changes, reggae-downbeats, and jazz-chord augmentations, they needed space to expand their reach.

To record Ghost in the Machine, they also wanted to be out of reach of record company suits. They went to Montserrat for the isolation, not only from the pop world, but for each individual track recorded. The studio afforded amazing separation. The band didn’t even have to be in the same room while recording at the same time. Stewart wound up playing drums in a dining room.

The Police was Copeland’s band, Sting was just in it. Much like the era’s tabloids would’ve had us believe it was Sting’s world and we just lived here. Stewart founded the band, wrote its manifesto, and is still deranging its sonic possibilities. He spoke with Den of Geek about the documentary Under the Volcano, and how The Police lost and found Synchronicity at George Martin’s AIR Studios Montserrat,

Den of Geek: I was just talking to a drummer friend who left a band we were in to play in a Police cover band. He wanted me to ask about how you approach the drums.

Stewart Copeland: Usually from behind, which sounds really weird, actually. Let me rephrase that.

Did George Martin ever actually say anything about Andy dancing on the soundboard?

Not that I ever heard. In fact, I did a concert with him many years later and it didn’t come up. In fact, I did a television interview with him, a documentary about music that he was making and it didn’t come up. By the way, no damage was done. Those things are built to withstand heavy metal bands. And Andy’s only little. He had very sure footing. Didn’t break anything. And by the way, I’ve seen that console, that exact same console. I’ve seen it at the A&M #1 studio in Los Angeles. I’ve seen it in several other studios that claim that “that is the Neve [Electronics, which made the mixing console] upon which Andy danced.”

I also watched Jools Holland’s short film on the Police at Montserrat film from ’81. I wanted to know about “underwater golfing” and all the other non-musical pastimes that were available.

Sting and Andy probably went underwater golfing a lot, but they never invited me, damn it.

Was Montserrat really the ultimate in rockstar privilege?

Yes, you could say that. Absolutely. There were a lot of rock and roll diversions that are available in Cleveland that are not available on the island. But as far as the paradisiacal environment, absolutely; and being waited on hand and foot. Great food, great situation. I think in the documentary, they mentioned how some bands kind of just hit the swimming pool deck chairs and never woke up and were half asleep. We weren’t because we tormented each other so fiercely that we were fully awake.

I know that you sent Andy Summers to ask George Martin about producing, but did he ever pop in while you were in the studio?

No. He popped over once or twice for dinner, studiously avoiding any moments that we might be working so that he wouldn’t be roped in.

I guess maybe he learned a thing or two in producing all the music that he produced. And one of the things he learned is to not get between rabid dogs who are trying to tear each other’s throats out.

Would Synchronicity have sounded any different if you weren’t at odds with each other at the time?

It’s hard to say. If we had arrived at our decision points or the forks in the road, should we do this or should we do that? You know, saxophone solo or guitar solo? Punk version or reggae version? Other stuff, you know. If we had approached these debates more congenially, would we have arrived at a different result? Probably not. And I guess we’re all happy at the end of the day. The experience of making those records was very rigorous, but at the end of the day, we all appreciate the result.

You worked with George Martin on the ’99 Hollywood Bowl Orchestra Beatles show. What was he like to work with?

Excellent. It mainly was working with his son [Giles Martin], his consiglieri, who’s also interviewed in the documentary. But working with him, he’s just a profoundly musical man. Music is what he knows, does, and he makes it very clear what’s needed, what everybody should do.

It was a strange thing. He rehearsed for three days for that show and the first day the word went out and I was the only person who showed up, me and my bass player buddy, Armand [Sabal-Lecco]. So, we learned the material. By the third day, everybody had showed up. Every guitarist in town, everybody, but I was already planted on the drums so everyone else can piss off.

But on guitar, all these session guys had every- who doesn’t know exactly the patch and the fingering of every single Beatles lick? And it was kind of interesting to hear everybody completely nail it in their different kinds of ways. And also on the drums, I was never that big a Beatles fan, but when I sort of made my own tape of the proposed songs. He sent a set list and I started playing [Sings opening of “I Want To Hold Your Hand”].

I mean, I knew it. My hands knew it. My body knew the song without my brain ever thinking about how the song goes. You just know when the chorus is coming. Yep, this is the chorus. [Sings]. But you know, it’s musical muscle memory, and don’t even get me started on the connection between memory and music.

I recently did a piece on the Concert for Bangladesh and I watched Ringo and Jim Keltner double up and play in unison. I watched the video of you and Ginger Baker playing off each other. Have you ever played in unison with another drummer and who would you like to do that with?

It’s a very strange exercise. Non-drummers seem to think it’s a good idea, and I won’t mention any names, I don’t get it. Guitarists hate to have another guitarist plugged in, God damn it, you know.

Drummers love other percussion. Bongos, shakers, tambourines, you name it, bring it on. Let’s have everybody smacking something. But two drum sets? That don’t make it sound fatter. They don’t really complement each other. My preference would be a drummer, but not in a drum set, doing something else. Like the contrast that fulfills a different function. I don’t really get the two-drummer thing.

Do you still consciously count when you’re drumming?

Yes. When learning something, I count it out, figure out what it is, but then once I’ve learned it, I don’t count it anymore. I just know it. But yes, sometimes when things are tricky and you actually need to hit a certain hit because that’s what everything else is doing. Yes. It helps to count it out. “Ah, that’s where it is. It’s the end of three,” you know? And then once you’ve got that, you don’t need to refer to the numbers anymore. That’s just to find it.

I subscribe to you on YouTube, and just this morning got an email blast about Police Deranged for Orchestra.

That is going to be a blast. That is going to be the most fun show ever. I’ve got Armand Sabal-Lecco on bass, Rusty Anderson on guitar. His day job is playing with Paul McCartney as it happens. He’s been doing that for 20 years or so. Armand from Cameroon, the Prince of Cameroon is a monster.

Moving up the hierarchy, the three singers, they’ve got three soul sisters on the mic singing the songs, but behind us is the mighty San Diego Symphony in San Diego. And when we get to Cleveland, it’s a mighty Cleveland Orchestra.

And then we’re playing in Atlanta, Buffalo, Nashville, L.A., and it’s really, it’s pretty exciting. I spent a lot of time creating the orchestral arrangements or derangements and some of the songs are quite faithful with the form, but others, I deranged.

There are two things. Why orchestra? I’m the drummer in a rock band? What am I doing in the orchestra? That’s a long story. With 20 years as the film composer, I had a forced education in orchestration. But why deranged is because back in the day I had a Super 8 camera, a film camera, and I shot all the stuff, the whole rise, and then put it in shoe boxes and forgot about it until they invented computers and hard drives and Final Cut Pro.

And I had a moment, I was busy making little movies of my children and I thought, “Wait a minute. I’ve got boxes and boxes of really cool stuff of the rollercoaster ride, the rocket ship of The Police.”

So, I dug it all out, 52 hours, and made a movie. And it was kind of the home movie from hell. But somebody persuaded me to send it to the Sundance and the Sundance was, “Whoa, bring it on over.” And they invited me to participate in the festival. Oh, darn. I had to finish it and make it.

It ends up I sold it to Showtime and it became a feature film for which I needed music, preferably Police music. However, what I learned in film in my 20 years before the masters, the hired gun, is that music must serve the picture. And if the picture takes a left, so must the music.

However, those original Police recordings didn’t take a left. They carried right on because they had some other agenda, mainly being a song. So, I had to cut the stuff up and I had to go back into the masters. But once the scalpel was out, this is fun. I got all the masters of those recordings, as well as live recordings. I found long lost guitar solos, other lyrics.

