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fantomcomics · 2 years ago

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What’s Out This Week? 2/8

Why do we live somewhere where the air hurts our faces??

A Condition Called Love GN Vol 1 - Megumi Morino

A sweet new shojo romance manga from the creator of Wake Up, Sleeping Beauty! Hotaru is a 16-year-old high school first year who has always been ambivalent about love, preferring instead to have a lively life with her family and friends. So when she sees her schoolmate, Hananoi-kun, sitting in the snow after a messy, public breakup, she thinks nothing of offering to share her umbrella. But when he asks her out in the middle of her classroom the next day, she can't help but feel that her life is about to change in a big way!

A Home Without GN - Don Gaddis

Growing up in the Bible Belt of the 1980s as a creative, colorful, and sensitive young boy is hard enough, but it's especially hard for River. His hot-tempered father, Mitch Garrison, fights constantly with his wife Rosemary and resents his son's softer side. As River and his sisters come of age, they'll have no choice but to help their mother (and each other) survive a chaotic household. Searing autobiographical fiction drawn heavily from the childhood of Southern artist and writer Don Gaddis.

Akim Aliu Dreamer GN - Greg Anderson Elysee & Karen De la Vega

Akim Aliu - also known as "Dreamer" - is a Ukrainian-Nigerian-Canadian professional hockey player whose career took him all around the world and who experienced systemic racism at every turn. Dreamer tells Akim's incredible story, from being the only Black child in his Ukrainian community, to his family struggling to make ends meet while living in Toronto, to confronting the racist violence he often experienced both on and off the ice. This is a gut-wrenching and riveting graphic novel memoir that reminds us to never stop dreaming, and is sure to inspire young readers everywhere.

Clock Striker GN Vol 1 - Issaka Galadima

Cast dreams of being a SMITH, but no one in her small town ever realizes their dreams. Besides, these legendary warrior engineers haven't been seen in years and were never known for having female members. Fortunately, Cast meets one surviving member named Ms. Philomena Clock, who agrees to take her on as her apprentice, or striker.

The Extraordinary Part Book 1 HC - Jerome Mulot & Florent Ruppert

Renowned for their great conceptual and graphic originality, acclaimed French cartoonists Florent Ruppert and Jérôme Mulot have masterfully contributed an instant comics classic to the annals of science fiction.

This first book in a two-volume graphic novel series is set in a near-dystopian present, where mysterious creatures called "whols" coexist with humans since their sudden appearance a few years earlier. At first, they aroused curiosity and wonder, then their seemingly harmless presence became commonplace. Nineteen-year-old Orsay leads an uneventful life in the French countryside, until the day he gains extraordinary powers in his hands after an atypically aggressive encounter with a whol. On a trip to Paris in search of a cure, he meets and falls for Basma, a passionate activist for whols' rights. But Orsay isn't convinced that whols should be granted the same status as humans. Especially once Melek, another human with similar powers, embarks on a murderous rampage to avenge those she sees as her kin.

Harrower #1 (of 4) - Justin Jordan & Brahm Revel

There's nothing to fear in the quaint town of Harrow, New York-except, that is, for the Harrower. The children wish this boogeyman was just an urban legend, but this purveyor of puritanical vengeance against the unrighteous is very real, and there's no escape, because the Harrower seems unkillable, and spans generations, always returning... What secrets will Alice Young, a teenage girl obsessed with the Harrower, uncover, and will she be able to escape the pull of her morbid fixation? This deconstruction of the slasher genre is the fresh and terrifyingly grounded take is perfect for fans of Bone Orchard and The Closet!

Marry Me A Little GN - Robert Kirby

Marriage doesn't define a relationship. Unless you want it to. In Marry Me a Little, Rob Kirby recounts his experience of marrying his longtime partner, John, just after gay marriage was legalized in Minnesota in 2013, and two years before the Supreme Court decision in Obergefell v. Hodges made gay marriage the law of the land. This is a personal story-about Rob's ambivalence (if not antipathy) toward the institution of marriage, his loving relationship with John, and the life that they share together-set against the historical and political backdrop of shifting attitudes toward gay rights and the institution of marriage. With humor and candor, Rob relates how he and John navigated this changing landscape, how they planned and celebrated their wedding, and how they and others in the gay community are now facing the very real possibility of setbacks to marriage equality.

Monarch #1 - Rodney Barnes & Alex Lins A new tale of terror and high-stakes science fiction hits close to home! Growing up in the city of Compton is tough enough as it is, but as Travon has learned all too well, growing up as an orphan in the city of Compton with gang members hunting you down every day is even tougher. But all of that is about to change, because today is the day that aliens make first contact with Earth-and it only spells doom for life as we know it! Death, devastation, and mayhem-can a single teenage boy rise to the challenge and protect his surrogate family and friends...or will he die trying? From RODNEY BARNES, the star comics writer behind the Eisner-nominated series KILLADELPHIA and the writer/executive producer of HBO's Winning Time, and up-and-coming Marvel artist ALEX LINS comes a new tale of love, triumph, disaster, and defeat!

My Special One GN Vol 1 - Momoko Koda

After a mortifying rejection, Sahoko Wakaume has sworn off beautiful boys. But a chance meeting at her family's restaurant puts her in the sights of gorgeous J-pop star Kouta Kirigaya of the group Like Legend. Sahoko will need all her cynicism to defend herself against Kouta's tenderhearted and affectionate efforts to win her heart!

Open Bar TP - Eduardo Medeiros

Lenny and Beardo are two childhood friends with a lot of road behind them. When Beardo's deadbeat dad dies and leaves them his old bar, they make a go of it as business partners. Easy enough, right? Maybe not. Running a business in a low-traffic area of town isn't all it's cracked up to be, but luckily for the boys, the one-two punch of viral media attention when their neighbor gets crushed by a 747 engine that falls from the sky and a sorta suspect (but very potent) beer recipe they stumble into catch the public's imagination at just the right time. Things get even more complicated when Lenny's ex-girlfriend Amanda shows up again, pregnant. Can our two heroes weather the ravages of success any better than they dealt with being losers? Can Lenny level up and be a good dad? Can Beardo forgive his dead, absentee father? Will the general public run them out of town when they find out what was actually in that beer?

The Secret History Of Black Punk TP - Raeghan Buchanan

The Secret History of Black Punk is an illustrated roll-call for punk, post-punk, hardcore, no wave, and experimental bands from ground zero until now. A starting point for anyone curious, another reference for those who devour all genre-related things, or a cool artifact for them who already know.

Show-Ha Shoten! GN Vol 1 - Akinari Asakura & Takeshi Obata

Ever since he failed to make his crush laugh, shy Azemichi Shijima has secretly been studying the art of comedy. Meanwhile, his classmate Taiyo Higashikata has big dreams of being funny but no follow-through. When the two team up, they just might be able to create a wave of laughter that reaches to the heavens and propels them to the top of the comedy world!

Space Job #1 (of 4) - David Goodman & Alvaro Sarraseca

After five long years of soul-crushing servitude as a chef's assistant, Danny Sheridan is getting his dream job in space as First Officer aboard the SS George H.W. Bush. But on his first day he finds himself crashing back to reality. Nothing seems right, the crew is subpar . . . something's going on, and First Officer Danny Sheridan is going to get to the bottom of it or die trying.

Stranger Things: Tales From Hawkins #1 (of 4) - Jody Houser, Caio Filipe & Marc Aspinall

On the surface, Hawkins seems like the kind of town where nothing bad could ever happen, but in the fall of '83 it is anything but safe. When two friends head out into the woods with their rifles and a six-pack, the would-be hunters find themselves the prey of a nightmarish beast who has claimed the wilderness around town and everything inside it, including them.

Where I’m Coming From GN - Barbara Brandon-Croft

From diets to day care to debt to dreaded encounters with everyday racism, no issue is off-limits. This remarkable and unapologetically funny career retrospective holds a mirror up to the ways society has changed and all the ways it hasn't. The magic in Where I'm Coming From is its ability to present an honest image of Black life without sacrificing Black joy, bolstered by unexpected one-liners eliciting much-needed laughter.

Whatcha snagging this week, Fantom Fam?

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constantviewings · 2 years ago

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The TV Show Trials - Criminal Minds (Encore)

Criminal Minds is a police procedural crime drama televisions series that aired on CBS from 2005 to 2020. Criminal Minds revolves around an elite team of FBI profilers who analyse the country’s most twisted criminal minds, anticipating their next movies before they strike again. As the team evolves together, the Behavioural Analysis Unit continues its dedication to using their expertise to pinpoint predators’ motivations and identify their emotional triggers in the attempt to stop them.

Sex, Birth, Death

A vigilante starts killing prostitutes when he feels that his efforts to clean up the city aren't being appreciated. Meanwhile, a young man seeks out Reid to help him understand the murderous urges he has had his whole life and fix them.

This episode is fine, I’m shocked that it’s this high on the list; compared to so many of the other episodes I wathced. My issue is that the reveal of the unsub (who isn’t the boy who reached out to Reid) feels tacked-on and disconnected from the rest of the episode. Apart from that, it’s just a standard episode.

Rating: 3

Lauren

When Prentiss confronts her nemesis, Ian Doyle, and goes missing, JJ is asked by the BAU to help find her and capture Doyle before it is too late.

This is a great episode, what a twist! It’s great to see more of Emilys backstory as one of the more mysterious members of the BAU. My only wish is that she was absent from the show for more than six episodes to really cement her immportance and presence in the team.

Rating: 4

Date Night

A former foe of the BAU returns with very specific demands for Dr. Reid after a father and daughter are kidnapped.

