#Cricket Series 2022

[jandarpan]

“One More Defeat Will Be Costly For India, India Vs Bangladesh”

“One More Defeat Will Be Costly For India, India Vs Bangladesh”

[puffein]

CASTLE CRUMBLING | late spring [ix.]

summary: wanda makes futile attempts to navigate her emotions one month after the major argument. pairings: wanda maximoff x fem!reader warnings: none word count: 1094 a/n: please let me know if i have missed smth for the warnings, enjoy!

series masterlist playlist!

Westview, New Jersey

August 2022

"Did you talk to her?" Darcy's muffled voice made Wanda look at her with a grimace plastered on her fatigued face. 

"It's gross to talk with your mouth full." that made Darcy scowl, and she quickly gulped the remaining cereal in her mouth. A thought formed inside the big brain of hers. 

"You're deflecting, you know that right? When you divert something by interposing–"

"I know what deflecting is, Darcy." 

It's been exactly a month since the big argument happened between you and Wanda. Contrary to what she had thought, Darcy was wide awake when the fight happened, she heard all of it, even the slamming of the dorm door and the small vibrations it made. Her roommate witnessed the crumbling of Wanda's composure like a once magnificent castle crumbling down to ashes. 

The argument took a big toll on Wanda's already shattered life, she knew she was being a bad friend, worse even, but the argument did nothing but made her more of a shitty friend. She never called, never tried to make amends, and that made her miserable. The past months of bad decisions, the decision to ignore you and give you the cold shoulder just because she has known something that made her heart break into two. 

"Communication is the key, man. It always is." Darcy continued on, her left thigh pressed tightly on her chest as the other dangled, hanging on the chair. 

"Just tell her you were jealous of that Natasha chick that's why you have been a bitch for the past months and you will ki—"

"Can you stop?" Wanda's hissing voice echoes throughout their small dining area, her eyebrows are furrowed so hard that Darcy was looking away in hopes of still be on her roommate's good side. 

"I was not jealous," she announced, spoon swirling absentmindedly on her still-full bowl of cereal. 

"What were you then?" Darcy asked, chin resting on her palm as she pushed her eyeglasses onto her eyes. 

"I was– I, I felt– I don't know." Wanda's form slumped, dejected at her mixed emotions.

She was being true. She didn't know what she felt for these past months other than regret, guilt, and misery. That are the only three things she felt but she didn't know what has driven her to do things she would never do. Especially, to you. 

However, there was one thing, one conversation that was enough to drive her away from you. To avoid you, to give you cold shoulders, to throw you away like a thing she got bored playing with. 

"I heard them talking. Natasha and some other girl I didn't know off." Wanda started, her eyes downcasted. She felt heavy replaying a conversation she never wanted to reminisce again. 

Darcy gave her an encouraging look, "What did they say?" 

"Well, they just basically said I'm being clingy to her, and the girl asked Natasha if she was you know uncomfortable with how I was with her girlfriend. It snapped something in me, I was the best friend, why didn't Y/N tell me she– she has a girlfriend and– It's Natasha." she rambled, her fingertips playing with the hem of her sweater. "I'm her best friend, I should know everything about her. It's just weird."

"What did Natasha say?"

"Nothing."

Her roommate's eyebrows shot up, confusion is evident in her thinking features. "What do you mean nothing? Like she said silence– like just crickets no other else?"

"Nothing like I didn't hear her because I ran off." Wanda pushed her bowl in irritation, splatters of milk sticking onto their table. She made a mental note to clean her little outburst. 

"Wanda. It was not even a full conversation, what were you thinking? Did you ask Y/N about it?" Darcy wanted to pat herself for asking questions with an obvious answer because she hated doing that but it was Wanda. And that bright girl is very clueless about talking and sorting her feelings out. 

"What do you think? Of course, I didn't! I avoided her for months and as a result we fought, you know that, you even heard it!" 

Wanda is an intellectual being not as genius as Darcy, but she is bright and smart. Darcy look up to her passion for Art History, she had heard professors complimenting her roommate's avid interest in her chosen course. Despite this, despite everything pointing at Wanda being smart, Darcy can't wrap her head around what her roommate is saying. She didn't get the point.

"Yeah, but like, you didn't talk to her about it, you should for obvious reason that it mentions her and you." Wanda eyes the shrugging of her roommate's shoulders, the obvious matter-of-fact voice she uses every single day.

"Forget about it." 

"You can't, Wanda. Do you like to graduate without a best friend? Because I can graduate without a roommate but best friend? Nuh-uh." Darcy gave her a face that challenges her to retort the thought.

When Wanda glances away to stare at a wall, she knew she has given the satisfaction of being right to Darcy. Because despite everything, despite the fact that you called her a bitch, she didn't want to receive a diploma in exchange for losing the only person she truly cherish. 

"What do I even say to her?" she suddenly uttered, voice whisper-like.  "I don't even know why I am so upset."

Darcy knew everything that Wanda didn't, it was all pointing in one direction but the brown-haired girl seemed to be bad at directions as she can't see the longing and the fondness sitting right in her eyes every time she stares at you. Even right now, Darcy wanted her to be looking at herself in a third-person point of view, to see how her actions reflect a person in love. 

However, Darcy understood. She understands how everything is confusing to the brunette, it's a territory Wanda never explored and she just hopes with her fingers crossed that this bright girl would take a pair and step into a land so unfamiliar to her. She always knew Wanda was straight, cue the word was, the brunette was only familiar with boys but when you came around everything just shifted to a world full of confusion and mixed feelings. But she is still a clueless person blinded by poor decisions and life choices.

