#Buffalo Renaissance

[xtruss]

At Long Last, The American Buffalo Has Come Home

A conservation effort has returned bison to Blackfeet Nation tribal lands more than a century after the animal was nearly slaughtered to extinction.

— Photographs By Louise Johns | By Lailani Upham | Sunday July 09, 2023

“Nititawahsi” is the Blackfeet name for our land—the land where the iinnii (buffalo) live. Our people are Niitawahsin-nanni: the people of the land where the iinnii live.

As colonizers moved west, millions of buffalo were killed and brought to the edge of extinction. Millions more Native peoples were murdered, displaced, and forced to assimilate. By the end of the 19th century, only 300 buffalo were left in the wild and Native populations dropped to less than 300,000.

Now, after more than 150 years, iinnii have finally returned to their homeland, the Amskapi Pikuni (Blackfeet Nation) tribal lands, to roam free.

Forty-nine buffalo run out of their temporary enclosure towards Chief Mountain on the Blackfeet Reservation. The rest of the herd (about 70 buffalo) will join them at the end of the summer. Chief Mountain is not only prime buffalo habitat, but also a sacred place for Native people in both the U.S. and Canada.

“I can’t hardly describe the feeling that I have. I have this jittery feeling, goosebumps,” says Ervin Carlson, director of the Blackfeet Nation Buffalo Program. “It just feels so good to finally see them here in this place where we want them to be.”

On June 26, 49 iinnii were released into the wild at the base of our sacred Ninaistako (Chief Mountain), a Strong Miistaaki (Mountain) that stands tall like the warbonnets of Blackfeet warriors. This miistaaki towers along the border of the Blackfeet Nation, Glacier National Park in Montana, and Waterton National Park in Canada.

Our people, the Siksikaitsitapi (Blackfoot Confederacy) always believed the land we came from was a gift of the Creator, Ihtsi-pai-tapi-yopa. Our stories tell us that iinnii was created as a gift for our people as our life source. The iinnii were and still are our staff of life.

The iinnii coming back and being free on Blackfoot lands again is the beginning of reconciliation, says Cristina Mormorunni, director of Indigenous Led, the organization that leads cultural restoration and conservation of buffalo on Blackfoot lands. “This is the beginning of the truth being told about what happened, and they’re the best ambassadors,” she says.

Helen Augare, a Blackfeet knowledge keeper and director of the Blackfeet Community College Native Science Field Center, has been an integral voice in the return of buffalo to Chief Mountain for the past 15 years.

Now that the buffalo are free, she says “there’s so much still to reconnect to and learn from them.”

“What does that future look like and what [do] our children and grandchildren need to know to be able to help iinnii live a full and prosperous life with us again?” Augare says. “It entailed everything from healthy people, healthy land, healthy water, and most of all healthy relationships. That in itself requires a lot of healing, growth.”

Buffalo are corralled and sorted (calves from adults, and males from females) at the tribal-owned Buffalo Spirit Hills Ranch on June 25, 2023. The herd, originally from Canada’s Elk Island National Park, have been living on the ranch since 2016. The herd descends from the last remaining wild buffalo before they were nearly extirpated.

Blackfeet tribal member Wyett Wippert takes a photo of his daughter, Ruby, in front of the buffalo in their soft release pen at Chief Mountain. “We put so much of our hearts into getting them here,” he says. “It’s a very good feeling knowing that they are under Chief Mountain. People know what they’re going to be doing for their environment and for us as Blackfeet people.” The buffalo are held here for several hours to settle into their surroundings before being released into the wild.

Racine, Monroe, and director Ervin Carlson of the Blackfeet Buffalo Program, on June 25, 2023, after a long day of preparing buffalo to be released at Chief Mountain. “It’s a lot of work to get these animals to this point… they are wild buffalo,” Racine says. “Nobody can do it by themselves. It’s a real honor to be able to have the Iinnii here and to be doing this.”

Blackfeet tribal members Wyett Wippert and Christen Falcon work together to stretch their bison hide onto their handmade wooden frame, the first step in tanning the hide by hand at their home in East Glacier, Montana. on April 9, 2023.

“Bison are a keystone species, they are ecosystem drivers and engineers. They were here for thousands of years,” says Brandon Kittson, wildlife biologist for Blackfeet Fish and Wildlife. “Now having them back on this landscape is a good thing. It’s going to help revitalize some systems and help drive diversity among the different vegetation and communities found in this area.”

Children collect and examine clumps of buffalo fur from the corral at Buffalo Spirit Hills Ranch on June 25, 2023. The fur is integral to the health of the grassland ecosystem, as certain species of birds use it to line and insulate their nests.

— Photojournalist Louise Johns is a National Geographic Explorer. Her National Geographic Society-funded Project, "Buffalo Renaissance," is about Native American efforts to restore Bison to build cultural resiliency and ecological integrity.

