#Catherine LLoyd Burns

[estefanyailen]

“Cuando te abras con las personas, siempre te sorprenderás de lo bien que resulta todo”.

— Caroline Miller - Malcolm in the Middle. (2000). (T1; E9).

[shygrapes61818]

[nerds-yearbook]

Decades after he had left it, Jack Harkness slipped through time and found himself once more back in 1941 where he encountered the REAL Captain Jack Harkness whose identity “Jack Harkness” had stolen after the real Jack Harkness’ death in World War 2. ("Captain Jack Harkness", Torchwood, TV)

[immediatebreakfast]

Rufus Smith, Lloyd's, London, to Lord Godalming, care of H. B. M. Vice-Consul, Varna. "Czarina Catherine reported this morning from Dardanelles."

So few words that can shift heaven, hell, and earth for two people. Waiting for an eternity in an unfamiliar bedroom with the reminder of their suffering burned in her forehead.

[aaronstveit]

read in 2024!

it's that time again! i loved doing reading threads in 2022 and 2023 so i will definitely be carrying on the tradition this year. as always, you can find me on goodreads and storygraph, and you're always welcome to message me about books!

Check, Please! Book 1: #Hockey by Ngozi Ukazu* (★★★★★)

Check, Please! Book 2: Sticks and Stones by Ngozi Ukazu* (★★★★★)

Check, Please! Chirpbook by Ngozi Ukazu* (★★★★★)

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern (★★★★★)

The Bad Ones by Melissa Albert** (★★★★☆)

Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng (★★★★★)

None of This Is True by Lisa Jewell (★★★☆☆)

Get a Life, Chloe Brown by Talia Hibbert (★★★☆☆)

The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels by Janice Hallett (★★★★☆)

Dream Work by Mary Oliver (★★★★☆)

Everyone on This Train Is a Suspect by Benjamin Stevenson (★★★★☆)

Cain’s Jawbone by E. Powys Mathers

The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang (★★★★★)

You’ve Been Summoned by Lindsey Lamar** (★★☆☆☆)

The Seven Ages by Louise Glück (★★★★☆)

The Last Girl Left by A.M. Strong & Sonya Sargent** (★★★☆☆)

The Dragon Republic by R.F. Kuang (★★★★★)

The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison

Normal People by Sally Rooney (★★★★★)

How to Solve Your Own Murder by Kristen Perrin** (★★★☆☆)

She Drives Me Crazy by Kelly Quindlen (★★☆☆☆)

The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins (★★★☆☆)

The Drowning Faith by R.F. Kuang (★★★★★)

Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner (★★★★★)

The Burning God by R.F. Kuang (★★★★★)

King Lear by William Shakespeare (★★★★☆)

All These Sunken Souls by assorted authors, edited by Circe Moskowitz (★★★★☆)

The Big Four by Agatha Christie (★★★☆☆)

The Avant-Guards, Vol. 1 by Carly Usdin, Noah Hayes (★★★★☆)

That Was Then, This Is Now by S.E. Hinton (★★☆☆☆)

The Avant-Guards, Vol. 2 by Carly Usdin, Noah Hayes (★★★★☆)

Jurassic Park by Michael (★★★☆☆)

The Magician’s Nephew by C.S. Lewis (★★★☆☆)

Les Misérables by Victor Hugo (★★★★★)

Violeta by Isabel Allende (★★★☆☆)

Wrong Place Wrong Time by Gillian McAllister (★★★★☆)

The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis (★★★★☆)

Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic by Alison Bechdel (★★★★☆)

The Color Purple by Alice Walker (★★★★★)

The Weary Blues by Langston Hughes (★★★★★)

Third Girl by Agatha Christie (★★★☆☆)

The Horse and His Boy by C.S. Lewis (★★★☆☆)

Giovanni’s Room by James Baldwin (★★★★★)

In the Dream House by Carmen Maria Machado (★★★★★)

Prince Caspian by C.S. Lewis (★★★☆☆)

I Who Have Never Known Men by Jacqueline Harpman, translated by Ros Schwartz (★★★★★)

Persuasion by Jane Austen (★★★★★)

V for Vendetta by Alan Moore & David Lloyd (★★★★☆)

What Lies in the Woods by Kate Alice Marshall (★★★☆☆)

We Could Have Been Friends, My Father and I: A Palestinian Memoir by Raja Shehadeh

One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez

Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie* (★★★★★)

Legendborn by Tracy Deonn (★★★★☆)

The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin* (★★★★★)

Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi (★★★★☆)

Carmilla by J. Sheridan Le Fanu (★★★★☆)

An Education in Malice by S.T. Gibson (★★★☆☆)

The Nothing Man by Catherine Ryan Howard (★★★★☆)

You Shouldn’t Have Come Here by Jeneva Rose (★☆☆☆☆)

The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka (★★★★☆)

First Lie Wins by Ashley Elston (★★★★☆)

The Voyage of the Dawn Treader by C.S. Lewis (★★★★☆)

The Silmarillion by J.R.R. Tolkien* (★★★★★)

The Iliad by Homer, translated by Emily Wilson

Everyone This Christmas Has a Secret by Benjamin Stevenson (★★★★☆)

A Tree Grows In Brooklyn by Betty Smith (★★★★★)

4:50 From Paddington by Agatha Christie (★★★★☆)

Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan (★★★★☆)

From Turtle Island to Gaza by David Groulx (★★★★★)

The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern (★★★★★)

Cryptid Club by Sarah Andersen

The Silver Chair by C.S. Lewis (★★★☆☆)

The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros (★★★★☆)

Homicidal Psycho Jungle Cat by Bill Watterson (★★★★★)

The Last Battle by C.S. Lewis (★☆☆☆☆)

An asterisk (*) indicates a reread. A double asterisk (**) indicates an ARC.

