#Mayor Zippi

[taco-world]

Moonhill Mayor's Secretary

Before she became a Therapist, Cary used to have quite an important job, originally getting it thanks to her College Study Job, she managed to secure the position as Mayor Zippi's secretary due to her diligence and hard work.

One could say that working with a mayor as great as him is a dream job! But for her, it was the opposite...Being able to see the Mayor in a more personal manner, she can't help but to think of him as greedy...

And even more after finding out his darkest secret.

[distorted-graffiti]

i like making fanchildren its very fun

[joemuggs]

Postmodern Moralists

Apropos of writing my first book review in ages (for next month's WIRE), I got nostalgic for the time when I did quite a few for the sadly missed The Word, the magazine. Here's one from 2012.

100

Bill Drummond

Penkiln Burn

I Must Not Think Bad Thoughts: Drive-by Essays on American Dread, American Dreams

Mark Dery

University of Minnesota Press

Subversive thinkers rampage through 21st century life, perturb deeply.

In 1975 the 22-year-old Bill Drummond, then a set-builder in a Liverpool theatre, spent an evening working with Ralph Steadman on set designs and listening eagerly to his Hunter S Thompson anecdotes. One in particular stuck with him – a story of Thompson and Steadman undercover of night painting “FUCK THE POPE” in gigantic letters on a ship, which then sailed down the Hudson river behind the Pope and mayor of New York live on primetime TV. Spectacularly crass, and – it transpires – almost certainly untrue, but the scale of the supposed prank clearly had a powerful and lasting influence on the man who would machine gun the Brit awards and take Tammy Wynette to the top of the charts in an ice cream van.

In 100, Drummond answers 100 questions about his life and work from 25 interlocutors in language so sternly understated it would – if he weren't so reluctant to self-identify as a “Scottish artist” – be tempting to describe it as Presbyterian. He looks back over Quixotic missions and arrogant mischief – from looking deep into the heart of Haiti to trying to hunting Abba – always with a cool eye, puncturing his own pretensions and admitting his inconsistencies. Clearly, though, the love of provocation and blunt urge to tip up tables is still there as powerfully as it was in that impressionable youth or in the KLF years. 

His subject matter is often prosaic, with an underlying rejection of the modern: recurring motifs include woodworking tools, white emulsion, Creedence Clearwater Revival, untrained people singing together. But he uses and clearly understands technology, and his meditations on downloading and copyright, and on how Goebbels would have used the internet, provide as much to get your teeth into as those by any zippy young tech guru. Drummond mistrusts almost everything – language, culture, the art establishment, recorded music, his own ideas – but his desire to tug at each thought or assumption, to test its strength, leads him into the most glorious trouble, and to ask questions that very sorely need asking.

Mark Dery is another outsider thinker, but one with a furiously different approach to Drummond's deadpan, sidelong observations. A punk by inclination, an academic by trade, he runs headlong into every topic, picking fights, firing off linguistic zingers in all directions, creating a vivid vision of 21st century life. In his world, the blogosphere is “this dictatorship of the commentariat... this grotesque hypertrophy of the chattering class”, his own stepfather is “Conan the Vulgarian” and his favourite Queen song (“The Fairy Feller's Master-Stroke” since you ask) features “laser-sharp harmonies by robo-seraphim, heavy-breathing, glam-metal harpsichord that sounds like Scarlatti shtupping Liberace... and to top things off, a gong.” 

Looking at the image of the undead in pop culture, he races from contextualising Marx's vampiric capitalists within the Victorian Gothic to holding a magnifying glass to US survivalists' addiction to the zombie apocalypse trope. He outs HAL9000 in 2001 as gay in a discussion of Alan Turing and artificial intelligence, and punctures Lady Gaga's pretensions to transgression (albeit, in a rare misfire, missing the point of repetition in dance music along the way). 

Behind the firework display of wit and way-outness, though, there is an analytical mind as calmly, insistently enquiring as Drummond's: Dery's topic is always the American psyche, with all its militarism, machismo and pornographic greed, and he illuminates it with equal measures of love and despair. Running through his hallucinatory menagerie of jock politicians, self-help gurus, Star Trek slash fiction, rappers' dentistry, Santa Claus conspiracies, stoner noir, zombies, guns and “buck-hungry retailers of the unspeakable” is a thread of cool-headed analysis and disciplined questioning.

Like Drummond, Dery invokes Hunter S Thompson, but in his case it's not as a prankster, it's as a stylist of language and gimlet-eyed political satirist in a tradition that runs from Swift through Twain and implicitly on to Dery himself. He's not arrogant to place himself in this line, mind - but however outlandish, his observations are unerringly aimed, almost always ring true, and even when they don't they're not easily dismissed. Both he and Drummond, despite their refusal to preach, are moralists in the best sense. They don't look at the modern world in search of the flip headache-cure answers of the Malcom Gladwell school of guru-ism lite, but accept its madness and even revel in it. As the good doctor himself once said, “when the going gets weird, the weird turn pro” - and in this deeply weird, wired world we need more professionals like these two.

[kartriderville]

After reading these patch notes, it's alright for the most part for me. Most of them are welcomed changes (Matchmaking, Ranked, and Pass being redone) but the loot box thing caught me so off guard. But this is Mayor Zippi's NEXON so whatever I guess

But the only thing that really made me sad was them getting rid of the ability to blacklist a track. I think I get why they did that, but still, I don't want to have a chance to play on the Clocktower track I DESPISE it with all my being >:(

[creatiview]

Parisians will be invited to vote on whether to allow electric scooter rental services to continue operating in the city as authorities weigh banning the controversial for-hire vehicles, the capital’s mayor has said. The issue is “extremely divisive”, mayor Anne Hidalgo told the weekend edition of Le Parisien newspaper, with critics saying riders show only cursory respect for the rules of the road. They often defy bans on riding on pavements, or park without consideration, while some abandon the scooters in parks or even toss them into the Seine river. Fans meanwhile praise the zippy fleets — totalling 15,000 scooters operated by companies Lime, Dott and Tier — as a fast, non-polluting alternative to cars or crowded public transport. Hidalgo said Paris residents would be asked “a very simple question” in the referendum planned for April 2: “Do we or don’t we continue with free-floating rental scooters?” The mayor said she herself was leaning towards a ban but would “respect Parisians’ vote”. A ban would make Paris an exception among major cities. In September, the capital already threatened the three operators with non-renewal of their licences, which expire in March, if they failed to limit reckless riding and other “misuses”. The operators in November came up with a number of suggested improvements, including equipping the scooters with licence plates that would allow easier tracking of riders running a red light, or travelling in pairs on the single-person vehicles — both common violations. But David Belliard, Hidalgo’s deputy in charge of urban transport, still said a cost-benefit analysis did not favour the rental schemes. “They are in the way and they are dangerous,” he told AFP, saying he favoured a ban to “pacify our streets and pavements”. There was “too much negative feedback” from citizens about the scooters, he said. Hidalgo told Le Parisien meanwhile that privately owned scooters, also hugely popular in the capital, were not targeted in the referendum. They are “not a problem”, she said

[female-buckets]

Okay I've considered it and I would take Chelsea in a heart beat. Sloots great but Chelsea? God I love her. Also shes younger, has experience working with sues system, stewie and jewell in the nt - might make for an easier transition. And also I think id trust her decision making and leadership skills over many many others. If they're chatting to sloot though even without much intent behind it it does say something as to their possible faith in jordin Canada though.

Okay let me ponder my point guard orb for a minute...

2023/2024 Western Hell Conference:

Sloot goes home to Seattle.

Chelsea goes home to Oakland.

Kelsey Plum becomes the Aces' starting PG because Becky has a soft spot for zippy scoring PGs.

Kristi Toliver continues to rough it out in LA with Derek Fisher's IG model roster.

Dallas fixes its identity crisis and Arike and Moriah figure out who's supposed to do what.

Skylar Diggins Smith finally hits a play-off buzzer beater for Phoenix and breaks her clutch curse.

