#Olivia and Cynthia my beloved

[applescruffsworld]

Cynthia my love if I were a man during the 60s I would’ve married you and be the best loving husband ever to u 🫶🏻

[gods-favorite-autistic]

Things from rotpl that have fundamentally changed my brain chemistry:

Cynthia Zdunowski

The ending part of New Cool with the bike and jackets

“It’s a brand new world!” “We’re stealing your girls!”

Olivia’s belts during Pointing Fingers

The bridge + last chorus in I Want More

The Pink Ladies pledge

Cynthia Zdunowski

The entirety of All In, Merely Players, every song from episode 7, Please Please Please, every song from episode 8, The Boom, Same Sky, Good Girl Act, and Face To Face

That part in Face To Face where Olivia and Jane are in the background of each other’s solos

The coming out scene

Cynthia Zdunowski

The thesbians kissing for the first time

The cliffhanger

Nancy slapping Mr Daniels

Did I mention Cynthia Zdunowski

Hazel saying “Think Pink”

[nerdyvocals]

Far Away (and Breathing Cleaner Air)

Rating: Mature

Archive Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply

Category: F/F

Fandom: Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies (TV)

Relationship: Lydia/Cynthia Zdunowski

Characters: Cynthia Zdunowski, Lydia (Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies), Edward "Shy Guy" (Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies), Pedrito "Potato" (Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies), Nancy Nakagawa, Summer Stock Girl (Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies)

Additional Tags: Post-Canon, Living Together, Suggestive Themes, Implied Sexual Content, Non-Sexual Intimacy, Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Protective Cynthia Zdunowski, Period Typical Attitudes, Internalized Homophobia, Underage Drinking, kinda???, Google says the drinking age in California in '57 was 21, and they're not quite there yet, Domesticity, The inherent homoeroticism of doing your girlfriend's hair, Betaed, featuring the beta reader's obscure drink knowledge, The T-Birds love Lydia, So do the Pink Ladies, La Traviata, Symbolism, so much symbolism, A single use of the fuck word, for Emphasis, if you know you know, Mild Language, Clyde reference Fanwritten season two project my beloved

Language: English

Series: ← Previous Work Part 2 of Like Phantom Limbs

Stats:

Published: 2023-07-31, Words: 16,024, Chapters: 1/1

Summary:

Words don't always mean what you might think. Home can be as simple as four walls where the world can't touch you. A family is a group of friends who love and support you as you are. Sometimes healing involves breaking further apart, even years later. And loving someone means helping them put those pieces back together.

(Title from Icarus by The Crane Wives)

Notes:

Massive, massive thank you to my dear friend who enabled my hubris and betaed this for me, @look-at-those-niceass-rocks on tumblr (if you follow me there, you'll recognize them from the unhinged quotes lists as we watched the series together). Highly recommend getting yourself a friend like them; I said I wanted more Crane Wives lyrics for titles and they went through each song line by line and wrote down what resonated with the themes I was working with. This being over 16k words is entirely their fault.

Enjoy!

Note: this is a direct sequel to Steady, Steady. While it is not strictly necessary to read that one first to understand this, there are some references and symbolism that might go over your head otherwise, specifically in regards to my characterization of Summer Stock Girl.

(See the end of the work for more notes.)

The summer of 1957 promised to be a warm one. The sun hung heavy in the sky most days, unobstructed by clouds, casting a hazy heat over central California. Not the best weather to move house in, but honestly? Cynthia didn’t think there was anything that could wipe the smile from her face this week. The house itself was quaint. Much nicer than the apartment she grew up in, that’s for sure, but small for the number of people that would be living there. Three bedrooms, two bathrooms, and, for the most part, six girls. 

The plan had been Jane’s idea, proposed in Olivia’s bedroom at a Pink Ladies sleepover during Christmas break. One semester at Stanford under her belt, and she was already sick of the dorms. Ranting about her nightmare roommate eventually turned into daydreaming about the five of them living together, which over the next few weeks, turned into a solid plan. A little house in between Rydell and Stanford, somewhere they could all get used to independence without sacrificing getting to see their loved ones. A place she, Olivia, and Cynthia could live year-round, and a nest where Hazel and Nancy could land when school breaks brought them back west.

And with an odd number of girls in their group, it was only natural that Cynthia brought up Lydia. To make it even, of course. She endured the teasing and kissy faces with a thrown pillow and a promise to give each of them the same treatment when she inevitably caught their boys sneaking out in the mornings.

For all their teasing, they were all very encouraging about bringing Lydia into their midst. She had never formally joined their gang, but she’d never been excluded, and they had never treated her any different than the other partners, and for that, Cynthia was beyond grateful.

And so, now, six months after that conversation, two weeks after signing the lease, her girlfriend was moving into their shared bedroom, and her face hurt from the grin that had been plastered there since the night before. A tired sigh made her look up from the clothes she was hanging in the closet and she watched Lydia set a box atop a small pile.

“Last one!” she breathed out, exhausted, wiping a hand across her brow as she walked toward the foot of the bed. There, she turned on her heel, arms wide, to fall backward on the mattress.

Cynthia chuckled at the sight. She moved, almost unbidden, from her spot against the wall, crossing the room in quick easy strides to sit on the bed next to her girlfriend. She leaned over the other girl, arm propping her up on her other side as she pressed a kiss to the spot between the girl’s closed eyes. Lydia preened at the affection, and Cynthia felt her arm wrap around her waist, holding her in place.

“Having fun yet?” she asked, and Lydia laughed.

“After eight months of shitty dorm mattresses,” she replied, relaxing further into the plush duvet, “you have no idea how good it feels to lay in a real bed!”

Cynthia trailed the back of her finger along the slope of the other girl’s cheek, tracing a pattern only she could see. Lydia finally pried her eyes open and caught her gaze, a storm meeting the sea, and Cynthia moved her hand to cup the other side of her face.

“Our bed,” she whispered, reverently, as if she couldn’t believe it. Lydia’s smile broadened into a toothy grin.

“Our bed!” she agreed.

(Continue reading on ao3)

[lepoppeta]

Favorite Elite Four members of each region, GO GO GO

Buckle up, buttercup.

KANTO - LORELEI. I have a Pokemon Adventures manga from my elementary school years that showcases several stories from the Yellow arc. At one point, Yellow gets chased and later cornered by Lorelai of the Kanto Elite Four (who are, in fact, all villains in the Adventures manga, hell bent on killing humans who caused the suffering of Pokemon). Villain or not, Lorelai is memorable in both aesthetic and personality; I like her sexy businesswoman vibe, and "Lorelai" is just such a pretty name. Ice is also one of my favourite types, even if it is a touch frail.

(Runner up - Lance, but he doesn't really count so much anymore because he becomes Champion in the sequel Johto games).

JOHTO - KAREN. I'm not sure what GameFreak were going for with Karen's design, because she sure doesn't look like a Dark-type trainer, but I like her regardless. She's got the all-famous quote:

"Strong Pokemon, weak Pokemon. That is only the selfish perception of people. Truly skilled trainers should try to win with their favourites."

... which I think really encompasses what Pokemon as a game is at least supposed to be (it was only successful in executing this I think in the most recent two or arguably three generations). Her Destiny Bond-Gengar is also a staple.

(Runner up - Will)

HOENN - GLACIA. When I was 9 and first taking on the Hoenn League in Emerald, I'm pretty sure Glacia gave me the most trouble due to her Hail strategies and also because her bulky Walrein was impossible for little old underleveled me to one-shot. Her outfit and overall vibe reminds me of an opera singer somewhat and I really like that. Also - more Ice types!

(Runner up - Sydney)

SINNOH - LUCIAN. I've always found Lucian to be much harder to beat than Cynthia, mostly due to his Bronzong and the fact that it's really hard to overlevel in the Sinnoh games (the later level jumps, especially in DP and BDSP, are kind of insane). I'm a big fan of calm, collected boss-types and Lucian definitely fits that bill.

(Runner Up - Aaron)

UNOVA - GRIMSLEY. I love Grimsley's energy so much; this lazy, aristocratic vibe he clings to. It's such a shame that he's got such an intense and detrimental gambling addiction (or at least he does until SM was released, I assume at that point he's in rehab) and what seems to be some sort of reliance on chance (maybe a sprinkling of OCD) but it's also what makes him so interesting. He was definitely the most intriguing of the Unova E4 for me.

(Runner up - Shauntal)

KALOS - DRASNA. I must say that I don't find the Kalos E4 to be particularly memorable as individuals (although the environment and build-up to fighting them is spot-on), so this was a little tough, but I'd have to ultimately pick Drasna as a favourite. She's just so nice to you! It's also nice to get another female Dragon specialist, and she's a heck of a lot more enjoyable than Claire ever was.

(Runner up - Wikstrom)

ALOLA - KAHILI. This one's a little weird because, at least to me, Kahili is the only member of the Alolan E4 (except for perhaps Molayne); all of the others (Hala, Olivia, Acerola) in my mind are temporary since this is the first League match.

Kahili is interesting in many ways; she's obviously a very serious person, she's a professional golfer (which I believe is a first for Pokemon), and she's the first Flying E4 specialist we ever got.

(Runner up - Molayne)

PALDEA - HASSEL. The man, the myth, the legend. There's no way I could complete this list without mentioned our dearly beloved bow-legged Dragon master. It helps that SV fleshes out pretty much every important adult NPC in the entire game, and it also helps that Hassel is one half of a whole ship that both I and @roxycake adore immensely. His history is out in the open for you to discover and yet still shrouded in a healthy layer of mystery. I wonder if anything new will be discovered when the DLC comes out later this year.

(Runner up - Rika)

[vrisrezis]

Which Pokémon characters do you write for?

Here’s my list :O

The only old school characters I write for is Jessie and James (my beloved), everyone else are pretty newer characters since they have captured my heart for some reason <//3

I also will write for Olivia, kiawe, Leon, nessa, raihan, piers, gladion, and my absolute favorite guzma!

I have thought about ash Brock misty and even dawn and Cynthia since they’re favs of mine but I feel like I won’t be able to write them well so they’re off my list unfortunately =(

I probably won’t do nsfw of these characters ? I’ll only be okay for nsfw for piers raihan Leon and guzma, but even then I don’t think I really want many nsfw rqs for Pokémon since it’s.. Pokémon..

[tabloidtoc]

Us, January 25

You can now buy a copy of this issue for your very own at my eBay store: https://www.ebay.com/str/bradentonbooks

Cover: Olivia Wilde, Harry Styles and Jason Sudeikis 

Page 2: Red Carpet -- drop sleeve romance -- Cynthia Erivo, Margaret Qualley, Aja Naomi King, Eiza Gonzalez 

Page 3: Chloe Bennet, Keri Russell, Isla Fisher, Idina Menzel, Kaia Gerber

Page 4: Who Wore It Best? Gigi Hadid vs. Khloe Kardashian, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley vs. Haley Lu Richardson 

Page 6: Loose Talk -- Rowan Atkinson on cancel culture, Chrissy Teigen on why she gave up drinking, Busy Philipps on getting used to her 12-year-old child Birdie’s they/them pronouns, Joy Behar resuming her feud with fellow View cohost Meghan McCain who recently returned from maternity leave, Arnold Schwarzenegger on mistaking Chris Pratt for Chris Evans on an Instagram telethon

Page 8: Contents 

Page 10: Hot Pics -- Angelina Jolie enjoyed a bit of retail therapy in L.A. 

