#Betty C. Tang

[the-dust-jacket]

Huge congratulations to all those honored by the 2024 Asian/Pacific American Awards for Literature!

[raatart]

a complete boycott list in alphabetical order

a complete list of companies / brands / franchises to boycott in support of palestine that i have been working on putting together for a while now.

remember to support your local businesses

stand with palestine against genocide

(Food & Beverages)

A

Activia

Acqua Panna

Akmina

Absolute Vodka

Algida

A&W

Aquafina

Alpro

Actimel

B

Burger King

Baskin Robbins

Ben & Jerry's

Bugles

Betty Crocker

Badoit

Becel

C

Coca Cola

Costa Coffee

Cadbury

Cheerios

Cheetos

Campbells

Calve

Cappy

Chiquita

D

Dominos

Dasani

Dunkin' Donuts

Doritos

Dr Pepper

Danone

Dolcela

Damla

Dogadan

E

Evian

Eden

F

Fanta

Frito-lay

Fruit by the Foot Roll Ups

Falim

Fresca

G

Gatorade

Greggs

H

Hardees

Haagen Dazs

Heinz Ketchup

Hershey's

Hard Rock Cafe

Heinz

I

Innocent

Israeli Fruits & Vegetables

J

Jacob's

Jaffa

K

KitKat

KFC

Kbueno

Kraft Mac & Cheese

Kellogg's

Kraft

L

Lipton

Lays

M

McDonald's

Mars

Marks & Spencers

Maggi

Marila

Monster

Mountain Dew

Mehadrin

Minute Maid

Milk Bar

M&M's

Magnum Ice Cream

Milka Chocolates

N

Nestle

Nestle Cereals

Nescafe

Nesquik

Nespresso

Nido

Nutella

Nature Valley

Nestle Milo

Nestle Carnation

Nestle Coffee Mate

Nestle Nestum

Nimbooz

Nestea

O

Orea

Original Shredded Wheat

P

Papa John's

Pepsi

Pringles

Pizza Hut

Perrier

Pillsbury

Popeyes

Pretty a Manager

Pure Life

Powerade

Popup Bagels

Q

Quality Street

Quaker

R

Redbull

Ruffles

S

Starbucks

Subway

Smartwater

Sweetgreen

Snickers

Sprite

Sabra

Sunkist

Strauss

Smarties

S.pellegrino

Schweppes

Sana

Sirma

Sara Lee

T

Toblerone

Tang

Twix

Tesco

Tropicana

U

V

Vittle

Volvic

W

Wall's

Walmart

Walkers

Wrigley's

X

Y

Z

7Up

(Clothing)

A

America Eagle

Adidas

Alo

Adina Eden Jewelry

B

C

Converse

Calvin Klein

Cat

Castro

D

Drew

Diesel

E

F

G

Good American

GAP

H

H&M

I

J

K

Kamili

L

Levi's

Lumberjack

M

Mango

N

Nike

O

Oasis

P

Puma

Q

R

River Island

S

Skims

Skinny Dip

St. Mark

Style Nadia

T

Timberland

U

V

Victoria's Secret

Vakko

W

We Wore That

Wyeth

X

Y

Z

Zara

(Beauty)

A

Aveda

Amika

Avon

Aussie

Aveeno

Always

Aesop

Ahava

B

Bobbi Brown

Blistex

Bath & Body Works

Britney Spears Fragrance

Becca

Biotherm

Beauty Blender

C

Clinique

Covergirl

Colgate

Calgon

Camay

CeraVe

Christina Aguilera Perfumes

Clean & Clear

Crest

CND

Cacharel

D

Dr. Jart+

Dove

Dettol

Darphin Paris

Dark & Lovely

E

Essie

Elidor

F

Fenty Beauty

Fair & Lovely

G

Garnier

Gillette

Glam Glow

H

Honest Beauty

Haci Sakir

Herbal Essences

Head & Shoulders

Hugo Boss

I

J

Jo Malone

Johnson & Johnsom

K

Kerastase

Kiehl's

Kylie Cosmetics

Kylie Skin

Kotex

L

L'Oreal

Lacome

La Roche-Posey

Lifebuoy

Lux

Lubiderm

M

Maybelline

MAC

Moroccan Oil

Maui

Matrix

Max Factor

N

Nyx

Neutrogena

Nivea

Nature's Beauty

Niely

O

Olay

Origins

Orkid

Oral-B

Oax

P

Pepsodent

Pantene

Q

R

Revlon

Rimmel

Rexona

Rhode

S

Summer Fridays

Schick

Smashbox

Sephora

Sensodyne

Skinceuticals

Skin Better Science

T

The Body Shop

Too Faced Cosmetics

The Ordinary

Tom Ford Beauty

Tampax

Takami

U

Urban Decay

Ulta Beauty

V

Vichy

Vaseline

Veet

W

X

Y

Yes to

Yuesai

Z

(Luxury)

A

B

C

Chanel

D

E

Estee Lauder

F

G

Georgio Armani

H

I

J

K

L

LVMH

Louis Vuitton

La Mer

Lavs

Le Labo

M

Mugler

Maison Margiela

N

O

P

Prada

Q

R

Raplh Lauren

S

T

Tiffany & Co.