Cheryl Reeve's well-timed rebuild pays off and Minnesota wins the 2024 Paige Bueckers lottery. Cheryl made some crossroads demon pact to summon a hometown hero PG as soon as the last one retired.

2023/2024 Eastern Developmental Conference:

Sabrina has an edge in the Eastern Developmental Conference and New York does pretty good with Brondello. But every road-trip out west, Sabrina has to play every elite PG in the league back to back to back.

Tampa gets a WNBA team and makes Courtney Williams the new mayor.

Curt Russell keeps Briann January because he just thinks she's neat. And she's a ninja. There's no downside. Plus, he doesn't want to break up his team. Connecticut will have to fire him if they want a rebuild.

The Mystics have the best draft odds for 2024 but they end up with the fourth pick. Washington DC's Washington state veteran Leilani Mitchell retires so they replace her with Washington state rookie Hailey Van Lith.

Atlanta picks Destanni Henderson in the 2022 draft because you can never have too many short guards in Atlanta apparently. After working out their artistic differences, Henny and Chenny get Atlanta back to the playoffs in 2023.

Atlanta realizes they have too many short guards so they waive Aari Mcdonald but Indiana rescues her. Aari Mcdonald and Kelsey Mitchell figure out some backcourt situation.

Chicago does a panicky rebuild after Candace retires and they flush everyone but Copper. She carries the team in 2023 with crazy stats that get her a UMMC contract. Copper gets Russian copper money to play in a copper jersey. The Sky wants good 2024 draft odds for Paige Bueckers but they end up with Caitlin Clark instead.

[mysteriesofmilo]

Milo Murphy's Madness, Starting 64!!

Thank you to all the people who voted so far! The First Four round of our characters tournament is now complete, and here are the results:

Dr. Doofenshmirtz defeated Zippy the World's Fastest Koala 7-6 (53.8%)

Cavenpuss defeated Khone 12-1 (92.3%)

In the battle between Milo and Sara's parents, Martin defeated Brigette 9-4 (69.2%)

Brick defeated Clyde Rickenbacker 10-3 (76.9%)

Now here are the first round matchups!

Mr. Drako vs Brick

Coach Cobra Big Bowlin' Nolan Mitchell vs Milo Murphy

Loab (octalian) vs Derek (pistachion)

Recurring Raccoon vs Diogee Ex Machina Murphy

Vinnie Dakota vs King Pistachion

Fuller and Hastings (cops) vs Mrs. White

Nate Murphy vs Balthazar Cavendish

Savannah vs Trucker Ted

Orgaluth vs Dr. Heinz Doofenshmirtz

Ms. Baxter vs Orton Mahlson

Grandma Murphy vs Principal Milder

Mr. Blunt(k) vs Victor Verliezer

C.I.D.D. vs Amanda Lopez

Mr. Underwood (Zack's dad) vs Scott the Undergrounder

Dr. Underwood (Zack's mom) vs (future) Mr. Block

Krill Hunter director vs Joey and Laura Murphy

Fred the janitor vs Martin Murphy

Sara Murphy vs Neal from the comic shop

Joni vs Mrs. Murawski

Charlene and Sharon Brulee vs Mort Schaeffer

Bob Block vs Perry the Platypus

Octalian commander vs Chad Van Coff

Mildred vs Basil Bravo

Zack Underwood vs Grandpa Murphy

Bradley Nicholson vs Cavenpuss

Elliot Decker vs Jackie

Tobias Trollhammer vs Mr. Brulee

Veronica vs Cyborg Bear

Lydia vs Unnamed Mayor

Dude ranch operator vs Mrs. Brulee

The Lumbermaxes vs Mr. Chase

Melissa Chase vs Colonel Niblet and Liutenant Tennant

Vote here: https://forms.gle/LsLpM7fHSYaHEkJr5

View the updated bracket here: https://challonge.com/d4ckw1rn

And view the wiki here: https://milomurphyslaw.fandom.com/wiki/Category:Characters

I will check back here on either Monday March 29th or Tuesday the 30th, depending on my schedule.

[allthebrazilianpolitics]

Rain delay

A beer company tries to keep Brazilian Carnival revellers dry

THUNDERSTORMS OFTEN show up uninvited to Carnival in Brazil. The authorities in Rio de Janeiro used to share meteorological data with a group of spiritual mediums who claimed to have rain-dispelling powers. That ended with the election of an evangelical mayor in 2016.

This year’s attempt to sway the skies took place in São Paulo as part of a publicity stunt by the party’s official sponsor, Skol, a Brazilian beer brand. “The fun stops when it rains,” says Pedro Adamy, Skol’s marketing director. So do beer sales.

Enter a company called ModClima. A ModClima aeroplane painted with Skol’s logo spritzed water droplets into cumulus clouds to make rain fall before the clouds reached the city. According to a zippy YouTube video that has been viewed 12m times, “Giro na Chuva” (roughly, Reverse the Rain) is a “mission worthy of science fiction”.

Carnival-goers cheered when the first two days were cloudy but dry. “Not all heroes wear capes,” one wrote on her retweet of Skol’s video. But at around 5pm on February 24th, the sky darkened and rain pelted down. Revellers at one block party left the Skol stands and flocked to a vendor selling plastic rain capes. “Only God can control the weather,” said the poncho man.

Continue reading.

[floggingink]

Riverdale, “Chapter Twenty-Five: The Wicked and the Divine”

Jughead has seen more “mob movies” than I have, so I can’t verify his “classic trope,” but he’s speaking my language

I found Archie’s Devil Wears Prada errand-montage zippy and playful, much like Hiram Lodge himself

especially the direction of the construction guy’s arm clapping Archie’s shoulder to add movement to the swerving transition (not a technical term) as he steps into the trailer

Hiram’s soft V-neck sweater is, I assume, cashmere

Veronica’s look is so inseparable from collars and pearls that she has a collar made of pearls sewn into her dress

RAS wanted a Veronica-confirmation episode, so by God, he is getting one, and Veronica’s age be damned! Hiram and Hermione wanted “the same monsignor” from Veronica’s baptism, who I guess has been on leave at the Vatican for five years okay!

Archie wants to know if Veronica will have “to memorize stuff”

Veronica’s confirmation sponsor is her grandmother, which is par for the course, as is volunteering at a soup kitchen for her like 8 hours of required community service. I also had to write a report on Saint Lucy and pray a rosary in front of an abortion clinic. Veronica probably won’t have to do that, since you can’t say abortion on Riverdale

do soup kitchens have any actual paid employees, or are they all stocked with kids who just need volunteer hours/Matthew Goode’s character from The Good Wife in his spare time wearing that blue sweatshirt to characterize him as being “just that nice”?

Hiram is such a fucking soap opera star when he says Veronica has made him “the happiest father ALIVE.” like, alive?

“ISN’T SHE A MIRACLE?”

on FP’s kitchen table is the same kind of half-gallon of milk that Jughead was drinking from the morning after his birthday party. the Andrewses kept a spare half-gallon of skim milk just for Jughead in their fridge? the nicest thing Fred ever did for him

Jughead doubts it: Jughead is VERY sassy with Sheriff Keller and FP loves it!!!! because Jughead can have an anti-authoritarian ’tude WITHOUT NECESSARILY being “a gang member” at that particular moment!

FP is so crisp and put together! FP looks GREAT! what up though, Gladys?

wow I can’t believe Jughead’s article wielded so much political power that its legal ramifications echo throughout the entire episode, as if Jughead were Nellie Bly

“CAN I GET A QUOTE?” this is the Jughead that FP plainly adores

Jughead and Betty both drink skim milk, so, their wedding will be soon

are men on webcams actually fool enough to ask the webcam girls if they can MEET IN REAL LIFE? I have no knowledge about this world, but I would imagine the answer would be “Have you ever seen a film, ever?”

50 Shades of Betty: Betty looks pretty great in that severe black fucking wig and I still want an apology from Chuck specifically about dissing the wig

“Catholic chic” means veils optional, like the stole in black tie

What damn high school in America: Jughead doesn’t have to wear the preppy Lodge uniform, I see? shame

Best costume bit: Betty’s heart sweater is possibly my favorite thing she’s ever worn. I want it BADLY

ARE YOU TELLING ME HIRAM LODGE WANTS TO SUE A HIGH SCHOOL NEWSPAPER?

