#Today In History: May 07

[ofmdrecaps]

07/18-19/2024 Daily OFMD Recap

TLDR; Rhys & Rosie; Samba Schutte; David Jenkins; Taika Waititi; #FirstMateFriday: Con O'Neill; Vico Ortiz; Linds Cantrell; Alex Sherman & Alyssa Lane; Kristian Nairn; Rachel House; Erroll Shand; Jes Tom; WBD Status; ; Fan Spotlight: Cast Cards; Stede & Ed; Our Flag Means Fanfiction; Love Notes ; Daily Darby / Today's Taika;

Hey crew, sorry for the delay. I was going to finish yesterday's recap this morning, and then my draft got nuked again due to my computer crashing, so yeah two day it is!

== Rhys & Rosie ==

Rhys and Rosie are out at the AllBlacks Rubgy game! They're super excited for AoNZ vs Fiji!

Source: Rhys & Rosie's Instagram Stories

== Samba Schutte ==

So some of the news that came out of Florida Supercon last weekend was Samba revealed in a panel that there was supposed to be an official OFMD Podcast and it was in the works until WBD said they "ran out of money". You can read the Full Article here

== David Jenkins ==

Chaos dad came out and had some commentary as well regarding it-- and Samba had more to add.

Source: David Jenkins' Twitter

== Taika Waititi ==

Taika out and about!

Source: Rosie Matheson's Instagram

Annnd Taika just being goofy!

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by i Licaoni Digital Studio (@i_licaoni)

Source: i_licaoni's Instagram

The associated Press released another interview with Taika and Jemaine!

and yet ANOTHER interview with Taika and Jemaine, this time with Brad Gilmore!

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Brad Gilmore (@bradgilmore)

Source: Brad Gilmore's Instagram

== First Mate Friday: Con O'Neill ==

There's a new trend this week! Folks on twitter have started up #FirstMateFriday in honor of Con O'Neill! There are so very many lovely tributes to him! I was only able to fit a few in, but they're all beautiful, and full of so much heartfelt love, and I'm sure he is out there basking in it all right now! Thank you to everyone who sent him some love today (and thank you to the lovely folks below for letting me share them!) Also, special thanks to RudestFish on twitter for coming up with this love fest for Con!

Source: RudestFish's Twitter

Source: lividturkeys Twitter

Source: wndrngnomad's Twitter

Source: 1chloreen1's Twitter

Source: Tayleafy's Twitter

== Alex Sherman and Alyssa Lane ==

Our beloved writers/co-producers Alex and Alyssa were out in Mexico City! So nice to see them out and having fun again!

Source: Alex Sherman's Instagram

Alex also popped in to appreciate our darling @fidisart on twitter!

Source: Fidisart's Twitter

== Long Post is Long, Lots under the Cut ==

== Vico Ortiz ==

Vico wants to wish everyone a Happy #NonMonogamyVisibility Week! They shared a lot about their history with polyamory and lots of Garlic Soup on their Instagram Stories as well!

Source: Vico's Instagram

== Linds Cantrell ==

Lindsey Cantrell is the biggest sweetheart by the way and she's been so happy to be interacting with everyone in the OFMD community-- it was just nice to see her feeling included and loved (she shared this on her IG Story). If you don't already follow her on IG, please do, she always has super cool stuff to share, even if it's not OFMD related. <3

Source: Linds Cantrell's Instagram

== Rachel House ==

Rachel was out seeing Bob Tidicue!

Source: Rachel House's Instagram Stories

== Erroll Shand ==

New Episode yesterday of The Twelve on Binge!

Source: Binge's Instagram

== Jes Tom ==

Jes was featured on the "GOOD BOYS" Podcast: Episode 2: Model Behavior! Wanna listen in? You can check out their linktree.

Source: For Them's Instagram

Some photos from Jes' recent comedy show with Tessa Skara: Corporate Pride.

Source: TessaFuckinSkara's Instagram

== Kristian Nairn ==

Kristian is the special guest at Van Love Fest in Elvington Airfield, York!

Source: Kristian Nairn's Instagram

== WBD News ==

So many of our crewmates on twitter have been highlighting some big news with WBD. It sounds like they may actually be doing a split in the upcoming future. Lot of articles below with more info.

Warner Bros Discovery drafts break-up plan

Warner Bros. Discovery might split itself into two pieces

Cord Cutting Today Warner Bros. Discovery Selling Max? Here is What We Know

Why Warner Bros. Discovery Stock Jumped 15% This Week

David Zaslav's Come To Jesus Moment

Sources: Meowzawowza, Never Left Podcast, Ashley (seven_sugars), MrButtons294 on Twitter

== Trends ==

Always nice to see!

Source: Never Left Podcast's Twitter

== Fan Spotlight ==

= Cast Cards =

Naureemum S. was another one of the stand-ins in OFMD according to https://ofmd-crew.com/ - Thank you to @melvisik for giving her a spotlight!

Source: @melvisik's Twitter

== Our Flag Means Fanfiction ==

Are you going to be at San Diego Comic Con on July 25-28? Well keep an eye out for these free bookmarks from Our Flag Means Fanfiction!

Source: Our Flag Means Fanfiction Instagram

== Love Notes ==

Hey there lovelies! I hope the end to your week was good to you! A lots happened in the last 48 hrs, and I apologize I'm so late sharing some of it. Please let me know if I missed anything! I love how much people are really stepping up the love for cast members after all the Emmy stuff that went down. I see everyone just aggressively (I say affectionatly) loving so many of them and it's so heart-warming and uplifting. I've said it before, and I'll say it again, but your love and kindness is so incredibly impactful. You may never get to see the fruits of your love (although the cast and crew does tend to show us they hear us) but know that every little bit builds up. Maybe someone was having a bad day, and seeing how much we love them gave them that extra boost to get through it-- you never know! There is an old greek proverb: "A society grows great when [folks] plant trees whose shade they know they shall never sit in."

That is really true about kindness and support and love too. You are sowing the seeds and roots of a better tomorrow, even if you yourself never get to see the branches and fruit that love produces.

Never let the harshness of the world dim your light lovelies. Your kindness and love moves mountains tiny bits at a time.

I hope you all have a wonderful, fairly uneventful weekend (unless you want it to be eventful!) and get some good rest <3

== Daily Darby / Tonight's Taika ==

There is no theme tonight! Just Rhys being ridiculously hot, and Meow blessing us with this adorable Taika smile. Happy belated Meow Day! Rhys Gif by @ofmd-ann and Taika Gif by @blakbonnet!

[dawnoftime22]

a long journey.

| T.S

Warnings: a sensitive topic for some people, talk of not existing, crying (happy tears), the coming to a realization of a long journey of life, words that may prick your eyes with tears

Summary: After so long of fighting your battles, you were finally releasing everything and calming down, and you couldn't help but let out all the tears you've ever held with Taylor.