Page 11: Justin Bieber took an electric bike out for a spin while on vacation in Hawaii, Gavin Rossdale holding his beloved dog during an outing in Studio City, Selling Sunset’s Christine Quinn wore pink during a photoshoot in Bel Air 

Page 12: Olivia Munn, Tori Spelling got a smooch from her and husband Dean McDermott’s pups in L.A., Emilio Vitolo Jr. and Katie Holmes walked arm-in-arm during a romantic stroll in NYC 

Page 13: Emma Slater and Sasha Farber stepped out for some fresh air with their dogs Ruby and Grinch in L.A., Dua Lipa and Anwar Hadid spent their days soaking up the sun while on vacation in Tulum, Mexico 

Page 16: Matt Damon was spotted without his wedding ring while visiting BFF Ben Affleck one month after celebrating his 15th anniversary with wife Luciana Barroso in L.A., Sutton Foster filming Younger with Nico Tortorella and Debi Mazar in NYC, during an outing Lisa Rinna took her dance moves to the streets in L.A. 

Page 17: Diplo spent the day exploring the ocean during a scuba diving session in Tulum, Bella Thorne and boyfriend Benjamin Mascolo couldn’t keep their hands off each other while playing in the ocean in Tulum 

Page 18: Jennifer Lopez works her monochrome magic 

Page 20: Winter Wonderland -- ‘tis the season to bundle up -- Kellan Lutz sipping on hot drinks with pregnant wife Brittany in NYC, Irina Shayk posed with a snowman she built in NYC, Kylie Jenner and daughter Stormi kept warm and cozy in fashionable outerwear, Bella Hadid made a snow angel following a storm in NYC 

Page 21: Martha Stewart in her snow plow in Bedford in New York, Rebel Wilson hitting the slopes in Aspen, Hilary Duff and Matthew Koma played with their daughter Banks outside in North Reading in Massachusetts, Ciara skiing for the first time during a trip with Vanessa Bryant, Laura Prepon building a snowman 

Page 22: Stars They’re Just Like Us -- Wells Adams broke a sweat during an afternoon jog in L.A., Gabrielle Union donated items to her favorite organizations through the Amazon Smile Charity Lists in L.A., Jenny McCarthy checked taking out the trash off her to-do list in Chicago 

Page 23: Ellen DeGeneres pedaled to lunch in Santa Barbara, between carrying a huge basket and walking his dog Kuma Justin Theroux has his hands full while out and about in NYC 

Page 24: Love Lives -- Emma Stone baby on board 

Page 25: Chrissy Metz and boyfriend Bradley Collins met on the dating app Bumble, after spending months in Australia Zac Efron has no plans to return to Hollywood because he’s loving life with girlfriend Vanessa Valladares 

Page 26: Hollywood Moms -- Melissa Joan Hart on her three sons Mason and Braydon and Tucker 

Page 27: Amber Rose’s sons Sebastian and Slash may be six years apart but she says they have the sweetest bond, Rachel Bilson’s daughter Briar has no idea that dad Hayden Christensen played Darth Vader, Melissa Rycroft has ruled out baby No. 4 

Page 28: Hot Hollywood -- Duchess Kate Middleton’s family made her recent birthday very special despite the pandemic -- during her low-key celebration at Anmer Hall she felt the love from Prince William and their kids Prince George and Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis and they gave her a bouquet from the kids and diamond and sapphire earrings from William which she loves -- she even received a card and gifts from Prince Harry and Meghan Markle which was a nice surprise and she may get to thank them in person as Harry and Meghan will reportedly return to the UK in June 

Page 29: After months of dating speculation Michael B. Jordan and Lori Harvey finally confirmed their relationship via Instagram when Michael and Steve Harvey’s adopted daughter posted loved-up photos of each other on their accounts 

* Nearly 17 years after the Sex and the City series finale aired stars Sarah Jessica Parker and Cynthia Nixon and Kristin Davis are reprising their roles for a revival called And Just Like That...Noticeably absent from the group is Kim Cattrall who’s had an ongoing feud with Sarah Jessica for years and has been vocal about her decision to never return to the show 

* Keeping Up With Us -- Gwen Stefani’s annulment from ex-husband Gavin Rossdale has finally been granted by the Vatican which was a huge relief for Gwen who wants her marriage to Blake Shelton to be recognized by the Catholic Church, Meghan Markle’s estranged dad Thomas Markle says that he’s very pleased with daughter Samantha Markle’s upcoming tell-all book, The Grammys has been delayed to March 14 over coronavirus concerns, Shia LaBeouf and Margaret Qualley have called it quits on their weeks-long whirlwind romance, Dr. Dre said he’s doing great after being hospitalized for a brain aneurysm, Stassi Schroeder and fiance Beau Clark welcomed daughter Hartford Charlie Rose 

Page 30: A Day in the Life -- Catherine Lowe 

Page 31: Sarah “Fergie” Ferguson has a lot to look forward in 2021 -- not only is she releasing a new book this summer which is a historical fiction novel titled Her Heart For a Compass but the Duchess of York is also preparing to become a first-time grandmother to Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank’s child -- though the little one’s arrival is still weeks away Fergie’s already started passing down her motherly wisdom to her 30-year-old daughter whom she shares with ex-husband Prince Andrew -- as for what she’s hoping to be called by her grandchild she says lots of her friends call her Duch so she thinks it will end up being Duchee 

Page 32: Cover Story -- Olivia Wilde’s love triangle -- Olivia’s ex Jason Sudeikis is devastated as her new romance with Harry Styles heats up 

Page 36: Kim Kardashian West and Kanye West behind closed doors -- as rumors of impending divorce swirl what’s really happening inside Kim and Kanye’s six-year marriage -- it was extremely draining to keep pretending that their marriage was OK when the whole world could tell it blatantly wasn’t and things between them have gotten so toxic they have no choice but to live apart 

Page 38: One for the Ages -- it’s nothing but a number -- these couples don’t mind a May to December romance -- Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones, George Clooney and Amal Clooney, Olivia Wilde and Harry Styles 

Page 39: Leonardo DiCaprio and Camila Morrone, Jay-Z and Beyonce, David Foster and Katharine McPhee, Holland Taylor and Sarah Paulson 

Page 40: Natalie Portman’s lip service with Dior’s wildly popular Rouge Dior Couture lipstick -- she stuns in a series of images that evoke the splendor of Paris and peep the behind-the-scenes moments 

Page 42: Entertainment -- The Bachelor Matt James teases what’s to come 

Page 43: Dean Hashim of 90 Day Fiance on having a daughter with girlfriend Rigin Bado 

Page 46: Fashion Police -- when bad clothes happen to good people -- Miley Cyrus, Bella Hadid, Alia Shawkat 

Page 47: A$AP Rocky, Kate Flannery, Tessa Thompson 

Page 48: 25 Things You Don’t Know About Me -- Tim Allen 

[orthonymblog]

Timeline of my Favourite Names: 1890's - 1990's

My first post: a collection of my favourite North American names. I thought this one would be easy and exciting to write out as the inaugural post on this blog. I have broken up the names and meanings into their respective decade of popularity, starting with the 1890's. 

ONE HUNDRED ( 100 ) NAMES below the cut!

1890's

Ethel: Noble snake.

George: Farmer.

Clara: Bright.

William: Resolute protector.

Helen: Shining light.

Alan: Fair, handsome.

Ruth: Companion, friend, a vision of beauty.

Walter: Powerful ruler.

Florence: Blossoming, flourishing.

Edward: Guardian.

1900's

Dorothy: Gift of God.

Ernest: Serious, determined.

Hazel: The hazel tree.

Theodore: God-given. 

Irene: Peace.

Samuel: Heard of God.

Pearl: Semi-precious jewel.

Oscar: Jumping fighter.

Mabel: Lovable.

Martin: Warrior of Mars.

1910's

Grace: God's favour.

Lester: Fortified place.

Jane: Gift from God.

Victor: Conqueror.

Rita: Child of light, pearl.

Harvey: Eager for battle.

Ellen: Courage.

Wayne: Craftsman, wagon-rider.

June: Young.

Vincent: Conquering.

1920's

Martha: Bitter.

Daniel: Attractive.

Esther: Secret, star.

Edwin: Valued.

Beatrice: Bearer of blessings/love.

Jesse: Wealthy, gift.

Dolores: Sorrow.

Curtis: Polite, courteous.

Loretta: Small wise one, pure.

Bruce: Thick brush.

1930's

Joan: God is gracious.

Raymond: Guards wisely.

Vera: True.

Arthur: Strong as a bear.

Donna: Lady.

Harry: Army commander.

Gloria: Glory.

Patrick: Noble.

Vivian: Lively.

Glen: From the valley.

1940's

Cynthia: of Cynthus (birthplace of the goddess Artemis).

Eric: Eternal ruler.

Theresa: Reaper.

Ted: Wealthy guardian.

Lynn: A cascade (waterfall).

Scott: From Scotland.

Thelma: Nurse.

Jay: To rejoice.

Priscilla: Ancient, archaic.

Leon: Lion.

1950's

Gary: Bold spear.

Joanne: God is gracious.

Paul: Small, little.

Elaine: Shining light.

Roger: Renowned spearman.

Wanda: Wanderer.

Dean: Leader of ten people, valley.

Diana: Perfect, luminous.

Joel: He that commands.

Anita: Graceful, merciful.

1960's

Laura: Crowned with laurels.

Todd: Clever or wily.

Patricia: Regal, noble.

Tony: Triumphant.

Angela: Angel.

Sean: Gift from God.

Robin: Famed, bright, shining.

Jason: He that cures.

Dawn: Awakening, the sunrise.

Troy: Soldier, curly-haired.

1970's

Heather: Flowering evergreen plant.

Timothy: One who honours God.

Stephanie: Crowned in victory.

Joshua: A saviour.

Amanda: Worthy of being loved.

Gregory: On the watch.

Tracy: Brave.

Justin: Just, righteous.

Andrea: Brave, masculine.

Benjamin: Son of the right hand.

1980's

Amy: Beloved.

Alexander: One who assists men.

Danielle: God is my judge.

Zachary: Remembered by god.

Samantha: Listener.

Travis: Crossroads.

Shannon: Old.

Ryan: Kingly.

Vanessa: Butterfly.

Adam: Red, of red earth.

1990's

Taylor: Tailor.

Nathan: Reward.

Alexis: Defender, helper.

Dylan: Born near the sea, of the waves, influence.

Courtney: Courtier, attendant.

Aaron: Teacher, exalted.

Madison: Strong fighter.

Austin: Majestic.

Olivia: Olive, a symbol of peace.

Cameron: Crooked.

[withthebeatlesgirls]

Favorite song written for each beatle girl?