I love the episodes with Cat Adams, and this is no different; the dynamic between Cat and Reid is so great to watch. The scene between Spencer, Cat and Juliette is really good. Also, this is the only episode I’ve watched without Hotch and I will say, the team doesn’t feel complete without him.

Rating: 5

L.D.S.K.

The BAU travels to Des Plaines, Illinois, to assist the search for a sniper before he shoots more people. Meanwhile, Reid fails his firearms qualification exam and is forced to work without a gun, which only makes things worse for him when he and Hotch are both caught up in a life-threatening situation.

This wasn’t my first time watching this episode, but it’s just as satisfying upon rewatch. This episode is similar to Sex, Birth, Death where the unsub feels tacked on after suspecting another person the entire episode, but because the unsub is similar enough it doesn’t feel as egregious.

Rating: 4

The Uncanny Valley

The BAU is called to Atlantic City to profile a suspect with an unusual personal obsession who is abducting certain types of women.

This episode is decent, nothing much else to say.

Rating: 3

Memoriam

As Reid's investigation of a young boy's murder in Las Vegas continues, he discovers possible connections to his own past, including his parents.

Time for a Reid-centric episode featuring Morgan and Rossi! I like the dynamic of the smaller group and getting more of Reid’s childhood. But, like some other episodes, the ending feels disconnected from the episodes natural conclusion.

Rating: 3

Minimal Loss

After Prentiss and Reid go undercover to investigate alleged child abuse at the compound of an underground cult in La Plata County, Colorado, they are taken hostage by the cult leader, Benjamin Cyrus, when a state police raid on the fortress goes disastrously wrong.

First of all, Luke Perry!? Second of all, this episode is great. The tension of Emily and Spencer being inside the compound is sustained through the entire episode, keeping you on edge.

Rating: 4

True Genius

The BAU travels to San Francisco when a series of murders leads the team to believe the possibility that the elusive "Zodiac Killer" might have returned. Meanwhile, Reid contemplates his own genius capabilities after he and Prentiss attend a seminar on violent crime hosted by the crime novelist Patricia Cornwell.

I’m going to be completely honest and tell you that this episode is so forgettable. It’s not a bad episode, just insignificant.

Rating: 3

Mayhem

After a bomb explodes an SUV in New York City that might be carrying a BAU member, the team goes into high gear to determine who might have been injured in the explosion and to apprehend the terrorists responsible for the mayhem.

This episode is exactly what it says on the tin; it is non-stop tension. The episode flows really well and comes to a satisfying conclusion. This is one of the best episodes I wathced this month.

Rating: 5

To Hell/And Back

After a man in Detroit reveals evidence to several suspected disappearances that may be connected, the BAU is called to help track down the serial killer who is responsible. During the investigation, they are forced into Canada to catch him.

From one great episode, to a pair of great episodes. I have no clue how these managed to rank lower than a lot of the episodes above them but, in my opinion, they deserve to be much higher. They are definitely a tough watch, but well worth it for the quality.

Rating: 5

The Lesson

The BAU investigates a serial killer who oddly disposes his victims in Arizona. Also, Reid gets anxious when faced with the possibility of meeting his mystery woman.

This is another episode that’s a little hard to watch, but is well worth it. Brad Dourif is a welcome addition as the unsub and the actors who played the ‘puppets’ have amazing physicality.

Rating: 4

Pleasure is my Business

The BAU is called to Dallas to investigate when a serial killer lures and kills high-powered executives by posing as a high-class call girl.

I don’t really remember much from this episode, it’s pretty standard.

Rating: 2

Elephant’s Memory

The BAU is called to West Bune, a small town located in Texas, to investigate what appears to be increasingly violent spree killings that involve a teenage boy. As the team continues investigating, Reid finds himself personally and emotionally involved in the case.

While this is a pretty standard episode, what sets it apart is the dynamic between Morgan and Reid where they both relate to the unsub in one way or another; with Reid stepping in to save the unsub at the last minute.

Rating: 3

The Replicator

The Replicator zeroes in on the BAU when the killer targets one of the team as the next victim. The team must now struggle against his endgame as the stakes grow higher.

While I lacked context for the story arc of the Replicator, this is still a pretty good episode with Mark Hamill, of all people, playing the Replicator.

Rating: 3 (I’m sure it’s much better with context)

Derek

When Morgan is abducted, the BAU scrambles to find him and save his life.

It’s about time I watched a Derek centered episode! This made me cry so much it’s not funny. A great episode all-round.

Rating: 5

#The TV Show Trials #Criminal Minds

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night-gay · 2 years ago

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Into the Anthill pt 35 - Way Past Second Chances

Hank and Janet got back together again. I really wanted to root for them the first few times they tried but at this point I find it excruciating to read. They obviously love each other, but they’re also obviously a bad fit as romantic partners. Hank’s not attentive, emotionally stable, or spontaneous enough for Jan. Jan’s too petty, never steps in when she sees his mental health slipping, and is still very rightfully hurt about the abuse he put her through. Toss in the fact that he’s still never gone to therapy and it’s doomed to fail every time.

I understand that heroes always want to achieve the impossible, but at some point they’ve got to be smart enough to move on.

🐜🐜🐜

Fantastic Four vol 3 #55

After pissing off Sue by making a mess of the living room, Ben and Johnny took the Fantasticar out to check out a warehouse for Reed. Not long after they parked the Fantasticar it was stolen by a skrull called the Grand Acquisitioner and teleported away. After wasting their time for a while, he revealed himself to be Yellowjacket in disguise. He’d faked the teleport by shrinking and used Reed’s codes to override the Fantasticar’s security to keep them busy. It was all a favor for Reed to ensure a quiet night for him and Sue to celebrate the 4⁴ month anniversary of the day they met.

Avengers vol 3 #57-62, 71

Janet brought Hank on a date to an art museum to de-stress after meeting with congress about the trouble Kang had caused. As the two of them bonded over her favorite paintings a power outage darkened the building. Little did they know the entire city (and nearly every other world capitol) had been displaced, leaving enormous voids of darkness in their wake. With more than 130 of the U.N.’s council members missing in the stolen cities, the remaining U.N. councilors moved to place the Avengers in control until the crisis had passed. With Black Panther, She-Hulk, and Henry Gyrich acting as his legal advisors Captain America led the world governments while Iron Man handled the economic side of things.

Black Panther contributed his research, as well as Iron Man and Namor’s to Dr. Doom for analysis. Cap and Iron Man were furious, but Doom was able to identify the Zodiac Key as the cause of these disasters, meaning the missing cities were likely taken by Scorpio and held in the 13th Dimension. Scarlet Witch forced The In-Betweener to take them there after overwhelming his order aspect with her chaos magic. They were quickly overwhelmed by Scorpio’s army of giant scorpions, so Yellowjacket helped Ant-Man use his helmet to control them. With Scorpio now out of the way, In-Betweener sent all of the cities and people back to Earth. He left the Avengers with a warning: a great evil is coming and one Avenger will die.

In honor of their efforts to maintain order the U.N. declared Avengers Mansion a sovereign territory, making them ambassadors for the superhero community. As they decided which members would remain on active duty Hank offered membership to Scott, who only accepted after losing the custody battle for his daughter Cassie. Hank also suggested that Jack of Hearts stay with the team, partly because his body would detonate like an atomic bomb if he and Tony weren’t constantly finding new solutions to dampen his power.

Hank and Jan took a much-deserved vacation to Las Vegas to *reconnect.* Dedicated to making what would have been their anniversary good, Hank went nearly 3 full days without checking his emails or doing any kind of work. At the end of the third night he proposed to her, but she couldn’t bring herself to say yes. Whirlwind came out of nowhere to attack them. He had grown tired of dressing hookers like Wasp and wanted to claim the real thing for himself, but he was no match for the two of them. With Whirlwind beaten again, Hank and Jan agreed that - married or not - they could be happy with what they have together.

Minor/Cameo appearances from this period:

Marvel Double-Shot vol 1 #2

Captain America vol 4 #13

Alias vol 1 #28

#hank pym #ant-man #into the anthill #marvel comics

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uniquetyphoonmiracle · 6 days ago