Word Count: 1.3k

Category: comfort, fluff

A/N: this was made with tears and I can't bare to proofread it so I very much apologise if it's rough on some parts<3 also! a reminder for all of you, that today is the last day for requests for taylor! I have three in the works right now on the way :]

P.S, listening to epiphany or even folklore while writing this was not a smart idea...

| Started on 02/07/2024, 8:30 PM |

| Finished on 14/07/2024, 6:25 PM |

Main Masterlist | T.S Masterlist

seven days of comfort.

“To acknowledge yourself and anything else, that, truly, is a brave thing to do.”

|——————————— ⸆⸉ ———————————|

The wind was meeting your skin, ever so gently tracing each outline it could reach, as you let out a gentle sigh.

Over in the blue distance, you could see birds, minding their own businesses, flying in a flock, or sitting perched up by the side of a rooftop.

The crows were cawing, but the other birds were chirping. Their tunes almost match the melodies of your girlfriend's, but varying in each of their own style.

You were standing at the balcony of Taylor's apartment, leaning against the rails with your arms loosely hanging off the side, the cool air making the hair on your skin rise just slightly.

Taylor was inside, standing by the kitchen counters, preparing tea for the both of you since you had agreed on spending time outside, but not entirely leaving home.

Your eyes stare off into the sinking sun, watching it go down. Its grace held the ability to change the sky's color, mixing shades of oranges and pink.

In the peacefulness of everything, you couldn't help but let your mind stray away, but not as far that it would enter a fog you could get lost in.

There were so many memories you could remember off the top of your head. All the interactions, compliments, and gestures thats been shared across strangers and people you know.

Your breathing was steady, but as you spaced out, you noticed the way you were breathing, and now you had to do it manually as you thought about it all.

The past. The past can be a reflection, too. It can't only stay in its form of grieving for something that once was, or something that was supposed to be, but never was. You couldn't stay that way forever, because it would only lead to more broken feelings.

To let go, is to relieve yourself of everything you've longed to put down. Even the weight on your shoulders that you could never truly realize was there.

You look down in your lap. Your hands were just sitting there, instead of clutching your heart. And your legs, they weren't curled up in a vulnerable position. What reason did they have to be? To let out your emotions sure, but as of right now, living freely and relaxed is what they should be doing.

You can notice every mark and crack, left upon the walls, the coffee table, the couch, even the rust on parts of the metal rail, all being small evidences of history. Your eyes traced every single one of them.

Each turn and direction you took in your life, it all led to this. A feeling of contentment and happiness. The simple thought of how long it took you to even reach to such a point had a swell building in your throat.

With the inhale of a gentle breath, you feel your eyes starting its part of pooling all the tears it had. You tried to blink it away, but the feeling was far too overcoming, going in without a warning. Everything was coming to realization, everything thats been needing to be parted away without any more judgement.

It was like the wind running through your hair with its breeze, or the ocean waves kissing the sand onshore, slowly washing away traces of anything, and then retreating. It was washing your entire soul down, coming in to cleanse your mind.

Just as you were slowly feeling your heart spilling its pent up tiredness, the scent of newly brewed tea was filling the area, and Taylor was gently stepping out to the balcony, holding two full mugs.

She sets them down on the table that sit at the balcony, a small content smile present on her face. But then, she hears a soft sniffle beside her, and she turns her head, her expressions fading into concern.

It was then, you feel the warm tears freely run from your eyes. Her heart skips a beat, and she was thankfully mindful enough to be careful in not hitting her hand against the mugs as she quickly goes to you, stepping closer.

"Baby...hey, what's wrong, sweetheart?" Taylor whispers, her hand coming up to cradle your face, her thumb moving to gently wipe away your tears.

Her eyes saw your shining ones, and concern filled her as she wondered what could have possibly made you cry, especially since you seemed so at peace when she checked earlier.

"Nothing...I'm just..." you start, nibbling on your lips as you faced her fully. Her eyes were gentle and caring, only a hint of worry being the other thing present.

"I'm happy," you whispered. Taylor's expressions softened as she let out a breath of relief, seeing the situation come to a brighter light.

"It's just been so long since its been this good." You admitted softly with a chuckle, but sniffling once more, which causes her to bring you into a warm embrace, her own eyes brimming with tears that were threatening to fall.

She kisses your head softly, then nuzzles her face into your hair and squeeze you gently. "I'm glad, baby..." She says as she pulled back, her own voice shaking with emotion.

She's seen you go through so many things, things that not many people manage to handle, and she was so, so proud of you.

To think that it could have happened any other way, was heartbreaking to her. And with her gathered up tears in her eyes, it showed just how honest she was.

"I hope you know I love you. I care for you. And you always deserve everything good you get." She says, her hands going down to your shoulders. The gentle squeeze mixed in with her words was enough to have you fully present in the moment, if the wind on your face wasn't enough.

"Even if you don't feel like you do...please, remember that you do." Her hands went to your waist. Her aim was not only to comfort you, but to have you soak in just how special the moment of realizing how far you've gotten is.

Taylor gives you a soft smile, the one you've always seen all these years, all these years of endless tears and fears, all now being put at rest, and you couldn't help but break out into tears again with a small whimper.

"I wouldn't know where I'd be if not for you..." you shook your head gently, and Taylor's own eyes followed in their flood silently. Her heart ached, but swelled at the same time, happy that you were happy.

"I know, sweetheart..." she whispered shakingly, the back of her hand finding contact with your cheek, and you lean into the touch.

"But as much as I love that..." she took in a deep breath, seeing your nose going red at how much you're starting to cry. "You did most of it on your own, baby," she said assuringly.

"All those times you felt like you couldn't go on? You still took your steps forward no matter what, even when it was hard," her head gently moves with her words, and you had to take deep breaths so your sobs dont make it hard to hear her.

The battles you fought, the storms and chaos, that was all settling down. You were settling down. And that was all that mattered. For everything given and taken and every sigh that had left your mouth, here you were.

Taylor sniffles, her tears freely flowing, but she continues, "Some people can come by to give you a push, like me, but you made the choice to be here, to still exist with me and everyone else." She said, keeping firm eye contact with you, and you couldn't be more grateful for her.

"And if not, then I would have been heartbroken...or maybe not even met you at all, and that would have been even worse..." It was almost as if her body, being so close to yours, all your emotions were traveling over to her own heart.

"Because you're the most loving soul I've ever known." Taylor breathed out, pulling you back into a tight embrace. She can feel the tension in your body being released, letting go of everything that ever was as you sobbed softly into her chest.

"I love you," you whispered into her neck, your hands clutching onto her shirt as she held you and swayed you both lightly.

"I love you, too. So much." she returns back the whisper of love, her voice having just as much emotion as yours did.