Before I answer this please no one come at me and be like ‘uh that wasn’t written for them!’ because If I chose a song it is because I do believe it was written for them, and not all Beatles girls have had official songs written for them we just theorize that some things were probably about them.

I Feel Fine For Cynthia 

While John as far as I know never stated this song was for Cyn I do think it was about her. I think it’s about her undemanding love for him and how content he is in his life with her. It’s very sweet and fun to sing along to, and who wouldn’t be so glad to have Cyn as their little girl! 

Little Willow For Maureen 

Ringo did write a song for Maureen called ‘Cryin’ which was about their divorce, but I gotta say I prefer Paul McCartney’s song for her, written as a tribute to her after her death and also a comfort to her children. I always get emotional listening to it, it’s a beautiful song for a beautiful person. 

Here, There, And Everywhere For Jane

Paul wrote a lot of great songs for Jane so this was hard, I was torn between this one and for no one, but here there and everywhere is the winner. It’s romantic and calming even John Lennon couldn’t deny he was impressed with it. If someone ever wrote a song like this for me I would totally just melt.

Something For Pattie

Pretty obvious choice, but I think out of all the beautiful songs Pattie has inspired this is the best one. It’s my favorite love song of all time, it captures the feeling of being in love just so well. The doubt, the fear, the admiration, and the love, you feel of it and George was able to represent all those feelings in a simple 3-minute song. It’s just so sincere and honest, a man talking directly to the woman he loves and being inspired by everything she does. There really was just something about Pattie, no denying that. 

Oh My Love For Yoko

I was having a hard time deciding what was my favorite song for Yoko because John wrote so many beautiful and meaningful songs for her, some were sexy, some were sad, and some were happy, but this has to be my favorite because it describes love in just it’s purest form. I think Yoko has even said it’s her favorite John song saying “It’s not so much about sexual interest or ‘I miss you’ – it’s more to do with true love.” And I absolutely agree. This song is so tender and really shows John’s softer side, and how falling In love with Yoko opened up his world. 

Maybe I’m Amazed For Linda

Paul at one point said if he was going to be remembered for anything he would want to be remembered for this song and I see why. This was written after the Beatles broke up and how Linda really saved him and helped get back on his feet. He’s amazed how devoted she is to him, amazed by how much she loves him and amazed by how much he loves and needs her. It’s beautifully romantic and touching, this song sure is evidence that true love exists!

Never Get Over You For Olivia 

You listen to George’s voice and the lyrics in this song and you just know this song came straight from the heart. It’s a goodbye love song to his beloved Olivia who had spent the last 27 years of his life with, out of all the beautiful songs he wrote for her I see this as the ultimate testament to his love for her, George loved Olivia from the moment he saw her right up until his death. Even though George has been gone for 17 years when you listen to that song his love for Olivia couldn’t be more alive

Show Me The Way For Barbara 

A song that shows how thankful Ringo is to have Barbara as his partner, to be the person to share his happiness, tears, and life with. These two have gone through a lot together, and it’s so lovely to see how they came out of everything strong and truly in love and this song represents that. And as Ringo said she still got him writing love songs for her after being together for over 30 years. That’s true love 

My Valentine For Nancy 

This song is so deeply touching, showing the great and positive influence Nancy has on Paul. My heart always warms at the lyric ‘’And I will love her for life’ the way he sings it just so sweet. It’s just a lovely song

So yeah those are my favorite songs written for the Beatles girls, what lovely ladies they are to have inspired such beautiful and heartwarming songs! 

[decideroffate]

FE:A Love Confessions - Google Translate Edition

I’ve been wanting to do this for a while and was finally boarded enough. To include the Morgan’s I used their exp tile quotes.

Chrom You are the wind at the back and the sword at my side. Together, my love, we shall build a peaceful world... Just you and me... There is a picture of myself and my sword. First of all, I'm doing a good world ... just like me ...

Lissa Oh my gosh, this ring is huge! Oh, we're gonna have such a GREAT life together! Oh, this baby is so big! Oh, we live a wonderful world!

Frederick My heart is yours, milady. I vow to defend you as knight and husband until death should part us. I won a heart and gained the courage and death of a man.

Virion I love you... No, I am enamored with you! No, we are soul mates! Ohh, the sultry sonnets we shall spin! I'm sorry ... no, I'm angry! No, we are friends for us! This is the tail!

Sully I...ah...I love you, you bastard. There, I said it. Now don't ask me again! I love you Do not ask me now!

Vaike This has gotta be the first time I've ever rated someone ELSE first! Is this love? The Vaike is stunned. I learned ELSE for the first time. Love is darkness.

Stahl My lady, I may never take my eyes off you again! ...Unless I'm about to run into a wall. My wife, I do not see your eyes! ... straight to help the wall.

Miriel What rapture! To have an astute significant other with whom to scrutinize this world's illimitable mysteries! The world can not get caught in something that has been hidden today!

Kallem You make me feel like I'm really here. Like I mean something. I'm yours...forever. I am convinced that I am here. This is my list forever.

Sumia It's so nice to feel special for once. To love someone more than anything in the world, and have them love me back. I'm really happy. Someone loves me and loves me

Lon’qu I confess... I do have feelings for... Gods, must all these emotions be so vexing?! Dear ... I am ... God's thoughts, are these sweet things?

Ricken I wish I could throw my arms around you and never let go! ...Just...wait for me to get a little taller...okay? I kiss you, do not think you are weak. Hi ... wait ... is it good?

Maribelle My lord, you saw to the very core of my heart. ...And may the gods help you if you break it. Lord, give me the fruit of my heart. ... When you are wrong, God can help you.

Panne To think that I might love a human. Oh, what a strange world this is. I can love people. Where, what is the world?

Gaius Baby, you're a river of chocolate and an ocean of cream. I'm gonna steal your heart on a daily basis. Son, you are climbing the sea and the sea. I will always tear your heart.

Cordelia Thank you. I thought nothing could warm my heart again. I shall love you above...all others, for the rest of my days. Fortunately, I did not want to think about anything. I love you ... all for my refreshment.

Gregor Now you listen, Gregor promise to bring his beloved many happiness for as long we both keep on with the living. They are happy that they are happy when they are alive.

Nowi Oh, I'm so happy! I've always wanted a husband! Think of all the wonderful centuries—uh, years we'll have! Where, enjoy! The husband wants to think about the moment.

Libra I am yours forever my love. May the gods smile upon our union, and bring us joy in the years to come. My love is eternal. God trusts our unity and has given us happiness for years.

Tharja I can't believe you made me love you! ...Course if you back out, I'll murder you in your sleep. I think I love you! In general, if you are in the past, you can defend your dreams.

Olivia I've been in love with you forever. I only wish I had the courage to tell you sooner. I love you and I want to tell you

Cherche It's funny. Being close like this just feels...right. It's as if it was always meant to be. It's good to be close ... This is the real point.

Henry I'll love you with every ounce of my blood until I die. Oooh, when do you think that'll be? I love you with pure blood and even my taste. Hmm, how?

Lucina I love you, and no matter what the future holds, I'm going to cherish every moment. I love all people in the future and in the future, and I will take care of them.

Say’ri To think my greatest joy would be found within this chaos. Your heart and mine shall be bound forever. I think I feel so comfortable in this dream. The word is always in my heart.

Basilio Just think of all the fun times we're gonna have! All the battles! Heh, I'm gonna make you proud! Think about all the fun moments! All wars! Here I am proud!

Flavia In the name of Regna Ferox, I'll tear the whole world down if you but ask it of me. That's a Khan's promise. On behalf of Regina, Ferrox complements the whole world and asks me. Han is an oath.

Donnel I love ya. I don't reckon I could live without ya! Let's you and me settle down on the farm! I love you, I do not want to live with you! We can stay in this place!

Anna Keep THIS up and someday I may love you more than money! Ha ha. No, seriously. One day save me than love! No no

Owain You eluded my defenses and pierced my heart. It seems I've finally found...my weakness. They forgot my words and saved them from my heart. In the end, it's like a bad fig tree.

Inigo I used to say this to all the ladies but... You are truly the only one for me. I talked to all women ... that's right.

Brady You make me wanna be stronger, better! I swear to become a guy worthy of your love. You want to be strong, I want to be an honest person in your love.

Kjelle With you at my side, I feel as strong as newly forged steel. I...I adore you. And I'm like a new machine in your area. I love you

Cynthia I love you BEST of all. You're like my own personal hero! I love you just like your own store!

Severa I...I love you... Hey! Pay attention for once. And say something sweet why don'tcha! I love you ... hey! Be careful and good.

Gerome From today on we'll hone our edges, together. We'll carve a path to happiness through whatever fate may bring. From today, we combine our goal. Keep a cool look.

M!Morgan I managed to sneak in some practice. Maybe there is still hope for me to be a tactician! I entered the hideout. I think I can have the opportunity!

F!Morgan I started on some of Father's tactical guidebooks. I must learn all I can! I went with the guidance of my father. I have to do well!

Yarne I LOVE you! Let's repopulate my species! Er, s-sorry, was that awkward? I love you, let my opinion go! Unfortunately, what's more?

Laruent You've been an object of fascination since I first saw you... One I would gladly spend my life investigating. This is important because I've met before ... and I'm going to make my life wonderful.

Noire You fill me with the strength I never thought to have. Please, stay with me always? To meet me, I can not think about myself. But stay with me

Nah Look, it's gonna be you. Better just give up and accept it now. Okay. Enter the address provided.

Tiki I know that to love another, I must watch the world move past him. But such short years make an eternity worth living. I am convinced that I love other people and see the change of the world. But these years are good.

Gangrel How in blazes did you get me to...love you? If you're trying to make a new man of me, it's...working. How do you do? Try to create a new project and work ...

Walhart With you at my side, the path to glory shall be an easier one. Let us become as gods of strength and happiness! Even this way of glory is easy to do. Oh, God's power and joy!

Emmeryn Thank you...for this chance. I...love you. You make me...whole again. Thank you for the program. I love you and say ...

Yen’fey I claim to be no master in the arts of romance... But my love for you shall be challenged by none. The speaker wants me to love ... but people do not ask me for love

Aversa From now on, I live only for you. And as you may have noticed, I'm the fiercely loyal type. From now on, I live here. And you know that you are a faithful person.

Priam You give my strength purpose and meaning. I'll let the world burn before I see you hurt. Give me wisdom and power. Before destroying the earth, that's what I'm looking for.

[dreamypastel]

Lucky Shots Casino has OFFICIALLY become a WIP Project!

There is SOOO many things id like to add to my crew here but you see, Its hard enough to place events in the right order.

NOTE THAT CHARACTER DESIGNS, STORYLINE AND STATUS MAY OR MAY NOT CHANGE. I NEED SOMETHING ACCURATE TO THE MOB BOSS AU ITSELF AND THE TIMESTAMP OF 1920-1940 ERA. (which i think is around then?? just a guess)

as for Jayden, the future pupil for my group, Some characters will be put in the back burner such as Charles, Gare, Silver and Harold, more or less. Their development so far has been a struggle so I MUST give them a lil fixer up.