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Hablando de SANDRA BARNEDA [a la que entrevisto la Venezolana ERIKA DE LA VEGA en su PODCAST "EN DEFENSA PROPIA" por lo que recorde ayer que hablé con ella al final de la gala de MISS ESPAÑA'09 que PRESENTO en CANCUN_MEXICO donde me COLE y donde PASTORA SOLER me firmó pues canto en la GALA "LA MALA COSTUMBRE" del cd BENDITA LOCURA tras cd TODA MI VERDAD]..estuvo en un ACTO llamado EN FEMENINO presentado por Cristian GALVEZ [me lo encontré en 2000 haciendo entrevistas para DESPERADO CLUB SOCIAL de Antena 3 TV en el concierto de OASIS antes conocidos como THE RAIN en la CUBIERTA DE LEGANES y luego en 2002 su compañero de programa EDUARDO ALDAN me entrevistó en la META del Estadio olimpico de SEVILLA tras su MARATON porque vino un tipo a buscarme al TUNEL..me pareció raro pues quedar entre los 30 primeros con 2 hrs 35 min..justo antes de la 1era CHICA TINA MARIA RAMOS del C.A. GETAFE con la que hice gran parte de la MARATON no me parece nada ESPECIAL..luego me dijo que vio la Entrevista JUAN MANUEL REY LIEBANA con el que empeze a CORRER por el parque JUAN CARLOS I al que conocia del colegio SANTA MARIA DE LA HISPANIDAD reencontrandomelo en el GYM EMBAJADA tras 10 años o desde que lo visite en el HOSPITAL DE LA PRINCESA porque le habian dejado en COMA de un BATAZO EN LA CABEZA a las PUERTAS DE UNA DISCO porque al PARECER LE CONFUNDIERON CON OTRO aunque cuando se EMBORRACHABA ESTABA MUY LOCO e INCLUSO HACIA EXHIBICIONISMO..yendo juntos a nuestra primera carrera la MEDIA MARATON de MORATALAZ en NOV'99 que acabo enfrente del TEMPLO DE JESUCRISTO Y LOS SANTOS DE LOS ULTIMOS DIAS..es decir al lado de la pista de ATLETISMO donde BRUNO HORTELANO batió el récord más antiguo del atletismo español o de 400 mts y el cual tuvo un grave accidente con su primo viniendo de fiesta]..con ADEMAS una tal MARI_SOL "SALES", VIRGINIA MAESTRO e INMA CHACON hermana GEMELA de DULCE CHACON [murio de un cáncer fulminante en un par de meses con 49 años siendo lo ultimo que publicó en poesía "4 gotas" tras "MATAR AL ANGEL] en cuya calle dedicada de MADRID [junto a estacion de Cercanias FUENTE DE LA MORA]..me tuve que salir de la M_11 hace unas semanas por un DILUVIO yendo en moto por lo que me compre un chubasquero COMPLETO "AQUA KILL"

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rabbitcruiser · 1 year ago

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World Art Nouveau Day

World Art Nouveau Day (WAND) is an event dedicated to Art Nouveau that is celebrated annually on 10 June. The first World Art Nouveau Day in 2013 was organized by The Museum of Applied Arts (Budapest) (IMM) in cooperation with Szecessziós Magazin (a Hungarian Magazine about Art Nouveau). The selected date – 10 June – is the anniversary of the death of two famous architects of the movement, Antoni Gaudí and Ödön Lechner. Activities like those organised on World Art Nouveau Day aim to create more awareness of Art Nouveau heritage among the public.

The two biggest organisations in Europe coordinating the World Art Nouveau Day activities are the Art Nouveau European Route in Barcelona, and the Réseau Art Nouveau Network (RANN) in Brussels. In 2019 the event was supported by European Heritage Alliance.

Each edition is dedicated to a special topic:

2018: My Favourite Art Nouveau Architect

2019: Staircases

2020: Stained-glass

2021: Animals

2022: Typography

2023: Materials

Source

World Art Nouveau Day is observed on June 10 of every year. The Art Noveau patterns and movements spread outs in different forms in the staircase to fulfill the requirements of users, owners, and housekeepers. World Art Nouveau Day is dedicated to those majestic, imposing, discreet, narrow, and essential Art Nouveau’s.

History of World Art Nouveau Day

In 2013, 10th June was selected as World Art Nouveau Day to mark the death of Antoni Gaudi and Ödön Lechner, the two charismatic architects from two different corners of Europe. Since 2013, every 10th June has been observed as the Art Nouveau Day.

How to observe World Art Nouveau Day

The best way to observe the day is by participating in the events that are organized on that day. The events will be organized by Reseau Art Nouveau Network in Brussels and the Art Nouveau European Route in Barcelona.

Source

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blair-clark · 1 month ago

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Blog post # 1

My name is Bailey Olson, I go by she/her pronouns! I’m an Air Force brat for all my life, born in Alaska, moved to Tennessee, Germany, Las Vegas, Texas, now Washington for college all on my own now.

I absolutely lovvvveeee reading, my most favorite books are Little Women by Louisa May Alcott, and The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho. Frankenstein by Mary Shelley is one of my favorites as well. I’ve always been the biggest reader when I was younger, Percy Jackson were my first ever novel I raved over, but when I read the whole series, one and two, I got so bored with other books, so my mom bought my 9 year old self the english translated editions of The Iliad and Odyssey, I’m also really big with Mythology! Greek, Roman, Native American, Egyptian, Norse!

I love music!! Always listening, especially "old school", I have several records of ABBA, one even from the 80's! Fleetwood Mac, Stevie Nicks, Queen, Blondie, The Cramps. My family calls me an old soul, but I love Taylor Swift, The Marias, Lorde, Billie Eilish, Automatic.

Along with reading, I’ve always been a writer, more creative with stories of adventure, mystery, magic, and not so much of school essay writing but all the way throughout school, I was apart of the school Newspaper, I’ve done my own research papers on topics that interest me, the evolution of the solar system and space, hated how long that one was, The story of the female pirate, Jeanne de Clisson, a female pirate who raided French ships and slaughtered the men, leaving one alive to report back to the French King, who executed her husband. All long lost writings locked away in my middle school account. I’m very fond of Google Docs.

I have 4 pets at home, 2 Boston Terriers, 1 Weiner dog, but most importantly my cat Luna.

Excited for your class, Dr. Black!

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shop-korea · 2 months ago

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50 Best Tips, Tricks & Hidden Features for Samsung Galaxy A13 5G

SAME - SIZE - AS - SAMSUNG - GALAXY A 15 56

BOTH - 6.5 INCH

AI Overview - GOOGLE - SEARCH - NO 1 - SEARCH - ENGINE

IN - THE - WORLD

Yes, the Samsung Galaxy A15 5G supports NFC and contactless payments:

NFCThe Galaxy A15 5G has an NFC chip that allows for contactless payments and quick data transfers.

Contactless paymentsThe Galaxy A15 5G's "Contactless payments" option allows you to pay for items by touching your phone to a reader at a checkout register.

Payment appsYou can use payment apps like Google Wallet and Samsung Wallet to make contactless payments.

Turning NFC on or offTo turn NFC on or off, you can:

Swipe up from the center of the display to access the apps screen

Navigate to Settings, then Connections, then NFC and contactless payments

Tap the NFC and contactless payments switch to turn on or of

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WHEN - U - GET - PHOTOS - MORE

WRONG - PRICES

FINALLY - AFTER - 14 DAYS

I - GET - REFUND - BUT - 17% - WAS

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I - SIGNED - IT - UNDER - TERMS AND

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SPEAK - ENGLISH - WELL

THEY - SAID - NO 1 - LIARS - FRAUDS

ANOTHER - LIKE - THEM - BOTH OVER

$49.00 - BOTH - TRIED - 2 - STEAL - FR

MY - PAYPAL - ACCOUNT

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ITEMS - SUPER - SLOW - HOURS 2

AMAZON - SPREADER - TOOL - $10

LIGHTNING - FAST - ALL DEFEATED

$10 - COMES - WITH - SHOPIFY CAN

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AUTO - DS - GOT - THEIRS - SOONER

AMAZON - SPREADER - TOOL - WAS

NOT - ABLE - 2 - GET - EARLIER $$$$

SO - GLAD - 2 - GET - RID - OF - SHOPIFY

WILL - GET - REFUND - AFTER - PENDING

CAPITAL - ONE - THEN - WHEN - I - GET

MY - AUTHENTICATOR - CODE - NEW ONE

THEY - CAN - DELETE - ACCOUNT

CANADIAN - THIEVES

SHOPIFY - ONLINE - STORE - $49

EARNINGS - $1.34 - AND - WILL BE

ROBBED - BY - AMAZON - FOR - FORMER

AFFILIATES - THEY - SAID - I - DO - NOT

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FILIPINO - MALE - AMERICAN - MADE

$321,000 - AND - MORE - WAITED - YES

3 MONTHS - THEIR - 10% - 20% - ONLY

THIEVES - THIEVES

AMERICANS - CANADIANS

LIFE - IN - THE - USA - KOREANS OF KR

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silver-rings-and-rabbits · 4 months ago

Text

Open Heart 2 - Chapter 4

Blind Spot

Another long week passed before an all-hands staff meeting was called in the conference room, a full month after Ethan had told Matthew to keep the budget crisis a secret. He hadn’t been in here since his ethics hearing last year and, as he sidled up to Bryce and Jackie, he realised just how small the podium was from the back row.

“They’re running a skeleton staff to get everyone here,” Jackie grunted as they shuffled down the line to make way for yet more doctors. “Must be important.”

Matthew hummed in agreement but didn’t say anything else. He had a pretty good guess what it might be.

Indeed, Naveen stepped up to the podium and announced that, despite Governor Rivera’s glowing remarks about Edenbrook, the state budget would be eliminating most of the subsidiaries that the hospital relied on.

“That’s not good,” Bryce said, his eyes wide as nervous whispering filled the auditorium. Jackie frowned, listening hard as Naveen explained changes to insurances policies and payroll. Matthew pushed his hair back.

“As for residents, second-years will stay on their intern salaries for the time being,” Naveen spoke, and then there was outcry.

“We’re not getting our raises?! They can’t do that!” Jackie gasped.

“We have to do our part Jackie…”

She whirled on him.

“Matthew, we do our part! We work eighty hours a week to save lives and, not only do they not even pay us enough to live in the city, they wait until the last possible moment to tell us!”

Matthew couldn’t argue with that as Jackie turned to the front and shouted: “Stop trying to screw over the lowest paid people and cut the senior staff’s salaries!”

This was met with a lot of agreement noise, even some applause. Naveen waited patiently for it to die down before explaining that changes would be made amongst the senior staff as well. Matthew kept quiet, feeling suitably told off. Jackie hadn’t been wrong, and he knew that the hospital had been sitting on this for a month.

“Man,” Bryce murmured. “How long have they been sitting on this bombshell?”