Tom Ford

Tommy Hilfiger

U

V

Valentino

W

X

Y

Yves Saint Laurent

Z

(Tech & Entertainment)

A

Aol

Amazon

AirBnB

Apple

B

BBC

Buxton

Barbie

Booking.com

C

CNN

D

Disney+

Dell

E

Energizer

F

Ford

Fiverr

G

Galaxy

H

HP

Hyundai

Hulu

I

IBM

Intel

J

K

L

Lego

M

Motorola

Movenpick

Mattel

Microsoft

N

National Geographic

Nokia

Netflix

O

Oracle

Oxi

P

Philips

Q

R

Rolls Royce

S

Siemens

Sodastream

T

Toys R Us

U

V

Volvo

Valvoline

W

Wix

X

Y

Z

(Other)

A

Axa

Ariel

Aero

Ambi Pur

Airwick

Aroma

AVC

Amway

Ace Hardware

Andrex

American Express

B

Bounty

Black & Decker

Bonux

Bref

Braun

Benadryl

Band-aid

Barclays

Blue Cross Blue Shield

Better Help

C

Caltex

Chevron

Culligan

Citi Bank

Chicco

Cravola

Clearblue

Capital One

D

Dash

Drynites

Dosmestos

Doona

E

Expedia

F

Finish

Febreeze

Fixodent

Fairy

G

Goop

Gerber

Gys

H

HSBC

Huggies

Hayat

I

Imodium

J

JCB

K

Kimberly-Clark

Kleenex

L

Lion

Little Swimmers

Lenor

M

Mr Muscle

Minidou

Monsanto

N

Nicorette

O

Omo

P

Pampers

Purina Felix

Payoneer

Palmolive

Protex

Pull-ups

P&G

Prima

Pril

Paramount Pictures

Q

R

Rejoice

Rinso

Rogaine

S

Signal

Sensus

Sudafed

T

Tide

U

Unilever

Us Cellular

V

Vim

Vanish

Vicks

W

X

Y

Yumus

Z

(Places)

A

B

C

D

Disney

E

F

G

H

I

J

K

L

M

N

O

P

Q

R

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T

U

V

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X

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(People)

A

Ashley Tisdale

Amy Schumer

Andy Beshear

B

Bono

Ben Savage

Bella Thorne

Beyonce

C

Chris Evans

Claire Holt

Ciara

Chris Rock

Chris Pine

D

Demi Lovato

Dwayne Johnson

DJ Khaled

E

Eva Longoria

F

G

Gal Gadot

H

I

Ian Somerhalder

J

Jamie Lee Curtis

James Maslow

Justin Bieber

Jennifer Aniston

Jaclyn Hill

Jack Harlow

Jordan Peele

Joseph Quinn

Jack Black

K

Kylie Jenner

Kim Kardashian

Kris Jenner

Kerry Washington

Katie Perry

Karlie Kloss

Khloe Kardashian

Kat Graham

Kendall Jenner

Kourtney Kardashian

L

Lebron James

Lana Condor

Lana Del Rey

M

Millie Bobby Brown

Malala

Mindy Kaling

Mark Hamill

Madonna

N

NFL

Nina Dobrev

Natalie Portman

Nabela

Nicole Richie

Noah Schnapp

O

Octovia Spencer

P

Perez Hilton

Paul Wesley

Phoebe Tonkin

Pia Mia

P!nk

Q

R

Ronaldinho

Rihanna

S

Sofia Richie

Shaquir O'neal

Selena Gomez

T

Tara Strong

Taika Waititi

Taylor Swift

Tyler Perry

U

Usher

U2

V

Vanessa Hudgens

Viola Davis

W

X

Y

Z

[librarycomic]

Parachute Kids by Betty C. Tang. Scholastic Graphix, 2023. 9781338832693. 282pp. plus an author's note at the end. https://www.powells.com/book/-9781338832693?partnerid=34778&p_bt

Parachute kids are "children from Asia who have been 'dropped off' with friends or relatives in foreign countries while their parents [stay] behind." Tang's parents sent her and her siblings to live in the US in 1979. This a fictionalized version of their experiences (and others in the same situation).

In 1981 Feng Li, her older brother and sister, and their parents visit the US for the first time. She's super excited about visiting Disneyland and other tourist attractions, but then her parents break the news that the family is staying in the US to have better lives and opportunities. Their mom stays with them for a few months until she has to leave to renew her visa (which does not go smoothly or quickly), leaving the high school-age sister in charge. As they try to adapt and study, there are bullies, misunderstandings, and Feng Li is even shunned by the only other kid in her class who speaks Chinese. They're also scammed, Feng Li's brother falls in with a bad crowd (he's dealing with his own issues), and there's a particularly funny incident that involves shopping and cooking.

Ultimately this is an endearing story about siblings who eventually pull together to help each other as they try to live without their parents, but it takes a while (and a near tragedy) for them to figure that out. Like the best of the graphic novels Graphix publishes its well-structured narrative is brought to life by great art that makes the story easy to follow.

[rosesbookgarden]

Cindy Chang's _How to Draw a Secret_: A Relatable Middle-Grade Read

Check out this great middle grade book by new author Cindy Chang. Find her here at @cindobindo

Hope you all are doing as good as possible. I’ve spent the week working on catching up on some of my ARCs and playing Dragon Age Veilguard. One of the ARCs I finished was How to Draw a Secret by Cindy Chang. It continues in the tradition of strong middle grade graphic novels from others like Jen Wang’s Stargazing or Betty C. Tangs Parachute Kids. Synopsis How to Draw a Secret is Chang’s…

[brookstonalmanac]

Events 2.19 (after 1950)