Wanda didn't even care that a person badmouthed her, she was just upset that you never told her you had a girlfriend. 

That one little thing should speak a million words, right?

"Just say everything you had to say."

general masterlist ◄ ►

—୧ taglist: @esposadejoyhuerta @sokovianbaby @vivs46 @kyaraderuwez

[disneytva]

On this day 9 years ago, Pig Goat Banana Cricket premiered on Nickelodeon.

Pig Goat Banana Cricket creators Dave Cooper & Johnny Ryan mentioned in December 2022 that they are developing a new series for Disney Channel at Disney Television Animation.

We wish them the best of luck on a greenlit order.

[bird-inacage]

1 YEAR WITH PRAPAISKY / FORTPEAT

My first post about Love in the Air was published on 1 September 2022, where I started speculating on what the Prapaisky storyline may have in store. But it was really when I shared my first meta 'Love in the Air: Sky’s Desire to be Loved' that I realised just how many others were invested in the Sky/Prapai story.

LITA was the first thai BL series that was on my radar before it aired, that I avidly followed during it's weekly release, and then far beyond. In those very early days, there were probably less than a dozen of us posting about Prapaisky here. And once LITA finally did start, it quickly dawned on us that the Prapaisky episodes wouldn't begin until the second half. The sound of crickets and the occasional sighting of tumbleweed would continue before we got some substantial content to feast over. Let me tell you, the wait was trying. Fast forward to just over a year later, and it's absolutely incredible to see how much this show and pairing has blown up since then.

I'm extremely grateful for how much joy both my mutuals and followers have brought me throughout this fandom. Even if this blog does shift to other shows or pairings, this couple will always have a particularly special place in my heart.

How did I come across LITA, was it love at first sight?

I happened upon the trailer, and these two immediately caught my attention. Sky entranced me with his big doe eyes, much like how Prapai was drawn to him that fateful night at the race track. I swiftly fell in the love and the rest is history.

What do I love about Prapaisky?

There's something I find very compelling but also comforting about the Prapaisky relationship. A story is more likely to stick with me when there is really poignant character development - something that can be found in both Sky and Prapai. Their relationship is a healthy union that makes them both better people. Prapai is humbled by Sky's love, and Sky is empowered by Prapai's.

(ABOVE: My full video edit "this is how you fall in love" is on youtube HERE)

Favourite Prapaisky scene?

I think the episodes I have rewatched the most are probably Episode 10 and Episode 13. But just to mention some of the scenes which I find most memorable: Sky holding back tears after his one night stand, Prapai coaxing a feverish Sky during a nightmare, Sky falling asleep in Prapai's arms during Last Cheer, Prapai's imaginary kiss whilst Sky is sleepy, Prapai's utter devastation when Sky breaks up with him over the phone, Sky's affectionate back hug when Prapai comes to him, Prapai begging Sky to cry, Sky wiping away Prapai's tears.

What do I love about Fortpeat?

My favourite aspect of this partnership is Fort being a hugely affectionate and clingy person, whilst Peat is smothered by his love. Peat tends to be the more quiet and measured one within the LITA foursome (probably due to being the oldest) but Fort brings out his inner child. I still can't get over the fact Fort calls him 'baby' because he acts like one when he's with him. You wouldn't have known this in the early days when Peat was considerably more reserved. Fort comes across as an unfiltered, energetic, massive softie. Peat is the grounded, silent assassin of a tease who is unapologetically himself.

The future of Fortpeat?

I desperately hope these two get a new series as a couple. LITA really put them both on the map, and I'd be incredibly shocked if they don't get cast in something new, considering their enormous popularity now. But please, please give them a decent script. We know what they're capable of and I want to see their talent given the material it deserves.

[maturemenoftvandfilms]

Jim Carter Born: August 19, 1948, Harrogate, United Kingdom Physique: Husky Build Height: 6′ 2″ (1.88 m)

James Edward Carter OBE is an English actor, best known for his role as Mr Carson in the ITV historical drama series Downton Abbey, which earned him four nominations for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series. He reprised the role in the feature films Downton Abbey (2019) and Downton Abbey: A New Era (2022) and starred as the main villain Rookery in The Little Vampire and its 2017 remake.

The handsome Mr. Carter is married to a bangable Imelda Staunton and together they have one child. Carter is a former chairman of Hampstead Cricket Club and a keen cyclist who has frequently ridden for charity causes. Lets just say, I like to be the bike he rides.

RECOMMENDATION: Swimming with Men (2018) - Shirtless Resnick: Rough Treatment (1993) - Shirtless Murder Most Horrid - S1.E6 - Mrs Hat and Mrs. Red (1991) - Shirtless, Rear Nudity

[cabinpressurechallenge]

hello everyone! pleased to present the 2022 Cabin Pressure advent listenalong! beneath the cut are the prompts for the episodes, which i will post every day but this is a headstart if you want it!

the first episode will be Abu Dhabi on the 29th, which is next Tuesday and you're welcome to join in however you fancy - write! draw! make liveblog posts! i would absolutely love to coordinate a live listen again, but my timezone has now become problematic. that said, i still propose that if we want to gather at around 6 or 7pm GMT, either on discord or on tumblr or whatever, we'll see what we can do about having a group listen.

any questions or comments please just shout! okay, bye! love the airport!

29th Abu Dhabi

a missing scene: The run up to Carolyn calling Martin a berk

a word: ice

a question: Who is your favourite character?

30th Boston

a missing scene: Douglas’ conversation with ATC

a word: home

a question: What’s your favourite Arthur moment?

December 1st Cremona

a missing scene: Arthur and Martin in the Garibaldi

a word: nuts

a question: What’s your favourite Douglas moment?

