#Dr. Lindsay Wells in LA

[deliverybudzny]

Discover compassionate fertility care with Dr. Lindsay Wells in New Orleans at Audubon Fertility. Specializing in reproductive endocrinology, Dr. Wells offers personalized treatments like IVF and IUI to help individuals and couples achieve their family goals. With her dedication and expertise, she supports patients through every step of their fertility journey. Learn more about how Dr. Wells can guide you on your path to parenthood at Audubon Fertility.

[newsiesjathrine]

Nics

Faith

Grace

Kate

Gibbs

Abby

Ducky

Mcgee

Ziva

Jimmy

Jack

Kasie

Jessica

Jenny

Vance

Tony

Ellie

Nick

Reeves(Clayton)

Alex

Maddie

Kelly

Kayla

Emily

Johnny

morgan

Tobais

Jackie

Ncis new orleans

Naomi

Dwyane

Laurel

Chris

Sonja

Meredith

Loretta

Sebastian

Patton

Tammy

Hannah

Quitnten

Connor

David

Jimmy

natilie

Ncis la

Chris O'Donnell

G. Callen

Main

Peter Cambor

Nate Getz

Main

Recurring

Guest

Recurring

Guest

Daniela Ruah

Kensi Blye

Main

Adam Jamal Craig

Dominic Vail

Main[a]

LL Cool J

Sam Hanna

Main

Linda Hunt

Hetty Lange

Main[b]

Guest

Barrett Foa

Eric Beale

Main[c]

Eric Christian Olsen

Marty Deeks

Guest

Main

Renée Felice Smith

Nell Jones

Main[d]

Guest

Miguel Ferrer

Owen Granger

Recurring

Main[e]

Nia Long

Shay Mosley

Main[f]

Medalion Rahimi

Fatima Namazi

Recurring

Main[g]

Caleb Castille

Devin Rountree

Recurring

Main

Gerald McRaney

Hollace Kilbride

Guest

Recurring

Guest

Recurring

Main

Ncis hawaii

Alex

Julie

Maggie

Carla

Jane

Daniel

Ernie

Kathrine Marie "Kate"

Jesse

Kai

lucy

Rizzoli and isles

casey

lyida

Jane

Maura(dn)

Angela

Vince

Barry

Susie

Nina

Frankie;;

Tommy

Tj

Sean cavangh

Constance

Hope

Calin

Womens murder club

Linsday

Claire

Cindy

Jill

Adein

Elena

Payton

ariel

The truth of a secret

NCIS special agent Todd has a secret that could but the whole team into danger what happens when the news about the death of her dad triggers her powers to become stronger then she ever thought she could she will need to tell them before the nemesis of her youngest sisters best friend strikes again with a changed up mo she will have to reveal the secret to the rest of the team that doesn't know but how did the team take it.

One day after the news and secretly harnessing the new straight over distance training with her sisters (who became stronger as well )and a phone call she decides to tell the team one by one. Helene goes to sleep peacefully in her Alexandria apartment and Kate follows suit in her dc apartment while back in the sisters hometown Maura and Jane follow their night routine falling into bed side by side as they have done for a long time now back in her Beacon Hill home. The next morning Jane and Maura are faced again with the sculpting change in mo and Helene is enjoying a peaceful morning yoga session with both of her sisters and Jane’s as well. After yoga they all go off to work and Kate with a renewed sense of determination to help rid her sisters best friend of her personal nightmare she walks into work and sits down and goes though the files as the rest of the team filters in and she decides to go downstairs to train a bit more before Abby comes in to work. After finishing the training it hits her who it is with the files maura has sent over along with Claire’s on Lindsay’s personal nemesis she races back upstairs to the team all drowned in their own work and Salone waiting for her

Hey Kate whats up i've been waiting

Sorry Jack i was training and going though Mauras and Claires files and i found something

Then what is it Kate

Um i can't say because, she says gustering to her working team mates behind her and what will they think

Katie it won't matter their your family like the Rizzoli’s are mine they haven't treated you any differently sense they found out like my family you owe this to us we all have faith in you,Maura’s voice whispers though her necklace as Jack smiles and nods at Kate's smile and calls the attention of the bullpen

Gibbs and a majority of the team minus Tony looks at Kate's body language and face and smiles and he breaks the silence and gently says what do you got Katie

The jackpot Gibbs the victims all shows signs of multiple serial killers as you all and dr . Mallard after consulting dr. Washburn in san francisco the calling card of the kiss me not killer but if you all could note the missing hands and slit thorout the calling cards of Dennis Rockmond who recently kidnapped dr Isles the chief medical examiner of the commonwealth of massachusetts my home state and the calling card of the surgeon Charles Hoyt who is known for escaping for one condition and to kidnap bpd detective Jane Rizzoli four times for the last time on his deathbed with the me Dr.Isles so it is by my and Ducky’s personal and professional opinion to call them in because there is an fbi card and dna of agent Gabriel Dean on the body who knows all of these details thanks to captain connors and the warehouse shooting and unrelated but subsequent death of both Paddy Doyle jr. and sr and one of which only has three children with mend ceo and founder Hope Martin her only daughter Cailin Martin is a pre med student at bcu as she had previously believed the triplets to be dead but Paddy sent them to Constance and Autor Isles who are both well off in their own way she smiles at her family's photos and whispers to each of them a solo message to her dad you did what you could to protect us were the only thing you'd protect more firmly than your grasp on the city thanks for the letter dad well each read it when where ready i miss you we know you loved us in your own way and made sure Maura and we are safe you ended the terror and had them all turn themselves in each to life setnatnces to her mom and half sister we all love you we knew Maura would be the one to save you but you've made up for lost time see you both when i'm in town and to her mother and father the ones that raised her we all love you you protected us you got me here Helene to bcu and Maura to her best friend see you at the next istation mother thanks for trying and father thanks for trying to heal that rift between us love you both. She smiles and nods to Ducky”make the call as you already ran this by everyone who needs to know. She smiles with slight trepidation until she feels her surge of power knowing her sisters are safe a few hours later.

4 months earlier after Jane and Maura reconciled after the accident. At work the day after Kate loses balance with McGee and Torres on scene immediately knowing her sister over exerted herself and almost leads to her fainting but Gibbs helped them set her down and whispers in her ear(tell them katie) she nods and grasps the gem out of her necklace that hold the outfit that shows her true life and her real family.

Guys i need to show you something but you need to promise me not to tell Tony i can't risk him knowing this

They nod

She smiles and hugs them then here we go she lets the gem go flowing above her head shining brightly as ever and encases Kate in the light changing her outfit and hair to her half sisters hand made leather jacket her leather skirt with black tights and combat boots with a tight fitted dress with a irish flag pin and the crown from her bio dad as the eldest and her mothers bracelet and the choker of mend that they all have and Maura has the headband and Helene has the crown as does Maura they each have their own specially made crowns

Mcgee looks shocked Kate whats going on

Tim i'm not taking my birthright none of us are there all dead or in jail with life threatening harm

Torres us what do you mean by us and what the hell is your birthright

Kate smirks and leans against the tree conjuring all of her patience

I'm the eldest of three Helene Ruyanon Tenured professor at bcu in our homestate and Maura Isles the chief medical examiner of the commonwealth of massachusetts and i'm an Isles not a Todd i didn't want our name to push me ahead i wanted to work for it as did Helene. Maura the youngest and the youngest student in med school top of her class but I'm actually not an Isles weather me and my sisters are adopted. She waves her hand and her normal curls form and her hair slightly lightens while keeping its natural shade. She smirks at the confused looks on their faces and glances over to Gibbs who notices the look in her eyes and backs the team up

Let me show you boys my birthright follows me. They nod dumly and Kate's smirk turns into a smile and she pushes off the tree abruptly grabs their hands turns them into the tree she grabs the gem that the three of them have time to tell you what happened yesterday Jane and Maura reconciled after an accented after our dad's death in the wherehouse swipe he would have shot her but then he wouldn't have anyone to protect his youngest and the princess of the family Maura our mother always had thought we were dead but now with what's happened she knows we aren't but it was for the best with Paddys enemies after us at the time now that's all ended

Wait a minute Paddy Doyle head of the most feared Irish mob in Boston found someone to have kids with can I see something Kate

Kate smirks always Tim don't worry I can change back so he won't know what do you want

Your finger for a print running through the database

You don't believe I'm his eldest abbs has the DNA to prove it and the tunnel of hope in sariavjo

Yes I do Kate and it's true but it's still you none of you are like him

No if anything Maura's like our mom Kate says as the gem shifts her back to her outfit and lands in her hand to be placed back in and she smiles at Gibbs getting back to work he comes up to her just as Tony's arriving to whisper proud of you Katie Tony will know in due time. Kate smiles and nods at his ghost and Gibbs smirks go crazy Kate just make it subtle Doyle

Father daughter share mirror smirks and Kate works away as Tony comes to her side

I told you you'd pay for yesterday well my friend was injured and nows that time I have a little friend she nods at the ghost of her father and he begins the day of crazy and in the end he leaves with one prank with his eldest and this message keep up the good work and help protect your sisters love you my girl she smirks as she sets the last prank up before activating it with the family powers.

A few weeks later after the crazy baker case and Maura didn't want to abandon Jane so they trained together but this time kate had decided to train by rearranging her desk on her break when Jack and Grace walked back downstairs after their appointment and Jack smiles at her keep it up Kate each of you are using your powers for what's needed

It took a few months but the team took it well and they were all more accommodating to her power surges and that leads us to now with her and helene soundly sleeping and or medatanting from the strength of knowing that her sister is safe and with Jane

Gibbs is next to her and says tony needs to know and she smiles in agreement the mind message me and jack should get going if want to meet her. A year after the case they have all moved to be closer to Maura.Kate settles down with her sisters and they each think back to that let those letters that they got one from their mom one from their dad. So as happy for your wedding as I am and I am , I can't wait for the wedding and don't worry Tony won’t know I promise you.

She smiles and nods.

6 months later at the wedding in which both of their mothers and their dad and the whole of the homicide division and crime lab as well as one of Jane's informants the entirety of the rizzoli clan minus frank and almost the whole of the ncis crew and Helene and Cailin and Jill, Cindy and Claire along with Lindsay and Serena and with Abbie. This was the party

Susie was her maid of honor then Isla and Lilly with her sisters along with Cailin as bridesmaids and Jane’s best person is Vince with Barry and her sisters are up alongside the happy couple with the crowd smiling and Angela, Constance and Author along with Hope are crying happy tears. As the event draws to a close they head off on their pre approved month long leave in Paris and promises to help each other train well the others do what they can in the states

A month later they return home Kate to her ever present job with happiness and more pictures to put on her desk as she feels comfortable with the pictures being out because her family knows and that's what matters to her. So this is the order of photos her with her sisters, her mother and the triplets with Constance and Author, and her with the wedding party and the crews as well , Cindy, Jill, Clarie with the wedding party, and a rizzoli family photo as well and of course the solo photos with jane and her sisters and her own as well. The team filters in as Kate finishes up with her family magic in placing the photos on her desk the team that was at the wedding smiles at Kate’s clear happiness for her youngest sister minus Tony she spends that morning training and talking with Jack then she heads back down to make true on the promise to her sister of sketching the wedding party using the wedding family photos as a reference point. She happily sketches away when she answers the call from Linsday who she almost instantly sparked up a kinship with.

Hey Kate

Hey Lins what's up i'm working on the thing i promised Maura

Good good see you in town when your done

Always

She smiles as she ends the call and gets into sketching the family around the wedding party and while she finishes up with Cailin Tony walks up to the desks after his lunch break.

Whats up Katie what are you doing

Sketching and making true on a promise and i have to add color

Abby smiles at the paper and says looking good Katie and I can't wait to see the finished product. It's looking just as good as that day.

Thanks Abbs and of course you will im just about done with it ill be done by tomorrow and i'm taking a sabbatical for a few weeks to help them move Angela and enact their secret plan

Fun

Yep considering they already started and succeeded and Helenes down there with her baby drama

Well tell them congrats from me and the team will fly down toward the end of your sabbatical just promise to keep me updated

I will love you all of you

While in their home town the family will be split four ways and Angela has moved about a month before Helene had her Baby Boy Jackson and Jane and Maura came clean about their plan knowing that they couldn’t hide it any longer. This is the text she sent her the day of each of those events along with a little of the surprising news themselves.

She got it done we each get a fourth of the estate and a fourth of MEND. and everything is going well

Congrats Kate

And Angela is all moved out and they are going to have to tell her considering that their having twins a two lovely girls and their considering naming them after their sisters so yay and Helene’s about ready to pop

Congratulations im glad shes moved out we should be down before the twins are born

Ok plus they framed the picture. And Lindsay and her crew and Abbie and Serena arrived today

Yay. and she also sent her a photo of Jackson the next day with this text he's here he looks just like Helene and you know who has no idea that he exists but he has no rights but welcome the newest member of my family Jackson Michell and he is the cutest and he came home last night and met the whole family even TJ except you guys So were all losing sleep right now.

Yeah i won’t tell the team

Good just a few more weeks for the twins less than two months

Be down soon

[scotianostra]

Happy Birthday actress Lindsay Duncan born in Edinburgh November 7th 1950.

Lindsay’s father had served in the army for 21 years before becoming a civil servant. Her parents moved to Leeds while she was still a child.

After studying drama in London she began working on Eighties TV productions such as Dead Head and Traffik.

She was awarded a Laurence Olivier award for best actress in a new play in 1987 for her portrayal as La Marquise de Merteuil in an RSC production of Les Liaisons Dangereuses, and from there her career went from strength to strength.

My favourite roles from Lindsay are playing the girlfriend in the excellent ITV series Travelling man opposite Leigh Lawson, and the bitchy Barbara Douglas in Alan Bleasdale’s GBH. In 2009 Lindsay played Margaret Thatcher in the BBC feature length drama Margaret, at the time she commented about the former prime minister that she loathed everything the former Thatcher stood for.

Other TV appearances included, A year in Provence, Reilly, Ace of Spies, Spooks, Doctor Who and more recently Churchill’s Secret, all quality dramas.  Her only role I know of with a Scottish accent was the 2003 film Afterlife which also starred Kevin McKidd and Isla Blair.

Fans of Benedict Cumberbatch in Sherlock might remember her as Lady Smallwood, she was also in the recent series A Discovery of Witches on Sky in 2018, appearing in 5 of the 8 episodes.

Lindsay cut her teeth in theatre and has always supported this genre with stage roles all through her career as well as starring in several films ranging from Star Wars: Episode I to Mansfield Park. Her latest roles have been in Inside No. 9,, a British black comedy anthology TV show and in the film  A Banquet,  a British horror film directed by Scottish filmmaker and writer Ruth Paxton

Next up for Lindsay is  Doctor Jekyll, yet another re-imagining of the infamous Dr. Jekyll from Robert Louis Stevenson's 1886 novella The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde.  Eddie Izzard has been cast as Jekyll. She has recently been touring theatres in The Dance of Death. 

Lindsay is married to fellow Scottish actor Hilton McRae, and the couple have a son, Cal, born in 1991.

[vorfreud]

films on youtube: part ii

Updated on September 29th 2021.

Below is a selection of films available on YouTube. As I try to update this list as regularly as possible (for this is a lenghthy process), please refer to the original post for the newest version. 

IMPORTANT NOTE: Apparently, Tumblr restricts the number of links you can have all on one post. Therefore, this list is divided into two parts. You can access part one by clicking on the link below:

PART I HERE.

For a visual reference of all the movies available, click here.

Titles are alphabetized by director, and organized by year of release.