1953 – Book censorship in the United States: The Georgia Literature Commission is established. 1954 – Transfer of Crimea: The Soviet Politburo of the Soviet Union orders the transfer of the Crimean Oblast from the Russian SFSR to the Ukrainian SSR. 1959 – The United Kingdom grants Cyprus independence, which is formally proclaimed on August 16, 1960. 1960 – China successfully launches the T-7, its first sounding rocket. 1963 – The publication of Betty Friedan's The Feminine Mystique reawakens the feminist movement in the United States as women's organizations and consciousness raising groups spread. 1965 – Colonel Phạm Ngọc Thảo of the Army of the Republic of Vietnam, and a communist spy of the North Vietnamese Viet Minh, along with Generals Lâm Văn Phát and Trần Thiện Khiêm, all Catholics, attempt a coup against the military junta of the Buddhist Nguyễn Khánh. 1968 – Mister Roger's Neighborhood made its US national debut on NET, the predecessor of PBS. 1976 – Executive Order 9066, which led to the relocation of Japanese Americans to internment camps, is rescinded by President Gerald Ford's Proclamation 4417. 1978 – Egyptian forces raid Larnaca International Airport in an attempt to intervene in a hijacking, without authorisation from the Republic of Cyprus authorities. The Cypriot National Guard and Police forces kill 15 Egyptian commandos and destroy the Egyptian C-130 transport plane in open combat. 1985 – William J. Schroeder becomes the first recipient of an artificial heart to leave the hospital. 1985 – A Boeing 727 operating as Iberia Flight 610 crashes Mount Oiz in Spain, killing 148; it is the deadliest accident to occur in Iberia's history and the deadliest in Basque County to occur. 1986 – Akkaraipattu massacre: the Sri Lankan Army massacres 80 Tamil farm workers in eastern Sri Lanka. 1989 – Flying Tiger Line flight 66 crashes into a hill near Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport in Malaysia, killing four. 2002 – NASA's Mars Odyssey space probe begins to map the surface of Mars using its thermal emission imaging system. 2003 – An Ilyushin Il-76 military aircraft crashes near Kerman, Iran, killing 275. 2006 – A methane explosion in a coal mine near Nueva Rosita, Mexico, kills 65 miners. 2011 – The debut exhibition of the Belitung shipwreck, containing the largest collection of Tang dynasty artifacts found in one location, begins in Singapore. 2012 – Forty-four people are killed in a prison brawl in Apodaca, Nuevo León, Mexico. 2021 – Mya Thwe Thwe Khine, a 19-year-old protester, becomes the first known casualty of anti-coup protests that formed in response to the 2021 Myanmar coup d'état.

[glenrocklibraryteens]

BOOK REVIEW: PARACHUTE KIDS

Title: Parachute Kids

Author: Betty C. Tang

Pages: 288

Genre: fiction

Rating: 4

  Ten-year-old Feng-Li is ecstatic for her vacation to America with her parents and siblings, where she can go to Disneyland and meet Mickey Mouse, until her parents’ visas are declined. Now she and her siblings have to live on their own in America while her parents have to go back home and get their visas sorted out.

This book reflects some of the author’s personal experiences. I like how the book wasn’t too fast-paced, but moved through each scene with detail. There was never a moment that I was bored with this book because each experience was different and unique. I was definitely surprised more than once during the story. This book showed the struggle with money, scammers, and maturity all throughout. While reading, I wondered about my own parents’ and grandparents’ experiences with being immigrants. I also thought about what would have happened if my family was going through the same thing. All of the kids went through different things, and they were all very brave, especially living without their parents. I would say this book connected to To Kill a Mockingbird, in terms of main characters and their childish numbness to their outside worlds. Scout is a little girl living a normal child’s life until her father has to take up a court case, which leaves her having to prove her maturity to be able to take part in watching it, while still considering her amazing knowledge of vocabulary. This is just like when Feng-Li finds out money is running short, so she starts working around the neighborhood for extra cash. Because the story is told from Feng-Li’s perspective, there was a lack of maturity aspect of a 10 year old living in a foreign country. There were some very surprising moments in the book which definitely caught me off guard. I know if I were in their shoes I would never be able to live on my own with my brother. Being the oldest child, I felt how Feng-Li’s older sister felt when she had to take care of her siblings. If I were left alone with my brother all day, I would not be able to manage like her sister did.

This book is a graphic novel, which helped explain the story better. I feel like if the book were in novel format it wouldn’t be as appealing to read. The cover is drawn with Feng-Li running forward, while her two siblings are in the background, looking stressed, showing how she is still immature in the beginning of the book, and her siblings are more aware of the situation going on.

[graphicpolicy]

Review: Jacky Ha-Ha: My Life is a Joke

Jacky Ha-Ha: My Life is a Joke is a solid tale of theater and summer friendships #Comics #ComicBooks

Jacky talks about the year on the Shore when she started to appreciate Shakespeare, lost her job, and ruined so many friendships. By: James Patterson, Chris GrabensteinAdapted by: Adam RauArt: Betty C. TangColor: Kevin Czap Get your copy now! To find a comic shop near you, visit http://www.comicshoplocator.com or call 1-888-comicbook or digitally and online with the links below. Amazon…

[thetaoofbetty]

I'm so tired of this idea that certain ships desperately need to be explored. No, they don't. We don't need a dozen iterations of the same shit that always ends the same way. It's so, so boring to watch vanilla BA do nothing but fuck, talk about their childhood and fail to connect beyond a surface level even as friends.

honestly, if i were a shipper i'd be mad that they keep telling me they're supposedly great friends but they never show that to me. they didn't even take the time to show it in rivervale where we all got messages for weeks about how they were going to have a baby, get married, and be oh so happy together.

like??? this is what they thought was going to happen and they got what they got. it's like if the show has a chance to do that ship dirty, it always will. and you're right, that's all they do.😭 they get physical because they have nothing real to talk about, they make a throwback comment to remind the audience that they've known each other since they were kids, and then they either do nothing together or one of them has to be put into the other's plot just to get them in the same room.