For god knows how long ive been procrastinating so im trying so hard to get out of it but its a power struggle with some personal problems...I swear ill get to everything i can.

Lemme say the characters destined to say RIP to: Judie, William and Charles so far. For storywise, They were planned to not stay too long, Judie only overstayed her welcome as a temporary threat to the plot. There WILL be Goverment Ocs soon.

As for Cynthia and Aerlan, They wont die but, They will not have the recognition of their identity. Aerlan will live for sure but Cynthia is facing a life threat but perhaps shes planned to live back the way it used to be? Youll never know. Her status is in grave danger though.

Other ocs, Olivia, Nancy, The fox duo and such will change drastically but Vinessa on the other hand, She was destined to become a Private Investigator for the Police Force. For the sake of having AT LEAST ONE COP, She is a professional alongside her beloved SIDEKICK.

Sorry for my ramble lol but feel free to shoot an ask and/or follow for some followup art to @ask-the-lucky-shots-crew !

[chicagoindiecritics]

New from Every Movie Has a Lesson by Don Shanahan: FEATURE: Final 2020 Awards Tracker

FINAL 2020 AWARDS TRACKER

Welcome to the ninth year of Every Movie Has a Lesson’s “Awards Tracker.”  My goal every year is simple: Help each and every one of you win your Oscar pools. As a member of three recognized awards-voting bodies of film critics (OFCS, OFTA, and Chicago Indie Critics), it’s a pleasure and honor to see my own picks made it into the award season discussion. Here’s how this little page of my personal interest works.  I find value in tracking the trends and following the tea leaves of the all the minor lead-up awards before the Oscars.  I chart the winners of each category with listed winners and comments on the surrounding buzz. 

FINAL TAKE: Prediction-wise, I was a so-so 16 of 24. Not great, but not bad. I’ll take being wrong to watch a night of history honoring women and international film!

BEST MOTION PICTURE

FINAL TAKE:  Folks, in another year of #OscarsSoWhite and questionable gender appreciation, the 92nd Academy Awards dropped (or was it raised, LOL) a microphone of history in favor of diversity. Say it out loud. Parasite is first foreign language film to win Best Picture. Boom! What a boom!

WINNERS:  

26- Parasite (ATL, Cannes, NYO, SEA, PCC, CIC, NC, FCC, Chicago, BO, CO, DC, DET, HOU, LA, NSFC, SE, UT, VAN, AUS, EDA, GA, GAL, OFTA, Online, London, Oscar)

10- Once Upon a Time… In Hollywood (OK, STL, LV, SAT, Globe, CC, SF, IA, HI, ND)

7- 1917 (KC, Globe, DFW, PGA, DEN, HC, BAFTA)

6- The Irishman (HFA, NBR, NY, SD, NT, NM)5- Marriage Story (GI, IN, NV, GW, DUB)

2- Knives Out (CIC, PHI)2- Little Women (Boston, WC)1- The Farewell (Spirit)

OTHERS: 1- Joker (PHX), 1- Jojo Rabbit (TIFF), 1- Ford v Ferrari (SAT), 1- Portrait of a Lady on Fire (FL), 1- The Nightingale (ACT), 1- Avengers: Endgame (PC), 1- Us (AA), 1- Dolemite is My Name (BF), 1- The Last Black Man in San Francisco (AA), 1- The Souvenir (Sight & Sound), 1- Clemency (Sundance), 1- Wild Rose (BAS), 1- For Sama (BI), 1- The Composer (GSA)

BEST DIRECTOR

FINAL TAKE:  We all thought the WOW and WHOA of Parasite ended here. Man, were we surprised. Keep multiplying the history and reverence!

WINNERS:  

27- Bong Joon-Ho for Parasite (ATL, NYO, SEA, Boston, PCC, CIC, NC, FCC, IN, Chicago, BO, CO, DC, GW, HOU, LA, VAN, AUS, CC, EDA, GA, GAL, SF, OFTA, Online, ND, London, Oscar)

10- Sam Mendes for 1917 (KC, Globe, DFW, NT, UT, DGA, CC, DEN, PHX, BAFTA)

7- Martin Scorsese for The Irishman (OK, BF, DET, PHI, SE, DUB, NM)5- Quentin Tarantino for Once Upon a Time… In Hollywood (NBR, STL, LV, IA, HI)3- Josh and Benny Sadfie for Uncut Gems (NY, SD, Spirit)

2- Greta Gerwig for Little Women (CIC, NSFC)

2- James Mangold for Ford V. Ferrari (HFA, SAT)

2- Noam Baumbach for Marriage Story (NV, HC)

OTHERS: 1- Olivia Wilde for Booksmart (HC), 1- Celine Sciamma for Portrait of a Lady on Fire (FL), 1- Kasi Lemmons for Harriet (BF), 1- Jordan Peele for Us (AA), 1- Steven Bognar and Julia Reichert for American Factory (DGA), 1- Jennifer Kent for The Nightingale (ACT), 1- Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne for Young Ahmed (Cannes), 1- Matt Pinder for Murder Case (BAS), 1- Jon S. Baird for Stan & Ollie (BAS)

BEST ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE

FINAL TAKE:  This may have been Adam Driver’s year and arguably his decade, but this made for a platform win for Joaquin. Moved and motivated, his late awards season surge culminated all the way to the biggest stage and microphone.

WINNERS:  

29- Adam Driver for Marriage Story (GI, ATL, SEA, KC, PCC, SD, CIC, NC, FCC, IN, NV, Chicago, CO, DC, DFW, DET, FL, GW, HOU, PHI, SE, UT, VAN, DUB, EDA, GA, WC, Online, OFTA)

14- Joaquin Phoenix for Joker (NYO, SD, Globe, NT, CC, DEN, SAG, PHX, HC, IA, HI, ND, BAFTA, London, Oscar)

8- Adam Sandler for Uncut Gems (NBR, OK, STL, Boston, LV, BO, AUS, Spirit)

7- Antonio Banderas for Pain and Glory (HFA, NY, Cannes, LA, NSFC, SF, GAL)

2- Eddie Murphy for Dolemite is My Name (BF, AA)

2- Taron Egerton for Rocketman (SAT, Globe)

OTHERS: 1- Levan Gelbakhiani for And Then We Danced (NM), 1- Christian Bale for Ford v Ferrari (SAT), 1- Josh O’Connor for Only You (BI), 1- Damon Herriman for Judy and Punch (ACT), 1- Lorn MacDonald for Beats (BAS)

BEST ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE

FINAL TAKE:  Rambling speech or not, Renee peaked at the right time, even in an underseen movie. She joins a very exclusive list of multiple Oscar-winning women. Someday like Adam, Scarlett is going to get that make-up award for a late career success that harks back to her growth in Marriage Story.

WINNERS:  

26- Lupita Nyong’o for Us (NY, NYO, SEA, OK, KC, PCC, SD, CIC, NC, FCC, IN, BF, Chicago, AA, BO, CO, DC, PHI, AUS, EDA, GA, WC, SF, Online, HC, OFTA)

16- Renee Zellweger for Judy (HFA, BI, ATL, NBR, LV, Globe, HOU, SE, CC, SAG, PHX, IA, Spirit, BAFTA, GAL, London)

12- Scarlett Johansson for Marriage Story (STL, FCC, NV, SAT, DFW, DET, FL, GW, UT, VAN, DEN, DUB)

4- Awkwafina for The Farewell (GI, Globe, SAT, HI)

2- Mary Kay Place for Diane (LA, NSFC)

2- Charlize Theron for Bombshell (NV, NT)

OTHERS: 1- Adele Haenel for Portrait of a Lady on Fire (NM), 1- Florence Pugh for Midsommar (ND), 1- Cynthia Erivo for Harriet (WC), 1- Saoirse Ronan for Little Women (Boston), 1- Jessie Buckley for Wild Rose (BAS), 1- Aisling Franciosi for The Nightingale (ACT), 1- Emily Beechem for Little Joe (Cannes)

BEST ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

FINAL TAKE:  The show led off with lasting popular history. Pitt was the acting lock of the night and the moment did him right. Bravo!

WINNERS:  

29- Brad Pitt for Once Upon a Time… In Hollywood (ATL, NBR, OK, STL, Boston, Globe, CIC, BF, Chicago, BO, DC, DFW, HOU, NSFC, PHI, SE, VAN, AUS, CC, DEN, EDA, SAG, SF, PHX, Online, IA, OFTA, HI, BAFTA, NM)

13- Joe Pesci for The Irishman (NY, NYO, KC, SD, NV, DET, FL, GW, PHI, UT, GA, HC, London)

7- Willem Dafoe for The Lighthouse (SEA, LV, IN, SAT, CO, Spirit, ND)

4- Song Kang-Ho for Parasite (PCC, CIC, LA, GAL)

OTHERS: 1- Tom Hanks for A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood (NT), 1- Jamie Foxx for Just Mercy (AA), 1- Shia LeBeouf for Honey Boy (FCC), 1- Al Pacino for The Irishman (HFA), 1- Joel Edgerton for The King (ACT), 1- Hugh Laurie for The Personal History of David Copperfield (BI)

BEST ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

FINAL TAKE:  As of this award, the acting prizes went pretty chalk with odds and trends. Laura Dern prevents a Marriage Story shut-out.

WINNERS:  

21- Laura Dern for Marriage Story (HFA, ATL, NY, NY, Globe, DFW, DET, FL, NSFC, SE, VAN, CC, DEN, SAG, PHX, IA, ND, HI, BAFTA, Oscar, London)

14- Jennifer Lopez for Hustlers (SEA, OK, FCC, IN, NV, SAT, DC, LA, AUS, SF, Online, HC, OFTA, GAL)

9- Florence Pugh for Little Women (NC, Chicago, BO, CO, GW, PHI, UT, EDA, GA)

5- Zhao Shuzhen for The Farewell (SD, CIC, HOU, NT, Spirit)

3- Da’Vine Joy Randolph for Dolemite is My Name (KC, BF, AA)

2- Margot Robbie for Once Upon a Time… In Hollywood/Bombshell (STL, LV)

OTHERS: 1- Yeo-Jeong Jo for Parasite (NM), 1- Thomasin McKenzie for Jojo Rabbit (PCC), 1- Kathy Bates for Richard Jewell (NBR), 1- Magnolia Maymuru for The Nightingale (ACT), 1- Ruthxjiah Bellenea for The Last Tree (BI)

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

FINAL TAKE:  Bong Hive! I was in the #AnyoneButQuentin camp of one, but this category didn’t become about preferences. This was a win for international cinema. It’s extremely rare for the scene to have attention, let alone victory, in these top categories.

