#Centennial – Video Review

[frozen10fanzine]

Frozen Through the Years

Yearly Spotlight: 2023

Written by @toriofthetrees

This year marked...

Frozen’s 10th Anniversary

It was wild.

Starting off with a bang, in February Disney CEO Bob Iger announced that Frozen III was in development, later confirmed by Josh Gad. Idina Menzel and Jen Lee confirmed it in June, with Jen Lee going on to say that she would not be directing this installment of the franchise. However, she confirmed that she knew the person who was, she loved their story, and she trusted them completely.

Her enthusiasm did not go unnoticed.

On top of the 10th Anniversary for Frozen (November 27) this year also marked the 100th Anniversary for Disney Studios as a whole (October 16). To commemorate both, much of the activity peaked towards the last three month of the year.

The hashtag #Frozen10 was created to celebrate the anniversary.

On October 11, the Forces of Nature podcast was released over several installments. It was met with mixed reviews; some enjoyed it, some were more critical of it, and most agreed that while it was fun, it did not have the chops to be a major installment of the Frozen franchise.

On October 16, Disney released a short film called Once Upon a Studio to commemorate their centennial celebration. It aired on ABC and showed the hustle and bustle of Disney Studios as everyone (all of our favorite characters) prepared for the big celebration! Elsa, Anna, Kristoff (and technically Hans) were among the many classic Disney characters that appeared!

Two novels were released this year. The first book was the first installment in the Disney Legends trilogy entitled Fixer Upper, written by Jen Calonita. It tells the story of Kristoff’s childhood and life before he met Anna in Frozen. The second novel, an anthology of short stories, was created specifically to celebrate #Frozen10. It is called All is Found, and it brought together 10 authors to write 10 short stories to celebrate the anniversary. It was edited by Heather Knowles and Mari Mancusi, veterans in non-film Frozen lore.

November is the month things started reallly picking up. The merchandising train at Disney rolled out a lot of Frozen merch, including limited edition dolls of the sisters specifically for the 10th anniversary. On November 16, Bob Iger announced a fourth installment of the franchise, with multiple voice actors and creators tied to the project confirming it later that same day. This coincided with the Grand Opening ceremony of the World of Frozen at Disneyland Hongkong. Jen Lee joined in this celebration, with the gates to the park opening four days later.

She informed the world on November 22 that Frozen III and Frozen IV were one story across two installments.

The anniversary itself was on November 27. Disney released a press release on their official website commemorating all that had happened in Frozen history (kind of like what we are doing with these blog posts). And, of course, the merchandising train spun out once again to give us all new merch specifically for the #Frozen10 celebration.

Towards the end of the month, the Frozen song playlist was added to Spotify and Season 5 of Disney Speedstorm was released with Frozen characters.

The year ended with exciting activity from the fandom! The Youtuber GeekCritique worked closely with the Arendelle Archives to create a video detailing the history of Arendelle. The video was released on December 23 and managed to make headlines! The other major project was a fanzine celebrating #Frozen10. Inspired by All is Found, several fans came together to create Water Has Memory: A Frozen Decade. Within the zine are the fandom's Frozen memories, presented in the form of Elsa & Anna accessing them together through Ahtohallan.

Needless to say, this year was a major leap forward for all things Frozen. It gave so much to look forward to, and it was a sizable way to commemorate the 10th Anniversary of this beloved story.

Stay Tuned for More

👆🏻 Click above if you want to celebrate the 10th Anniversary of Frozen. The due date is April 12, 2024.

4 Days Left

We look forward to seeing your memories ❄️

[unyieldingwings]

LIGHTLARK BY ALEX ASTER REVIEW

Title: Lightlark

Author: Alex Aster

Genre: Fantasy, High Fantasy, Romance, YA, Romantasy

Series: Yes

Rating: 3.5/5

Duration of read: 5 days

Page count: 409

I finally finished Lightlark!

It was such a wild read. I can honestly say that the book did make me feel a lot of emotions, and it was certainly a rollercoaster for me, and I decided to tab the book in this category: World Building/Important Stuff, Happy Stuff, Sad Stuff, Romantic, Suspicious and Frustrating/Making  Me Mad, which all the more proves that this was such an emotional read for me.

Though the premise of the plot of Lightlark was certainly interesting, I remember the first time that it came through my TikTok fyp, I immediately favorited the original video from Alex's account and decided to wait for it to be released in my country, and after finishing it, I did give it a rating of 3.5/5. The reason for this is because as I was going through the book, all the information that we needed to get to fully grasp the story were a little bit disjointed, incomplete and disconnected. To be frank, it was a little difficult for me to follow at first because in the beginning of the book, we would get descriptions, a few sentences of important information and then we would skip over to a new scene and then circle back to the original thought/information that was being discussed by the main character. I do understand that it is entirely possible that that is what the author wanted us to feel while reading the book, maybe she wanted us to feel exactly as clueless, as scared, as desperate and as helpless as the main character/main narrator to better connect with her, it just wasn't the easiest thing to follow for me. Even though I gave the book a solid 3.5, there are still things that I liked and did not like with it. Let me tell you more about them.

I loved the idea of Lightlark and the division into six rulers and realms (Sunling, Wildling, Nightshade, Skyling, Moonling and Starling). I loved the premise of participating in a deadly political game called The Centennial to decide which ruler and realm would die to free the entirety of their people from the curses that were spun 500+ years ago. I absolutely loved the drama of the fact that there were rules to be followed for the duration of The Centennial, and I also loved that there was drama among all the rulers. I also loved how the mentality of a person who has been manipulated by those around her was shown in the context of Isla's character--how she seems to struggle with her own identity, her own decisions and how she feels guilty for standing up for what she personally believes in, but I loved it more when she was able to gain a sense of confidence in her abilities, her identity and in who she is. Out of everything else though, the one thing I loved most about Lightlark is Grimshaw Malvere, ruler of Nightshade. I know, I know, Isla is the main character, but I cannot help it. Grimshaw is painted in such a mysterious, and admittedly, delicious way that I can't help but love him--flaws and all.

Moving on to the things that I did not particularly like about Lightlark. There are a few, and I think I would need to use bullet points for this.

I guess the main one would be the predictability of the major twists of the book. I don’t know if it was just me, but it was very easy to follow the clues leading us to the true villain of the story. It felt like we were trying to be misled to another conclusion, but the clues were just there and very easy to connect.

Another thing that I struggled with in the book is how it is always reinforced that Isla has been trained her entire life by her caretakers, however she always seems to get into precarious situations that could have been avoided if she actually used her training. It felt like her training was conveniently mentioned when it would suit the plot for some scheme-y type events, but would be conveniently shelved otherwise. It felt like her training was implied to be second nature to her, but actually isn't. This is what I meant by the information being a little bit disjointed because if she were actually trained to a point where she was one with all of her skills, she would not easily forget her own strength and fall prey to all the misfortunes that happened to her. I get it, The Centennial is supposed to be dangerous and Isla is supposed to be one of the youngest rulers in all the realms, however, it just really doesn't track for me how she's only well trained when it suits the plot, but she conveniently gets into so much trouble when it also suits the plot. I hope I'm still making sense.

It absolutely infuriated me how Poppy and Terra were the ones who mainly manipulated Isla, but it felt like it was only skimmed over when in truth, their betrayal of Isla's trust is so much more disgusting than what happened with Grim. It kinda felt to me like it's going to be some sort of set up for a possible redemption arc for Grim because it felt like I was being forced to vilify him in all ways possible.

I also did not like how the Centennial was presented to be a deadly, political, game that would showcase just how cruel, and cunning all these centuries old characters are, however it did not give me that sort of experience while reading it. I guess it's closely related to how I didn't get a lot of consolidated and solid information about Lightlark and the Centennial as much as I wanted to, then again, it is only the first book so that still remains to be seen for the remaining part of the series. In terms of it being political and exciting and anxiety inducing, and them showing just how cunning they can be, it wasn't really all that for me. I kind of expected a more complex way of all the rulers trying to manipulate, expose and spy on each other all the while trying to understand the prophecy and break the curse on Lightlark. I also kind of expected the entire Centennial to be more than a few paragraphs and chapters of them showing bits and pieces of their power, the weird tests they have for each other, and the demonstrations that feel like are just being used to further the plot of a love triangle instead of actually showing how deadly the competition is. I also had some trouble understanding how this was classified as a game when it sort of wasn't? I just had a lot of trouble with it. As I said earlier, it was a somewhat difficult read for me as it was hard to follow at times (except for the main villain plot thing.)