[angelicdookiebear]

I am the lamb and the wolves are my haters (I have no haters) 🎀

[transmutationisms]

i think economic depression is so ideologically incompatible with most usamericans' self-conception that they cannot recognise it even when they have been living through it for several consecutive decades. this is why people from buffalo new york are always telling you there's about to be a buffalo new york renaissance any day now

[alphynix]

April Fools 2024: The Curious Case Of The Chunky-Necked Ceratopsians

Much like the aquatic Compsognathus featured here a couple of years ago, not every novel idea that came out of the Dinosaur Renaissance was a winner.

And one of the oddest examples came from author/illustrator John C. McLoughlin.

His 1979 book Archosauria: A New Look at the Old Dinosaur featured an unusual interpretation of ceratopsian dinosaurs' characteristic bony frills, proposing that they were actually muscle attachment sites for both powerful jaw muscles and enormous back muscles to help hold up their large heavy heads. This would have completely buried the frill under soft tissue, giving the animals massive thick necks and humped shoulders, and resulted in an especially weird reconstruction of Triceratops with a grotesque sort of wrinkly sewn-together appearance.

This concept didn't entirely originate from McLoughlin – three years earlier in 1976 he'd illustrated Ronald Paul Ratkevich's book Dinosaurs of the Southwest, which seems to have been the inspiration for Archosauria's fleshy-frilled ceratopsians. A few paleontologists had also proposed jaw muscles attaching onto the frills during the 1930s and 1950s, and there's even a book from as far back as 1915 that also shows the top of a Triceratops' frill connected to its back! But McLoughlin's Archosauria image is still by far the most extreme and infamous version of the idea.

There were a lot of things in Archosauria that were actually very forward-thinking for the time period, such as putting fuzz and feathers on small theropods and depicting non-avian dinosaurs as active fast-moving animals. The unique ceratopsian reconstructions, however, never caught on for several big reasons:

Firstly, all that hefty muscle tissue would have locked ceratopsians' heads firmly in place, unable to move at all, which just doesn't make sense biomechanically. Then there was the lack of skeletal evidence – muscles that big should have left huge visible attachment scars all over the frill bones, and there was no sign of anything like that on any fossil specimens. Finally, it turns out the ceratopsian head-neck joint was actually highly mobile, suggesting their heads were free to make a wide range of motions in life.

As wrong as they were even at the time, McLoughlin's ceratopsians were still an interesting speculative idea, and notable for advocating for fleshier dinosaur reconstructions at a time when paleoart was trending towards shrinkwrapping.

Further reading under the cut:

A Very Alternative View of Horned Dinosaur Anatomy, Revisited – https://tetzoo.com/blog/2020/11/22/alternative-view-of-horned-dinosaur-anatomy

Trope of the Buffalo-Backed Dinosaur – https://tetzoo.com/blog/2020/11/27/trope-of-the-buffalo-backed-dinosaur

Vintage Dinosaur Art: Archosauria - Part 3 – https://chasmosaurs.blogspot.com/2013/10/vintage-dinosaur-art-archosauria-part-3.html

Vintage Dinosaur Art: Dinosaurs of the Southwest – https://chasmosaurs.blogspot.com/2016/11/vintage-dinosaur-art-dinosaurs-of.html

The Forgotten John C. McLoughlin Book – https://www.manospondylus.com/2021/03/the-forgotten-john-c-mcloughlin-book.html

[arlechinav-blog]

Starting Materials for Mediterranean Trancework

If you are wondering what you will need to get started on this as a group, I have put together a list of materials. This is basically what I use when I am teaching others how to do this and when I host trance rituals.

I keep a fully stocked trance kit with extras of all the below items so that those who need them can have something to use until they can get their own. If you intend to lead your own group, be prepared to provide at least a few things for the effort.

Frame Drums: 14”-16” frame drums with synthetic heads are best for beginners. Recommending Remo’s Thinline, Renaissance, Fiberskyn, or Tar series’. Synthetic heads help students build up skills and needed hand calluses at the same time. Goat or fish skin drum heads will tear up your skin and go flat without proper care very easily. Each person involved should know how to play a drum and learn the beats your group uses. Avoid buffalo drums and bodhrans, they are too heavy for Mediterranean style drumming. 

Whiteboard and Easel: A wooden repurposed child’s art easel will work perfectly fine. Use it to balance a whiteboard where you can put up weekly notes. Large clips or magnets can be used to hold up a poster-board too, depending on what kind of easel you get. These are great for keeping up your trance chant lyric notes. Only use a whiteboard for notes that you will need once. 

Poster Boards: Record trance chants and rhythms that you use with your group onto large poster boards so that everyone can read them during practice sessions. Use a poster-board for notes that you will need multiple times to spare yourself from writing it again and again every time you need it. 

Trance Rhythms: I start folks out with 10 trance rhythms that can be used for pretty much everything. They work for just about any Mediterranean song you can find. I will have to film some samples for this so that you can hear them.

Trance Chants: To get through a basic trance ritual, you will need roughly 4-5 trance chants. Start your group with their first 5 and work on getting them down together. Some groups will prefer to work with songs in English, some will prefer songs in other languages, and some will prefer a mix of both. Feel out your group before you decide on your chants. 

Online Database of Communication: Start up a group where you can share resources, communicate about upcoming trance dates, and load up videos privately. Keep it secure. 