---------------------

taglist <3 - join here! :]

@dmenby3100 @wandsmxmff @tia-thesimp @marvelwomen-simp @escapereality4music @fawnedolly @justgayloringeverthrone @lovelyy-moonlight @stevecore @midastouch013 @liloandstitchstan @maleahoswick @raven-ss @deadlymistletoe @bambisfawns

[choiceofgames]

Author Interview

https://www.choiceofgames.com/2024/07/new-author-interview-drew-morrison-bootlegger-moonshine-empire/

I think this is your first time writing interactive fiction, but you’re rather an accomplished playwright, I gather. Tell me a little about your background and what brought you to Choice of Games.

I started writing for theater in middle school, and got my Masters in Playwriting at the University of New Mexico. Dialogue has always been my favorite part of writing, and theater offers such a great way to get together with friends and tell a story. I worked for a devised theater company in Albuquerque for about five years, and I really got attached to the camaraderie that develops around putting up a play, especially when it’s done without a lot of financial resources. It means everybody learns different tasks, and shifts around with each show: sometimes you’re a writer, sometimes an actor, director, technician, or shadow-puppeteer. The whole thing ends up being this wonderful process of collaborative problem solving: How do we make what we want to make with what we have? Those limitations spark more interesting ideas than the ones you’d have if you could just pay problems away.

I was introduced to Choice of Games by a friend who had worked for the company as a cover artist. I’d never written anything like this before, and it was a steep learning curve, but the Choice of Games forum and community is such a vibrant scene of supportive people that it’s been really exciting to work on. As a writer, it’s so easy to get sucked into the lonely process of submitting to distant strangers and contests, rarely getting any feedback on your work. The opportunity to have people engaged and willing to respond to your drafts is an invaluable resource, which was my favorite part of working in theater.

What did you find most challenging about the game design and using ChoiceScript to craft a narrative?

Pretty much everything? I was so proud the day I finally submitted a full draft that you could play through from beginning to end that it’s fueled me through the whole editing process since. Having finished a CoG game now, it’s amazing how many tips and tricks you pick up along the way that would change how you approach writing another game.

There were a lot of really fun challenges purely at the level of the prose. For one, second-person/present tense is such a fun, propulsive voice to write in. As someone who didn’t grow up with tabletop roleplaying games, it’s a relatively new voice for me.

Also, as a playwright, my plays are often structured around reveals and buried secrets. When lights come up on a play, we don’t know the people on stage, and revelations about their pasts, motives, relationships, and shared histories are part of what fuels the drama.

In an interactive fiction novel, the reveal isn’t as useful, because it will only work for the first playthrough. This completely changes the notion of suspense as a storytelling technique–a returning player has already seen behind the curtain. Plus, in the main character’s case, the player needs to know (and decide) all major backstory decisions from the outset, so that they can make informed decisions. This was really fun for me; as a writer I couldn’t rely on old tricks. It feels like I usually write as someone watching from the audience, and this was like going on stage and whispering in the main character’s ear.

Bootlegger is set during such an interesting period in American history. What about the period, and about Prohibition in general do you think modern readers may not know about?

The intersection of coffee and alcohol is really interesting to me. Part of the reason people drank so much pre-Prohibition was because alcohol was one of the only reliably safe ways to drink water. It would be much lower alcohol content than we associate with booze today, but people would drink the entire day. Coffee and tea were new forms of safe ways to drink water, so people went from being mildly drunk all the time to sober and caffeinated. The intellectual and political ramifications of that are massive.

The period is great for anecdotes, and I love all the methods people came up with to get away with drinking. Speakeasies would install levers that, when pulled in the case of a raid, would dump their entire liquor display down a hidden chute, shattering the bottles and draining the booze. Alcohol had been determined to have no health benefits, but during Prohibition that suddenly changed: whiskey could be gotten legally with a prescription for all sorts of maladies.

For me, it’s also a really interesting time of how people respond to a ban. For many, Prohibition was an attempt to stop some truly devastating habits, such as poor workers and farmers blowing their full paychecks on the way home, before even getting to their families. You can see how the Women’s Christian Temperance Union and the Anti-Saloon League could see alcohol and the people who sold it as criminal enterprises. At the same time, the complete ban on it meant that many people saw a market, and exploited it ruthlessly. With Bootlegger, I wanted to explore the sudden emergence of a new market that’s illegal, lucrative, and slightly absurd; something that was legal a few short years ago is now a violent, thriving industry.

Do you have a favorite NPC, one you enjoyed writing most?

I’ve never written any kind of gangster story, so writing Capaldi was a lot of fun. Writing a villain in general is a lot of fun, actually, but especially in this case, since Capaldi can be a villain or an ally depending on the play-through. That type of character, alternately frightening and endearing, is so rich and prevalent in gangster movies, and I like that in interactive fiction you might only see someone’s worst side when you’re on their worst side, which is just a terrible place to be. I think one reason we get into stories like The Godfather is because we see two sides of people, while the other characters in the story only see one: loving family member, terrifying murderer. It seems impossible that they can be one person.

If you were transported to the world of Bootlegger, what kind of underground shenanigans would you be best at? Distilling, smuggling, or imbibing?

I think I’d be good at distilling. I know I’d be terrible at being in charge of an operation, I have neither the economic wherewithal or ruthlessness. But I was a barista for a long time, so I think I’d be good at tending a still. I don’t think Prohibition had much of a “craft rotgut” scene, but I imagine I’d be able to get to the point of describing the flavor notes to my customers, which could maybe help me work my way up to get the kind of clients who could afford to care about the quality of their whiskey during Prohibition. But I’m also too trusting, so I’d be very easy to rip off. So, if I could find my way into an operation run by someone like Sam in Bootlegger, who takes care of their own, I’d make a very good worker.

Do you have a favorite tipple or are you a teetotaler?

I do love the occasional bourbon or an old fashioned, but generally I stick with beer.

What else are you working on/working on next, writing-wise?

I’m currently getting my Masters in Political Science, so I’m writing several essays, mainly focusing on the global impact of the film industry. I recently had a staged reading of a new play, Wildlife, which focuses on the illegal wildlife trade, as part of an ongoing project for my classes focusing on climate change. I am also working on an audio drama, called Ambrosia’s Big Break, with the hopes of releasing it in podcast format. Over the process of revising Bootlegger, I’ve had more ideas about things I’d like to do in this medium, so I’ve started to sketch out ideas for another interactive novel. This one would take an interconnected series of science fiction stories I wrote, and adapt them into one big world for the player. It’s one of those narratives that I’ve been attached to for years, but haven’t found the proper form for yet.