WINNERS:  

21- Bong Joon-Ho and Han Jin-Won for Parasite (ATL, NYO, SEA, NC, Chicago, AA, CO, NSFC, SE, UT, AUS, EDA, GA, SF, Online, HC, OFTA, GAL, BAFTA, WGA, Oscar)15- Noah Baumbach for Marriage Story (GI, STL, SD, FCC, IN, SAT, DC, DFW, DET, GW, LA, VAN, DUB, Spirit, London)

9- Quentin Tarantino for Once Upon a Time… In Hollywood (NY, STL, Boston, LV, Globe, NV, BO, CC, HI, ND)

8- Rian Johnson for Knives Out (OK, KC, CIC, PCC, HOU, PHI, DEN, PHX)

2- Josh Sadfie, Benny Sadfie, and Ronald Bronstein for Uncut Gems (NBR, FL)

OTHERS: 1- Robert Eggers and Max Eggers for The Lighthouse (NM), 1- Lena Waithe for Queen & Slim (BF), 1- Nicole Taylor for Wild Rose (BAS), 1- Jennifer Kent for The Nightingale (ACT), 1- Celine Sciamma for Portrait of a Lady on Fire (Cannes)

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

FINAL TAKE:  This was quite a late season surge for Waititi. He is beloved and someday Greta Gerwig will get hers. It’s a matter of time.

WINNERS:  

16- Greta Gerwig for Little Women (KC, CIC, NC, IN, Chicago, CO, SAT, DC, FL, UT, USC, AUS, CC, DEN, EDA, OFTA)

9- Steve Zaillian for The Irishman (NBR, OK, BF, GW, SE, GA, Online, HI, NM)

8- Taika Waititi for Jojo Rabbit (FCC, NV, SF, PHX, HC, BAFTA, Oscar, WGA)

OTHERS: 1- Todd Phillips and Scott Silver for Joker (SAT), 1- Anthony McCarten for The Two Popes (HFA, LV), 1- J.C. Lee and Julius Onah for Luce (SD)

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE

FINAL TAKE:  This was the forgone conclusion spot, despite some staunch competition. Go see the other nominees and you’ll find some lovely works.

WINNERS:  

32- Toy Story 4 (HFA, ATL, SEA, OK, KC, STL, PCC, NC, FCC, NV, Chicago, BO, CO, DC, DFW, DET, GW, HOU, NT, PHI, SE, PGA, CC, DEN, GA, PHX, Online, HC, OFTA, IA, HI, Oscar)

14- I Lost My Body (Cannes, NY, NYO, Boston, SD, CIC, BF, FL, LA, UT, Annie, AUS, EDA, SF, ND)

2- Missing Link (LV, Globe)

2- How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World (NBR, IN)

2- Abominable (GSA, AA)2- Klaus (Annie, BAFTA)1- Weathering With You (NM)

OTHERS: 1- The Lion King (SAT), 1- Love, Death, & Robots – Helping Hand (BAS)

BEST ANIMATED SHORT FILM

FINAL TAKE:  An excellent winner with a Chicago connection in its director Matthew A. Cherry.

WINNERS:  1- Hair Love (Oscar)

OTHERS: 1- Uncle Thomas: Accounting for the Days (Annie), 1- Grandad Was a Romantic (BAFTA)

BEST LIVE ACTION SHORT

FINAL TAKE:  I didn’t know this category well, but I loved the Zack Gottshagen appearance as the presenter. That made my night.

WINNERS:  

1- The Neighbor’s Window (Oscar)

OTHERS: 1- The Distance Between Us and the Sky (Cannes), 1- The Devil’s Harmony (London) 1- Anna (BI), 1- The Joke That Isn’t Funny Anymore (BAS)

BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE

FINAL TAKE:  There was no Obama shout-out or red carpet appearance, but the love was there. I’m still going to be pissed for years for omitting Apollo 13.

WINNERS:  

34- Apollo 11 (CCD, ATL, NYO, SEA, KC, STL, PCC, LV, CIC, NC, FCC, NV, Chicago, BO, CO, DC, DFW, DET, FL, GW, HOU, NT, PHI, SE, UT, AUS, DUB, EDA, GA, SF, Online, HC, IA, OFTA)

8- Honeyland (NY, Boston, NSFC, Sundance, VAN, DEN, ND, GAL)

6- American Factory (GI, OK, LA, EYE, Spirit, Oscar)

6- For Sama (BI, Cannes, IN, IDA, BAFTA, London)

3- One Child Nation (SD, Sundance, PHX)

OTHERS: 1- Diego Maradona (NM), 1- Varda by Agnes (WC), 1- The Black Godfather (AA), 1- Toni Morrison: The Pieces I Am (BF), 1- 63 Up (SAT), 1- Amazing Grace (KC), 1- Maiden (NBR), 1- The Cordillera of Dreams (Cannes), 1- Real Kashmir F.C. (BAS)

BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT SUBJECT

FINAL TAKE:  Let this be a lesson to me to always follow the IDA Award winner in my picks.

WINNERS:  

3- Learning to Skateboard in a Warzone (if you’re a girl)  (IDA, BAFTA, Oscar)

1- Period. End of Sentence. (CCD)

BEST INTERNATIONAL FEATURE FILM

FINAL TAKE:  This was a no-doubter and the minimum of the top prizes Parasite was thought to win tonight.

WINNERS:  46- Parasite (BI, ATL, NBR, NY, SEA, OK, KC, STL, Boston, PCC, SD, LV, Globe, CIC, NC, IN, BF, Chicago, AA, BO, CO, DC, DFW, GW, HOU, NT, PHI, SE, VAN, AUS, CC, DEN, EDA, GA, SF, PHX, Online, HC, Spirit, HI, BAFTA, ND, NM, GAL, OFTA, Oscar)

4- Portrait of a Lady On Fire (NYO, FL, WC, London)1- Pain and Glory (LA)

OTHERS: 1- Truth and Justice (SAT), 1- The Souvenir (Sundance), 1- Monos (Sundance)

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

FINAL TAKE:  The GOAT maintains his GOAT status. Speaking of locks, the technical/artistic lock of the night stayed the lock of the night.

WINNERS:  36- Roger Deakins for 1917 (ATL, NBR, NYO, SEA, KC, STL, PCC, LV, CIC, NC, FCC, NV, SAT, BF, Chicago, CO, DC, DFW, FL, HOU, NT, SE, UT, ASC, AUS, CC, EDA, GA, SF, PHX, Online, HC, HI, OFTA, BAFTA, Oscar)

5- Claire Mathon for Portrait of a Lady on Fire (NY, Boston, GW, LA, NSFC)

5- Jarin Blaschke for The Lighthouse (SD, PHI, Spirit, ND, NM)

2- Robert Richardson for Once Upon a Time… In Hollywood (OK, BO)

OTHERS: 1- Hoyte van Hoytema for Ad Astra (DUB), 1- Adam Arkapow for The Nightingale (ACT), 1- Fejmi Daut and Samir Ljuma for Honeyland (ASC), 1- Mihai Malaimare Jr. for Jojo Rabbit (HFA), 1- Benjamin Kracun for Beats (BI)

BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN/ART DIRECTION

FINAL TAKE:  I may have been a big fan of the massive work in 1917 and not a huge Once Upon a Time… In Hollywood lover, but I cannot argue with the artistic brilliance on display here. All the neon, the dinge, the sets-within-the-sets, and the period architecture were worth this.

WINNERS:  

15- Barbara Ling for Once Upon a Time… In Hollywood (SEA, STL, LV, NV, Chicago, DC, FL, LA, CC, SF, ND, London, ADG, Oscar, NM)

5- Dennis Gassner for 1917 (SD, GA, PHX, BAFTA, Online)

4- Ha-Jun Lee for Parasite (Online, HI, ADG, OFTA)

OTHERS: 1- Charles Wood for Avengers: Endgame (ADG), 1- David Crank for Knives Out (CIC), 1- Ra Vincent for Jojo Rabbit (HFA), 1- Beth Mickle and Michael Ahern for Motherless Brooklyn (SAT), 1- Fiona Crombie and Alice Felton for The King (ACT), 1- Bob Pauley for Toy Story 4 (ADG), 1- Cristina Casali for The Personal History of David Copperfield (BI)

BEST FILM EDITING

FINAL TAKE:  While Ford v Ferrari was the awards season leader going in, the editing work was not the entering favorite. However, this was a superior technical win, which I’ll always respect and enjoy.

WINNERS:  

7- Michael McCusker and Andrew Buckland for Ford v Ferrari (HFA, SD, LV, SAT, DC, BAFTA, Oscar)

6- Thelma Schoonmaker for The Irishman (Boston, Chicago, BO, EDA, HP, NM)

4- Lee Smith for 1917 (CIC, CC, PHX, HC)

4- Ronald Bronstein and Benny Safdie for Uncut Gems (SEA, GW, AUS, Spirit)

3- Jimno Yang for Parasite (ACE, Online, OFTA)

2- Fred Raskin for Once Upon a Time… In Hollywood (STL, HI)

2- Todd Douglas Miller for Apollo 11 (LA, UT)

OTHERS: 1- Louise Ford for The Lighthouse (ND), 1- Tom Eagles for Jojo Rabbit (ACE), 1- Axel Geddes for Toy Story 4 (ACE), 1- Todd Douglas Miller for Apollo 11 (ACE), 1- Bob Ducsay for Knives Out (CO), 1- Peter McNulty and Anthony Maras for Hotel Mumbai (ACT), 1- Chloe Lambourne and Simon McMahon for For Sama (BI)

BEST COSTUME DESIGN

FINAL TAKE:  When in doubt, pick the period piece. This stood as the single consolation spot for all things Little Women.

WINNERS:  

7- Ruth E. Carter for Dolemite is My Name (SD, LV, CIC, SAT, BF, CC, OFTA)

4- Jacqueline Durran for Little Women (Chicago, BAFTA, OFTA, Oscar)

3- Julian Day for Rocketman (PHX, HC, HI)

OTHERS: 1- Jenny Eagan for Knives Out (CDG), 1- Mayes C. Rubeo for Jojo Rabbit (CDG), 1- Ellen Mirojnick for Maleficent: Mistress of Evil (CDG), 1- Anna Mary Scott Robbins for Downton Abbey (HFA), 1- Jan Petrie for The King (ACT), 1- Suzie Harman and Robert Worley for The Personal History of David Copperfield (BI)

BEST MAKEUP AND HAIR-STYLING

FINAL TAKE:  Much like The Darkest Hour, flashy individuals beats volume and that’s perfectly OK. Great to see the wealth spread.

WINNERS:  

6- Vivian Baker, Kazu Hiro, and Anne Morgan for Bombshell (CIC, CC, MH, HC, OFTA, Oscar)

2- Nikki Ledermanm, Tania Ribalow, and Sunday Englis for Joker (MH, HI)

OTHERS: 1- Lizzie Yianni-Georgiou, Tapio Salmi, and Barrie Gower for Rocketman (HFA), 1- Jeremy Woodhead for Judy (BI), 1- Zeljka Stanin, Paul Pattison, and Cheryl Williams for Lambs of God (ACT)

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS

FINAL TAKE:  1917 entered the night a big favorite, but this was not a spot it was favored, making this a very cool win. I was in the #AnythingButTheIrishman mosh pit of one.