“DEFAMATION OF CHARACTER”? IS THERE SOMETHING HE WROTE THAT WASN’T TRUE? ARE YOU ~NOT~ BUILDING BOWLING ALLEYS ON NATIVE AMERICAN LAND? I will fucking suit up and be Jughead’s lawyer on this. as has been demonstrated, I have seen every episode of The Good Wife and can probably practice law in Illinois (for instance I know that in Illinois you only need one-person consent to secretly record a conversation)

I love Betty and Jughead being in the same room, of course, but Betty’s gentle, poking “And...did you?” is EXCEPTIONALLY cute. Betty is so cute. and sometimes scary

Jughead’s least clueless moment of the season so far is him looking back knowingly at Betty when she says maybe he would do it to “avenge Toni’s grandfather”

“WE’RE PALS.”

Jughead kind of looks great leaning against the window. like the lighting or something. God, please let me one day see the two of them making out with Betty in her cheerleading uniform

okay, I thought Betty and Jughead, IT WAS IMPLIED, had already had sex, because I was shown them waking up together after they had slept together in the trailer. apparently they LITERALLY slept together. APPARENTLY THEY HAVE NOT HAD SEX YET. I should have known, from the sleeper biceps, that Jughead was still pining IN THIS WAY, FOR THAT! I should have KNOWN Betty had not RIDDEN JUGHEAD INTO THE SUNSET YET. fuck! what am I doing!

Every triangle has three corners, every triangle has three sides: I also emotionally defend Betty’s ecru lie about not having “done anything” with anyone since the breakup since, as one will recall, immediately after her and Archie’s kiss they stared in horror at each other and have not talked about it since, thus cancelling it out as a real kiss (this is also a statute of Illinois law)

Hermione Lodge has some sort of skinny gold Lothlórien belt on over her deep merlot blazer

Archie > Dawson: Archie is sweet when he apologizes for making Pop double-check the order: “It’s more to make sure I get everything right.”

Archie hears Pop’s slip about Hiram being “the boss,” but other things happen and he FORGETS! at what inopportune time will he remember? when he’s physically embracing Jughead Jones?

although couldn’t Pop just play it off like Hiram is Archie’s boss? think on your feet, Pop

for the record I love Agent Adams and his whole deal. his plan is so insane that it might be brilliant. I just do still wish he were being played by either Sterling K. Brown or Max Greenfield

he doesn’t appreciate Archie’s attitude: “Is there a problem?” yeah, uh, Archie’s like twelve years old and not a trained undercover field agent? I love this stupid shit

oh, everyone’s being evicted from Sunnyside? if only Jughead hadn’t driven the southside’s only lawyer out of town with Kenickie Murdoch’s switchblade

OH MY GOD HERMIONE’S PANTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

according to everyone’s facial expressions, Veronica is under the impression she is doing good political maneuvering inviting the McCoys to her confirmation, Hermione is stunned she did so, Veronica really wanted to sing a solo, and Josie doesn’t know why she has to fucking apologize for anything

Josie being Veronica’s “gift” from Mayor McCoy is horrifying

Sixth period is Intro to Film: Cruel Intentions is a fantastic Catholic standard, containing as it does cocaine, “experimental” girl-on-girl French kissing, Ryan Phillippe’s ass, the line “I'm the Marcia fucking Brady of the Upper East Side and sometimes I want to kill myself,” and implied step-sibling fucking, all of which I think Riverdale should include more of

the blue and red lighting inside the Wyrm is still nice. does the Wyrm even count as a dive? strippers probably wouldn’t waste their time at dives

wow there are some true beards in this crowd

okay…..the idea that Tall Boy is a better suspect than Jughead…...because he’s physically taller…..is singularly the most fantastic thing…..I have ever heard…..

I’ve seen Brick like thirty times: the sound of Archie shifting on the leather of Hiram’s couch is real good

“I RESPECT A MAN WHO WOULD GO TO SUCH EXTREMES.” HIRAM PLEASE!!!!! ARCHIE IS TOO DUMB FOR THIS!!!!!!

Gay?!: Ben? who the fuck is Ben? who is BEN? who the fuck?

OH MY GOD Jughead got in to see the mayor AGAIN! is Ethel Muggs her secretary???

Jughead interrupted Mayor McCoy eating her salad at her desk

for like the third time in the series she says she’s “always liked” Jughead, which, fat lot of good that’s done him

in Riverdale there is a red uniform at the soup kitchen, because even THE POOR must abide by aesthetics

Archie doesn’t know what cutting cigars means

Archie’s shoulders are nice under that polo

Betty’s plan about “treat it like a missing person’s case” and making it like this snooping Blue and Gold intrigue thing is of course welcome as a pretense for the two of them working together (on the show’s part), but in reality it’s just the fucking bare minimum that THE AUTHORITIES should ALREADY BE FUCKING DOING THEMSELVES

at this point I went to bed and had a very gripping, sexy dream about Veronica and Jughead. Veronica and Jughead

“Damn good coffee”: Hiram floating having to “bring Archie in” on the Lodge Family Tammany Hall is only slightly less absurd than the Federal Bureau of Investigation having already done so. what does Archie need to be brought in on, exactly? he’s just Veronica’s arm candy. he barely knows what a cigar is

while it is STILL ODD that Veronica has done a 180 on her accepting her father’s criminality, she still holds Archie up as a beacon of goodness, because, like I said, shoulders, polos

Jughead’s “order of the Ophidians” as he tapes up the Missing poster is either, so far as I can tell, an extremely obscure MMORPG reference or he’s just calling them snakes, but like, in Latin

Penny didn’t die of gangrene from her blistering wound like on the Oregon trail? probably a plus

FP is in some deep pain here. this is so far beyond his worst fears about Jughead joining the Serpents that he like never even fucking considered—I NEVER FUCKING CONSIDERED IT, IT WAS FUCKING RIDICULOUS

I certainly don’t think Penny’s terms are like, PARTICULARLY OUT OF LINE

ooooh Jughead’s little snipe at his father for fridging Jason!

I DON’T EVEN KNOW WHAT TO DO WITH “YOU WILL BE THE DEATH OF US,” THE ANGUISHED REALIZATION IN FP’S EYES, GLADYS STAY AWAY!!!!!

I can’t believe the sixth season of The Wire takes place in Riverdale and doesn’t even have Sonja Sohn playing Agent Adams

Alice’s angel wing-white Founding Father blouse and Betty’s textured peach sweater

Hal is REALLY skittish about Chic, considering that HE’S HIS SON, SO FAR AS WE KNOW. but Hal hordes important information until the bitter end, so he probably just knows some shit

The Blossom Whoever the fuck’s spawn: “He’s a stranger. That’s my beef.”

“It’s been ~some time~ since my last confession” is usually the most accurate clocking I could give as well

I love the very dangerous clusters of candles inside the confessional

These students are legally children: NO ONE is helping Veronica. Veronica is trying to “find her thing” like, in the dark, lit by votive candles

I loved the circle of beautiful mob wives drinking wine and talking about how praying to “the Almighty” for “forgiveness” makes them feel better #aspirational

Hiram isn’t fucking around with Mr. Man “disrespecting Pop Tate.” Pop Tate is an angel, doing his best out here in a chaotic world. his poutine is probably great!

Archie’s stuck using the wrong kind of plunger

Poppa Poutine says Hiram lost his “mojo” in “the joint”

is Poppa right? is Hiram weak? if you subtract the Andrews boys, he doesn’t seem to have any problems

The 2001 Josie and the Pussycats movie was a masterpiece: Josie is back with killer witchy earrings, a lovely dress, and a fierce hold on the remainder of her personal agency

of course it’s “Bitter Sweet Symphony” but with harps. you know the Verve doesn’t get any royalties from that song? are the Rolling Stones the worst band in the world?