it makes sense that they're counting on writers or interviews filled with vague information instead of what they see onscreen. or their weird thing with comparing b/a to whatever endgame ship they think fits best in the moment. especially since most of them don't get archetypes anyways so it's like watching baby giraffes walk for the first time when they send me their essays on shows that were on before they were born.

gonna make a b/a buzzword bingo one day, i swear.

more anons under the cut:

they actually turned that subtext into text on the show and then decided to do it again? wild. lazy for sure. but also wildly convenient.

i feel like veronica and reggie already had these issues when they sort of dated in high school so it's just another redux. and again, oddly convenient.

they really said no honeymoon period for them, didn't they? but yeah, they don't really seem compatible long term. bughead fights were ugly for sure when they happened but that was because they weren't putting band-aids on them, they were dealing with the issue. even when one of them walked away, it always ended with communication and movement forward. i don't think, in the end, that they understand each other at all. have an idea of the other? sure. but i doubt that's enough to really make it in riverdale.

hello! first, you're very sweet to be worried about what to bring but i promise you, yourself is enough. and second, if you want to bring food or a dessert, that would 100% be more than enough. no one is going to expect anything except your lovely company.

i have my exchange students make a traditional dish/dessert from their country so we can all share in the different ways we all do things so maybe making something special to you would be an option?💜

[shititbe]

Anyway, Peter Parker is Bi, and I Won’t Be Convinced Otherwise.

Firstly, we have to get our bases covered. What exactly is Bi-sexuality? What is sexuality? 

Sexuality is defined as a persons identity in relation to gender(s) they are attracted to. Why is this important? Peter’s sexuality has never been specifically stated in the comics, nor in any other form of media. It’s assumed that he is straight because of his popular relationship with Mary Jane Watson in the comics, and the movies. 

Now that we have a bases for what exactly sexuality is and how it’s defined, let’s go over Peter’s partners. 

Obviously Peter and Mary Jane are a piece of comic book history. They eventually get married, though sadly, during the events of Civil War II (I think, don’t quote me) Peter and Mary Jane sell their marriage to Mephisto in order to save Aunt May

They later had their memories of their marriage restored, they have yet to get back together and it’s been a few issues if I remember correctly. Next we have Peter’s first, and most unfortunate love, Gwen Stacy. 

They dated in high school where she later died. Of course, Peter has dated other people (namely, Black Cat, Betty Brant, Carol Danvers, Anna Maria, Cindy Moon, Lian Tang, and so on). Since we have his known history of heterosexuality out there, we need to move onto another important part of Peter’s Bi-sexuality. An important implication in any media, especially queer media though, and that is the homoerotic subtext. 

Homoerotic subtext is important part of queer culture, a lot of the time it’s used to portray a characters queerness without saying it out (see: Dorian Gray by Oscar Wild or Great Gatsby By Fitz). In current decade, homoerotic subtext is often used for queer baiting or creating more realistic male friendships. 

So what’s the difference between someone creating a health male friendship (or a character comfortable in their heterosexuality) and implying a character is queer? 

Here are some examples of a healthy male character, both with himself and his friendships.  

Clearly he’s just taking the shit, and messing around with Reed. He’s comfortable enough (or as I like to see it, so traumatized because good god this guy has been Spider-Man since he was 15 good god that’s awful. He probably doesn’t care anymore). Here are some examples of Peter a little more than just a straight man shooting the shit. 

This has three meanings. Two of which I will take, one of which is just deeply embarrassing. Despite Peter’s history with humiliating events, I don’t think he would get his own spunk in his eyes. Leaving the other two options, he has experience getting spunk of - some kind - in his eyes, and/or he’s taking the shit again. Which is very likely. 

Kissing a cop? For....no reason? A little not so hetero of you Peter. 

You can practically hear his disappointment in his voice. Also could be read as taking the shit, but why would you. 

Making out with The Thing? Gay. 

This one is the most important. Peter is clearly tired, annoyed by his teammates (see wolverine being wolverine in the corner). Shits on fire, its mid battle, and Peter has the audacity to mutter “I hate men” to himself. The only people I have every heard say this in that was are lgbt and straight women, and lgbt men. This kind of expression only comes from people who date, or deal with men in a completely different world than straight men. Straight men use this phrase as an endearment, “Oh have you seen Bill today, I hate that guy.” “Man Jerry can do so many push-ups, I hate that guy.” Very different language, and implications (I also, obviously don’t know how straight men speak). 

 Now that we’ve gone over our bases, and homoerotic subtext. How else could we gather that Peter Parker is Bi? There are many tropes in media - queer media - that allure to a characters queerness. Like homoerotic subtext, there are ways to tell an audience something without specifically saying it. 

This is a gay wedding Peter went to in the recent comics. I don’t know if any of you have been to a gay wedding recently, but Peters face (the first panel above the wedding) is the same exact face I made at my first gay wedding. It’s the face of excitement for not only the couple, but for yourself. The hope that maybe, you too can actually be in a same-sex relationship. 

I’m also going to allure to queer tropes as stated previously. Such as the real, and fictional trope of lgbt people sticking together. Thousands of years of belittlement and oppression will make groups of people not want to wonder out, and subconsciously look for others like them. 

Johnny Storm (and Wade Wilson since he comes in later but I couldn’t find a picture of the confirmation) is cannon Bi-sexual (Pan-sexual). 

Their friendship is deeply homoerotic as most queer friendships in media and real life are. Johnny flirts with Peter on many occasions (saying his ideal women is a female version of Peter, inviting him over to watch is sex tape, and so on) and of course oh my god they were roommates. 

Some other popular queer tropes are: Found Family, Soulmates, and Enemies to lovers. Because it’s superhero related, this includes the Identity Porn tag as well.  