Orphée (1950), Jean Cocteau

The Mother and the Whore (1973), Jean Eustache

My Little Loves (1974), Jean Eustache

La Chienne (1931), Jean Renoir

The Southerner (1945), Jean Renoir

The River (1951), Jean Renoir

The Golden Coach (1952), Jean Renoir

À Propos de Nice (1930), Jean Vigo

Zéro de Conduite (1933), Jean Vigo

Vivre Sa Vie (1962), Jean-Luc Godard

Masculin Féminin (1966), Jean-Luc Godard

Chronicle of Anna Magdanela Bach (1968), Jean-Marie Straub and Danièle Huillet

Class Relations (1984), Jean-Marie Straub and Danièle Huillet

Antigone (1992), Jean-Marie Straub and Danièle Huillet

Two Men in Manhattan (1959), Jean-Pierre Melville

Le Deuxième Souffle (1966), Jean-Pierre Melville

Down by Law (1986), Jim Jarmusch

My Left Foot: The Story of Christy Brown (1989), Jim Sheridan

Hovering Over the Water (1986), João César Monteiro

God’s Comedy (1995), João César Monteiro

Vai e Vem (2003), João César Monteiro

Underworld (1927), Josef von Sternberg

The Docks of New York (1928), Josef von Sternberg

Faces (1968), John Cassavetes

Minnie and Moskowitz (1971), John Cassavetes

Opening Night (1977), John Cassavetes

Just One Kid (1974), John Goldschmidt

King of Jazz (1930), Joh Murray Anderson

Song of Avignon (1998), Jonas Mekas

As I Was Moving Ahead Ocasionally I Saw Glimpses of Beauty (2000), Jonas Mekas

The Act of Killing (2012), Joshua Oppenheimer

…À Valparaíso (1963), Joris Ivens

Birds, Orphans and Fools (1969), Juraj Jakubisko

Sisters of the Gion (1936), Kenji Mizoguchi

The Story of the Last Chrisanthemum (1939), Kenji Mizoguchi

A Geisha (1953), Kenji Mizoguchi

Ugetsu (1953), Kenji Mizoguchi

Sansho the Bailiff (1954), Kenji Mizoguchi

Street of Shame (1956), Kenji Mizoguchi

Duel in the Sun (1946), King Vidor

Fires on the Plain (1959), Kon Ichikawa

The Ascent (1977), Larisa Shepitko

Dancer in the Dark (2000), Lars von Trier

The Upturned Glass (1947), Lawrence Huntington

Hamlet (1948), Lawrence Olivier

The Blue Light (1932), Leni Riefenstahl

Mädchen in Uniform (1931), Leontine Sagan

Rain (1932), Lewis Milestone

The Strange Love of Martha Ivers (1946), Lewis Milestone

This Sporting Life (1963), Lindsay Anderson

if…. (1968), Lindsay Anderson

Au Revoir, Les Enfants (1987), Louis Malle

Jew Süss (1934), Lothar Mendes

La Terra Trema (1948), Luchino Visconti

Beautiful (1951), Luchino Visconti

The Leopard (1963), Luchino Visconti

Sandra (1965), Luchino Visconti

The Sunday Woman (1975), Luigi Comencini

L’Âge d’Or (1930), Luis Buñuel

Nazarin (1959), Luis Buñuel

Black Orpheus (1959), Marcel Camus

Limite (1931), Mário Peixoto

Spring on Zarechnaya Street (1956), Marlen Khutsiyev and Feliks Mironer

Vermilion Souls (2007), Masaki Iwana

La Haine (1995), Mathieu Kassovitz

Meshes of the Afternoon (1943), Maya Deren

Caught (1949), Max Ophüls

The Reckless Moment (1949), Max Ophüls

Black Narcissus (1947), Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger

Gone to Earth (1950), Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger

Gente del Po (1947), Michelangelo Antonioni

Il Grido (1957), Michelangelo Antonioni

L’Avventura (1960), Michelangelo Antonioni

La Notte (1961), Michelangelo Antonioni

Red Desert (1964), Michelangelo Antonioni

Zabriskie Point (1970), Michelangelo Antonioni

The Passenger (1975), Michelangelo Antonioni

Women of Ryazan (1927), Olga Preobrazhenskaya and Ivan Pravov

The Stranger (1946), Orson Welles

Black Girl (1966), Ousmane Sembène

Punishment Park (1971), Peter Watkins

Mamma Roma (1962), Pier Paolo Pasolini

World on a Wire (1973), Rainer Werner Fassbinder

Martha (1974), Rainer Werner Fassbinder

Chinese Roulette (1976), Rainer Werner Fassbinder

City of Pirates (1983), Raúl Ruiz

Time Regained (1999), Raúl Ruiz

Lucrezia Borgia (1922), Richard Oswald

Strangers When We Meet (1960), Richard Quine

Framed (1947), Richard Wallace

Mouchette (1967), Robert Bresson

Four Nights of a Dreamer (1971), Robert Bresson

The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920), Robert Wiene

Rome, Open City (1945), Roberto Rossellini

Paisà (1946), Roberto Rossellini

Germany, Year Zero (1948), Roberto Rossellini

The Flowers of St. Francis (1950), Roberto Rossellini

Europa ’51 (1952), Roberto Rossellini

Journey to Italy (1954), Roberto Rossellini

Repulsion (1965), Roman Polanski

Cul-de-sac (1966), Roman Polanski

Songs from the Second Floor (2000), Roy Andersson

You, the Living (2007), Roy Andersson

Two (1965), Satyajit Ray

Battleship Potemkin (1925), Sergei M. Eisenstein

The Color of Pomegranates (1968), Sergej Parajanov

Shozo, a Cat and Two Women (1956), Shirō Toyoda

A Day at the Beach (1972), Simon Hesera

Royal Wedding (1951), Stanley Donen

It’s Always Fair Weather (1955), Stanley Donen

Indiscreet (1958), Stanley Donen

Charade (1963), Stanley Donen

The Haircut (1982), Tamar Simon Hoffs

A Page of Madness (1926), Teinosuke Kinugasa

Badlands (1973), Terrence Malick

The Entertainer (1960), Tony Richardson

Daisies (1966), Věra Chytilová

The Outlaw and His Wife (1918), Victor Sjöstrom

Shoeshine (1946), Vittorio de Sica

Bicyle Thieves (1948), Vittorio de Sica

Umberto D. (1952), Vittorio de Sica

State Fair (1946), Walter Lang

Berlin: Symphony of a Great City (1927), Walter Ruttmann

The Last Stage (1948), Wanda Jakubowska

Land of Silence and Darkness (1971), Werner Herzog

Aguirre, the Wrath of God (1972), Werner Herzog

Rope of Sand (1949), William Dieterle

Wings of Desire (1987), Wim Wenders

I Was Born, But… (1932), Yasujirō Ozu

The Only Son (1936), Yasujirō Ozu

The Brothers and Sisters of the Toda Family (1941), Yasujirō Ozu

There Was a Father (1942), Yasujirō Ozu

Late Spring (1949), Yasujirō Ozu

Early Summer (1951), Yasujirō Ozu

The Flavor of Green Tea Over Rice (1952), Yasujirō Ozu

Tokyo Story (1953), Yasujirō Ozu

Early Spring (1956), Yasujirō Ozu

Equinox Flower (1958), Yasujirō Ozu 

Late Autumn (1960), Yasujirō Ozu

The Blue Sky Maiden (1957), Yasuzō Masumura

[seriesdepelicula]

Retomando la colección series vintage, hoy THE BIONIC WOMAN (1976), bien traducida al español como LA MUJER BIONICA. Esta serie se trata de un spin- off (palabras muy de moda hoy día) y que era un derivado de la exitosa El Hombre Nuclear (Lee Mejors)

La serie basada en el personaje de Jaime Sommers, tenista profesional de 27 años que tras un accidente en paracaídas del que quedó discapacitada fue convertida en un organismo cibernético (al igual que Steve Austin) por Oscar Goldman (funcionario del gobierno estadounidense) y el Dr. Rudy Wells, quien le implantó un oído mejorado ultrasensible, un brazo artificial de enorme fuerza y ambas piernas biónicas que le permitían correr a altas velocidades. Justamente Jamie era una antigua novia de Steve Austin (el hombre nuclear) con quien planeaba casarse hasta que tuvo el terrible accidente.

El personaje había sido creado para un capítulo doble de El Hombre Nuclear en el año 1975, y dado el éxito arrasador, le permitió a la actriz y protagonista LINDSAY WAGNER ganar un premio Emmy.

Jaime Sommers había fallecido víctima del rechazo biológico hacia las partes cibernéticas implantadas hacia el final de la segunda temporada, o eso es lo que le hicieron creer a la audiencia y al propio Steve Austin.Lo cierto es que el público la amaba, por lo cual tuvieron que revivirla para la 3ra e incluso el público exigió que la actriz fuese la misma y no otra.Claro que esto trajo consecuencias en el personaje, que fue salvada gracias a que fue puesta en animación suspendida por el Dr. Marchetti, ayudante del Dr Wells, y que como efecto secundario le produjo una pérdida de memoria por lo cual no recordaba ni a Steve ni a su pasado.

La serie se transmitió durante los años 1976 y 1978, para un total de 58 capítulos, la 1ra tuvo 14 y las dos siguientes 22 c/u.

Acompañaron a la actriz además, RICHARD ANDERSON (Oscar Goldman) y MARTIN E. BROOKS (Dr. Rudy Wells).Serie muy exitosa a pesar de solo tener tres temporadas y que catapultó a la fama a su protagonista.

La serie pensada como éxito, fue exitazo.Para medirlo no alcanzaban solo los índices de audiencia, sino entrar a una juguetería y ver cómo las muñecas de la mujer biónica eran de las más vendidas.Mi puntaje para este show es de 6/10.

[yourreddancer]

HEATHER COX RICHARDSON

July 7, 2022 (Thursday)

Today, President Joe Biden awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom to 17 individuals who Biden says “demonstrate the power of possibilities and embody the soul of the nation—hard work, perseverance, and faith. They have overcome significant obstacles to achieve impressive accomplishments in the arts and sciences, dedicated their lives to advocating for the most vulnerable among us, and acted with bravery to drive change in their communities—and across the world—while blazing trails for generations to come.”The seventeen appear to have been chosen quite deliberately to provide a snapshot of a multicultural, nonpartisan society in which people work to overcome hardship and contribute to the public good. 

Biden praised decorated gymnast Simone Biles, who has won 19 World Championship gold medals and 4 Olympic gold medals, for her advocacy for the mental health and safety of athletes, children in the foster care system, and victims of sexual assault. 

Sister Simone Campbell is “a prominent advocate for economic justice, immigration reform, and healthcare policy.” Dr. Julieta García “was the first Hispanic woman to serve as a college president and dedicated her career to serving students from the Southwest Border region.”

  Former Member of Congress Gabrielle “Gabby” Giffords, the youngest woman ever elected to the Arizona State Senate and later a U.S. representative, survived gun violence and co-founded a nonprofit organization dedicated to gun violence prevention.

Attorney Fred Gray “represented Rosa Parks, the NAACP, and Martin

 Luther King, who called him ‘the chief counsel for the protest movement.’” Steve Jobs, who died in 2011, led both Apple, Inc., and Pixar. “His vision, imagination and creativity led to inventions that have, and continue to, change the way the world communicates, as well as transforming the computer, music, film and wireless industries.”

Father Alexander Karloutsos has been a Greek Orthodox priest for more than 50 years, “providing counsel to several U.S. presidents.”

  Khizr Khan is a Gold Star father (which means he lost his son Captain Humayun Khan in the military service of the U.S.) and “is a prominent advocate for the rule of law and religious freedom.”

Sandra Lindsay was prominent in the early months of the Covid-19 pandemic, working as a critical care nurse in New York. She was “the first American to receive a COVID-19 vaccine outside of clinical trials and is a prominent advocate for vaccines and mental health for health care workers.”

  Senator John McCain, who died in 2018, was a prominent Republican politician from Arizona, famous as an independent thinker who often bucked his party to do what he considered right.

  Diane Nash helped to found the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) that “organized some of the most important civil rights campaigns of the 20th century.”

 Olympic and two-time World Cup champion soccer player Megan Rapinoe works “for gender pay equality, racial justice, and LGBTQI+ rights.”

  Former Wyoming senator Alan Simpson, a Republican, has been “a prominent advocate on issues including campaign finance reform, responsible governance, and marriage equality.”

  Richard Trumka, who died in 2021, led the AFL-CIO for more than a decade and worked for social and economic justice.

  Brigadier General Wilma Vaught broke gender barriers as she rose through the ranks of the U.S. Air Force. “When she retired in 1985, she was one of only seven women generals in the Armed Forces.”

Award-winning actor, director, and producer Denzel Washington has “served as National Spokesman for the Boys & Girls Clubs of America for over 25 years.”

 And civil rights advocate Raúl Yzaguirre, who was a U.S. ambassador to the Dominican Republic, led the National Council of La Raza for 30 years.

 “Decorated athletes and military heroes, artists, civil rights giants, activists and trailblazing representatives, intellectuals, and innovators,” Biden tweeted. “That's America. And these are our 2022 Presidential Medal of Freedom recipients.”

President John F. Kennedy established these awards for ​​”especially meritorious contributions to… [t]he security or national interests of the United States, or…world peace, or…cultural or other significant public or private endeavors.” “

In a period when the national government must call upon an increasing portion of the talents and energies of its citizens,” Kennedy said, “it is clearly appropriate to provide ways to recognize and reward the work of persons, within and without the Government, who contribute significantly to the quality of American life.” And yet for all their apparent civic-minded origins, a 2018 study by political scientists E. Fletcher McClellan, Christopher Devine, and Kyle C. Kopko showed that the medals have become increasingly political since 1981 as presidents seek to reward donors and associate their presidencies with individuals who will appeal to their voters or show their administrations in a good light. 

The difference between Biden’s first 17 award recipients and those former president Trump honored reflects their different visions of the country. Trump favored white people and focused on athletes, especially golfers; cultural icons (Babe Ruth and Elvis Presley); or icons in the Republican Party’s rightward swing (media figure Rush Limbaugh, economist Arthur Laffer, jurist Antonin Scalia). Trump also awarded a medal to Representative Devin Nunes (R-CA) on January 4, 2021, and, on January 11, 2021, to Representative Jim Jordan (R-OH).  

That vision of the government as a way to reward loyalists might have moved past legal boundaries.

  New York Times journalist Michael S. Schmidt yesterday reported that both former FBI director James Comey and his deputy Andrew McCabe were tapped for extremely rare invasive tax audits by the Internal Revenue Service during the Trump administration. Those audits are supposed to be random, and the chances that both Comey and McCabe, whom Trump singled out as enemies for their role in the Russia investigation, were randomly chosen seem small. The two men were unaware the other had gone through the deep audit until a reporter told them. 

Today, the IRS director Charles Rettig, the Trump appointee under whom the audits took place, asked the inspector general of the Treasury Department to investigate the matter. 

There was international condemnation of right-wing policies in the U.S. today, when the European Parliament voted 324 to 155, with 38 abstaining, to condemn the Supreme Court’s recent decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health, overturning the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision recognizing the constitutional right to abortion

. It also demanded that the European Union recognize the right to abortion in its charter, and to provide "safe, legal and free abortion services, pre-natal and maternal healthcare services, voluntary family planning, youth-friendly services, and HIV prevention, treatment and support, without discrimination." 

U.S. Secret Service director James Murray announced his retirement from the agency today to take a position as security chief at Snapchat’s parent company, Snap. Former president Trump appointed Murray to the head of the Secret Service in May 2019. Questions about the loyalties of certain Secret Service agents have swirled since January 6, but the White House said the resignation was not connected to the recent testimony of Cassidy Hutchinson, aide to Trump’s chief of staff Mark Meadows, who mentioned hearing of a physical altercation between Trump and an agent after Trump spoke at the Ellipse on January 6.  

In the U.K. today, Prime Minister Boris Johnson stepped down as head of the Conservative Party after dozens of officials in his government resigned over repeated scandals. He says he will step down as prime minister when the party chooses his replacement, likely this fall. Party leaders may force him out sooner. In a statement, Biden said that “the special relationship between our people remains strong and enduring…. I look forward to continuing our close cooperation with the government of the United Kingdom, as well as our Allies and partners around the world, on a range of important priorities. That includes maintaining a strong and united approach to supporting the people of Ukraine as they defend themselves against Putin's brutal war on their democracy, and holding Russia accountable for its actions." (HE RESIGNED)

Tonight, former Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe was shot in the chest while he was giving a campaign speech in the city of Nara. His condition is critical. Police have arrested a male suspect in the shooting. Washington Post Tokyo/Seoul bureau chief Michele Ye Hee Lee tweeted: “Can't overstate how shocking this shooting is—not only because Abe is very popular and prominent, but also because gun violence is extremely rare incident in Japan, a country with some of the world's strictest gun laws.” (ABE WAS NOTED TO BE THE JAPANESE TRUMP, VERY CORRUPT AND NOT WELL LIKED)

President of the European Council Charles Michel tweeted that Abe is “a true friend, fierce defender of multilateral order & democratic values.” He promised that the European Union stands with Japan and Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.

Finally, former president Jimmy Carter and Rosalynn Carter celebrated their 76th wedding anniversary today. Theirs is the longest presidential marriage in our history. They were married in Plains, Georgia, on this date in 1946.

[texasthrillbilly]

Everyone always talks about Betty White, and they should, she's awesome, but another cool old broad that I hardly see anyone online talk about at all is classic film and television star, and nonagenarian, June Lockhart.

Maybe I'm biased because I'm a huge Lost in Space fan, but I think Ms. Lockhart is pretty rad and here's a few reasons why:

During the 1960's, when she was in her 40's, she was a member of an adult kite flying club.

She owned a 1923 Seagrave pumper fire engine that she named Cordelia Delilah Lindsay, and she would drive it to the studio during her time on Lost in Space. She had the biggest parking space on the lot because of this.

She's appeared in many oddball, cult films including C.H.U.D II: Bud the C.H.U.D., and as a witch in the criminally underrated Troll.

After starring in her most famous roles on Lassie and Lost in Space she would go on to pop up on other diverse television shows too, like Amazing Stories, Beverly Hills 90210 and even Ren & Stimpy.

Her Lost in Space costar, Bill Mumy, has said in many interviews that the only man's picture he's ever known her to carry in her wallet, from the 1980's onward, is David Bowie.

In fact she's a huge rock fan in general, going back to the 1960's when she would take little Billy Mumy and Angela Cartwright (her Lost in Space children) to the Whiskey-A-Go-Go in LA to see the Allman Brothers live during the summer of love.

To quote Mumy in a 2013 interview, "June is such an interesting character... She is, without a doubt, one of the smartest people I’ve ever met in my life. She is truly a rock & roll goddess. I swear to god. She lives for rock & roll.”

She was honored by The National Aeronautics and Space Administration with an award for Exceptional Public Achievement for inspiring the public about space exploration.

And of course I could talk endlessly about how she, as her LiS character, Dr. Maureen Robinson, portrayed a level headed female scientist, a bio-chemist, who was also a loving mother and vital member of a group of space pioneers who could handle a laser pistol just as well as she could braid her daughters hair at a time when most mothers on television were just meant to stay in the background and stay quiet.

She would also go on to play a doctor for many episodes of Petticoat Junction after LiS ended.

Truly a woman ahead of her time who even now in her late 90's continues to live an active life.

I think we should all appreciate and be inspired by her.

🚀🌟💟💕💟🌟🤖

[safflowerseason]

mischa, lindsay, olsen twins, that whole era of IT girls and how they evolved is fascinating. first the child actors coming of age and getting swept up with LA socialites. paris & nicole survived and rebranded, even the partying didn't age them same way. olsen twins regained credibility by fading out into the fashion world. mischa & lindsay never bounced back, branded difficult and viewed as deserving of their fates. it would all make a fascinating documentary.

And don't forget Britney! She was/is the ultimate case study of that period.

We really do need an in-depth HBO documentary or a heavily researched and reported two-part narrative history of women in the entertainment industry of the early 00's . There are so many intersecting factors that made that era so important and distinctive, and that shaped the trajectories of each of the different women you list. For example, consider the financial side of the story. Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie were already independently wealthy by virtue of their families - they never, ever *had* to "work" (aka do things in public), the way Lindsay Lohan was basically the breadwinner for her family from a very young age. So, they always had the financial means to step out of the spotlight when they chose, not to mention they can afford the best PR, etc.

As for the Olsen twins...I wouldn't say they ever *lost* credibility in the eyes of the public the way that Lindsay Lohan and Mischa Barton did...they were never seriously into the Hollywood clubbing/party scene, as far as I am aware. What's more, they also amassed a huge fortune that--unlike Britney and Lindsay--they have retained control of. Their parents started a producing company to manage the brand and when the twins turned eighteen in 2004, they gained full control of the company and their fortune and basically immediately stopped doing tv and movies. So again, they also had the financial means to secure their privacy and change their careers, as well as a clear and focused ambition to get into the fashion world.

Lindsay Lohan and Mischa Barton, in contrast, don't come from extreme wealth. We know that MB sued her mother for financial reasons and I think Lohan was famously broke for a while (that's why she basically ended up supported by sketchy oil billionaires in Russia or Dubai or wherever she lives overseas now). Finances are a huge part of what empowered women to wrest some control over their image away from the tabloid press and paparazzi of the early-mid 00's. I mean, look at Britney's conservatorship--part of the reason her father was able to secure it in the first place is because the Britney brand was worth so much money that it clearly needed to be managed, at a time when Britney herself did not seem capable of doing so.

Anyway, TL;DR, follow the money. and who is going to write the ten-volume history of this period that I want.

[chemicallady]

Matching

Greg Sanders x Reader!