Incense: Incense is a trance trigger so pick one scent and stick to it every time you do practice or ritual. Keeping the same scent for all things trance will help participants go under. Use a soft floral scent like jasmine. Later, you can work in different scent triggers for different rituals. 

Rug: You can use rubber gym mats that link and/or an actual rug. Rugs will give rug burns so plan accordingly. Whatever you use has to be easily perceived by touch rather than sight--so tape on the floor will not work. This well defined border will be where the entranced are free to move. They will confine themselves to it so make sure it is the right size for the job you want it to do. 

White Flat Sheets: You will need at least 2 to start and +1 for each additional person who will trance. You can have your participants bring their own or you can pick some up from a second-hand store for fairly cheap. Everybody should have their own if possible.  

Colored Scarves: All things are color coded in trance for hypnotic suggestion and we use colored scarves to communicate with each other during trance rituals. People who wear a red scarf are monitors who look after trance dancers, people who wear white scarves are trance dancers who are there to trance, people who wear light blue scarves are musicians, and people who wear dark blue scarves are ready and capable of leading a trance session. You can have people bring their own or supply the group yourself. 

Your “Whites”: Each person will need an all white outfit to wear during trance rituals. For class, they can wear whatever they like. White is a spiritually neutral color used by all Mediterranean trance cults. Participants should supply their own trance clothes but you can keep a small supply of extra items to help supplement. 

Altar Kit: A trance altar needs to have a water jug and rinsing bowl with scented water for participants to wash their hands and face at (Cortas brand rose or orange blossom water are easy to find at Mediterranean groceries). It will need incense for participants to smudge themselves, their clothes, their hair and their instruments with. It will need a plate for monetary donations (it should never be empty). It is lucky to put an odd number on the altar ($1, $3, $5, $7 or $9). It will also need essential oils for use on skin that participants can rub on themselves (floral, fruit, or herbal scents preferred). Scent is very important to trance so the key is to be consistent and use it liberally so the scent can work as a non-visual trigger.

Wake-up Kit: A pitcher or fancy spritz bottle of cool water to spray or sprinkle on the arms and forehead of the entranced when they are done trancing. A blended oil of strong purgative scents that is dabbed on the fingers of the guide or monitor and wiped on the nose of the entranced when they are done trancing. I prefer a blend of rosemary, cedar and clove oil--that’ll wake you up! Make sure that no one in the space has an allergy to a product you use. 

Food: Always keep at least a loaf of fresh bread and some hummus for dipping on hand for post-trance snacks. Eating food helps those who have been trancing to come down and sober up. Water to drink is also helpful afterward. Be aware of dietary restrictions before you bring in foods that members of your group cannot eat.

Symbols: Think very carefully about the symbols you use and when you use them. Protect their meanings by bringing them out only when they are relevant. Continually reinforce their meanings in all that you do. This is a hypnotic suggestion and your symbols will become more and more important the more trancing you do. 

[preet-01]

Fics Masterlist

Multi Ship

Daniel’s Day at a Kissing Booth (College AU: Maxiel, Dewis, Jenson/Daniel)

The Viscountess Wolff (Regency AU: Lewis/Toto & Elkilton)

ASOIAF AU (Sebastidan, implied Sebastian/Max)

We've Never Hooked Up Part 2 (Elkilton, Lewis/Toto, Implied George/Toto)

Daniel and His Harem of Boyfriends

Ch. 1 ● Ch. 2 ● Ch. 3 ● Ch. 4 ●

Blurbs

Max ● Dosh First Meeting ● Dewis ● Josh Persona Non-Grata ● Chaniel Vegas ● Dosh Playoffs Loss Comfort ● Dosh RB Car Launch ● Boyfriends Against Will Buxton ● Grill the Grid ● Boyfriends Against RB Sponsor

Maxiel

Max Universe Switcharoo

Max False Pregnancy

Zandvoort 2023 - “Are You Hurt?”

Movie Star Daniel/Bodyguard Max

Tattoo Me

"Do You Want Me To Stay?"

Batman AU ● Batman’s Lip Freckle

WAG Max

Renaissance AU Part 1 (Daniel)

Game of Thrones AU

Gravitating Closer

Reincarnation

The Beauty of Their Dreams (Political AU)

Ch. 1 ● Ch. 2 ● Ch. 3 ● Ch. 4 ●

Blurbs

First Meeting ● Iowa Campaign Trail ● Why Daniel Married Max ● Daniel Choosing a College ●

Elkilton (LHxJE)

Lewis Signs With Ferrari

Valentine's Day

Domestic Snippet

John Courting Lewis

Saudi Arabian GP 2024

Accidental Marriage

HOTD AU

Take A Risk

Ch. 1 ● Ch. 2 ● Ch. 3

Scaniel

Scotty's Wedding

Scanielax Historical AU P2

Sewis

Lewis to Ferrari

Detective/Art Thief (past brocedes)

Dewis

Painting with Pups

Fake Dating

College AU

Angel/Demon AU

WAG Lewis

Helmet Designer Daniel

Royalty AU

Part 1 (Lewis) ● Part 2 (Daniel)