Peter Parker and Wade Wilson have a famous Love/Hate relationship. I mean, how could you expect anything less when your first meeting with this known mercenary is him throwing your civilian persona out the window of a car. Now, Wade still doesn’t know Peter is Spider-Man in the current run of comics, but that doesn’t make anything about them any less gay. 

For the Found Family Trope: 

Because it’s Peter and Wade, their whole development can be read as Enemies to Friends to Lovers, so I wont bother backing that up because, uh, it speaks for itself. One panel really does to add that cause though 

I’m not going to explain what a free-pass list is.

The Soulmates part I know I have to back up. 

For SoulMates:  

Now this panel requires a little explanation. Wade kills Peter, not knowing he’s Spider-Man. Weasel takes over for Peter (they don’t know its him) so no one suspects he’s dead. Deadpool begins to feel guilty he killed his best buds best bud, so he tries to bring Peter back to life. Losing his stunning good looks (switching back to how he looked before Weapon X making his wife Shiklah estranged (then she married Dracula but thats beside the point)). Spider-Man is Peter’s “true self” or patronus for Harry Potter fans. Wade is stupid and hasn’t connected the dots yet, effectively making him the biggest simp in history. Seriously, who destroys their marriage for the c h a n c e for getting some with their idol? A Simp, that’s who.

Peter forgives Wade for killing him (and for saving him from killing their genetic daughter itsy-bitsy). If someone killed me they better be hot as fuck before I even thing about forgiving them. Ignoring Peter’s super sexy forgiving nature, uh, he’s kinda simping. 

Died in each others arms. Nothing else is needed. 

They’re heartmates. From what I read, the feeling has to be mutual in order for it to work. The witches (long story, comics are hard to explain) that captured deadpool were expecting his wife so they could get the headmistress back. Instead, they got Peter. Basically Heartmates = soulmates but chosen for you instead of chosen by you. 

To conclude my point: 

Thank you for coming to my TED Talk. 

[raymondebidochonlifechoices]

S6b spoilers so far

In response to @crazymisscarly‘s post

1. We are going to be “totally unprepared for the rest of s6”. Thus spake Evan!

2. The old new couples (Barchie, Veggie, Jabitha, Tangs) are still on. Which is no surprise, as we pick up from 5x19.

3. There is a post of Jughead -in his Pop’s uniform- Tabitha and Pop at the Diner. Has Jughead resumed his old job to help out his girlfriend?

4. Jabitha are “still very much together”. They move in together “as a consequence from the PTSD from the explosion”. Don’t come at me: these are direct quotes from Cole (circa 6x9).

5. Bughead don’t have many interactions, at least not until 6x9 (see another of Cole’s interviews).

6. A time-loop plot is implied by Evan. Will there actually be one? Will it last more than 1 episode? Who knows?

7. Jughead, Betty and Archie suffer from “mysterious” / “arcane” sensory side-effects from the Dale/Vale explosions.

8. Jughead’s arcane side-effect seems to be hearing problems. Which seems quite natural after an explosion and not at all arcane but who am I to judge? Photos and dialogues seem to indicate that it comes and goes? Who knows? This plot will be explored in 6x6 and mainly in 6x7.

9. At one point, an ASL teacher appears.

10. At one point, something will happen with Jughead’s bike that will make Tabitha anxious.

11. Betty seems to be developing pyrokinesis?

12. Cheryl believes she’s responsible for said arcane effects (by unleashing Abigail’s curse). 10 bucks says she’s not.

13. The Ultimate Fight between Good and Evil teased in the Vale, will happen after all. This seems to be s6b’s immediate plot, as it’s what the writers are currently promoting. When this was supposed to be part of the Vale, they had teased couples choosing different sides. Current couples? Old couples? Who knows? Does it matter in the end? The fight will take place at the Diner. If they’d shot it during the Vale (as originally planned), it wouldn’t have lasted more than one episode (6x5). Will it last longer in the Dale? Who knows? 

14. An audition tape has been posted by b*rchiedaily where there is mention of a Ghost Train. I don’t remember much. In any case, it’s supernatural and it has to do with taking souls. Maybe it’s connected to the Ultimate Fight. Maybe not.

15. Cheryl mentions the need for an exorcism. Is it:

a. typical Cheryl

b. related to Abigail’s curse

c. related to the Ghost Train

d. Bret coming back from beyond the veil

e. Jason trying to have some peace and quiet at last

You decide!

16. There have been mentions of the Vale coming back in some way. Is it the arcane side-effects? Is it the fight between Good and Evil? Is it something else altogether? Is it another plot being dropped? Who knows? Who cares?

17. Percival Pickens, a descendant of General Pickers is Riverdale’s new resident. He’s Hiram 2.0 charming and manipulative and Archie’s new nemesis, as he wants to turn Riverdale into a utopia while pursuing a dark agenda. This must be one of those “fresh” storylines that the writers most certainly did not recycle from previous seasons, no, sir, not at all.

18. There will be a boxing scene. I bet there’ll be singing too. 

19. Penelope’s back! FINALLY! something interesting!

20. Hermione’s back. Probably for Hiram’s funeral, which takes place in 6x7.

21. Far less excitingly, TBL is also back. Will he wait for Archie&Co to finish their ultimate Good vs Evil battle or not? (He did wait for Betty to round up her Lonely Highway case after all ...) Who knows?

22. Betty cuts her hair. Or maybe it was just Lili.

23. Kevin grows a moustache. This will probably be Kevin’s whole plot line. I have no complaints.

24. Monica Posh might make an appearance or maybe it was just bts shenanigans.

25. I almost forgot: Archie and Glenn face off. 

There’s a strong possibility all of the above happen within the first two episodes.