“Didn’t you guys on the diagnostics team know anything?”

The two of them turned to look at him. Matthew hesitated for a split second before deciding he was no longer obligated to keep it a secret.

“I heard from Dr Ramsey nearly a month ago,” he admitted, and he watched their faces fall. “I’m so sorry you guys, Dr Ramsey told me not to say anything.”

“Of course he did,” Jackie sighed. She nodded at Matthew and Bryce patted his shoulder reassuringly. Matthew relaxed a little.

Naveen continued to field questions from concerned doctors as Matthew felt his pager vibrating in his pocket. He whispered a goodbye to his friends and quietly made his way out of the auditorium and into the hallway where the man himself stood waiting.

“Thank you, Dr Valentine,” Ethan said as they walked down the hall. “I know keeping the news to yourself for so long wasn’t easy.”

“I wouldn’t have been able to last much longer,” Matthew warned. Ethan nodded.

“The important thing is that now everyone knows and we can focus on our patients properly.”

Ethan took Matthew up to the seventh floor where the diagnostic patients room was occupied by Baz, June, and a middle-aged woman with curly grey hair. June introduced her as Evelyn De La Vega and, when Ethan and Matthew greeted her, her head turned towards them but her eyes continued to search the room. It had been a sudden onset of total vision loss.

“It happened two days ago,” Evelyn said. “I woke up and thought it was still dead of night. And if it doesn’t clear up soon, I’m going to miss my first gallery exhibition.”

“Evelyn here is a painter,” Baz explained. Matthew’s attention caught.

“I’m so sorry,” he said. “It’s an awful thing to happen but when your life’s work is all about sight…”

“Almost poetic, isn’t it?” Evelyn said, with a dry smile. “I’ll find a way, somehow. Life is all about perspective.”

Matthew prepared to start a closer eye examination when June said: “I’ve heard you’re something of an artist, Matthew.”

Matthew flushed. “Oh…well…”

“Really?” Evelyn’s eyes hovered in the direction of his voice. “What kind of art?”

Matthew ducked his head, even though Evelyn couldn’t see him. “I just like to draw,” he explained. “I used to go out and draw from nature, but these days I just refer to photos. It’s always been a small hobby though, being a doctor doesn’t leave room for much else.”

Matthew fondly remembered his art teacher and his visible disappointment when Matthew told him he was dropping art to pursue medicine, and he’d begged Matthew not to give up completely. And he hadn’t; it had always helped him unwind. He’d done a coloured sketch of a group photo last year, that had been framed and put up in their living room…and then re-drew it to replace Landry with Aurora. But now that he thought about it, he hadn’t drawn anything in a while.

“Could I perhaps see some of it when I get better, Dr Valentine? If that’s alright with you.”

“Sure.”

The examination showed a negative for the common conditions, including opacification and hypertension.

“Any pre-existing conditions not on your chart?” Ethan asked.

“I’m pretty healthy for a sixty-year-old,” Evelyn shrugged. “Leg cramps, I guess, from standing at a canvas all day long.”

“Did you have chicken pox as a kid?” Matthew asked.

“Who didn’t?”

“Hmm…could be V2V coming back after dormancy in the nerves.”

Ethan told Matthew to run a test and report back with the results. As the doctors filed out, Evelyn told Matthew she owed him a portrait when she got better.

****

Leaving the test sample in the lab for the results, Matthew paged Esme to brief her on some new cases.

“…And here’s Mr Daniels in room 403.”

Esme scanned the chart.

“Looks to me like heart failure exacerbation.”

“Agreed. Are you all set? I gotta run and put five hours in at the clinic.”

“That sounds awful,” Esme smirked as she gathered her charts. Matthew snorted.

“Laugh it up now, but it will be you next year!”

Matthew was shown into his clinic examination room where he logged onto the computer and called on his first patient: a six-year-old boy and his exhausted mother.

“Id’s stuck!” the boy announced, thickly. Whatever it was, he was proud of it.

“Will put a lego guy’s head up his nose and I can’t get the darned thing out,” his mother explained, wearily.

“What did the lego guy do to deserve this?” Matthew asked, helping Will up onto the exam bed.

“He wuntd to explore!”

“Can’t argue with that logic,” Matthew murmured, as he shone a pen light up the boys nose. The lego head wasn’t too far in. “My trusty sucker hasn’t let me down yet.”

Countless smear tests, blood tests, x-rays, eye, ear, nose and throat exams later, and Matthew’s five hours were up. He rewarded himself with a mug of coffee and as he was filling his cup, a familiar voice called out to him.

“Matthew!”

“Kyra!” Matthew almost spilled coffee as she bounded over to give him a hug. She was still bald from her chemo treatments, but her eyes were bright and her smile was as dazzling as ever. “I feel like I haven’t seen you in ages.”

“I hear you’re married to the job these days,” Kyra said, and Matthew winced. “But don’t sweat it, we can hang out now.”

Matthew paid for his coffee and they sat down at an empty table.

“Are you here for treatment?” Matthew asked.

“Actually…I’m here for a job interview!”

“No way!”

“Edenbrook’s looking for an administrative assistant. It’s a temp job, but I have an accounting degree and a whole load of medical bills!” She laughed nervously.

“Go for it, why not?” Matthew said. “Except…do you think you’re up to working in your condition?” He didn’t want to discourage her, but he had seen how exhausted cancer patients could get…not to mention his poor sister, lying on the sofa and barely able to lift her head sometimes. However, Kyra seemed non-plussed.

“The chemo isn’t leaving me as wrecked as it used to and my oncologist thinks it’s OK. I put her down as one of my references, actually. Listen, Matthew,” she added, when he didn’t look convinced. “I really want this job. I’m so sick of being the cancer girl.”

“No one sees you as—”

“My other friends and family do! All they talk about is how brave I am. It’s like being wrapped in cotton wool.” She rolled her eyes. “Weird how my doctor friends are the ones who can make me feel the most normal.”

“We like to help however we can,” Matthew smiled. “Though I was gonna ask how your chemo is going…”

“Bah. Same old, same old. Nauseous, puking all over the shop, mood swings, weight swings, but it turns out I look great bald.”

“You’d look great in any style.”

“Thanks. But the main thing is, the doctors think things are going well. And since they told me that, I’ve actually started picturing a future. Like, I could go back to school and do a masters. I never considered that before. But…it scares me.”

Her fingers clenched, and Matthew gently covered her hand.

“The future is scary,” he agreed. “Especially with all the turmoil you’ve faced. But I’m so proud of how far you’ve come. Just remember to take it one day at a time and it’s less overwhelming that way.”

Kyra took a deep breath and her confident smile returned.

“OK. As long as you’re hanging around, you’ve got a deal. Now if you don’t mind, I’m gonna take the first step towards the rest of my life!”

Matthew didn’t see Kyra for the rest of his shift. He felt slightly nervous as he sat in a Donahue’s booth with the gang, and jumped up when Kyra eventually walked through the door.

“Matthew told us about your interview!” Elijah said. “How was it?”

“I was so nervous that I called Doctors Philips and Wilcock Wilips and Philcock, so that was a good start,” Kyra said. “But I guilted them with the cancer thing a little, and they were kind of desperate so…they hired me!”

The group gave a big cheer, raising their glasses. Bryce bought Kyra a Shirley Temple.

“When do you start?” he asked.

“I started this afternoon actually. They wanted me moving the budget around as soon as possible.” Kyra’s smile drooped. She couldn’t hide the reality of the situation. “It’s…not great, you guys.”

There was a pause as the gang felt the weight of this statement.

“What are the worst parts?” Matthew asked, bracing himself.

“The clinic and the diagnostics team are probably the most expensive to run…”

“Hang on, the diagnostics team has a national profile!” Elijah said. “They must bring tons of patients to Edenbrook.”

“We take cases based on merit,” Matthew explained. “Patients pay what they can afford. Most of them end up pro bono.”

“Time to start praying for some billionaires to get seriously sick,” Bryce said, with a wicked grin.

“Way ahead of you.” Jackie’s grin was equally wicked and Matthew narrowed his eyes at the two of them.

“There’s some truth in that, actually…taking on more rich patients could off-set the pro-bono patients,” Kyra said, thoughtfully.

Sienna had been quiet, her chin propped on her hand, her gaze distant, but now she suddenly snapped to attention.

“Ooh! Gwyneth Monroe!”

“Who?”

Sienna grabbed her phone and showed Matthew a video of a beautiful young woman, sobbing as she explained about her mystery weight loss and how every doctor she’d seen had been unbearably dismissive.

“Why do people think that’s OK?” Matthew growled. “Doctor’s shouldn’t be dismissing anyone.”

“Agreed,” Sienna said. “But if you invite her to Edenbrook, she could probably pay a good amount. She has a huge following on social media…excuse me…” she added, around a yawn. “…and she has a make-up line, and a fashion line, and released a book last year. I think a second book is in the works too.”

“The problem is, Ethan’s adamant that the diagnostics team never invites patients. They have to come to us.”

“No offence Matthew, but I’m not sure now is the best time to be listening to Ramsey,” Jackie said. And once again, she made a valid point.

****

Back at the apartment, Matthew was researching ocular disorders when a knock at the door roused him. It turned out to be their landlord, Farley.

“Your check bounced!” Farley started as soon as Matthew had opened the door. “I swear, if this is some ‘tenants rights’ crap…” He continued ranting for a few minutes. Matthew had to shout to get his attention.

“FARLEY. My check hasn’t bounced. What are you talking about?”

Farley blinked and seemed to finally register that it was Matthew who stood in front of him.