And I found that Sting’s songwriting was quite modular, so I could take the lyrics of this song, put them on the riff of that song. And I went a little batshit crazy on the whole enterprise and kind of overdid it. And when my colleagues heard, “What is Stewart doing? He’s over there taking our master tapes and cutting entirely new music?”

“Calm down guys. It’s just for the movie.” And so, they calmed down and I think they actually kind of appreciated the result at the end of the day, as long as I’m not trying to make a record and rewrite Police history. But now I am rewriting Police history. By taking those derangements, those weird arrangements where I found all these different melodies and guitar lines and put them in the orchestra, that’s what we’re doing.

About half the material is the original song, and I did make the orchestra do very cool stuff with it. But the other half are these different versions of songs, different melodies and so on. With the three women singing, I get to get all of the Sting harmonies that he did in the studio, as well as the improvisations he did on stage, and the same with Andy.

This exercise has really reminded me, in fact, even more than reminded me: it’s really woken me up to the genius of both of those two guys, the stuff they came up with. I was busy banging shit. I hardly even noticed what Andy was doing, but now I’m deep into what Andy was doing with a much higher degree of appreciation.

As you’re developing all of this for orchestration and ripping it apart, and also with the benefit of knowing how each of you developed post-Police, where do you think the band might’ve gone musically as a continuing unit?

Just the other day, pursuant to flogging the Police Deranged orchestra shows, and I’m sort of looking for images to use for posters, I came across the orchestral performance that I did in Germany, where I’m actually on the podium conducting. We did do “The Equalizer” theme and I’m conducting with a drumstick. The orchestra are all totally, you can see in the picture, they’re all leaning forward. They’re really into it, it’s a really intense thing. And I’m up there waving my stick and it’s this big ass orchestra.

I sent it to Sting a couple of days ago. And I said, “This is how we should have run The Police.” And he wrote back and he said, “So I’m second fiddle?” To which I responded, “Stingo, you will always be first fiddle.”

Also, knowing all this stuff from the inside out with the notation and all that, how do you think The Police would go forward now as a creative unit moving into new territory?

Not so much because we know what we’re doing. And my humble estimation is we got two more albums out of Sting than we deserved. So, he actually was the reason I was overcome by homicidal rage and I felt the urgent necessity of throttling him was because he would come over and say, “Hey, do this or that with the drums.” “Fuck off.” You know?

What made it so urgent was that he wasn’t wrong. He sort of does actually know how to arrange a song and arrange the band and his ideas are pretty good. That doesn’t mean I listened because I was a young prick myself and I had my own ideas, which would prevail. But he’s really good at that stuff.

We, today, if we tried to recreate that, are too independently minded and we have continued to grow in the 30 years since our last collaboration and in a different direction. And at this point in our lives, music has a different function for us. For me, it’s this. The reason I make music is for these reasons, and this is what I like to achieve with music. And for others, they have a completely different agenda of what music is for and what it’s supposed to do and how it’s supposed to be made.

It requires more patience. I’m actually more patient. I would say that for me, there is not one musical truth, because I got beat up. For 20 years, I was told exactly what emotion is required. And I had to learn to create exactly that for my boss, the director who is actually the artist. I’m just a craftsman.

So, I learned to be very malleable but also didn’t really understand how to work different emotions very specifically. Other members of the band who have never suffered under the lash of cruel employment are unrestrained, and have a strange idea that there is only one musical truth and no experience in life has ever shaken that core belief. Which means that when I’ve got to deal with that mindset, it’s unrewarding.

And by the way, I say this with love and admiration in my heart, this is not a gripe, believe me. I’m just explaining why we enjoy each other’s company over dinner and really have a deep abiding admiration and love. But just we get into the studio together and we’re not copacetic.

Going on stage, by the way, playing those songs. That’s a different thing. That’s really exciting because of the emotional charge that it has on an 80,000 people stadium, well, that’s exciting. For the audience, that’s exciting. Never mind my ideas about what music is for. Who cares? Look at that audience going like that. That’s why I’m here on the planet.

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Under The Volcano is available On Demand and Digital now.

The post Stewart Copeland on How The Police Found Synchronicity Under the Volcano appeared first on Den of Geek.

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[antoine-roquentin]

Pity the conservative film critic. Suffering through so many juvenile, raunchy flicks and mindless blockbusters. Why even the great films are marred. No matter how extraordinary the film, something comes along to spoil it. Something…politically correct.

Maybe it’s the villain, an evil giant multinational corporation dumping oceans of toxins into the local river, which also happens to be the town’s water supply.

Maybe it’s Mr. Potter’s bank threatening to foreclose on the old homestead.

Typical liberal pablum, snarls the conservative critic. All corporations are evil. Banks are foreclosing on everybody’s sick grandma’s farm.

It hardly matters that socially conscious films like A Civil Action, North Country, Norma Rae, Silkwood and Erin Brockovich are extraordinarily entertaining films with Oscar-level direction and performances. What matters to the conservative film critic is that they are mere whored-up vehicles for socialist propaganda. And only he (and it’s always a he) is wise enough to see it.

Whatever would American film audiences have done without the conservative film critic to enlighten them as to the “awfulness” of Jordan Peele’s Get Out? The film boasted a perfect 100 score from critics on the movie review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes. That is until National Review’s Armond White reviewed the film. Where other critics saw the “satirical horror movie we’ve been waiting for, a mash-up of Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner? and The Stepford Wives that’s more fun than either and more illuminating, too,” Armand, who is African American, saw a film—which he dubbed “Get Whitey”—that was “tailored to please the liberal status quo.”

The Chicago Reader’s J.R. Jones must have been watching another horror-comedy called Get Out, because he saw a brilliant film “that sticks closely to genre convention even as its ribbing of white liberals hardens into a social point.”

Selma was another film with a 99 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes whose perfect score was spoiled by a critic from a conservative publication, this time Nigel Andrews of the Financial Times. Andrews, unlike every other reviewer, panned Selma as “a dead-as-a-plank re-enactment of a pietised ‘then’: a 50-year-old battle of ideals between Good Guys (MLK, LBJ in civil rights reform mode) and Bad Guys (Governor Wallace, keeping the Alabama hate fires burning) that seems exactly that: 50 years.”

Unsurprisingly, National Review’s White similarly hated the film (though he loved that jingoistic homage to endless war American Sniper). White called Selma “a mediocre and disingenuous film” and criticized the movie for “rubbing soft spots” and “sore spots” (i.e., depicting the murders of black children and white allies) instead of “making meaning.” (“Soft spot” is certainly a strange way to describe the murder of four black girls by a white supremacist.)

Until recently there was a paucity of films starring, written by or directed by African Americans. Blacks largely played the role of thugs or servants. As the role of blacks in Hollywood has slowly begun to broaden it has presented a unique problem for conservative magazines. How to criticize socially conscious African American films without sounding blatantly racist?

National Review seems to have hit on a successful solution when it hired Armond White. As an African American, White can freely trash socially conscious, historical “black  films” like Selma and Twelve Years a Slave with little fear of a racial backlash. White can say things that white conservative critics are thinking, that they would have easily spouted twenty years ago, but dare not say in public today. And he says a lot of such things. For instance: “Who can forget the throwback image of British director Steve McQueen jumping Jim Crow at this year’s Oscars?”

Then there was White’s depiction of the 1963 Birmingham church bombing that killed four African American girls as “one of The Movement’s Greatest Hits.”

Not to mention his constant dog whistles that Hollywood Jews control the media’s image of black people.