Main Characters:

Isla Crown, Grimshaw Malvere - ruler of Nightshade, Oro Rey - King of Lightlark.

Main Antagonist:

Celeste/Aurora ruler of Starling.

Supporting Characters: Azul, Cleo, Ella, Poppy, Terra, Juniper

MAIN CHARACTERS

Isla Crown:

Description: Isla has long, dark brown hair, green eyes, and tan skin.

Thoughts on Isla:

I personally did not like Isla as a main character. She infuriated me way too much. I understand that she has been manipulated by every single person in her life from the day she was born, and that does have a lot of consequences and effects on someone's life, however, I just didn't connect with her as well as I expected to. I have read a lot of fantasy series where the main character is a woman, a lot of them even younger than Isla's character, and a lot of them have also gone through very traumatic experiences (yeah, I know, trauma is trauma and people are allowed to react and feel differently because any experience is unique to the person). I feel like, Isla could have been written in a better way that showcases so much more of her strengths and her abilities as a supposedly fully trained warrior leader of the Wildling realm. As I mentioned earlier, it was difficult to swallow the fact that Isla keeps on boasting about her extremely harsh training that she received ever since she was a child, however it's still very easy for her to be taken advantage of, beaten and be basically helpless and be a damsel in distress negating all of the training that has been beaten into her bones and body, and then she suddenly becomes this well-trained girl who is one with her skills and abilities when the plot suits it.

Grimshaw Malvere, ruler of Nightshade:

Description: Grim is tall with pale skin, black eyes, black hair, and a dimple on his cruelly cut face.

Thoughts on Grim:

Where do I even begin? Grim is my favorite character out of all the people currently known to us in the Lightlark universe. Maybe I'm just being extremely biased, because he does feel very Rhys coded to me and I am absolutely in love with Rhysand (from acotar). Other than that though, I do love how Grim is written in a way that is very playful. I also love how he is very unconditional towards Isla. (Yeah I know, shit move on the memory erasing thing, but come on, we have to give him some leeway about that. More on that later) An example I have about him being unconditional towards her, whenever she asks him something that is absolutely within his power to answer, he doesn't act all high and mighty like the information only belongs to him, he answers as honestly as he can. He doesn't make her 'work' for the truth or the answers that she seeks as if she isn't worth honesty. Another thing I like about him is how he seems more than willing to sacrifice something about himself for the good of Isla (I absolutely love to see a whipped man for the main character). An example of this is how he was more than willing to expose his own flair when Isla's secret about her not having power was revealed by Oro just to make sure that Isla would be safe, away from the other rulers who might have nefarious plans for Isla. I also love how he  helped her move from the palace to the Wildling fortress no questions asked. Anything for Isla, anything she asks, he does. Anything she needs he gives with no conditions. Especially with the black diamond necklace he gifted Isla for whenever she's in trouble, I loved that so much. Grimshaw Malvere has shown us through his actions multiple times already how he is someone Isla CAN and SHOULD trust even though his own words say otherwise. More on the stuff about him feeling very Rhys coded to me is the tortured soul vibe I get off of him. Yeah sure, you can justify it as him feeling tortured because he did wipe Isla's memories for an entire year , but it kinda feels like it's more than that you know? I just have so many things that I love about Grim, and I hope that we get to know more about him in the next book. I hope we get to know him more, how he actually acts in his realm, what is important to him other than Isla, how he thinks, how he feels and why he acts the way he does. Let's not forget all the times that he refers to himself as a monster, how he always says that he is playing a role that is already expected of him by the other rulers--he must have a reason for that. There must be something that he is trying to protect in his realm, in his lands, or something that he is trying to expose which could be the reason that he acts the way he does. Now, I do understand that Grim is a controversial character for most readers because of the memory stealing thing that he did for Isla, I get it, that was definitely violating on so many levels, however, we should still give him some leeway about the fact that he was also manipulated by Celeste/Aurora. Remember, he suddenly inherited the power of his father when his father died for the prophecy to break the curse, and at this point Celeste/Aurora was already hundreds of years old, so she was already a conniving bitch, and as per the book, the Nightshade realm and Grimshaw are the only ones standing against some greater evil that Oro doesn't even want to explain to Isla (because he's manipulative like that. More on him later), so there must actually be MORE to him and how he is important to the story than we actually know. I know I'm rambling, but I just have so many thoughts about him and as much as I try to organize it, I just want to gush about him.

YES I AM A GRIMSHAW MALVERE APOLOGIST.

Oro Rey - King of Lightlark, ruler of Sunling:

Description: Oro has blond hair, gold eyes and fair skin.

Thoughts on Oro: 

I don't particularly like Oro. Yeah I get he saved Isla in the first part of the Centennial, but he really only saved her for his own purpose not because he actually loves her. I also understand that he is an untrusting person because he had been played and plagued by people who want to get close to him because of his status as the King of Lightlark, however, with the many changes of his personality, attitude, I don't even believe any of the faces that he shows us in the book. Oro to me, feels very icky. In a sense that he is not very forthcoming with information. Every time Isla asks him questions, he either dodges it or makes Isla work for the answer, he withholds information as if no one else is deserving of the truth other than he. He is a very conditional person, and I guess I just don't agree with people or characters that always have conditions for everything. I don't like how secretive he is, it doesn't feel mysterious for me, It feels manipulative. Especially with his sudden decision to kill off Grim. It felt very convenient how he and the other rulers just suddenly decided to off Grim just like that. It feels like he and the others were already planning something for Grim because he wasn't even invited by Oro in the past few Centennials and was only invited to this one when Isla would be playing. It just feels like there's more bad to him than good.

MAIN ANTAGONIST:

Celeste/Aurora:

Description: Celeste has a long, straight sheet of hair and a heart-shaped faced.

Thoughts on Celeste/Aurora

From the moment I read about her, she was already feeling kind of sketchy and shady for me. The way she was written didn't feel like she was someone I could trust. She loved to restrict Isla, and loved to remind her how she was weak and insignificant and needed protection. From those things alone, I already felt like she had something to do with the curse. It seemed like she was in the business of minimizing Isla as much as she can, she also seemed to always be in the most convenient of places to make sure she can reinforce her agenda of protecting Isla as well as the idea that she needs help. I understand she was supposed to be written as a major betrayal, however, it was very easy to follow the trail of the villain back to her. Just studying her actions, her words, what she does are kind of some flags pointing towards her.

SUPPORTING CHARACTERS:

Azul, Cleo, Ella, Poppy, Terra and Juniper.

I loved how friendly Azul was to Isla, and I am very sad for him in regards to what happened with his husband. Cleo felt like she was planted as an obvious choice for Isla to hate, or be suspicious of, though I do like her as a ruler because it was shown just how loyal her subjects are to her, and how far she'll go to protect them. Ella was very easy to like. She made me feel like she's someone I want to protect. With regards to Poppy and Terra, I am able to understand why they did what they did to Isla and her parents, however I cannot accept or ignore it. What they did to Isla--gaslighting her, manipulating her, lying to her, that is something that I cannot understand nor accept. I don't get why it was just skimmed over, I get it it was nearing the end of the book, but come on. I really hoped it would have warranted a little bit more of a reaction from Isla. She had more of a reaction towards Grim than them which was really rude imho. Out of all the supporting characters, I would like to see more of Cleo, and see how she plays into the plot of Lightlark.

Theories

Do I have theories about Lightlark? I'm not sure if these actually counts as theories, they're more like hopeful predictions for me, maybe even wishful thinking. Haha.

Mainly, I hope that the second book would be better written than the first in a way that it would be less difficult to follow, and it would have a more consolidated approach to the information we would need to understand the lore of Lightlark.

Now, for what I think will actually happen in the next book, I just have a few thoughts to share. First, I think that when Isla regains her full memories about her time with Grimshaw, she will understand further why Grim did what he did. Second, I think that Isla is going to find out the truth about the darkness/evil that the Nightshade realm is standing against, and I think Isla will find out that Oro is either behind that evil or he has something to do with it, and in a way has either convinced the other rulers to side with him or he has tricked them to side with him. I think that Isla will go back to Grim (because Oro feels more icky than Grim lol) and I do honestly think that something else is causing Oro's degeneration (the thing that's happening to his arm and body). I think we're also going to see how powerful Isla actually is when she finally trains her abilities as a Wildling ruler, and also her Nightshade powers plus the powers she got from winning the Centennial, and lastly, I think we're going to see just how Rhys coded Grimshaw Malvere actually is lol.