Brocedes

Undercover Agents

Elevators

Sebcedes

Omegaverse Unplanned Pregnancy

Dosh

LA to Buffalo: Or What Daniel Does During the Vegas GP

Post-Game Rituals

Daniel/Jenson

Professor/Student AU ● Part 2

Stuck on a Deserted Island

Tudor AU

Other

Comfort (Daniel/Blake)

Omega Lewis (Lewis/Charles)

Single Parent AU (Dando)

[spacelazarwolf]

i have no reason to send this ask other than i felt like you'd enjoy this picture i took today of a puppy kissing a water buffalo at an italian cheese farm

have a good one and i luv ur blog <3

renaissance painting

[beyondthemic]

ACT II

I spent a lot of time with Beyonce's new album. I think it's just, .. it's impressive, in a way that only someone like Beyonce could possibly try and reach for (and then could actually achieve). You have takes on Buffalo Springfield, you have Beach Boys, Tina Turner, some R&B, I hear Prince, you obviously have Dolly and Willie.. but then it also throws in actual rap, and riverdance (!?) in a country sense, but then can still tie it all together? You get yours.. Slay Queen.

While the first track truly did GRAB ME (just love starting an album with such a proclamation: 'THEM BIG IDEAS BURIED HERE' - and my word, yes there are), really my attention was peaked when I hit YA YA and then I doubled back through the rest of it and began to truly appreciate what I think she was trying to do. And repeatability, you can continue to listen again and again and again and find more and more to appreciate - something I just didn't get on Renaissance.

My friend and I argued a lot about the 27 songs (Laughly, then, Taylor's new one..come on - 31 tracks!?). My original view/opinion was that it's because she really was just throwing everything against the wall and wanting to see what stuck… But.. i've changed my mind now. It's the 27 songs she needed to stretch this 'country act' genre to the fullest extent of her ability and and what she wanted this sound to be and what it COULD sound like. And like, I said, it's .. impressive. She does it.

Also, I personally hate covers of Blackbird. An old story.. Blackbird was the first fingerpicking song I learned on the guitar, and it's just so stunningly beautiful just that guitar alone that when I first heard lyrics over the top of it, I was flat out OFFENDED. And frankly, still kinda am to this day, even when I hear the original. I mean, I've grown… I get it, I like the whole thing now of course, and it's one the great songs of all time (side note: man, the Beatles were just truly prolific, weren't they?) OKAY sorry - so when I heard the decision to make an untouchable (at least to me) cover of Blackbird track 2 right after her claim THEM BIG IDEAS BURIED HERE, it's just.. the boldness. It's impressive. And it wasn't until I learned that John/Paul had originally intended for a black woman to sing that song in the first that you mind just melts a bit. Every choice on this album was just stupid intentional. It works. It's impressive. Slay Queen.

AND where do you go from here? Man, I have literally no idea, but it's clear she's got some insane skills, and insane range, and sign me up for Act III.

[voidsentprinces]

Off the top of my head and not trying to list everything, ever, and also not necessarily in reverse chronological order: The slow reaction and quick return to work and thereby the reliance and quick turn around on closing down remote working, A/I & N/F/Ts, COVID-19 Pandemic, The Blizzard Debacle, Trans Bathroom, rights, and marriage fight, Health Insurance in general and losing Rachael Lillis and many many more, Web Neutrality's removal, the Snowden situation, BUT HER EMAILS, OccupyWall Streets entire thing, The two do I hear three recessions from banks that aren't suppose to fail but by god think of the investors when people need financial help, the seventy-fifth government shut down (or as I like to call it the GOP is throwing a temper tantrum again), Where's his birth certificate?, Gay Marriage fight, the entirety of the "War of Terror" see also "There's oil in them there hills, so lets just call it Weapons of Mass Destruction", the Gulf War, the AIDs Outbreak and Reagan in general, BUT HIS OWNERSHIP OF A PEANUT FARM, Watergate, the Vietnam Draft, the Civil Rights movement and reaction to it, the CIA, Segregation, No Black Singers in Jazz Clubs, the Pinkertons and Anti-Unions, the the FBI, Henry Ford, The Influenza Pandemic, The Smallpox Epidemic, and the Cholera Outbreak, Ned Kelly's whole story I think?, the Southseas Bubble, the entirety of the Slave Trade, the Opium Wars, the Spice Wars and Trade, the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire, Coal Mining, the entirety of the Civil War and "Manifest Destiny", the Trial of Tears and brutal subjagation of the Native Americans as well as near extinction of the buffalo, the Reign of any king ever, the Silk Road Wars, one of the reasons we went from the Medieval ages to the Renaissance, Apartheid and Emerald mines along various wars fought over and in Africa AND the haphazard carving up of the Middle East by European powers, all the fucking Crusades, the Fall of the Roman Empire, to name a few.

In short: YES, Twitter I CAN believe Rich people are capable of horrible things and it isn't exactly news whats going on with Luigi. Even though we all know they are rotten to the core to begin with. Its well fucking documented to the point where it is basically just all of history.