A/N: Hi everyone! Have you ever noticed that there are not enough Greg Sanders fanfiction in the world? I have looked for some for a while, but nothing. Now, stop complaining and let's have fun togheter, this is my first Greg Sanders x Reader! I hope you will like it! Besos! 

 Couple: Greg Sanders/Female!Reader 

Category: Fluff 

Content Warning: // 

 Summary:  this is the first time Greg tries to find love with an app. Who knows whohe  is gonna meet with a cyber matching?

  ***

Las Vegas, October 5th 2015 

The last month was rough for him. Many things had changed forever. Nick had resigned from the team, Sarah decided to take a break after a big promotion in order to restore her relationship with Grissom, Catherine is back to her position as the leader of the night shift. 

Russell is moving on with his life and Finn is gone. Forever. No matter how much his tried to save her life or they prayed for her, she is gone. 

Greg is not confortable with big changes. For the first time in forever he is feeling like he is flooting. Dr Robbins said that is normal, in a moment like this one, in which he has escaped the death again, to feel this way.

«Maybe you need a fresh new start.»

Everyone is starting something, whatever. Nick is a boss now, Sarah is happy with her ex husband and former director of the lab. Even Hodges is living the moment, with a new girlfriend. 

«He met her on a website», Henry said to Greg during a coffee break. 

He laughted, then he used this information against Hodges. 

«It isnt a website... I am not dating a russian wife!»

Greg smirked, «No more girls interested in your Visa after the italian one?»

«Shut the fuck up, Sanders. Nowdays is normal using dating app. You should try and stop wasting my time!»

****

He didnt download Tinder only because Hodges suggested it. 

Of course.

He decided to try the app only to dimostrate that is a poor life choice. 

But the amounth of time he have spent in looking at girls profiles is already too much to look credible. Furthermore, Lindsay have noticed him swapping girls away and she giggled amused. «You should try to go on a date. Dont tell my mom, but I met a guy once, on Tinder. He was really awsome, but he was a tourist. An advice, always take a loool if she is a resident!»

And he followed her suggestion, making the opposite. Just to have some fun. 

There are many people who only are in Vegas for having fun and even if was cool, meeting girls who only want a one night stand, after three or four date started to make him feel bored. 

He always talk a little about is job, fake interesting in the girl’s plan for her vacation and everything ending in the morning. 

So he decided to try something else. 

A serious date, for once. 

***

He is exploring your profile since the moment you two matched. He is fascinating by your (y/e/c) eyes in the profile picture. You look smart but gentle at the same time. No mention to the fact that even if you are linving in Vegas, you are from (you hometown/nation) and you are a PhD candidate in Archaelogy. 

You dont look like the other girls he met in the last period. You are a student, a really good one. You have a picture in front of Columbia University, which you attended for your MSc and graduated.

So you are not only smart, but really intelligent. 

You have those beautiful (y/h/c) hair and a gentle smile. 

So he picks all his courage and writes you a simple ‘hi’. 

You dont answer immediatly, even if you have read the message. So Greg closes the app with disappointed. Well. It’s proved. You cant find love in one of this app. 

He decides that is far better to start with the awfull pile of documents on the desk, before is too late. Or to early, depends by the point of view. 

*** 

He had finished with paperwork around 7 am and so he decided to go home.

In the moment he enters the living room, he feels so lonely. It’s happening quite often in the last period. He kicks his shoes away and sits on the sofa, taking a deep breath. With his eyes close, he starts to thing about the last serious date and its look like a century ago.

And it was a complete failure.

Everytime he fell for a girl is always the same old story. Firstly, amazing. Then a mess because of his job.

But he doesn't have to change is life only because he feels the emptiness of his house. He has worked so much to achieve this results and now...

Now? What he has? A good position in an horrible schedule shift. An amazing group of team mates - unfortunately Hodges is still working in the materials lab, but who cares- but no social life. No family. He is 40 now and he was looking for a 25 years girl.

So silly.

So stupid.

But what's is even silliest? Losing himself in those throughs instead of sleep. He has his shift starting at 11 pm, but he has the laudary to do. And he need to clean the apartment. Is full of dust.

****

After seven hours sleeping, he feels himself far more positive. It's around 2 pm when he wakes up and start with the laudary. He gets a look on the phone and answer to Morgan under a pic on facebook, than he notices that he has a new notification on Tinder.

He is so surprise when he realises that is you.

-who wrote 'hi' at 4.30 in the morning?-

He blushes a little, thinking about it. It was really early and he hasnt realised it.

-someone who is working at night...?-

The answer is not the best. But you are smart and you bring a good observation.

-like a hooker?-

He laught a little, rising his elbow.

-sorta. But not so well paid.-

Making fun of the hookers is not a good way to start a conversation, but someway, it works. You two share some messages and then you give your phone number to him.

You are free tomorrow for lunch, even if is unusual meeting someone with the sun in the sky, in Vegas.

And he is totaly down.

***

Is strange for you to go on a date with someone you don't know. But it is even strangest go for a lunch date. It's look so formal to you, but the guy in the profile pic looks potentially awsome. You have read from his description that he works for the Clark Country Police Department and this is a hot detail: you have a thing for cops.

You dressed nicely for the lunch inside The Venice's restaurant. Classy choice by the way. But not elegant because is 12 am. You also decide to go easy on your make up, because after this date you have to help in teaching a bacherlo class and you are hoping that you won't have enough time to change, after the meal.

So here we go.

In front of the restaurant.

You look around and see a figure a couple of meters away from you. He is pretty tall and with dark blonde hair. He is also well dressed, better then you, but not formal.

Your glazes meet in the middle of the atrium and you both smile embarrassed. He is the first one to move some steps near to you.

《Hi. You are (y/n)?》

《Yes. And you must be Greg.》

You shake his hand and then catch his invitation to enter in the restaurant first. The waiter reserved you a nice place on the balcony. The cannel is fake, not even similar to the Italian one, but is romantic.

One score for Greg.

《What would you like to eat?》, he asked so politely that you can't help yourself, but smile back.

《I thing I'll go with a sandwich for lunch》

《Nice choice, I am down. Wine?》

《Sorry, but I have a class in the afternoon...》

This time he is smiling. 《Then water for two.》

He is so kind. He decides to drink water because you can't drink wine. This is another score.

After you two have made your orders, it's time for questions.

《Do you usually meet people this way?》, je asks, nicely. Even if there is no accusation in the tune of his voice, you blush a little.

《It's not the first time, but I am still a skeptical, by the way.》

《Why?》

《Because I've met only morons on Tinder. 》 You try your best smile. 《Hope you are not one of them.》

《I share this hope with you》, he jokes. 《I am looking for your verdict at the end of the meal, so.》

You both laught. Is a nice company and the tension is going away.

《So you are a cop?》

《Not exactly. I work for the crime like as a crime scene investigator.》

You looked impressed. 《Sounds amazing but hard at the same time. I am asking to my self you an awsome guy like you is still single.... is for your job?》

This time is Greg the one who blushes. 《Yes is really... It takes most of my time. Someday all of my time.》

《I can relate》, you say. 《I am not cool as you are, I don't save people for live, neither I am good in puzzle but... I work on field so I spend several weeks abroad. Sometimes even a month or two and when I come back...》

《...You have the feeling that everyone is carries on with his life but you are static》 he ends your statement. 《Yes, you can relate, totaly.》

You two share a smile and then he starts to ask you some questiom about your job, your position at the UNLV and stuffs.

In the end, after a sweet fight, he insists to pay the meal, but you put on the table the tips.

《It was really nice 》, you say and he agrees. 《We should do that again. What's your spare night?》

《Monday》 he aswers, immediately 《If my boss wont tell me otherwise.》

《If you are agree, you can see eachother again on Monday, so.》

《It will be amazing.》

Another smile and a little silence. You have no idea of what to do now. Is too soon for a kiss, but an hand shake would be awful. So you decide to come closer to him and kiss his cheek. Is so cute the way he blushes again. Greg is near now and you can feel his breath on your lips. For him, is not too soon. He gently puts a hands on you hip and drag you into a soft kiss.

The best way to end a good date.

****

《So how is she?》

After two weeks dating, Greg decides to tell the guys about you.

Terrible idea.

《She is so nice!》 He starts excited, while Catherine is laught, shaking is head and look at David Philips in the classical 'told ya' way. 《She is beautiful and gentle. She is also tremendously determinate. More than anything, she is so intelligent and her smell is amazing.》

《She can cook?》, Super Dave asks, joking.

《Everything you can say, she can do it. Is incredible. She speaks like five languages and is so sexy in bed.》

《This information is not necessary 》 is Catherine's comment.

But Dave wants to prove a point now. 《....She speaks five languages in bed or it was not correlated?》

《Guys, we are on a crime scene.》

The two boys share a small smile and wait for Russell to be far enough. So Dave asks one last question. 《Are you only fancy her... or maybe you are already in love?》

Greg thinks about it for a couple of second. 《I am already fucked.》

Dave laughs, 《of couse you are.》

[anaclarachavez]

La guerra en contra de los cuerpos. Y las pláticas de paz.

“No te quiero por tu cuerpo sino por ti. Tu cuerpo es solo la cereza en el pastel”. Un mensaje que recibí durante una crisis de autoestima. Cada tanto tengo una conversación similar porque cada tanto mi mente decide poner más valor en mi cuerpo que en cualquier otro atributo personal. Qué no mi cuerpo es parte de mí o porque hay tanta diferencia en cómo lo valoro. Busco algún espejo de entre mi círculo de confianza para que me refleje todo lo que creo saber pero no veo. Con insistencia recibo respuestas dentro de un espectro que va desde “a nadie le importa cómo te ves, solo a ti” hasta “eres perfecta, no pienses otra cosa”. Y estoy segura que eso a veces resulta peor porque ninguno de esos reflejos me parece realista (¿pero algún reflejo lo es? Después de todo, todos tenemos filtros diferentes). 

Esas son respuestas del guión que hemos aprendido a responder a las mujeres de nuestras vidas ¿Qué clase de realidad sería aquella en la que todas las mujeres que nos rodean fueran perfectas? ¿Una versión tinder age de las Stepford Wives? Aterrador y desabrido. Quienquiera que me responda eso no está diciendo más que lo que piensa que quiero escuchar. Por otro lado, ¿qué clase de realidad sería una en la que a nadie le importase tu aspecto físico? Una ciega, donde la funcionalidad y el placer de lo corporal están cancelados. Quienquiera que me responda eso ignora que los cuerpos y que la belleza son políticos. Y el cómo negociamos con ellos determina nuestro comportamiento y nuestra salud. 

Después de días me canso de pensar obsesivamente en mi aspecto físico. Algo pasa. Algún deadline, una cena con mucho vino, una ida al cine. Y esa obstrucción dismórfica se disipa entre otros pensamientos. No escapa, sin embargo, los límites abstractos de la mente. Se hace de un rincón cómodo para pasar el tiempo mientras prepara su siguiente aparición*, pero sus secuelas permanecen en forma de dudas cotidianas. Es una pena, porque la exposición a la cotidianidad (imágenes y discursos sobre belleza y delgadez para donde se mire), es lo que eventualmente la vuelve a alimentar como gremlin después de medianoche. De tal suerte que a mis 27 me encuentro en una constante ambivalencia corporal: 

¿Mi cuerpo importa?

¿Qué tanto debe importar(me)?

¿Yo importo –como humano y como mujer– solo en tanto que puedo quitarle valor a mi cuerpo y agregarlo a mi intelecto y sentimientos?

¿Es mi cuerpo sólo la cereza en el pastel? Y si es así, ¿hay mérito en saber apreciar esa cereza?

¿Por qué insiste el mundo en que las soluciones son solo los extremos de alabar mi cuerpo como es (un mensaje bastante reciente, cabe aclarar) o no pensar en él en absoluto?

¿Por qué todo a mi alrededor me ataca y me exige estándares tan irracionales? 

¿De dónde salieron esos mensajes tan violentos?, ¿Por qué sigo en la línea de fuego de una guerra que yo no comencé? Nadie me preguntó si quería participar y aquí estoy en lo que se siente como la Ofensiva del Tet. 

Estoy cansada. ¿Cómo empiezo a negociar un armisticio?

La confrontación aunque fatigante no me parece extraña. No le es extraña a ninguna mujer, creo yo. Aunque estas ansiedades para la mayoría son inconscientes, son, para todas, mecanismos que operan fuera de nuestro control, aunque irónicamente sirvan para ejercer control. Pareciese como si estuviéramos condenadas a siempre pensar en nuestro aspecto físico porque históricamente este ha sido una moneda valiosa de cambio. Ser mujer es desde muy temprana edad aprender el discurso de que como te ves es tan o más importante que tu pensar y tu sentir. Naomi Wolf lo describió en The Beauty Myth como el último tipo de control patriarcal; mismo que ha mutado y ganado fuerza desde que las luchas feministas han logrado (para la clase media y media alta) derechos sufragistas, educativos, laborales y sexuales. Varias de esas luchas siguen vigentes, pero la que yo siento me oprime más es la lucha por no vernos como quieren que nos veamos (delgadas pero con curvas, nunca cansadas, sin marcas en la piel ni cicatrices ni arrugas). Y sufrir cuando inevitablemente uno no lo logra. Wolf no podía sino imaginar el futuro de este control, pero hoy ese futuro es el de mi generación y las cercanas a mí. 

Parte 1: Los 2000s

Cuando estaba en secundaria, mi amiga Betsy y yo empezamos a obsesionarnos con cómo nos veíamos, con cómo lucía nuestra piel, nuestro pelo, nuestros huesos. Pasábamos cinco horas al día bailando ballet y analizando cada centímetro de nuestros reflejos en un salón con dos espejos de cada lado, de esos que multiplican tus defectos de forma infinita. Teníamos looks que pensábamos eran únicos (y que evidentemente no eran). Yo me delineaba los ojos tan negros como humanamente posible, tenía side-swept bangs y me pintaba los labios casi invisibles. Ella era lacia, con fleco de Daisy Edgar-Jones, se ponía blush y le encantaban los labios rojos. No sé en qué momento, pero sin darnos cuenta ya habíamos comprado la fantasía de Victoria’s Secret y sus photoshopped angels. También dominábamos la programación basura que, entre otras cosas, incluía America’s Next Top Model, Gossip Girl, Dr. 90210, Girls of the Playboy Mansion, Giuliana Rancic comentando “noticias” en E!, y un comercial (que nos aprendimos de memoria) en el que salía Keira Knightley diciendo “I do sit-ups occasionally”. Las celebridades de moda eran Paris Hilton, Lindsay Lohan, Mischa Barton, Ashlee Simpson, y una muy incipiente Kim Kardashian. Todas ellas, salvo Kim K (quien tiene su propio set de disfunciones e influencias), vivieron los 2000s con trastornos alimenticios y adicciones que inundaban las portadas de Us Weekly. Me cuesta trabajo pensar en un grupo de productos mediáticos más nocivos para un cerebro adolescente. Tanto Betsy como yo tuvimos, por fortuna, otras influencias que también nos moldearon y estoy segura nos salvaron. 

Parte 2: El presente

Unos diez años después, estoy en un lugar en el que convivo con adolescentes muchas horas de mi vida, y no puedo evitar verme en ellas con dosis de nostalgia y alivio. En esta interacción cotidiana me he percatado de que tienen muchas de las mismas ideas violentas sobre cuerpo y belleza con las que yo crecí; ahora exacerbadas por una sobreexposición digital a cuerpos, caras, y lo peor, estilos de vida, irreales. Aún noto que hay una importancia desmedida por cumplir con estándares arbitrarios y las preferencias masculinas. Me preocupa que la monetización de la belleza femenina sea algo tan alcanzable. A un tiktok de distancia. Veo con tristeza que las comunidades pro-ana y pro-mia no han desaparecido sino migrado de tumblr a otros rincones de internet en los que me siento imposibilitada para ayudar. Pero sobre todo me enfada que la obsesión física ahora se disfrace de wellness, lifestyle, fitness, clean eating, intermittent fasting. Temo que la trampa esté tan bien rebrandeada que caigan sin remedio; y como recibimiento al pozo de la opresión, les obsequien un nuevo catálogo de inseguridades. 

Parte 3: El futuro que deseo para ellas

Mis alumnas son tan solo un canal de una preocupación mucho más generalizada... por mis sobrinas, por las hijas de mis amigos, y las alumnas, sobrinas, e hijas de los amigos de todo mundo. Pese a tanto, sí tengo otro sentimiento que suele acompañar a la consternación: esperanza. Algunas veces con más fuerza que otras, incluso en un mundo que es más complejo, más voraz y repleto de gente que “influye” (me rehuso a decir la palabra). Observo en ellas interés por hacer un camino propio, por cuestionar cosas de las que yo jamás dudé, por protestar por injusticias que ya no están dispuestas a vivir, por cuidarse unas a otras. También veo con orgullo que hay una aceptación por distintas formas de vida, distintos cuerpos y opiniones, a pesar de que contrastan con las de su círculo. No en poca medida, creo yo, por la diversificación de voces que ha permitido la doble arma que es el internet. Cuando les pregunto –en el círculo de confianza del salón de clases– ¿de qué quisieran conversar y aprender más? Una y otra vez, las respuestas me llenan de esperanza: “de lo que pasa en el mundo”, “de feminismo”, “del cambio climático”, “de orgasmos femeninos”, “de salud mental”, “de nutrición”, “de cómo pagar impuestos”. No solo lo dicen, lo demuestran cuando sí lo podemos hacer, así que no creo que mi esperanza sea infundada. 

Todo esto considerando que, como buenas adolescentes, piensan que saben más de lo que saben. En el sentido estricto de la experiencia, por supuesto que les falta mucho por aprender, pero saben muchas cosas que yo no, y saben, sin duda, mucho más de lo que yo sabía a su edad. Si eso no es un voto en favor del futuro, no sé qué es. 

A cada minuto hay nuevas razones para seguir preocupándose, pero tengo esperanza de que el futuro que yo deseo para ellas, ellas ya lo están diseñando. Yo apenas me estoy poniendo al corriente. 

Parte 4: El futuro que deseo para mí

En este proceso de ponerme al corriente –uno que durará toda la vida– apenas en los últimos años empecé una difícil reconciliación. En primer lugar, con el hecho de que bailar, aquello que me ha dado más felicidad en la vida, fue también una influencia desbalanceada en cómo me veo a mí misma y al mundo. Reconciliarme con que mi cuerpo sea lo que me haya permitido esa felicidad pero quitado también. El que mis estándares para casi todo hayan nacido de ahí (bailarina perfecta es delgada, fuerte, bien arreglada, peinada y maquillada, sin una pestaña fuera de lugar, delicada pero infatigable), y encima alimentados por las pasarelas, la tv y los tabloides. Siento enojo retroactivo, pero el enojo es un buen lugar desde donde replantear mis ideas una década después. 