Will I be continuing the series and buying the next book or dropping it entirely?

I will be buying the next book -- Nightbane. At first I thought I would actually be DNF-ing the book, but I wanted to find out more about Grim, and after reading the last few chapters, I am determined to know more about him.

[talesfromtrigadora]

March Book Reviews

Managed to read seven books this month! I'm still behind on my goal of reading 50 by the end of this year, but this is a big improvement over the last two months. Here's a quick break-down of what I read and what I thought about them.

E.J. Dionne, Jr: Why American's Hate Politics

I've had this book on my TBR for a while, and with this being an election year, it seemed like the right book to kick off the year. The writing was easy to follow and track, despite the large amount of facts, dates, and quotes it relied on. Essentially, it both confirmed my own reasons for not loving politics (it's more of a popularity contest than about actual values) and was (disappointingly/annoyingly/bemusingly) relevant to today's politics despite being written in 1992.

Jim Butcher: Storm Front

I picked up this book a while ago when I learned that "The Dresden Files" TV show was based on this book series. I liked the show, so I figured I would like the book. As it turns out, I did not. While the premise is interesting (magic exists and there are wizards and fancy councils that help keep it in check, very urban fantasy), the MC's first-person narrative is not. He has a very low-misogynistic attitude toward woman that is supposed to be accepted as okay because he's a "nice guy."

Lionnne Wheeler: Cool Papa Bell

I try to switch back and forth between non-fiction and fiction, and in an attempt to get more involved in the town I recently moved to, I've decided that every third book is going to be a library book. This was my first one. It's a very well written biography about James "Cool Papa" Bell, one of the longest playing semi-pro baseball players who never got to play in the major leagues due to Jim Crow laws. He (and several of his team mates) were later added to the Baseball Hall of Fame, but the majority of the book is a very subtly written commentary on the excuses made in the effort to hide our permeating racism during the rise of the Civil Rights Era.

Ernest Cline: Ready Player One

Absolutely loved this book. It was so easy to get through even for someone who's familiarity with video games is essentially nothing. I very much enjoyed the references to the '80s media, and multiple times found myself wanting to look up the music, TV Shows, and movies that were referenced (at least the ones I wasn't already aware of). Maybe my favorite little Easter Egg was the cameo appearance of Will Wheaton (who I have always enjoyed) as the unquestioned leader of the AU.

Erik Larson: The Devil in the White City

This is the second history book I've read from this author and his popularity is well earned. So easy to read and endlessly interesting, I have no regrets of the number of blind books of his I bought before ever actually reading them. This one is about the World's Fair that was held in Chicago at the end of the 1800s in honor of the US's Centennial. It was fascinating to see the trouble that came from it, from the physical struggles of building the fair to the politics that came into play, and also interesting to see how it paired neatly with the rise of H. H. Holmes, one of the most prolific US Serial Killers to this day.

Jeff Abbott: An Ambush of Widows

My rule for my library book choices is to just pick the first book in the fiction/non-fiction section and go from there. Limits the need to think about things too hard and will force me to read things I wouldn't otherwise read. This is definitely one of those books, and at least in this case, I would've been right not to be interested. This book attempts to be a mystery novel and a thriller, and fails at both. While there is a mystery, the eagerness to solve that mystery is quickly lost due to the attitude of the three MCs. The attempt at a thriller is thrown out with the unnecessary development of the "villain." It would've been a more affective novel with only the one MC (Kirsten), far less telling -- especially about things that really didn't need to be said until they became relevant -- and far more showing.

C. Vann Woodward: The Strange Career of Jim Crow

This is another book that has been on TBR for a while. It was such an old copy that unfortunately my reading of it actually destroyed it, so I will need to track down a new copy. Like the first book on this list, it did a good job of summarizing the rise and "fall" of Jim Crow laws. I was intrigued to learn that right after Emancipation, many of the citizens of the South did not have any problem (or at least had limited issues) with integrating with the former slaves. It was only when politics got too involved, that Jim Crow laws started to rise, and they began with disfranchisement essentially because the political parties couldn't play fair and the new black voters got tired of being "won" by the different parties more for their vote than for their actual needs. I can't say I am entirely surprised by this piece of history.

[hobbyspacer]

Space habitat reports – Dec.15.2023

Here is this week's selection of videos and other items about space stations and living in space starting with NASA's latest Space to Ground report for the International Space Station: https://youtu.be/X5e5JGMYVVQ ** Expedition 70 Astronaut Mogensen Talks with Nobel Prize Laureates - Dec. 11, 2023 - NASA Video Aboard the International Space Station, Expedition 70 Commander Andy Mogensen of ESA (European Space Agency) discussed living and working in space as part of an event to mark the centennial awarding of the Nobel Prize to physicist Niels Bohr during an in-flight interview Dec. 11. Mogensen is in the midst of a long-duration mission on the microgravity laboratory to advance scientific knowledge and demonstrate new technologies for future human and robotic exploration missions. https://youtu.be/Zbe4IExAPyU ** Students and Space Genes - NASA From Earth orbit to the Moon and Mars, explore the world of human spaceflight with NASA each week on the official podcast of the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. Listen to in-depth conversations with the astronauts, scientists and engineers who make it possible. On episode 292, the co-founder of the “Genes in Space” program joins the 2022 student winner to discuss this competition that allows students across the country to design an experiment for the International Space Station. This episode was recorded on May 17, 2023. https://www.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/ep292_students_and_space_genes.mp3   ** Ax-3 Mission | Mission Overview - Axiom Space Axiom Space held a virtual press conference with leaders from NASA and SpaceX, as well as leaders from the Italian Air Force, Turkish Space Agency (TUA), and European Space Agency (ESA) to provide a high-level review of mission operations and objectives to officially kick off major media efforts leading up to Axiom Mission 3 (Ax-3). Ax-3 will be the first all-European commercial astronaut mission to launch to the ISS – redefining the pathway to low-Earth orbit (LEO) and helping chart a course toward Axiom Station, the world’s first commercial space station. As part of Ax-3, Türkiye is sending its first astronaut to space in a larger effort to expand the nation’s space exploration capabilities and establish a national human spaceflight program. Ax-3 will also be the first commercial spaceflight mission for an ESA-sponsored astronaut. For Italy, the Ax-3 mission represents a whole-of-country effort to expand its access to space for the purposes of research, development, and innovation. The Ax-3 crewmembers are Commander Michael López-Alegría of the U.S. and Spain, Pilot Walter Villadei of the Italian Air Force, and Mission Specialists Alper Gezeravcı of Türkiye and Marcus Wandt of Sweden and ESA. A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch the Ax-3 crew aboard a Dragon spacecraft to the International Space Station (ISS) no earlier than January 2024 from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. https://youtu.be/TnKfrHXTx0c ** Astronaut food! - Axiom Space Mealtime on the #ISS is very important. The #Ax3 crew taste tests the menu and learns how to use the special warmers as part of their preparation. https://youtu.be/dDNUQp_x6JM ** Recent posting from Sierra Space: regarding development of the Life Habitat inflatable module for the Orbital Reef space station: Our team looks forward to sharing recent test results, as we continue developing the first commercial space station. pic.twitter.com/BmBEOJTiJr — Sierra Space (@SierraSpaceCo) December 13, 2023 ** News and resources: - Sierra Space’s Dream Chaser New Station Resupply Spacecraft for NASA | NASA - Dec.15.2023 - SpaceX to launch 3rd private astronaut mission to the ISS | SpaceWatch.Global - Dec.15.2023 - NASA’s Commercial Partners Continue Progress on New Space Stations | NASA - Dec.12.2023 - Dragon Departure Postponed, Microgravity Research Continues | Space Station/NASA - Dec.12.2023 ** Highlight: Egypt - Lake Nasser - Dec 14, 2023 - 13:22 UTC  -   ISS Above NASA EHDC6 Live views of the Earth from the International Space Station https://youtu.be/a8MkEdculpc ** Highlight: CA Los Angeles - NV - early morning - Dec 13, 2023 - 07:16 PST - ISS Above https://youtu.be/Dk210_qE5OE ** Live Video from the International Space Station (Official NASA Stream) - NASA Watch live video from the International Space Station, including inside views when the crew aboard the space station is on duty. Views of Earth are also streamed from an external camera located outside of the space station. During periods of signal loss due to handover between communications satellites, a blue screen is displayed. The space station orbits Earth about 250 miles (425 kilometers) above the surface. An international partnership of five space agencies from 15 countries operates the station, and it has been continuously occupied since November 2000. It's a microgravity laboratory where science, research, and human innovation make way for new technologies and research breakthroughs not possible on Earth. More: https://go.nasa.gov/3CkVtC8 Did you know you can spot the station without a telescope? It looks like a fast-moving star, but you have to know when to look up. Sign up for text messages or email alerts to let you know when (and where) to spot the station and wave to the crew: https://spotthestation.nasa.gov https://www.youtube.com/live/xAieE-QtOeM?feature=share ====