2nd Douz

a missing scene: Douglas and the cricketers

a word: big

a question: What’s your favourite Carolyn moment?

3rd Edinburgh

a missing scene: Martin giving Mr Birling the hat

a word: maps

a question: What’s your favourite Martin moment?

4th Fitton

a missing scene: Arthur and Douglas in the flight deck

a word: rain

a question: What’s your favourite episode?

5th Gdansk

a missing scene: Previous games of itemised lists

a word: salt

a question: What’s your favourite word game?

6th Helsinki

a missing scene: Arthur’s holiday scheming

a word: gift

a question: Which is your favourite series?

7th Ipswich

a missing scene: Martin and Douglas revising 

a word: pool

a question: Who’s your favourite minor character?

8th Johannesburg

a missing scene: Arthur and Martin’s golf buggy conversations

a word: shade

a question: Who is your favourite friendship?

9th Kuala Lumpur

a missing scene: Arthur rehearsing his story for Martin

a word: service

a question: What’s your favourite ship?

10th Limerick

a missing scene: Carolyn and Arthur creating poetry

a word: sunset

a question: What’s your favourite MJN family moment?

11th Molokai

a missing scene: Christmas in Hawaii

a word: cracker

a question: What scene makes you laugh the most?

12th Newcastle

a missing scene: Playing Trivial Pursuit

a word: games

a question: What’s your favourite Herc moment?

13th Ottery St Mary

a missing scene: Martin twisting his ankle

a word: river

a question: What’s a scene you know by heart?

14th Paris

a missing scene: What’s Carolyn up to during all the nonsense?

a word: glass

a question: Which Birling Day is your favourite?

15th Qikiqtarjuaq

a missing scene: Arthur giving bear lectures

a word: facts

a question: How did you get into Cabin Pressure? 

16th Rotterdam

a missing scene: Martin practicing his speech

a word: honey

a question: What are your favourite Cabin Pressure fics?

17th St Petersburg

a missing scene: discussing the plan

a word: names

a question: what’s a scene that makes you cry?

18th Timbuktu

a missing scene: Arthur’s preparations for Birling Day

a word: colours

a question: What’s your favourite piece of CP fanart?

19th Uskerty

a missing scene: Herc receiving the sheep

a word: drinks

a question: Do you like anything else by John Finnemore?

20th Vaduz

a missing scene: Carolyn and Theresa meeting

a word: dragons

a question: What’s your favourite Theresa moment?

21st Wokingham

a missing scene: Arthur and Wendy’s adventures

a word: puzzles

a question: If you could change something about CP what would it be?

22nd Xinzhou

a missing scene: Stuck in the traffic jam

a word: waiting

a question: What would your dream CP revival episode be?

23rd Yverdon les Bains

a missing scene: Martin telling Theresa he got the job

a word: capsized

a question: Which part of CP do you find most relatable?

24th Zurich

a missing scene: OJS’ first flight

a word: gold

a question: What does CP mean to you?

[blocksruinedme]

Wip Wednesday! Burning Man AU

Hello we have a hopeful publication date for the beginning of this AU I've been talking about since december 25, 2022. There will be stuff about the series and fun burning man stuff at @burningmanau , run by @toasted-cricket. All i want for Christmas is to get an ask about the series there someday!

This wip clip is from the first story cycle, after Joel's run off from a very confusing and complicated Jimmy situation

And there’s Etho, chatting with some hermits, Joel can’t even process which ones. Etho’s got his back to Joel but it’s Etho and his brain explodes, and then before he can attempt to teleport away one of the hermits says “Hey Joel," and Etho turns and they lock eyes and Joel thinks he might die, actually. 

Etho’s got a hardcore dust mask covering most of his face, but Joel’s sure he sees a smile in his eyes. A smile for Joel, a smile because he’s seeing Joel after almost a year, a smile because he recognizes Joel, remembers him. He thought he’d probably exaggerated things about Etho in his memories, in his fantasies, but his eyes were everything he remembered.

Joel felt like if he kept staring into Etho’s eyes he would die; Joel felt like if he looked away from Etho he would die.

[brookstonalmanac]

Events 3.16 (after 1970)