Al día de hoy, la reconciliación me ha llevado a un estado de incomodidad e inconformidad permanente. Me hallo con frecuencia atravesada por un pensamiento relacionado a mi cuerpo, uno común, uno que estaba dado, y me pregunto si solo creo que es una verdad a fuerza de tanto repetirlo. Desprogramarse de reiterar ideas erróneas es muy cansado, y hay días en que al parecer mi cerebro se rinde y se queda con lo que ya tenía y domina desde hace 15 años. Algunas ideas están tan racionalizadas que se resisten a soltarse como si tuvieran candado, otras van cediendo, o van y vienen dependiendo de la situación. Pero unas cuantas ya están desterradas; estas ideas ahora las veo como si pertenecieran a una persona que se quiere hacer pasar por mí, pero que yo sé es una impostora. El futuro que deseo para mí está repleto de ese tipo de destierros.

Algo más que día tras día estoy reaprendiendo es mi relación con la comida. Comer me hace muy feliz. Me gusta cómo me siento cuando como bien. Lo que todavía no domino es retirarle las connotaciones morales a los alimentos*, a no juzgarme por mis conductas en torno a mi cuerpo. Aún deposito más confianza en el espejo que en mi conocimiento, mi intuición y mi salud. Pero estoy decidida a cambiar el lenguaje que heredé, que en automático uso para describirme y para (mal)valorarme; y, acaso igual de importante, cambiar el discurso que uso con los demás, sabiendo que al igual que yo heredaron traumas de todo tipo. Esa compasión es quizás lo más difícil pero heroico de lograr. Significa resistir el peso de la historia. Retar a los mensajes, teñidos de prejuicios y culpa, que típicamente me han rodeado.

Por su naturaleza mutable, quizás estas reflexiones me resulten viejas en el futuro, pero las preguntas centrales –sobre cómo y por qué importa mi cuerpo, sobre la relación emocional, intelectual y social que tengo con mi apariencia– estoy segura, son invulnerables al tiempo. Supongo que eso también es parte del futuro por el que creo estar esforzándome, uno en el que nadie llegue a viej@ sin jamás haberse cuestionado por qué hizo lo que hizo con su físico, y habiendo dejado que el mundo tomara esas decisiones. En especial si ese alguien es mujer. 

El futuro que deseo es aquel en el que ni yo ni otros usen mi cuerpo en mi contra. 

Quisiera volver a leer esto en muchos años, o que lo leyesen los hijos de alguien, con el consuelo de lo que hemos dejado atrás. Dicho de otra forma, espero que mis preguntas, confrontaciones y reaprendizajes (que muchas otras mujeres están experimentando) no sean solo para mí sino, con un poco de suerte, el fin de una herencia perniciosa y el inicio de un armisticio que apremia.

*1. La dismorfia es como un buen freelancer. Hace pitches obstinados para colaborar en la narrativa siempre que se pueda. No es un elemento que necesariamente quieras contratar en tu equipo in-house porque su contenido es demasiado risqué (por no decir disparatado), y no hay presupuesto para eso. Pero cuando le llamas para participar está muy presente, lista para deslumbrar. Aunque te resistas a pagarle y la intentes marear, su insistencia para cobrar es aún más poderosa. Y, eventualmente, va a pasar su factura. 

*2. El mundo está torcido, y vemos apenas la superficie de la torcedura. Digamos que sabemos que los ads de maquillaje son totalmente falsos, que las fotos son editadas, que eliminan todo rastro de humanidad. Que los tés para bajar de peso no son más que una mentira que funciona en tanto que el mundo quiere que nos veamos de cierta forma. En general, nos damos cuenta, más que antes, que el monstruo patriarcal-capitalista nos lleva a desear y consumir productos y formas de vida que pensamos son decisiones propias. Pero otras veces el control no es tan obvio. Recientemente me topé con una foto de servilletas que se venden como “absorbentes de calorías”, bajo la premisa de que puedes “limpiar” tus french fries de grasa, ¿y así vivir con la ilusión de que son más sanas?, ¿De que no engordarás? Esto es problemático por varias razones, pero la que más llama la atención es el mensaje de que las calorías son algo que se debe ser suprimir, evitar, limitar de nuestras vidas. Como si no fueran estas las que nos mantienen con vida en primer lugar. Pero equiparamos calorías con subir de peso. Mensajes del estilo abundan, la industria de las dietas los han institucionalizado. De ahí que la culpa por consumir algo muy calórico esté completamente normalizada, así como hacer ejercicio pensando en “eliminar” esas calorías o en “ganarse” las del postre después de la cena. Como todos a cierto grado, yo absorbí ese engaño y aprendí a calcular las calorías en mis comidas. Ahora esa costumbre me amarga situaciones que de otra forma serían placenteras. Sé, por ejemplo, que la cerveza Indio es la que tiene más calorías de entre las marcas comunes, y que hay, más menos, 100 calorías en una manzana gala, por mencionar algunos datos inútiles que ahora desearía no saber. La comida son calorías, las calorías son energía; pero la comida también es goce, recuerdos y cultura. So fuck that paper towel. 

[hmel78]

In conversation with Keith Emerson ...

Keith Emerson (02.11.44  – 11.03.16)

The Father of progressive rock; the man responsible for the introduction of the Moog synthesiser to the ears of the unsuspecting music lover in the 1960’s; and without a doubt one of the 20th and 21st Centuries (to date) most prolific and talented composers of modern classical music.   In a career spanning 6 decades, which has earned him notability as a pianist and keyboard player, a composer, performer, and conductor of his own music alongside the World’s finest orchestras; as well as achieving super success with “Emerson, Lake, and Palmer” - 2014 has been no less eventful for Keith Emerson! With his 70th Birthday approaching, Helen Robinson caught up with him for a very ‘up-beat’ chat about (amongst other things) the re-releases of his solo records, a brand new album with Greg Lake “Live at Manticore Hall”, his favourite solo works, and his memories of the times spent writing and recording with ‘The Nice’, and ‘ELP’.

HR : This has been a busy year for you so far Keith!   KE : Yes! I’ve been up to allsorts! [laughs]

Music wise – what can I tell you?   Cherry Red , Esoteric, have re-mastered and re-released 3 of my solo albums – “Changing States”,  another which I recorded in the Bahamas called “Honky”, and a compilation of my film scores which consisted of  "Nighthawks”, “Best Revenge”, "Inferno”,  “La Chiesa (The Church)”, "Murderock”, "Harmagedon” and "Godzilla Final Wars”.

HR : That must have been a difficult selection to make based on the number of scores you’ve written! Do you have a particular favourite genre of film to write a score for?

KE : Favourite genre?  Boy, well, I just love film score composition, you know? When I first started I had been touring with ELP for some years, and we’d toured with a full 80 piece orchestra but it was just too expensive – we had to drop the orchestra and continue as a trio, which was very upsetting for me.   I was entranced by what an orchestra could actually do, and found that with doing film music I could work under a commission and have the orchestra paid for by the film company!

It’s always a challenge. I think a lot of composers like to write dramatic music. I like writing romantic music as well – I’ve also written for science fiction where you can let your musical imagination go pretty much where you want, but generally you have to cater specifically to the film. First of all I like to get a good idea of who the producer and director is, and who is likely to be cast as playing the lead roles.  I like to read the script – which helps prior to meeting up with the director and producer. When I wrote the music to Night Hawks I was sent, by Universal films, news of a new film to be made by Sylvester Stallone, a new guy at the time called Rutger Hauer, and Billy Dee Williams, also Lindsay Wagner.   It was basically a terrorist film – not the terrorism that we shockingly see today – but back then it was the beginning of terrorism and was quite mild by today’s standards, however it was still sort of ground breaking as far as writing the score was concerned.  

It’s about vision with film score work.

Although really it’s all about vision with anything you’re writing, and I suppose many of the disagreements that ELP had during their time – of course a lot of it came to wonderful fruition – were not seeing eye to eye because we had such different tastes in music. Ubiquitous I would say – we bounded from one thing to another. Just when you thought it was getting serious we’d want to have some fun and do something light hearted but I’ve always maintained that variation is essential.

I think that’s what helped ELP quite a lot – especially live - in any particular set you had the heavy stuff like “Tarkus” and “Pictures At an Exhibition”, for the guys in the audience, and for the females who attended reluctantly - dragged along by their boyfriend or husbands and just sit there -  I mean, I didn’t sit, I was standing and leaping around [laughs] but you couldn’t help notice the glum looking females in the audience wondering when all this was going to be over.

I think when ELP were together as a unit, we managed to meet everybody’s needs. Greg came up with some really great ballads which sort of got home to the feminine heart, like “From The Beginning” – the feminine heart goes “aaah aint that nice” [laughs] and then suddenly you get the bombardment of something like “Karn Evil 9” and it’s like “Oh GOD”!!

HR : I’d like to talk more about ELP, of course, however there’s so much more outside of that unit , which you have been involved with, that has had quite an influence on modern music.   You’ve got an extraordinary and fairly extensive discography, which we can pick whatever you’d like to talk about, but I’d like to start with ‘The Nice’  -  “Ars Longa Vita Brevis” ...

KE : Ah Yes ‘’Art is long, life is short” - Lee Jackson came up with that title - he’d studied a bit of Latin ... [laughs]

Going back to the 1960’s then – I suppose it was ‘66 when ‘The Nice’ formed – originally as a quartet. Drums, bass, Hammond organ or keyboards, and guitar player.  After the first album we decided to move on as a trio, although I did try to find another guitar player.   I actually auditioned a guy called Steve Howe, who was considering getting together with Jon Anderson, and Chris Squire and forming a band called “Yes”.  Steve was much more interested in getting with the “Yes” guys, so meanwhile ‘The Nice’ continued as a trio with Lee Jackson on bass, Brian Davison on Drums, and myself on Hammond and keys.   It was during this time that I was introduced to a new invention designed by Dr Robert Moog, which became the moog synthesiser, so I was the first to introduce that into live performance.  

With ‘The Nice’ we had come out of an era called the underground / Psychedelia.  

I was very friendly with Frank Zappa and the mothers of invention, and they were really far ahead of their time.

Frank approached me one day, because I was composing and playing with the London orchestras even then, and said ‘’Keith - how do you deal with English orchestras? They’re hopeless!”

And I said ‘’Well, they’re very conservative Frank. If you really want to make it with the London Symphony, or the London Philharmonic - if you really want my advice, I think you should try and change some of the lyrics of your songs. If you’re going to get in front of the London Philharmonic and sing stuff like ‘’Why does it hurt when I pee?’’ obviously these guys are not going to take very kindly to it!” [laughs]

I’d actually done Bachs Brandenburg concerto #3 with a chamber orchestra and had a degree of success in the English charts-  around about the same time ,  Jon Lord  [Deep Purple, Whitesnake] was writing his concerto for orchestra too. I’d already written the “5 bridges suite” which I had recorded with ‘The Nice’ at Fairfield hall in London. So basically Jon Lord and I were kind of both struggling with Orchestras and moving along into what came next musically for the both of us –   Jon was a very good friend.

I think round about the turn of 1970, I had noticed what Steve Howe was doing and it was very harmonic, whereas ‘The Nice’ - well we were a bit more bizarre, and I listen back to it now and I suppose I have a slight bit of embarrassment about how ‘The Nice’ were presenting themselves.

And back then I’d started looking at bands like ‘Yes’, and there were a lot of other bands too, who were really concentrating on the tunes and the vocal element, so that’s when and why I formed ‘Emerson Lake and Palmer’ - in 1970 - and endorsed the whole sound with the moog synthesiser. It sort of took off, and became known as what we know today as “Prog Rock”.  We didn’t have a name for it at that time, we just thought it was contemporary rock. I mean it wasn’t the blues, it wasn’t jazz, but it was a mixture of all of these things, and that’s when we went through.

The first album of ELP, [Emerson, Lake, & Palmer] recorded in 1970; we were still learning how to write together as a unit, so consequently when you listen to it, you’ll hear a lot of instrumentals; mainly because there were no lyrics and there was a pressure on the band to get an album out. For some reason there was an extreme interest in the band - We were to be considered as the next super group after ‘Crosby Stills & Nash’, which we certainly didn’t like the idea of.   That album went very well.   Unfortunately the record company decided to release “Lucky Man” - which was a last minute thought – as a single, and it took off. My concern was the fact that, OK yeah the ending has the big moog sweeps and everything like that going on – but how on earth  do we do all the vocals live? Thousands of vocal overdubs over the top and neither Carl nor I sang.   You know - I sing so bad that a lot of people refuse to even read my lips!   And as far as Carl Palmer was concerned he had “Athletes Voice” and people just ran away when he sang! It was a hopeless task of actually being able to recreate “Lucky Man” on stage, so eventually Greg just did it as an acoustic guitar solo.   It was that one sort of Oasis, in a storm of very macho guy stuff, where the women just went [in a girly voice] “Oh I like that, that’s nice”.  [laughs]

So, inspired by that we got more grandiose and put out ‘’Pictures At An Exhibition” – another bombastic piece based upon Mussorgsky’s epic work. For some reason Greg wanted it released at a reduced price because he said it wasn’t the right direction for ELP to go. So we released it for about £1 and it went straight to number 1!  Then the record company called up and said ‘’what are you doing? This is a hit record and you’re just selling it for £1??!!’’, so I said ‘’well yeah it’s a bit stupid isn’t it?” – so when it was released in America it was at its full price and ended up nominated for a Grammy award! ELP had a lot to do to create the piece you know?   We disagreed on lots of issues but in order to keep the ball rolling we just moved on with the next one, which was in fact “Trilogy”.

I thought it was about this time in ELPs life that we had learned how to tolerate each other, how to write together, and how to be very constructive. “Trilogy” is a complete mish-mash, you go from one thing to another; there’s a Bolero, and then ‘Sherriff’ – which is kind of western bar jangly piano playing on it.   I don’t think you could find such a complete diversity buying a record like that these days. We were very much inspired by our audience accepting that.  

Actually Sony Records are going to re release it in 5.1 – they’re doing a wonderful package with out-takes and everything – I’ve just competed doing the liner notes.

We moved on again then, and started the makings of “Brain Salad Surgery” which was a step further.  

After that I worked on my piano concerto played by the London Philharmonic Orchestra, and actually it’s still being performed all over the world - Australia, Poland, and in October I’m going to East Coast America to do some conducting – Jeffrey Beagle, who’s a great classical pianist, is going to perform it then, and I’m going to perform some other new works of mine.  

HR : Are you likely to release a recording of it?

KE : Yes I guess it might be ... I’ll let you know. It’s a dauntless compelling challenge. I have conducted and played with orchestras before and I’m very thankful to have classical guys around me who are able to point me in the right direction.   I was never classically trained. I started off playing by ear and then having private piano lessons, and then basically teaching myself how to orchestrate. I’m still taking lessons in conducting and I don’t think I’ll ever get to the standard of the greats like Dudamel or Bernstein – I don’t think I’ll ever be able to conduct Wagner, but so long as I’ve written the piece of music I think I’ve got an idea of roughly how it goes!  [laughs] Thankfully I’ve worked with Orchestras who are very kind to me.

HR : Do you enjoy the performance as much as the writing?

KE : Actually I enjoy the writing more than the performance. I know I wrote an Autobiography called ‘’Pictures Of An Exhibitionist” but that’s the last thing that I am really.   I’m pretty much a recluse. I’ve got my Norton 850 and I’m happy ...

HR : I was going to ask you about the Theatrics on stage – Why Knives and swords? Was there something which influenced the decision to include that as a part of your performance, or was it purely born out of frustration from working with Carl and Greg?

KE : [laughs]  Well you see in the 60s, I toured with bands like The Who, and I watched Pete Townshend; I toured with Jimi Hendrix too, and I thought that if the piano is going to take off then the best thing to do is like really learn to become a great piano or and keyboard player, but I also thought “that aint gonna last with a Rock audience in a Rock situation”, mainly because the piano or Hammond organ  - well from the audience you look up on stage and it’s just a piece of furniture! Whereas the guitar player can come on stage and he’s got this thing strapped around his neck, he can wander up and down the sage, check out the chicks, and he’s the guy that has all the fun.   The organ player meanwhile is just seated there at a piece of furniture like he’s sat at a table.   So a lot of what I did was for the excitement of it, and I suppose to exemplify the fact that I could play it back to front. A lot of my comic heroes like Victor Borg, Dudley Moore – they all came into the whole issue too.

I’ll tell you this ok? I once went to see a band at the Marquee club when it was in Wardour Street in London, and I can’t remember this guys name now, but he played Hammond organ - he was a very narky looking fellow, and went on stage wearing a schoolboys outfit which caused a lot of the girls in the audience to chuckle.   I stood at the back of the Marquee club and watched his performance - a lot of the stops and things were falling off his organ, so he had a screwdriver to keep holding certain keys down, and then suddenly the back of his Hammond fell off – and I don’t think it was intentional, because he looked really quite distraught, but he caused so much laughter from the audience. I went away thinking “there is something there, I’m going to use that” ... I actually thought it would be a great idea to stick a knife into the organ, rather than a screw driver -the reason for this was to hold down a 4th and a 5th , or maybe any 5th, or say a ‘C’ and an ‘F’ or a ‘G’, whatever, and then be able to go off stage, take the power off the Hammond, so that it would just die away -  it would go ‘’whoooaaaaaaaoooooh’’; and  then I’d plug it back in and it would  power back up and create like the noise of an air-raid siren, and of course the drummer and bass player would react to that.  It got really interesting. We actually had a road manager at the time by the name of ‘’Lemmy’’ who went on to be with Motorhead.   He gave me 2 Hitler Youth Daggers and said [best Lemmy impression] “here! If you’re going to use a knife, use a real one!”

So that was the start of all that, and people loved it, and actually Hendrix loved it too –  somewhere in his archive collection there must be some footage of me almost throwing a knife at him [laughs] .

The phase for it was my objection to the 3 assassinations they had in the USA -  JFK, Robert Kennedy, Martin Luther King -   I’d been to America once and seen how quick the Police were to pull out their guns to a woman parking her car illegally – so bizarre.  The 2nd amendment will not go away, as much as they want it to. I’ll reserve further comments on that but that was really the whole objective. I was banned from the Albert Hall for burning a painting of the Stars and Stripes, which took some time to get over, but everything worked and they allowed me live in California now. [laughs]

HR : What about the Manticore Hall show, also released this year, presumably you kept burning paintings off the agenda there? Was it good to work with Greg again? and then the complete ELP line up with Carl at High Voltage?