“Yours is fine,” he said, gruffly. “It’s the other one that’s the problem. The Indian girl with all the leather.”

Farley continued to complain about bounced checks until Matthew placated him with a promise that it would be cleared soon. He closed the door on Farley and turned back to the living room. Jackie was already stood there, her eyes wet.

“Sorry about that,” she said, uncharacteristically quiet. Matthew waited a few minutes for her to speak, but she was avoiding his gaze.

“I can’t help you if you don’t tell me what’s wrong,” he said, gently. She rolled her eyes.

“Stop thinking you can fix everything, Matthew. Because you can’t. This is my problem.”

She slumped down on the couch, and Matthew cautiously sat beside her.

“I’m broke, Matthew,” she eventually admitted. “I thought I could manage…I’m paying off all the tuition interest. If we got our raises I’d be OK, but now…” her sentence trailed off and she stared at the ceiling, blinking hard.

“Why didn’t you tell us?”

“What would you have done? You’re all poor too, except maybe Aurora. Not that it matters, since I won’t take anything from anyone.”

Matthew frowned, and then reached for his laptop and opened up a new search tab; there had to be some kind of side gig available. Jackie looked sceptical as they scrolled through the results, until Matthew found one that sounded promising.

“A babysitting gig in our building! Jackpot!”

“But I’ve never babysat before…”

“It’ll be a piece of cake. I’ve babysat before and I was a teenager. You just put on a movie, make them something to eat, and then the kid goes to bed.”

Jackie groaned loudly and hid her face in the sofa cushions…but her need was too high and she agreed on the grounds that Matthew would come with her, at least for the first time.

The first time ended up being that night as Jackie ended up being the last hope for two harried parents, anxious about making it to an important work dinner. They fell on Jackie and Matthew with almost too much gratitude and left warning them that Lulu was complicated, but they had the power, and all the phone numbers they could possibly need were on the fridge.

“That was weird,” Matthew muttered, as the parents left. Jackie shrugged and knocked on the door to Lulu’s bedroom, where she was lying on the floor with a colouring book. She had a sweet face when she looked up at them.

“Hi Lulu, I’m Jackie and this is—”

“Why does your face look like that?”

Neither of them expected that. Jackie steeled herself.

“Like what?” The arched eyebrow was back.

Lulu propped herself on her elbows and looked at Jackie.

“You look sad and old,” she said. “Are you sad and old?”

“No, I’m annoyed and young,” Jackie said smoothly, as Matthew looked between them nervously.

“What’s your excuse?”

Matthew jumped as Lulu turned on him.

“For what??”

“Your eyes. You’ve got bags bigger than my backpack under them. And they’re dark, like you’ve been punched in the face loads.”

Matthew spluttered as Jackie gave him a silent but very pointed look. She knew he didn’t sleep when he was upset.

“I got a really good night’s sleep last night,” he protested, weakly.

“Tell that to the cave system on your face,” Lulu said, and Jackie sniggered.

“Sorry,” she said, when Matthew glared at her. “I can’t help it. This kid talks serious smack. Alright, you little monster,” she added to Lulu. “Let’s get you some dinner before we see the hangry version of this.”

Lulu lay back down on the floor.

“Or what, you’ll yell at me?”

“No, I’ll leave you here and go back to my apartment.”

Matthew couldn’t tell if Jackie was bluffing. Maybe babysitting had been a bad idea. Genuine fear was creeping into Lulu’s eyes, though she was trying not to show it.

“You can’t do that,” she said, uncertainly. “I’m not allowed to be left alone.”

Jackie shrugged.

“Kid, the only consequences of me leaving you alone would be not having to babysit again, oh no.” She crouched down in front of Lulu to meet her at eye level. “So how far do you wanna go?”

Lulu suddenly looked awed. Most babysitters tried to be sweet, which resulted in her being treated like a toddler, but Jackie wasn’t taking any prisoners.

“OK…what’s for dinner?”

Lulu’s parents probably would have preferred if she ate something nutritious, with plenty of vegetables, but when Lulu requested mac and cheese, Matthew decided it was not a battle worth fighting and found a box of it in the cupboard. Meanwhile, Jackie entertained Lulu with talk of med school, which Lulu found endlessly fascinating. She seemed to have decided that Jackie was the coolest grown-up she knew.

“So you’ve seen a dead person?” she gasped.

“Hundreds. We used the cut them open for surgical rotation at med school.”

“Did you see their organs?”

“Yeah, that’s what surgery is. I once saw a liver that had fully rotted inside someone. It was all slimy and disgusting.”

Matthew chuckled to himself as he turned off the stove, then he had a bright idea and searched the cupboards for food colouring. He found a bottle of red with the baking supplies and added a few drops into the pan before separating the mac and cheese into three bowls.

“Come and get your hot brains!” he called. Lulu raced over to stare at the goopy pink cheese.

“I hope you picked a smart cadaver,” Jackie grinned. “I won’t be eating moron brains.”

“Don’t worry, I checked the SAT records. This cadaver’s a bona fide genius,” Matthew said, as they took their bowls over to the table.

Lulu wolfed down her mac and cheese, as the doctors continued to regale her with med school stories, and within an hour she was showered and tucked up in bed, fast asleep. Matthew and Jackie flopped onto the couch with well-deserved coffees.

“You sure you should be drinking that, Cave System?” Jackie teased, but her smile faded when Matthew didn’t react. “I’m serious, Matthew, you need to relax a bit. When was the last time you got laid?”

Matthew spluttered.

“I am most certainly not going to answer that right now!” he hissed.

“Don’t worry, Lulu’s asleep.” Jackie nudged him with her leg. “C’mon, if a nine-year-old can tell you’re not sleeping, the situation’s not great. Have you thought about just hooking up? Bryce might be up for it—”

“I’m shutting down this conversation.”

Matthew picked up a book and tried to look dignified, which would have been much easier if he weren’t reading something called ‘The Diaries of the Rainbow Princesses’.

When Lulu’s parents came home another hour later, they were absolutely thrilled with how the evening had gone. Lulu’s father pressed $500 into Jackie’s hand.

“Please, this is way too much—”

“Consider it a down payment! It’s been so long since we’ve been able to go out! Please say we can call you again?”

“Sure. I mean, I can’t guarantee what my shifts will be like, but I’m sure we can sort something out. Lulu’s actually a pretty cool kid.”

Jackie tried to give Matthew half the money on the way back downstairs, but he refused. Jackie had charmed Lulu without his help. He just wanted her to promise that she would let him know if she ever got stuck for money again.

****

The next day didn’t start so promising, with Matthew’s pitch to reach out to wealthy patients immediately getting shut down. Ethan’s refusal was on moral grounds: the team was never about money, it was always the person in need, and he wouldn’t let them stray from that philosophy. This was then followed by pages of negative test results, which meant Evelyn would unfortunately miss her first exhibition after all.

“’The Way I Saw The World’,” she explained to them. “After so many years, people are finally paying attention. And I won’t be there to see it.”

Ethan looked thoughtful as they filed out the room.

“’The Way I Saw The World’…” he mused. “I wonder if that might actually tell us something…is anyone available tonight?”

Matthew had no plans so volunteered to go to the art gallery, and Baz said he would join him. Matthew was very impressed at Baz’s vintage mini, which was apparently named ‘Helen’ as they drove to a small art gallery in the North End. The room was full of suited waiters offering cheese and wine, art connoisseurs peering intently at various canvases, and members of the public milled around, discussing the paintings they liked. Evelyn would be thrilled to hear she had a full house.

“Good turnout,” Baz said, biting a cube of cheese off a stick. “I have to admit I don’t know much about art, though my ex-girlfriend once dabbled in sculptures.”

“What kind?”

“Pottery. She got a thing about making and painting vases to sell. And she was pretty good. I’ve still got one in my apartment.”

“How long were you together?”

“Not long, to be fair. It was during our residency that we started dating, but the relationship ran it’s course. You know how it is.” Baz shrugged cheerfully. “We’re still friends though. A bunch of us met up last summer for a reunion.”

“Too bad there aren’t any sculptures here,” Matthew said, looking at a landscape of a farm. It featured a rolling hill teeming with crops, surveyed by a barn. Evelyn’s use of colours and shadows suggested she had painted at sunrise. Matthew suddenly wanted to have another go at drawing natural landscapes.

“I miss drawing,” he said to Baz. “It was such a good stress relief.”

“Was?”

“I haven’t found the time. And I’m kind of lacking inspiration these days. Cityscape gets a bit repetitive after a while.”

“Maybe you could take a weekend vacation.”

The next painting was a portrait of a fisherman; according to the placard next it, Evelyn liked to paint people of notable professions.

“We’d make a great addition to her series, don’t you think?” Baz said. He stood next to the canvas and pulled a face like the fisherman. Matthew rolled his eyes but couldn’t help smiling.

“You wouldn’t be able to keep serious for long enough. This guy seems to have a lot of frown lines.”

“He looks a bit like my old science teacher, who had a secret soft side. I bet this guy’s not so bad.”

Matthew always liked how people could interpret art in different ways, and how it had always been that way and would continue to be so.

“Were you a class clown at all, Baz?”

“No, I was a good boy! Mostly. Maybe some teachers thought I was annoying but I’d call it passionate about a subject.”

“And nothing has changed.”

“I’m pleased to hear that!”

“Where did you study?”

“I studied at Dartmouth for undergrad and postgrad, then did my residency at New York Presbyterian. Stayed there until I transferred around two years ago.”

Matthew was starting to relax and properly enjoy the gallery now. He was losing himself in Evelyn’s world, and nearly forgot he was supposed to be there for work.