1977 – Assassination of Kamal Jumblatt, the main leader of the anti-government forces in the Lebanese Civil War. 1978 – Former Italian Prime Minister Aldo Moro is kidnapped; he is later murdered by his captors. 1978 – A Balkan Bulgarian Airlines Tupolev Tu-134 crashes near Gabare, Bulgaria, killing 73. 1978 – Supertanker Amoco Cadiz splits in two after running aground on the Portsall Rocks, three miles off the coast of Brittany, resulting in the largest oil spill in history at that time. 1979 – Sino-Vietnamese War: The People's Liberation Army crosses the border back into China, ending the war. 1984 – William Buckley, the CIA station chief in Lebanon, is kidnapped by Hezbollah; he later dies in captivity. 1985 – Associated Press newsman Terry Anderson is taken hostage in Beirut; he is not released until December 1991. 1988 – Iran–Contra affair: Lieutenant Colonel Oliver North and Vice Admiral John Poindexter are indicted on charges of conspiracy to defraud the United States. 1988 – Halabja chemical attack: The Kurdish town of Halabja in Iraq is attacked with a mix of poison gas and nerve agents on the orders of Saddam Hussein, killing 5,000 people and injuring about 10,000 people. 1988 – The Troubles: Ulster loyalist militant Michael Stone attacks a Provisional IRA funeral in Belfast with pistols and grenades. Three persons, one of them a member of PIRA are killed, and more than 60 others are wounded. 1995 – Mississippi formally ratifies the Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, becoming the last state to approve the abolition of slavery. The Thirteenth Amendment was officially ratified in 1865. 2001 – A series of bomb blasts in the city of Shijiazhuang, China kill 108 people and injure 38 others, the biggest mass murder in China in decades. 2003 – American activist Rachel Corrie is killed in Rafah by being run over by an Israel Defense Forces bulldozer while trying to obstruct the demolition of a home. 2005 – Israel officially hands over Jericho to Palestinian control. 2010 – The Kasubi Tombs, Uganda's only cultural World Heritage Site, are destroyed in a fire. 2012 – Former Indian cricketer Sachin Tendulkar becomes the first batter in history to score 100 centuries in international cricket. 2014 – Crimea votes in a controversial referendum to secede from Ukraine to join Russia. 2016 – A bomb detonates in a bus carrying government employees in Peshawar, Pakistan, killing 15 and injuring at least 30. 2016 – Two suicide bombers detonate their explosives at a mosque during morning prayer on the outskirts of Maiduguri, Nigeria, killing 24 and injuring 18. 2020 – The Dow Jones Industrial Average falls by 2,997.10, the single largest point drop in history and the second-largest percentage drop ever at 12.93%, an even greater crash than Black Monday (1929). This follows the U.S. Federal Reserve announcing that it will cut its target interest rate to 0–0.25%. 2021 – Atlanta spa shootings: Eight people are killed and one is injured in a trio of shootings at spas in and near Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. A suspect is arrested the same day. 2022 – A 7.4-magnitude earthquake occurs off the coast of Fukushima, Japan, killing 4 people and injuring 225.

[naivesilver]

Tuning the strings: Pinocchio connections masterpost 2

So as some of you might know, almost two years ago I made a list of performers/voice actors/etc. that had appeared in more than one Pinocchio adaptation. It was well-rounded and comprehensive at that point in time, but since then the franchise has received an impressive amount of additions, and I was therefore duty bound to update this collection with all the information we have now. Which means - pack your bags, back into the Pinocchioverse we go!

(As for the first list, pictures were added where available, but it some cases it was simply not possible. I do hope the captions are clear enough to clarify who is playing what and where LMAO)

Tom Kenny: Mussolini (2022 Guillermo Del Toro movie), Geppetto (Pinocchio: A True Story), Pinocchio (Pinocchio and the Water of Life)

Dmitriy Iosifov: Buratino (1975 Adventures of Buratino film), Modjafocco/Fire-Eater (Pinocchio: A True Story)

Jon Heder: Cat (2012 animated movie, English dub), Tybalt (Pinocchio: A True Story)

Fabrizio Vidale: Auctioneer (2012 animated movie), Priest (2022 Guillermo Del Toro movie, Italian dub)

Oreste Baldini: Cat (Bentornato Pinocchio), Master Cherry (Pinocchio & Friends), Schoolteacher (2022 Disney movie, Italian dub)

Franco Mannella: Fox (2022 Disney movie, Italian dub), Fox (Pinocchio & Friends)

Edoardo Stoppacciaro: Harlequin (2019 movie, English dub), Jiminy Cricket (2022 Disney movie, Italian dub)

Rachele Paolelli: Gardener (Bentornato Pinocchio), Agnese (Pinocchio & Friends)

A special treatment must also be reserved to Luigi Ferraro, already present with two roles in the original post, who has now gained a third as the voice of the Black Rabbits in the Italian dub of the Del Toro movie. In a similar situation is Emanuela Rossi, who instead dubbed the Disney live-action as Sofia the Seagull for her third role. These two raise the number of performers with three adaptations under their belt as well, as do Oreste Baldini and Tom Kenny (whose efforts in favor of the Pinocchio franchise have been enumerated often on this website).

Some additional notes:

just like the last time, we have our fair share of actors who reprised the same role, or as close as the adaptation allowed: if Franco Mannella was the Fox twice over the course of 2022 alone, Rachele Paolelli dubbed the Fairy's servant in two different cartoons, even if only one of them was a snail, and Emanuela Rossi managed to snag the role of Pinocchio's talking-bird-lady-friend again, albeit another species if compared to the one of ten years ago;

Dmitry Iosifov takes the temporary (and permanent, if nothing new resurfaces soon) crown for the longest gap between Pinocchio performances, with an astonishing 47 years wait between his title character role and the Fire-Eater dub;

in the first post I focused on noticing the amount of times Pinocchio actors showed up in two of the most prominent shows in Italian TV history, but since then I noticed a different, even more worrisome trend, which is that Geppetto producers seemed instead hell bent on casting Star Trek VIPs - I have counted 4 thus far, and I lost my original notes on the topic, so there's no telling how many I forgot because of that LMAO;

(a honorable mention goes out to Geneviève Bujold, who was supposed to play Captain Janeway and show us the final frontier of space but was ultimately rejected, while her role as Leona in the 1996 Adventures of Pinocchio movie cannot possibly be forgotten);

as of the posting of this list, there are only two confirmed voice actors for the upcoming Lies of P game, neither of which has had any previous Pinocchio presence, but there is still a chance this will be amended once the full cast is out, so stay tuned for more ig.

I am certain to have forgotten something, but as this appears to have already turned into a series, I am ready to make my corrections at some point in the future ajfhakjfhajkfh see you next episode, I guess!

[jandarpan]

“India Vs Bangladesh First ODI Match Preview.

“India Vs Bangladesh First ODI Match Preview.