WINNERS:  

8- Dan Deleeuw, Matt Aitken, Russell Earl, and Dan Sudick for Avengers: Endgame (STL, LV, NC, NV, CC, PHX, HC, OFTA)

5- Greg Butler, Guillaume Rocheron, and Dominic Touhy for 1917 (CIC, HOU, DEN, BAFTA, Oscar)

4- Allen Maris, Jedediah Smith, Guillaume Rocheron, and Scott R.Fisher for Ad Astra (SEA, SD, Chicago, Online)

3- Joe Letteri and Eric Saindon for Alita: Battle Angel (SAT, FL, HI)

2- Robert Legato, Andrew R. Jones; Adam Valdez, Elliot Newman, and Audrey Ferrara for The Lion King (HP, VES)

2- Pablo Helman for The Irishman (HFA, VES)

OTHERS: 1- Brad Schiff, Travis Knight, Steve Emerson, and Benoit Dubac for Missing Link (VES), 1- Benjamin Fiske, Alex Moaveni, Jesse Erickson, Dimitre Berberov, and Kee Nam Suong for Frozen 2 (Annie), 1- Brendan Seals, Michael Perdew, Andrew Zink, and Adam Gailey for Spider-Man: Far From Home (ACT), 1- Howard Jones for A Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon (BI)

BEST SOUND EDITING

FINAL TAKE:  Excellent and correct technical win and not a Best Picture sweeper. Well done!

WINNERS:  

4- Donald Sylvester, Paul Massey, David Giammarco, and Steven A. Morrow for Ford v Ferrari (HFA, SAT, HI, Oscar)

2- Oliver Tarney and Rachel Tate for 1917 (BAFTA, OFTA)

OTHERS: 1- Tim LeBlanc, Tom Ozanich, Erik Aadahl, Nancy Nugent, and Jason W. Jennings for Godzilla: King of the Monsters (HP), 1- David Bowtle-McMillan, Joakim Sundstrom, and Robert Farr for Beats (BI), 1- Liam Egan for Danger Close: The Battle of Long Tan (ACT)

BEST SOUND MIXING

FINAL TAKE:  The technical skill of 1917 is fitting for this position. It was going to be between this and the editing winner Ford v Ferrari. This boosted totals nicely.

WINNERS:  

3- Donald Sylvester, Paul Massey, David Giammarco, and Steven A. Morrow for Ford V. Ferrari (HFA, SAT, CAS, HI)

3- Mark Taylor and Stuart Wilson for 1917 (BAFTA, OFTA, Oscar)

OTHERS: 1- Doc Kane, Vince Caro, Michael Semanick, Nathan Nance, David Boucher, and Scott Curtis for Toy Story 4 (CAS), 1- David J. Turner, Tom Myers, David Blanck, and Frank Rinella for Making Waves: The Art of Cinematic Sound (CAS), 1- David Bowtle-McMillan, Joakim Sundstrom, and Robert Farr for Beats (BI)

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE

FINAL TAKE:  I love this moment of history for Hildur and her speech was fitting and matching of the moment. Joker haters, be damned.

WINNERS:

11- Hildur Gudnadottir for Joker (PCC, LV, Globe, SAT, CC, DEN, HC, HI, ND, BAFTA, Oscar)

8- Thomas Newman for 1917 (ATL, STL, DFW, AUS, GA, PHX, IA, OFTA)

5- Michael Abels for Us (CIC, IN, CO, DC, Online)

4- Daniel Lopatin for Uncut Gems (SEA, OK, BO, FL)

2- Alexandre Desplat for Little Women (Boston, Chicago)

2- Randy Newman for Marriage Story (HFA, GW)

OTHERS: 1- James Newton Howard for A Hidden Life (NM), 1- Emile Nommensen for The Last Black Man in San Francisco (SF), 1- Matt Morton for Apollo 11 (UT), 1- Dan Levy for I Lost My Body (LA), 1- Matthew Margeson for Rocketman (NYO), 1- Alberto Iglesias for Pain and Glory (Cannes), 1- Francois Tetaz for Judy and Punch (ACT), 1- Jack Arnold for Wild Rose (BI)

BEST ORIGINAL SONG

FINAL TAKE:  The legend won in the spot where legends win. I would have loved Cynthia Erivo, but who can argue with Elton John.

WINNERS:  

6- “Glasgow (No Place Like Home)” from Wild Rose (HOU, CC, DEN, GA, HC, ND)

6- “(I’m Gonna) Love Me Again” from Rocketman (Globe, SAT, CC, HI, OFTA, Oscar)

OTHERS: 1- “Swan Song” from Alita: Battle Angel (NM), 1- “I Punched Keanu Reeves” from Always Be My Maybe (CIC), 1- “I Can’t Let You Throw Yourself Away” from Toy Story 4 (IA), 1- “Into the Unknown” from Frozen 2 (PHX), 1- “Letter to My Grandfather” from The Black Godfather (HFA), 1- “Stand Up” from Harriet (LV)

ACRONYM KEY FOR AWARD GROUPS

African-American Film Critics Association (AA), ACE Eddie Awards (ACE), Art Directors Guild Awards (ADG), Annie Awards (Annie), American Society of Cinematographers (ASC), Atlanta Film Critics Circle (ATL), Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (ACT), Austin Film Critics Association (AUS), British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA), BAFTA Scottland (BAS), Black Film Critics Circle (BF), British Independent Film Awards (BI), Boston Society of Film Critics (Boston), Boston Online Film Critics Association (BO), Cannes Film Festival (Cannes), Cinema Audio Society (CAS), Costume Designers Guild (CDG), Chicago Film Critics Association (Chicago), Chicago Indie Critics (CIC), Broadcast Film Critics Association/Critics Choice Awards (CC), Critics Choice Documentary Awards (CCD), Columbus/Central Ohio Film Critics Associations (CO), Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association (DC), Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association (DFW), Denver Film Critics Society (DEN), Detroit Film Critics Society (DET), Directors Guild of America (DGA), Dublin Film Critics Circle (DUB), Alliance of Women Film Journalists/EDA Awards (EDA), Cinema Eye Awards (EYE), Online Association of Female Film Critics (FFC), Florida Film Critics Circle (FL), Georgia Film Critics Association (GA), Gay and Lesbian Entertainment Critics Association/Dorian Awards (GAL), Gotham Independent Film Awards (GI), Golden Screen Awards (GSA), Greater Western New York Film Critics Association (GW), Hollywood Critics Association (HC), Hawaii Film Critics Society (HI), Hollywood Foreign Press Association/Golden Globes (Globe), Hollywood Film Awards (HFA), Houston Film Critics Society (HOU), Hollywood Professionals Association (HP), Iowa Film Critics Association (IA), International Documentary Association (IDA), Indiana Film Journalist Associations (IN), Kansas City Film Critics Circle (KC), Los Angeles Film Critics Association (LA), London Film Critics Circle (London), Las Vegas Film Critics Association/Sierra Winners (LV), Makeup and Hair-Styling Guild (MH), National Board of Review (NBR), North Carolina Film Critics Association (NC), North Dakota Film Critics Society (ND), National Society of Film Critics (NSFC), New Mexico Film Critics (NM), North Texas Film Critics Association (NT), Nevada Film Critics Society (NV), New York Film Critics Circle (NY), New York Online Film Critics Association (NYO), Online Film and Television Awards (OFTA), Oklahoma Film Critics Circle (OK), Online Film Critics Society (Online), The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences/Academy Awards (Oscar), People’s Choice Awards (PC), Producers Guild of America (PGA), Philadelphia Film Critics Circle (PHI), Phoenix Critic Circle (PCC), Phoenix Film Critics Society (PHX), Screen Actors Guild Awards (SAG), International Press Academy/Satellite Awards (SAT), San Diego Film Critics Society (SD), Southeastern Film Critics Association (SE), Seattle Film Critics Society (SEA), San Francisco Bay Area Film Critics Circle (SF),  Independent Spirit Awards (Spirit), St. Louis Film Critics (STL), Sundance Film Festival (Sundance), Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), USC Libraries Scripter Award (USC), Utah Film Critics Association (UT), Vancouver Critics Circle (VAN), Visual Effects Society Awards (VES), Women Film Critics Circle (WC), Writers Guild of America (WGA)

LOGO DESIGNED BY MEENTS ILLUSTRATED

Permalink

from REVIEW BLOG – Every Movie Has a Lesson https://ift.tt/38bW9rG via IFTTT

from WordPress https://ift.tt/38fdGPF via IFTTT

[fireemblemramblings]

Fire Emblem Awakening- My Pairings

So, these are my official pairings for Fire Emblem Awakening!

Note: I had to play this twice hahaha, so my battle count is obviously low. The first time I beat the game I didn't know Gaius was recruitable, so I accidentally killed the sugar man. Also, somehow I forgot about recuriting Severa??? haha no idea how xD

So here goes~!

My Avatar and Lon'qu

He's THE BEST haha!! His fear of women. xD I took that as a challenge. lol!   First time playing this game, I didn't even know I married him when unlocking S support. I saw the confession scene and I was like wait what?! Husband Lon'qu. Wife Cactus. WAIT. WHAT!?!? LOOOL WE ARE MARRIED?! I love him though hahaha Honestly, if it were anyone else, I would have just started over. XD

Chrom and Sumia

Of course, everyone's beloved Chrom! So, he gets Sumia. Also, they are just cute together. Though their support conversation was based on pies xD

Frederick and Cordelia

Ahhhh. I like them both... Frederick totally works hard. I'm always for Frederick and Cordelia xD

Virion and Tharja

Virion and Tharja just makes sense to me. I mean look at Noire. Totally takes after her dad, if you know what I mean. Also, he was totally doing her bidding.... He must like her a lot xD

Vaike and Maribelle

BRADY LOOKS LIKE VAIKE. Thus, Vaike and Maribelle must be paired :D

Stahl and Olivia

Stahl and Olivia.... oh boy hahaha. His love letter confession was cute for her!

Sully and Kellam

Kellam and Sullly obviously for Kjelle~ Come on! EVEN THE NAME KELLAM AND KJELLE.

Ricken and Lissa

Again, Ricken is Lissa's hero ;)

Gaius and Cherche

Gaius gets Cherche because I like them both. Plus, Gerome can have orange hair and still look cool.

Panne and Gregor

Omgosh these two are adorable with each other!! It's been awhile, but I think he kept on calling her a bunny? xD Also, Gregor and Panne just work together well. I feel like they can change each other for the better.

Libra and Nowi

She helped him find his heart!!

Henry and Miriel

I'm sorry Henry, but Miriel needs a husband and you seem to love her. And no, Donnel is not getting with anyone hahahah. eww! little boy Donnel

Children Pairings~

Owain and Nah

It was hard pairing Nah....

Inigo and Lucina

THEY HAVE THE BEST SUPPORT FOR EACH OTHER!! (Inigo's other supports just made me cringe and laugh.) (Lucina's supports with the other kids... I was just like no. no. No.)

Brady and Cynthia

Cynthia's mysterious helper, Brady is so kind hearted! Their support was adorable~

Gerome and Severa

Severa talks about how Gerome has a handsome face and we get to see his face without the mask!!!

My Morgan~

Morgan deserves NO ONE in this time zone. hahaha. All the girls were too wacky for me for him...