I LIKE THE SWOOSH FROM LARRY OR WHOEVER AND POPPA BACK TO ARCHIE WATCHING THEM

the back of the church is bathed in purple, the altar is yellow, the monsignor is in BRIGHT PALM SUNDAY RED, and this is what church should have always been like

Fwoopy hair is the best hair: Hermione’s strong-shouldered structured white jacket is amazing and Jughead forgoed his hat, to be respectful

Cheryl’s a chaos angel from hell: slightly strangely, Cheryl isn’t there at all this episode, but what we are truly robbed of is seeing what she would have worn to the confirmation

Veronica has a SUPER-SWEET very light pink/purple manicure!

Summer + Blair = Veronica: you better believe when Veronica was asked if she renounced Satan I was like, IS SHE GOING TO LOOK AT HER FATHER AND STORM OUT OF THAT CHURCH????? I THOUGHT SHE MIGHT!!!!!

instead I got an amazing thematic light show about Veronica choosing to believe in Archie’s unflagging internal compass and following his light (“the light of the Lord”!)

HE GIVES HER A TINY HAPPY NOD WHILE SHE’S THINKING, LIKE “YEAH BABE I KNOW YOU RENOUNCE SATAN!!!!!”

Veronica was rich: Veronica does look like a fucking angel up there

wow, Dilton isn’t DJing the afterparty? weird

why are Betty and Archie standing together AT ALL?

Abuelita is 100% right about pinching Archie’s cheek and Archie goes with it because he is respectful

Jughead eats: Jughead is so tormented he neglects the buffet!!!!!!

Jughead’s suit is very nice. I like the progression of his wearing better and better suits

Betty takes the news of Jughead’s CONFESSION that he “cut” Penny pretty stoically, as she did boil a guy once

POOR JUG IS RIGHT, IT DIDN’T EVEN MATTER!

Closed Captioning tells me the junkyard guy’s name is “JUNKYARD STEVE,” MY MAN

“If only we lived in a town where the answer could be no.”

Sexy, aesthetic Southside: Jughead in his leather jacket OVER HIS SUIT JACKET is pretty good!

“BY ANY CHANCE WAS THIS GENTLEMAN TALL?” OH MY GOD!!!! CASE FUCKING CLOSED BOYS!!!!!!!

Hermione hauling Veronica back for the photographer

Archie looking up from behind the closing art deco elevator doors

The female gaze: Archie is of course so handsome and perfectly proportioned in his suit. his handsomeness is such a given that I take it wholly for granted, like how when not suffering an allergy attack I can breathe from both nostrils but when one hits and I’m sneezing up my guts I’m like, air coming in from both nostrils? true bliss, I’ll never forget it again

God, did he get rid of his tailored cranberry Blossom suit? not the WORST crime committed in Riverdale, but probably worthy of eviction

Fifth period is AP English: as @hangingonyourwords noted, Archie knowing the word “coup” is VERY surprising! GOOD, ARCHIE

Hiram Lodge is, I think, listening to that song from Carmen while pouring himself a stiff drink, the massive Rory Gilmore portrait of Veronica over one shoulder and the blue light of an antipodean sea streaming in over the other, using a rotary phone to call in A MURDER

Tall Boy having to suffer interrogation by Jughead, whom he surely must have always despised, is his final indignity 

Jughead calls Betty “one of us,” which has not been given enough fanfare by ANYONE in the show! Betty is ONE HUNDRED PERCENT as much a Serpent as Jughead, unless Jughead’s mother is a Serpent, except that she hasn’t had to shout their stupid rules into someone’s face yet

I’m writing a scene where it’s gay.: “YOU HAVEN’T ANSWERED MY SON’S QUESTION.”

the poor Serpents have been twisted around rich northsiders’ fingers for so long that they don’t have any fucking idea what to be doing when NOT at the behest of a blackmailer or bribery. I don’t know what it means to be a Serpent except that it means you’re poor and comely. and VERY civic-minded

“You’re a Judas, Tall Boy. And an idiot.”

Gay.: Sweet Pea raises both his arms to vote

FP’s gonna run Tall Boy out of town. a word of advice: one town over is not far enough

hell, Archie’s seen all those mob movies too! he and Jughead must’ve watched them together while Jughead was sleeping in his bedroom

Archie’s speech to Veronica is GOOD, ARCHIE, and what Veronica gets out just reinforces my thought that Hiram is literally starting a second town under Mayor McCoy’s nose, which would concern me expect that it has been definitely shown that even after things are executed on Riverdale I confuse myself and am invariably exactly wrong

I would probably kiss Archie too if he looked at me like that and said “I’m with you,” which I think explains Betty

HAHAAAAAAAAAAA OKAY!!!!!! SOMETHING IN THE WATER IN FP’S TRAILER

Jughead’s suspenders? a startling plus!

I like the quietness of “Maybe we can ask Veronica on Monday.” it reminded me of Archie’s face-saving some-other-time-definitely promise to go to the library with Jughead

“Maybe we should just investigate quietly until we know more.”

BLESSED BE THE CHILDREN and Jughead’s brusque scoff at himself for saying “my darkness”

in a move that the last few episodes haven’t shown him as having enough sense to make, Jughead puts his hand, not on Betty’s hand, but directly on the skirt of her dress

also Jughead knows that dress zippers have a point where you think it’s gone all the way down but really you’ve got a little further to go otherwise you can’t get the waistline over the hips? Jug’s got a little bit of game going on!

I like the silhouette of Jughead’s Adam’s apple

while Jughead is doing an excellent job delicately checking in with Betty’s sacral chakra, with his bare hand, I don’t want to overlook either his own gently crossed ankles as he holds her or his AMAZING SOCKS

when Betty tells him she needs to tell him something, he EXHALES a “What?” before he says “What is it?” WHOOP

she is missing a pretty sick meatloaf or pork of some more at her mother’s dinner table

I didn’t think there was a physiognomically scarier white guy around than Chic himself, but I was wrong!!!! it’s definitely that guy at the door!!!!!!

oh shit, Archie sort of got somebody (else) killed. this is like when Jughead didn’t mean to but definitely got somebody’s face beaten in by Tall Boy and Serpent Baby—holy shit what happened to that kid!!!! where did Serpent Baby go???

Certified pedigree: OKAY SENDING THE STATUE HEAD TO HIRAM LODGE VIA A CONFIRMATION “PRESENT” TO HIS DAUGHTER IS A PRETTY GREAT MOVE. I ASSUME THIS WAS YOU, FP JONES. FP IS REALLY GOOD AT PUTTING WORDLESS THREATENING MESSAGES INTO BOXES

in the shot bingo of Riverdale, the middle box would have to be Betty coming through her front door and pausing because she hears something suspicious

Mädchen Amick, MÄDCHEN AMICK: the squishy sound effect of the rags on the wet floor? her perfect hair? her bright blue turtleneck? “Elizabeth, did you lock the front door?” Alice is already three steps ahead!!! Alice Alice Alice!!!!!

Alice and FP have now both cleaned up somebody else’s murder’s cranial blood (I’m assuming Chic clocked this guy, which means it was probably Melody), further proof they belong together

Please protect Betty: Betty fucking Jughead probably saved her life

Next week: Cheryl shoots a bow and arrow!!! into my heart!!!!!!!!!

[omgstupendousbouquetbasement]

Trump ‘Salute for America’ Features Fireworks, Fiery Speech

President Donald Trump kicked off a “Salute for America” Saturday night on the grounds of the White House with a speech that revisited the language and themes of the one he delivered a night earlier at Mount Rushmore.

In his speech, the president vowed to "safeguard our values" from enemies within, including leftists, looters, and agitators.

He went on to say the United States would "never allow an angry mob to tear down our statues, erase our history."

The president also suggested a coronavirus vaccine could come "long before the end of the year."

Earlier Saturday, Democrat Joe Biden, Trump's presumptive opponent in the November election, used a different tone, tweeting: "Our nation was founded on a simple idea: We're all created equal. We've never lived up to it — but we've never stopped trying. This Independence Day, let's not just celebrate those words, let's commit to finally fulfill them."

Crowds of spectators turned out along the National Mall for the event, including a large Independence Day fireworks display, despite the city’s concerns about the coronavirus. Crowds started to form Saturday morning along the mall but were smaller than a year ago and many wore masks, according to the Associated Press.