[themuseumwithoutwalls]

MWW Artwork of the Day (3/29/24) Paul Gauguin (French, 1848–1903) The Yellow Christ (1889) Oil on canvas, 92.1 x 73.3 cm. Albright-Knox Art Gallery, Buffalo NY

Under the influence of folk art and Japanese prints, Gauguin evolved towards Cloisonnism. In "The Yellow Christ" (1889), often cited as a quintessential Cloisonnist work, the image was reduced to areas of pure colour separated by heavy black outlines. In such works Gauguin paid little attention to classical perspective and boldly eliminated subtle gradations of color, thereby dispensing with the two most characteristic principles of post-Renaissance painting. His painting later evolved towards Synthetism in which neither form nor color predominate but each has an equal role.

[carolinemariekane]

A young student learns how to depict the human form in Renaissance Florence to hone her craft as an Artist.

 "La Maestra" is a short film written and directed by Caroline Kane for her 2019 BFA in Animation for Daemen College. Caroline is currently a Background Designer working in Animation. "La Maestra" was a Finalist for the Immagina Florence International Film Festival, a Semi-Finalist for the International Cosmopolitan Film Festival of Tokyo, an Honorable Mention for the Los Angeles Animation Film Festival, and selected for the Buffalo International Film Festival. 

 If you want to follow Caroline Kane on Social Media, her socials are below. 

 PORTFOLIO: https://carolinemariekane.weebly.com/

TWITTER: https://twitter.com/kane_kiki 

INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/carolinemariekane/

[vulturevanity]

Like, it was bad, y'all

I've been revisiting FiM because a friend decided to check it out (after she realized it was a significant part of my personality and wanted in on it), and by god, did they do a racism. And then another one. And then another one. And then-- you get the idea.

And I'm not talking about the weird ways in which they tackled the subject of racism itself, most notably on the later seasons. Setting aside awkward lessons in "be nice to those who look and act different from you", gen 4 is loaded with racist caricatures, cultural appropriation, tone-deaf storylines of conflict between natives and colonizers and a heap of other elements that, later on, the writers seemed to realize were, hmm!, not so great!, and therefore quietly phased out of the show without ever addressing them in a sensible way. Things that go as far back as episode 5.

It's late and I don't have the brain power to tackle all of these right now but I just want to list some of the things I'm deeply umcomfortable with in the show that I can recall right now:

Zecora as a character AND as the only zebra we see in the show for all of 9 seasons. Simultaneously the Token Black side character, the Magical N**** stereotype and the fact that she's described in the show as an "exotic" outsider. (You know, later on they had an Egyptian-coded character appear in the show. She was a pony. I never got why they didn't use that opportunity to fix The Zecora Problem)

The Buffalo episode. Specifically the fact that settlers took their sacred land and they were told to just "learn to share" and it was ok because the settlers gave them pies about it

That scene where Pinkie Pie dresses as a stereotype of Rroma people (which spawned a very popular arc in a parody that had her saying and singing the G-slur in multiple songs.)

The imperialism in The Crystal Empire (not king Sombra, the fact that after they defeated them, rather than letting a Crystal Pony rule the empire, they put Cadence, who is from Equestria, on the throne)

After deposing Chrysalis, the one changeling put in charge was the one the ponies had a good relation with (something that happens with startling frequency between the US and cartain parts of the Middle East)

The uncomfortable power dynamics between the pony races (especially the Hearthswarming Eve backstory)

The W*NDIGOS

And that's just off the top of my head. That's just what I can remember at 1 am while frantically typing in the dark.

The fandom's white supremacy problem suddenly isn't all that surprising when you realize how BAD things were in the show. It's not like it was doing much against that kind of bigotry.

And for the record, I'm not trying to "cancel" FiM. I still love this show with all my heart; it's really important to me, and it's still a good show that, in a way, kick-started the 2010s cartoon renaissance. We owe a lot to it. But that's exactly why I'm so upset by it's failings as a show that defined itself by its morals on friendship and standing together against hardship. To see the glaring blind spots on a show created by a white woman, with a writing room full of mostly white people, who despite having good intentions really did not know what they were doing sometimes. It hurts me as a fan of colour, and it hurts black and indigenous fans most of all but not exclusively.

Hopefully, now speaking a as someone aiming to be in the animation industry, we can use this as a learning experience, so we grow to be more critical of our own work, and maybe our own shortcomings won't be offensive or hurtful towards any demographic we may want to represent.