Some of the sources:

6x6 synopsis, Jabitha & Pop at the Diner: ultimate battle, Veggie: ultimate battle, time-loop, Percival Pickens, Hiram’s funeral, Monica Posh?,  effing boxing, TV Insider Sprouse interview, Decider Sprouse interview, CBR Sprouse interview, Decider’s Battle of Betty’s Beaus & Trailer

There are also: a photo with info for scenes (ASL teacher, Jabitha and the bike) and 2 audition tapes (Betty’s pyrokinesis, Ghost Train) but I have no links. 

Feel free to add (and tag your spoilers)!

[compneuropapers]

Interesting Papers for Week 47, 2021

Stochasticity Versus Determinacy in Neurobiology: From Ion Channels to the Question of the “Free Will.” Braun, H. A. (2021). Frontiers in Systems Neuroscience, 15, 39.

Temporal modes of hub synchronization at rest. de Pasquale, F., Spadone, S., Betti, V., Corbetta, M., & Della Penna, S. (2021). NeuroImage, 235, 118005.

Nonhuman rationality: a predictive coding perspective. Hung, T.-W. (2021). Cognitive Processing, 22(2), 353–362.

Clustered functional domains for curves and corners in cortical area V4. Jiang, R., Andolina, I. M., Li, M., & Tang, S. (2021). eLife, 10, e63798.

Prediction of Successful Memory Encoding Based on Lateral Temporal Cortical Gamma Power. Jun, S., Kim, J. S., & Chung, C. K. (2021). Frontiers in Neuroscience, 15, 464.

Behavioral and Neuronal Representation of Numerosity Zero in the Crow. Kirschhock, M. E., Ditz, H. M., & Nieder, A. (2021). Journal of Neuroscience, 41(22), 4889–4896.

Neural activity temporal pattern dictates long-range propagation targets. Leong, A. T. L., Wang, X., Wong, E. C., Dong, C. M., & Wu, E. X. (2021). NeuroImage, 235, 118032.

Epinephrine modulates memory of latent learning in an inhibitory avoidance task. Liang, K. C., & Chen, D.-Y. (2021). Neurobiology of Learning and Memory, 182, 107447.

Spontaneous neural synchrony links intrinsic spinal sensory and motor networks during unconsciousness. McPherson, J. G., & Bandres, M. F. (2021). eLife, 10, e66308.

Transcranial alternating current stimulation at theta frequency to left parietal cortex impairs associative, but not perceptual, memory encoding. Meng, A., Kaiser, M., de Graaf, T. A., Dücker, F., Sack, A. T., De Weerd, P., & van de Ven, V. (2021). Neurobiology of Learning and Memory, 182, 107444.

Disruption of model-based decision making by silencing of serotonin neurons in the dorsal raphe nucleus. Ohmura, Y., Iwami, K., Chowdhury, S., Sasamori, H., Sugiura, C., Bouchekioua, Y., … Yoshioka, M. (2021). Current Biology, 31(11), 2446-2454.e5.

Evidence accumulation relates to perceptual consciousness and monitoring. Pereira, M., Megevand, P., Tan, M. X., Chang, W., Wang, S., Rezai, A., … Faivre, N. (2021). Nature Communications, 12(1), 3261.

Bridging across functional models: The OFC as a value-making neural network. Pessiglione, M., & Daunizeau, J. (2021). Behavioral Neuroscience, 135(2), 277–290.

The connectome predicts resting-state functional connectivity across the Drosophila brain. Turner, M. H., Mann, K., & Clandinin, T. R. (2021). Current Biology, 31(11), 2386-2394.e3.

Metaplastic regulation of neocortical long-term depression in vivo is sensitive to distinct phases of conditioned taste aversion. Urrieta, E., & Escobar, M. L. (2021). Neurobiology of Learning and Memory, 182, 107449.

Network Path Convergence Shapes Low-Level Processing in the Visual Cortex. Varga, B., Soós, B., Jákli, B., Bálint, E., Somogyvári, Z., & Négyessy, L. (2021). Frontiers in Systems Neuroscience, 15, 45.

Midfrontal theta as moderator between beta oscillations and precision control. Watanabe, T., Mima, T., Shibata, S., & Kirimoto, H. (2021). NeuroImage, 235, 118022.

Does memory reactivation during sleep support generalization at the cost of memory specifics? Witkowski, S., Noh, S. M., Lee, V., Grimaldi, D., Preston, A. R., & Paller, K. A. (2021). Neurobiology of Learning and Memory, 182, 107442.

Homeostatic synaptic scaling establishes the specificity of an associative memory. Wu, C.-H., Ramos, R., Katz, D. B., & Turrigiano, G. G. (2021). Current Biology, 31(11), 2274-2285.e5.

Cortical entrainment to hierarchical contextual rhythms recomposes dynamic attending in visual perception. Yuan, P., Hu, R., Zhang, X., Wang, Y., & Jiang, Y. (2021). eLife, 10, e65118.

[allthatglittersisnotgoldrush]

Author Interview: TolkienGirl (by Victoryindeath2)

Thanks, @wearetakingthehobbitstogallifrey!

1. You have written the most fics in this AU. Aside from the fics themselves, what are your top ten titles?

Ooh, what a good question. What a HARD question. I first narrowed it to 32. Then 30. And then, painstakingly, 15. So that's what you're getting :D

- the tabernacle (reconstructed)

- within the hollow crown

- dirgemaker

- the ceremony of innocence

- the gift which is withheld

- where the hero shifts

- seven card stud

- The Cold Heaven

- the death of myth-making

- stabat

- the god of the underworld has let you go from his hand

- in low place, not in high place

- book of hours

- The Shield of Achilles

- Tang

2. Of the three C’s in our beloved Feanorian family, each author has, to a certain extent, claimed an affinity with one of them. We (and the whole gang) are currently in difficult times, so can you drop a line about a soft moment in Curufin’s childhood?