When Twelve Years a Slave (Academy Award: Best Picture) came out National Review cautiously asked scholar Thomas Hibbs to review the film. Hibbs turned in a thoughtful piece which lauded the film. The editors tried again. In the print edition, conservative New York Times’ columnist Ross Douthat reviewed the film. Again, a positive review.

Soon after that, National Review hired White. He had dismissed Twelve Years a Slave in CityArts writing that it “belongs to the torture porn genre with ‘Hostel,’ ‘The Human Centipede’ and the ‘Saw’ franchise.”

Wrote White:

These tortures might satisfy the resentment some Black people feel about slave stories (“It makes me angry”), further aggravating their sense of helplessness, grievance–and martyrdom. It’s the flipside of the aberrant warmth some Blacks claim in response to the superficial uplift of ‘The Help’ and ‘The Butler.’ And the perversion continues among those whites and non-Blacks who need a shock fest like ‘12 Years a Slave’ to rouse them from complacency with American racism and American history. But, as with ‘The Exorcist,’ there is no victory in filmmaking this merciless. The fact that McQueen’s harshness was trending among Festivalgoers (in Toronto, Telluride and New York) suggests that denial still obscures the history of slavery: Northup’s travail merely make it possible for some viewers to feel good about feeling bad (as wags complained about Spielberg’s ‘Schindler’s List’ as an ‘official’ Holocaust movie–which very few people went to see twice). McQueen’s fraudulence further accustoms moviegoers to violence and brutality.

Just the thing National Review was looking for. A black reviewer who could spout highfaluting  hokum for its racist white audience.

White was immediately given a chance to write about the film. He went profoundly negative calling the film “decidedly unpleasant (and unpopular).” It was “awarded (Best Picture) purely to make the Academy feel good about itself as a defense against Hollywood’s standard segregated practices.” It “distorted the history of slavery while encouraging and continuing Hollywood’s malign neglect of slavery’s contemporary impact.”

Conservative film criticism is so easy any conservative can do it. Simply choose a film with a social justice theme (say, family farmers versus the bank), then ignore everything else about the film. National Review critic Kevin Williamson carried this off spectacularly when he was tasked with reviewing Hell and High Water. Again, the film garnered overwhelmingly glowing reviews, including a 96 top critics score on Rotten Tomatoes.

Hell and High Water, which pitted two rural everymen versus The Bank, seemed to resonate with everyone: snobby film critics and conservatism’s base in the boonies. One might think that in this day and age when conservatism’s base is rabidly anti-Wall Street, a conservative film critic would go ga-ga over Hell and High Water.

Wrong.

“[M]an, is this movie stupid,” wrote Williamson. Who then spends 700 words nitpicking ways other than bank robbery that the heroes could have raised enough money to save the family homestead. Like asking for a loan.

Conservative critics often seem unable to comprehend the basics of theme or characterization. One tried-and-true theme is that of the underdog battling some powerful entity–for example, the family farmers in Places of the Heart taking on The Bank, or the spunky legal assistant battling the giant chemical corporation poisoning a small town in Erin Brockovich. Conservatives would have us turn these themes on their head, so that we would root for the poor beleaguered chemical company that was only trying to maximize shareholder value like any true blue American company is expected to do.

Williamson offers an alternative movie pitch: Two brothers walk into a financial institution with an oil-lease document and say, “Hello, there, Mr. Banker! I’m about to have a passive income of $600,000 a year and would like a $40,000 loan to pay off the lien on my property until that first monthly check comes in. Would you like to be my banker?”

Perhaps this is why there are few conservative screenwriters in Hollywood. They think a man with a line of equity walking into a bank and getting a loan would make riveting drama.

This is not say conservative film critics hate every film. They love most Clint Eastwood movies. They love the Left Behind series. Not long ago National Review put out its own list of “greatest conservative films.” Among them, the amateurish B-movie Red Dawn, about the Soviet Union invading the US. Many of the films on the list have nothing to do with conservatism. A Simple Plan? It is hard to see what conservatives like about a greedy guy getting away with countless murders–unless they simply have a hard on for greedy guys. Braveheart? Why because of Mel “fucking Jews” Gibson? Team America: World Police. Conservatives don’t seem to realize this film was satire. Ghostbusters? Groundhog Day? Okay, fun films, but they are about as conservative as Bernie Sanders and far from the greatest anything.

It’s not all doom and gloom for the conservative film critic. Clint Eastwood still has a few movies left in him before he shuffles muttering and drooling into the sunset. As does Mel Gibson. And now that Steven Bannon has vacated the West Wing we will likely be treated to more documentaries about Hillary Clinton and Sarah Palin. But in the end it’s more fun to pan a great film than to praise a mediocre one. Besides, the base doesn’t tune into FOX News and Rush Limbaugh for good news or good reviews. It tunes in to feel angry. That’s why it reads conservative film reviews that begin “Man, is this movie stupid.”

They get off on it.

[holmjanson-blog]

The world moves pretty fast. I am often stunned when I think of all of the changes we’ve gone through in the last 12 years since I’ve started traveling. Smart phones, social media, smart watches, Airbnb, ride sharing apps, and streaming television all appeared spearheaded by computer-based change. Technology seems to move at the speed of light sometimes. But it wasn’t that long ago that the gasoline engine was the change agent that had everyone all riled up, making horse drawn transportation extinct. The engine also brought a new way to travel through snowy terrain once only accessible by dog sled.

The challenges of cross-country transportation in the winter led to the invention of the snowmobile, an all-terrain vehicle specifically designed for travel across deep snow where other vehicles floundered. However, snowmobiling has morphed from a necessity to a hobby or adventure pastime these days. And there’s no place where it’s more utilized than in Quebec.

Why You Should Go Snowmobiling in Quebec

There are plenty of places you can go snowmobiling for fun. However, few places are as good as Quebec for snowmobiling, and here’s why.

Fjord views

History

I was surprised to learn that the snowmobile was actually invented in Quebec. No wonder why it seems to be in their blood. The first Ski-Doo was launched in 1959. It was a new invention of Joseph-Armand Bombardier of Valcourt, Québec. The original name was Ski-Dog, but a typographical error in a Bombardier brochure changed the name Ski-Dog to Ski-Doo.

Snow

In order to snowmobile you must have snow, and lots of it! The snow in Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean lasts approximately 5 months; From mid-November to mid-April. It’s practically a guaranteed winter with an average or 275 inches of snow each season.

Trails and Tours

The region has 2,300 miles of trails; it’s basically a whole road system to get around in the winter. You’ll also find many options for hiring guides, doing multi day tours, and snowmobile friendly bars, restaurants, and hotels in the region.

I went on a 2 day snow mobile outing with Simon, a guide from OrganisAction – Québec Hors Circuits. I had been on a snowmobile before, but only for a few hours at a time. This would be the first time I would spend multiple days snowmobiling and covering long distances. I was excited to have a more in-depth experience and see more of the region via the back country trails.

The first day we had sunny skies for our 60 mile ride from Chicoutimi to L’Anse Saint-Jean. Simon gave me a quick run through of how to turn it on/off, use the throttle, brake, and put it in reverse. I took off with a jolt reminiscent of the first time I hit the accelerator of a car; it was pretty choppy at first! I started slow and cautious as any new beginner. But as I started to get the hang of being on the snow mobile, I eventually found myself going faster and faster trying to keep up with Simon. The entire first day was a learning experience and I loved every moment as we glided through the woods and along the riverbanks and eventually out to the fjord for some incredible views. I learned that I loved to go fast, but that wasn’t the only thing I learned on my first multi-day snowmobile tour.