[tranquilitybasehotelcasino]

hi so i'm going to a fall out boy concert soon and i'm ashamed to say i've only listened to about half their discography. are there any particular albums or songs that i NEED to check out before i go, or are they one of those bands that will just play whatever the fuck songs at the concert and don't favor more popular stuff

HI SORRYYYY I ONLY JUST SAW THIS. i don't know which half of their discography you've listened to but their setlists for this tour seem to be comprised of a lot of the hits + some lesser knowns and the occasional true deep cut, so even if you've only heard the stuff that got radio play you should be fine. i wouldn't worry too much about, like, people thinking you're lame or a poser or whatever for not knowing all the words to every song

"da hits" you'd probably need to know would most likely be chicago is so two years ago + saturday + calm before the storm (take this to your grave), dance, dance + sugar, we're goin' down + a little less sixteen candles, a little more "touch me" (from under the cork tree), this ain't a scene, it's an arms race + thnks fr th mmrs + the take over, the breaks over (infinity on high), disloyal order of water buffaloes + headfirst slide into cooperstown on a bad bet + i don't care (folie a deux), the phoenix + my songs know what you did in the dark + save rock and roll (save rock and roll), centuries + uma thurman + irresistible (american beauty/american psycho), the last of the real ones + young and menace (mania), and love from the other side + hold me like a grudge (so much for stardust)

in terms of what i think you NEED to check out, that's really subjective! my very favorite fall out boy album is folie a deux, which didn't do too amazingly upon release but has been getting a bit of a renaissance, so if you want to get more into the band even outside of your concert experience i'm gonna have to gas it. their newest album that they're on tour to promote (so much for stardust) is really, really good, and the band has been pulling a lot of deep cuts from infinity on high recently (g.i.n.a.s.f.s., the afterlife of the party, golden, bang the doldrums, etc) as well. i think not knowing exactly what they're going to play on any given night is part of the fun; some of the stuff they've played on this tour so far already is stuff that's never been played live at all before, so honestly anything could happen

really i don't think there's any thing you "have" to listen to. jam to what you know, give what you don't a chance, and just enjoy the show! i hope you have fun!

[nematanthus]

Album Review: Folie à Deux- Fall Out Boy

Release Date:

December 10 2008

Tracklist:

Disloyal Order Of Water Buffaloes:

I Don't Care

She's My Winona

America's Suitehearts

Headfirst Slide Into Cooperstown On A Bad Bet

The (Shipped) Gold Standard

(Coffee's For Closers)

What A Catch, Donnie

27

Tiffany Blews

w.a.m.s.

20 Dollar Nose Bleed

West Coast Smoker

Favorite Track:

West Coast Smoker

Least favorite track:

w.a.m.s.

Album art opinions:

This is an album clearly about mental illness and the effects that fame can have on your mental health, and the character in the bear costume shows this very well. Holding back what seems to be a very angry bear, the character is shown physically holding a heavy weight that could be a metaphor for either the weight of knowing everyone's eyes are on you (fame) or the weight of trying to act normal while struggling with mental illness, though for the purposes of this, I'm going to say it is both, which is in the true spirit of the album, the name of which means a shared delusion/other mental illness,but literally translated is "trouble for two" and the album focuses quite heavily on the dilemma of being famous v taking care of yourself.

The bright red background is immediately eye catching and compliments the colors of the two figures on the cover without drawing attention away from them, which makes this cover one that is very visually pleasing to look at

Color: 9/10

Recognizability: 7/10

Vibes: 9/10

Total: 8/10

Music opinions/notes:

This is a no skip album for me. Each track feels like it's in its own little world while simultaneously seamlessly fitting into the overarching theme of the album. It was hard for me to pick a least favorite, as I like this album quite a lot. This album is a great listen, and as a musician that has learned to play songs on this album with different instruments, its also rather fun. There's enough changes in pace that it doesn't feel monotonous, and who could forget Patricks rich vocals, ranging from the lowest of lows to the highest of highs all with such a clear tone that it is rather impressive, and shows how much one can change in 5 short years. While it was not a success when it was first released, causing the band to ignore the albums' existence up until their most recent tour, it has made a Renaissance and it seems that the band has healed from its initial failure. Most fans have come to the consensus that the record was simply before its time, and it is now a top 3 album for most Fall Out Boy fans out there.

Vibes: 9/10

Mix: 9/10

Lyrics: 7/10

Instruments: 8/10

Total: 8/10

Total Score: 8/10

[freenewsreport]

William Sadler: A Timeless Talent Who Transcends Generations

William Sadler—if the name rings a bell, it’s probably because of his unforgettable performances in The Shawshank Redemption or as the Grim Reaper in Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey. Sadler has carved out a unique place in Hollywood with a career that spans decades. His ability to embody a wide range of characters, from gritty villains to comedic scene-stealers, is nothing short of remarkable. But how much do you really know about this multi-talented actor? 

Who Is William Sadler?

William Sadler is not just a name—it’s a brand synonymous with versatility and charisma. Born on April 13, 1950, in Buffalo, New York, Sadler developed a passion for acting early on. He honed his craft at the State University of New York at Geneseo before earning his Master of Fine Arts at Cornell University.

Early Days: Building the Foundation

Sadler began his acting career in theater, performing in numerous stage productions.

His stage presence and commanding voice made him a natural fit for Shakespearean roles.

Before Hollywood came calling, he sharpened his skills in regional theater, proving his dedication to the craft.

Hollywood Breakthrough

It wasn’t long before Sadler transitioned to television and film. His breakout role came in Die Hard 2 (1990), where he played the calculating Colonel Stuart. This villainous turn showcased his knack for intense, layered performances.

William Sadler’s Most Iconic Roles

Sadler’s filmography is a treasure trove of memorable characters. Let’s take a closer look at some of his standout performances.