[secrets-of-everwich]

08-1 The Everwich Caves

[Click]

[Electronic hum underlies recording]

{Callie}

Hello, this is Callie Hewitt, and I’m recording on the 22nd October 2021. In my last recording – 07-2 – I said I wanted to find out more about the Everwich Caves, which frankly, I didn’t know existed until a few weeks ago. Was it really a few weeks ago? Gosh… This investigation has already gone so quickly!

So, I’ve decided to go on a hunt for the Everwich Caves. First step: The town records in the library. I hopefully should be able to find some kind of record about the caves, probably from many years ago. I’m not going straight into the caves for two reasons: One, I’m not stupid. Yes I did just stand and stare at the Everwich Ghost a few days ago, but that sighting isn’t confirmed as the ghost so it doesn’t count. I’m trying to be more prepared now. Two, I don’t have the keys to the basement to check anyway.

[Click]

[Click]

[Whispered]

Hello, I’m here in a study room in the library with everything I could find related to the Everwich Caves. Right. I’ve got a lot here, so let’s crack on. I’m uh, just gonna read out, because I don’t have the energy to summarise.

This first source is from a 60s book: A Summarised History of Everwich. I may take this book out to use it…

        ‘Throughout Everwich, many shops and houses buildings are connected underground, thanks to the cave system underneath Everwich. Created by natural forces, the Everwich Caves spread throughout Everwich in a maze-like pattern. Not just spreading throughout the town, it also spreads into the neighbouring forest and beyond.

        ‘It seems a good candidate for a wine cellar during the middle ages, due to its constant temperature of 12 degrees Celsius, and more recently was used as a bomb shelter during the two World Wars. The caves have entrances still accessible today in the graveyard, by the war memorial, and in the forest by the train station. All other entrances are blocked up, or inaccessible due to being on private property.’

Well, that’s definitely interesting! I also managed to find a map of the caves, so I think I’ll use that to navigate my way around when I go down to check them out.

The second source is from The Everwich Post, from an edition from July 1986.

        ‘Everwich Declared a Heritage Site.

        ‘The Everwich Caves have been deemed a site of historical importance, meaning that developers now must be extremely careful so as not to disturb the caves system lying just under the surface of Everwich.

        ‘Most towns in England have some form of caves under, whether man-made or natural, and Everwich is no exception. However, what makes Everwich special is the sheer size of its cave system. If you enter at one end of the town, you can almost certainly get to any other part of town if you know your way around the caves.

        ‘As well as its newfound heritage site status, the caves are home to a few species of bats, which is another cause for people leaving the caves well alone. Some say, the bats have been attacking citizens who wonder into the caves, which has been put down as being rabies, due to the symptoms those attacked by the bats come back with.’

The paper then goes on to talk about the same stuff the book says. I think the reporter took that information straight from this book, to be honest.

Most other sources I’ve been looking at have the same information – some literally just copied and pasted. Oh well, I have someone in mind who may have some general knowledge about the caves.

[Click]

[Click]

[Sounds of outside – wind, birds chirping etc.]

[Footsteps running]

Bert! Bert! Hi!

[Footsteps stop]

{Bert} Hello there, miss. Haven’t got into trouble yet, have you?

{Callie}

Not yet, don’t worry! I wanted to ask you something, if that’s okay?

{Bert}

Well, I suppose so.

{Callie}

Great! Well, what do you know about the Everwich Caves? I’ve been doing some research, and apparently there’s an entrance here in the graveyard. Is it still open?

{Bert}

Still on your little investigation? [Chuckles] Yes, there is an entrance. It’s over there, that trapdoor behind those bars. But, it’s locked. You’re not planning on going in there, are you?

{Callie} No, no, don’t worry!

{Bert} Good. I’d hate to be the reason for your getting injured.

{Callie} Anyway, what information do you know?

{Bert}

Let’s see… There’s a section used as catacombs, underneath the grounds. The less famous families would get buried there, before the caves got closed.

{Callie}

They got closed?

{Bert}

Indeed, about 20 years ago. Group of kids went in, never seen again. But that’s the same old story here, isn’t it? Disappearances and such.

{Callie} Exactly! That’s what I’m interested in!

{Bert}

I’d say that’s a bit morbid, but I work in a graveyard [Chuckles]

{Callie}

[Laughs] Anyway, thank you, Bert, I’ll let you get on with your grave keeping!

[Footsteps]

[Distantly]

{Bert}

I’ll be seeing you around, miss.

[Normal volume]

{Callie}

More disappearances! I can’t believe the caves were closed, wow. I didn’t find that in the library. Well, I’d better go back home.

[Click]

[Click]

Back in my room now! Well, thanks for listening to this Secret of Everwich, I’ll see you next time!

[Click]

[maoistyuri]

"One year on - End Israeli terror"

2024/10/07 — S. Lacombe for the Socialist Worker, the newspaper of the (Canadian) International Socialists.

In the past year the Israeli state has bombed Gaza, Lebanon, The West Bank, Syria, Yemen, Iraq and Iran killing tens of thousands of people with full backing of the US, Canada, UK and members of the EU.

They have committed war crimes on a scale never seen before. Each hour brings new horrors as Israel uses 2000 pound bombs on civilian targets in Gaza and Lebanon.

The long-expected invasion of Lebanon is partly about saving Benjamin Netanyahu’s political career by appeasing the far-right that props up his government. It is also about using the particular moment — during the chaos of the Gaza genocide — to expand Israel’s territory in Lebanon, Gaza and the West Bank.

Gaza Genocide

The Israelis have been allowed to carry out a genocide against the people of Gaza while states around the world turn a blind eye.

U.N. Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese stated, “The overwhelming nature and scale of Israel’s assault on Gaza and the destructive conditions of life it has inflicted reveal an intent to physically destroy Palestinians as a group.”

They have engineered a famine in Gaza by severely restricting aid deliveries. A document issued by the Office of the Human Rights Commissioner was blunt,

“Israel has been starving 2.3 million Palestinian people at a speed never witnessed in modern history. Never have this many civilians been made to go hungry so quickly and completely with the first reported deaths of children by starvation dating back to January 2024. Today, all of Gaza is in famine, a situation which will have irreversible consequences especially for children. But even if the conflict were to end today, food systems in Gaza are in shatters. At least one third of Gaza’s agricultural lands, the fishing fleet and irrigation systems are destroyed. In Gaza, starvation is being used as a weapon of war, which has unleashed violence at a genocidal scale.”

A recent report from the prestigious British medical journal The Lancet has revealed that the death toll in Gaza may be much higher than previously estimated.

The Lancet has done studies like this before. For example, they released a comprehensive report investigating the numbers of dead in Iraq after the US invasion in 2003.

They count not just the people who have been killed by direct fire but also those who die because of lack of medical treatment or by disease caused by the conditions of the war.

They estimate that as many as 186,000 Palestinians, or eight percent of the population, may have been killed in the past 9 months. That is likely a conservative estimate.