[theuniversitychallengereview]

I wrote a blog called No Spoiler last year, about how easy it had been for me to avoid spoilers for the previous day's episode of The Challenge, and how that was an oddity in our information-dense, social-media flooded lives. Well, on Tuesday I innocently logged onto Twitter, having missed this week's episode due to my Book Club, and had the result spoiled for me. It was my own fault - as I said in the other post, when you log on to a Twitter account which is specifically for University Challenge then that is the kind of fire you are playing with. 

For the past few weeks, I've been watching the Netflix Tour de France documentary with my girlfriend. With no prior interest in the sport of cycling she really got into it (and really loved Wout van Aert, which did make me a bit jealous, but who doesn't?). Despite the fact that it was about last year's Tour, the result of which has been known for nearly a full twelve months, and despite the fact that we watched several stages of this year's race together, she made it to the final episode with no knowledge (besides her correct inclination that there was no way redacted would be coming back from such a large deficit going into the final few days) of the overall victor. 

What's the moral of this story? Nothing particularly profound, just that its interesting how siloed our consumption of things is. If I had to estimate, I'd say that I read/heard the fact that cyclist A beat cyclist B in the 2022 Tour de France more than a hundred times in the past month, but if you're not looking out for something, or if your personal Internet isn't pre-programmed to show you it then this sort of thing is far easier to avoid. 

It would be pretty funny, I think, if I did go ahead and not review this week's episode, but I've already spent a while looking up cool stats and I don't want to waste them, so with that in mind; here's your first Starter for Ten.

You can watch the episode here before reading my review...

Birkbeck were regulars in the early years of the Paxman era, appearing six times in the first nine series, culminating with victory in 2003, after which they weren't seen for seventeen years. Oxford Brookes, meanwhile, have only been on five times in total, making the quarter-finals twice.

Brookes skipper Manton buzzes early on the first starter, but he's wrong, and McMillan swoops in for Birkbeck to steal the points. An easy bonus set on films nets them a full house, before Manton makes up for his earlier mistake with epiphany. They grab a hat-trick on the Biafran war, but remain behind thanks to the incorrect interruption.

Another from McMillan stretched the Londoner's lead, but Gardner hit back for Brookes to keep things tight. McMillan is then able to give one of the coldest possible UC answers of all time when asked to complete the phrase written on Woody Guthrie's guitar, 'This machine... kills fascists". Rajan shows off his cricket credentials, scolding Birkbeck for mistaking a doosra for a googly, and demonstrating the bowling action at his desk. 

The first picture starter continues the ping-pong nature of the game so far, with Broadbent, eyebrows plastered in a kindly frown, quickest to recognise the Togo flag. He blitzes the bonuses too to tie the game. Two more consecutive starters for Brookes open up the biggest lead of the game, but Birkbeck fought back through Huntley and McMillan. 

It looks like no one knows the musical on the music starter, but Chadha guesses Funny Girl after hearing the lyric 'good for a laugh', which is excellent quizzing. After the bonuses we're back level, at 110 each. 

The scoring has been going at quite the clip and doesn't let up in the second half. Brookes get a couple to go ahead again, but three in a row from Birkbeck nudge them back in front. No one is allowed to build up too much momentum though, and Broadbent buzzes rapidly with games console to regain the advantage for Brookes. Its an absolute basketball match of a quiz, but who is going to be the one to score the dagger?

McMillan puts Birkbeck five points clear, and skipper Chadha gives Taylor Swift (an answer for the second time this series) to put the game beyond Brookes.

Birkbeck 220 - 205 Oxford Brookes

Phew! You can definitely see the effect of Rajan's quicker questioning here. 

This was the first match with a combined score of 400 or more since Durham thrashed Strathclyde 360-55 in 2018. You've got to go back to 2014 for the last match where both teams scored more than 200, when Trinity beat Manchester 285-205 in the quarters.

So despite the fact I think the average score is going to be a bit higher this series than in recent history, Oxford Brookes can count themselves supremely unlucky, and will definitely be returning as high-scoring losers. 

See you tomorrow for Southampton vs Christchurch

[archivyrep]

"The Ghost and Molly McGee" employs archives stereotypes with basement archive [Part 2]

Continued from part 1

The first time we see the archives in the episode

It is dispiriting to see yet another series using the basement archives stereotype, especially one I enjoy a lot, as this show is a cute, wholesome series. I wish the writers of this episode, "Monumental Disaster," specifically Ricky Roxburgh and Paul Chang, could have tried to smash this stereotype, rather than playing into it. [1] As Sam Cross put in April 2020, popular culture depictions of archives and archives have not "changed as much as any of us would like" and added that it "depends entirely on the piece of media being consumed." This same episode includes implied records destruction, as the Brighton Historical Society is on fire. [2]

Reprinted from my Wading Through the Cultural Stacks WordPress blog. Originally published on Nov. 18, 2021.

When Tug goes inside the historical society to save a painting of himself, but not put out the fire, it makes me think that he might want the fire to continue as it could get rid of any evidence which disproves the town legend. On the other hand, he could just be an arrogant jerk who doesn't care about other people, rather than intentionally letting the fire burn.

Not only does the episode play into many of the archives tropes but the archives itself isn't even accessible to the public, hidden within a library. In some ways, this archives is like the special collections room in Hilda's Trolberg Library. The difference is that this archives appears to be abandoned and is not tended by anyone. It makes me think about the scrolls inside of a tree that the protagonists of Tangled, another Disney series, find, which happen to be organized, but no archivist is in sight.

As for unnamed archives in this episode, it is more of a repository, almost a warehouse of sorts, rather than something that people can use. That is the worst part of this episode. Sure, some archives are restricted and are only accessible through appointments, having this archives be hidden away, only able to be accessed with a cliche book pulling, sends the wrong message. I understand the urge for that in the episode and to make it mysterious, but I believe that there is undoubtedly a way to write an episode such as the one described into this without playing into archives stereotypes.