[kwebtv]

Sandburg's Lincoln - NBC - September 6, 1974 - April 14, 1976

Historical Drama (6 episodes)

Running Time: 60 minutes

Stars:

Hal Holbrook as Abraham Lincoln

Sada Thompson as Mary Todd Lincoln

Michael Cristofer as John Nicolay

James Carrol Jordan as Robert Todd Lincoln

John Levin as Thomas "Tad" Lincoln

Norman Burton as General Ulysses S. Grant

Richard Dysart as Judge David Davis

John Randolph as Simon Cameron

Bert Freed as Edwin Cameron

Michael-James Wixted as "Willie" Lincoln

Robert Foxworth as Major John T. Stuart

Roy Poole as Salmon P. Chase

Elizabeth Ashley as Kate Chase Sprague

Ed Flanders as General George B. McClellan 

Catherine Burns as Mary Owens

Beulah Bondi as Sarah Bush

Severn Darden as Gideon Welles

John Beal as Senator Fogelson

Lloyd Nolan and Whit Bissell as William H. Seward

[duecredits]

Catherine Lloyd Burns

Malcolm in the Middle (2000-2006)

[merelybeing]

[scarletexlibris]

Crucial Stats:

Name: Alexander Stirling Scarlet

Age: Late thirties, born April 17th

Height: Five feet nine inches

Weight: One hundred and forty pounds

Hair: Dirty blonde

Eyes: Blue

Ethnicity: Caucasian

Sexuality: Demisexual, grey-aromantic

Religion: Agnostic

Relevant biographical information:

Born in Herne Hill, London, England

Orphaned after his parents, Paul and Claudia Scarlet, were killed in a car accident.  Raised by his neglectful high society aunt, Isolde Blackburne.

Graduated from Oxford with a degree in literature and spent years afterward trying unsuccesfully to get his own novels and short stories published. Constantly rejected for “unoriginality.”

Immigrated to America and started his criminal career at the age of twenty-five.  Lasted two and a half years as a prominent Gotham rogue before having a glass display case dropped on his head during an altercation with Batgirl (Barbara Gordon).

Spent a year in Arkham Asylum after his hospital stay, where he was diagnosed with bipolar disorder.  Was the victim of medical malpractice at the hands of Dr. Penelope Young, who would repeatedly verbally abuse him during psychiatric sessions and deliberately give him wrong medication doses.  Also bullied cruelly by Jonathan Crane, who took pleasure in “breaking him by talking.”

Burned the palms of his hands in a self-harm attempt to the point of permanent nerve damage during his criminal days.  Now wears leather gloves to cover them.

Found work at Gotham Academy a year and a half after his release with a clean bill of health and rehabilitation funding.  Now works there as a professor of English and drama.

Married Lydia Scarlet nee Limpet after five years of living with her. Now has four children with her—Isabella, Catherine, Amelia, and Jeremy.

Also considers Hayden Ayala and Samuel Robonico as part of the family, as well as Lydia’s extended family on her adopted father’s side.

Good friends with Kira Drake, Elsie Khalii, and Jervis Tetch. Frenemies-leaning-toward-friends with Edward Nygma.  Sitcom nemesis of Edgar Heed.  Sworn enemy of Jonathan Crane, Batman, and Gotham’s police force.

Still keeps his Men of Letters (his henchpeople from his crime days) as backup if he needs it.  Printer’s Devil is the sniper, Typesetter is the medic, Pressman is the muscle and electrician, and Footnote is the gopher and undercover agent.

Does not get along at all well with Headmaster Hammer and will go out of his way to disboey him behind his back.  Still very protective of the Academy’s students and trusts the members of Team Detective implicitly—he’s basically the Giles to their Scooby Gang.

Personal trivia:

Can whistle and read music, but not sing.

Always makes a little tutting or “oh!” sound when he’s annoyed, usually accompanied by rolling his eyes.  Also makes a lot of “thinking noises” when he speaks and talks with his hands.  Almost never uses slang.

Impeccable posture and a cat-like sense of cleanliness.

A very skilled gadgeteer as well as his eidetic memory and speedreading skills.  Incredibly well-read and inventive.

Has terrible eyesight, but refuses to wear thick bulky glasses as a professor.

Never loses an opportunity to whip out a pithy literary quote, but gets very frustrated when people misquote things and will instantly correct them.

Has an abysmal sleep schedule and will normally stay awake into the wee hours of the morning.  Very restless sleeper who tosses and turns a lot.

Owns three cats–two long-haired tuxedo cats named Ernest and Hercule and one ginger tabby named Lloyd.  Also gets along surprisingly well with birds.