ISS after undocking of STS-132 === Amazon Ads === Lego Ideas International Space Station 21321 Toy Blocks, Present, Space, Boys, Girls, Ages 16 and Up  ==== Outpost in Orbit: A Pictorial & Verbal History of the Space Station  Read the full article

[celtfather]

Dragon Con 2023: firefly, musical pins and madness

Dragon Con weekend is back. There’s Firefly, hobbits, Brobdingnagian Bards, musical pins and madness. Music from Marc Gunn, Wakefire, Brobdingnagian Bards, Mikey Mason. 

This is Pub Songs & Stories #273. 

0:21 - Marc Gunn “Raise a Glass to Flyin’” from As Long As I’m Flyin’

1:57 - WELCOME TO PUB SONGS & STORIES

I am Marc Gunn. I’m a rhythm and folk musician and podcaster living in Atlanta, Georgia. Where I’ll be performing at Dragon Con this coming weekend. 

If you’re new to the show, please follow us on your favorite podcatcher. You can do that PubSong.com or even better or you can subscribe and download all of my songs in this show and the last one. Just send me an email.  pubsong@celtfather. 

You will get an auto responder to download the month’s songs. You will also get that subscribe link. It’s quick and easy. While you’re emailing me to get your free EP, let me know what you’re doing while listening to this episode. 

3:44 - UPCOMING SHOWS

AUG 31-SEP 4: Dragon Con

Friday: Firefly Drinking Songs

Sat: Bards Concourse show and evening concert

Sun: Hobbit Drinking Songs

Mon: Live Pub Songs & Stories

SEP 14: Bandcamp Internet Concert @ 7:30 PM

SEP 16: Pontoon Brewing Company, Sandy Springs, GA @ 2-5 PM

SEP 23: Ironshield Brewing, Lawrenceville, GA @ 5:30-8:30 PM

7:36 - As featured on the latest Irish & Celtic Music Podcast:

Wakefire “Storm Warning” from Meaning of Life

Thurs: Centennial 

Friday: Concourse

Saturday: Concourse

11:03 - JOIN THE CLUB 

The show is brought to you by my Gunn Runners on Patreon. If you enjoy this podcast or my music, please join the Club. Every week, you get bonus podcasts, downloadable songs, printed sheet music, blogs, or stories from the road. Plus, you get weekly access to my Coffee with The Celtfather video concerts. Sign up for as little as $5 per month and save 15% with an annual membership.

Thanks to my newest Gunn Runners on Patreon: Alice M, Karla A, Triskele, Ayden  

If you can’t support us financially, you can leave a review for free.

11:57 - BARDS AT DRAGON CON 2023

14:59 - Brobdingnagian Bards “I Will Not Sing Along” from I Will Not Sing Along

20:02 - THE STORY - MUSICAL PINS

25:27 - Mikey Mason “Shades of Gray” from Shades of Gray

Friday: Concourse

Friday: Hyatt Hanover

Saturday: Concourse

Sunday: Hyatt Hanover

32:17 - OUTRO  

OUTRO MUSIC: Marc Gunn & Sam Gillogly “Hobbit Polka” from Dancing With Hobbits

Thanks for listening to Pub Songs & Stories. The show is brought to you by my Gunn Runners on Patreon. Sign up for new podcasts, videos, and songs every month. The show was edited by Mitchell Petersen with graphics by Miranda Nelson Designs. 

You can follow and listen to the show wherever you find podcasts. Sign up to my mailing list to read the show notes for this episode and find out where I’m performing. 

And of course, please tell one friend about this podcast. Word of mouth is the absolute best way to support any creative endeavor. Have fun and sing along at www.pubsong.com!

Remember. Reduce, reuse, recycle, and think about how you can make a positive impact on your environment. 

  #pubstories #dragoncon2023 #dragonCon

  Check out this episode!

[tenwithken]

The Post-Pandemic Campus

Season 7 of Ten with Ken opens with a 5-part series looking at Forward-Looking Facilities, and the ways that campus design and architecture have responded to the lessons learned during the pandemic.

In part 1, "The Post-Pandemic Campus," Ken reviews the turbulence and shifting context we've all learned to expect, and warns that the future will be even more fluid, thanks to climate change, extreme weather, zoonotic viruses and more. COVID19 thrust our society, and our institutions, a full decade into the future, forcing us to adopt technologies and remote approaches to work and learning, whether we were ready or not. Ken also showcases this video from Centennial College, "Learn Your New Way," which still gives him goosebumps after 100 viewings. 

No matter how you slice it, "the college campus is no longer at the centre of the education universe" -- although more about that in upcoming episodes!

To see episodes of Ten with Ken when they're first released (a month or more before they appear here), join our FREE virtual community, Eduvation Circles! You'll find the complete catalog of episodes, slide decks, other resources, and conversations in a dedicated Ten with Ken area.

Check out this episode of Ten with Ken!

[beerselfie]

#Repost @nutmeg2palmetto Westie is Bestie? . Well, that’s what @beermegvl always says but I’m not sure if I’m willing to jump on that bandwagon quite yet . That being said, this gift called Sneaky Goose out of @wilmingtonbrewingcompany from Screech himself is one hell of an example of a classic West Coast IPA. Not gonna lie, as it warms up, it’s a lot easier to palette. I know, crazy right?! . FULL VIDEO REVIEW on my TikTok feed! . Talk to me, Goose! . Beer: Sneaky Goose Brewery: @wilmingtonbrewingcompany Location: Wilmington, NC Style: Imperial West Coast IPA ABV: 10.2% IBU: 106 😳😳 Hops: Boiled with Warrior, Centennial, Columbus, Simcoe, Citra. Dry-Hopped with Simcoe, Citra, and Amarillo . . . #ncbeer #nc #beer #coastal #coast #westcoast #westie #ipa #craft #craftbeer #piney #bitter #brew #brewing #brewery #drinklocal #supportlocal #beerreview #brewreview https://www.instagram.com/p/Cl4r18vP-aF/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[jordanianroyals]

Crown Prince Hussein in an interview with Jordan Television in March 2021, on the anniversary of the Arabisation of army leadership.

The Crown Prince also touched on a number of topics like the state centennial, Jordan’s foreign policies, the repercussions of the COVID-19 crisis and social media.

The video is subtitled & following is the English transcript of the interview:

Jordan Television: In this conversation with His Royal Highness Crown Prince Al Hussein Bin Abdullah II, we will discuss a number of occasions — the anniversary of the Arabisation of army leadership, the centennial of the state, and a number of other topics.

Welcome, Your Royal Highness.

Crown Prince Hussein: Thank you for having me. Allow me first to send my greetings to all Jordan Television viewers and to pay tribute to all those working to counter the COVID-19 pandemic. May the souls of those who passed away from our families rest in peace, and may God protect everyone. “God is best at guarding, and He is the Most Merciful of merciful ones.”

Jordan Television: Your Royal Highness, our meeting coincides with a dear occasion to us all, the anniversary of the Arabisation of army leadership. The Armed Forces, as we all know, have a major and prominent role in safeguarding our nation. And as Crown Prince, Sir, you have a special relationship with the Armed Forces. Can we talk more about it?

Crown Prince: First, Sir, in the army, I’m not a Crown Prince, I’m a First Lieutenant like any other army officer. The Armed Forces teach us commitment, sacrifice and discipline. Frankly, the camaraderie I have experienced in the army is something I have not seen anywhere else.

And as you mentioned, we are celebrating a historic day in the state’s journey. It is an achievement by my grandfather, Al Hussein, may his soul rest in peace, from whom we have inherited the love of and dedication to the army.