© 2022 Burkely Hermann. All rights reserved.

Notes

[1] Apart from them, with Chang also responsible for the teleplay, culpable here are the episode's directors, Johnny Castuciano and Sam King. I don't blame any of them for this, nor the storyboarder Steve Hirt, the animators, or the artists. Rather, it is, sadly, almost inevitable for the series to play into these stereotypes unless they try and counter them in their work. I hope more people could be like Daniel Errico of The Bravest Knight who said "I can assure you that the Hall of Records was abandoned for nefarious reasons outside of the archivists' control" and engaged with some of my criticisms. Castuciano, for his part, has been a storyboarder and animator on many shows, along with being a director on some others, according to IMDB, with none of those shows noted on this blog. The same is the case for King, who has worked on DuckTales, Big City Greens, and Clarence apart from this show, as noted by her IMDB page, and for Hirt, who has storyboarded for series such as Big Hero 6, Pig Goat Banana Cricket, and T.U.F.F. Puppy.

[2] Other series have featured archives on fire, like episodes of Rick and Morty and Allen Gregory, so this is a relatively common theme.

[nimblermortal]

WOW watching Men in Black 3 in 2022 is a weird experience

Key note: The overt racism is a joke that will be revealed later

Second note: As of 2012, the time the movie was released, it was punishable by a hefty fine to honk your horn in New York City. (Or something like that, I’m not an NYC resident.) In 1969, this was not the case. There is a split-second joke for you in the movie if you know this.

It’s the third movie in a franchise it’s supposed to be god-awful? The trailer looked awful? It ought to be terrible but I think... it might be... the best one in the series? How is this happening? how is this happening to me in the year of our lord 2022, in a decade absolutely plagued by endless crappy franchise sequels?

Someone in the writers’ room was writing J and K as a couple. Obergefell wouldn’t be decided until 2015, but it is definitely there. Which makes the last couple of scenes real odd. Man if I had seen this in 2012 there would have been some fic; as it is I feel like someone hit me with a cricket bat.

[disneytva]

Disney Networks December 2022 Programming Highlights.

Thursday, Dec. 1 Original Series – Episode Premiere on Disney Junior Puppy Dog Pals “Wrap Party Pups/Fixing Santa’s Sleigh” (7:00-7:30 p.m. EST) “Wrap Party Pups” – The pets go on a mission to find Grace’s gift before she needs to swap presents.

“Fixing Santa’s Sleigh” – When Santa’s sleigh breaks down mid-delivery, the pets make it their mission to fix it. TV-Y

Saturday, Dec. 3 Original Series – Extended Length Episode Premiere on Disney Channel Big City Greens “Virtually Christmas” (9:00-9:30 a.m. EST) When Cricket gets snowed in at the Remingtons’ on Christmas Eve, he attempts to recreate his family’s Christmas Eve traditions in a virtual reality video game.

*Alfonso Ribeiro (“The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air”) guest stars as a virtual reality video game character, Mr. Extras. TV-G

Friday, Dec. 9 Original Series – Episode Premiere on Disney Channel and Disney Junior Marvel’s Spidey and his Amazing Friends “An Egg-cellent Adventure/The Hangout Headache” (8:30-9:00 a.m. EST on Disney Channel/12:30-1:00 p.m. EST on Disney Junior) “An Egg-cellent Adventure” – When Black Cat steals a sparkly egg from the zoo, Team Spidey must save it before it hatches.

“The Hangout Headache” – When Spidey offers to let Hulk hang out in WEB-Quarters, it quickly turns into a disaster. TV-Y

Original Series – Episode Premiere on Disney Channel and Disney Junior Firebuds “Call of the Siren/Jamal’s Jam” (10:30-11:00 a.m. EST on Disney Channel/7:00-7:30 p.m. EST on Disney Junior) “Call of the Siren” – When Axl uses her siren to part traffic for non-emergencies, she struggles to get the other cars on the road to trust her judgment. *Oscar Nuñez (“The Office”) recurs as food truck Chef Fernando.

“Jamal’s Jam” – Jayden joins his dad at work. *Brandon Victor Dixon (Broadway’s “Shuffle Along”) recurs as Jayden’s dad, Jamal. TV-Y

Original Series – Episode Premiere on Disney Channel and Disney Junior Mickey Mouse Funhouse “Clarabelle’s Pie Day/Minnie’s New Puppy” (11:00-11:30 a.m. EST on Disney Channel/11:30 a.m.-12:00 p.m. EST on Disney Junior) “Clarabelle’s Pie Day” – Clarabelle is overwhelmed by the things she needs to do during Pie Day.

“Minnie’s New Puppy” – Minnie adopts a new puppy and isn’t prepared to train her. TV-Y

Friday, Dec. 16 Original Series – Episode Premiere on Disney Channel and Disney Junior Marvel’s Spidey and his Amazing Friends “Follow That Sea Monster!/It’s Bad to be Gooed” (8:30-9:00 a.m. EST on Disney Channel/12:30-1:00 p.m. EST on Disney Junior) “Follow that Sea Monster!” – The Spidey Team and Reptil investigate rumors of a sea monster.

“It’s Bad to be Gooed” – Team Spidey finds out that Green Goblin converted the dam to pump out polluting goo. TV-Y

Original Series – Episode Premiere on Disney Channel and Disney Junior Firebuds “Bayani Cookout/Rest of the Best” (10:30-11:00 a.m. EST on Disney Channel/7:00-7:30 p.m. EST on Disney Junior) “Bayani Cookout” – Bo discovers he has more in common with Grandpa Lolo Ben than he thought. *JB Tadena (“Kung Fu”) guest stars as Bo’s Grandpa, Lolo Ben.