KE : No! [laughs], and Yes ... Actually that was recorded in 2010 and was an idea set up by a manager associate of mine, and an agent in California. I met up with them and they asked how I felt about doing a Duo tour to lead up to the High Voltage Festival in London.   They convinced me that it was a big festival ... and the idea was to have ELP on the Sunday night there. So the lead up was a duo tour with myself and Greg because Carl was off with Asia at the time.   It had its ups and downs, but it did eventually work very well and it was a very good warm up to doing that Festival date as the 3 of us.   I don’t think there was any intention of us going any further with it. I think the resulting “ELP at High Voltage” was good and also I think the album ‘’Live At Manticore Hall’’ - although it wasn’t released until this year, because Greg initially didn’t want it to be released at all - is good stuff too.   These things happen with bands, it takes a while for us to appreciate how good what we do is, sometimes.

HR : You’d had quite a break from ELP at that point, KE : [interrupts] I wouldn’t say that I ever take a break, if I can put it so lightly, and it’s not lightly, as to say that it’s kind of like a hobby – if I feel so inclined I will go to the piano and will write a piece of music. If that piece of music seems to warrant being augmented by anyone then I find the right people to do it.  I had a great experience last year of going to Japan and hearing the Tokyo Philharmonic play the whole of “Tarkus” – a 90 piece orchestra – I’ve never been so blown away. I worked with a Japanese arranger on the orchestration, and actually used it on an album which I recorded with Marc Bonilla, and Terje Mikkelsen called “Three Fates Project”,  which actually didn’t make it anywhere and I don’t know why. It’s a great album, very orchestral – I did the version of “Tarkus” on that complete with the Munich symphony orchestra. I changed it around slightly – I had Irish fiddle players coming in ��� I suppose, really you could refer to it as being World Music – it’s probably a great example of that.   It’s not based upon the ELP solo piano composition that we did on ELPs first album. I don’t think the record companies knew how to market it you know? Was it classical? was it rock? It has the complete amalgamation of group and orchestra. Wonderfully recorded. It really is quite mind blowing. Not that I want to blow my own trumpet!   Maybe if the art work had been a little more dynamic then it would have caught people’s attention. I agreed on it, but you see our names and they’re really small - I don’t think people realised who’s album it was.

HR : Have you any plans to perform it in the UK, or other parts of Europe? Scandanavia, for Blackmoon fans? Any tour plans at all?

KE : The thing is, first of all, that the direction that I am going at the moment is very orchestral. And that does take an awful lot of planning. As I say I’m going to play with the South Shore Symphony on the East Coast of America, but touring with an orchestra, as I learnt back in the late 70s with ELP, is very expensive.  It doesn’t make any money if I’m perfectly honest. If someone was to come up with the cost of shipping the instruments about then ...  but it’s not like dishing out the orchestral charts to an orchestra and then have The Moody Blues come on and play, and the strings do all the backing stuff, you know! This music is the music which I’ve written and really demands quite a lot of practicing.

For instance when I was recording “Three Fates” with the Munich Symphony, in Munich, I was interviewed during the break after the first day by a radio station, and they asked ‘’how do you think its going?’’ and I said “well if the orchestra are still here with me in 5 days time, I should be very surprised” [laughs] .   I remember on about the 4th day , one of the members of the orchestra had obviously heard the radio broadcast.   As and I walked out into the garden at break time, I passed one of the Trombonists who was smoking a cigarette and he said ‘’well we’re still here”...

There is an awful lot that can go wrong, of course, especially with orchestras. The copyist can sometimes write a b natural rather than a b flat, or they can get a whole load of other things wrong – and that’s what happened this particular recording.  

Marc Bonilla actually came up to me on a break and said “I think you should go up to the control room, and look at the score mate, something doesn’t sound right”, so you can imagine the look on my face! So off I go I’m up in the control room; radio through to the rehearsal room and start going through the score and sure enough it was wrong. I don’t know why I hadn’t heard that before, but it was down to the copyists – its the same with writing a book and you give it away to the editor – they can still mess it up – as copyists do with music. And sometimes you’ll get the orchestra, and they’ll just play what’s written rather than put their hands up and say “that doesn’t sound right”, for fear of retribution I suppose – so it is frustrating, but it’s very rewarding.

The Mourning Sun, taken from “Three Fates” 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4PcOI8nDDeU

It’s been quite funny with some of these albums that Cherry Red are rereleasing. I happened to give one to my eldest son. I gave him ‘’Honky’’ and he came up to me and he said ‘’here Dad I’ve been listening to the Honky album and it’s really really good!’’  He and his friends are in their 40s now and they’ve all complimented me on it, so that’s the biggest compliment I could have really.

I was recording that album when he was about 4 years old. [laughs]

HR : Is that your favourite then? Honky?

KE : Oh yeah – I had so much fun making that album and I think it shows in it’s humour. It was great. The objective behind it was that I wanted to record with all the local bohemian people - I was living at the time in Nassau in the Bahamas. I didn’t really experience a lot of problems with the black bohemians –  I got on great with them all. There were some great musicians, and I wanted to do a very ethnic album to bring to the attention of the world that we can all get on! I used to drive around Nassau in a limited edition Jeep and kids would run out and yell at me ‘’Honky!’’ and I’d wave thinking ‘that’s kind of fun’.  Then, when I worked in the studio I noticed that the black musicians would all greet themselves with the ‘’N’’ word – we can’t say that now - says in an accent “Yo N ...” – so I thought ‘well if they can do that I am going to call myself a Honky!’ And they were horrified!!  [laughs] So I bluntly spoke to them and I said “listen you guys call yourselves ‘’Ns’’ so I’m calling myself a Honky, and damn it I’m going to call the album that too!” [laughs].  It was a lot of fun.

*** Honky - a derogatory term for a Caucasian person.

HR : We must get something down about Blackmoon – given that this is the title of the Magazine!

KE : [laughs] ELP, Blackmoon.  *sighs* Well  ... I remember from this time that Carl Palmer and myself wanted to have a different producer.

It was all well and good that Greg produced all the other albums but – I don’t think it’s a very good idea for any band ; if they’re involved in the writing and the playing, and then one band member decides he’s going to be a producer too.   You need someone objective to come in and say that they think it’s too long, or whatever ... whereas if you have a part in writing and playing, its obvious that you’re going to pay more attention to it, and Carl and myself really wanted an objective opinion about how to make it work. The producers that we auditioned were very familiar with ELPs work and were really considerate in how they constructed it.  The main consideration - and I think really it was a difficult time because Greg could see that his role as being a former producer of ELP was going to be taken away from him. Whereas for me I felt that Greg’s attention should be more on the writing and the lyrics and other aspects. There is so much that one had to pay attention to when running a band. There are the legal, accounting, and everything else – and above all you have the creative aspect and you really cannot go into a studio and become the producer and wear all these different hats. It doesn’t work, I don’t allow that even on my own music writing.  I’m quite happy to go in and play my music as long as I trust that the guy behind the music desk, and the mixing desk,  are on the same page, know who I am, and what I’ve done before – so at least there is a rapport where the engineer can see what you are trying to do and he will say – “ah you know what, why don’t we try and go for that you did on Trilogy - lets try it!” You have to work with people who understand you and then you can just sit back and work on it , accept a good idea, be pushed to your limits. The thing is with Greg - he felt that he had been removed from the situation which he had most power and pride in. Whereas I think most pride he should keep as the fact that he s a damn good singer and has written some great music. If you want a great team you have to designate to the right person.

That’s why I had Lemmy as my roadie.  If I hadn’t had Lemmy the knives wouldn’t have come out [laughs]. We owe Lemmy a lot! HR : Absolutely.  You two should record a duet!   Which Instrument would you choose? Moog, Melotron, Hammond?

KE : Hmmmmmmmm.  Piano. I’ve always written on the piano. I do have a mandolin hanging on the wall here, which is out of tune at the moment. You wouldn’t want to hear me play this mandolin ...

HR : Because it’s out of tune, or just in general?

KE : [laughs] because it’s out of tune but even if it was in tune I don’t know if it would work. It looks great hanging on the wall though ...

© Helen Robinson -  June 2015 Originally published in Blackmoon Magazine.

[Keith and I were great pals - I miss him <3]

[fortheheavenssake]

Love and Humour (LH) Anon

*** all submitted by Love and Humour (LH) Anon to @skippyv20. (much ❤️ ❤️ & 😆 😆, enjoy)

April 10, 2020

Dear Skippy, made with Love and Humour, not a grain of truth (or insight) in sight.

Meghan Markle has a ‘spring in her step’ after leaving the UK (Credit: Daily Mail)

ROYALTEE COMMUNICATIONS

Friday 28th March 2020

The Duchess of Sussex Podiatry Update

The Duchess of Sussex would like to thank the global public for the warm wishes received from 9 people. Follow up bunion surgery was a success and High Royaltee Heels (HRH) are once again allowed to be worn.

In addition, High Royaltee Heels (HRH) will be featured in strictly unlimited Splash News paparazzi images as The Duchess adjusts to life queuing for essentials such as scented soya candles, AA batteries for Darren Doll and chia seed salad dressing. Please be assured that the Duchess of Sussex has a new spring in her step as she steps springingly into spring.

Royal snub: Real reason Meghan Markle and Harry silent in wake of Queen’s historic speech (Credit: Express UK)

Our favourite two tone, tone deaf, mood trampler has been hard at work for at least 3 hours in the last month supporting the work of HMTQ, as promised via her exit from the BRF.

The dust mites had barely settled on her calligraphy pen before Scooby arrived home with an ink refill for her to get going. Unfortunately for Scooby the stationary shop had run out of royal blue glitter ink and his mistress was not happy with the shade of ‘peasant noir’ he chose instead. She chucked a cup of tea in his general direction and used half the ink to decorate his top lip with a Poirot-esque facial appendage. Thus whipped into quiet submission to seek permanent ink removal techniques she was in a position to impart some wisdom to HMTQ.

It was a frantic, boots to the ground, empowering, enlightening and de-gassing few hours for MM. The ink flowed across the paper as it was traced from a calligraphy A-Z underneath, the wine glass circles made pretty patterns on the pages, the phone rang once but it was only that chap from the council rejecting the petition for a Princess of Sussex. At the conclusion of this time, MM grinned with purple stained teeth satisfaction at the soggy 30 page tome. This was to be just another notch in her legacy - the Queens speech, at a time of crisis, calligraphically curated by Meghan Markle, HRH, Duchess of Sussex, Princess of Sussex. The speech was sent off toot-sweet to HMTQ.

A royal source has leaked that it is very hard to know the level of adulation to come. LG has indicated in his proof of receipt letter that a special recording of the speech will be sent to MM after its broadcast on the 14th May. She will look forward to commenting on her role in curating the speech at that time. Until then, MM wishes her privacy to be respected and has no comment to make.

Royal reading inspiration: Kate, Meghan and Camilla’s favourite books to entertain you during lockdown (Credit: Hello Magazine)

<excerpt from article for brevity>

Meghan:

Trinny and Suzanna - How to dress for your body shape (brick on sticks edition)

“My best dearest friend and confidant, the Countess of Wessex, was engaged by HMTQ to advise me on dress protocol and general demeanour in the BRF, I haven’t looked at it yet because I don’t need advice”

Jamie Oliver - Pukka Tukka

“This title grabbed my attention from the outset. I haven’t opened it yet but think it will have overly invaluable advice on how to tuck your moon bump into your knickers. I don’t wear knickers and, after one incident that I totally got away with, my moon bumps now have reinforced crotch straps so I will not need to read this book.”

John Campbell -The Iron Lady: Margaret Thatcher, from Grocer’s Daughter to Prime Minister

“I love this book because the title is nice and the photo on the cover is in black and white. My US team are reading it for me and writing a similar story ‘The Tungsten Tank, from Lighting Directors Daughter to … well something, they haven’t worked out the narrative yet.”

Lindsay Jill Roth - What Pretty Girls Are Made Of

“This is actually the best book in the world. I haven’t read it but the launch party was cray-zee. When you buy it via any outlet, be sure to include the promotional code ‘HRHMM’ so that you get a special marked up price with proceeds going to my charitable foundation xx”

Thank you so much. We need laughter especially in these times. Prayers, love, support and laughter…is what will carry us through….love this! 🙏🏻❤️❤️❤️😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

——————

April 15

Dear Skippy, a riddle interpretation made with love and humour in celebration of MM Anon returning. So wonderful MM Anon, thank you. Skippy, Thank You for being your usual wonderful self, and keeping that door open. This interpretation contains no truth and only fun. LH Anon

doctor gone batty………

Actual Dr Jane Goodall interview

“My colleagues at the Royal Society for the Protection of Bats were delighted with the arrival of a rare male bat pup. Like all pups born at the Royal Society HQ, he was named after a member of the BRF, this one was dubbed Prince Harry.”

“Since his release into the wild, Prince Harry is finding life outside of the Royal Society challenging. He is sighted almost daily near the Royal Society HQ and doesn’t seem to have yet ‘flown the nest’ so to speak.”

“Night tracking indicates that there is a recently acquired spouse on the scene who has restricted his hunting abilities. We are concerned that he has lost weight.”

“The spouse displays desperate flirtation and attraction techniques but all indications to date show that Prince Harry does not want his offspring to grow up like that, in the wild.”

“We have to bring him back into the fold of the Royal Society for this rare breeding line to continue.”

LA for dummies ………

INTERNAL MEMO - Sunshine Sachs LA Office

Action with urgency

Contact Splash News, advise client has received parcel previously delayed in UK under non-essential freight notice. Call time on location 1100 hours.

Contact Meghans Mirror, advise client will be dressed in Dorias hand me down yoga-wear (details to come). Pitch as ‘recycling clothes’ and tell them to get A into G with sourcing designer samples, it has been months now.

Contact upmarket baby shop, advise client will return goods, including feature baby pacifier for full refund after images published.

Contact Archewell Foundation, advise client appearance fee from shop is to be publicised as donation following boom in sales

All invoices and timesheet hours are to include the job code reference ‘MM042 - Dummy for her dummy’

Doctors Within Borders ……… social insistence …………

Following the epic success of her voiceover in ‘Elephants Without Borders’, PH has been caught out again pitching his wife’s talent in the hopes of furthering her A List career. In a phone call to the BBC investigative branch he was insistent that her expertise and contacts could be used in the planned documentary ‘Doctors With no Borders’. The documentary, conceptualised by writers who hang out on certain Tumblr blogs, focuses on medical professionals who have been paid off to endorse medical fiction. In regards to the segment about surrogacy cover ups PH was to have said “Oh yeah, she’s invested. I mean interested.”

hugs not bugs………

“I was just cruising around, enjoying the musty odour of the building. I’m attracted to sparkly things so went to check out this headpiece, worst luck, it was cubic zirconia not real diamonds. Then it happened, I flew a little lower towards the face. I still have bad dreams about that close up view. I was trying to get away and she kept waving her hand around, it was like she was trying to catch and cuddle me against my wishes.”

Fly remembers the wedding of MM and PH

absolutely isolated

The new TV series, funded by O, features MM, a heavy-drinking, drug-abusing PR pawn who spends her time failing to lose weight and chasing bizarre fads in a desperate attempt to stay young and “hip”.

MM is joined by magazine fashion director JM, whose drug abuse, alcohol consumption and desperate promiscuity far eclipse MM’s.

MM is reliant upon the support of her half sister SM, an aspiring writer whose constant care of her immature sister has left her a bitter cynic.

The series also stars DR in a supporting role as MM’s dotty, sarcastic and often thieving mother who appears, usually in the background, in nearly all of the episodes.

Scooby as MM’s utterly brainless personal assistant also features in many of the episodes.

Only review

“I give this one star because it is real reality TV. I can’t give it anything more than that as the storyline is blatantly ripped off from Ab Fab. The title is a highly offensive play-on-words amid a global pandemic, but I guess it shows the same sensitivity as writing motivational messages on bananas for ladies of the night”

Kate. ……… “ not a whisper ma’am ……… St George’s chapel of course!!……………

Jeopardy MM Edition!?!

Answer: Kate

Question: Whose husband does MM most want?

Answer: Shout

Question: What initiative did MM try to hijack during her time in the BRF?

Answer: St George’s Chapel

Question: Where was MM when she realised that her game was up?

Oh thank you! Such fun! You are brilliant! We need the laughs for sure!😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

——————

May 10

Dear Skippy, a riddle interpretation made with Love and Humour. No truth, no seriousness, not a speck of speculation, just some ramblings to maybe lighten the mood for some today. Thank you MM Anon for the fodder! LH Anon :)

MM ANON ……… Rachel 43………… archificial 15 months ……… The high value real estate world is buzzing with speculation today after information was publicly sought to identify a tenant who has abandoned several properties, leaving hundreds of thousands of dollars in rent arrears. Multiple properties have been affected in locations such as Vancouver Island, LA and Malibu. The only clue, common to all properties, is a wall size chart, mounted by the door in the kitchen. There are two markings on these charts, both at 1.68m tall these are labeled ‘Rachel, 43’ and ‘Archificial, 15 months’.

hospitality will become inhospitable ………… the R factor ………… MM has announced her new super smart communications team, herself and a cabbage.

In unrelated news, a new book will be hitting the shelves this summer.

‘Finding a Freeloader’ is an R18 biopic, written by royal reporter Omid Scobie. “With unique access and written without the participation of of MM who lived under Scobies couch for 18 months, Finding a Freeloader is an honest, up-close, and disarming portrait of a cash-strapped, internet obsessed, and fat headed ex royal who is unafraid to break with tradition, determined to create a new path in the largest spotlight possible, and dedicated to building a legacy that will make a profound stain on the world.” reads an excerpts from the summary of the book.

“Henry, don’t do that”. …… Whispers from royal aides have let us know that HMTQ gave PH a ticking off inside the Windsor Castle bolthole they are residing. Apparently he was tinkering with a 3M home printer, wrapping it up to send over to MM. HMTQ is said to have right royally disagreed with sending her presents.

return to school??? …………… no guidelines …………… If you are at home and bored you can train online as a counsellor. Today I feel ________.

If you are at home and bored you can plaster a wall to make it look like your hubbys house. Today I feel ____smart_____

If you are at home and bored you can play with zoom video filters. Today I feel ___airbrushed_____.

If you are at home and bored you can read a book to your child. Today I feel ____damp____.

If you are at home and bored you can take the neighbours dog for a walk with an actor. Today I feel ____thrivin_____.

be alert,the country needs lerts………… MM and JM are hard at it again, drumming up business opportunities to stimulate their personal economies during these trying times. The newest initiative is bumper stickers. Chuck one on your car, slogan up your stroller, pimp your private jet, heck if you want to really get on board, slap a bumper on your moon bump and wiggle wobble that tum up to your audience!