Curufin was very fascinated by candle-making, though he didn't care very much for the other domestic arts. Nerdanel didn't quite know why, until she realized he loved to hoard bits of wax to make molds for keys and little figures and other things. With her help, he made a little molded chess set to gift to Feanor. It was one of their most pleasant mutual memories.

3. If you found yourself trapped by one of these three villains—Morgoth, Mairon, or Gothmog—which would you choose and why?

Ok as a woman I think I'd pick Morgoth. HEAR ME OUT. I have the most time to negotiate with him as long as I know how to flatter him. Gothmog would...definitely just get right to his awful business and Mairon would kill me on sight. BUT CANONICALLY LUTHIEN WAS ABLE TO PLAY MORGOTH SO MAYBE I HAVE A CHANCE??

4. So in the TV series of this which is filmed and released to wild acclaim in our dreams, who would you like to score the music, and what would be the song in the opening titles and the end credits of the very first episode?

Howard Shore in consultation with Ludwig Göransson. Opening song...EITHER "I Am Mine" by Pearl Jam or a haunting, sufficiently Irish version of "The Parting Glass", either of course would be played over an intro sequence of shadowbox and woodcut-style art, and then, the credits of the first episode would be "Glory" by Bastille.

5. In canon and in this AU, Fingon goes to save Maedhros before he knows that Maedhros had no hand (haha oops) in burning the ships/bridge. Still, do you think anything would have changed in the story if Maedhros HAD helped to burn the bridge?

I think, in the grand scheme of things, it would not have changed much. It was an important little moment for Fingon to cling to in his delineation between Maedhros and the rest of the Feanorians, but as we have seen, Fingon needs to accept that Maedhros IS a part of his family, and HAS chosen to do a good many bad things, so that his genuine compassion and love for Maedhros can truly flourish and heal.

Bonus question: pick a Taylor Swift lyric for each Feanorion—you may expand to other characters should you so desire of COURSE

Feanor: "Haven't you heard? You might have him* but I always get the last word"

(from Better than Revenge) (*the diamond)

Nerdanel: "There'll be happiness after you / but there was happiness because of you, too"

(from Happiness)

Maedhros: "Quiet my fears with the touch of your hand Paper cut stings from our paper thin plans My time, my wine, my spirit, my trust Trying to find a part of me you didn't take up Gave you too much but it wasn't enough But I'll be all right, it's just a thousand cuts."

(from Death by a Thousand Cuts)

Maglor: "And maybe we got lost in translation Maybe I asked for too much But maybe this thing was a masterpiece Till you tore it all up"

and

"I'm a crumpled up piece of paper lying here"

(from All Too Well)

Maglor gets a bonus one because he's dramatic:

"Take me to the lakes where all the poets went to die / I don't belong"

(from The Lakes)

Celegorm: "With you, I serve With you, I fall down, down Watch you breathe in Watch you breathing out, out"

(from Epiphany)

Caranthir:

So, how can I ever try to be better? Nobody ever lets me in And I can still see you, this ain't the best view On the outside looking in I've been a lot of lonely places I've never been on the outside

(from The Outside)

Curufin: "I'm only seventeen / I don't know anything"

(from Betty)

Amras: "And if I didn't know better I'd think you were talking to me now If I didn't know better I'd think you were still around What died didn't stay dead What died didn't stay dead You're alive, you're alive in my head"

(from Marjorie)

Amrod: "You could be anything you wanted if you were still here."

(from Ronan)

BONUS:

Fingon: "Long live all the mountains we moved / I had the time of my life fighting dragons with you." (from Long Live)

Estrela: "I love you ain't that the worst thing you ever heard?" (from Cruel Summer)

[winningthesweepstakes]

Parachute Kids by Betty C. Tang

Parachute Kids by Betty C. Tang

Parachute Kids by Betty C. Tang. Graphix, 2023. 9781338832686 Rating: 1-5 (5 is an excellent or a Starred review) 3.5 Format: ARC (publication date 4/4/23) graphic novel Genre: Realistic fiction What did you like about the book?  10-year-old Feng-Li (Ann) and her two older siblings are thrilled when the Taiwanese family lands in California for a highly anticipated trip to Disneyland. As the…

[multipleservicelisting]

A boy who bonded with Biden over stuttering will write a children’s book.

They bonded nearly a year ago after Joseph R. Biden Jr. bent down to greet Brayden Harrington, a 13-year-old boy who stutters, at a campaign stop in New Hampshire.

“Don’t let it define you,” Mr. Biden said, squeezing Brayden’s shoulder and looking him in the eye. “You are smart as hell.”

Months later, Brayden spoke at the Democratic National Convention, a remarkable display of bravery and vulnerability that has been viewed hundreds of thousands of times online.

Now, Brayden plans to tell his story in a picture book, “Brayden Speaks Up,” which will be published on Aug. 10 by HarperCollins Children’s Books, the publishing company announced.

The book will be illustrated by Betty C. Tang. Harper Collins said that it was a two-book deal and that Brayden’s agent was David Vigliano at Vigliano Associates. Next year, Brayden plans to write a novel for children ages 8 to 12, HarperCollins said.

The announcement came as Brayden took part in the inaugural celebration for Mr. Biden on Wednesday night, reading aloud a famous passage from John F. Kennedy’s inaugural address: “Ask not what your country can do for you — ask what you can do for your country.”

“When I learned I had the opportunity to speak at the Democratic National Convention, I was so nervous!” Brayden said in a statement. “What got me through and helped motivate me was knowing I could be a voice for other children who stutter as well as anyone else who has faced challenges. I only hope my story provides a little extra support and motivation for those that need it.”