Is liable to consume himself with work or fly into a screaming rage over the smallest slight during manic episodes, but usually sits at his desk without moving from it or speaking during depressive ones.  Extremely dilligent about taking his medications because he despises losing control.

Has post-traumatic stress reponses to prolonged discussion of Arkham Asylum or anything that reminds him of his time there.

Is the absolute living embodiment of the Superiority/Inferiority Complex and delights in being cheerfully passive-aggressive.

Favorite drink is English breakfast tea or Arabian coffee.  Favorite food is roast chicken.  Also snacks on peanuts when he’s anxious.  Favorite sweet is cherry Danishes.

Has a specfic cafe in the academic district he and Lydia like to order from.

Often underweight as a child because of his aunt’s ill treatment.

Favorite books are Great Expectations, Jane Eyre, and The Time Machine.

Favorite movies are the original Universal Horror canon.

Favorite singer is Nat King Cole.

Disdains a lot of modern rogues and bemoans the needless violence and lack of “class”.

Can be a bit classist and elitist, especially in academic settings.

Walks everywhere if he can help it, only drives if he’s heading out of Gotham altogether.

Scrimped and saved to rent a small cabin for himself, Lydia, and the children whenever they need to get out of the city’s hustle and bustle.

A fairly strict, but still patient and fair teacher as well as parent.

First met Lydia in Blackgate Penitentiary after he was arrested the first time–she kicked his ass in a game of chess.

Once tried to discover Dream of the Endless’s secrets and ended up getting knocked out for a week of nightmares for his trouble.  Is very cautious about magic ever since.

Very overly protective of the things and people he loves, tends to be distrustful on their behalf.

Owns basically no casual clothes, always dresses in his Academy attire (the tweed jackets and dress slacks, not the pleather Bookworm suit).

Very self-conscious about his thinning hair and thus will not take off his hat unless it’s for someone he trusts.

Likewise doesn’t like to be touched unless it’s by someone he trusts, will swat your hand away otherwise.

Usually shows verbal affection more often than physical affection.  Can be extremely emotionally constipated, especially when he’s just starting to forge a relationship with someone.

Greatest fear is alienating his loved ones or making them afraid of him.

[imnotoverlyobsessive]

Must-See Movies I Grew Up On: A List (part one)

For @pacific-ship

Part one part two part three part four part five

As with the previous list I did, this list is for @pacific-ship specifically, because sometimes movie education is essential. Most of these I saw far, far earlier in life than I probably should’ve, but despite that I still managed to not get pregnant as a teenager or even remotely come close to risking it, so I’d say it turned out alright. Anyway, here’s the list. If you’re not Paz, well, still watch these movies because they’re the tits. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll get new crushes on people who don’t exist and/or are now far older than they were when it was filmed, and you’ll love every second. They are in no particular order. Assume sequels aren’t included unless otherwise specified. If they are included, you must commit to bingeing them all at once in order to watch the first one. If you are unable to do so, you must wait to watch the movie until you are able to do so or I’ll find you and bite your nose off for being a weak punk ass. Let’s begin.

(1999) Look just ‘cause you’ve already seen it doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be included again. It’s a goddamn masterpiece of cinema and, like I told you, Heath Ledger is a panty-dropping, thigh-shaking, ovary-bursting, impregnate-you-with-a-grin hunkasurus.

(2001) This movie is vastly underrated, as are most on this list. Michael J Fox is a national treasure and I adore him fight me

(1985-1990) What did I say? He’s a national treasure. I mean, so are Christopher Lloyd and Lea Thompson, so it’s hardly a difficult film series to watch. And yeah, I did say film series. Watch all three. Regardless of what anybody tells you, all three are excellent and anyone who disagrees can suck my metaphorical dick kthxbye

(1989, 1991, 2020) There’s a third one now. Watch it, too. It’s p good. And it’s got Keanu! Who doesn’t love Keanu? Nobody, that’s who. Also, William Sadler is amazeballs and I love him. Death is a gay icon 10/10

(1997) Look it’s got baby Tom Felton (yes Paz, the same Tom Felton that played Draco. That tiny little red headed kid is now the man you fantasize about. How does that make you feel?). Also don’t watch any remakes except maybe the ghibli one. All others should be burned.

(1998) Lol Flick is such a nerd before nerds were accepted #flickdeservedbetter

(2002) For when men are just too fucking much and you wanna shoot a bitch. Catherine Zera-Jones is amazing and so is Richard Gere. This is where the dazzle dazzle meme came from FYI

(1995) Ah, the movie that came out the year I was born. I was two months old when it premiered. Great movie. Timeless fashion, too. At least on Cher’s part.

(1988) Two lines: “HEY FUCK YOU” and then an enthusiastic, happy-go-lucky, “yes! Yes! Fuck you, too!” Also Eddie Murphy is fucking hilarious. Don’t watch it with your mom, Paz.

(2000) Oh Kuzco. How I love you. He’s doing his best okay

[icewarrior2000]

Meat

(Series 2, Episode 4)

Summary: A lorry driver from Rhys’ firm dies whilst transporting alien meat so Rhys finally finds out what Gwen does for a living and helps Torchwood try to save a giant space whale.  Jack turns into a jealous creep, Ianto goes badass, Tosh makes Owen cheese and pickle sandwiches and he fails to notice she’s asking him on a date.