A slight hiccup has delayed production of the stickers, the 3M home printer seems to have a malfunction which drops a letter from some words. Until this issue is remedied, the motivational bumper stickers will be available for a discount price of $143 + p&p

“Money can’t buy rust”

“The sign of a beautiful person is that they always see beauty in oters”

“The key to success is to tart”

risk assessment!!! ………… an issue of safety ………… it’s the economy,stupid!! ………… Very exciting news came for MM via a low rent TV shopping channel!! She has been asked to front one whole segment, approximately 19 minutes long for their buy 3 get 11 free homeware extravaganza! She is so excited, knowing that this is just one step from Oprahs couch, a short leap away from becoming the next Shakespeare, a stones throw from presidency! A minion provided all the information needed over the phone, he unfortunately had a small speech impediment but this didn’t stop MM from listening intently to the bits of the conversation that interested her.

It was a busy preparation day. MM mused what to film. The minion had mentioned that a whisk assessment would be a good idea in the current covid climate but what whisks had to do with a virus she wasn’t sure. She settled on making a homemade wedding cake. JM emailed the recipe for the one she made the day before MMs wedding, Archie took the car and collected 3 whisks, Doria converted her basement to a kitchen studio, TM dropped off some lights, Scoobie cried and did her makeup, MA took the dogs for a walk and SS called about her outstanding bills.

And all was ready.

Whisk One 0/10 - basic egg whisk

MM could not get it out of the hard plastic packaging and was unable to test it.

Whisk Two 0/10 - fancy dough whisk

MM forgot to buy ingredients and was unable to test it. By the time Archie returned from shopping she had left the premises to pap walk.

Whisk Three 0/10 - electric whisk

MMs wig was caught in the blades of the whisk.

The segment was cancelled.

test, Trace and isolate. ………… a silver lining 🌈🌈 Sugars are calling MM a silver lining in this pandemic as she continues to translate official advice into a format that they understand. With new guidelines announced overnight, MM has been burning the midnight oil to get a new video out for them. Offical transcript below, video will be emailed via offical spokesperson once heavy doctoring is complete.

MM: Government guidelines show that we need to follow these simple 3 steps - Test, Trace, Isolate - to help in the fight against covid-19. I love to shorten things, I make things so much more relatable. Did you know that I call my husband ‘H’? No? Well I do and he is my husband and me and him are together and have a kid OK. Anyway, back to this virus, Test, Trace, Isolate! To make it easier for people to remember I have shortened the steps, T - T - I or as I like to call them ’TTI’s’. My titties are now trademarked and copyrighted so spread the word and lets get the use of them bankrolling some money in for me! Stay safe and follow my titties everyone, they are magical!

MA: Bravo!

Oh thank you so much! Much needed laughs today! Such a joy! You always brighten Mr. Skippy’s and my day! We love these. Thank you!😊❤️❤️❤️❤️😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

——————

July 9

Dear Skippy, here is an MM Anon interpretation made up with Love and Humour and plenty of un-reality. All entertainment with no truth here. Thank you so much Skippy and MM Anon for the fun :) Much happiness to everyone here, LH Anon

girl up the creek………hostage man. ………… half free meal………… drug exposure …………… … Meghan Markle and Michelle Obama Are Joining Forces - Both women are set to speak at a gender equality summit later this month.

MM, currently the Duchess of Sussex and former HRH, will feature in a video possibly made by her and unrelated to any content provided by MO in a groundbreaking word salad covered in a virtual salad dressing of topics

How to carve your own canoe paddle from dead wood

Creating the ultimate free loaded captive environment for spouses in a long distance situation

Debunking the myth: There is no such thing as a free lunch, you can have your coke and eat it too

Scrub the internet 101: The chemical way

staff redundancy at HMTQ …………… HMTQ has announced plans for several staff redundancies, to be actioned between now and the end of this year. These include, but are not limited to, LG, PH and the entire ’Sussex’ household support. When questioned about the redundancies, the royal spokesperson refused to be drawn as to reasons or whether the staff would be re-deployed to other roles. In an unguarded moment the spokesperson was heard to mutter ‘tick tock, boom’ leading to speculation that the scheduled maintenance of royal clocks and cannons was a preoccupation.

boarding rules …………… most popular royal ……………… They grow up so fast! Archie Darren Doll off to boarding school. MM has had this important decision underway for a long time. Shunning the ‘toxic environments’ that exist in royal educational circles, she is delighted and certain that this will be the most popular decision she has made yet. The boarding space has been booked since before Darrens conception at $30 per month (reduced to $0 a month for patrons) at the ‘prestigious Mayhew’ outfit.

mines a cider……… In breaking news, PW enjoys cider and chips in Norfolk pub beer garden. In unrelated news, MM has added another topic to her gender equality seminar

Brewing alcohol in lockdown; the perfect gift for the family member you want to have

( where’s pg 💜💜) …………… Scoobie has not seen MM in person for many days now, she refuses point blank to emerge from under his couch in daylight. Shrieking sounds have been heard in the dead of the night, marks on the walls indicate someone with a greasy wig is repeatedly banging their head, the recycling bin is mysteriously filling up with wine bottles and some weirdo called Marcus keeps leaving voicemail messages on the landline phone about paying a debt. It must have been a week ago when Scoobs found a post-it note on the kitchen table when he woke one morning. It was very cryptic,

‘Get onto the panda, find PG, source W Cream, doc bill unpaid”

He is having difficulty working it out but is keeping himself, boots on the ground, busy trying, he went to the zoo but it was closed because of covid-19

In unrelated community news,

Toys R Us have issued a trespass notice to a member of the public for refusing to pay for a soft animal toy after it was soiled by a customer repeatedly sitting on top of it and taking selfies.

Numerous police have been approached in recent days by a male of indeterminable age who has requested a ride on top of their vehicle. None agreed. A referral is pending for his psychiatric assessment

The local supermarket has placed a ‘2 per customer limit’ on teabags after an unidentified customer purchased their entire stock of the popular brand PG Tips

The Department of Conservation has issued a public statement that threats to sue have been made against them, which will be rigorously defended. It is said that a concerned member of the public has accused them of having an unpaid invoice for ‘humanitarian work’ carried out in a secret place at an undetermined time.

”it’s Balmoral Philip, but not as we know it) …… out of his Depp-th… Due to a confidential threat to the family, HMTQ has beefed up surveillance and security at most royal properties of late. PP and HMTQ enjoy tapping into the new systems and are taking great pleasure in observing the nightly actions of one individual via underwater CCTV footage. He slinks out to the edge of the lake in darkness, wearing jandals, jeans and an open necked shirt. Each night he tries to scuba dive his way into the estate. Encountering steel mesh each night, it is only a matter of time until he tries to breach the area where PP commissioned his sign ‘Bog Off MA, we have your f***ing picture’.

“ more 🎼Braziiiiil🎼…………… Spanish flu?? ……… 🎼we’re all going on a summer holiday 🎼 HMTQs favourite ‘for fun Phillip’ insect infiltration agent has been dispatched to LA. Layovers for wing rest were authorised in Spain and Brazil. Fly is reported to have arrived safely with only a minor cold due to flying at altitude. Mission: ultimate MM annoyance for summer months.

Oh oh….my sides! Oh you are too funny! Omg! My pups are looking at me like they must call woof-woof-woof…..Mr. Skippy begging me to stop reading….half rolling on the ground…..daughter and SonIL asking if we need an ambulance……such great fun….oh…and cat screaming he called for one! Thank you so much! You made my night! Love to you!😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

—————

[cksmart-world]

SMART BOMB

The completely unnecessary news analysis

by Christopher Smart

November 29, 2022

GUNS DON'T KILL PEOPLE

As everyone knows, guns don't kill people, bullets do. Georgia GOP Goddess Marjorie Taylor Greene tells us the Second Amendment guarantees us the right to buy guns on the same day they don't kill people. And after all, how can we be safe without guns — you want to bring a knife to a gun fight? (That would make you a Democrat.) As the GOP knows, only crazy people shoot other people. So, the best way to stop mass shootings is to keep people from going crazy. (Start by cancelling “The Masked Singer” TV show.) Conservative think tanks are working on an anti-crazy app and have hired NRA lobbyists to secure funding for it and expensive suits for Wayne LaPierre. Despite the naysayers, there is good news: to date in 2022 we have had only 607 mass shootings; last year at this time we had 638. Call it progress. This year, 3,179 people were shot in mass shootings, 637 died. Last year 3,267 were shot and 645 died. In 2020, there was a total of 45,222 deaths from firearms. Guns don't kill people, people kill people. They want revenge on co-workers, LGBTQ folks, Walmart shoppers and school children and that's why they buy AR-15s and handguns. Well regulated militia — well, not exactly.

MISSING PARIS HILTON

Elon Musk is everywhere these days. TV, magazines, newspapers, radio, podcasts — Elon Musk did this, Elon Musk did that. Elon Musk gives Trump back his Twitter account. Elon Musk says Associated Press is pushing misinformation. It's enough to make you long for Paris Hilton. Those were the good ol' days. Not a minute could go by without cable news networks and newspapers filling us in on what Paris was doing. Paris Hilton and Lindsay Lohan are frenemies. Kim K and Paris Hilton reunite. Paris Hilton makes sex tape. It was news you just couldn't live without. So where is Paris these days? And where are Lindsay and Kim K? Inquiring minds want to know. Did you know that Kanye West, aka Ye, left Kim K? How could you possibly miss it. Get this, Ye is running for president and wants Trump to be his vice president. How is it that we know this stuff when most people can't name their congressman. It makes “The Banshees of Inisherin” look sophisticated. Americans are losing their minds. They know Lizzo but haven't a clue what Artemis is. Little surprise that people like Dr. Oz and Herschel Walker got GOP nods for the U.S. Senate. Well, you're right, Wilson, ignorance is bliss. Paris Hilton for Senate? Why not. But what's Kim K going to do?

DON WE NOW OUR GAY APPAREL

'Tis the season to be jolly. Hey Wilson, have you and the guys in the band maxed out your credit cards yet? Ever wonder what someone from Ethiopia or Venus might  think of an American Christmas. For kids it's about gifts from Santa who flies a sleigh. They didn't have a lot of those in Nazareth, nor did they have Walmart and Target and Black Friday stampedes. Let's celebrate the Savior's birth by getting that new violent video game, “The Unholy Trinity,” for Johnny. This from a country that has, “In God We Trust” on its money. Wait — maybe there is a connection there after all — Christmas is a celebration of capitalism as much as anything. Originally, Black Friday was the day stores began to turn a profit for the year. But that wasn't enough so we got Cyber Monday. Christmas is a cornerstone of our economy. When Apostle Paul made his way toward Rome in the first century A.D. proclaiming Jesus was the Messiah and the son of God, he couldn't have imagined Black Friday. Of course, that doesn't mean cynics and grouches can't find real meaning in Christmas. Even Democrats and Republicans put down their swords for day in celebration of brotherly and sisterly love. Yeah, right. Never mind. Don we now our gay apparel... Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la...

Post script — That's just about it for another strange week here at Smart Bomb, where we keep track of gaslighting so you don't have to. Hey Wilson, did you know that “gaslighting” is Merriam-Webster's word of the year. If that isn't an epitaph for 2022, what is? The term originated in George Cukor’s 1944 film Gaslight, where Charles Boyer systematically attempts to undermine Ingrid Bergman’s sense of reality and eventually her sanity, according to the Association for Psychoanalytic Self Psychology. Oddly — or not — the word gained prominence during Donald Trump's presidency. Speaking of Black Friday, shoppers spent a record $9.12 billion on Christmas. Of course, due to inflation everything is more expensive this year. Credit card balances jumped 15 percent compared to last year, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. But let's not forget about Jesus the Savior for whom we are celebrating. Many Christians don't know that he had a sense of humor and even told jokes, according to Luke 14:14–24. Here's one: Three guys get invited to a party. The first declines because he has acquired land and needs to try it out, the second has acquired oxen and needs to try them out, the third because he has acquired a wife and needs to…decline the invitation. Happy Holidays.

Well Wilson, Christmas is sneaking up on us again. Before you know it we'll be drinking eggnog and puking. Remember the old John Denver hit, “Please Daddy Don't Get Drunk This Christmas.” Inspiring. But we need something uplifting that reflects the man from Nazareth who became Jesus Christ. Looks like the band is in the spirit, Wilson, so hit it:

They call him by the "Prince of Peace" And they call him by "The Saviour" And they pray to him upon the sea And in every bold endeavor As they fill his churches with their pride and gold And their faith in him increases But they've turned the nature that I worshipped in From a temple to a robber's den In the words of the rebel Jesus We guard our world with locks and guns And we guard our fine possessions And once a year when Christmas comes We give to our relations And perhaps we give a little to the poor If the generosity should seize us But if any one of us should interfere In the business of why there are poor They get the same as the rebel Jesus But pardon me if I have seemed To take the tone of judgement For I've no wish to come between This day and your enjoyment In this life of hardship and of earthly toil

We have need for anything that frees us So I bid you pleasure and I bid you cheer From a heathen and a pagan On the side of the rebel Jesus.

(The Rebel Jesus — Jackson Browne)

[skylightbooks]

Late last night we gathered all of the new books that we carry that contain lists of

radical/difficult/legendary/badass/bold/brave/bad

girls/women/ladies/leaders/rebels/princesses/goddesses/feminists/heroines 

and created a word cloud of all the names that occur in these books. Here it is in long form:

A'isha bint abi Bakr Abbi Jacobson and Ilana Glazer Abigail Adams Ada Blackjack Ada Lovelace (appears 4 times) Adina De Zavala Aditi Aelfthryth Aethelflaed Agatha Christie Agnodice (appears 3 times) Agontime and the Dahomey Amazons Aine Aisholpan Nurgaiv Ala Alek Wek Alexandra Kollontai Alexis Smith Alfhild (appears 2 times) Alfonsina Strada Alia Muhammad Baker Alice Ball (appears 3 times) Alice Clement Alice Guy-Blache Alice Paul Alicia Alonso Alma Woodsey Thomas Althea Gibson Amal Clooney Amalia Eriksson Amanda Stenberg Amaterasu Amba/Sikhandi Ameenah Gurib-Fakim Amelia Earhart (appears 4 times) Amna Al Haddad Amy Poehler (appears 2 times) Amy Winehouse Ana Lezama de Urinza Ana Nzinga Anais Nin Andamana Andree Peel Angela Davis (appears 3 times) Angela Merkel (appears 2 times) Angela Morley Angela Zhang Angelina Jolie Anita Garibaldi (appears 3 times) Anita Roddick Ann Hamilton Ann Makosinski Anna Atkins Anna May Wong Anna Nicole Smith Anna of Saxony Anna Olga Albertina Brown Anna Politkovskaya Anna Wintour Anna-Marie McLemore Anne Bonny Anne Hutchinson Anne Lister Annette Kellerman (appears 3 times) Annie "Londonderry" Cohen Kopchovsky Annie Edson Taylor Annie Edson Taylor Annie Jump Cannon (appears 3 times) Annie Oakley (appears 2 times) Annie Smith Peck Aphra Behn Aphrodite Arawelo Aretha Franklin Artemis Artemisia Gentileschi (appears 4 times) Artemisis I of Caria Ashley Fiolek Astrid Lindgren Athena Aud the Deep-Minded Audre Lorde Audrey Hepburn Augusta Savage Aung San Suu Kyi (appears 2 times) Azucena Villaflor Babe Zaharias Barbara Bloom Barbara Hillary Barbara Walters Bast Bastardilla Beatrice Ayettey Beatrice Potter Webb Beatrice Vio Beatrix Potter Beatrix Potter Belle Boyd Belva Lockwood Benten Bessie Coleman (appears 2 times) Bessie Stringfield Bettie Page Betty Davis Betty Friedan Beyonce (appears 3 times) Billie Holiday Billie Jean King (appears 3 times) Birute Mary Galdikis Black Mambas Blakissa Chaibou Bonnie Parker Boudicca (appears 3 times) Brenda Chapman Brenda Milner Bridget Riley Brie Larson Brigid of Kildare Brigit Britney Spears Bronte Sisters Buffalo Calf Road Woman (appears 2 times) Buffy Sainte-Marie Calafia Caraboo Carly Rae Jepsen Carmen Amaya Carmen Miranda Carol Burnett Caroline of Brunswick-Wolfenbuttel Carrie Bradshaw Carrie Fisher (appears 2 times) Caterina Sforza Catherine Radziwill Catherine the Great (appears 3 times) Cecilia Payne-Gaposchkin Celia Cruz Chalchiuhtlicue Chang-o Charlotte E Ray Charlotte of Belgium Charlotte of Prussia Cher Cheryl Bridges Chien-Shiung Wu Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (appears 3 times) Chiyome Mochizuki Cholita Climbers Chrissy Teigen Christina   Christina of Sweden Christine de Pizan Christine Jorgensen (appears 2 times) Clara Rockmore Clara Schumann Clara Ward Claudia Ruggerini Clelia Duel Mosher Clemantine Wamariya Clementine Delait Cleopatra (appears 3 times) Coccinelle Coco Chanel (appears 2 times) Constance Markievicz Cora Coralina Coretta Scott King Corrie Ten Boom Courtney Love Coy Mathis Creiddylad Daenerys Targaryen Dahlia Adler Daisy Kadibill Dame Katerina Te Heikoko Mataira Delia Akeley Demeter Dhat al-Himma Dhonielle Clayton Diana Nyad Diana Ross Diana Vreeland (appears 2 times) Dixie Chicks Dolly Parton (appears 2 times) Dolores Huerta Dominique Dawes Dona Ana Lezama de Urinza and Dona Eustaquia de Sonza Dorothy Arzner Dorothy Dandridge Dorothy Thompson Dorothy Vaughan Dr. Eugenie Clark Dr. Jane Goodall (appears 3 times) Durga Edie Sedgwick Edith Garrud Edith Head Edith Wharton Edmonia Lewis Eleanor of Aquitaine Eleanor Roosevelt (appears 3 times) Elena Cornaro Piscopia Elena Piscopia Elinor Smith Elisabeth Bathory Elisabeth of Austria Elizabeth Bisland Elizabeth Blackwell Elizabeth Cady Stanton Elizabeth Hart Elizabeth I (appears 3 times) Elizabeth Murray Elizabeth Peyton Elizabeth Taylor Elizabeth Warren Elizabeth Zimmermann Elizsabeth Vigee-Lebrun Ella Baker Ella Fitzgerald Ella Hattan Elle Fanning Ellen Degeneres Elsa Schiaparelli Elvira de la Fuente Chaudoir Emily Warren Roebling Emma "Grandma" Gatewood Emma Goldman (appears 2 times) Emma Watson (appears 2 times) Emmeline Pankhurst (appears 3 times) Emmy Noether (appears 3 times) Empress Myeongseong Empress Theodora (appears 2 times) Empress Wu Zetian (appears 2 times) Empress Xi Ling Shi Enheduanna Eniac Programmers Eos Erin Bowman Estanatlehi Ethel Payne Eufrosina Cruz Eustaquia de Souza Eva Peron (appears 3 times) Fadumo Dayib Faith Bandler Fannie Farmer (appears 2 times) Fanny Blankers-Koen Fanny Bullock Workman Fanny Cochrane Smith Fanny Mendelssohn Fatima al-Fihri (appears 3 times) Fe Del Mundo Ferminia Sarras Fiona Banner Fiona Rae Florence Chadwick (appears 2 times) Florence Griffith-Joyner (appears 2 times) Florence Nightingale (appears 4 times) Frances E. W. Harper Frances Glessner Lee Frances Moore Lappe Franziska Freya Frida Kahlo (appears 7 times) Friederike Mandelbaum Funmilayo Ransome Kuti (appears 2 times) Gabriela Brimmer Gabriela Mistral Gae Aulenti Gaia George Sand Georgia "Tiny" Broadwick Georgia O'Keefe (appears 3 times) Gertrude Bell Gerty Cori Gilda Radner Girogina Reid Giusi Nicolini Gladys Bentley Gloria Steinem (appears 3 times) Gloria von Thurn Grace "Granuaile" O'Malley Grace Hopper Grace Jones Grace O'Malley (appears 3 times) Gracia Mendes Nasi Gracie Fields Grimke Sisters Guerrilla Girls Gurinder Chadha Gwen Ifill Gwendolyn Brooks (appears 2 times) Gypsy Rose Lee Hannah Arendt Harriet Beecher Stowe Harriet Tubman (appears 6 times) Hathor Hatshepsut (appears 7 times) Hazel Scott Hecate Hedy Lamarr (appears 5 times) Heidi Montag and Spencer Pratt Hel Helen Gibson Helen Gurley Brown (appears 2 times) Helen Keller (appears 2 times) Hildegard von Bingen Hillary Rodham Clinton (appears 2 times) Hina Hortense Mancini Hortensia Hsi Wang Mu Huma Abedin Hung Liu Hypatia (appears 4 times) Iara Ida B. Wells (appears 3 times) Ida Lewis Imogen Cunningham Irena Sendler (appears 3 times) Irena Sendlerowa Irene Joliot-Curie Isabel Allende Isabella of France Isabella Stewart Gardner Isadora Duncan (appears 2 times) Isis Iva Toguri D'Aquino Ixchel J.K. Rowling (appears 3 times) Jackie Mitchell Jacqueline and Eileen Nearne Jacquotte Delahaye Jane Austen (appears 2 times) Jane Dieulafoy Jane Mecom Jang-geum Janis Joplin Jayaben Desai Jean Batten Jean Macnamara Jeanne Baret (appears 3 times) Jeanne De Belleville Jennifer Aniston Jennifer Steinkamp Jenny Lewis Jesselyn Radack Jessica Spotswood Jessica Watson Jezebel Jill Tarter Jind Kaur Jingu Joan Bamford Fletcher Joan Beauchamp Procter Joan Jett (appears 2 times) Joan Mitchell Joan of Arc (appears 3 times) Jodie Foster Johanna July Johanna Nordblad Josefina "Joey" Guerrero Josephina van Gorkum Josephine Baker (appears 7 times) Jovita Idar (appears 2 times) Juana Azurduy Judit Polgar Judy Blume Julia Child (appears 2 times) Julia de Burgos Julie "La Maupin" d'Abigny (appears 3 times) Julie Dash Juliette Gordon Low Junko Tabei (appears 4 times) Justa Grata Honoria Ka'ahumanu Kali Kalpana Chawla Karen Carson Kasha Jacqueline Nabagesera Kat Von D Kate Bornstein Kate Sheppard Kate Warne Katherine Hepburn Katherine Johnson (appears 2 times) Kathrine Switzer Katia Krafft (appears 2 times) Katie Sandwina Kay Thompson Keiko Fukuda Keumalahayati Kharboucha Khawlah bint al-Azwar Khayzuran Khoudia Diop Khutulun (appears 5 times) Kim Kardashian King Christina of Sweden Kosem Sultan Kristen Stewart Kristin Wig Kuan Yin Kumander Liwayway Kurmanjan Dtaka Lady Godiva Lady Margaret Cavendish Laka Lakshmibai, Rani of Jhansi (appears 5 times) Lana Del Rey Las Mariposas Laskarina Bouboulina (appears 2 times) Laura Redden Searing Lauren Potter Laverne Cox (appears 2 times) Lee Miller Lella Lombardi Lena Dunham Leo Salonga Leymah Gbowee (appears 2 times) Libby Riddles Lieu Hanh Lil Kim Lili'uokalani Lilian Bland (appears 3 times) Lilith Lillian Boyer Lillian Leitzel Lillian Ngoyi Lillian Riggs Lindsay Lohan Liv Arensen and Ann Bancroft Lorde Lorena Ochoa Lorna Simpson Lorraine Hansberry Lotfia El Nadi Louisa Atkinson Louise Mack Lowri Morgan Lozen (appears 3 times) Lucille Ball Lucrezia Lucy Hicks Anderson Lucy Parsons Luisa Moreno Luo Dengping Lyda Conley Lynda Benglis Ma'at Mackenzi Lee Madam C.J. Walker (appears 3 times) Madame Saqui Madia Comaneci Madonna (appears 3 times) Madres de Plaza de Mayo Mae C. Jemison Mae Emmeline Wirth Mae Jemison (appears 3 times) Mae West Mahalia Jackson Mai Bhago Malala Yousafzai (appears 7 times) Malinche (appears 2 times) Mamie Phipps Clark Manal al-Sharif Marcelite Harris Margaret Margaret "Molly" Tobin Brown Margaret Bourke-White Margaret Cho Margaret Hamilton (appears 2 times) Margaret Hardenbroeck Philipse Margaret Sanger Margaret Thatcher (appears 2 times) Margery Kempe Margherita Hack Marguerite de la Rocque Maria Callas Maria Mitchell Maria Montessori (appears 2 times) Maria Reiche Maria Sibylla Merian Maria Tallchief Maria Vieira da Silva Mariah Carey Marian Anderson Marie Antoinette Marie Chauvet Marie Curie (appears 5 times) Marie Duval Marie Mancini Marie Marvingt Marie Tharp Marieke Nijkamp Marina Abramovic Mariya Oktyabrskaya (appears 2 times) Marjana Marlene Sanders Marta Marta Vieira da Silva Martha Gelhorn Martha Graham Mary Anning (appears 5 times) Mary Blair Mary Bowser (appears 3 times) Mary Edwards Walker (appears 2 times) Mary Eliza Mahoney Mary Fields (appears 2 times) Mary Heilmann Mary Jackson (appears 2 times) Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen Mary Kingsley Mary Kom Mary Lacy Mary Lillian Ellison Mary Pickford Mary Quant Mary Seacole (appears 3 times) Mary Shelley Mary Wollstonecraft (appears 2 times) Maryam Mirzakhani Mata Hari (appears 3 times) Matilda of Canossa Matilda of Tuscany Matilde Montoya Maud Stevens Wagner Maya Angelou (appears 4 times) Maya Gabeira Maya Lin (appears 2 times) Mazu Meg Medina Megan Shepherd Melba Liston Mercedes de Acosta Merritt Moore Meryl Streep Micaela Bastidas Michaela Deprince Michelle Fierro Michelle Obama (appears 3 times) Mildred Burke Miley Cyrus Millo Castro Zaldarriaga Mina Hubbard Minnie Spotted Wolf Mirabal Sisters (appear 2 times) Miriam Makeba (appears 3 times) Missy Elliot Misty Copeland Mochizuki Chiyome Moll Cutpurse Molly Kelly Molly Williams Moremi Ajasoro Murasaki Shikibu (appears 3 times) Nadia Murad Nadine Gordimer Nakano Takeko Nana Asma'u (appears 2 times) Nancy Rubins Nancy Wake (appears 2 times) Naomi Campbell Naziq al-Abid Neerja Bhanot Nefertiti Nell Gwyn Nellie Bly (appears 8 times) Nettie Stevens (appears 2 times) Nichelle Nichols Nicki Minaj Nicole Richie Nina Simone (appears 2 times) Njinga of Angola Njinga of Ndongo Noor Inayat Khan (appears 3 times) Nora Ephron (appears 3 times) Norma Shearer North West Nuwa Nwanyeruwa (appears 2 times) Nyai Loro Kidul Nzinga Nzinga Mbande Octavia E Butler Odetta Olga of Kiev (appears 2 times) Olivia Benson Olympe de Gouges Oprah Winfrey (appears 5 times) Osh-Tisch Oshun Oya Pancho Barnes Paris Hilton Parvati Patti Smith (appears 2 times) Pauline Bonaparte Pauline Leon Peggy Guggenheim (appears 2 times) Pele Petra "Pedro" Herrera Phillis Wheatley Phoolan Devi Phyllis Diller Phyllis Wheatley Pia Fries Pingyang Policarpa "La Pola" Salavarrieta Policarpa Salavarrieta (appears 2 times) Poly Styrene Poorna Malavath Pope Joan Portia De Rossi and Ellen Degeneres Princess Caraboo Princess Diana Princess Sophia Duleep Singh Psyche Pura Belpre Qiu Jin (appears 3 times) Queen Arawelo Queen Bessie Coleman Queen Lili'uokalani (appears 2 times) Queen Nanny of the Maroons (appears 4 times) Quintreman Sisters Rachel Carson (appears 4 times) Rachel Maddow Raden Ajeng Kartini Ran Rani Chennamma Rani Lakshmibai Rani of Jhansi Raven Wilkinson Rebecca Lee Crumpler Rhiannon Rigoberta Menchu Tum Rihanna Rita Levi Montalcini (appears 2 times) Robina Muqimyar Roni Horn Rosa Luxemburg Rosa Parks (appears 4 times) Rosalind Franklin Rosaly Lopes Rose Fortune Rowan Blanchard Roxolana Ruby Nell Bridges (appears 3 times) Rukmini Devi Arundale Rupaul Ruth Bader Ginsburg (appears 3 times) Ruth Harkness Ruth Westheimer Rywka Lipszyc Sadako Sasaki Sally Ride Samantha Christoforetti Sappho (appears 3 times) Sara Farizan Sara Seager Sarah Breedlove Sarah Charlesworth Sarah Winnemucca Saraswati Sarinya Srisakul Sarojini Naidu Sarvenaz Tash Sayyida al-Hurra (appears 2 times) Sekhmet Selda Bagcan Selena Seondeok of Silla (appears 2 times) Serafina Battaglia Serena Williams (appears 4 times) Shajar al-Durr Shamsia Hassani Sharon Ellis Sheryl Crow Sheryl Sandberg Shirely Chisolm (appears 2 times) Shirley Muldowney Shonda Rhimes (appears 2 times) Simone Biles (appears 2 times) Simone de Beauvoir Simone Veil Sister Corita Kent Sita Sky Brown Sofia Ionescu Sofia Perovskaya Sofka Dolgorouky Sojourner Truth (appears 5 times) Solange Sonia Sotomayor (appears 2 times) Sonita Alizadeh (appears 2 times) Sophia Dorothea Sophia Loren Sophie Blanchard Sophie Scholl (appears 3 times) Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz (appears 2 times) Sorghaghtani Beki Spider Woman Stacey Lee Stagecoach Mary Fields (appears 2 times) Steffi Graf Stephanie Kwolek Stephanie von Hohenlohe Stevie Nicks Subh Susa La Flesche Picotte Susan B. Anthony Susan La Flesche Picotte Sybil Ludington (appears 3 times) Sybilla Masters Sylvia Earle (appears 3 times) Tallulah Bankhead Tamara de Lempicka Tara Tarabai Shinde Tatterhood Taylor Swift Te Puea Herangi (appears 2 times) Temple Grandin (appears 3 times) Teresita Fernandez Mirabal Sisters Muses Night Witches Shaggs Stateless Thea Foss Therese Clerc Tin Hinan Tina Fey (appears 2 times) TLC Tomoe Gozen (appears 2 times) Tomyris (appears 2 times) Tonya Harding Tove Jansson (appears 2 times) Troop 6000 Trung Sisters Trung Trac and Trung Nhi (appear 2 times together) Tyche Tyler Moore Tyra Banks Ulayya bint al-Mahdi Umm Kulthum Ursula K. LeGuin Ursula Nordstrom Valentina Tereshkova (appears 5 times) Valerie Thomas Vanessa Beecroft Venus Williams (appears 2 times) Victoria Beckham Vija Celmins Viola Davis Viola Desmond Violeta Parra Virginia Apgar Virginia Hall Virginia Woolf (appears 3 times) Vita Sackville-West Vivian Maier Wallada bint al-Mustakfi (appears 2 times) Wang Zhenyi (appears 2 times) Wangari Maathai (appears 3 times) Washington State Suffragists Whina Cooper Willow Smith Wilma Mankiller Wilma Rudolph (appears 3 times) Winona Ryder Wislawa Szymborska Wu Mei Wu Zetian (appears 3 times) Xian Zhang Xochiquetzal Xtabay Yaa Asantewaa (appears 3 times) Yael Yani Tseng Yayoi Kusama Yemoja Yennenga Yeonmi Park Ynes Mexia Yoko Ono Yoshiko Kawashima Yuri Kochiyama Yusra Mardini Zabel Yesayan Zaha Hadid (appears 2 times) Zenobia Zoe Kravitz Zora Neale Hurston (appears 2 times)

[samdukewieland]

Stuck Inside Media Diary Week 9

It was sometime during this week, very possibly the week before that I realized why egg-zacktly Mad Men has been so (”comforting” seems like a big word here, but let’s just say) comforting during this period of time. Well I guess there’s a couple of reasons, time being one of them: being able to escape to other peoples’ problems and not have them be (overtly) contemporary. The second just as obvious being that this show spends probably 95% of its settings indoors. Maybe once a season do you see these people outside for whatever reason; season 3 was probably the height of having scenes outdoors, between Sally’s teacher and those scenes and then the Roger/Jane Old Kentucky Home wedding. Surely I’ve been outside more hours than watching Mad Men these past 7 weeks, but at this point I don’t really know. Hasn’t made me want a cigarette, so that’s something.

Sunday, May 17

Sour Grapes, Rothwell & Atlas 2016 [as of now this is available on Netflix]

Pretty neat little telling of rich people getting scammed. Definitely better than the Fyre Fest docs that came out last year, though you can see this as almost a model for it, however my problems with those are the same problem here, being I don’t really care that these insanely rich people got duped. I mean I care because it feels good, but rarely do you get someone in that position (especially from a financial standpoint) admitting they got duped or doing it in a way where they’re trying not to come across as a victim. And like I get it, I know that’s the point of some of these where it’s “look at their lack of self-awareness” but that’s not particularly satisfying. What’s satisfying is seeing the person do this and explain how they did it (the why is pretty obvious) and what their process is. You wouldn’t want to see a documentary about Terry Benedict having his casinos robbed and act like he doesn’t know why (I mean I would, because I invite almost anything from the Ocaen’s-verse, but you get my point).

Mad Men, “Collaborators”, “To Have And To Hold”, “The Flood”

Season 6, upon this viewing, appears to be the weakest or second to weakest season of the series; I don’t really know for sure. It’s definitely not bad, but lacks the sense of urgency to watch. It’s a little repetitive in some of its storytelling choices with Don, but does explore the motives of the men who want to be him, but lack that Dick Whitman/Don Draper drive that only he has (in the realm of Mad Men). Pete, not unlike Don, decides to keep up his habit of having an affair (with another married person too) and keeps it close to home feeling very in tune with Pete Campbell mentality: not seeing the dangers of shitting where he eats. Sure he keeps his affair to the confines of his Manhattan apartment, but it’s with a woman who not only lives in his neighborhood, but someone who is friendly enough with his wife. It backfires instantly and because no one has ever had a frank discussion with Pete about the consequences of his actions, this might be the first time Pete has actually had to learn a lesson. But because no one talks him through “this is where you messed up and this is how you can become a better and bigger person from this” it almost feeds his outwardly victimhood. Once again, props to Vincent Kartheiser for playing Pete Campbell perfectly for 6 straight seasons (and beyond). 

And here’s something Season 6 decides to ponder: how about Bobby Draper? How about Bobby Draper deals with the assassination of MLK through seeing Planet Of The Apes? Probably the toughest look Mad Men took in its run (besides Hamm losing every year to Cranston for best actor) that it totally asks for.

The Last Dance, Parts 9 & 10

The end. This thing went out how it lived: absurdly entertaining while still being confounding in what it decided to say and how to present itself. There’s probably a lot to be taken from it, but my brain will forever linger on “eat the pizza.” (partly due to The Ticket, partly due to it being one of the funniest lies I’ve ever been told) Also I’m not a Pearl Jam listener (this genre of rock is my absolute biggest blind spot), but uh, that song’s pretty cool that they played there at the end; good sports montage moment-reminded me of a montage to close out a season of The Wire. No “Right Here, Right Now” though.

Monday, May 18

Circus Of Books, Mason 2019 [as of now this is available on Netflix]

Pleasant enough li’l entry of history about an important cultural landmark in LA; it really banks on the notion of “you’d never assume these people run this store” which isn’t ineffective. But it doesn’t come from an impartial place, it comes from the daughter of the store owners, which you could argue makes her the most qualified person to tell this story. But when your subjects are so unassuming and almost bothered by your insistence to tell this story it comes across as more (unintentionally) uncomfortable rather than trying to prove a point. But that’s kind of the looming question over all of this too-what’s the point? The titular bookstore closed last year, implying that there’s importance to this instantaneously being a historic document, when really it’s just a love letter to your parents and also your brother to tie it together just a little bit nicer.

Mad Men, “For Immediate Release”

The episode where it starts to find its footing again; as interesting an idea as it is to separate Don and Peggy on paper, the execution leaves so much to be desired. Peggy needs a force to push up against and while I’m sure she might have with Jim Cutler, but that’s not super interesting. Teaming up Ted and Don, maybe the only person to respect Don as an artist, but openly questioning his method to him on the show and not taking his excuses at face value.

Tuesday, May 19

Platoon, Stone 1986

Yeh, I don’t think I like Oliver Stone movies. I think I like the ideas of them, but ultimately I just don’t think it’s a match (heartbreaking for him). Part of this was I was on a massive Apocalypse Now high chose this as a chaser for that, which is mistake, and I knew this as I was watching. Or maybe it’s just that, explicitly, Vietnam movies set out to punish you for watching them, both in trying so hard to prove its authenticity while still being heavy-handed in other regards. Oliver Stone kind of feels like your cousin who insists on telling you that Dr. Strangelove is *actually* a farce and satire (yeh, I’ve used this before-guess what, it’s happened to me).