7 Surprising things I learned as a Beginner Snowmobiling in Quebec

It’s Not Cold

I was initially worried about being on a snow mobile all day out in the bitter cold and snow. I wondered how in the world I would stay warm outside all day riding. What I quickly learned is that the people who manufacture snow mobiles have thought of everything. These machines had all kinds of built in perks to keep you warm and comfortable for hours and hours. The handles had warmers on them, there were boot warmers where you put your feet, and they even had a heated throttle for your thumb! You could easily control the temperatures so that there was never a time that my hands or toes were cold.

In addition, the whole machine seemed to be designed to keep you safe from the wind. When you are going 50mph it’s important to have good aerodynamics, and snowmobiles today are just like cars, every little thing has been tweaked and perfected to make it as comfortable as possible.

The gear also plays a big part in staying warm. Not only did I wear snow bibs, big boots, an arctic coat and mittens, but I also had a great helmet that was designed to not let cold air get in at all. I felt like the abominable snowman, but I never got cold – not once.

There is No Power Steering

When you watch people snowmobile it looks quite simple and easy. However, I quickly learned it wasn’t quite like driving a car. A car turns easily thanks to power steering, but to turn this massive heavy machine, you had to put some muscle into it. In fact, the more you put your whole body into the turn and practically hung off the side like a pro motorcycle rider the better the snowmobile maneuvered – and the faster you could go. And of course, the goal is to always go faster!

Thanks to all of that muscle I used, I was pretty worn out when the day was done, and my shoulders and arms were sorer than I ever expected!

Trails are Like a Road System

With 2,300 miles of trails, there has to be some rules else it would be pure chaos. The trails pretty much mimic the rules of the road. There are signs, speed limits, and rules to follow. However, I never did encounter any snowmobile police – I’m not really sure how the speed limits are enforced!

In addition, this extensive ‘road’ system also has amenities like lodging, food, and bars along the way. In fact, there would even be advertising for these amenities along the trails, just like an interstate and billboards. Most of the time when you went by a hotel or restaurant, there were more snow mobiles than cars parked in the lot!

As I traveled along these perfectly groomed trails, I marveled at how much work it must be every year to put them together each year and keep them groomed. I learned that all of the trails are maintained and groomed by the 13 clubs in the region. Simon said that they groom the trails at least once a week. It’s all done on a volunteer basis too! I entertained myself thinking about how we have a whole government body that normally maintains our roads, but somehow snowmobiling trails are all maintained with volunteers! That’s how much people love snowmobiling in Quebec!

Communication is Key

One of the first things Simon taught me were the standard hand signals. Since snowmobilers normally travel in groups, it’s really helpful to understand how many are in the group following each other and what the end of the group is. This tends to keep the trails safer. To communicate this, the first person who passes you will hold up fingers for how many people are still coming behind him/her. That way you have an idea of the oncoming traffic. Then the last person in the group will hold up a fist when they pass indicating they are the last person. At first, I was surprised that hand signals were necessary, but it turned out to be really very useful.

Me in my rented gear

You Don’t Need to Invest in Gear

Snowmobiling can be an expensive sport since you need high quality warm gear. However, you don’t have to run out and invest in arctic gear immediately when you first start snowmobiling – instead you can rent it! I not only rented a snow mobile, but also all of the gear I needed right down to my balaclava and boots! This was super as I never would have been able to afford the super warm mittens or bibs, and this is something you don’t want to cut corners on!

Plus, if you do a snowmobiling tour, this cost is normally assuming in the tour and they will provide gear if you need it.

  Snowmobiling is More Fun When you Have Lots of Snow

This may seem like common sense, but when I woke up the 2nd day to 7 inches of new powder, I didn’t know what to think. As I took off following Simon after breakfast, I quickly learned that fresh powder = more fun! This pretty much holds true for all winter sports – right? ! I felt like the fresh powder made it even easier to turn and handle curves. Plus – it’s just darn prettier too!

Having a Guide Allows You to Enjoy it More

As I kept Simon in my sights, I thought about how nice it was to simply follow him for 2 days and not have to worry about maps or reading signs, etc. Since he was a local, he knew all of the trails so well and didn’t slow down once! Simon was also there to answer questions, take pictures, and teach me more about the snowmobiling culture and etiquette.

However, the biggest bonus to having a guide for me is that it allowed me to go faster than I ever would have been able to on my own. As long as I kept Simon in my sights, I was able to see the upcoming turns and curves which allowed me to be more fearless and cautious while anticipating my next curve/move. If I wouldn’t have had him leading the way, I would have had to go much slower in order to make sure that I could see all of the turns coming up.

Simon and me!

This was my first multi day snow mobile trip, but I know it won’t be my last! I loved staying overnight and having more time on the snowmobile and with Simon. I was able to see a more remote part of Quebec than I ever could have in a car! By the end I was going faster than ever and having fun trying to keep up with Simon. It’ rewarding to keep pace with change and try new things. Apparently, I like my technology to move fast, as well as my snowmobile.

Take Your First Snowmobile Tour in Quebec

Organisaction will help you organize your snowmobiling trip in Quebec if you are a beginner or simply want a local guide! Half day and multi day itineraries are available.  Pus – they offer other winter adventures too!  Check them out here.

  The post Snowmobiling in Quebec as a Beginner appeared first on Ottsworld Unique Travel Experiences.

[hickorycreekrp-blog]

Out of Character:

Name/Alias: Maddie

Pronouns: She/Her

Age: 25

Timezone: PST

Face Claim Preferences: Candice Patton

Character Basics:

Full Name: Lucille Sasha Daniels

Nicknames/Prefers: Sasha

Age: 25

Occupation: Pastry Chef at Wells Bakery, Part-Time food blogger

Pronouns: She/Her

Gender: Female

Hometown: Wimberley, Texas

Current Neighborhood: Hickory Square

Highest Education: Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism from Texas Southern University & an Associates Degree in Culinary Arts from Texas Culinary Institute of America.

Religion: Jewish.

Family and Relationships:

Parents: Joseph Daniels (father, 48), Miranda Anderson (mother, 47)

Siblings: Wesley Xavier Daniels (deceased)

Children: N/A

Other: Jessica Morris-Daniels (stepmom, 48), Christopher Morris (stepbrother, 23)

Pets: 3 Dogs: Sam, Wilson, & Laurel.

Sexual Orientation: Bisexual

Romantic Orientation: Biromantic

Marital Status: Single/Never Married

Personality:

Favorite Film: RENT

Favorite TV Show: Community

Favorite Book: The Vampire Armand - Anne Rice

Favorite Song: Don’t Wait - Mapei

Favorite Color: Regal Purple

Likes: Halloween, movies, musical theater, meaningful lyrics, watching the sun rise, beaches (the place not the movie), corn dogs

Dislikes: aggression, narrow mindedness, ignorance, being corrected, being accused of having an attitude, Beaches (the movie not the place), Christmas, the smell of sunscreen.

History:

TW: BLOOD, DEATH, DEPRESSION, GUN, POLICE BRUTALITY.

TUESDAY, APRIL 7TH, 1992,

as the clock struck 3 AM on this morning in a Hospital in Austin, Texas, Lucille Sasha Daniels was born the second child of Miranda and Joseph Daniels. From the moment the two laid eyes on their little girl they were in awe of her. After a couple years of trying for another baby and a slight strain on ther marriage their family was finally complete and the two wanted nothing more than for their children to grow up happy and healthy with nothing but the best of what they could give them and as a local police officer working his way up the ranks, and a law student it wasn’t much, but they worked with what they could.