Snog Count: 42 (4 for Gwen and Rhys, one whilst eyeballing Jack).

Original Air Date: 6 Febru] 2008.

Starring: John Barrowman (Captain Jack Harkness), Eve Myles (Gwen Cooper), Burn Gorman (Dr. Owen Harper), Naoko Mori (Toshiko Sato) & Gareth David-Lloyd (Ianto Jones).

Writer: Catherine Tregenna.

Director: Colin Teague.

Producer: Richard Stokes & Chris Chibnall.

Executive Producer: Russell T. Davies & Julie Gardner.

[estefanyailen]

“Tan introvertido, tan discreto... pero, no tienes que ser así conmigo. Estoy de tu lado!”

— Caroline Miller - Malcolm in the Middle. (2000). (T1; E9).

[plusonetm]

Hey sweetie, here to tell you you’re gonna be okay 🥺💖 can you tell me about your favourite book? Webtoons or anything count as well! Something you’re reading. It doesn’t have to be long, but no pressure. (I tried aaa I hope this was okay)

Well my favourite book right now is 'it hit me like a ton of bricks' which is a memoir by Catherine Lloyd Burns. It's a really good books with a lot of really cool scenes and it's very personal but in a good way.

I particularly like this bit, it hits really close to home and it helps me cope, in a way. It's a really well written book and good for trauma coping

[brookstonalmanac]