Yarne and Noire

Noire never once went crazy with Yarne with her blood and thunder haha And she blushes at the end with him. They're cute together.

Laurent and Kjelle

Laurent watching over Kjelle and him promising to become "Dreamy" xD

http://fireemblemramblings.blogspot.com/2017/05/fire-emblem-birthright-my-pairings.html

[mrmichaelchadler]

A Tribute to Olivia, the Scene-Stealing Dog of Widows

There’s a moment, toward the end of “Widows,” right before the climactic heist, when we check in on the members of our titular crew before they don their black masks and holster their Glock .9mms. It’s that quintessential pre-heist montage of the players saying goodbye to their loved ones, just in case the job goes bad: Linda (Michelle Rodriguez) and Belle (Cynthia Erivo) kneel before an altar with Linda’s children, lighting candles to the Blessed Virgin. We’ve already seen Belle bid her daughter farewell, and Alice (Elizabeth Debicki) have one final drink with her kinda-sorta boyfriend/definite Sugar Daddy. So, the montage ends with Veronica Rawlings (Viola Davis) standing in front of a doggy daycare, preparing to drop off her beloved Westie terrier, Olivia (Olivia the dog, continuing the tail-wagging charm offensive from her debut in “Game Night”). Director Steve McQueen lingers on this moment far longer than the other farewells—he pulls his camera back wide, and in the dark of the evening, Veronica’s body becomes a knife-blade of a silhouette: She lifts Olivia up in her arms and holds her with a tenderness that is more poignant, for its openness, its earnestness. 

This image of a hard-edged woman cradling her little dog, perhaps for the last time, is one of the rare pure moments of emotional unguardedness in a twisty film that is preoccupied with power: who has it, who wants it, and who gets to take it, against all odds. It’s also one of the few and precious instances I’ve ever seen, on-screen, where a woman’s relationship with her pet, especially her dog, is regarded with the emotional depth and intensity as her bond with child or spouse. Veronica is very much a woman alone, and angry about it—arguably, even before her husband is exploded off this mortal coil (or, at least, when he seems to have exploded off this mortal coil)—yet, her bond with Olivia isn’t a low blow of a portrayal, meant to show how sad and pathetic she is.

Olivia is her pampered, cherished, and oh-so-adorable companion; more than this, though, Olivia is Veronica’s connection to the parts of herself that long for love and connection—even though her life experience has taught her that love and connection can be the double edges of the sword that pierces her breast and lances her heart. Olivia is not just “the dog,” a fluffy entity for the audience to fret over, or a cuddly convenient way to thaw out an arctic woman and make her “more likeable”: “Widows” uses Olivia to tell a deeper, more nuanced story about loneliness and longing, a story that feels achingly familiar to people like me, who have turned to our pets to ameliorate both.

Tova

I am, to quote the kids in my neighborhood, “that dog lady.” I’ve lived alone for the better part of my adult life (since my mid-twenties), save for a German Shepherd named Tova (pictured above), who I adopted just after I finished grad school and started the I-guess-I’m-a-grown-up-so-what-now phase of my life, and, after Tova passed away, a wily Lab-mix named Mina, whose need for training helped me concentrate my grief. Tova was a gorgeous, martial-looking dog with a gorgeous, martial spirit. She was a pinnacle of her breed in solemn protectiveness—I remember how she dismissed one particularly tedious and callous beau of mine when he left my apartment for the last time; she stood with the length of her body pressed against my legs, blocking him from a final embrace, as if to say, “time’s up, cowboy”—but I cherished her, mostly (and among so many other things) as a constant presence, as silent and consistent as a pulse. She was my first “good morning” when I woke up; my last “good night,” every day.  

In "Widows," McQueen and Davis evoke this most powerful element of the human and canine bond, that quiet confidence that comes in sharing a space and performing the daily rituals of life, not through broadly emotive displays like the goodbye outside of doggy daycare (which is more impactful because it is so strategically deployed), but in treating Olivia as a fixture in Veronica’s life. Olivia is there, burrowed into Harry’s (Liam Neeson) side of the bed, when Veronica breaks down before Harry’s funeral, her meticulously-arranged face cracking, for just a moment, in an expression of raw grief. Olivia is there, nestled in her dog bed, as Veronica reads through Harry’s notebook of jobs, and begins to plot the job that will get her and her fellow widows out of debt. If the Rawlings’ penthouse magnifies and reflects Veronica’s loneliness and vulnerability—rendered in cool, distant colors that feel catalogue-ready; overlong corridors that seem to mock her sudden singledom with their dramatic excess of space; and broad-paneled windows that all but scream “go ahead and look inside, she’s all alone”—then Olivia is the affectionate, inquisitive figure of comfort who brings sloppy, puppy-kissing life into the void.

Veronica’s insistence on bringing Olivia nearly everywhere with her may seem, initially, like a defensive display of rich bitch posturing—but even this posturing is a form of well-sculpted emotional armor. I’m terrible with strangers, fumbling-tongued and desperately uncertain; talking about my dogs isn’t even a back-up, it’s often my first, second, and third plan of approach whenever I’m meeting someone new: Telling that story about how Tova almost won the pet costume contest, or how Mina came in top of her class at obedience school (not that I’m bragging), feels so much safer than offering something starker about myself, something that could be weaponized—but it doesn’t feel entirely like hiding, either, because these stories matter to me, as much as anything I’ve done in my career or any film I’ve ever loved. Being a devoted dog guardian means assuming a complex, multilayered identity—one that all the “Dog Mommy” merchandise tries to flatten into something both cutesy and sad. 

Olivia doesn’t just allow Veronica to cosplay ladies who lunch (a pure-bred Westie puppy can cost upwards of 3,000 dollars, easily), which does, in and of itself, give this abrupt, awkward woman a role to play, a way to steady herself and stay focused and sane—she’s also a source of silent comfort, a ballast against the tenuousness of Veronica’s connection with the other women. It’s telling, for instance, that Veronica doesn’t bring Olivia with her when she rushes to Alice’s apartment after the Manning crime family murders Bash (Garret Dillahunt), the original getaway driver: Veronica is blisteringly open with Alice, releasing the full ugliness of her anger and her terror, sneering at the younger woman for taking a man into her bed when “your husband hasn’t even been dead a month,” slapping her and taking a hard slap in return, a slap that finally, mercifully, allows her to break down and cry. Alice is the most nakedly vulnerable of the widows—a battered bride, truly down and out, who thinks she has no smarts or skills to speak of—and it makes sense that Veronica, who must expend the constant energy of projecting an impenetrable guardedness, would feel some degree of subterranean interest in, even attraction to, her. The last scene in the entire film is Veronica, also sans dog, catching Alice outside of a bustling diner and slowly, genuinely, smiling at her, asking her how she’s been. 

But this is not to suggest that Olivia is a mere mollifier, a puppy placeholder until Veronica can graduate into real relationships—indeed, the film demonstrates, with a diamond-sharp, blood-culling clarity, that Olivia is a far better companion than Harry was (Olivia would never start a secret second family, fake her own death, and try to abscond with Veronica’s hard-earned ill-gotten gains). Olivia functions as an extension of Veronica’s feelings, so attuned to her guardian’s moods that she’ll act on them before Veronica is even consciously aware of them—Olivia is the one who first sniffs Harry out, in hiding at his paramour’s home, clawing and whining at the door in way that evokes the grasping need and desperation of Veronica’s grief.

Some of that immediate grief is about Harry, of course; however, Veronica has been shaped by a deeper grief, the murder of her son at the hands of a trigger-happy Chicago cop. This death is so obliterating, that it isn’t even mentioned until it is shown, in full—it’s like some fanged, thunder-hooved deity whose name must not be spoken until it’s offered a blood sacrifice—and yet, McQueen, Davis, and screenwriter Gillian Flynn have already allowed it to echo through everything that we’ve seen before it, which yes, includes Veronica’s relationship with Olivia. We sense a wordless history: Harry gifting Veronica with an extensive puppy as a reason to get out of bed, to go outside, every day, until the routine starts to feel something like normalcy, until the dog can ease her calcified heart open, even a little. That puppy steadily becoming Veronica’s little sweetheart, her comfort, as Harry begins to pull away, emotionally, at first, and then toward the arms of a woman whose baby won’t be targeted by the bigots who still rule this world. 

Mina

I’d never equate the loss of my Tova dog with the loss of a child, especially a child so cruelly taken. But I can say that her death devastated me, that my apartment became a whistling void. When I adopted Mina two weeks later, I willfully ignored her foster mom’s warning about how intensely she would “miss her people” when they left. That separation anxiety, manifest in clawing and scratching up the doors, the floors, the windowsills; howling in sorrow when I locked the door behind me; and drooling puddles everywhere, seemed to reflect the intractability of my own grief, a steady heartbeat gone frantic, erratic around one core need: Come back.  

Like Veronica, although in my own, less grandiose way, I had to move through my pain, I had to have “the balls to pull this off”—only the “this” was no heist, simply training my unruly girl to calm down, to recognize that she was not abandoned and I would, in fact, come back. A training that, through its meticulous consistency, gave me a purpose, a reason to get out of bed each day, to go outside—until finally, I found a new normal, a new, and no less special, love, to greet with “good morning” and end the day with “good night.” Two years later, she’s my darling; that sweet, happy face in the window; that gentle heft climbing onto the sofa beside me. It’s a powerful, even transformative, thing, to see that kind of bond enacted without mockery or condescension—given dignity, in fact—by filmmakers who understand that the magnificent spectrum of human pain and tenderness has room for canine companionship.   

from All Content https://ift.tt/2r8sU4X

[tabloidtoc]

National Examiner, February 1 -- part 1 of 2

You can now buy a copy of this issue for your very own at my eBay store: https://www.ebay.com/str/bradentonbooks

Cover: Natalie Wood death probe blown wide open

Page 2: Keeping the Faith -- these stars find their way through faith in a higher power -- George Foreman, Faith Hill, Denzel Washington, Angelina Jolie, Matthew McConaughey, Will Smith

Page 3: Pierce Brosnan, Sylvester Stallone, Jennifer Lawrence, Tyler Perry, Hugh Jackman, Mark Wahlberg

Page 4: George Clooney's classic looks in his movies

Page 6: Sean "Diddy" Combs has just made hundreds of residents in Miami's Overtown neighborhood very happy as he and his kids handed out $50 supermarket gift certificates and bags of self-care items for free

Page 7: Fran Drescher created her sitcom The Nanny back in 1993 and she's proud it's still a hit today

Page 8: Steve Irwin's son Robert Irwin is growing up to become the spitting image of his dad

Page 9: The facts so far -- what you need to know about the COVID-19 vaccine

Page 10: A trucker is being hailed as a hero after he performed an amazing feat -- he stopped traffic at the scene of an accident and hunted along the side of the road until he located a toddler who had been thrown from the wreckage

Page 11: Your Health -- dry hands? Pro tips for keeping skin soft and supple

Page 12: Stars who battled breast cancer -- their stirring stories of hope and strength -- Jaclyn Smith, Hoda Kotb, Cynthia Nixon, Suzanne Somers, Rita Wilson