Continued here.

[mostlysignssomeportents]

This day in history

TODAY (July 14), I'm giving the closing keynote for the fifteenth HACKERS ON PLANET EARTH, in QUEENS, NY. Happy Bastille Day! NEXT SATURDAY (July 20), I'm appearing in CHICAGO at Exile in Bookville.

#20yrsago RIAA’s INDUCE Act letter deconstructed https://corante.com/importance/the-excessively-annotated-riaa-letter-on-the-induce-act-iica/

#20yrsago Lou Reed wants remixes https://web.archive.org/web/20040804104424/https://www.billboard.com/bb/daily/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1000577588

#20yrsago ICANN emancipate domain owners from scummy registrars https://web.archive.org/web/20040722061910/http://www.byte.org/blog/_archives/2004/7/14/105552.html

#20yrsago Disney’s $80 million mistake: Fahrenheit 911 https://web.archive.org/web/20040804183640/https://www.technicianonline.com/story.php?id=009702

#20yrsago Druid busted for possession of a sword https://mg.co.za/article/2004-07-13-swordpacking-druid-appears-in-court/

#15yrsago Michael Jackson didn’t sell 750 million records https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB124760651612341407

#15yrsago Phones confiscated at preview screenings: whose hypothetical risk is more important? https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2009/jul/14/mobile-phones-and-movie-security

#15yrsago Visa claims teen spent $23,148,855,308,184,500.00 on prepaid credit card https://web.archive.org/web/20090716125509/https://consumerist.com/5314246/unruly-teen-charges-23-quadrillion-at-drugstore

#10yrsago Freedom of info funnies: CIA cafeteria complaints https://www.muckrock.com/news/archives/2014/jul/14/doc-note-cia-cafeteria-complaints/

#10yrsago Economist examines empirical evidence of file-sharing on box-office revenue https://web.archive.org/web/20140816180401/http://conference.nber.org/confer/2014/SI2014/PRIT/Strumpf.pdf

#10yrsago Understanding #DRIP: new spy powers being rammed through UK Parliament https://web.archive.org/web/20140711071612/https://www.openrightsgroup.org/campaigns/no-emergency-stop-the-data-retention-stitch-up

#10yrsago Tesla’s “car-as-service” versus your right to see your data https://appliedabstractions.com/2014/07/14/elon-i-want-my-data/

#10yrsago Scalia may have opened path for Quakers to abstain from taxes https://www.salon.com/2014/07/14/scalias_major_screw_up_how_scotus_just_gave_liberals_a_huge_gift/

#10yrsago Unions considered helpful (economically) https://stumblingandmumbling.typepad.com/stumbling_and_mumbling/2014/07/unions-productivity-.html

#10yrsago Hearings into mass surveillance begin in UK https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2014/jul/14/court-gchq-surveillance-tempora-ipt-nsa-snowden

#10yrsago Everyone hates the NSA: survey https://web.archive.org/web/20140715012054/http://www.pewglobal.org/2014/07/14/nsa-opinion/table/country-citizens/

#10yrsago GCHQ’s black bag of dirty hacking tricks revealed https://web.archive.org/web/20140714190448/https://firstlook.org/theintercept/2014/07/14/manipulating-online-polls-ways-british-spies-seek-control-internet/

#10yrsago Snowden: #DRIP “defies belief,” could have been dreamed up by NSA https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jul/13/edward-snowden-condemns-britain-emergency-surveillance-bill-nsa

#5yrsago Florida DMV makes millions selling Floridians’ data…for pennies (and you can’t opt out) https://www.wxyz.com/news/national/florida-is-selling-drivers-personal-information-to-private-companies-and-marketing-firms

#5yrsago #TelegramGate: leaks show Puerto Rico’s appointed officials mocking the dead as hurricanes devastate the island https://web.archive.org/web/20190714004011/https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/puerto-rican-chief-financial-officer-resigns-chat-scandal-64318436

#1yrago Why they're smearing Lina Khan https://pluralistic.net/2023/07/14/making-good-trouble/#the-peoples-champion

Support me this summer on the Clarion Write-A-Thon and help raise money for the Clarion Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers' Workshop!

[7grandmel]

Todays rips: 02/04/2024

Our Sweet Parsley and .​.​.​of 2023 and Christmas Spirit [FILE-07] (Beta Mix)

Season 7 Featured on: SiIvaGunner's Highest Quality Rips: Volume Sapphire

Ripped by cookiefonster

Season 7 Featured on: SiIvaGunner's Highest Quality Rips: Volume Sapphire

Rip credited to "Kai Cenaze the Evil Gyat"

Season 7 Part of: Haltmann's Archives

Ripped by Mitchell

Did everyone enjoy yesterday's April Fools bit? I hope you did, it was a ton of fun - and if you missed it, you can use Raft Ride ~ The Story So Far to get yourself up to speed. But now its time to move past my own silly April Fools joke and back to the SiIvaGunner channel's bit - for the one event I've wanted to cover on this day for months now. In terms of these events, its hard to top just how excellently executed and well-rounded Mario's death event in Season 5 with Your Best Nightmario was - but for me, the event held last year just narrowly takes the crown for me. April Fools of 2023, the Season 7 event held 367 days ago (leap year!), is one of the most heartfelt, silly, and outright fun events the channel has ever had. And yes, I couldn't narrow it down - I HAD to feature three rips from it. Hopefully, you'll understand why.

To start, I think it needs to be established just how BIG this event was. There have been far larger in scope events on SiIva before - the King for Another Day tournament basically lasted from September to Thank You, Everybody! across several months and over a thousand videos - but April Fools 2023 is different. All 248 rips uploaded were done so not across months, not across weeks - but ALL DURING April 1st itself, within a 24 hour timespan. Now granted, 21 of those were Trailer Stringers for Garten of Banban (don't worry about it) - but it still speaks to the sheer bredth of the event itself. It was downright agonizing to think of just three, two, let alone one rip to feature on the blog to cover this event, because unlike with Your Best Nightmario or Grand Dad Metropolis - there's not truly one set of rips that best encapsulate everything about it.

Which, then, brings us to the event's theme, the main hook, one that compared to the above mentioned April Fools events from prior years, is quite subtle. You may have noticed that each of the three featured rips share a quirk in common in their title - a (Beta Mix), or in the case of .​.​.​of 2023, (Beta Mix) (Beta Mix). What's that all about? Well, Season 7 as a whole can be best described as a loveletter and celebration to the *entire* SiIvaGunner channel - this is a large part of what RIP² was about as I covered in SING A SONG ABOUT HOPES AND DREAMS and Return to Collision Clouds. It wasn't just cheering for KFAD, wasn't just remembering The Reboot, wasn't just being nostalgic for Season 1 - every inch of SiIvaGunner's history, obscure or popular, was brought up, remixed, paid tribute to, and so much more throughout the whole year, and the year's April Fools event was the greatest testament to it. We all slowly realized what that (Beta Mix) suffix meant - that each of the many, many rips uploaded that day, were *direct tributes* to the rips uploaded in the channel's past, elaborations upon or spoofs or alternate takes on these classic - or obscure! - rips.