Among them was nurse Zippy Watt from Riverside, California, who came to see the military flyover and fireworks with her husband and their two daughters. They wore matching American flag face masks even when seated together on a park bench.

"We chose to wear a mask to protect ourselves and others," Watt told the AP. She said she is "more of a Trump supporter" because of what she sees as socialist tendencies and high taxes in her state.

Streets were blocked off around D.C. as the district saw a number of protests for racial equality and police reform.

Earlier at the White House, several hundred invited guests gathered, most not wearing masks, on the South Lawn around tables decorated with flowers and small U.S. flags.

Trump's guests were doctors, nurses, law enforcement officers and military members as well as officials from the administration, said Judd Deere, deputy White House press secretary. He said the event was a tribute to the “tremendous courage and spirit” of front-line workers and the public in the pandemic.

Interior Secretary David Bernhardt said plans for the July Fourth celebrations include a milelong firing of 10,000 fireworks that he called “the largest in recent memory.”

Interior Department officials said they would have 300,000 face masks to give to spectators who came to the National Mall for the festivities, although there was no indication that people would be required to wear them.

Bernhardt said visitors would be encouraged to wear masks and keep a 2-meter distance from one another.

D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser has criticized the plans, saying they go against established health guidelines.

“We know this is a special event for the Department of Interior. We’ve communicated to them that we do not think this is in keeping with the best CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) and Department of Health guidance,” she said.

She noted the event would take place entirely on federal property, which means she does not have the right to shut down the holiday festivities.

Bowser has asked city residents to avoid large crowds and to celebrate July Fourth near their homes.

Many other U.S. cities have canceled or scaled back their firework displays this year because of the pandemic and concerns of large groups of people gathering.

However, sales of fireworks have been strong, indicating that many Americans are planning to celebrate the holiday in their backyard, according to the Associated Press.   

from Blogger https://ift.tt/3iujRoz via IFTTT

[vestidonomafernandez-blog]

Moda infantil online

En Noma Fernández hallarás las mejores novedades de moda infantil de la nueva colección de primavera-verano para este año 2019. Entra en nuestra página web si quieres descubrir la comodidad de vestir a tu pequeña con las últimas novedades sin moverte de tu casa merced a nuestra tienda online.

La colección primavera verano 2019 ya está libre en el catálogo virtual de nuestra web Noma Fernández. En él encontrarás una diversidad de colecciones de ropa de moda infantil online, clasificada por temporadas. La colección primavera verano 2019 incluye faldas para pequeñas increíbles y también ideales para diferentes ocasiones, entre ellas se encuentran la falda Cosette, la falda Dafneé, la falda lencera y muchas más. Entra y descúbrelo. Aprovecha esta oportunidad y mira que opción se amolda mejor a tus necesidades.

En el catálogo virtual que te ofrecemos en nuestra web de moda infantil on line te mostramos más de 50 estilos de moda por categorías exclusivas solamente para ti. Asimismo ponemos a tu disposición lo más nuevo en la colección otoño invierno y la colección primavera verano 2019. La colección de moda infantil primavera verano 2019 abarca un abanico de colecciones por marcas, entre ellas podemos recomendarte la colección primavera verano de Zippy, la que trae muchas novedades coloridas, frescas y cómodas, la colección primavera verano 2019 de Telva y la colección primavera verano 2019 de Clara entre otras muchas colecciones. Mira nuestra gran diversidad de compilaciones en Noma Fernández, donde hallarás diseños únicos y exclusivos, efectuados con la mejor calidad y confeccionadas al 100 por cien con artesanía gallega.

Si tienes una tienda de moda infantil y te resulta interesante vender nuestras compilaciones y otros elementos de la colección primavera verano 2019, contáctanos. En nuestra página Noma Fernández te hallarás con una diversidad de opciones, dedicados al área de moda infantil on-line, ofrecemos modelos exclusivos 100 por ciento artesanales, en tanto que somos un equipo de diseñadores gallegos quienes elaboramos desde nuestra sede en Galicia. Apostamos por una confección 100 por cien artesanal con prendas de alta calidad, por lo que tenemos una extensa selección de ropa para mujeres y niñas distribuidas por las mejores marcas de competencia actual. Adquiere on line con la tranquildad de pago seguro y entregaremos tu pedido en 48 horas.

Para mayor información puedes visitarnos en Rebordelo nº1 Serres, 15259, Muros (A Coruña). Puedes contactarnos mediante nuestros números de atención al cliente 615863581 / 605265117 o enviándonos un mensaje de correo electrónico a la siguiente dirección de e mail de servicio de atención al usuario info@Nomafernandez.com . Síguenos en Fb y subscríbete a nuestra newsletter a fin de que seas el primero en enterarte de nuestras ofertas y promociones exclusivas de nuestra colección primavera verano 2019.

Noma Fernandez

[travelonlinetips-blog]

New Post has been published on https://travelonlinetips.com/10-city-breaks-to-take-this-spring/

10 city breaks to take this spring

This spring brings a wealth of new flight routes and new openings – but sometimes the best cities to visit have nothing new about them. Here are the best city breaks this spring.

New York, US

The shoulder seasons of spring and autumn are the best time to visit the Big Apple: the warm temperatures make that afternoon wander around Central Park or evening doing a Williamsburg bar crawl that much more appealing. This spring there are more reasons to visit. The Hudson Yards development in Chelsea, the largest property development ever in the US, has breathed new life into the western Manhattan district regenerated with the High Line and the reopened Whitney Museum of American Art. Elsewhere, the city is working up to the first-ever World Pride event in July, which makes New York all the more fun to visit.

We’ll tell you what’s true. You can form your own view.

From 15p €0.18 $0.18 USD 0.27 a day, more exclusives, analysis and extras.

Subscribe now

Flight time: 7 hr 55

Hotel to book: You can’t be better located than the new floral-covered Moxy Chelsea in the heart of Midtown, where superb views come as standard.

Hudson Yards is an exciting new development (Getty)

Charleston, US

British Airways has just launched direct flights to this Southern belle city, marking the first time that Charleston has been hooked up directly to Europe. This South Carolina city is one of the oldest and most historic in America, full to the brim with pastel mansions, secret gardens and pre-Civil War plantations. And the food is a raucous mix of everything from fried chicken to pan-Asian cuisine. Come before the summer gets hot, hot, hot.

Flight time: 9 hr

Hotel to book: The Dewberry describes itself as “Southern reimagined”: expect a contemporary-luxe hotel with free bikes with which to explore the city.

Osaka, Japan

For too long, Osaka has been the in-and-out hub for pretty former imperial capital Kyoto. No longer: new direct flights with British Airways mean it’s becoming a city break destination in its own right. Osaka’s foodie scene is (we think) the best in Japan, and the lively, neon-lit Dotonbori strip is loved for the street vendors flogging takoyaki octopus balls and okonomiyaki pork and shrimp pancake. Come for Osaka’s tiered castle and moat (particularly lovely in spring when the park’s 600-ish cherry trees bloom) and stay up very late for its off-the-chain nightlife, particularly in the Ura Namba district.

Flight time: 12 hr

Hotel to book: The vertiginous Conrad Osaka, which is full of art and sculpture and comes with blockbuster views.

Head for Osaka’s neon-lit Dotonbori strip (Getty)

Toulouse, France

Move over Paris and Bordeaux – France has got a new city break in the shape of the rural southwest’s Rose City. Pink terracotta Toulouse, a longtime business hub with behemoth planemaker Airbus based in the city, has all the ingredients for a perfect spring leisure city break: French food with a Spanish twist; grand square flanked by alfresco cafes; and consistently sunny and warm days. The heavy student population has given it a zippy, youthful vibe too.

Flight time: 1 hr 45

Hotel to book: Villa Du Taur is a cutesy boutique just off centre-of-town Place du Capitole with a yummy French breakfast.