Events 6.11

173 – Marcomannic Wars: The Roman army in Moravia is encircled by the Quadi, who have broken the peace treaty (171). In a violent thunderstorm emperor Marcus Aurelius defeats and subdues them in the so-called "miracle of the rain". 631 – Emperor Taizong of Tang sends envoys to the Xueyantuo bearing gold and silk in order to seek the release of Chinese prisoners captured during the transition from Sui to Tang. 786 – A Hasanid Alid uprising in Mecca is crushed by the Abbasids at the Battle of Fakhkh. 980 – Vladimir the Great consolidates the Kievan realm from Ukraine to the Baltic Sea. He is proclaimed ruler (knyaz) of all Kievan Rus'. 1011 – Lombard Revolt: Greek citizens of Bari rise up against the Lombard rebels led by Melus and deliver the city to Basil Mesardonites, Byzantine governor (catepan) of the Catepanate of Italy. 1118 – Roger of Salerno, Prince of Antioch, captures Azaz from the Seljuk Turks. 1157 – Albert I of Brandenburg, also called The Bear (Ger: Albrecht der Bär), becomes the founder of the Margraviate of Brandenburg, Germany and the first margrave. 1345 – The megas doux Alexios Apokaukos, chief minister of the Byzantine Empire, is lynched by political prisoners. 1429 – Hundred Years' War: Start of the Battle of Jargeau. 1488 – Battle of Sauchieburn: Fought between rebel Lords and James III of Scotland, resulting in the death of the king. 1509 – Henry VIII of England marries Catherine of Aragon. 1594 – Philip II recognizes the rights and privileges of the local nobles and chieftains in the Philippines, which paved way to the stabilization of the rule of the Principalía (an elite ruling class of native nobility in Spanish Philippines). 1748 – Denmark adopts the characteristic Nordic Cross flag later taken up by all other Scandinavian countries. 1770 – British explorer Captain James Cook runs aground on the Great Barrier Reef. 1775 – The American Revolutionary War's first naval engagement, the Battle of Machias, results in the capture of a small British naval vessel. 1776 – The Continental Congress appoints Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Roger Sherman, and Robert R. Livingston to the Committee of Five to draft a declaration of independence. 1788 – Russian explorer Gerasim Izmailov reaches Alaska. 1805 – A fire consumes large portions of Detroit in the Michigan Territory. 1825 – The first cornerstone is laid for Fort Hamilton in New York City. 1837 – The Broad Street Riot occurs in Boston, fueled by ethnic tensions between Yankees and Irish. 1865 – The Naval Battle of the Riachuelo is fought on the rivulet Riachuelo (Argentina), between the Paraguayan Navy on one side and the Brazilian Navy on the other. The Brazilian victory was crucial for the later success of the Triple Alliance (Brazil, Uruguay, and Argentina) in the Paraguayan War. 1892 – The Limelight Department, one of the world's first film studios, is officially established in Melbourne, Australia. 1895 – Paris��Bordeaux–Paris, sometimes called the first automobile race in history or the "first motor race", takes place. 1898 – The Hundred Days' Reform, a planned movement to reform social, political, and educational institutions in China, is started by the Guangxu Emperor, but is suspended by Empress Dowager Cixi after 104 days. (The failed reform led to the abolition of the Imperial examination in 1905.) 1901 – The boundaries of the Colony of New Zealand are extended by the UK to include the Cook Islands. 1903 – A group of Serbian officers stormed the royal palace and assassinated King Alexander Obrenović and his wife, Queen Draga. 1917 – King Alexander assumes the throne of Greece after his father, Constantine I, abdicates under pressure from allied armies occupying Athens. 1919 – Sir Barton wins the Belmont Stakes, becoming the first horse to win the U.S. Triple Crown. 1920 – During the U.S. Republican National Convention in Chicago, U.S. Republican Party leaders gathered in a room at the Blackstone Hotel to come to a consensus on their candidate for the U.S. presidential election, leading the Associated Press to coin the political phrase "smoke-filled room". 1935 – Inventor Edwin Armstrong gives the first public demonstration of FM broadcasting in the United States at Alpine, New Jersey. 1936 – The London International Surrealist Exhibition opens. 1937 – Great Purge: The Soviet Union under Joseph Stalin executes eight army leaders. 1938 – Second Sino-Japanese War: The Battle of Wuhan starts. 1940 – World War II: The Siege of Malta begins with a series of Italian air raids. 1942 – World War II: The United States agrees to send Lend-Lease aid to the Soviet Union. 1942 – Free French Forces retreat from Bir Hakeim after having successfully delayed the Axis advance. 1944 – USS Missouri, the last battleship built by the United States Navy and future site of the signing of the Japanese Instrument of Surrender, is commissioned. 1955 – Eighty-three spectators are killed and at least 100 are injured after an Austin-Healey and a Mercedes-Benz collide at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the deadliest ever accident in motorsports. 1956 – Start of Gal Oya riots, the first reported ethnic riots that target minority Sri Lankan Tamils in the Eastern Province. The total number of deaths is reportedly 150. 1962 – Frank Morris, John Anglin and Clarence Anglin allegedly become the only prisoners to escape from the prison on Alcatraz Island. 1963 – American Civil Rights Movement: Governor of Alabama George Wallace defiantly stands at the door of Foster Auditorium at the University of Alabama in an attempt to block two black students, Vivian Malone and James Hood, from attending that school. Later in the day, accompanied by federalized National Guard troops, they are able to register. 1963 – Buddhist monk Thích Quảng Đức burns himself with gasoline in a busy Saigon intersection to protest the lack of religious freedom in South Vietnam. 1963 – John F. Kennedy addresses Americans from the Oval Office proposing the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which would revolutionize American society by guaranteeing equal access to public facilities, ending segregation in education, and guaranteeing federal protection for voting rights. 1964 – World War II veteran Walter Seifert attacks an elementary school in Cologne, Germany, killing at least eight children and two teachers and seriously injuring several more with a home-made flamethrower and a lance. 1968 – Lloyd J. Old identified the first cell surface antigens that could differentiate among different cell types. 1970 – After being appointed on May 15, Anna Mae Hays and Elizabeth P. Hoisington officially receive their ranks as U.S. Army Generals, becoming the first women to do so. 1971 – The U.S. Government forcibly removes the last holdouts to the Native American Occupation of Alcatraz, ending 19 months of control. 1978 – Altaf Hussain founds the student political movement All Pakistan Muhajir Students Organisation (APMSO) in Karachi University. 1981 – A magnitude 6.9 earthquake at Golbaf, Iran, kills at least 2,000. 1987 – Diane Abbott, Paul Boateng and Bernie Grant are elected as the first black MPs in Great Britain. 1998 – Compaq Computer pays US$9 billion for Digital Equipment Corporation in the largest high-tech acquisition. 2001 – Timothy McVeigh is executed for his role in the Oklahoma City bombing. 2002 – Antonio Meucci is acknowledged as the first inventor of the telephone by the United States Congress. 2004 – Cassini–Huygens makes its closest flyby of the Saturn moon Phoebe. 2007 – Mudslides in Chittagong, Bangladesh, kill 130 people. 2008 – Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper makes a historic official apology to Canada's First Nations in regard to abuses at a Canadian Indian residential school. 2008 – The Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope is launched into orbit. 2010 – The first African FIFA World Cup kicks off in South Africa. 2012 – More than 80 people die in a landslide triggered by two earthquakes in Afghanistan; an entire village is buried. 2013 – Greece's public broadcaster ERT is shut down by then-prime minister Antonis Samaras. It would open exactly two years later by then-prime minister Alexis Tsipras.

[newstfionline]

Saturday, March 20, 2021

More than 40% of people reported depression and anxiety symptoms since start of pandemic, survey finds (Yahoo News) When COVID-19 was first reported in the United States, many were optimistic that it would come and go quickly enough. But after a few weeks, reality set in and took a toll, not only on our physical selves but on our collective mental health as well. Over the past year, a lot of people have struggled with feelings of isolation, anxiety, depression and despair due to the global pandemic. Many have lost loved ones, missed funerals and births and other milestones, and dealt with emotions that some may not have even experienced before. What has been the overall mental health impact on our nation’s people in the past year? According to a recent survey by Yahoo/YouGov, 35 percent of adults in the U.S. report that their mental health has worsened since the start of the pandemic. And an even larger percentage (44 percent) report an increase in depression in the past year, with 48 percent stating that their anxiety symptoms also increased. “The mental health impacts of COVID-19 are just beginning to be understood fully,” says Catherine Burns, a Vermont-based psychologist and clinical supervisor for COVID Support Vermont. “As time passes, we are developing a clearer picture that increasingly highlights experiences of stress, anxiety and depression across the globe.”