And that side of the coin is what I think Our Sweet Parsley in particular captures brilliantly. Sonic Adventure's My Sweet Passion saw two absolutely classic rips be made of it during Season 1: The first, Our Sweet Passion, is made in the channel's earliest months and is one of the most concise examples of a truly good bait and switch, playing the track's instrumentals but having its lyrics be read aloud, dramatically yet with a confused inflection, by ripper How2BeEpic, emphasizing the bizarre word choices and writing to comedic effect. In the season's final months, Harmony Friends of Coconut Gun fame mentioned back in CG Man HD Remastered Edition, gave us My Sweet Parsley, a rip that sentence-mixes these same bizarre lyrics in YouTube Poop-esque fashion whilst still playing the original instrumental behind it all. Our Sweet Parsley, then, sees cookiefonster pay tribute to both at the same time in a rip I'm sure many of us thought possible, yet had likely forgotten about by the time Season 7 was upon us seven whole years later: a perfect fusion of the two. That's right - the lyrics of the YouTube Poop-ified My Sweet Parsley are read out with the same dramatic, quite-unfitting voice as Our Sweet Passion, and its arguably even funnier: Since there's no sentence mixing done, we get to hear first-hand cookiefonster's descent into madness reading off how Amy "had to shave it". And to really bring the point home of how much of a loveletter this entire event was, the aforementioned descent into madness is immediately followed by a bait-and-switch performance of the DK Rap with changed lyrics, directly paying tribute to Harmony Friends' Coconut Gun Rap. And then there's a sly reference to Thunder, Rain, and Lightning just after that - ANOTHER Harmony Friends rip from Season 1!!

You see what I mean, right? This was just one of the 240+ rips uploaded this day, but a ton of them had this same sort of love and care poured into them, no matter how shitpost-y they may seem from the outside. For me, the entire day was like being continuously rewarded for having kept up with SiIvaGunner so closely since its inception - yet more than the average use of the term "fanservice" implies, it all felt like it was done with the most genuine and wholesome, mutual respect between rippers behind-the-scenes. And, well, I say rippers - but part of the fun with the event was that it extended far past just rips! .​.​.​of 2023 is a (Beta Mix) version of a fucking *VLOG* of all things, the Vlog that channel founder Chaze the Chat recorded to announce the end of SiIvaGunner Season 2 and the beginning of SiIvaGunner Season 3. In other words, the equivalent of an update video, not anything actually core to the channel - yet still a video that die-hard fans like myself have long kept in mind since it was made.

I have no clue who "Kai Cenaze the Evil Gyat" is, but I want to thank them sincerely for creating the funniest rip I've ever seen out of one of SiIvaGunner's few completely-straightfaced videos, one that I mostly remembered for its very funny thumbnail. In some ways, it's the most classic of YouTube Poop, with sentence mixing and edits done purely for the silliness of "he's not saying what he's supposed to!!". But there's little nods to the fanbase's running jokes in the background - The Christmas Comeback Crisis development hell, the Rave.DJ sticker in the bottom right of the whole video, and so on - all the while, prominently, the entire video is coated in modern-day-YouTube content mill slop from top to bottom. A reaction video cam of Chaze the Chat, based on the Season 1 ending announcement The nutshack theme but the first nutshack is replaced with me ending the channel but edited to basically do nothing but say "uhm", constant reminders to like and subscribe, sensory-video sound effects - its genuinely absurd in a hysterical way to see such a tranquil, normal "olden days" YouTube video be slathered top to bottom in this kind of stuff - and it shows just how far this event went to fuck around with our past knowledge of the channel's history.

But, you know me - I'm a lorehead - and alongside all these videos, we also got the very special morsel of Christmas Spirit [FILE-07] (Beta Mix). I've long since accepted that a lot of things that happen on SiIvaGunner, especially nowadays, don't really have any direct ties to greater channel lore - that's completely fine, and its allowed the team to flex their creativity and individual skills in ways they couldn't whilst being ran under Chaze the Chat's administration in the first four seasons. Yet for this silly, downright pure-fun holiday event, Mitchell goes back to (Beta Mix) up one of the old Haltmann's Archives videos, the videos made during Season 2 and Season 3 specifically to condense and help convey old and new lore to the audience. It is, admittedly, not very serious, likely not even meant to be taken *seriously* - but it depicts a sort of glitch in the system, with the log changing from a researcher team's findings regarding "Christmas Spirit", to suddenly focus on a new, unknown substance called Fools' Spirit, a substance that appeared out of nowhere yet able to "warp and corrupt the space around itself". The testing is described as fruitless, yet as the log ends, we're shown a peek into the elusive testing grounds previously only described verbally - now covered in mist as pink as the Fools' Spirit, and evidently causing glitches to the actively-running SiIvaGunner experiments.

The rip is far simpler and straightforward than the abovementioned two - its less rip and more textbox - but I think its the initiative and attention to detail that really speaks to me here. The original Christmas Spirit [FILE-07] was well over five years old by the time this event rolled around, covering lore that hadn't been touched upon since the last main Christmas Comeback Crisis episode from just about as long ago - lore that, compared to stuff like Figments as covered in Bowser's Finale, is far less relevant to the channel's status quo. To find a way to bring back that old lore, repurpose it for the intents of this new event, and all the while having it tie together with the current state of the lore as well!!! You can see at the end, the laptop screen describes "Illucidity Active", describing the dream environment in which SiIvaGunner exists within during the entirety of Season 7 in particular. This Fools' Spirit then infests the laptop, and by extension SiIvaGunner's own dreams - giving us the entire April Fools events' gimmick to begin with! And hell, depending on how you read into things, it could even be viewed as - unintentional or not - foreshadowing for some of the great reveals made during the Season 7 finale, One Last Chance [Episode 11] of the Christmas Comeback Crisis.

Do you see why this event was like heaven on earth for me, the notorious overthinker of SiIvaGunner lore? This channel is my autism fuel, it is my Pokédex - and the entirety of April Fools 2023 was like being personally thanked for 24 hours straight for my commitment and love for the channel. No, you silly doofuses - thank YOU for running the channel to begin with, for keeping it so incredibly fresh for eight years and running!! I could do this sort of breakdown for far more than three rips from this event - if you gave me infinite time, I would GLADLY repeat Raft Ride ~ The Story So Far but for April Fools 2023 -, but I think its best I leave you all to explore the event on your own. It needs to be emphasized just how magical Season 7 was for me - it was the thing that made me start this damn blog to begin with!! - and it fills my heart with such joy to see that so much of the SiIvaGunner team loves this channel in its entirety. Be it the love for rips, like with Our Sweet Parsley, love for lore like with Christmas Spirit [FILE-07] (Beta Mix), or love for quite literally everything inbetween like with .​.​.​of 2023 - I'm forever assured that SiIvaGunner will stay in good hands in the years to come. Godspeed, you beautiful bastards. April Fools.