Toulouse is France’s rose city (Getty Images)

Berlin, Germany

This year marks the 30th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, and with it a fresh sense of renewal in the German capital. Hip neighbourhood Kreuzberg remains one of the best places to spend the weekend – sucking up Turkish lahmacun at restaurant Doyum, posing by its ugly-cool graffiti and dancing (or doing anything but) at infamous nightclub Berghain. It helps that your euros, depleted by a crashing pound, will go further in Berlin than most other Western European capitals. Former mayor Klaus Wowereit described Berlin as “poor but sexy”, but now it’s just…sexy.

Flight time: 1 hr 40

Hotel to book: Part-hotel, part-music venue Orania, housed in a 1912 corner building, is the perfect Kreuzberg crashpad.

The Fernsehturm in Berlin, Germany designed by Fritz Dieter from 1965 to 1969 (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Wroclaw, Poland

Wroclaw is often overshadowed by capital Warsaw and city break darling Krakow, but Poland’s western hub is coming into its own. Pretty, classical-looking buildings dolled up in a variety of pastel hues line spacious pedestrianised squares and avenues in the Old Town, while the River Oder adds another dimension – particularly come spring when pleasure boats and kayaks appear. Throw in fantastically cheap “shot and snack” bars offering £1 vodkas and cheap Polish “tapas”, plus hundreds of adorable gnome statues scattered throughout the city, and it makes for an ideal weekend away.

Flight time: 2 hr

Hotel to book: For digs dripping in history (past guests include Pablo Picasso, Marlene Dietrich and, um, Hitler), head for the five-star Hotel Monopol.

Wroclaw has pretty, pedestrianised avenues (Getty Images)

Antwerp, Belgium

This vibrant port city on the River Scheldt oozes self-assured charm. It’s an enticing balance of old (Flemish Renaissance architecture on the Grote Mark central square) and new (MAS, the postmodern Art Deco museum building designed by Neutelings Riedijk Architects). Pick up the city’s signature “Hands” biscuits, browse the cool boutiques for original outfit ideas and savour a pint, having found out how it was made, at De Koninck brewery. Need a culture fix? Diamond-lovers can learn more about a girl’s best friend at the newly opened DIVA museum. Spring is the perfect time for a visit, with the Antwerp marathon on 28 April and the Taste of Antwerp food festival taking place from 3 to 5 May.

Flight time: 1 hr

Hotel to book: Sleek style, a central location and rooftop terrace make boutique Hotel Les Nuits a top choice. 

Antwerp’s historic main square (Getty/iStock)

Rotterdam, the Netherlands

Rotterdam is an enticing mix of stellar modern architecture, an excellent foodie scene and a pulsing port (Europe’s busiest). Viewing starchitects’ work is best done by bike on an UrbanGuides tour, or from the Nieuwe Maas river – hop on a water taxi to see Wilhelminapier’s skyscrapers and distinctive Swan bridge at their best. Grab a bite at one of the city’s food markets: there’s the hipster Fenix Food Factory; Foodhallen, with outposts of some of the city’s best-loved restaurants; and Markthal, housing hundreds of stalls inside a giant, glass-fronted horseshoe. Visit in spring and you can catch the King’s Day celebrations on 27 April (dress in orange and get stuck in) or Liberation Day on 5 May (head to the Euromast Park for live music).

Flight time: 50 mins

Hotel to book: Room Mate Bruno opened on Wilhelminapier last year, with exceptionally fun, colourful interiors.

The starchitecture trail on Wilhelminapier (Rotterdam Partners)

Exeter, UK

Ryanair launches flights from Exeter airport to Malaga and Malta this month (April), meaning you could combine a staycation with something more exotic this spring. This Devonshire city on the south coast has plenty to offer in its own right though, from shopping in artsy, independent boutiques on cobbled Gandy Street to touring the stately 15th century cathedral. While away an afternoon at Exeter’s historic quayside, where antique shops jostle with independent cafes, or, weather permitting, hire a canoe or stand-up paddle board and splash your way down the canal for drinks and a pub lunch at Double Locks.

Flight time: NA

Hotel to book: A former Victorian red-bricked infirmary not far from the Cathedral Green has been expertly repurposed as a stylish crash pad by Hotel du Vin.

Hit the water from Exeter quay (Getty Images)

Bergen, Norway

Norway’s second city may feel more like a town, but it’s the perfect springtime destination – not least because there are opportunities aplenty to get close to nature. The city is surrounded by water on one side and mountains on the other and there are myriad hiking trails, plus several lakes with kayak hire available. Head up the city’s Fløibanen funicular for unbeatable views; explore Bergen’s legendary fish market; and wander Kode, one of the biggest museums in Norway and home to the largest collection of Edvard Munch’s work outside Oslo. Oh, and definitely don’t miss out on the star attraction, the surrounding fjords: a half-day cruise takes in spectacular wildlife and waterfalls.

Bergen Old Town is surrounded by water (iStock)

Flight time: 1 hr 55

Hotel to book: ”Urban with a touch of burlesque” sums up Hotel No13​, conveniently based near the main shopping streets and Kode museum buildings.

    Source link

[joemuggs]

Bookish

While going through the folder of old Word articles I also found this, again from 2012: it’s a book review of two of my favourite provocateurs, whose observations never seem to stop being relevant. 

100

Bill Drummond

Penkiln Burn

I Must Not Think Bad Thoughts: Drive-by Essays on American Dread, American Dreams

Mark Dery

University of Minnesota Press

In 1975 the 22-year-old Bill Drummond, then a set-builder in a Liverpool theatre, spent an evening working with Ralph Steadman on set designs and listening eagerly to his Hunter S Thompson anecdotes. One in particular stuck with him – a story of Thompson and Steadman undercover of night painting “FUCK THE POPE” in gigantic letters on a ship, which then sailed down the Hudson river behind the Pope and mayor of New York live on primetime TV. Spectacularly crass, and – it transpires – almost certainly untrue, but the scale of the supposed prank clearly had a powerful and lasting influence on the man who would machine gun the Brit awards and take Tammy Wynette to the top of the charts in an ice cream van.

In 100, Drummond answers 100 questions about his life and work from 25 interlocutors in language so sternly understated it would – if he weren't so reluctant to self-identify as a “Scottish artist” – be tempting to describe it as Presbyterian. He looks back over Quixotic missions and arrogant mischief – from looking deep into the heart of Haiti to hunting Abba – always with a cool eye, puncturing his own pretensions and admitting his inconsistencies. Clearly, though, the love of provocation and blunt urge to tip up tables is still there as powerfully as it was in that impressionable youth or in the KLF years.

His subject matter is often prosaic, with an underlying rejection of the modern: recurring motifs include woodworking tools, white emulsion, Creedence Clearwater Revival, untrained people singing together. But he uses and clearly understands technology, and his meditations on downloading and copyright, and on how Goebbels would have used the internet, provide as much to get your teeth into as those by any zippy young tech guru. Drummond mistrusts almost everything – language, culture, the art establishment, recorded music, his own ideas – but his desire to tug at each thought or assumption, to test its strength, leads him into the most glorious trouble, and to ask questions that very sorely need asking.

Mark Dery is another outsider thinker, but one with a furiously different approach to Drummond's deadpan, sidelong observations. A punk by inclination, an academic by trade, he runs headlong into every topic, picking fights, firing off linguistic zingers in all directions, creating a vivid vision of 21stcentury life. In his world, the blogosphere is “this dictatorship of the commentariat... this grotesque hypertrophy of the chattering class”, his own stepfather is “Conan the Vulgarian” and his favourite Queen song (“The Fairy Feller's Master-Stroke” since you ask) features “laser-sharp harmonies by robo-seraphim, heavy-breathing, glam-metal harpsichord that sounds like Scarlatti shtupping Liberace... and to top things off, a gong.”

Looking at the image of the undead in pop culture, he races from contextualising Marx's vampiric capitalists within the Victorian Gothic to holding a magnifying glass to US survivalists' addiction to the zombie apocalypse trope. He outs HAL9000 in 2001as gay in a discussion of Alan Turing and artificial intelligence, and punctures Lady Gaga's pretensions to transgression (albeit, in a rare misfire, missing the point of repetition in dance music along the way).