And as you know, my father, His Majesty King Abdullah II, is a military man first and foremost, and he has served for a long time in the Arab Army, rising through the ranks to become Special Operations Commander with the rank of Major General.

And to this day, when I accompany His Majesty, I see how he reacts when he meets with those who have served with him, and I feel how happy he is to reminisce about his time with them.

Jordan Television: Honestly, Your Royal Highness, this is a wonderful legacy, and the relationship between the Hashemite family and the Armed Forces is distinctive throughout history. Just recently, we witnessed the launch of the “Brothers in Arms” programme. If anything, this indicates the deep faith in the Armed Forces, including active and retired personnel, doesn’t it, Your Royal Highness?

Crown Prince: I cannot begin to describe how happy I was when this project was launched, because it touches the lives of our brothers who have served in the Armed Forces.

This programme is a priority for His Majesty, who knows how much [veterans and retired servicemen] have given to this nation, out of his close relationship with them. I hope this programme would meet the aspirations of retired servicemen.

Jordan Television: Your Royal Highness, at the start of this conversation, you mentioned the late King Al Hussein, may his soul rest in peace. You carry his name, and many see a resemblance between you and him. Can we speak further about this?

Crown Prince: It is an honour for me, but the issue is not about physical resemblance, what is more important is to carry forward his principles. My grandfather Al Hussein had a unique personality, and from him we learned to have our own independent approach and way of thinking, within the steadfast principles we grew up believing in. May his soul rest in peace, he was an inspiring leader and close to the people, and since I carry his name, this gives me a sense of responsibility and a deep connection to him.

To this day, when I see my pictures with him, I remember my childhood and the attention he used to give me, and it touches me deeply.

When people remember my grandfather Al Hussein, they remember his speeches and positions, but when I see how Jordan continues to stand tall against all odds, I say that this is the legacy that my grandfather left behind, may his soul rest in peace.

Jordan Television: This is a great legacy, Your Royal Highness. We also always see you by His Majesty King Abdullah II’s side. This closeness must have an impact on your daily experience, doesn’t it?

Crown Prince: These meetings are schools unto themselves, and I am very lucky to be able to learn from him. I always see how His Majesty is firm in tough situations and compassionate in humanitarian situations. He always keeps calm and takes the necessary decisions at the right time.

There is no doubt that the responsibilities on His Majesty’s shoulders are indescribable. Those who have simple commitments may not be able to sleep at night, so imagine what it would be like for someone responsible for an entire country. May God bless him and enable us to meet his expectations and serve the nation as he taught us to.

Jordan Television: Your Royal Highness, let us turn to the COVID-19 crisis and its implications. It has been a year since this pandemic started, which has changed much in the world. Your Royal Highness, do you think we will witness any breakthroughs?

Crown Prince: Of course, Sir, this is a new issue for the whole world, and no one knew what sort of enemy we are facing. Unfortunately, many families have lost loved ones, and the lockdowns and infections have impacted livelihoods and the economy. However, God willing, with the vaccine now available, we will be able to gradually recover from the impact of the crisis.

Jordan Television: Your Royal Highness, God willing, and with the determination of all, we will be able to recover soon.

Crown Prince: Jordan was among the first countries to acquire the vaccine in the region, but the delay in the vaccinations is due to delays from the manufacturing companies. Jordan is working to secure a large supply of vaccines, God willing. It is imperative that everyone take the precautions and register to receive the vaccine. Patience is needed, and “with hardship comes ease”.

Jordan Television: Sir, we must also speak about the economic situation. My question, Your Royal Highness, is how can we bolster our economy in light of the challenges facing us?

Crown Prince: Our core challenge is the economy. Jordan has gone through a series of crises, from the Iraq war, to the cut in gas supplies, to the Syrian crisis, and now the COVID-19 crisis. All these crises have impacted economic reform.

Like other countries, there have been mistakes that we must review and learn from, and there must be a clear goal and institutionalised work, as well as bold decision-making in the state’s approach to various economic issues. Policies must not change with the faces, and this must not delay projects.

Most importantly, we must see the results on the ground, and the only concern for any official must be citizens’ interest. Frankly, we do not have time nor patience for any other concerns.

Jordan Television: So, Your Royal Highness, this is a strong call for hard work. The Jordanian society is usually described as a youthful society. Sir, we always see you around youth. How can we enhance young Jordanians’ opportunities and qualifications to join the labour market?

Crown Prince: Our youths are up to the task, and I always meet with them. They all have the energy, but they need the opportunity, so we must focus on honing their skills.

For example, the Crown Prince Foundation is one of the institutions seeking to reach young people in all areas and to contribute to technical education, through several initiatives, such as Al Hussein Technical University. These skills will contribute to qualifying young people to join the labour market.

Jordan Television: Of course, Your Royal Highness, especially since the future lies in technical education, and many local studies indicate there are certain specialties that have become saturated. Your Royal Highness, since we are talking about young people, do you follow their comments on social media?

Crown Prince: Sometimes, when I get the chance. Social media platforms are very important, and it is difficult to disregard them, but they do not always reflect reality. This is why I always try to reach out to people directly.

And sometimes, unfortunately, social media platforms spread negative and false news, so we must always verify the news. Sometimes, I check social media on my phone and suddenly find myself “engaged” or “married”, and there are many false stories that we come across. This happens to most people.

Jordan Television: Sir, Your Royal Highness, you studied international history, and you are aware of the domestic and international scenes; how has Jordan been able to safeguard its interests while maintaining its steadfast positions?

Crown Prince: Everyone knows that Jordan, historically, has gone through much more difficult times than the ones we are living through today. Jordan’s resilience is a lesson to be taught, and this year, we celebrate the centennial of the state, a state that has stood firm and prospered in a turbulent region. This is all due to the strong faith of our people and leadership in this nation.

Jordan’s vision is clear — safeguarding its strategic interests, while our positions remain steadfast towards Arab causes, especially the Palestinian cause, our central cause.

And Sir, Jerusalem is a personal cause for the Hashemites, and a red line for every Jordanian.

Jordan Television: Absolutely, Sir, Jerusalem and its holy sites are in all our hearts. To conclude, Sir, what are your aspirations for Jordan’s future?

Crown Prince: If you want to answer this question, I think it is necessary for us as Jordanians to ask ourselves what is the future that we want? What is the role of each official and citizen in building a community rooted in productivity, justice and efficiency?

Jordan Television: Absolutely, Your Royal Highness, this could be a message to all — we must work towards such a future?

Crown Prince: Our country’s human resources are full of potential; it is a museum from north to south, and we have immense innovative energy.

We have all the key ingredients for progress; we need only to roll up our sleeves and work together as one, because teamwork is key.

And this is who we are as Jordanians. We are all one, God willing, and we are unwavering in the face of all circumstances. I view the future with a sense of optimism, and I pray that God protect everyone and safeguard this nation.

Thank you, Sir, and God bless your efforts

Jordan Television: Amen. Thank you, Your Royal Highness.

[nasa]

5 New Competitions for the Artemis Generation!

A common question we get is, “How can I work with NASA?”

The good news is—just in time for the back-to-school season—we have a slew of newly announced opportunities for citizen scientists and researchers in the academic community to take a shot at winning our prize competitions.

As we plan to land humans on the Moon by 2024 with our upcoming Artemis missions, we are urging students and universities to get involved and offer solutions to the challenges facing our path to the Moon and Mars. Here are five NASA competitions and contests waiting for your ideas on everything from innovative ways to drill for water on other planets to naming our next rover:

1. The BIG Idea Challenge: Studying Dark Regions on the Moon

Before astronauts step on the Moon again, we will study its surface to prepare for landing, living and exploring there. Although it is Earth’s closest neighbor, there is still much to learn about the Moon, particularly in the permanently shadowed regions in and near the polar regions.

Through the annual Breakthrough, Innovative and Game-changing (BIG) Idea Challenge, we’re asking undergraduate and graduate student teams to submit proposals for sample lunar payloads that can demonstrate technology systems needed to explore areas of the Moon that never see the light of day. Teams of up to 20 students and their faculty advisors are invited to propose unique solutions in response to one of the following areas:

• Exploration of permanently shadowed regions in lunar polar regions • Technologies to support in-situ resource utilization in these regions • Capabilities to explore and operate in permanently shadowed regions

Interested teams are encouraged to submit a Notice of Intent by September 27 in order to ensure an adequate number of reviewers and to be invited to participate in a Q&A session with the judges prior to the proposal deadline. Proposal and video submission are due by January 16, 2020.