And then his eyes landed on a particular painting that featured a flowing river in the foreground and rows of houses in the background. A sidewalk along the river was lit up with streetlights. And right under the streetlight was the silhouette of a dancing couple.

Sharp pain closed Matthew’s throat. His eyes burned with memories of Rafael’s grandmother’s cosy living room, a plate of brigadeiros, Rafael’s happy smile as Matthew charmed his grandmother. How he had laughed when he taught Matthew to Samba dance in the middle of the street.

Something’s on your mind, I can tell. What is it?

Matthew stormed away from the painting to the other end of the gallery. His chest ached, a bruise as fresh as the day it was punched when Rafael broke up with him. It felt like a ridiculous joke when he thought about how happy he had been this time last year. Unlike Baz, who had laid his romance to rest and continued as friends, here he was in as much pain as he’d been in three months ago.

In his desperate search for distraction, he found a painting of a lighthouse…but he stared more seriously when he realised something was missing from it.

“Are you alright? You disappeared so quickly, I thought you might be ill…what are you looking at?” Baz had found him.

“I’ve seen that lighthouse before somewhere and I’m sure something’s missing…oh!” Matthew remembered. “There were bits of old shipwreck in that bottom left corner. I remember, I saw the lighthouse last year and couldn’t figure out if the lighthouse was bad at its job or if it was why they built the thing.”

“Huh. What do you know…”

Matthew got his phone out of his pocket and started looking up the landscapes referenced in Evelyn’s paintings. The first thing that came up was the farm: a stable was missing in the same corner as the wreck.

The two of them took their time, going through the gallery and comparing the missing landscape details. The blind spot seemed to get slightly bigger on the more recent ones.

“It’s a scotoma,” Matthew finally said, as if admitting a painful truth. “A blind spot.”

“Sudden vision loss wasn’t sudden at all,” Baz said, equally pained. “It must have come on so gradually that her mind filled in the blanks. I wonder what caused��ah. She told us. Remember she said she got leg cramps from standing all day?”

Matthew thought back on the many, many medications he had learned.

“Quinine,” he said. “Quinine toxicity causing a scotoma, leading to total loss of vision.”

“It stopped being recommended about ten years ago,” Baz said. “But I suppose old habits die hard. And if she’d already been taking it for a long time, she probably had no reason to believe she should stop.”

Matthew looked sadly at a small painting that featured a blue butterfly on a yellow sunflower.

“It’s not reversible,” he said softly.

“It’s not.”

Baz laid a hand on his shoulder. It wasn’t much, but it provided just a tiny bit of comfort.

****

It broke Matthew’s heart when Evelyn heard the news. She put on a brave face and reassured them that she was prepared for this possibility, but tears had pooled in her unseeing eyes and Matthew heard her crying when they left the room.

He checked in on her at the end of his shift. She was hooked up to a hemoperfusion machine, their last hope of regaining any kind of sight.

“I’m so sorry we couldn’t do anything more for you,” he said.

“Oh, stop.” Evelyn shook her head. “I know a thing or two about failure, and you only fail when you quit. You and your team never quit.”

She held out a hand. Matthew took it.

“Dr Valentine, I know you said you don’t have much time to draw anymore, but please promise me you’ll never quit.”

“I promise,” Matthew said, squeezing her hand. “I went to your exhibition,” he added.

“Oh really? Dare I ask how it went?”

“Evelyn…people loved how you saw the world.”

Evelyn’s mouth opened and closed in surprise. Then, with happy tears this time, she smiled. “I…I’m so pleased.”

Matthew patted Evelyn’s hand as she pulled herself under control and cleared her throat.

“I actually have a present for you. My daughter – she’s been helping me – said it’s on the chair by the window.”

The chair had been placed with its back to the doorway, and when Matthew turned it back around, he found a small canvas filled with blossoming colours of beautiful deep reds and oranges, sweet yellows, calming blues, and shining flecks of gold.

“I said I owed you a portrait,” Evelyn said with a smile. “It’s how you’ve appeared to me. How your spirit appears to me. My daughter’s very patient, she picked out the colours.”

“Oh, Evelyn…it’s beautiful.” Matthew wiped his eyes.

“People always told me I was stubborn, and stubborn people find a way. Even if they’re blind as a bat.”

Matthew hugged his portrait to his chest.

“It’s like you said. You’ll get by one way or another. There’s more than one way to see.”

For once, Matthew had a smile on his face all the way home. He went straight into his room and rested the painting safely against the wall, making a note to buy a hook the first chance he got. He felt he should dig out his sketch book and find something to draw, but Aurora called him into the living room for a group meeting.

“It’s not a chore chart is it?” Elijah groaned as he rolled into the living room.

“No. But that’s a good idea,” Aurora said. Elijah’s face paled.

Aurora was trying to play it cool, but she could barely contain her smile and Matthew realised what she wanted to talk about.

“I’ve been offered the chance to transfer my residency to Mass Kenmore…and I’ve accepted.”

“Oh my god…” Sienna breathed.

“Is…is this a prank?” Elijah asked, doubtfully.

“You called that guy from the diner!” Matthew said.

“Who?”

Aurora filled the group in on the details of her quick diagnosis that day and they looked on, impressed.

“Badass!” Elijah complimented. Aurora laughed.

“Have you told your aunt yet?”

“No, I’m trying to work out how,” Aurora said. “She’s just gonna have to deal with it. Oh, and I’m not planning to move out in case you were wondering,” she added, to Sienna’s relief.

“Well, you do you,” Jackie said. “But, why Kenmore?”

“Because I need to be somewhere where I won’t just be ‘Harper Emery’s niece. Dr Carrick didn’t know who I was when he gave me his card. It’s time for me to carve a new path.”

Although it was a little sad that they wouldn’t be working together anymore, none of them could fault her for wanting a fresh start and proudly wished her luck in her new role.

Aurora’s words played on Matthew’s mind all evening, and he decided to carve his own path before he went to bed. He opened up Gwyneth Monroe’s channel and sent her a message explaining who he was, the goal of the diagnostics team and invited her to come down to Boston for a consultation.

A/N: Baz deserved more <3 Tags: @sazanes @rafasgirl23415 @ceruleansnake0

#playchoices #open heart #rafael aveiro #mc x rafael aveiro

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prettyoddfever · 6 months ago

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4/5 stars

"You don't have to worry," promises Brendon Urie on Pretty. Odd.'s opening track, "Because we're still the same band". The Panic At The Disco frontman sounds sincere enough, but his credibility is dented by the music he's singing over a jaunty romp that conjures up images of a West End theatre's house band going hammer and tongs on a 70s rock classic; oh waitâ€¦ hasn't that already happened? Still, you can't blame Las Vegas' leading "vaudeville rockers" for trying to placate the two million souls who bought their 2005 debut, A Fever You Can't Sweat Out; if the fans got narked when the band dropped an exclamation mark from its name, how on earth will they react to their heroes' bold new sound? Make no mistake, this album is both things that its clunkily-punctuated title suggests: pretty as an iced cupcake, but often very, very odd. Listening to all 48 minutes of its rambling, reference-strewn guitar-pop, it's easy to imagine the band members, all of whom are under 23, spending lazy afternoons rummaging through daddy's record collection while enjoying everything that the Las Vegas narcotics trade has to offer. The sound of Sgt. Pepper looms large here, as the joyous lead single 'Nine In The Afternoon' signposts, but it's safe to presume that tunes by The Kinks, The Monkees and The Beach Boys have found a place on the Panic boys' mp3 players recently, too. As for those narcotics, well, their influence shines through on the album's numerous 'WTF?!' moments, from the ukulele-driven whimsy of 'Holy Spaces', to the galloping horse rhythm track of 'Pas de Cheval' (geddit?), to the moment that 'Behind The Sea' descends into a gin-soaked sea shanty. Yes, really. And yet, Pretty. Odd. is so melodically rich, so full of the joys of musical possibility, that it's easy to forgive its more preposterous moments. Layered with brass, charming vocal harmonies and even an orchestra (recorded at Abbey Road, of course), it's shiny and self-consciously psychedelic, but grounded by the muscular guitar riffs that lurk just beneath the surface. Everything here is authentically retro, without the merest hint of a synthesizer or a programmed beat, and disarmingly British, especially in its not-so-subtle fascination with the weather. One caveat: it would be nice if the album's big, swaggering pop sound had been married to some more straightforward story-telling. As it is, Ryan Ross' lyrics shoot for poetry ("Diamonds do appear to be just like broken glass to me" is admittedly pretty brilliant), but often wind up wallowing in nonsense, not least on 'She's A Handsome Woman', when talk of "sheepish wolves", "tucking fibs into cookie jars" and something called a "jealous orchard" threatens to distract from the impressive melody. Ryan, mate, it's time to put that joint down. Heaven knows what the fans will make of it, but Pretty. Odd. offers myriad pleasures to the open-minded music lover: the harmonica-laced melancholy of 'Do Know You What I'm Seeing?', the big, dewy-eyed balladry of 'Northern Downpour', the gorgeous wistfulness of 'She Had The World' and the Beach Boys-style joy-pop of 'When The Day Met The Night' are as delightful as anything we're likely to hear all year. Pretty.Odd. is the best kind of album from a band that's still in chrysalis: bold, ambitious, as likely to raise eyebrows as sales figures; in short, an exuberant mess.