[black-arcana]

POWERWOLF To Release New Studio Album, 'Wake Up The Wicked', In July

POWERWOLF will release a new studio album,��"Wake Up The Wicked", on July 26, 2024 via Napalm Records.

"Wake Up The Wicked" — the highly anticipated follow-up to the extremely successful "Call Of The Wild" (2021) — will arrive just in time for the award-winning band's first-ever full North American tour, starting in August 2024, followed by their biggest European headline tour to date, the "Wolfsnächte 2024".

"Wake Up The Wicked" was once again produced by Joost Van Den Broek at Sandlane Recording Facilities and marks a new benchmark and undisputed career highlight for the band. The new album is hard, surprising and full of variety. While staying true to their established, loved sound, POWERWOLF go one step further and showcase a different facet of their deft musical and technical skills. This is evident, for example, on the outstanding single "1589", which is based on a true story from the 16th century.

20 years after their formation in 2004, POWERWOLF are expanding their repertoire with the highest quality and adding many future live hits to their extraordinary discography. "Wake Up The Wicked" is yet another statement cementing the status of the band as a leading force in the world of heavy metal

"Wake Up The Wicked" track listing:

01. Bless 'Em With The Blade 02. Sinners Of The Seven Seas 03. Kyrie Klitorem 04. Heretic Hunters 05. 1589 06. Viva Vulgata 07. Wake Up The Wicked 08. Joan Of Arc 09. Thunderpriest 10. We Don't Wanna Be No Saints 11. Vargamor

POWERWOLF are undoubtedly one of the most celebrated and successful heavy metal bands of the last decade. Multiple No. 1 album chart entries, gold and platinum records, huge sold-out arena shows, as well as headline slots at the biggest festivals have paved their way. In less than 20 years of band history, POWERWOLF has made it to the very highest league of heavy metal.

POWERWOLF has conquered countless stages at the world's biggest summer festivals, and their last "Wolfsnächte" headline tours (2019, 2022),as well as their aforementioned North American debut in early 2023, were almost completely sold out — resulting in a massive triumph. They have performed headlining sets at Wacken Open Air and Summer Breeze, as well as held premium slots at genre festival giants such as Hellfest, Graspop Metal Meeting, Masters Of Rock and many more, captivating enormous audiences. No other German metal band has been able to write a success story even remotely comparable in recent years.

Following their onslaught of North America, POWERWOLF will embark on their most impressive European tour yet in celebration of their highly anticipated 2024 studio album. Amid 16 shows in total, the tour will visit colossal venues in Munich, Paris, Amsterdam, Berlin, Prague, Hamburg and Antwerp. POWERWOLF will be accompanied by Swedish heavy metal legends HAMMERFALL as special guests, with support from viral rising stars, dwarven metallers WIND ROSE.

The story of the frontrunners of today's German metal scene, POWERWOLF, began in 2004 and only knows one direction: ever upwards. Their trajectory may seem like something out of a fairytale, but it is the result of the band embodying the highest quality of heavy metal in the universe. Outstanding album production, bombastic live shows and a tireless drive for perfection on and behind the stage are what this exceptional band is known for around the world.

Over the course of their career, the band has not only fascinated metal fans, but has also won over international press and critics. Countless cover stories in the most important magazines, critics' awards such as the Metal Hammer Award, and effusive album and concert reviews underpin POWERWOLF's outstanding international status.

POWERWOLF is:

Attila Dorn - vocals Falk Maria Schlegel - organ Charles Greywolf - guitar Matthew Greywolf - guitar Roel van Helden - drums

Photo credit: VDPictures

[alder-saan]

The Path of Poisons .2

Manchineel

Larissa x gn! oc

The Path of Poisons masterlist . [01] . [02] . [03] . [04] . [05] . [06] . [07] . [08] . [09]

Warnings : none (maybe an hospital can be triggering)

Words count : ~3.3k

Avareida was waiting in the small café in Jericho. They had promised their friend to meet them there, since they had arrived in the city the day before. They yawned. They were tired from their nightly excursion. They crossed their arms on the table, put their head on it, and tried to fall asleep when a waiter appeared.

"Can I get you anything?

"A double long ristretto espresso with whipped cream, but no cream," they grumbled, raising their head.

"There's no such thing," he answered embarrassed.

"I know. A strong coffee without sugar is fine."

"I'll be right back."

He left, they buried their head in their arms again. The door tinkled as it opened. Small heels clicked on the floor. Avareida recognized them as those of Thalia, their friend and history teacher at Nevermore Academy. They sighed and sat down properly.

"You're late, Thalia."

Thalia was a small, pudgy, laughing black woman. Her mother was descended from native Americans, and her father from black African slaves, and she made a point of showing her students all the horrors the colonists had committed in America. Avareida understood. They were a descendant of the Cree.

Thalia always wore very colourful clothes, probably, Avareida thought, because she wasn't that happy after all, and today was no exception: she had put on a yellow dress with white polka dots and a little pink hat to match her tights. Where did she get all her clothes? It was still a mystery.

"Yes, I'm sorry Rei, we had a little trouble at the academy yesterday…"

"What kind of trouble?"

The waiter served Avareida their coffee and they began to drink it while listening to their friend, who ordered a long coffee.

"Well, for a start, our former botany teacher wanted to destroy the school and to do so she resurrected Joseph Crackmore, her ancestor."

"Woah..."

"Three students managed to stop him, but one of the inhabitants of the town, who was a Hyde and who was killing people in the area, associated with this teacher and another student stopped him."

"Well…"

"And finally, the principal, Mrs. Weems, was found overdosed with belladonna, and one of our manchineel plants has disappeared. We suspect that thieves may have taken the-"

Avareida choked on their coffee. They coughed to regain their composure.

"Sorry, what were you saying?"

"It is suspected that thieves wanted to take this plant and came across Mrs. Weems, who then gave them a dose of belladonna, not enough to kill her though. The question is: who stole this manchineel, and for what?"

"Mmh… it's strange, this whole thing…" Avareïda said, looking outside.

Thalia nodded, the waiter gave her her order.

"Especially very dangerous! If this person doesn't know what it is, they could die! And if they know, we can be sure of their criminal ambitions!"

Avareida put down her cup, now finished, with the most innocent look in the world.

"Do you know what a manchineel tree is?"