Polluted waters around the world (Reuters) About 4 billion people experience severe water shortages for at least one month a year and around 1.6 billion people—almost a quarter of the world’s population—have problems accessing a clean, safe water supply, according to the United Nations. While the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals call for water and sanitation for all by 2030, the world body says water scarcity is increasing and more than half the world’s population will be living in water-stressed regions by 2050. In the run-up to the UN’s World Water Day on March 22, Reuters photographers used drones to capture dramatic pictures and video of polluted waterways around the world. In one image, a discarded sofa lies beached in the Tiete river, in Brazil’s biggest city Sao Paulo, into which hundreds of tonnes of untreated sewage and waste are tipped each day. Others show domestic waste clogging the Citarum river in Bandung, Indonesia, and sewage flowing into the Euphrates in Najaf, Iraq.

Gunmen kill 13 police in daytime ambush in central Mexico (Reuters) Gunmen killed at least 13 Mexican police in an ambush a short distance outside the capital on Thursday, local authorities said, in one of the worst mass slayings of security forces to rock the country in recent years. Photos of the grisly scene circulated on social media showing a bullet-riddled police car and an unmarked truck, along with officers’ bodies scattered out along the street or still inside the car. The convoy of security personnel was attacked in broad daylight by suspected gang members in the Llano Grande area in the municipality of Coatepec Harinas as it patrolled the area, said Rodrigo Martinez-Celis, security minister for the State of Mexico. The area is southwest of Mexico City and about 40 miles (64 km) south of the city of Toluca, the capital of the populous State of Mexico, which surrounds much of the capital.

British Airways considers selling its headquarters after homeworking switch (Reuters) British Airways said it was considering selling its headquarters building because of a switch to homeworking during the pandemic means it may no longer need so much office space. The shift to homeworking over the last year has already prompted some of Britain’s biggest companies to make changes to their office footprints. Banking giant Lloyds said it would cut office space by 20% within three years, with HSBC aiming for a 40% reduction.

Locked-down Spaniards seethe with envy as Germans flock to Mallorca (Reuters) Tens of thousands of Germans are planning last-minute Easter getaways to Spain’s sun-kissed islands, leaving many Spaniards, who are not allowed to do the same because of a travel ban, upset. “It makes absolutely no sense that in Spain we can’t move between regions but any foreigner can come in ... and spread infection,” said Emilio Rivas, 23, who lives in Madrid. The young tax assessor wanted to get out of town for the holidays but must instead stay home because Spain banned travel between regions over Easter to avoid a repeat of a spike in contagion seen after an easing in restrictions over Christmas. But tourists from European countries with higher infection rates like France or Germany can fly in for a holiday as long as they have a negative covid test result—something even top health official Fernando Simon described as “incongruous.”

Paris goes into lockdown as COVID-19 variant rampages (Reuters) France imposed a month-long lockdown on Paris and parts of the north after a faltering vaccine rollout and spread of highly contagious coronavirus variants forced President Emmanuel Macron to shift course. Since late January, when he defied the calls of scientists and some in his government to lock the country down, Macron has said he would do whatever it took to keep the euro zone’s second largest economy as open as possible. However, this week he ran out of options just as France and other European countries briefly suspended use of the AstraZenca vaccine. His prime minister, Jean Castex, said France was in the grip of a third wave, with the virulent variant first detected in Britain now accounting for some 75% of cases. Intensive care wards are under severe strain, notably in Paris where the incidence rate surpasses 400 infections in every 100,000 inhabitants.

US-Russia ties nosedive after Biden-Putin tit-for-tat (AP) U.S.-Russia ties nosedived on Thursday after Russian leader Vladimir Putin shot back at President Joe Biden’s description of him as a killer. In taking a tough stance on Russia, Biden has said the days of the U.S. “rolling over” to Putin are done. Also Wednesday, U.S. intelligence released a report finding that Putin authorized influence operations to help Trump’s re-election bid. Later that day, Putin recalled his ambassador to the U.S. and on Thursday he pointed at the U.S. history of slavery and slaughtering Native Americans and the atomic bombing of Japan in World War II. Responding to that, the White House said Biden would continue to look to work with Putin on areas of mutual concern but stressed that he was “not going to hold back” when he has concerns about Putin’s actions. Putin had been asked about Biden’s comment during a video call marking the anniversary of Russia’s 2014 annexation of Crimea, and he responded along the lines of “it-takes-one-to-know-one,” saying his counterpart’s words reflected the United States’ own problems. At the same time, he offered to have a phone call with Biden to discuss issues of mutual interest.

Myanmar security forces kill eight as Indonesia calls for end to violence (Reuters) Myanmar security forces shot dead eight opponents of a Feb. 1 coup on Friday, a funeral services provider said, as Indonesia sought an end to the violence and urged that democracy be restored, in an unusually blunt call from a neighbour. Ousted lawmakers explored whether the International Criminal Court (ICC) can investigate crimes against humanity since the coup, while authorities arrested two more journalists, including a BBC reporter, media said.