Mr. Biden has spoken openly about the “terrible fear and frustration” he has experienced as a result of his stutter. He has said that it has embarrassed him and made him question himself and his abilities. And he has said that he tells young people who stutter that, if they persevere, they can overcome the challenge and discover new skills and strengths.

“I promise you,” Mr. Biden wrote in a letter to the Stuttering Foundation in 2015, when he was vice president, “you have nothing to be ashamed of, and you have every reason to be proud.”

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[brookstonalmanac]

Events 2.19

197 – Emperor Septimius Severus defeats usurper Clodius Albinus in the Battle of Lugdunum, the bloodiest battle between Roman armies. 356 – Emperor Constantius II issues a decree closing all pagan temples in the Roman Empire. 1594 – Having already been elected to the throne of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth in 1587, Sigismund III of the House of Vasa is crowned King of Sweden, having succeeded his father John III of Sweden in 1592. 1600 – The Peruvian stratovolcano Huaynaputina explodes in the most violent eruption in the recorded history of South America. 1649 – The Second Battle of Guararapes takes place, effectively ending Dutch colonization efforts in Brazil. 1674 – England and the Netherlands sign the Treaty of Westminster, ending the Third Anglo-Dutch War. A provision of the agreement transfers the Dutch colony of New Amsterdam to England, and it is renamed New York. 1726 – The Supreme Privy Council is established in Russia. 1807 – Former Vice President of the United States Aaron Burr is arrested for treason in Wakefield, Alabama and confined to Fort Stoddert. 1819 – British explorer William Smith discovers the South Shetland Islands and claims them in the name of King George III. 1836 – King William IV signs Letters Patent establishing the Province of South Australia. 1846 – In Austin, Texas the newly formed Texas state government is officially installed. The Republic of Texas government officially transfers power to the State of Texas government following the annexation of Texas by the United States. 1847 – The first group of rescuers reaches the Donner Party. 1859 – Daniel E. Sickles, a New York Congressman, is acquitted of murder on grounds of temporary insanity. 1878 – Thomas Edison patents the phonograph. 1884 – More than sixty tornadoes strike the Southern United States, one of the largest tornado outbreaks in U.S. history. 1913 – Pedro Lascuráin becomes President of Mexico for 45 minutes; this is the shortest term to date of any person as president of any country. 1915 – World War I: The first naval attack on the Dardanelles begins when a strong Anglo-French task force bombards Ottoman artillery along the coast of Gallipoli. 1937 – Yekatit 12: During a public ceremony at the Viceregal Palace (the former Imperial residence) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, two Ethiopian nationalists of Eritrean origin attempt to kill viceroy Rodolfo Graziani with a number of grenades. 1942 – World War II: Nearly 250 Japanese warplanes attack the northern Australian city of Darwin, killing 243 people. 1942 – World War II: United States President Franklin D. Roosevelt signs executive order 9066, allowing the United States military to relocate Japanese Americans to internment camps. 1943 – World War II: Battle of Kasserine Pass in Tunisia begins. 1945 – World War II: Battle of Iwo Jima: About 30,000 United States Marines land on the island of Iwo Jima. 1948 – The Conference of Youth and Students of Southeast Asia Fighting for Freedom and Independence convenes in Calcutta. 1949 – Ezra Pound is awarded the first Bollingen Prize in poetry by the Bollingen Foundation and Yale University. 1953 – Book censorship in the United States: The Georgia Literature Commission is established. 1954 – Transfer of Crimea: The Soviet Politburo of the Soviet Union orders the transfer of the Crimean Oblast from the Russian SFSR to the Ukrainian SSR. 1959 – The United Kingdom grants Cyprus independence, which is formally proclaimed on August 16, 1960. 1960 – China successfully launches the T-7, its first sounding rocket. 1963 – The publication of Betty Friedan's The Feminine Mystique reawakens the feminist movement in the United States as women's organizations and consciousness raising groups spread. 1965 – Colonel Phạm Ngọc Thảo of the Army of the Republic of Vietnam, and a communist spy of the North Vietnamese Viet Minh, along with Generals Lâm Văn Phát and Trần Thiện Khiêm, all Catholics, attempt a coup against the military junta of the Buddhist Nguyễn Khánh. 1976 – Executive Order 9066, which led to the relocation of Japanese Americans to internment camps, is rescinded by President Gerald Ford's Proclamation 4417. 1978 – Egyptian forces raid Larnaca International Airport in an attempt to intervene in a hijacking, without authorisation from the Republic of Cyprus authorities. The Cypriot National Guard and Police forces kill 15 Egyptian commandos and destroy the Egyptian C-130 transport plane in open combat. 1985 – William J. Schroeder becomes the first recipient of an artificial heart to leave the hospital. 1985 – Iberia Airlines Boeing 727 crashes into Mount Oiz in Spain, killing 148. 1986 – Akkaraipattu massacre: the Sri Lankan Army massacres 80 Tamil farm workers in eastern Sri Lanka. 1989 – Flying Tiger Line flight 66 crashes into a hill near Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport in Malaysia, killing four. 2002 – NASA's Mars Odyssey space probe begins to map the surface of Mars using its thermal emission imaging system. 2003 – An Ilyushin Il-76 military aircraft crashes near Kerman, Iran, killing 275. 2006 – A methane explosion in a coal mine near Nueva Rosita, Mexico, kills 65 miners. 2011 – The debut exhibition of the Belitung shipwreck, containing the largest collection of Tang dynasty artifacts found in one location, begins in Singapore. 2012 – Forty-four people are killed in a prison brawl in Apodaca, Nuevo León, Mexico.