#2review

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uniquetyphoonmiracle · 1 month ago

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Hoy he hecho entre la cinta de correr, andar y correr 7 KM hasta el aeropuerto un total de casi 18 KM ..creo que voy a poder hacer 10 KM corriendo por debajo de 6 min/KM en 2 meses tras el ataque cardiaco..creo que seria mi mejor forma en 20 años o desde que deje de correr maratones tras darme por detrás a mi BMW [comprado en calle SALVA_TIERRA] a la altura de la TERMINAL IV en CONSTRUCCION del aeropuerto de BARAJAS yendo con Jaime DE ROQUE [=sinónimo de estar DORMIDO]..al que no pasó nada pero yo tuve que ir a REHABILITACION por lo que no pude correr la VIRGIN MONEY MARATHON DE LONDRES [así se llamaba cuando la vi el DOMINGO DE RAMOS 2011 desde la ESTATUA DE LA REINA VICTORIA frente a BUCKINGHAM PALACE..encontrando la casa ese día de KYLIE MINOGUE en DRAYTON GARDEN siendo entonces novia de Andrés VELENCOSO que por entonces rodaba su debut como actor la apocaliptica FIN seguida de SEÑOR DAME PACIENCIA y dando una entrevista en BUCKINGHAM PALACE en un acto de PORCELANOSA hablando brevemente de la sustituta de KYLIE MINOGUE como fue URSULA CORBERO que debuto cantando EL PRECIO DE LA VERDAD con el grupo 5 de Enero] y en su lugar fue a LAS VEGAS aprovechando una feria del SECTOR BROADCAST "NAB" a la que iba mi padre todos los años y el cual llegó 2 días antes por lo que me esperaba DE MADRUGADA en su habitación del hotel CIRCUS CIRCUS viendo como los yankess tiraban la Estatua de SADDAM en BAGDAD y por la mañana fotografie la pantalla exterior del hotel_casino CAESAR PALACE con la bandera de EEUU y el lema UNA NACION BAJO DIOS.. a continuación vi en la zona de TIENDAS de dicho hotel_casino a PAMELA ANDERSON Y KID ROCK [se casarian y divorciarian]..después tras visitar ALCATRAZ O SAN FRANCISCO y LOS ANGELES O UNIVERSAL ES_TU_DIOS [viendo la recreación de WATERWORLD la película más cara y ruinosa entonces]..continue con mi rehabilitación de Cervicales en IBERMUTUA frente al polideportivo SAN JUAN BAUTISTA y conseguí hacer mi 1er entreno hasta la calle MADRE DE DIOS con avda PIO XII para ver pasar a JUAN PABLO II ir a la adjunta NUNCIATURA CATOLICA a descansar antes de reunirse con los jóvenes en el AERODROMO DE 4 VIENTOS

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cyarskaren52 · 11 months ago

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for these celebrities in 2023 they saw more lawsuits and police lights then scripts and paparazzi cameras. While some of them got lucky others payed for their actions some more harsh than others. Do you think that justice was served in any or all of these cases ?

Celebrity arrests, trials and lawsuits from 2023

Sydney Hartman

Celebrities, although rich and famous, are not exempt from the legal system — including arrests, charges and civil lawsuits.

Video above: Gwyneth Paltrow testifies in ski collision trial

Rappers, singers, actors and more faced a number of legal issues in 2023. Some of the allegations made include copyright infringement, wire fraud, drug trafficking and sexual assault and abuse.

A law that went into effect in late November 2022, known as New York's Adult Survivors Act, allowed adult survivors of sexual abuse to sue their abusers in the state – even if the statute of limitations on their claims had expired.

The law gave adult survivors of sexual assault one year to file lawsuits against their perpetrators before it expired on Nov. 24, 2023. More than 3,700 legal claims were filed under New York's Adult Survivors Act, some against high-profile celebrities.

Here are some of the celebrities that were arrested, sued or went to trial in 2023:

Bad Bunny

Sued over copyright infringement

Eric AlonsoBad Bunny attends to the previews ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Monaco at Circuit de Monaco on May 25, 2023 in Monte-Carlo, Monaco.

Bad Bunny’s ex-girlfriend filed a lawsuit against the superstar in March of 2023 for at least $40 million over a well-known voice recording she provided the singer before he became famous.

Carliz De La Cruz Hernández, whose breathy "Bad Bunny, baby" recording was included in two of the artist’s songs, claimed in the lawsuit that her voice and the phrase she came up with are being used without her permission.

Lawyers for Bad Bunny, whose real name is Benito Martínez Ocasio, filed a motion to dismiss the lawsuit in June of 2023, arguing the musical elements in question don’t fall under copyright protection.

Bill Cosby

Sued for sexual assault/ Sued for sexual abuse

Gilbert CarrasquilloBill Cosby arrives for sentencing for his sexual assault trial at the Montgomery County Courthouse on Sept. 24, 2018 in Norristown, Pennsylvania.

On June 14, 2023, a lawsuit was filed by nine women, accusing Bill Cosby of sexual assault, alleging he used his "enormous power, fame and prestige" to victimize them. The lawsuit filed in federal court in Nevada alleges that the women were individually drugged and assaulted between approximately 1979 and 1992 in Las Vegas, Reno and Lake Tahoe homes, dressing rooms and hotels.

On Nov. 21, 2023, a separate lawsuit was filed by a woman who worked as a stand-in at "The Cosby Show" in the 1980s, saying that Cosby drugged and sexually abused her after offering to mentor her in her acting career.

Cosby has been accused of rape, sexual assault and sexual harassment by more than 60 women. He has denied all allegations involving sex crimes.

Pete Davidson

Sentenced to community service for reckless driving charge

Dia DipasupilPete Davidson attends the premiere of "Big Time Adolescence" at Metrograph on March 05, 2020 in New York City.

In July of 2023, Pete Davidson entered a diversion program and was required to perform 50 hours of community service to resolve a misdemeanor reckless driving charge for crashing into a Beverly Hills home on March 4, 2023.

The "Saturday Night Live" and "King of Staten Island" actor and comedian pleaded not guilty to the misdemeanor and was put in an 18-month diversion that also includes 12 hours of traffic school, an order to obey all laws and restitution that was not specified.

When Davidson was arrested and charged in June of 2023, prosecutors called the crash a "serious collision."

No one was reported injured.

Robert De Niro

Sued over toxic work environment

Kevin WinterRobert De Niro attends the 92nd Oscars Nominees Luncheon on Jan. 27, 2020 in Hollywood, California.

A jury awarded more than $1.2 million to Robert De Niro’s former personal assistant on Nov. 9, 2023, finding one of his companies responsible for subjecting her to a toxic work environment.

While the jury found De Niro was not personally liable for the abuse, it said his company, Canal Productions, engaged in gender discrimination and retaliation against former assistant Graham Chase Robinson and should make two payments of $632,142 to her.

De Niro's lawyers sued Robinson for breach of loyalty and fiduciary duty even before her lawsuit was filed against him in 2019. They sought $6 million in damages, including a return of the 5 million airline miles.

The jury flatly rejected the claims.

Jamie Foxx

Sued for sexual assault and battery

Amy SussmanJamie Foxx attends the American Black Film Festival Honors Awards Ceremony at The Beverly Hilton Hotel on Feb. 23, 2020 in Beverly Hills, California.

Actor Jamie Foxx faces sexual assault and battery charges in a lawsuit filed on Nov. 20, 2023.

The alleged incident occurred in 2015 at Catch NYC, a popular New York City restaurant, according to the complaint.

The plaintiff, identified as Jane Doe, claims in the suit that Foxx “intentionally and without consent used force to offensively touch Plaintiff’s person.” The complaint alleges Foxx seemed “intoxicated” at the time of the incident.

As a result, the complaint states the woman suffered and continues to suffer “physical and emotional injuries, anxiety, distress, embarrassment and economic harm,” and is seeking an unspecified amount.

Cuba Gooding Jr.

Settled civil sex abuse lawsuit

David Dee DelgadoCuba Gooding Jr. Arrives at NYS Supreme Court for sentencing on Oct. 13, 2022 in New York City.

Just as a trial was to begin, Cuba Gooding Jr. settled on June 6, 2023, accusations that he raped a woman in a New York City hotel a decade ago.

The actor had insisted through lawyers that his encounter with the woman was consensual after the two met at a nearby restaurant.

In 2022, he pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of forcibly touching a woman at a New York City nightclub in 2018. Gooding admitted to kissing the woman, a waitress at the club, on her lips without consent. He also admitted to two other incidents of nonconsensual contact in October 2018 and June 2019.

Gooding is best known for his role as Rod Tidwell in the film "Jerry Maguire," for which he won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.

Michael Jackson

Sued for sexual abuse

PoolMichael Jackson prepares to enter the Santa Barbara County Superior Court to hear the verdict read in his child molestation case June 13, 2005 in Santa Maria, California.

A California appeals court on Aug. 18, 2023, revived lawsuits from two men who alleged Michael Jackson sexually abused them for years when they were boys.

The court found that the lawsuits of Wade Robson and James Safechuck should not have been dismissed by a lower court and that the men can validly claim that the two Jackson-owned corporations that were named as defendants in the cases had a responsibility to protect them.

It's the second time the lawsuits have been brought back after dismissal.

Lizzo

Sued for sexual harassment, creating hostile work environment

Theo WargoLizzo performs at Radio City Music Hall on Sept. 24, 2019 in New York City.

Lizzo was sued in August of 2023 by three former dancers who accuse the Grammy winner of sexual harassment and allege the singer and her production company created a hostile work environment.

The civil lawsuit claims Lizzo, whose legal name is Melissa Viviane Jefferson, pressured the dancers to engage with nude performers at a club in Amsterdam and shamed one of them for her weight gain before firing her.