AS THE GIRL GREW OLDER,

it was more than clear that she was incredibly bright and yearned to learn everything she could. Though the academic side of her school days thrived from a very young age, the social side was a whole different story. Growing up one of the few black kids in a promintely small town in Texas wasn’t exacty easy no matter how much more progressive the times were changing people were still pretty ignorant. Sasha was teased and picked on by a few of her classmates at school and didn’t really have many friends to stick up for her. The fact that depression ran deep in her family wasn’t exactly a helpful factor and so the girl came home almost every day crying and heart broken. It was just about the saddest scene anyone could’ve witnessed.

WITH NO OTHER SOLUTION

Sasha’s parents started sending her to thearpy to help her cope with her depression in middle school and for the most part it helped her. The only other thing Sasha seemed to rely on when things got hard for her was her older brother Wesley. No matter what he was dealing with if his little sister needed him Wes was always there, sometimes even if it meant abandoning his own friends and plans to just spend time with her. Wes taught Sasha just about everything she holds close to her heart. He was the one who had gotten her into comic-books, –figuring super powers and strong characters who stood up for themselves against the evil in the world would help her find her own strength– he taught her how to cook, –showing her a healthy outlet to vent her frustrations and inspiring her love of food– and with the help of her father taught her how to fight –which gave her a bit more confidance to go after the things she wanted– Sasha looked up to Wes. Of course they had their fights –they were two years apart– but at the end of the day he was her big brother, and she loved him deeply.

SASHA ALWAYS THOUGHT SHE’D HAVE WES,

no matter how hard things got, or how people treated her, he was always a constant. As Sasha reached high school she grew more into herself and fit in a bit more. She managed to earn a spot on the cheerleading squad her freshman year and people she’d grown up with, who picked on her slowly started to treat her differently. She found her first boyfriend and found a bit of a balance in her depression, enough to function and thrive in school. She joined activties such as yearbook club, drama club, and the debate team. Finally life wasn’t as hard as it had been for her years prior and Sasha could at least function like a normal personfor the most part. She still struggled with maintaining her depression and social anxcieties, but life was at least slightly easier. Until her Sophomore year of high school however. Christmas break. She and Wes were doing a bit of last minute Christmas shopping when she convinced him to stop and get snacks. They needed gas anyway so he figured it would be fine. While he filled the tank, he let her go inside the convience store by herself to get the snacks.

WHEN SASHA DIDN’T RETURN WES WENT IN AFTER HER

only to be staring down the barrel of a gun. When he wasn’t paying attention another black kid about his age, maybe older had decided to rob the store and Wes had unknowing walked in. Quickly as he could he started to reason with the guy trying to get him to lower his gun and stop this. Sasha watched helplessly nearby as she watched her brother be brave and just as Wes was starting to get through to the guy everything from there happened so fast. An off duty cop arrived on the scene sending it into chaos. Instead of asking questions he shot. First the guy with the gun, killing him instantly and then Wesley, it was pretty obvious he assumed because they were both black boys and one had a gun and they were talking, they were working together. The moment the gun went off and Sasha saw her brother fall to the ground she rushed to him without a second thought. She could barely hear the officers yelling for her to back away from the perp. All Sasha was focused on was the gun shot wound at her brothers side and stopping the bleeding.

Briefly she could comprehend the other hostages in the sitution advocating for Wesley’s innocence. Tears started to pour from Sasha’s eyes and she begged and pleaded for someone to call an ambulence. With all of the chaos the cops seemed to realize their racist mistake and the next thing she knew Sasha had the barrel of a gun pressed to her head and was being threatened not to tell anyone what happened threatening to kill her if anyone else in the convience store said a word and he would call an ambulence once they all agreed and he honored that. Just before it showed up he vanished. It was the worst moment of Winnie’s life. Her hands covered in her brothers blood. She moved out of the way when the paramedics arrived and climbed into the ambulance with him, refusing to leave her brothers side and clung to his hand for dear life. Even in his dying breaths Wesley tried to reassure her that he was going to be okay and that everything was fine, but two minutes from the hospital he took his last breaths and his hand went slack in her tight grip. Sasha sobbed the rest of the way to the hospital.

IT WAS A WHILE BEFORE HER PARENTS SHOWED UP,

and Sasha had to tell them that Wes was gone. It was devistating to see the realization in their eyes that their son was gone. Sasha blamed herself for his death. After all, If she hadn’t gone into the convience store he would still be alive. After that Sasha was questioned by the police about what happened. She told them everything. Wesley’s funeral was held days later. Her family shat Shiva and laid him to rest and nothing was ever the same again. Through grief her family slowly fell apart. Her parents divorced, Sasha went on to live with her father and continued her struggle with depression her school work finally suffering and she even ended up assaulting a few of her classmates who decided to make her tragedy the hottest gossip even going as far as to put a girl in the hospital when she to Sasha’s face, accused her of covering up for her brother while using terrible racial anti black and anti semitic slurs.

Luckily Sasha was not expelled for her behavior. A few kids who’d witnessed it lied to protect her, probably out of pity she didn’t bother to ask, but from then on she did her best to remain in control of herself. Sasha made it through the rest of high school the best that she could through her grief. She accepted a spot at Texas Southern University where she majored in Journalism during the day and took night courses at the Texas Culinary Institute of America, graduating five years later with a Bachelors degree in journalism and an associates in culinary arts. At the age of twenty-two, Sasha moved to Italy for a year.just needing to explore the more that the world had to offer. Working in the finest Italian pastry shop and honing her skills and became a food blogger. She moved back to the states at twenty-three and moved to Hickory Creek, Connecticut and got a job working as a pastry chef at Wells Bakery as a second job. Now she talks to her dad every day, he’s now the chief of police back home in Wimberly and got remarried a year ago. Her mother is now a Lawyer living in Chicago also remarried, but to a woman this time, she’ll send money when she’s worried about Sasha, even though the girl doesn’t need it, and they barely speak. Sasha is now living with two of her closest friends in Hickory Square and taking everything one day at time. Still going to therapy and still grieving the things that she has lost.

[nonapologia]

There is Always a True King

Unfortunately, he may not always be in the government. Quoth la Wik:

Norton spent his days inspecting San Francisco's streets in an elaborate blue uniform with gold-plated epaulettes, given to him by officers of the United States Army post at the Presidio of San Francisco. He also wore a beaver hat decorated with a peacock feather and a rosette. He frequently enhanced this regal posture with a cane or umbrella. During his inspections, Norton would examine the condition of the sidewalks and cable cars, the state of repair of public property, and the appearance of police officers. Norton would also frequently give lengthy philosophical expositions on a variety of topics to anyone within earshot.

During the 1860s and 1870s, there were occasional anti-Chinese demonstrations in the poorer districts of San Francisco. Riots, sometimes resulting in fatalities, took place. During one incident, Norton allegedly positioned himself between the rioters and their Chinese targets; with a bowed head, he started reciting the Lord's Prayer repeatedly until the rioters dispersed without incident.

Norton was loved and revered by the citizens of San Francisco. Although penniless, he regularly ate at the finest restaurants in San Francisco; restaurateurs took it upon themselves to add brass plaques in their entrances declaring "[by] Appointment to his Imperial Majesty, Emperor Norton I of the United States". Norton's self-penned Imperial seals of approval were prized and a substantial boost to trade. No play or musical performance in San Francisco would dare to open without reserving balcony seats for Norton.

A rumor started by the devoted Norton caricaturist Ed Jump claims he had two dogs, Bummer and Lazarus, which were also San Francisco celebrities. Though he did not own the dogs, Norton ate at free lunch counters where he shared his meals with the dogs.