Lebanese are gripped by worry as economic meltdown speeds up (AP) Shops closing, companies going bankrupt and pharmacies with shelves emptying—in Lebanon these days, fistfights erupt in supermarkets as shoppers scramble to get to subsidized powdered milk, rice and cooking oil. Like almost every other Lebanese, Nisrine Taha’s life has been turned upside down in the past year under the weight of the country’s crushing economic crisis. Anxiety for the future is eating at her. Five months ago, she was laid off from her job at the real estate company where she had worked for years. Her daughter, who is 21, cannot find work, forcing the family to rely on her husband’s monthly salary which has lost 90% of its value because of the collapse of the national currency. The family hasn’t been able to pay rent for seven months, and Taha worries their landlord’s patience won’t last forever. As the price of meat and chicken soared beyond their means, they changed their diet. Taha’s family is among hundreds of thousands of lower income and middle class Lebanese who have been plunged into sudden poverty by the crisis that started in late 2019—a culmination of decades of corruption by a greedy political class that pillaged nearly every sector of the economy. More than half the population now lives in poverty, according to the World Bank, while an intractable political crisis heralds further collapse.

Fear and Hostility Simmer as Ethiopia’s Military Keeps Hold on Tigray (NYT) When Ethiopia’s prime minister, Abiy Ahmed, began a sweeping military operation in the restive region of Tigray on Nov. 4, he cast his goal in narrow terms: to capture the leadership of the region’s ruling party. The party, the Tigray People’s Liberation Front, had brazenly defied his authority for months, and then attacked a federal military base. But four months on, the operation has degenerated into a bitter civil conflict marked by accounts of egregious rights violations—massacres, sexual violence, ethnic cleansing, and fears that starvation is being used a war tactic—that have set off alarm across the world. In Mekelle, the region’s biggest city, many Tigrayans say they feel that they, not their leaders, are the true targets of Mr. Abiy’s military campaign. Hospitals are filled with casualties from the fighting that rages in the countryside, many of them terrified civilians arriving with grievous wounds. Schools house some of the 71,000 people who fled to the city, often bringing accounts of horrific abuses at the hands of pro-government forces. A palpable current of fear and resentment courses through the streets, where hostilities between residents and patrolling government soldiers often erupt into violence.

Goldman Sachs analysts say they work 95-hour weeks and endure ‘inhumane’ treatment (CNN Business) A workplace survey from a group of junior analysts at Goldman Sachs is about to make you feel a lot better about your job. About a dozen first-year analysts say they are working more than 95 hours a week on average, sleeping just five hours a night and enduring workplace abuse. The majority of them say their mental health has deteriorated significantly since they started working at the investment bank. “There was a point where I was not eating, showering or doing anything else other than working from morning until after midnight,” one analyst says in the report. The survey comes from a self-selected group of 13 first-year analysts who presented their findings to management in February, a spokesperson for the bank said. Few people entering the cutthroat world of Wall Street banking would expect a tidy nine-to-five. But the analysts in the survey are essentially pleading with their employer to cap their weekly work hours at 80.

[noramoya]

#ThrillerLiveCloses #ApprovedByMJon2009

“Right now our world has been turned upside down, with a pandemic that is changing our way of life. It is affecting us all, financially, emotionally and socially. For me it has resulted in THRILLER LIVE closing prematurely (and permanently) in the West End, as all theatres around the country have been shut, in the public’s best interest. Myself and the rest of the team totally understand and respect that we must all practice social distancing, working together to beat this virus. But yesterday was a very sad day as I joined the cast, crew and other creatives at the Lyric Theatre for one last time. We wanted to come together to say goodbye to each other at the theatre that had become our home for the past 11-years. Ironically we were just two more performances away from becoming the 11th longest ever running show in the West End. Still to be 12th, and the longest ever running show at the Lyric Theatre is an incredible achievement. Another thing the coronavirus has shown us is that we never know what is around the corner and we shouldn’t take what we have for granted. Through hard times, we get to see what matters most and what we really need to value.

One of our cast members said that leaving the Lyric Theatre was like losing a loving partner. And that is partly true, in that sometimes you don’t appreciate what you have until it is gone. But I am sure that each and every one of the Thriller Live cast and crew will go on to great new ventures, just as previous associates have. It’s been an INCREDIBLE journey which has formed great friendships, partnerships and even relationships with babies to boot! For me it seems that things have gone full circle. For it was 30 years ago today (20th March 1990) when I first met the King of Pop, Michael Jackson, and he inspired me to see a world of endless possibilities. He showed me humility, kindness and a laughter like I’d never heard before.

We were at Record One Studios where he was free and at his creative best, producing the ‘Dangerous’ album. Watching a genius at work, who since the age of 5 had been perfecting his craft to become the world’s greatest ever entertainer was a true privilege. And then came an invitation to lunch at Neverland. That was the most memorable weekend ever. I’d never seen a landscape and home so beautiful. A place where Michael could dream peacefully, and one could lose themselves in magical abandonment. Which I did playing on the arcades, riding on the funfair and watching movies in the theatre. Just before I left, as I walked out the oak door, Michael said come back anytime. And I did, at least once a year - return to Neverland, as did many lucky fans, and various charitable organisations that Michael opened his doors for, because he loved to give, help and see others happy. That was the Michael Jackson I knew - a humble, innocent soul, who also happened to be one of the greatest artists of all time. There are many, many other stories that I have shared over the years, and fans and friends will know. Each one of them still as colourful in my mind now as it was when I first lived them. I thank Michael for those memories, and even though he is gone, it has never felt like a goodbye.