1. The Grim Reaper in Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey

Who could forget Sadler’s hilarious portrayal of the Grim Reaper? With his perfect comedic timing and a touch of absurdity, Sadler turned what could’ve been a one-note character into a fan-favorite.

2. Heywood in The Shawshank Redemption

In one of the greatest films of all time, Sadler played Heywood, a lovable inmate who provided moments of levity in a somber story. His performance added depth and heart to the ensemble cast.

3. Luther Sloan in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

For fans of science fiction, Sadler’s role as the enigmatic Section 31 operative Luther Sloan is legendary. He brought an edge of mystery and moral ambiguity that kept viewers on the edge of their seats.

What Sets William Sadler Apart?

William Sadler is not your average actor—he’s a chameleon who disappears into his roles. So, what makes him so special?

1. Versatility

He effortlessly transitions between genres, from drama and comedy to sci-fi and action.

His ability to adapt to any role has kept his career fresh and exciting.

2. Depth of Emotion

Sadler doesn’t just play a character; he becomes them.

Whether he’s a hardened criminal or a bumbling Grim Reaper, his performances are always authentic.

3. Dedication to Craft

He’s known for his meticulous preparation and commitment to every role.

Sadler’s dedication has earned him the respect of peers and fans alike.

Lesser-Known Facts About William Sadler

Think you know everything about William Sadler? Think again! Here are some surprising tidbits:

Musical Talent: Sadler is an accomplished musician who plays the guitar.

Broadway Roots: Before Hollywood, he graced the Broadway stage in plays like Biloxi Blues.

Painter Extraordinaire: Did you know he’s also a talented painter? Talk about a Renaissance man!

Lessons We Can Learn From William Sadler

William Sadler’s career offers valuable lessons not just for aspiring actors but for anyone striving for excellence:

Be Versatile: Embrace new challenges and don’t pigeonhole yourself.

Stay Humble: Sadler’s grounded nature has kept him relatable and beloved.

Never Stop Learning: Even after decades in the business, Sadler continues to evolve.

Conclusion

William Sadler is more than just a talented actor—he’s a testament to hard work, adaptability, and passion. From his early days in theater to his iconic roles on the silver screen, Sadler has left an indelible mark on the entertainment industry. Whether you’re a longtime fan or a newcomer to his work, one thing’s for sure: William Sadler is a name that deserves to be celebrated.

So, next time you watch The Shawshank Redemption or Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey, take a moment to appreciate the genius of William Sadler. Here’s to many more years of his unforgettable performances!

[poemshubs]

20th Century American Poet: Lucille Clifton

Lucille Clifton, one of the most distinguished American poets of the 20th century, carved a unique space in American poetry with her unflinching portrayal of personal and cultural struggles. A poet of exceptional depth, Clifton’s work navigated themes of identity, race, gender, family, and the African American experience, often blending elements of folklore, history, and mythology to explore these universal concerns. Her poetry was notable not only for its emotional power and clarity but also for its commitment to simplicity and accessibility, qualities that resonate deeply with readers from all walks of life. This article will delve into Clifton’s life, her poetic style, and the lasting impact of her work on American poetry.

Early Life and Influences

Lucille Clifton was born on June 27, 1936, in DePew, New York, to a family rooted in both African American and European heritage. Raised in Buffalo, New York, Clifton was heavily influenced by the city’s working-class ethos and its Black community. She grew up in a household where the stories of resilience, perseverance, and survival were passed down from generation to generation, themes that would later become integral to her poetry.

Clifton attended Howard University, a historically Black institution in Washington, D.C., where she majored in English. It was during her time at Howard that she began to find her voice as a poet, inspired by the poets and writers of the Harlem Renaissance, such as Langston Hughes, Zora Neale Hurston, and Claude McKay. The rhythms and cadences of Black oral traditions also had a profound impact on her early work, shaping her understanding of poetry as both an art form and a vehicle for community expression.

Her early life was marked by hardship, including the loss of her father at a young age, and later the death of her mother. These personal losses were deeply felt and reverberated through her poetry, adding layers of emotional depth to her already powerful voice. As an African American woman in a racially segregated society, Clifton also faced the systemic and cultural forces that sought to silence Black voices. Despite these challenges, her early experiences laid the foundation for a body of work that would go on to inspire generations of readers and poets.

Major Themes in Clifton’s Poetry

Identity and Heritage

One of the central themes in Lucille Clifton’s poetry is the exploration of identity. Her work often interrogates the complexities of being a Black woman in America, navigating the intersections of race, gender, and history. Clifton was acutely aware of the racial and gendered expectations placed on her, and her poetry provides a profound critique of these societal structures.

In her collection Good Times (1969), Clifton’s poetry reveals a deep connection to her African American heritage, while also presenting a critique of the conditions faced by Black Americans. She often used her work to challenge dominant narratives about race, reframing the Black experience in a manner that centered joy, survival, and dignity rather than victimhood. In poems like “the lost baby poem,” Clifton skillfully explores the intersection of motherhood, identity, and race, while using simple, yet deeply poignant language.