In 1867, a policeman named Armand Barbier arrested Norton to commit him to involuntary treatment for a mental disorder. The arrest outraged the citizens and sparked scathing editorials in the newspapers. Police Chief Patrick Crowley ordered Norton released and issued a formal apology on behalf of the police force. Crowley wrote "that he had shed no blood; robbed no one; and despoiled no country; which is more than can be said of his fellows in that line." Norton magnanimously granted an Imperial Pardon to the errant policeman. All police officers of San Francisco thereafter saluted Norton as he passed in the street.

Norton did receive some tokens of recognition for his position. The 1870 U.S. census lists Joshua Norton as 50 years old and residing at 624 Commercial Street; his occupation was listed as "Emporer" [sic]. It also noted he was insane. Norton also issued his own money to pay for his debts, and it became an accepted local currency in San Francisco. These notes came in denominations between fifty cents and ten dollars; the few surviving notes are collector's items. The city of San Francisco also honored Norton. When his uniform began to look shabby, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors bought him a suitably regal replacement. Norton sent a gracious thank you note and issued a "patent of nobility in perpetuity" for each supervisor.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emperor_Norton

[funtubeweb]

Celebrate the International Year of Indigenous Languages

The United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has declared 2019 the International Year of Indigenous Languages (IY2019) —“in order to raise awareness of them, not only to benefit the people that speak these languages, but also for others to appreciate the important contribution they make to our world’s rich cultural diversity” (UNESCO IYIL2019 website).

In Canada alone, approximately 230,000 Indigenous people currently speak one or more of the 60 dialects within the 12 linguistic families; most of these languages have been listed by UNESCO as either vulnerable or endangered, some critically—including several dialects of Inuktitut, which became the official language of the Northwest Territories, Labrador, and the territories now known as Nunavut in 1984. Not only does language play an important role in identity, knowledge, and culture, in Indigenous cultures the mother tongue also preserves and passes on these traditions.

In 2015, the Final Report of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission explained to Canadians and the world that Indigenous languages had been threatened by the genocidal actions of the residential school system. The TRC also created “94 Calls to Action” to address the loss of languages.

The National Film Board of Canada has heard and responded to the “calls to action.” We are committed to playing our part in the preservation and revitalization of Indigenous languages through the creation and re-release of Indigenous-language versions of films in our Indigenous collection, which speak eloquently of the essential relationship between Indigenous peoples and their languages. The films in our playlist are offered in several Indigenous languages: Inuktitut, Nakota (Assiniboine), Mohawk, Cree, and Atikamekw. Watch with us, listen and learn with us, and you will hear some of the most beautiful languages in the world.

Join us in celebrating Indigenous languages with this rich playlist of NFB films!

Kanehsatake 270 Years of Resistance (Mohawk Version)

In July 1990, a dispute over a proposed golf course to be built on Kanien’kéhaka (Mohawk) lands in Oka, Quebec, set the stage for a historic confrontation that would grab international headlines and sear itself into the Canadian consciousness. Director Alanis Obomsawin—at times with a small crew, at times alone—spent 78 days behind Kanien’kéhaka lines filming the armed standoff between protestors, the Quebec police and the Canadian army.

oehttps://http://bit.ly/2Sx2Ssj

Atisokan nte Manawanik nistam kenokok

An account of how settler civilization has invaded Indigenous peoples’ lives, governed their hunting, trapping, and fishing, confined them to reserves, and made it difficult to pursue traditional ways of life. César Néwashish recounts how his grandfather Louis Néwashish founded Manawan.

oehttps://http://bit.ly/2DAgAAu

Atisokan nte Manawanik minowach kenokok

A continuation of History of Manowan: Part 1. Discusses the death of Indian customs, independence and dignity, with the advent of the white society.

oehttps://http://bit.ly/2SyoQLp

Qimmit: A Clash of Two Truths (Inuktitut Version)

This feature documentary offers an overview of the changes experienced by the Inuit from 1950-1970 with their loss of sled dogs and semi-nomadic lifestyle. A controversial issue at the time, many Inuit still believe that their dogs were deliberately killed by the RCMP as part of government policy to force them off the land and into “civilization.”

oehttps://http://bit.ly/2DB3FhD

Katawapiskak Sipiwi Ininiwak

The people of the Attawapiskat First Nation, a Cree community in northern Ontario, were thrust into the national spotlight in 2012 when the impoverished living conditions on their reserve became an issue of national debate.

oehttps://http://bit.ly/2Sx2VEv

Nowhere Land (Inuktitut Version)

This short documentary is a quiet elegy for the ancestral Inuit way of life, which exists now only in the memories of those who experienced it. Bonnie Ammaaq and her family remember it vividly.

oehttps://http://bit.ly/2DB7NhJ

Breaths (Inuktitut Version)

In this evocative short, Inuit singer-songwriter and humanitarian Susan Aglukark weaves together stories of artistry, family, and belonging as she explores the complex cultural shifts of the last 50 years of Inuit life.

oehttps://http://bit.ly/2Sx81jX

Three Thousand (Inuktitut Version)

In this short film, Inuk artist Asinnajaq plunges us into a sublime imaginary universe—14 minutes of luminescent, archive-inspired cinema that recast the present, past and future of her people in a radiant new light.

oehttps://http://bit.ly/2DB3Ucx

To Wake Up the Nakota Language (Nakota Version)

“When you don’t know your language or your culture, you don’t know who you are,” says 69-year-old Armand McArthur, one of the last fluent Nakota speakers in Pheasant Rump First Nation, Treaty 4 territory, in southern Saskatchewan. Through the wisdom of his words, Armand is committed to revitalizing his language and culture for his community and future generations.

oehttps://http://bit.ly/2SAiN9p

The post Celebrate the International Year of Indigenous Languages appeared first on NFB Blog.

Celebrate the International Year of Indigenous Languages posted first on http://film-streamingsweb.blogspot.com

[donaldmckenzie13]

September has been a bit of mixed-up month for me. The first part of the  month was back to church time after the summer. The second part of the month, I’ve been on holidays. My reading has also been mixed-up. At one point I had at least six books on the go at once. I’ve managed to finish three of those ones, along with several other books. Almost everything tjis month has been oof the detective fiction nature, although three of them relate to a food loving detective.

Previous Months

March, April, May, June, July, August

Next month I plan on doing a whole lot more reading around the subject of food. Including at lest a couple of books that I intend to devote full posts to. So, with that out of the way, here’s what I read this past month.

My first September reading choice: Death on Tap by Ellie Alexander

Death on Tap – Ellie Alexander

Death on Tap is the first book in Ellie Alexander’s second mystery series. Her first series is the Bakeshop Mysteries. The protagonist in this series is Sloan Krause, a brewer in the town of Leavenworth, Washington, a town that has built it’s reputation on being a Bavarian themed town known for it’s beer.

This has the classic elements of many cozy novels. It opens with her catching her husband cheating on her. He is wealthy, and self-absorbed like most of the husbands in cozy novels. The big difference is that his family loves Sloan, an orphan who had no family until she met her in-laws. She works for them as a brewer and is very good at her job.

After catching her husband cheating oon her, she takes a job, on the advice of her brother-in-law, with a handsome new brewery owner. However things go sideways as on the morning after the brew pub’s soft opening a rival brewer is found dead in the fermenter. Sloan’s ex is the prime suspect, and whatever her feelings about what he’s done, she’s intent on proving him innocent.

As the case unwinds one of the differences in this novel is that the local police chief seems to be somewhat open to accepting Sloan’s help in solving the murder. The pacing is crisp, and the sub-plot around her ex and his fling as an interesting layer to the story without bogging it down. I also like that the book ends without giving any direction as to which way her relationship with the her boss at the new pub will go.