2. RASC-AL 2020: New Concepts for the Moon and Mars

Although boots on the lunar surface by 2024 is step one in expanding our presence beyond low-Earth orbit, we’re also readying our science, technology and human exploration missions for a future on Mars.

The 2020 Revolutionary Aerospace Systems Concepts – Academic Linkage (RASC-AL) Competition is calling on undergraduate and graduate teams to develop new concepts that leverage innovations for both our Artemis program and future human missions to the Red Planet. This year’s competition branches beyond science and engineering with a theme dedicated to economic analysis of commercial opportunities in deep space.

Competition themes range from expanding on how we use current and future assets in cislunar space to designing systems and architectures for exploring the Moon and Mars. We’re seeking proposals that demonstrate originality and creativity in the areas of engineering and analysis and must address one of the five following themes: a south pole multi-purpose rover, the International Space Station as a Mars mission analog, short surface stay Mars mission, commercial cislunar space development and autonomous utilization and maintenance on the Gateway or Mars-class transportation.

The RASC-AL challenge is open to undergraduate and graduate students majoring in science, technology, engineering, or mathematics at an accredited U.S.-based university. Submissions are due by March 5, 2020 and must include a two-minute video and a detailed seven to nine-page proposal that presents novel and robust applications that address one of the themes and support expanding humanity’s ability to thrive beyond Earth.

3. The Space Robotics Challenge for Autonomous Rovers

Autonomous robots will help future astronauts during long-duration missions to other worlds by performing tedious, repetitive and even strenuous tasks. These robotic helpers will let crews focus on the more meticulous areas of exploring. To help achieve this, our Centennial Challenges initiative, along with Space Center Houston of Texas, opened the second phase of the Space Robotics Challenge. This virtual challenge aims to advance autonomous robotic operations for missions on the surface of distant planets or moons.

This new phase invites competitors 18 and older from the public, industry and academia to develop code for a team of virtual robots that will support a simulated in-situ resource utilization mission—meaning gathering and using materials found locally—on the Moon.

The deadline to submit registration forms is December 20.

4. Moon to Mars Ice & Prospecting Challenge to Design Hardware, Practice Drilling for Water on the Moon and Mars

A key ingredient for our human explorers staying anywhere other than Earth is water. One of the most crucial near-term plans for deep space exploration includes finding and using water to support a sustained presence on our nearest neighbor and on Mars.

To access and extract that water, NASA needs new technologies to mine through various layers of lunar and Martian dirt and into ice deposits we believe are buried beneath the surface. A special edition of the RASC-AL competition, the Moon to Mars Ice and Prospecting Challenge, seeks to advance critical capabilities needed on the surface of the Moon and Mars. The competition, now in its fourth iteration, asks eligible undergraduate and graduate student teams to design and build hardware that can identify, map and drill through a variety of subsurface layers, then extract water from an ice block in a simulated off-world test bed.

Interested teams are asked to submit a project plan detailing their proposed concept’s design and operations by November 14. Up to 10 teams will be selected and receive a development stipend. Over the course of six months teams will build and test their systems in preparation for a head-to-head competition at our Langley Research Center in June 2020.

5. Name the Mars 2020 Rover!

Red rover, red rover, send a name for Mars 2020 right over! We’re recruiting help from K-12 students nationwide to find a name for our next Mars rover mission.

The Mars 2020 rover is a 2,300-pound robotic scientist that will search for signs of past microbial life, characterize the planet's climate and geology, collect samples for future return to Earth, and pave the way for human exploration of the Red Planet.

K-12 students in U.S. public, private and home schools can enter the Mars 2020 Name the Rover essay contest. One grand prize winner will name the rover and be invited to see the spacecraft launch in July 2020 from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. To enter the contest, students must submit by November 1 their proposed rover name and a short essay, no more than 150 words, explaining why their proposed name should be chosen.

Just as the Apollo program inspired innovation in the 1960s and '70s, our push to the Moon and Mars is inspiring students—the Artemis generation—to solve the challenges for the next era of space exploration.

For more information on all of our open prizes and challenges, visit: https://www.nasa.gov/solve/explore_opportunities

Make sure to follow us on Tumblr for your regular dose of space: http://nasa.tumblr.com

[theambientcollection]

Chicago – Virtual Tourist Tour of the Windy CityChicago, a city unlike any other. Packed full of towering skyscrapers and world-class museums, its expansive lakeshore and numerous green parks also make it one of the world’s greatest cities to run, bike or take a walk-in. It's hard to know where to start on a visit to the Windy City, but you’ll get to see it up close and personal in this video. Some of the famous sights and landmarks you’ll see at day and dusk are highlighted with informative callouts and include: Great view of Chicago’s famous skyline including callouts to its major Chicago Tourist Tour  spot 1 - Buildings- 1:28Chicago Tourist Tour  spot 2   Agora – 5:01Chicago Tourist Tour  spot 3   “L” Train System – 9:11Chicago Tourist Tour  spot 4    Tribune Tower – 10:23Chicago Tourist Tour  spot 5   DuSable Bridge – 11:03Chicago Tourist Tour  spot  6  Buckingham Fountain – 13:27Chicago Tourist Tour  spot  7 Congress Hotel – 14:53Chicago Tourist Tour  spot   8 Navy Pier – 18:1Chicago Tourist Tour  spot  9 Centennial Wheel – 19:50 We hope you enjoy our video and, if you do, please subscribe, like, share or view our other videos on YouTube. Enjoy a free one-month trial subscription to our streaming platform where you can work out to any of our cycling, treadmill and rowing videos. Interested? Just download our apps from Google or Apple stores or visit www.virtualfitnesstv.com. Alternatively, buy this and more than 1000 other HD and 4K DVDs and Downloads including unseen footage from our website - https://www.worldnaturevideo.com  If you like our videos and would like to become an official reviewer or contributor for Virtual Fitness TV then please contact us. Video footage can be licensed out by contacting me.What we are all about?"Ever get bored on the treadmill, elliptical or may not have the time to get to a park or out to your favorite spot in the city? - Well here is the solution ... Our series of Virtual Fitness Tv Sceneries gives you the freedom to choose from many different places and landscapes from around the world. Simply play, our films in your tv, tablets, phones and off you go!We believe that our videos will really inspire you to exercise longer when time seems to fly out. Make exercise a fun, refreshing experience. Walking, jogging or running make your fitness sessions more fun and watch calories burn faster!If you like our videos and would like to become an official reviewer for Virtual Fitness Tv then please contact usIf you like our videos and would like to become a contributor for Virtual Fitness Tv then please contact us.All films are created by the Ambient Collection using various Gimbals and vehicleswith advanced suspension kits and the latest Cameras for super stable and razor-sharp images.

[mongoose232323]

Meanwhile In Nashville, Tennessee

Monday, June 17, 2019

THEY WERE RACISTS!

A Confederate Statue Is Vandalized

With These Words.

From The Article

The bronze statue of a soldier was found with red paint splattered on it, and "they were racists" written on a side plaque.

The vandalism covers the more than 500 names of the Frank Cheatham Bivouac, the group of United Confederate Veterans who commissioned the statue. It was erected in 1909.

Metro Nashville Police Department Capt. Chris Taylor said the Midtown Precinct is investigating. They will check for fingerprints.

"There is video that takes place in Centennial Park. We will review that," Taylor said.

He said this type of vandalism is rare.

"The parks do experience vandalism, usually it's tagging, more of a neutral nature. This is more focused, obviously, with a political statement associated," he said. "A political-nature vandalism hasn't happened in at least seven or eight years."

The monument is one of two Confederate monuments on public land in Davidson County. There are about 70 such monuments across the state of Tennessee.

Monuments and statues about the Confederacy have been an ongoing source of controversy in Tennessee and elsewhere in the U.S. Defenders cite their historical value, while detractors argue they memorialize slavery and racism.

https://amp.tennessean.com/amp/1475708001

[musiquariumology]

I posted 571 times in 2022

That's 571 more posts than 2021!