From all of us at “Thriller Live”, we want to Thank everyone who came to see the Show in the West End. We are Grateful that we could keep Michael’s Legacy and Music alive through the production and cá look forward to continuing touring the world in years to come. Now here follows a long, long list of thanks to just a few of the many people who made the show possible in the West End. There has been literally hundreds of people involved on and off the stage, so apologies that I can’t list everyone, but each of you are just as important in making this show a special part of West End history ! Producers Paul Walden & Derek Nicol, Mark Strange – General Manager, Ginette Sinnott – Head of Marketing, and everyone else at Flying Music (past and present) – thank you for believing in the show and all you have done to make it a worldwide success.

•Gary Lloyd our amazing Director & Choreographer. I could write a book about his character and talent, so please go read his own ! John Maher our meticulous Musical Director extraordinaire. • Every single band member past and present including Damien Cooper, Oliver Latka, Ryan Alex Farmery, Adam Kovacs and Mike Bradley - the greatest compliment you can pay these guys, is that some audience members still ask if the show is ‘live’. Yes! Applause when screen goes back and our musicians are revealed ! • Yasmin Yazdi, Jo Dyce, Rose Wild and Aisling Duffy – our fierce Resident Directors and Assistant Choreographers whom over the years have put hundreds of cast members through their paces. • Sharon Speirs and Caroline Stroud, our two long running and outstanding Company Managers over the past 11-years. And thank you to others who stepped in. • Nigel Catmur – Lighting Designer, Chris Whybrow – Sound Designer, Jonathan Park – Set Designer, Rob Jones and Catherine Teatum – Costume Designers – thank you for making this show look and sound so great ! • Our hard-working crew – Dawn Harvey, Paul Bond, Glenn Jenkins, Sophie Kemp, Kelvin White, Bill Dimeo, Matthew Giles, Alice Johson, Sara Markwick, Gemma Tucker, Melissa Cooke, Karli Can Heerden, Inca Jaackson, Rosie Woods and Jo Conlon – thank you for being there every day and making the show possible. • Not forgetting dozens of former crew members from Becky Potts and Jessica Plews to Craig and Kate Garratt and many, many more. • A big shout out to Haydon Eshun and John Moabi, our longest running West End cast members. These two guys are stage legends, whose performances did Michael proud every single night. • Respect to Kevin Wilson PR for keeping our name up in lights and doing it always with the utmost enthusiasm. • Thank you to Debbie O'Brien Casting – the talent we have seen over the years has been incredible including Zoe Birkett, Hayley Evetts, Maria Lawson, Samantha Johnson Carter, Cleopatra Madonna, Britt Quentin, Alex Buchanan, Jerome Singer, Trenyce Cobbins, David Jordan, MiG Ayesa and so many more outstanding vocalists ! • We have also been blessed with hundreds of amazing dancers since 2006 and through to the end of this West End run. They, with the singers and musicians are the life blood of the show, which relies, not on massive production, but pure heart and soul to deliver the energy, authenticity and chemistry that was part of Michael Jackson. • Thank you Nica Burns at Nimax for giving us a home for 11-years, and all the staff at the Lyric Theatre for looking after us, and over 2 million audience members throughout the years. • Massive appreciation to Kerys Nathan, our original Director & Choreographer from 2006-2008. You’ll always be a part of the show. • Thank you to every single cast member from the original West End cast featuring Ben Forster, Roger Wright, Denise Pearson, Ricko Baird, Kieran Alleyne, Layton Williams (OFFICIAL), Sterling Williams, Lewis Davies, Kamilah Beckles, Christabelle Field, Elliot James, Earl Perkins, Emily Rumbles, Dannielle Rothman, Sean Williams, Ashton Russell, Ross Sands and Jordan Darrell, to our last with – Wayne Anthony-Cole, Vivienne Ekwulugo, David Julien, Miles Anthony, Florivaldo Mossi, Lauren Gore, Filippo Coffano, Leslie Garcia Brown, Deavion Brown, David Devyne, Mitchell Eley, Ike Fallon, Eliza Hart, Gabriela Hernandez, Amelia-Annie Layng, Arnold Mabhena, Rishard-Kyro Nelson, Oskarina O'Sullivan , Shola B Riley, Triple Calz, Cannon Hay, Isaiah Mason, Ishaan Raithatha and Messiah Unusudimi. • To everyone on our suspended touring production, and all those before which has seen us visit over 34 different countries, thank you, thank you and thank you again. We will see each other hopefully soon as we continue this journey. Until then stay safe, and don't eat too many pies, there is only one costume budget. •Apologies too many not named above, some whom I greatly admire and some whom I am proud to now call friends, you are all in my thoughts.

Lastly, and most importantly – thank you to MICHAEL JACKSON ! “THRILLER LIVE” is your Music, your Artistry and your Magic ! Thank you for your Inspiration , Love and Humanity . 🙏🏼

Dreams do come true — Adrian Grant .