On the whole I enjoyed the bits about brewing and beer tasting. LIke all these books I find that the relationship between the work load of the ficitional brew pub and the reality of opening any new business seems to be stretched the most. I definitely intend to pick up the next two books in this series.

Book one in the Inspector Gamache series by Louise Penny

The second book in the Armand Gamache seriees

The Cruellest Month the third book in my September reading through the Gamache novels

Still Life, Dead Cold, The Cruellest Month – Louise Penny

Louise Penny is a Canadian writer of detective fiction, and creator of the Armand Gamache, Three Pines mystery series. This series was reccomended to me as being similar in character to the Bruno series. Particularly in the way that good eating has a place of prominence for both detectives.

Three PInes is an almost mythical town, set in rural Quebec. A former United Empire Loyalist haven, it’s a too good to be true town that’s a home to artists, outcasts, the lonely, and quite frequently, murderers. Each of the crimes being investigated by Gamache has a connection to the town and it’s past.

Alon the way he comes in to contact with a core of villagers, Peter and Clara, the artist, Ruth, the poet, Oliver and Gabri, the gay couple who run a bed and breakfast, and Myrna, the former psychologist who gave up that position to open a bookstore. This group of friends helps, in various ways, in the solving of the crimes. They are a merry band who spend much time together eating and drinking and enjoying life.

In addition to the villagers Gamache has his team of detectives. They are intensely loyal to him, and as these stories progress we learn more about why this is so. Gamache’s strength and weakness are the same thing. He sees it as his role to take on the broken and weak and hlep them move to being strong and whole. He has sacrificed promotion and glory to do this.

Yet in all this he is a happy and contented man with a loving wife and family, and this loyal team, along with his best friend and boss Superintendant Brebeuf. However, as the series progresses we find out there is a case from his past that also continues to haunt him. He brought in a crooked Inspector (Arnot) and the negative light it shone on the Surete has made him some powerful enemies. Things are not what they seem in his team, particularly with the miserable detective Nichols and detective Lemeiux.

The best part of the books is that Penny draws great characters. Both as individuals and in the way that they interact with each other as a community. One of the best things about the characters I like is that they grow as the series progresses and there is always something new to learn about them.

She also does a great job with the atmosphere and the setting of the novels. She gives great descriptions of the countryside and houses with out slipping over the line into the habit of giving too much detail. Her food descriptions are also good, although I get a feeling that they are pulled from Chatelaine’s food trend of the month.

The one part of the books that I find hard to swallow is the background surrounding the Arnot case and how it played out. Without giving too much away, I found the suicide aspect of the story too far-fetched. It was far-fetched in Dorothy Sayers day, and even more so today. However, I will most certainly keep up with the rest of this series.

Lincoln Lawyer, the first book in Michael Connellys legal series

The Lincoln Lawyer – Michael Connelly

Last month I read Black Echo, the first book in Michael Connelly’s Harry Bosch detective series. At the end of the book there was an intro into one of the Lincoln Lawyer books. The Lincoln Lawyer is another Connelly series, but in this case the main character is a lawyer. He is the half-brother of Bosch, but that doesn’t really come into play in this opening novel.

Mickey Haller is a defense lawyer who works out of the back of his car, the titular Lincoln. Twice divorced, he has a difficult relationship with his first wife, a prosecutor, and a better relationship with his second wife, who serves as his legal assistant.

One day he gets the trial of his life dropped into his hands. He is asked to defend Louis Roulet, a lawyer accused of a violent rape. He takes the case, but as it progresses he discovers may not be as innocent as he claims. It also turns out that Haller may have helped send an innocent man to prison.

As the case progresses Haller is faced with a difficult choice, one that he fears may cost him his career, and maybe more. His actions have some disastrous consequences along the way, and in the end he knows that his only shot at redemption is to try and take down Roulet.

The action is fast paced, and Connelly has clearly done a thorough job of researching how courtroom procedure works. I’ll be picking up more of these books, especially when I’m looking for something of a page turner nature.

Cover photo for Ian Rankins Even Dog in the Wild

Even Dogs in the Wild – Ian Rankin

After having Rather Be The Devil during August, I did something a little bit different and read my way backwards in the John Rebus series. This book involves a potential gang war in Edinburgh. A series of figures have received a threatening note, among them Big Ger Cafferty.

There are rumours of Glaswegian mobsters moving into the city adn a special team has been set up to monitor. This allows Malcolm Fox to be involved in the action as liaison. We also see a growth in his relationship with Siobhan Clarke. Rebus and Cafferty may both be retired, but when there is crime on the streets of Edinburgh we know that they will both be nearby.

Darryl Christie is featured prominently in this book as he is in Rather Be The Devil. We learn about his relationship with Cafferty. We also learn a bit more of the relationship between Rebus and Fox. There is also a story about the father-son relationship between the Glaswegian mobsters. This makes a good secondary story on the back of the main mystery.

I found this one of the most engaging Rebus books that I’ve read. Looking forward to his new one in October.

            Another month has come and gone. Check out my September reading round up. #bookbloggers #cozymysteries #threepinesmysteries September has been a bit of mixed-up month for me. The first part of the  month was back to church time after the summer.

[castlesinengland-blog]

4 Best Castles to Visit in England

History is interesting. It is full of stories, theories, myths, controversies and beautiful architectures. Those marvellous creations of the epic age always appeal the most to our eyes, and if you are a history lover, they fuel your imaginations to the extent that you actually start experiencing the history unfolding right in front of you.

For such history buffs, there can be nothing better than travelling across England and visiting those mighty castles which  once housed the formidable people in the world. Today we bring to you the 4 most known castles in England which you can visit to satisfy the evergreen historian in you.

·         Leeds Castle

The Leeds Castle is situated in Kent, England which is 5 miles away from southeast of Maidstone. The castle was built in 1119. During the 13th century it was owned by King Edward I, for whom it was his favourite place of residence. The castle then passed over from one monarch to another as no king could manage to ignore the beauty of this magnificent structure.

The castle was built on the islands in a lake which is formed by the river Len, which now flows on the east side of the village of Leeds. Leeds Castle has been opened to the public since 1976 and thereafter has remained a favourite tourist destination for all the tourists who visit Leeds.

The origins of the castle can go back to 857 AD when the land on which the castle now stands established, was taken up by the Saxon chief called Leed who then built a wooden structure on two islands. Robert de Crevecoeur then went on to build the Leeds Castle in 1119 which then descended through the de Crevecoeur family. This rich history of the castle is enough to lure you to visit it. It is quite overwhelming to be in a place this old and to experience its aura around you while you stand on that rocky floor on which great men and women once walked.

The last private owner of the castle was the Hon. Olive, Lady Baillie who bought the castle in 1926 for £ 180,000. She brought about the redecoration of its interiors by appointing French architect and designer Armand-Albert to oversee the exterior alteration who then also added interior features such as 16th century style carved oak staircase in the castle. It is delightful to see all these masterpieces which still shine as if they were crafted yesterday.

It would also tickle your mind with interest when you will know that the massive castle you would be standing in had also served as a hospital during the World War 2 where Lady Baillie and her daughters hosted burned Commonwealth airmen as part of the wounded soldiers’ recovery drive.

Leeds Castle also has a maze in it which was opened in 1988 and is made of 2,400 yew trees. An aviary was added in the castle around 1980 and by 2011 it swelled to contain more than 100 species. The castle also holds the world’s only museum of dog collars and has a golf course as well.