531 posts created (93%)

40 posts reblogged (7%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@vintagecheese

@demonsee2

@wilwheaton

@spockvarietyhour

I tagged 552 of my posts in 2022

Only 3% of my posts had no tags

#youtube - 526 posts

#pop music - 109 posts

#hip hop - 58 posts

#80s pop - 49 posts

#rap - 46 posts

#classic hip hop - 41 posts

#rock and roll - 32 posts

#rythm and blues - 28 posts

#90s hip hop - 25 posts

#rock - 22 posts

Longest Tag: 31 characters

#tom petty and the heartbreakers

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

Watch "Portal - 'Still Alive'" on YouTube

5 notes - Posted November 21, 2022

#4

Watch "RUN DMC - Walk This Way (Official HD Video) ft. Aerosmith" on YouTube

6 notes - Posted July 26, 2022

#3

Watch "CONAN THE BARBARIAN - UNIVERSAL PICTURES CENTENNIAL CONCERT - FIMUCITÉ 6" on YouTube

7 notes - Posted October 11, 2022

#2

Watch "Marilyn Manson - The Dope Show (Official Music Video)" on YouTube

8 notes - Posted November 3, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

Watch "Amy Winehouse - Live in London 2007 (Full Concert)" on YouTube

12 notes - Posted September 14, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

[andloveistoolong]

I posted 7,813 times in 2022

That's 4,285 more posts than 2021!

42 posts created (1%)

7,771 posts reblogged (99%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@simplemindedspacetrash

@valleydean

@littlebluecaboose

@otakusapien

@lookforanewangle

I tagged 6,164 of my posts in 2022

Only 21% of my posts had no tags

#supernatural - 1,402 posts

#fanart - 1,235 posts

#destiel - 523 posts

#critical role - 504 posts

#laugh tag - 371 posts

#dean winchester - 338 posts

#video - 336 posts

#our flag means death - 325 posts

#castiel - 299 posts

#the locked tomb - 289 posts

Longest Tag: 138 characters

#the centennial exposition drew in over ten million visitors which makes sense because the fair had the largest fork and knife in the world

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

Orville Peck in Nashville, May 13, 2022

A clip from Turn to Hate

Forgive the audio (and video) quality, I am just immensely charmed by his dancing 😁

14 notes - Posted May 17, 2022

#4

In honor of Jason and Salim both having canon birthdays, and because I am a predictable astrology bitch:

(from astrology.com)

Taurus/Leo too since Jason is a cusp, because of fucking course he is:

See the full post

49 notes - Posted July 22, 2022

#3

have we done this yet?

106 notes - Posted November 27, 2022

#2

I'm losing my mind, I love this asshole so fucking much

117 notes - Posted May 2, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

People talking about not feeling the chemistry between Bruce and Selina really giving me the same vibes as the "I believed your sister was indifferent." "That's because she's shy!" conversation in Pride & Prejudice.

318 notes - Posted March 8, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

[thephantomprojectionist]

Review: Death Match (1994)

“Go ahead, if you and your friends want to look like Swiss cheese”

SOURCE

My opinion regarding kickboxer/actor/activist Ian Jacklin is a little more complicated than with most karate stars, but in a nutshell, I thought the guy was pretty cool until I realized that he spends his life promoting quackery to cancer patients. Nevertheless, I enjoy his acting career and see it as a microcosm of a successful B-movie trajectory, with Death Match being the climax. Created outside of the major video studios, it has an unambitious story but a good production with a huge amount of martial talent. It’s required watching for fans of the subgenre and easily the best of Jacklin’s film career.

The story: An ex-fighter (Jacklin) goes undercover in a deadly fighting circuit to rescue his kidnapped best friend (Nicholas Hill).

I need to emphasize the state of the production, even though it may seem odd to praise a film for looking average. Keep in mind how easy it is for indie movies to turn out like crud. By all rights, Death Match should’ve been interchangeable with a typical Cine Excel production (underpopulated vistas, dubbed dialogue, etc.) but it’s actually indistinguishable from most Pepin-Merhi or Shapiro-Glickenhaus actioneers. As a matter of fact, it would be pretty aspirant for a PM or SG production, given the impressive list of names in the cast. To be fair, we sometimes only get a little taste of them – cult stars Richard Lynch and Jorge Rivero have only one scene apiece as Mafia bosses – but the list of talent goes on. Martin Kove and Matthias Hues are good as the lead villains, with Kove supplying the drama and Hues most of the fighting. Steven Leigh, Eric Lee, and Benny Urquidez don’t have any fights but do well in their dramatic scenes. Michele Krasnoo, Butch Togisala, Randall Ideishi, Ed Neal and Peter Cunningham partake in some of the highlighted brawls, and many more show up elsewhere. If these names aren’t clicking, you haven’t been watching movies like this long enough. The sheer accumulation of performers with reputations in the genre is amazing, especially since your average PM production sometimes wouldn’t even spring for half.

Of course, presence isn’t as important as utilization. The real question is how good the 16 fight scenes are, and the answer is that they’re a mixed bag. On the bright side, there are no downright bad matches and the choreography is nicely varied – some street-fighting, some shoot boxing, and even a lone stick fight. There are some some surprisingly long shots highlighting lengthy exchanges, and a few performers have standout moments of action. (I really enjoyed the Matthias Hues-Dino Homsey bout.) However, for the most part, nobody performs the best work of their career. Michele Krasnoo is made the least of, being introduced as a fighter but then only engaging in half a match. I have the impression that the choreographers were simply stretched too thin by crafting this many fights on a limited schedule. If so, then I wish the number of brawls had been cut in half and the remaining ones given more flair.

Socially, the movie has good points and bad points. Where the latter is concerned, the fact that two women are cast in fighting roles is undermined by the female lead (Renee Allman) abandoning the sparks of characterization to play a formulaic love interest. Additionally, a sexual harasser (played by Bob Wyatt) is inexplicably made a supporting character. However, I like that the movie seems to be championing an anti-capitalist message, using organized crime and fighting as metaphors. The villains trap fighters in a system that depends on their toil while devaluing their lives, and the same villains consider theft against them to be the single greatest crime. Threatening their income by refusing to fight by their rules is likewise punishable. The protagonist sets himself apart from this system by having abandoned organized fighting and claiming to compete solely “for the competition” - not exactly a fair outlook in light of all the pro fighters in real life who earn their income via competition, but it’s nevertheless a repudiation of the metaphorical wage slavery in the feature. Death Match isn’t The Godfather when it comes to allegory, but it’s effective in delivering its message.

There’s a moment in the film when Jacklin’s character is weirded out by Martin Kove’s belief in the supernatural powers of crystals. Retrospectively, it’s funny to see Jacklin in the role of the skeptic (even though crystal power seems to be one of the few areas of nonsense that Ian hasn’t stated a belief in), but I have to admit that he does well enough as the lead. He doesn’t have quite the charisma of, say, Don Wilson, but that’s not to say he wouldn’t have made a good star in the long run. Indeed, I wish he would’ve been handed another top role before the end of the martial arts genre’s video golden age. Nevertheless, his undisputed high point here is worth hunting down if you’re a collector. Death Match encapsulates many of the essentials seen in movies like this and adds just enough of an inspired touch earn a recommendation from me. Check it out wherever you can.

SOURCE

Death Match (1994) Directed by Joe Coppoletta (The New Adventures of Robin Hood) Written by Curtis Gleaves (story & screenplay), Bob Wyatt, Steve Tymon (Ring of Fire II: Blood and Steel) Starring Ian Jacklin (Kickboxer 3), Martin Kove (The Karate Kid), Matthias Hues (Bounty Tracker), Renee Allman (The Stoned Age) Cool costars: Martial arts regulars Steven Vincent Leigh (Sword of Honor) and Eric Lee (Ring of Fire) appear in acting roles but don’t fight. Similarly, kickboxing hall of famer Benny Urquidez (Wheels on Meals) is limited to a training montage but offers his Jet Center studio as a filming location. Sexy pro wrestler Stevie “Puppet” Lee appears as the arena gong beater. Richard Lynch (Puppet Master III) and Jorge Rivero (Centennial) have one scene apiece as non-fighting Mafiosos. Onscreen fighters include Nicholas Hill (Bloodsport II), Michele Krasnoo (Kickboxer 4), Ed Neal (Breathing Fire), Butch Togisala (Firepower), Dino Homsey (Deadly Bet), Randall Shiro Ideishi (Black Scorpion), Debra “Madusa” Miceli (Shootfighter II), Jamie Krasnoo (Full Contact), and Nick Koga (Red Sun Rising). A performer called Hector Pena appears in a stick fight, but I’m not sure whether he’s the actual Hector “Aztec Warrior” Peña, world champion fighter. Also, kickboxing legend Peter Cunningham is inexplicably credited as “Peter ‘Sugarfoot’ London” - leading to a snafu on IMDb where the film credit goes to porn actor Peter London. Cool crew: Composer Marco Beltrani – who’d go on to earn two Oscar nominations for his work on The Hurt Locker (2008) and 3:10 to Yuma (2007) – makes his feature composition debut with this one. He is directly heard on the soundtrack playing guitar and keyboards. Content warning: Group violence, violence against women, violence against children, sexual harassment, sexual assault, ableist dialogue, graphic description of an execution Title refers to: Either the main attraction of the underground fight ring or the fights-to-the-death taking place at the end of the film. A “death match” also refers to a hardcore pro wrestling contest – a fact which may be relevant in light of stunt coordinator Brandon Pender’s history as a World Championship Wrestling producer. Cover accuracy: Different covers exist, but the most widely-distributed one is dominated by an image of Matthias Hues. Hues is one of the two lead villains, but relegating leading man Ian Jacklin to a teeny-tiny graphic is misleading. Heck, Jacklin can’t even get top billing, with Hues and Martin Kove claiming the large print. Number of full-length fight scenes: 16 Crazy credit: “No music by Giancomo Puccini was used in connection with this picture” - even though Richard Lynch’s character specifically mentions the composer’s works. Copyright Horseplay Productions, Inc.