Behind the firework display of wit and way-outness, though, there is an analytical mind as calmly, insistently enquiring as Drummond's: Dery's topic is always the American psyche, with all its militarism, machismo and pornographic greed, and he illuminates it with equal measures of love and despair. Running through his hallucinatory menagerie of jock politicians, self-help gurus, Star Trek slash fiction, rappers' dentistry, Santa Claus conspiracies, stoner noir, zombies, guns and “buck-hungry retailers of the unspeakable” is a thread of cool-headed analysis and disciplined questioning.

Like Drummond, Dery invokes Hunter S Thompson, but in his case it's not as a prankster, it's as a stylist of language and gimlet-eyed political satirist in a tradition that runs from Swift through Twain and implicitly on to Dery himself. He's not arrogant to place himself in this line: however outlandish, his observations are unerringly aimed, almost always ring true, and even when they don't they're not easily dismissed. Both he and Drummond, despite their refusal to preach, are moralists in the best sense. They don't look at the modern world in search of the flip headache-cure answers of the Malcom Gladwell school of guru-ism lite, but accept its madness and even revel in it. As the good doctor himself once said, “when the going gets weird, the weird turn pro” - and in this deeply weird, wired world we need more professionals like these two.

[adambstingus]

Zootopia review – Disney’s furry fable gets its claws out for the bigots

Predators and prey learn to get along in this animated tale of species coexistence until a stray comment from the bunny-cop heroine turns the whole place into a hate-filled Trump rally

An anthropomorphized hippopotamus in a business suit will always be welcome. To that end, Disneys Zootopia (Zootropolis in the UK, but Zoomania in Germany make of these permutations what you will) has solid protection from criticism baked in. From enormous elephants to zippy voles, all creatures great and small are dressed in funny outfits and, thanks to some very expensive computers, doing adorable things. A stoner yak voiced by Tommy Chong? It takes a concentrated effort to not at least chuckle. Luckily theres just enough of a story here to keep the over-eight set engaged once the novelty wears off.

The world of Zootopia is one with no humans. All animals live together in basic tolerance. Predators have had the savagery bred out of them, so a lion can be near a sheep and everyone is chill. This isnt to say there isnt residual prejudice. Just because he happened to be a fox is a phrase a young Judy Hopps (Ginnifer Goodwin) reminds her provincial bunny parents when they bring up a touchy moment from her childhood.

Watch a trailer for Zootopia

Judy is an idealist and, thanks to the mayors Mammal Inclusion Initiative, the first bunny to graduate from the police academy. Soon shes zooming away from the farmlands to the gleaming city of Zootopia, where anyone can be anything, but she still needs to remind a well-meaning but microaggresive cheetah that only a bunny can call another bunny cute.

The city itself is the best part of the picture, a gorgeous melange of design elements. Its center has a touch of Futurama, but theres also Sahara Square, Tundratown, the Rainforest District and Little Rodentia. That last bit is especially funny, because when even tiny Judy Hopps is racing through it she looks like Godzilla stomping on Tokyo.

Judys zealous nature gets her in trouble with the police chief (Idris Elba, voicing a giant water buffalo), but he shouldnt be selling her short and sticking her with meter-maid duty. Naturally shes the one thats going to crack the case of the 14 missing mammals.

Mayor Lionheart (JK Simmons) and Assistant Mayor Bellwether (Jenny Slate). Photograph: Disney/AP

She doesnt do it alone, though. She ensnares Nick Wilde, a conniving sly fox (voiced by Jason Bateman) to help her, and when they work together and overcome their bigotry, there are life lessons blazing off the screen. But heres where Zootopia gets a little interesting. Theres a natural endpoint to the story when the bad guy gets captured, but theres a twist. I wouldnt normally get into such late-in-the-game story details, but theres really not much else meriting discussion beyond hissing at the painfully drawn-out parody of The Godfather, or applauding the were-going-to-annoy-you humor at the sloth-run Department of Mammal Vehicles.

The missing mammals are being held because for some reason they have reverted to their savage states, and have committed unpredictable (PG-rated) atrocities. Judy says some problematic things during a press conference and, within moments, the bliss of Zootopias utopia is shattered. Soon society devolves into an enormous Trump rally, with an unhelpful press corps fanning the flames of xenophobia and ignorance.

Judy Hopps with Nick Wilde, voiced by Jason Bateman, at the Department of Mammal Vehicles. Photograph: Disney/AP

Woe be to anyone who tries to argue a one-to-one comparison between the predators v prey theme and any real-life controversy. It flashes on everything from typical rightwing radio cliches to general false-flag paranoia. Its somewhat heavy material for a film aimed at children, but perhaps very necessary in an age where a beer-stained uncle might have ruined Thanksgiving wearing a Make America Great Again baseball cap.

Its still Disney, though, and it concludes happily and without much nuance. Theres ample space given for prey like Judy to apologize to unjustly accused predators (like her fox buddy), and for everyone to grow. Its a good message, and one that will no doubt infuriate the right, who will say that Disney spent however many millions producing propaganda in favor of, for instance, the Iran deal to pull one of a hundred different interpretations out of my ear. That this cute picture with funny giraffes and gazelles will be manipulated to further fuel hate is just all the more evidence that we havent yet fully evolved beyond our savage animal state.

Zootopia is released in the US on 4 March and as Zootropolis in the UK on 25 March.

from All Of Beer http://allofbeer.com/zootopia-review-disneys-furry-fable-gets-its-claws-out-for-the-bigots/ from All of Beer https://allofbeercom.tumblr.com/post/177848437652

[samanthasroberts]

Zootopia review – Disney’s furry fable gets its claws out for the bigots

Predators and prey learn to get along in this animated tale of species coexistence until a stray comment from the bunny-cop heroine turns the whole place into a hate-filled Trump rally

An anthropomorphized hippopotamus in a business suit will always be welcome. To that end, Disneys Zootopia (Zootropolis in the UK, but Zoomania in Germany make of these permutations what you will) has solid protection from criticism baked in. From enormous elephants to zippy voles, all creatures great and small are dressed in funny outfits and, thanks to some very expensive computers, doing adorable things. A stoner yak voiced by Tommy Chong? It takes a concentrated effort to not at least chuckle. Luckily theres just enough of a story here to keep the over-eight set engaged once the novelty wears off.

The world of Zootopia is one with no humans. All animals live together in basic tolerance. Predators have had the savagery bred out of them, so a lion can be near a sheep and everyone is chill. This isnt to say there isnt residual prejudice. Just because he happened to be a fox is a phrase a young Judy Hopps (Ginnifer Goodwin) reminds her provincial bunny parents when they bring up a touchy moment from her childhood.

Watch a trailer for Zootopia

Judy is an idealist and, thanks to the mayors Mammal Inclusion Initiative, the first bunny to graduate from the police academy. Soon shes zooming away from the farmlands to the gleaming city of Zootopia, where anyone can be anything, but she still needs to remind a well-meaning but microaggresive cheetah that only a bunny can call another bunny cute.

The city itself is the best part of the picture, a gorgeous melange of design elements. Its center has a touch of Futurama, but theres also Sahara Square, Tundratown, the Rainforest District and Little Rodentia. That last bit is especially funny, because when even tiny Judy Hopps is racing through it she looks like Godzilla stomping on Tokyo.

Judys zealous nature gets her in trouble with the police chief (Idris Elba, voicing a giant water buffalo), but he shouldnt be selling her short and sticking her with meter-maid duty. Naturally shes the one thats going to crack the case of the 14 missing mammals.

Mayor Lionheart (JK Simmons) and Assistant Mayor Bellwether (Jenny Slate). Photograph: Disney/AP

She doesnt do it alone, though. She ensnares Nick Wilde, a conniving sly fox (voiced by Jason Bateman) to help her, and when they work together and overcome their bigotry, there are life lessons blazing off the screen. But heres where Zootopia gets a little interesting. Theres a natural endpoint to the story when the bad guy gets captured, but theres a twist. I wouldnt normally get into such late-in-the-game story details, but theres really not much else meriting discussion beyond hissing at the painfully drawn-out parody of The Godfather, or applauding the were-going-to-annoy-you humor at the sloth-run Department of Mammal Vehicles.