The castle was also a location for a film shot in 1949 named Kind Hearts and Coronets. It has also been used for small screen entertainment shows such as The Moonraker (1958) and Waltz of Toreadors (1962). It was also seen in serials such as Doctor Who, The Androids of Tara both of 1978 and had once been used for filming a live concert.

The Leeds Castle is one of the most   recognised  structures internationally  and also one of the 57 heritage sites in England which receives more than 500,000 visitors annually. You thus cannot avoid visiting this old beauty which stands calmly waiting for you to appreciate its splendid structure.

·         Warwick Castle

Warwick castle located in Warwick which is a county town of Warwickshire, England is a medieval castle developed from a wooden motte-and-bailey castle of 1068. This wooden castle was built by William the Conqueror and was later developed during the 12th century. At the time of Hundred Years War, the castle played a pivotal role and was owned by the Greville family who then became the Earls of Warwick in 1759 who then stayed at that position till 1978 when finally the castle was bought by the Tussauds Group. In 2007 the group merged with Merlin entertainments, which now currently owns the property. Thus even though the castle wasn’t passed on from one family to another, had been of significant relevance during one of the great wars of England and so has a lot of history attached to it.

There were many important people who visited the castle during the 17th century which then grew more in the 19th century making the castle, a medieval hub for the intellectuals to meet. Being a history buff you would surely like to visit such a place where important discussions took place  which then shaped the course of history of England. You might also be fascinated by the fact that in 1858 even the Queen Victoria visited the 4th Earl with great local celebrations.

Warwick castle is  known for its beauty and was appreciated for its impressive structure so much that it had many commoners visiting it, just  to behold its sheer size and splendour. It is said that visitors soon became a nuisance and so a ticketing system was started by 1900 to police the trouble making visitors. There were also guides appointed who then explained the new visitors about the history of the castle.

As a visitor, you too will be exposed to the rich amount of information about the castle which your guide may tell you. You will also get to see a huge spread of armoury, artefacts, treasures and many other historic items which will impress you to the fullest. This spread is also regarded as the second best after the tower of London.

Throughout the 20th century the Earls of Warwick castle expanded its tourism potential by banking on the already receiving tourists. In 1978 it was then sold to a media and entertainment company who opened more tourist attractions in the castle which may excite you even more. If it still doesn’t excite you enough, remember that the Warwick castle is also named in Britain’s Top 10 historic houses and monuments. This is due to the restoration work done by the media company who now owns the castle. Also in 2003 the castle was recognised as Britain’s best castle and had more than half a million visitors on an annual basis.

Another attraction there is the trebuchet located in the castle. It is the world’s biggest trebuchet which also is functional. It is 18 metres tall and is made from 300 pieces of oak wood which weighs around 22 tones. Imagine the amount of destruction this machine would have done in medieval wars. You thus wouldn’t want to miss out on giving it a visit.

There are other seasonal exhibits of the castle as well where in you may get to see Flight of Eagles, events such as archery, jousting, trebuchet show and sword displays. There also are musical events which may please your ears, and if you are inclined on getting some thrill then there are few ghost stories linked to the Watergate tower of the castle as well.

·         Alnwick Castle

Alnwick castle located in Northumberland is the seat of the Duke of that region. It was built after the Norman Conquest and was renovated for a number of times. It entered the list of grade I buildings in 2012 and receives 800,000 visitors per year.

The current Duke and his family still lives in the castle, but occupies only a part of it while the remaining castle is kept open for the visitors. It is the second largest castle after the Windsor castle which is still inhibited by its owners. Also Alnwick castle was the tenth most visited stately home in England according to the Historic Houses Association.

Another point of interest about the castle is that it was used as an educational establishment during the time of World War II. This educational background to the castle will give you many unique things of interest such as huge libraries, stacks of old research study papers, etc. which cannot be found in other old castles.

Alnwick castle also houses special exhibitions in the castle’s perimeter towers. The Postern Tower features the exhibition on the Dukes of Northumberland and their interests in archaeology which includes frescoes from Pompeii, relics from Ancient Egypt and Romano-British artefacts.

The Constable’s tower hold exhibitions which houses military displays like Percy Tenantry Volunteers exhibition, local volunteer soldiers rose to repel Napoleon’s planned invasion of the 1798-1814 period. The Abbot’s Tower houses the Regimental Museum of the Royal Northumberland Fusiliers.

If you are not pulled towards the castle by these historic exhibitions then there is more that can hold your interest. The castle was used in the shooting of Harry Potter films. Such appearances of the castle in such big films have shaped the public image of the castle which is in total contrast to what it looks like in reality. So if you feel you have seen the castle enough in the films, then make sure you  visit it and capture its real beauty.

Besides the castle is the Alnwick garden which is a formal garden set around a cascading fountain which was initially established by Jane Percy, Duchess of Northumberland. It came at a cost of £42 million which now belongs to a charitable trust which is separate from the Northumberland Estates.

The garden is very spacious and magnificently beautiful which can give you a soothing effect if you sit in there during the time of evening after you spend your entire day walking around the castle. This beautiful garden was designed by Jacques Wirtz and Peter Wirtz of Wirtz International based in Schoten, Belgium which is well known for its exceptional work in architecture.

Following is the list of films and TV series where in the Castle Alnwick was used as a production set design.

·         Films

o    1954 Prince Valiant

o    1964 Becket

o    1971 Mary, Queen of Scots

o    1979 The Spaceman and King Arthur

o    1982 Ivanhoe, starring Anthony Andrews and James Mason

o    1990 or 1991 The Timekeeper

o    1991 Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves

o    1998 Monk Dawson

o    1998 Elizabeth (film)

o    2001 Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone

o    2002 Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

o    2010 Robin Hood, directed by Ridley Scott

o    2017 Transformers: The Last Knight, directed by Michael Bay

 ·         Television

o    1983 The Black Adder

o    1984–86 Robin of Sherwood

o    1991 Star Trek: The Next Generation

o    1995 Antiques Roadshow

o    1995 The Fast Show

o    2005 The Virgin Queen.

o    2009 Dickinson's Real Deal

o    2011 Red or Black?

o    2012 Flog It!

o    2012 The Hollow Crown

o    2014/2015 Downton Abbey

 ·         Warkworth Castle

This castle is not there in any lists of famous heritage sites in England or lists of beautiful structures in the country, yet it can be worth  visiting this old ruined castle situated in Warkworth which is an English county of Northumberland. This is because it has a different view point through which you can look at a castle.

Its ruins particularly state the kind of damage a castle faces at the time of war. Its destroyed pillars and walls show  you the exact amount of pressure a castle withstands at the time of war to save its owner. The castle doesn’t provide you a spectacular view but if you observe it closely, you may find its beauty hidden in its ruins.

The Warkworth town and the Warkworth castle occupy a loop of river Conquet which is less than a mile away from England’s north-east coast. The date of origin of the castle is unknown but it is believed that Prince Henry of Scotland established it in mid 12th century.

The castle was first documented in a charter of 1157-1164 when Henry II granted it to Roger Fitz Richard. The main reason for its ruins can be considered as it being left undefended by its owner when the Scotland army invaded it in 1173. Hence there is a strong history behind this castle as well.

Not only the ruins, but there is some more historic background to the castle. This castle was used as a backdrop in several scenes of William Shakespeare’s Henry IV, Part 1 and Part 2. It also has been a central point during the English civil wars.

Since now you know which 4 are the main centres where you can satisfy your hunger for history, you can now plan your vacation, pack your bags, book one of the Hemel taxis near to you, reach the airport and fly to your dreams.