Page 13: Robin Roberts, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, stars who are still fighting cancer -- Shannen Doherty, Olivia Newton-John

Page 14: Dear Tony, America's Top Psychic Healer -- as always love is the answer in troubled times, Tony predicts that in a year's time when COVID-19 is over there will be a sense of freedom and honesty and confidence in all people

Page 15: Liquor sales are up during the pandemic, sales of flour and baking ingredients are strong, but there's another sign on how people are coping with the anxiety of lockdown -- bibles are selling like hotcakes

Page 16: Viva Las Vegas vixen Ann-Margret had a red-hot affair with Elvis Presley but for 55 years she has refused to spill one intimate detail

Page 18: There is one way that living in the past can be very helpful -- when you're too anxious to make good decisions, looking back at the times you got it right can set you straight

Page 19: NASA rejected Jose Hernandez an astonishing 11 times before making him an astronaut and now the former farmer who couldn't speak fluent English until he has 12 has some advice for kids: never give up

Page 20: Cover Story -- in a blockbuster development a new look into the cold case of Natalie Wood's 1981 death and possible cover-up could solve the 40-year-old mystery and reveal if her 90-year-old husband Robert Wagner was involved

Page 24: New York City ushered in the New Year with its first baby of the decade -- little Jaxel Rodriguez made it into the record books as the No. 1 infant to arrive on January 1

Page 28: Love Junkies -- they liked walking down the aisle so much they kept doing it -- Christie Brinkley -- 4, Barbara Walters -- 4, Henry Fonda -- 5, Joan Collins -- 5, Clark Gable -- 5, Hedy Lamarr -- 6, Rue McClanahan -- 6

Page 29: Jerry Lee Lewis -- 7, Liz Taylor -- 8, Jennifer O'Neill -- 9, Zsa Zsa Gabor -- 9

Page 30: Jeff Bridges fights cancer with good cheer

Page 32: Fill your prescriptions for free -- get in on the $200 million drug giveaway

Page 40: Tony's Mystic World -- simple test reveals if you've lived before

Page 42: The Johnny Cash you never knew -- secrets and celebrations on beloved star's birthday

(continued)

[tabloidtoc]

Closer, March 29

You can buy a copy of this issue for your very own at my eBay store: https://www.ebay.com/str/bradentonbooks

Cover: Shirley Jones -- love, loss and no regrets

Page 1: Contents

Page 2: The Big Picture -- after seeing Lena Horne: The Lady and Her Music at New York's Nederlander Theater in 1981, Debbie Reynolds visited her longtime friend Lena Horne backstage

Page 4: He'll turn 60 in May, but George Clooney says being an older dad to toddlers has it benefits because his son isn't ever going to feel competitive with him and he'll be gumming his bread by the time he'd feel competitive with him -- George's twins Ella and Alexander turn 4 in June -- George is well aware that growing up with two highly accomplished parents, as wife Amal Clooney is a successful human rights lawyer, can put a lot of pressure on a kid and that's why the couple is already guiding Ella and Alexander with strong values and kind hearts, saying it's their job to make sure that they care about people and that they challenge people in power and look out for people who don't have power as those are the things he was raised with

Page 6: Picture Perfect -- former Broadway dancer and Radio City Rockette Amanda Kloots wasn't about to let a little wet weather hamper her fun as she kicked up her heels outside The Talk's studio in the rain

Page 7: Jane Seymour celebrates turning 70 with granddaughters Luna and Willa in Malibu, Sylvester Stallone at John Staluppi's Cars of Dreams Museum in North Palm Beach in Florida, Candace Cameron Bure worked on her poolside lounge act in a green bikini

Page 8: David Hasselhoff doing a cowboy aerobics video on Young Sheldon

Page 10: Olivia Colman and Gillian Anderson took a break from filming The Crown to enjoy a meal and celebrate Olivia's 47th birthday

Page 12: Mariska Hargitay showed off her knitting skills to commemorate the 12th annual National Day of Unplugging

Page 13: Sherri Shepherd and Kyra Sedgwick play besties on Call Your Mom, Jennifer Lopez showed off her silly side while in the tub, Robert Herjavec of Shark Tank won $31,000 for charity on Celebrity Wheel of Fortune but he was just excited to meet the show's co-host Vanna White

Page 22: Michael Caine at 88 -- I've had an amazing life -- the legendary actor and grandfather of three has no plans on slowing down

Page 24: Queen Elizabeth keeps calm and carries on -- the monarch stays strong after Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's bombshell interview

Page 26: Stars' Secret Pastimes -- the surprising hobbies and unusual collections of your favorite Hollywood celebrities -- Penelope Cruz, Lou Ferrigno, Reese Witherspoon, Jennifer Garner, Dan Aykroyd

Page 27: Tom Hanks, Rod Stewart, Julia Roberts

Page 28: Sharon Stone -- I'm grateful for every day -- in her new memoir, the actress shares the story of her rise to fame, her brush with death and her will to survive

Page 33: Horoscopes -- Aries Reese Witherspoon turned 45 on March 22

Page 34: Entertainment -- Cynthia Erivo on Genius: Aretha, Henry Lloyd-Hughes on The Irregulars, In the Spotlight -- Tyler Hoechlin

Page 36: On the Move -- Suzanne Somers

Page 38: Best Friends -- Leslie Jordan found the purr-fect role for a true cat lover on Call Me Kat, Tony Bennett and his wife Susan Crow adopted a dog named Buddy to go along with their other dog Happy

Page 39: Kevin Bacon with his alpaca Electra, Kate Beckinsale and her dog Myf went for a ride in matching shiny silver outfits, Arnold Schwarzenegger relaxed while his dog Dutch stands guard

Page 40: Great Escape -- Carmen Electra on Maui

Page 44: How to prevent back pain

Page 46: Exclusive Interview -- William Shatner -- life is a journey -- as he turns 90, the actor reflects on his storied career and shares his thoughts on making the most of every day

Page 50: Cover Story -- Shirley Jones -- fame, family and a lifetime of love -- the beloved performer is turning 87 and counting every blessing of her remarkable journey

Page 54: The Chad Everett only we knew -- the veteran actor found his life's purpose as a devoted husband and father

Page 56: Beauty -- Hair Flair -- from trendy turban knots to simple styles and ornate beaded designs, every hair day is a good hair day with a chic headband -- Duchess Kate Middleton, Charlize Theron

Page 58: My Life in 10 Pictures -- Sean Penn

Page 60: Flashback -- slit skirts, bobs with bangs, Billie Holiday, white suits

[tabloidtoc]

People, February 10

Cover: Kobe Bryant -- The shocking death of a sports legend along with 13-year-old daughter Gianna “Gigi” 

Page 3: Chatter -- Brad Pitt, Tyra Banks, Taika Waititi, Adam Driver, Irina Shayk on Bradley Cooper, Leslie Jones 

Page 4: 5 Things We’re Talking About This Week -- a social media challenge goes viral, Hershey’s debuts a makeup line, Bong Joon Ho learned swear words from Spike Lee, the Mean Girls musical will be a movie, Bambi is getting a live-action remake 

Page 6: Contents 

Page 8: Grammy Awards -- Billie Eilish’s big night, with brother Finneas 

Page 9: Demi Lovato 

Page 10: Rosalia, Billy Porter, Lil Nas X and Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi 

Page 11: Camila Cabello and her father Alejandro, Gwen Stefani and Blake Shelton and Tanya Tucker and Shania Twain and Keith Urban, Chrissy Teigen, A Difficult Grammy Night -- the shocking death of Kobe Bryant and an ousted CEO loomed large 

Page 12: Tyler the Creator, John Legend and Smokey Robinson, Cardi B and Offset, Nick and Joe and Kevin Jonas 

Page 13: Party Time -- Jay-Z and Beyonce, Gary Clark Jr. and his pregnant wife Nicole Trunfio, Heidi Klum and Tom Kaulitz, Aerosmith 

Page 14: StarTracks -- Emma Thompson and Robert Downey Jr. at the London premiere of Dolittle, Olivia Newton-John and Michelle Pfeiffer at a G’Day Usa event in support of the Australian bushfire relief efforts 

Page 15: Drew Barrymore and Minnie Mouse at Disney World, Patrick Dempsey at the 80th Hahnenkamm races in Austria, James Marsden and girlfriend Edei and his kids Mary and William Luca at the Sonic the Hedgehog premiere 

Page 16: Stars at Sundance -- Glenn Close and Alec Baldwin, Kaitlin Olson and Veena Sud and Jeffrey Katzenberg, Eva Longoria and America Ferrera, Will Ferrell and Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Kerry Washington

Page 19: Taylor Swift’s hidden pain 

Page 20: Harvey Weinstein’s rape trial begins 

Page 22: Heart Monitor -- Cara Santana and Jesse Metcalfe messy split, Avril Lavigne and Pete Jonas new couple, Brandon Jenner and pregnant Cayley Stoker surprise wedding, Lena Waithe and Alana Mayo it’s over 

Page 24: Blake Lively -- Family is my everything

Page 27: Channing Tatum and Jessie J back on and going public after split, Catherine and Sean Lowe juggling 3 kids under 4 

Page 28: Molly Ringwald from brat packer to modern mom 

Page 31: Passages, Terry Jones passed away 

Page 33: Stories to Make You Smile -- a kindergartner makes tiny clay koalas to raise money to help real ones -- https://www.instagram.com/littleclaykoalas/

Page 35: People Picks -- Ted Bundy: Falling for a Killer 

Page 36: Tommy, The Sinner 

Page 37: The Rhythm Section 

Page 38: The Assistant, Briarpatch, One to Watch -- Party of Five’s Brandon Larracuente, Q&A -- Coyote Peterson 

Page 41: Books -- Q&A with royal etiquette expert Myka Meier 

Page 42: Cover Story -- Kobe Bryant -- a tragic death, a lasting legacy 

Page 50: Diane Keaton became a movie star and her brother’s life was stunted by mental illness and in her new memoir Diane tells the story of her beloved brother Randy 

Page 54: The Bella twins Nikki and Brie are both expecting 

Page 58: Princess Kate’s new project is honoring Holocaust survivors 

Page 60: How Schitt’s Creek -- a little feel-good TV show -- became a global sensation and turned its cast into the toast of Tinseltown 

Page 64: A Jehovah’s Witness cover up -- survivors of sexual abuse inside the religious group speak out in a new documentary part of an investigation they hope will bring offenders to justice 

Page 67: James Taylor opens up about how he overcame personal pain to find his peace through his songs 

Page 70: The deadly coronavirus -- what you need to know 

Page 73: Oscar Insider -- Renee Zellweger, fourth time’s the charm for Brad Pitt? 

Page 74: Cynthia Erivo, double nominee Scarlett Johansson, could Parasite pull a surprise win? 

Page 76: Oscar Ballot

Page 87: Second Look -- Seth Meyers and brother Josh Meyers and Jack McBrayer vs. Kevin and Nick and Joe Jonas 

Page 88: One Last Thing -- Sean Hayes