For Clifton, identity was not something fixed but a fluid, evolving concept that was constantly being shaped by both internal and external forces. This is particularly evident in her poetry’s frequent use of the first-person voice, which became a powerful tool for self-expression and resistance against the racial and gendered constraints placed on Black women.

The African American Experience

The African American experience is a cornerstone of Clifton’s poetry. Born at a time when African American writers like Gwendolyn Brooks, Maya Angelou, and James Baldwin were establishing themselves as literary icons, Clifton added her voice to this rich tradition of Black writers who sought to address the historical and ongoing legacies of slavery, segregation, and racial inequality.

Clifton’s poetry often reflects on the collective memory of African Americans, the trauma of enslavement, and the resilience that has allowed Black communities to survive and thrive. Poems like “homage to my hips” celebrate the strength and defiance of Black womanhood, while others like “the African Burial Ground” honor the memory of those who were enslaved and buried in unmarked graves. Clifton’s poems do not shy away from the brutal realities of Black history but instead confront them with a quiet strength that speaks to the endurance of the human spirit.

Gender and Feminism

As a Black woman, Clifton’s work is also profoundly feminist. Her poems explore the roles and struggles of women, particularly Black women, in a patriarchal society. In poems such as “poem to my uterus,” Clifton delves into the physicality of womanhood and motherhood, asserting control over her body and reclaiming her agency as a woman.

Clifton’s feminism was not separate from her Black identity; rather, it was inseparable from it. She navigated the intersection of race and gender with a unique understanding of how these two forces shaped her life and her writing. In her poems, she addresses both the oppressive systems of racism and sexism, providing a voice for women who have long been marginalized in both African American and mainstream literary traditions.

Family and Community

Family and community were central to Clifton’s worldview, and her poetry reflects a deep commitment to the people who shaped her life. Her poems often feature intimate depictions of family life, from the complexities of motherhood to the love and sacrifice that bind families together. At the same time, Clifton’s poems also reflect a broader sense of community—both the African American community and the larger human community.

In “the woman who loved” Clifton explores themes of love, loss, and the enduring strength of familial bonds. Similarly, in her collection The Terrible Stories (2001), Clifton’s poems focus on the emotional weight of family, grief, and memory. Her ability to evoke tenderness, loss, and connection through succinct, yet powerful language has made her a beloved figure in American poetry.

Clifton’s Poetic Style

Clifton’s poetic style was characterized by its simplicity and accessibility. She favored short lines, direct language, and an economy of words that gave her poetry a distinct voice. While her poems were often compact, they carried a profound emotional weight. She had a unique ability to distill complex ideas into a few, carefully chosen words, creating poems that were both clear and deeply evocative.

One of the defining features of Clifton’s style was her use of repetition, particularly in her later work. Repetition, for Clifton, was a way to underscore the emotional resonance of a poem and to allow key images or themes to take root in the reader’s mind. Her use of short, fragmented lines often mirrors the rhythms of speech, imbuing her poetry with a conversational tone that made her work deeply relatable to a broad audience.

In addition, Clifton often drew from African American folklore and oral traditions, weaving elements of myth, spirituality, and history into her poems. This blending of the personal and the mythological is seen in works like The Book of Light (1993), where Clifton’s poems merge her own life with broader cultural narratives, creating a rich tapestry of meaning.

Clifton’s Legacy and Influence on American Poetry

Lucille Clifton’s contribution to 20th-century American poetry cannot be overstated. As one of the preeminent American poets of her generation, Clifton was not only a critical voice in the African American literary tradition but also a central figure in shaping the course of contemporary American poetry. Her work continues to resonate with readers, especially women and people of color, whose experiences have often been overlooked or marginalized in traditional literary canons.

Clifton’s poetry, with its stark beauty and emotional depth, has influenced a new generation of poets who look to her work for inspiration. Her legacy is evident in the works of contemporary poets like Tracy K. Smith, Jericho Brown, and Claudia Rankine, who continue to grapple with themes of race, identity, and community in ways that echo Clifton’s own artistic concerns.

In addition to her literary influence, Clifton’s impact is also felt in her role as a mentor and advocate for underrepresented voices in the literary world. As a longtime professor of creative writing and a prominent figure in the literary community, Clifton worked to uplift and support emerging voices, particularly women of color, ensuring that the diversity of American poetry was reflected in the pages of literary magazines and anthologies.

Conclusion

Lucille Clifton was a poet of profound significance in the 20th century, whose work resonates deeply in the context of both African American poetry and American poetry at large. Her poems continue to speak to issues of race, gender, family, and identity, providing a voice for those who have been silenced throughout history. Clifton’s unique blend of personal narrative and collective memory, her commitment to clarity and simplicity, and her ability to explore complex themes with grace and dignity all contributed to her standing as one of the most influential poets of her time.

Lucille Clifton’s poetry stands as a testament to the resilience of the human spirit, particularly the spirit of African American women. Her work will undoubtedly continue to inspire future generations, ensuring that her voice remains a vital part of the ongoing conversation about race, gender, and identity in American poetry.