[tumsozluk]

Is Centennial Good? | Food Science Technology | Salary & Scope @Logical Bakwas

Is Centennial Good? | Food Science Technology | Salary & Scope @Logical Bakwas

Watch the video to get a review on Centennial college in Canada and also the scope of the Food Science Technology program. 0:00 – Introduction 1:21 – Food Science Technology Program 2:26 – Who Can Pursue The Program? 3:06 – Centennial Review 4:10 – Diversity in the classroom 4:46 – Overall Rating 5:48 – Centennial Campus Branches 6:41 – Tuition Fees 7:05 – Eligibility Criteria 7:12 Job…

[bunkershotgolf]

Stellar Field, Ideal Conditions Set for Epson Tour Event at Coeur d’Alene Casino Resort, Aug. 26-28

Circling Raven Championship Returns and Features Top Women Pro Golfers on #Road2LPGA

Many of the world’s top professional golfers will tee it up in the Circling Raven Championship presented by KXLY News 4 Now, as they compete in the Epson “Road to the LPGA” Tour’s season-long pursuit for 2023 LPGA Tour membership.

Players from more than one dozen countries and several continents will descend upon Coeur d’Alene Casino Resort Hotel’s award-winning golf course – rated the No. 1 public course in Idaho and one of the best casino courses in America – for the second consecutive year.

They will battle for shares of the $200,000 prize purse and they include two golfers with Idaho ties – Sophie Hausmann, who attended University of Idaho and has hovered around the tour’s top 10 throughout the 2022 season, and Gabby Lemieux (Caldwell, ID), the only Native American on a professional golf tour.

Hausmann, a native of Germany, particularly enjoys coming back to Idaho and is a fan of Circling Raven and its tournament as she articulates in this video clip.

Lemieux is a three-time Idaho Golf Association Women’s Amateur Champion who played collegiately at Texas Tech. Her participation is fitting as the Coeur d’Alene Tribe owns and operates the casino resort and golf course. Perhaps the Native American essence that permeates Circling Raven – named after a seminal Tribal Chief and honoring generations of forebears via paying homage to them throughout the ancestral homelands – inspired Lemieux last year when she recorded her career-best Epson Tour finish of T3 at the 2021 Circling Raven Championship presented by KXLY 4 News Now

A compelling aspect of professional tour events is the option of host venues to secure participant exemptions for players who would not have been eligible to compete. Such is the case with Suzie Tran, a rising high school junior from Poulsbo, WA. Tran shot 71-70-65—206 (10-under par) to win the Notah Begay III (NB3) National Junior Golf Championship in Coushatta, La., last November in the girls 14-18 age group.

Other players of note expected to tee play in the Circling Raven Championship include Linnea Strom and Grace Kim, nos. 3 and 6 on the money list, respectively, and both have won tournaments during the 2022 season. Other winners during the 2022 season who are currently committed to the field include Dottie Ardina, Gabriela Then, and Alexa Pano, currently no. 4 on the money list.

Spectator passes are available for purchase here and offer options of 1-, 2-, or 3-day passes. A week-long pass offers the best value ($40). One-day passes start at $10.

Circling Raven garnered rave reviews from players in the inaugural event last August and motivated players to return this year as this video testimonial from standout player Bailey Tardy illuminates.

Testament to the exceptional talent found on the Epson is seen through its “graduates” who include Nelly Korda, Inbee Park, Patty Tavatanakit, Lorena Ochoa, and Madelene Sagstrom. Fourteen graduates competed in the 2020 Summer Olympics in Japan.

“We’re excited to host these exceptional players in the Circling Raven Championship presented by KXLY News 4 Now,” said Laura Penney, CEO, Coeur d’Alene Casino Resort Hotel. “We support empowering women and youth through the game. Speaking of support, we couldn’t undertake this immense endeavor without our sponsors who have stepped forward to help us stage a premier regional event.”

Circling Raven Championship sponsors include:

Alliant

Amerind

Bank of America

Callaway

Coeur d’Alene Tribe

Coeur d’Alene Casino

Centennial Distributing

Coke

Doyle’s Wholesale

Empire Cycle & Power Sports

Foundry

Garco Construction

Golf Cars Etc.

Hayden Beverage

IGT

KXLY News 4 Now

Light & Wonder

Northern Capital

Northern Quest

Pacific Golf & Turf

Randall & Hurley

Schaefer Financial Planning

Spokane Indians/Chiefs

Structured

The Printer Inc.

US Foods

Wildhorse Casino

Yokes

  For more details about this year’s tournament, contact Coeur d’Alene Casino Resort Hotel and Circling Raven at: 1.800.523.2464 or visit www.cdacasino.com.

About Circling Raven Golf Club and Coeur d’Alene Casino Resort Hotel

Owned/operated by Coeur d’Alene Tribe, Circling Raven is in the scenic Idaho panhandle approximately 55 minutes from Spokane International Airport (GEG). Measuring 7,189 yards from the rear tees, the 18-hole layout sprawls magnificently through 620 acres of woodlands, wetlands, and Palouse grasses. Its gleaming white sand bunkers are large and strategically placed and its hole variety ingenious. Other Coeur d’Alene Casino Resort Hotel amenities and activities include the full-service Spa Ssakwa’q’n (pronounced Sock-wock-en); 300 hotel rooms; bars, restaurants, lounges, and eateries; cultural immersion options; and more. The casino just completed a $15 million renovation of its gaming floor and Events Center in 2019.  Circling Raven has garnered numerous best-in-kind honors since opening, including being rated a Top 100 Resort Course, Best in State, and a Top U.S. Casino Course. Its golf shop has won national and regional awards for its excellence and its variety of products, displays, and performance.

ABOUT EPSON TOUR

The Epson Tour (formerly the Symetra Tour) is the official qualifying tour of the LPGA Tour and enters its 42nd competitive season in 2022. With the support of entitlement partner Seiko Epson Corporation, the Tour’s mission is to prepare the world’s best female professional golfers for a successful career on the LPGA Tour. In the last decade, the Epson Tour has grown from 15 tournaments and $1.6 million in prize money to $4.41 million awarded across 20+ events in 2022. With more than 600 graduates and alumnae moving on to the LPGA Tour, former Epson Tour players have won 459 LPGA titles.

Follow the Epson Tour at www.epsontour.com, as well as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

ABOUT EPSON

Epson is a global technology leader dedicated to co-creating sustainability and enriching communities by leveraging its efficient, compact, and precision technologies and digital technologies to connect people, things, and information. The company is focused on solving societal issues through innovations in home and office printing, commercial and industrial printing, manufacturing, visual and lifestyle. Epson’s goal is to become carbon negative and eliminate use of exhaustible underground resources such as oil and metal by 2050.

Led by the Japan-based Seiko Epson Corporation, the worldwide Epson Group generates annual sales of around JPY 1 trillion. Epson America, Inc., based in Los Alamitos, Calif., is Epson’s regional headquarters for the U.S., Canada, and Latin America. To learn more about Epson, please visit: epson.com. You may also connect with Epson America on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Instagram.