“Rest of the Best” – After staying up all night, Bo and Flash botch an attempt to rescue Coach D. *Pamela Adlon (“Better Things”) guest stars as the Firebuds’ school principal, Principal Kagan. TV-Y

[fearsmagazine]

Factory Entertainment Announces Partnership with Paramount To Produce Star Trek Collectibles

Factory Entertainment announced that the company has entered into a multi-year agreement with Paramount parent, Viacom International Inc, to expand upon its best-selling line of movie and television collectibles for Star Trek.

Factory Entertainment’s Star Trek line will be centered primarily around its high-end prop replica business. Since 2011, the company has established itself as the leader in producing authentic, limited- edition replicas of props and gadgets from popular movie and TV properties.

“The many props featured in Star Trek over the decades have always reflected an imaginative and forward-looking design aesthetic, that have not only captivated fans, but often influenced the design of real-world technology” said Jordan Schwartz, President and CEO of Factory Entertainment.  “As a Star Trek fan myself since the 1960s, I’m thrilled and honored to be entrusted by Paramount to continue to bring some of the most iconic items in Star Trek history to the many fans of the franchise in all its incarnations.”

In 2022, Factory Entertainment released limited-edition replicas of several props from Star Trek: The Next Generation, including the “cricket phaser,” seen in the first few seasons, a set of medical devices used by Dr. Beverly Crusher and the “Ressikan flute” treasured by Captain Jean Luc Picard in the fan-favorite episode “The Inner Light.”  The company also released a replica of the Borg Queen’s skull seen in the motion picture Star Trek: First Contact and a set of replicas from Star Trek: The Motion Picture.  In addition, Factory Entertainment introduced a number of popularly priced open-edition, reduced-scale replicas designed to appeal to collectors with more restricted budgets or space.

Factory Entertainment is well underway on the production of prop replicas and other collectibles for 2023, including, among others, items from the original Star Trek series, Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: Voyager and Star Trek: Picard.  Also in development for release in 2024 are the first prop replicas from the hugely popular Star Trek: Strange New Worlds. In addition to prop replicas, Factory Entertainment’s offerings will include studio scale starship models, high-end dioramas, barware and novelty items including Factory’s proprietary CHS™ keychain & pin set and Fandages™ collectible fashion bandages lines.

To see all of Factory Entertainment’s Star Trek releases available to order now and coming soon, fans are encouraged to visit http://www.factoryent.com

[redeyedroid]

Scots generally don't go much for cricket. Which I find odd, considering how consistently terrible England have been for most of my life. If there's one thing that brings the people of Scotland together, it's England losing at sport.

Cricket's eccentric as hell; the objectives often incomprehensible and bizarre, even to people who follow the game; it's impenetrable terminology has multiple ways of labeling the same things; the simple idea of who is winning and who is losing may be undiscernable for days; it can go on for five days and still end in a draw and they only decided to end matches like that because once, decades ago, a test match went on so long one team risked missing their boat back home; a series of five or more matches can go on for months; people are forced to keep playing long after the result has been decided; bowling and batting require completely different skills and techniques, yet some players master both; it's greatest trophy, The Ashes, is only contested by two nations and is, essentially, a self-deprecating shitpost; and one of the greatest memes of all time originates from a dropped catch in 2019.

But, because the people of India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka love it like nothing else, it is the second most popular sport in the world. And I love it, too. Be it Mitchell Starc clean bowling Rory Burns with the first ball of the 2021/22 Ashes, beginning a series of quite staggering English ineptitude; or Virat Kohli, the greatest batter of this generation, hitting back-to-back sixes off Haris Rauf in front of 95,000 people at the Melbourne Cricket Ground while leading India to an extraordinary win against Pakistan at the 2022 T20 World Cup, cricket offers dramatic moments of brilliance with a regularity other sports struggle to match.

If you want an idea of exactly how popular cricket is in India, Kohli has 60 million more instagram followers than Brady, Serena and LeBron combined. His is the 16th most followed account in the world. The only sports stars with larger followings are Messi and Ronaldo. Like the greatest players in any sport, time appears to slow down around him when he's at his best, his balance and timing perfect as he makes an almost impossible task look like the easiest thing in the world (batters have a fraction of a second to react to a ball being bowled at them. Against the fastest bowlers, they might not even be able to see the ball at all, instead relying on triggers and clues and experience to hit it.)

I picked up a love for cricket from my dad, who himself picked it up one rainy summer afternoon (what do you think happens in summer in Scotland?) when he was young and there were only two TV channels. He loves the great West Indian team of the 1970s and 80s like no other. They're probably his favourite thing in sporting history. A found love, rather than the familial support for Hibs he inherited from his father.

(For that, I'd recommend the excellent documentary, Fire In Babylon. No knowledge is needed, beyond that in cricket, unlike baseball, there is no restriction against a bowler aiming at the batter's body. And the West Indian team had a succession of players who bowled at the speed of light and terrorised batters across the world. They also had, in Gordon Greenidge and Viv Richards, the two great batters of the - possibly any - era).

I missed much of their quarter century of dominance, being too young or not actually alive, but I do remember their last great bowlers, Courtney Walsh and Curtley Ambrose, while the great Trinidadian, Brian Lara, twice set records for the highest individual score in test cricket, first scoring 375, then an unbeaten 400, a record that still stands today and which may now never be bettered. Of course, both those scores came against England.