Mad Men, “Man With A Plan”, “The Crash”

Mad Men does its Sopranos karaoke best when drugs are involved, plain and simple. Though truly wild and Tony Soprano-levels of insanity when Don forces Lindsay Weir Sylvia to stay in that hotel room for like two days straight (or maybe a day, I don’t remember).

Wednesday, May 20

Blown Away, Hopkins 1994

I can 100% guarantee you that the only reason I thought I should see this movie is because it’s been lodged in my brain and marked as “important?” because Bill Simmons mentioned it offhandedly in a podcast once saying it’s a “_____ Boston movie.” So when I was scrolling through local listings, as I’m wont to do, and I saw that it was on, almost like a Pavlovian response, I immediately hit set to record. I’ve fallen for the trap of “record movie that should only be watched if it just happens to be on-do not go out of your way to watch it” and this is just the latest entry into it. This thing’s a quintessential dad-movie that has a wayyyy better poster than it should. I should probably be mad that I watched it, but this thing is so beautifully stupid that I’d be betraying myself by acting like it isn’t entirely in my wheelhouse. I was just happy to see the marble machine pop back up when it did.

Mad Men, “The Better Half”

“Hey, uh....how about Bobby goes to Bible Camp and we just use that as an excuse to bring Don and Betty back together for a one-night fling? Yeh, I think it’s pretty good too.” Tough break for the loss of Abe, though-they always kept him far enough to want you wanting more of him, which was probably the right decision, ultimately.

Hearts Of Darkness: A Filmmaker’s Apocalypse, Bahr & Hickenlooper & Coppola 1991

Was this good for Coppola’s image in 91? It’s coming kind of off the heels of Godfather III, which is maybe the most damning way to start off a decade. Maybe the biggest knock against this is that there’s probably still a lot unsaid, or the thing that’d be better is if you could’ve been a fly on the wall during the actual production or the editing of the documentary.

Thursday, May 21

S Is For Stanley, Infascelli 2016 [as of now this is available on Netflix]

You have to wonder if the Kubrick estate was pulling some strings to have this made as a preemptive strike against Filmworker. Yeh, yeh, we all know Stanley was difficult (man geniuses tend to be!) but what if I told you that he had a friendly side with his sweet old Italian driver who he kind of held hostage? I guess because Emilio D'Alessandro had the benefit of not working directly on the movies/Art Kubrick was making a professional/personal distance was able to be established. It’s cute and charming (small, old Italian men have that effect on me)-there’s not much more you should demand of it.

Mad Men, “A Tale Of Two Cities”, “Favors”

Sopranos karaoke meets coke part from Annie Hall. Then maybe the most traumatic thing to happen to Sally Draper, rivaled by the most traumatic thing to happen to Pete Campbell (via Peggy relaying info). Though I will say, those small moments between Peggy and Pete, moments we don’t get a lot of, are so nice, because it is one of the few times this show’s characters are stripped of trying to have an upper hand. Honesty between people, not Mad Men’s bread and butter (it has never sought to be), but they know how to serve it up in small enough doses that you don’t take them for granted when they happen.

Friday, May 22

Chinatown, Polanski 1974

Weird how no one talks about this movie being incredible. Glad I can be at the forefront for this, clearly, little seen flick and champion it as much as possible! With that said, knife to the nostril is a very real new fear for me.

Top Chef, Season 17 episode 10

If I were a person who cared about the olympics I could see myself either being very melancholy or furious after this episode. Fine challenge, though not totally surprising. I dunno man, you gotta imagine how annoyed these contestants get every time Malarkey outlives them-or at the very least incredibly tickled by it. Looking forward to binging Last Chance Kitchen before this next week’s ep.

Mad Men,  “The Quality Of Mercy”

The Ken Cosgrove eyepatch is such a weird choice, but not altogether terrible. Hard to take a guy with an eyepatch seriously, which is probably the reason they gave it to Ken, because no one in that office does. The Bob Benson is a fraud reveal is fascinating in the sense of the writers trying out an experiment of “what if Don Draper but different job” though far more obvious. And what perfect symmetry having Pete find out from Duck (the man who thought he’d be able to use this information against Don and the man who, at the top of his game, absolutely could’ve used it against Don) about Bob and learned his lesson from 5 years ago and knowing how to use that information to his benefit (the setup to it is still pretty good, because I reacted this time the same way I did in 2014 with “oh Pete, you are dumb as hell” forgetting what the reveal is).

Saturday, May 23

Cast Away, Zemeckis 2000 [as of now this is available on HBO]

Somehow made it as long as I did without having seen Cast Away and it’s pretty good and also maybe the first time a Zemeckis movie gives worth to its character being (almost) extraordinary? Like in almost all his movies these characters kind of stumble into this otherworldly, almost other plane, level of humanity and ability; there tends to be a lot of right place at the right time with his main characters. So I had no idea that Cast Away flash forwards 4 years in the middle of its story (I’m kind of amazed with how little I knew about the bigger plot points of this movie, like no idea that it takes place in 1995 to start off) and not just making him instantaneous amazing hermit-man. It’s a fun movie, though I’m sure if I’d seen this in high school or early college I’d be all in a huff because of the whales, which is clearly just Zemeckis not being able to help himself. Whatever, pretty good and I’m glad he and Helen Hunt don’t end up together (though it does raise an incredible hypothetical). Though if you’re throwing a “welcome back from nowhere” party to a guy, wouldn’t you want to stick to specifically turf food as the delicacy you deliver to him? Like you’re already in Memphis, which is a pretty suspect location to have crab-give the man some BBQ, something without a shadow of a doubt he didn’t have access to on a deserted island.

Mad Men, “In Care Of” [season 6 finale], “Time Zones” [season 7A premier], “A Day’s Work”, “Field Trip”

The birth of “Not Great Bob!” truly a landmark. Season 6 is weird, it’s all a build-up, but Don’s descent has been going on for so long it’s hard to pinpoint what led to it all (maybe his divorce with Betty? Signing a contract? Anna passing away? there are so many chaos dominoes on the table that contribute to it all). Man needs therapy or to be reminded of who he is or how he got here. He’s brought down several, several pegs and he stays there and lingers in it, but he’ll be dammed if he isn’t loyal till the bitter end, or at least loyal to what he can be in control of and what he cares about (he does not care about Megan’s acting, though he does care about Megan and how much of her life he has put on halt).

Minority Report, Spielberg 2002 [as of now this is available on Netflix]

Steven Spielberg makes perfect Saturday movies. This is the sort of thing that if you had put it in anyone else’s hands it’d be without that crucial Spielberg twinge of hope or love that is the motivation behind its lead’s actions. It’s fun and pulpy and washed out and dark and takes Spielberg back to his feature debut: it’s a chase movie. It’s almost 2½ hours that flies by. 

[billdecker]

2018.

 Here we are with the films list again. Bold = watched first time. 

Films.

The English Patient

The BFG

Anna Karenina [1967]

King Kong [2005]

54

Henry VIII and his Six Wives [1972]

The Disaster Artist

Napoleon Dynamite

The Addams Family

Kong: Skull Island

Justice League

The Addams Family Values

Johnny English

Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle

Wayne’s World

Lady Bird

Westworld

Carol

Green Lantern 

England is Mine

Rush Hour

Pride and Prejudice [2005]

Call Me By Your Name

The Greatest Showman

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

Dante’s Peak

Only Lovers Left Alive

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

Blade Runner

Moonrise Kingdom

Clue

Get Smart

Darkest Hour

Blade Runner 2049

Lost in Translation

The Talented Mr. Ripley

The Lego Movie

Anchorman

The Shape of Water

Get Out

San Andreas

The Beguiled

Lady Chatterley’s Lover [1981]

Interview With a Vampire

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

Song to Song

Atonement

La La Land

Drop Dead Fred

Attack the Block

Another Mother’s Son

I, Tonya

The Sense of an Ending

Forgetting Sarah Marshall

Cold Mountain

Step Up

The Founder

The Fugitive

The Promise

Papadopoulos and Sons

Rob Roy

The Florida Project

Professor Marston and the Wonder Women

Head in the Clouds

Crooked House

Miami Vice [2006]

Miss Sloane

Molly’s Game

Battle of the Sexes

Half of a Yellow Sun

A Quiet Passion

Lady Jane

Anne of a Thousand Days

Mars Attacks!

Zoolander

A Midsummer Night’s Dream

Nina

Pele: Birth of a Legend

2001: A Space Odyssey

A Futile and Stupid Gesture 

The Mask

Phantom Thread

Black Panther

Eyes Wide Shut

The Death of Stalin

Baywatch

Paddington 2

Wonder Woman

Star Trek [2009]

Star Trek Into Darkness

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

Star Trek Beyond

Denial

Chariots of Fire

Captain America: The First Avenger

Iron Man

The Incredible Hulk

Borg vs McEnroe

Iron Man 2

Thor

Avengers Assemble

Iron Man 3

Thor: The Dark World

Captain America: The Winter Soldier

Avengers: Age of Ultron

Guardians of the Galaxy

Guardians of the Galaxy: Volume 2

Ant-Man

Captain America: Civil War 

Doctor Strange

Spider-Man: Homecoming

Thor: Ragnarok

War Horse

God’s Own Country

In Bruges

The Big Sick

The Towering Inferno

Magnolia

Our Souls at Night 

Dog Day Afternoon

Willow

Roman Holiday

Sabrina

Annihilation 

North by Northwest

The Emoji Movie

Coco

Grease

Dirty Dancing

Captain Fantastic

The Wicker Man

This is Spinal Tap

Magic Mike XXL

Come Sunday

The Dark Tower

Bill

Avengers: Infinity War

Loving Vincent

Mansfield Park

Three Men and a Little Lady

Oliver!

Rough Night

Avatar

One Last Dance

Girls Trip

Alex and the List

The Dambusters

The Mummy [2017]

London

The Damned United

The Wedding Video

Deadpool

Enter the Dragon

Atomic Blonde

The Red Shoes

The Great Gatsby [2013]

Bram Stoker’s Dracula

South Park: Bigger, Longer, Uncut

Morris: A Life With Bells On

Boss Baby

Solo: A Star Wars Story

Kenny

All About Eve

Lethal Weapon

Lethal Weapon 2

Final Portrait

The Little Mermaid

The Huntsman: Winter’s War

Men in Black 3

Lara Croft: Tomb Raider

Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life

Tomb Raider [2018]

Crocodile Dundee

Jabberwocky

Legend

Lethal Weapon 3

The Witches

Down With Love

Clash of the Titans [1981]

Clash of the Titans [2010]

I Give it a Year

Terminal

Where the Wild Things Are

The Handmaiden

The Muppet Movie [1979]

Brakes

Ready Player One

Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom

A Wrinkle in Time

Breathe

Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets

Eagle vs Shark

Farenheit 451 [2018]

Picnic at Hanging Rock

Mission Impossible

Mission Impossible II

Mission Impossible III

The Saint [2017]

JFK

Ocean’s 8

Deadpool 2

Falling Down

Duck Butter

Peter Rabbit

44 Inch Chest

You Instead

The Deep Blue Sea

Not Another Happy Ending

Punch Drunk Love

The Fast and The Furious

2 Fast 2 Furious

The Fast and The Furious: Tokyo Drift

Fast & Furious

Fast Five

Fast & Furious 6

Furious 7

The Fate of the Furious

Geostorm

Ant-Man and the Wasp

Escape to Victory

Porcupine Lake

The Snowman

The Incredibles

Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again

Daphne

Ingrid Goes West

One Day

My Neighbor Totoro

There Will Be Blood

Rampage

Goodbye Christopher Robin

Incredibles 2

To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before

Belle de Jour

Mission Impossible - Fallout

The Spy Who Dumped Me 

The Meg

Little Ashes

Meet Joe Black

The King of Comedy

Jason and the Argonauts

Flash Gordon

Odette

Strictly Ballroom

Into the Woods

Cars 3

The Book of Life

Murder on the Orient Express [2017]

Kath & Kimderella

Madame Bovary

X-Men: First Class

X-Men: Days of Future Past

X-Men: Apocalypse

All the Money in the World

Quincy

The Post

Becoming Bond

Early Man

Little Women [1994]

Dangerous Liaisons

The Party

Operation Finale 

Nappily Ever After

What’s New Pussycat?

Saved!

A Star is Born [1976]

Modern Life is Rubbish

Jaws

The Mercy

Swept from the Sea

Permission

Venom

A Star is Born [2018]

Far and Away

Heat

Jane Eyre

Braveheart

Film Stars Don’t Die in Liverpool

Juliet, Naked

First Man

Christopher Robin

Vincent and Theo

Pollock

Bohemian Rhapsody

One More Time With Feeling

Interlude in Prague

The Mask of Zorro

The Legend of Zorro 

You, Me, and Him

The Nutcracker and the Four Realms 

Crazy Rich Asians

Bobby [2016]

Outlaw King

Space Jam

They Shall Not Grow Old

The Grinch [2018]

The Big Lebowski 

Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald

Mulan

The Battle of the River Plate

They’ll Love Me When I’m Dead

My Generation

Batman Begins

Being John Malkovich

Harry Potter and The Philosopher’s Stone

Harry Potter and The Chamber of Secrets

Harry Potter and The Prisoner of Azkaban

Harry Potter and The Goblet of Fire

Harry Potter and The Order of the Phoenix

Harry Potter and The Half Blood Prince

Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows - Part One

Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows - Part Two

Widows

Immortal Beloved

Basquiat 

Goya’s Ghosts

The Madness of King George

Charade

Star Wars: A New Hope

Stars Wars: The Empire Strikes Back

Star Wars: Return of the Jedi

Star Wars: The Phantom Menace

Stars Wars: Attack of the Clones

Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith

Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Star Wars: The Last Jedi

Star Wars: Rogue One

The Polar Express

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug

The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring

The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers

The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King

Dr. No

From Russia With Love 

Goldfinger

Thunderball

You Only Live Twice

On Her Majesty’s Secret Service

Diamonds Are Forever

Live and Let Die

The Man With the Golden Gun

The Spy Who Loved Me

Moonraker

For Your Eyes Only

Octopussy

A View to a Kill

The Living Daylights

Licence to Kill

Goldeneye

Tomorrow Never Dies

The World is Not Enough 

Die Another Day 

Casino Royale

Quantum of Solace

Skyfall

Spectre

Superbob

Greenfingers

Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle

A Christmas Prince

Aquaman

Love, Cecil

A Christmas Prince: The Royal Wedding

The Man Who Invented Christmas

Copying Beethoven

The Party’s Just Beginning 

Point Break

Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa

The Sound of Music

The Muppet Christmas Carol

The Muppets

Cars 2

The Holiday

A Bad Moms Christmas

The Holiday Calendar

The Christmas Chronicles

Nativity

Nativity 2: Danger in the Manger

Arthur Christmas

Bobby Robson: More Than a Manager

Zootropolis

Mary Poppins

The Good Dinosaur

Trolls

Rise of the Guardians

Bros: After the Screaming Stops

The Beatles: Eight Days a Week - The Touring Years

Get Carter [1971]

Bottle Rocket

Turbo

Closer

Nothing Like a Dame

Bolt

Make Us Dream

Die Hard

How to Train Your Dragon 2

Porridge

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

Books.

A Book For Her - Bridget Christie

Hickory Dickory Dock - Agatha Christie

Bright Star - John Keats

The Oberon Book of Comic Monologues for Women - Katy Wix

The Oberon Book of Comic Monologues for Women: Volume 2 - Katy Wix

Slaughterhouse 5 - Kurt Vonnegut

Division Street - Helen Mort

The Victorian Guide to Sex - Fern Riddell

A Woman’s Work - Harriet Harman

Help - Simon Amstell

The Princess Diarist - Carrie Fisher

Selected Poems - Sylvia Plath

Ariel - Sylvia Plath

The ‘If You Prefer a Milder Comedian Please Ask For One’ EP - Stewart Lee

The Rachel Papers - Martin Amis

Parker Pyne Investigates - Agatha Christie

Bone - Yrsa Daley-Ward

Pages For You - Sylvia Brownrigg

The Sun and Her Flowers - Rupi Kaur

Different for Girls: A Girl’s Own True-Life Adventures in Pop - Louise Wener

A Single Man - Christopher Isherwood

A Room of One’s Own - Virginia Woolf

Repeal the 8th - Una Mullally

Why Not Socialism? - G.A. Cohen

The Chaos of Longing - K.Y. Robinson

High-Rise - J.G. Ballard

Animal Farm - George Orwell

Fully Coherent Plan - David Shrigley

The Lesser Bohemians - Eimear McBride

The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole aged 13 3/4 - Sue Townsend

Hera Lindsay Bird - Hera Lindsay Bird

Submarine - Joe Dunthorne

In the Penal Colony - Franz Kafka

Babette’s Feast - Isak Dinesen (Karen Blixen) 

The Expelled - Samuel Beckett

Youth - Joseph Conrad

The Life of Rylan - Rylan Clark-Neal

Autumn - Ali Smith

The Cornet-Player Who Betrayed Ireland - Frank O’Connor

Two Gallants - James Joyce

Teaching my Mother How to Give Birth - Warsan Shire

Selected Poems - Edgar Allan Poe

Casino Royale - Ian Fleming

Frankenstein - Mary Shelley

The Door in the Wall - H.G Wells

Terra Incognita - Vladimir Nabokov

Dirty Pretty Things - Michael Faudet

Women  & Power: A Manifesto - Mary Beard

Dear Illusion - Kingsley Amis

Bitter Sweet Love - Michael Faudet

Smoke & Mirrors - Michael Faudet

Girl Meets Boy - Ali Smith

Pre-Raphaelites - Heather Birchall

Conspiracy - Charlotte Greig

The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams

Vanity Fair - William Makepeace Thackeray

Sex and Rage - Eve Babitz

Scoop - Evelyn Waugh

The Letters of Vincent Van Gogh - edited by Mark Roskill

Role Models - John Waters

The Great Gatsby - F. Scott Fitzgerald

How Not To Be a Boy - Robert Webb

Animal - Sara Pascoe

Absolute Pandemonium - Brian Blessed

Eileen - Ottessa Moshfegh

A Discovery of Witches - Deborah Harkness

A Handful of Dust - Evelyn Waugh

Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters - Jane Austen and Ben H. Winters

Normal People - Sally Rooney

Feminists Don’t Wear Pink - Scarlet Curtis and Others. 

Parsnips, Buttered - Joe Lycett

The Humans - Matt Haig

The Machine Stops - E.M. Forster

Ivanhoe - Sir Walter Scott

Poems for a World Gone to Shit - Various