The legal complaint seeks unspecified damages.

Lizzo's lawyers filed a motion on Dec. 15, 2023, to dismiss the lawsuit, calling it "meritless and salacious," according to court documents.

Jonathan Majors

Found guilty of assault and harassment

Robert SmithJonathan Majors attends 2023 Vanity Fair Oscar After Party Arrivals at Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts on March 12, 2023 in Beverly Hills, California.

Actor Jonathan Majors was found guilty on Dec. 18, 2023, of assault and harassment of his former girlfriend during a domestic dispute.

Majors, a rising star who has appeared in Disney’s Marvel franchise and “Creed III,” was arrested in New York in March of 2023 and later convicted of one count of reckless assault in the 3rd degree and a non-criminal charge of harassment as a violation.

He was acquitted on another assault charge and one count of aggravated harassment.

His sentencing is scheduled for Feb. 6, 2024.

Marilyn Manson

Sentenced for simple assault

Frazer HarrisonMarilyn Manson attends the 2020 Vanity Fair Oscar Party hosted by Radhika Jones at Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts on Feb. 09, 2020 in Beverly Hills, California.

Marilyn Manson was sentenced on Sept. 18, 2023, to 20 hours of community service and a fine after pleading no contest to blowing his nose on a videographer at a 2019 concert in New Hampshire.

Manson, whose legal name is Brian Warner, was charged with two misdemeanor counts of simple assault stemming from the encounter with the videographer at the Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion in Gilford on Aug. 19, 2019.

Manson pleaded no contest to just the nose-blowing charge in a fully negotiated plea agreement with prosecutors. The prosecutors agreed to dismiss the other charge, which alleged that he spit on the videographer.

A no contest plea means Manson is not contesting the charge and does not admit guilt.

Manson was fined a little more than $1,400 as part of the deal, with $200 suspended.

Danny Masterson

Sentenced for rape

Anna WebberDanny Masterson speaks during a Launch Event for Netflix "The Ranch: Part 3" hosted by Ashton Kutcher and Danny Masterson at Tequila Cowboy on June 7, 2017 in Nashville, Tennessee.

"That '70s Show" star Danny Masterson was sentenced by a judge on Sept. 7, 2023, to 30 years to life in prison for the rapes of two women two decades ago.

Both attacks took place in Masterson's Hollywood-area home in 2003, when he was at the height of his fame on the Fox network sitcom "That '70s Show."

After an initial jury failed to reach verdicts on three counts of rape in November of 2022 and a mistrial was declared, prosecutors made the decision to retry Masterson on all three counts.

This time, a jury found Masterson guilty of two counts of rape in May of 2023 after seven days of deliberations.

Gwyneth Paltrow

Found not at fault in ski collision lawsuit

PoolActor Gwyneth Paltrow sits in court during her civil trial over a collision with another skier on March 27, 2023, in Park City, Utah.

Gwyneth Paltrow won her court battle over a ski collision at a posh Utah ski resort.

On March 30, 2023, a jury decided that the movie star wasn’t at fault for the 2016 crash.

A jury dismissed the complaint of retired optometrist Terry Sanderson who sued Paltrow for more than $300,000 over injuries he sustained when the two crashed on a beginner run at Deer Valley ski resort.

Both parties blamed the other for the collision. Sanderson, 76, broke four ribs and sustained a concussion after the two tumbled down the slope, with Paltrow landing on top of him.

The two weeks of courtroom proceedings hinged largely on reputation rather than the monetary damages at stake in the case.

A$AP Rocky

Pleaded not guilty to assault with firearm

Taylor HillA$AP Rocky performs onstage during the 2021 Governors Ball Music Festival at Citi Field on Sept. 25, 2021 in New York City.

In November of 2023, a judge found that there is enough evidence for A$AP Rocky to stand trial on charges that he fired a gun at a former friend and collaborator outside a Hollywood hotel in 2021.

Rocky, whose real name is Rakim Mayers, has pleaded not guilty to two felony counts of assault with a semiautomatic firearm.

Rocky was arrested at Los Angeles International Airport in the case in April of 2023 and charged in August of 2023.

Axl Rose

Sued for sexual assault

Mark HortonAxl Rose of Guns N’ Roses performs onstage during the ’Not In This Lifetime’ Tour at TD Place Stadium on Aug. 21, 2017 in Ottawa, Canada.

Axl Rose, lead singer of the rock band Guns N’ Roses, was accused of sexually assaulting a Penthouse magazine model in a lawsuit filed on Nov. 22, 2023, in New York.

Model and actress Sheila Kennedy, identified as the plaintiff in the complaint, alleges that Rose “violently” sexually assaulted her in 1989 after they met at a New York City nightclub, and is suing the singer for battery, assault, gender-motivated violence and intentional infliction of emotional distress.

Kennedy is suing for an unspecified amount.

Jennifer Shah

Sentenced for wire fraud

BravoJen Shah, "The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City" season 3 photo.

Jennifer Shah, a cast member on the "Real Housewives of Salt Lake City," was sentenced on Jan. 6, 2023, to 78 months in prison for running a nationwide telemarketing fraud scheme.

Shah pleaded guilty in July of 2022 to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud.

"I knew this was wrong, I know many people were harmed, and I am so sorry," Shah told the judge.

In addition to her prison sentence, Shaw was ordered to forfeit $6,500,000, 30 luxury items, and 78 counterfeit luxury items, and to pay $6,645,251 in restitution.

Shakira

Reaches deal in tax fraud trial

Marc PiaseckiSinger Shakira attends the screening of "Elvis" during the 75th annual Cannes film festival at Palais des Festivals on May 25, 2022 in Cannes, France.

Pop star Shakira agreed to a deal with Spanish authorities on the first day of a tax fraud trial in Barcelona on Nov. 20, 2023, avoiding the risk of a prison sentence.

Shakira told the presiding magistrate that she accepted the agreement reached with prosecutors. She answered “yes” to confirm her acknowledgement of six counts of failing to pay the Spanish government 14.5 million euros (about $15.8 million) in taxes between 2012 and 2014.

Under the deal, Shakira is to receive a suspended three-year sentence and a fine of 7 million euros ($7.6 million).

Ed Sheeran

Found he did not violate copyright lawsuit

WPA PoolSinger Ed Sheeran performs during the Platinum Jubilee Pageant in front of Buckingham Palace on June 5, 2022 in London, England.

A jury on May 4, 2023, found that British singer Ed Sheeran didn't steal key components of Marvin Gaye’s classic 1970s tune "Let’s Get It On" when he created his hit song "Thinking Out Loud."

The verdict in New York came after a two-week trial that featured a courtroom performance by Sheeran as the singer insisted, sometimes angrily, that the trial was a threat to all musicians who create their own music.

The heirs of songwriter Ed Townsend, who created the 1973 soul classic with Gaye, said in their lawsuit that "Thinking Out Loud" had "striking similarities" and "overt common elements" that made it obvious that it had copied "Let's Get It On."

The English pop star insisted that he stole nothing from “Let's Get it On” when he wrote his tune.

Kevin Spacey

Acquitted on sexual assault charges

ANGELA WEISSU.S. actor Kevin Spacey leaves the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York on Oct. 6, 2022 in New York City.

Kevin Spacey was acquitted on sexual assault charges on July, 26, 2023, after a trial in which the actor said he was a "big flirt" who had consensual flings with men and whose only misstep was touching a man's groin while making a "clumsy pass."

The Hollywood star had faced historical sex offense charges that allegedly took place between 2004 and 2013. He pleaded not guilty to all of the charges.

Spacey faced nine charges, including multiple counts of sexual assault and one count of causing a person to engage in penetrative sexual activity without consent.

Young Thug

On trial for racketeering, criminal street gang activity

Derek WhiteYoung Thug attends the 2021 BET Hip Hop Awards at Cobb Energy Performing Arts Center on Oct. 01, 2021 in Atlanta, Georgia.

Opening statements for Grammy-winning rapper Young Thug's racketeering trial began on Nov. 27, 2023.

Young Thug, whose legal name is Jeffery Lamar Williams, is accused of leading a criminal street gang that committed murder and a slew of violent crimes in the Atlanta area over the past decade.

The rapper was initially charged and arrested in May 2022 for conspiring to violate the state’s expansive Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act – known as RICO and participating in criminal street gang activity.

In a reindictment filed in August 2022, prosecutors charged the artist with additional counts related to gang activity as well as drug and firearms violations.

Young Thug is among six defendants who have pleaded not guilty to all charges and are standing trial in an Atlanta courtroom.

Fetty Wap

Sentenced for drug trafficking

Steven FerdmanFetty Wap performs during the 2019 Rolling Loud music festival at Citi Field on Oct. 12, 2019 in New York City.

Rapper Fetty Wap was sentenced on May 24, 2023, to six years in federal prison for his role in a New York-based drug-trafficking scheme.

The "Trap Queen" rapper, whose legal name is Willie Maxwell, pleaded guilty in August of 2022 to a conspiracy drug charge that carried a mandatory minimum sentence of five years.

Maxwell told the judge, "Me being selfish in my pride put me in this position today." His lawyers had suggested he turned to selling drugs because of financial hardship brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Maxwell was arrested in October of 2021 on charges of participating in a conspiracy to smuggle large amounts of heroin, fentanyl and other drugs into the New York City area.

Maxwell rose to prominence after his debut single, the melodic but grungy "Trap Queen," reached No. 2 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart in May 2015. He was nominated for two Grammy Awards in 2016.

The Associated Press and CNN contributed to this report

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