There was a lot of listening to cricket on the radio, driving places when we were on holiday in the summer. It was a summer sport then, coverage only following teams when they came to England. In the winter, when England went away, we got little, for this was the age before wall-to-wall sports TV.

For instance, I remember bits of Australia's 1993 Ashes rampage coinciding with daytrips along Hadrian's Wall, among other places, but I have no memory of the following, equally one-sided series in Australia in 1994/95.

Not that test cricket is at all rampageous, containing, as it does, breaks for lunch and tea, and even at it's most fast paced only has a ball bowled every 45 seconds or so, this being repeated about 500 times a day, with maybe 1 in 4 actually being scored from. You can miss great chunks of matches only to find nothing has fundamentally changed when you return. One man dressed in white hurls a small red ball at another, who most often declines the opportunity to hit it as it whizzes past. It is often as close to being a day-long nap as any sport can be.

Today, like football, the sport is played everywhere, all the time. The South Asian nations have spread it across the world, far beyond the borders of the British imperial possessions where the colonial administrators introduced it. Wherever there is a strong community of people from the subcontinent, cricket will be found and while there are less than a dozen full members of the ICC, there are now lots of associate members all competing against each other (the USA is the 18th-ranked men's ODI team, for example). There's almost always something to watch somewhere.

Powered by TV money (rights for the Indian Premier league are, on a per-game basis, now the second most expensive sporting event in the world, after the NFL) the compressed, high-scoring excitement of T20 has become the most popular format of cricket, which is bad for me. Because my preference is for the full-fat, slow-motion weirdness of a test match. It's what I grew up with and in my mind, the game is not for the swift. There's a reason they're called tests. The game should be an examination of technique and concentration and endurance that lasts for ages and ends with two poor bastards trying to scratch out a draw by batting for a day and a half because their side trails by 450 runs and the other 9 players on their team are idiots who got out in ridiculous ways. And then, after they inevitably fail, they do it again a week later. And maybe they lose horribly two more times and their team finds itself 3-0 down with two matches to play, but those matches still get played, even though they won't change the result of the series, because that's also part of the test. Or maybe it rains all summer and no matches are played, because the English, with maniac optimism, like to invent games that cannot be played if it's raining (see also: tennis).

I recognise that this is churlish of me. The women's game, like in so many other sports a niche afterthought, is being supercharged by an influx of cash from India, as the men's IPL has this year expanded into a women's tournament. The TV rights for this sold for £95m, the 5 franchises sold for half a billion. The top players - most players, probably - will make more from it than they do for the rest of the year. T20 is an extraordinary boost for the women's game, where tests are rarely played.

This is A Very Good Thing, but I'll always prefer tests.

Only three nations now have the economic power and talent pool to devote equal attention to all three formats of the game. Only England, India and Australia still play full test series against each other. The rest now play two- or maybe three-match series and only occasionally. The form the future of the game will take is in doubt. The West Indies might fracture amidst a proliferation of T20 franchise leagues, their players - naturally and understandably - touring the world and playing in half-a-dozen dozen leagues, their talents auctioned and drafted and paid far more than they get from tests.

But today I'm going to ignore the question marks about cricket's future and the maybe slow death of anything other than T20. Because today, one of the last remaining marquee matchups begins. Tomorrow, the women's T20 World Cup starts in South Africa. In a couple of months I will consume as much of the two IPLs as I can. In the summer, England will host Ashes series for both men and women that promise much. Australia's men currently holds the ridiculous little urn and are the top ranked side. England's men are actually very good right now and have many fine and likeable players, and a part of me finds that very irritating. Either or neither could win. For the other, England's women are also good, but Australia's are much gooder (for real. Ellyse Perry should be counted among the greatest female sports stars of all time. A world class bowler and batter, she has represented Australia at World Cups in both cricket and football).

All that is for tomorrow and beyond. Today, Australia's men begin a 4-match test series in India. India will probably win. It is incredibly hard to win anywhere as a touring team because weather and pitches vary a great deal from country to country and strongly favour the home team, no matter how lowly they are ranked. The West Indies comfortably beat England last year, and Australia struggled to a draw in Sri Lanka. And of all the places to tour, India is the hardest place to win of all. A series win in India is a rare and treasured thing.

The problem with touring India are the pitches. They are slow and dusty and - like most subcontinental tracks - favour the arcane arts of spin bowling, where a bowler uses his fingers or wrist to put spin on the ball in the hope that when it hits the pitch it grips and it's trajectory changes, deceiving the batter. Pitches are prepared to take advantage of this and push India's home field advantage as much as possible. Teams who play warm-up matches before tests in the hope of acclimatising will find placid, grassy pitches that offer not a hint of the demonic conditions the test series will likely bring. Cricket has never been a gentleman's game.

Australia have one, very very good spin bowler in Nathan Lyon and a number who are either untested or not good. They are likely to suffer against Indian batters who have known how to play spin since picking up a bat. India have Ravichandran Ashwin, also a very very good spinner, but in Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav they have several who are merely very good and likely to prosper against Australian batters who are less good away from Australia (Jadeja, injured for most of the last 6 months is arguably the best all-rounder in men's cricket today. A prodigiously talented bowler and batter, he is also among the best fielders in the men's game).

Australia have barely toured anywhere since the pandemic began, but their team has played very well at home and their glitchy batting goblins Marnus Labuschagne and Steve Smith are incredibly good. I have hope they make the series competitive (though for me, their approaches to batting are too angularly idiosyncratic compared to the gloriously pure techniques of Kohli and Babar Azam of Pakistan). But I also hope that Kohli finds form and has a series for the ages.

The man's due.

PS Old Deadspin did a decent primer on cricket years ago and you can still read it, if you don't mind giving the site clicks...