The missing mammals are being held because for some reason they have reverted to their savage states, and have committed unpredictable (PG-rated) atrocities. Judy says some problematic things during a press conference and, within moments, the bliss of Zootopias utopia is shattered. Soon society devolves into an enormous Trump rally, with an unhelpful press corps fanning the flames of xenophobia and ignorance.

Judy Hopps with Nick Wilde, voiced by Jason Bateman, at the Department of Mammal Vehicles. Photograph: Disney/AP

Woe be to anyone who tries to argue a one-to-one comparison between the predators v prey theme and any real-life controversy. It flashes on everything from typical rightwing radio cliches to general false-flag paranoia. Its somewhat heavy material for a film aimed at children, but perhaps very necessary in an age where a beer-stained uncle might have ruined Thanksgiving wearing a Make America Great Again baseball cap.

Its still Disney, though, and it concludes happily and without much nuance. Theres ample space given for prey like Judy to apologize to unjustly accused predators (like her fox buddy), and for everyone to grow. Its a good message, and one that will no doubt infuriate the right, who will say that Disney spent however many millions producing propaganda in favor of, for instance, the Iran deal to pull one of a hundred different interpretations out of my ear. That this cute picture with funny giraffes and gazelles will be manipulated to further fuel hate is just all the more evidence that we havent yet fully evolved beyond our savage animal state.

Zootopia is released in the US on 4 March and as Zootropolis in the UK on 25 March.

Source: http://allofbeer.com/zootopia-review-disneys-furry-fable-gets-its-claws-out-for-the-bigots/

from All of Beer https://allofbeer.wordpress.com/2018/09/07/zootopia-review-disneys-furry-fable-gets-its-claws-out-for-the-bigots/

[marxistthoughts101]

The Baltimore Sun sides with Charm City’s capitalist class

Adapted from the original post on the Charm City Radical Tumblr.

The Baltimore Sun recently declared blatantly that it was not on the side of the city’s proletariat (the working class), which is concentrated in healthcare and social assistance, education services, food services, scientific & technical services, and many more sectors. In a front page story below the fold by Lorraine Mirabella, the Sun‘s business reporter, titled “increased minimum wage worries city businesses” (and “businesses bulk at Baltimore’s minimum wage bill” online) attacked the $15 an hour minimum wage, almost a living wage for a family of three, with two adults (one working part-time) and a child, which passed the Baltimore City Council 12-3 and sits at Mayor Catherine Pugh’s desk. Mirabella’s article quotes three complaining, pathetic small business people, small capitalists or more accurately called the petty bourgeoisie, who say that the wage increase will result in them losing money: Russ Causey of CMD Outsourcing Solutions Inc., CEO Jay Steinmetz of Barcoding Inc., and Ann Costlow of Sofi’s Crepes. For Ms. Costlow, she shouldn’t even be included since the legislation, if signed, wouldn’t take effect until July 1, 2022, affecting businesses with 50 or more employees, and those with less than 50 workers in 2016. Hence, Castlow’s business, which employs 30 workers, wouldn’t be effected until 2026, giving her NINE years to adapt! So, why is she complaining?

It gets worse. Even the economist quoted in the article, Stephen K. Walters, who focuses on declines of American cities apparently, complains about the wage increase hurting the “healthy city economy,” a classic right-wing canard pushed by the Heritage Foundation, CATO Institute, and American Enterprise Institute, among others. The $15 wage is arguably only given fair treatment in 4 paragraphs of the article, not including a part of a paragraph about the bill, quoting Mary Pat Clarke as saying that the bill will help low-wage workers by tackling outstanding inequality and some businesses  who are part of the petty bourgeoisie applauded the move, such as Andrew Buerger‘s B’More Organic and others who are part of Business for A Fair Wage, a nationwide group that supports higher minimum wages. The rest of the article quotes the complaining and rabid sect of the petty bourgeoisie who hate the wage increase, even claiming (without evidence?) that Mayor Pugh had said that the bill would force “her to close her clothing boutique another day each week.” The horrendous article is only the start.

In an editorial by the Baltimore Sun‘s editorial board, in an editorial right above another focused on the good-for-nothing “Russia conspiracy”/”Trump-Russia connection,” they denounce a higher minimum wage. In a horribly argued editorial, titled “Veto $15 an hour,” they argue that because the city is facing an “economic crisis,” Pugh should “take a stand and veto this bill,” which seems veto-proof. They go on to claim that the bill doesn’t make the city “competitive” and discourages service jobs. Seriously, that’s the economic model they want for Charm City (Baltimore)? Yikes! Anyway, after going through a couple more paragraphs about other efforts to raise the wage across the state, the Sun declares that Pugh should use her budget to expand “economic opportunities in Baltimore, not put…[the city] at a competitive disadvantage.” They seriously sound like business conservatives and taking the same line as the Charm City Capitalist Class, which could be called the CCCC for short.

Some may be wondering why the “progressive” Baltimore Sun would do this. Let us not forget that the Sun‘s “editorial policies and business practices” determined the city’s racial development, as they supported the first racial segregation law in the United States in 1910, albeit while liking the “romantically planned” all-white Roland Park suburb. Beyond this, the Sun‘s editor, Charles H. Grasty, was the “godfather” of Roland Park, with the paper running an editorial in 1910 supporting white racial domination, along with ignoring “important but uncomfortable stories” during the Civil War when the city was under occupation of the Union Army and anti-Semitism permeating the paper from the 1910s to the 1940s.

Some may easily dismiss this as past history and say that “the Sun isn’t like that anymore.” That may be true. However, let us not forget what the Sun has done in the past. It had an article honoring women of Charm City (and Maryland’s) political and entertainment scene as “women worth watching” despite their varied problems. It spun a story on Maryland’s healthcare and it ignored a story that “one of Baltimore’s biggest owners of video gambling machines is the subject of a wide-spreading investigation.” Apart from the corporate parent of the Sun, Tronc, having their own business-friendly interests of course, they dropped Bill Griffth’s Zippy and Sun reporters complained when people criticized them for coverage of Sheila Dixon’s trial, perhaps rightly. While some may defend the actions of the Sun, it is worth noting that apart from the “massive layoffs of veteran staffers” in 2009 and 2010 by former Sun editor J. Montgomery “Monty” Cook, the same person who said that the Sun is “no longer a newspaper company.” Additionally, any form of protest among Sun staffers, when it was proposed that the paper be sold to the Koch Brothers in 2013, seemed to be non-existent according to Sun reporter, Lorraine Mirabella (yet again!) on the scene of the protest outside the Sun‘s building.

Admittedly this is only some of the highlights of the reporting of the Baltimore Brew, an independent Baltimore media outlet, meaning that they could be missing something. Looking at the editorial page now, nothing sticks out that is apart from a bourgeois progressive/liberal viewpoint, including defending city schools, criticizing President Trump, talking about segregation in Baltimore County, and immigration raids, among other subjects. They even argued for redistricting reform on a progressive basis!

The Sun seems to be going down a dark path with this editorial slamming the $15 minimum wage, showing that they are on the same side as annoyed petty bourgeoisie, the Greater Baltimore Committee, and other business interests (incl. Restaurant Association of Maryland, Downtown Partnership of Baltimore, and "local manufacturing firms"). Maybe the Sun likes those on their “business and civic hall of fame” and annoyed Baltimore area residents, as noted in letters here and here, more than those that care about justice. With Mayor Pugh recently vetoing the $15 minimum wage bill to make sure Charm City is not "the hole in the doughnut,” and saying that sticking with a $10.10 state minimum wage with no increase is sufficient, she is also siding with the business interests, the capitalist class of the city.

It is shameful that the Baltimore Sun wrote this editorial and an effectively one-sided anti-wage raise article, siding with the staunch conservative interests of Charm City’s capitalist class (big capitalists) and petty bourgeoisie represented by small businesses. Instead of waiting for the Sun to do better, we should support better media outlets and create our own news outlets that promote the proletariat.