"To be honest, I didn't know until this morning…"

"Read The Path of Poisons and How to Cure Them, by Avareïda Hydrurga, and you'll never have any doubts about a potentially poisonous plant again."

The teacher laughed a little.

"Haven't you finished your commercial?"

"Hey, my income depends almost entirely on the sale of this book! And I love money!"

Thalia sighed, looking up at the sky... well the ceiling.

"So, how was your trip to the South Pole?"

"Nice, I made a friend. I called her Katia."

"What do you mean you called her?"

"She's a female leopard seal. At first she was a bit aggressive, but eventually she accepted me completely."

Thalia smiled as she watched her friend sink into her seat, gesturing wildly as they explained their encounter with the animal. Rei had that look in their eyes when they talked about their travels… she loved to hear them tell their stories.

"Isn't that your mother's name, Katia?"

"Yeah, because she acted like a mother. She used to bring me food. Which was penguins. And since they're not part of my diet, I had to decline her offer…"

"How do you manage to make so many enemies among humans and so many friends among animals?"

"I'm beginning to think that I'm not the problem… well, anyway. Is your principal okay? I mean, belladonna's a hell of a poison."

"She's in the hospital. I'm going to see her right after. You can come with me if you want. I'll just have to stop by the police station first. As you know about poisons, you could help them, couldn't you?"

"I don't see how I could be of any use to them…"

Thalia got up and went to the counter to pay.

"You underestimate yourself… I'll buy your coffee, a welcome to Jericho gift. And since you don't have any money…"

"Thank you for your great generosity but I can still afford coffee."

"I don't want to hear about it. I'll buy you one."

"All right, all right…"

Avareïda stood up and put their brown jacket back on their shoulders. They ran a hand over their hair, which was still neatly tucked back.

"You'd look good with red hair," Thalia remarked, coming back to her.

"Do you think so? I might try it… But I like my hair black."

"Shall I show you around town, and on the way we go to the police station?"

"Oh, yes, I've always wanted to!" they sneered

Thalia gave them a flick.

"Sorry, I don't have much choice, I've been summoned as a witness… You're lucky you weren't there yesterday. You would have been suspected. What time did you arrive anyway?"

"A little before midnight," they lied.

In truth they had arrived at 9 p.m., but they had nothing to blame themself for and didn't want to get into trouble with the law…

The door tinkled again as it opened. Avareida sighed. They had chosen the wrong moment to steal the manchineel tree…

Thalia pushed open the door to the police station, and was immediately greeted by the sheriff. Rei found the man was sad. There was something tired in his eyes. But they didn't know what. The place was small, smelled of ink and coffee. The policeman questioned Thalia with his eyes after noticing Rei, who was going through all the corners of the police station with a curious eye.

"Avareïda Hydrurga, this is a friend who arrived last night. They were not there on the night of the incident if that's what you're wondering. But they can be a great help to you."

"You're exaggerating, Thalia…"

"I'm curious to see that…" the sheriff said

"All because I know a little about poisons," they sighed.

"Mmh, we'll see. In the meantime, I'll take your statement, Mrs Kedlan."

"No problem. Can Rei come along or do I have to be alone?"

"Since you're not a suspect, you can bring whoever you want."

"Then they're coming with me."

Galpin opened the door to his office and pulled the blinds wide open. A bright light flooded the room. He invited Thalia and Rei to sit down, which they did.

"Well, Mrs Kedlan, tell me what you know."

"Well, the boy who called the emergency room went to warn me and other teachers, and when I arrived, Mrs. Weems was lying in the greenhouse, and a manchineel tree was missing, but there was no sign of a crime. The thief knew the code of where the manchineel trees were put."

"What were you doing before?"

"I was in my classroom, correcting papers."

The policeman wrote everything down on a sheet of paper, Rei was silent.

"Well, do you know if Mrs Weems has any enemies?"

"I don't know of any. And even though we are not necessarily well regarded, she is well respected."

"I see, so you believe in the hypothesis of a robbery gone wrong?"

"I don't," Rei cut in.

The Sheriff opened his mouth and took a few seconds. He leaned back in his chair, put his pen and elbows on the table, put his hands together and intertwined his fingers before speaking.

"Why did he do this?"

"Why, when the thief had a manchineel tree in their hands, would they use nightshade to poison Mrs. Weems?"

"What do you mean?"

Avareida crossed her legs, sinking into her seat.

"The thief knew the code, so they came from inside the school. Mrs. Weems wouldn't have suspected them until they took the manchineel, and so wouldn't have stood in their way. This means that she interfered after they took the manchineel. Now, when you have a manchineel tree in your hands, you don't try to poison with belladonna."

"Why not?"

"If they had just thrown the manchineel at Mrs Weems, she would have been out of the way. For ever. A manchineel tree is toxic enough to poison you if you stay under it. Anyway, you'd better wait for the potential witnesses to wake up. Starting with Mrs Weems. She'll probably know what happened."

The sheriff nodded.

"Of course, but I like to get a head start…"

"It's possible that the botany teacher or the normie attacked her and stole the manchineel tree… That would fit very well with the fact that she attacked her and knew the code. And it would be the normie who poisoned her because…"

Thalia nudged her. Avareida fell silent.

"I have no more questions. You may go."

"Thank you, Sheriff Galpin."

Thalia stood up, Rei followed. They left the place.

"Rei, the normie was her son."

"Oh… Damn. You think I should go apologize?"

"No, it should be fine. You couldn't have known."

"You want to go to the hospital now?"

"Yeah, I'm just gonna stop by and buy her some flowers first. Then I can show you the plant shop, I think you'll like it."

"You know how to talk to me…"

Thalia smiled and walked towards a small shop on a street corner. Huge bunches of poppies, lavender and craspedias indicated that it was the beginning of summer. Avareïda liked poppies, especially pink, wild poppies. They found them particularly charming. They decided to buy some flowers for Mrs. Weems. Their friend went straight to the counter and ordered an assortment of peonies. Rei, on the other hand, walked slowly through the potted plants of different sizes and shapes. Crassulas, bonzaïs of all kinds, everything smelled of soil and humidity. The tables on which large bunches of leaves were placed to embellish the bouquets were made of rough wood. A few everlastings were drying, hanging from the ceiling. They remembered that Larissa had always liked immortals. Rei approached the counter.

"What can I do for you?" the florist asked with a smile.

"I would like a small bouquet of Calendula officinalis and Helichrysum stoechas."

"What colour should the marigolds be?"

"Yellow and orange please."

"Well, I'll make your bouquets, if you'll wait a few minutes."

"No problem," Thalia said

The florist disappeared into the back of the shop. Avareida continued her little observations.

"Rei, who are the flowers for?"

"For Mrs. Weems, I felt bad coming to the hospital without bringing anything."

"But you don't even know her?"

"What's the big deal?"

"And what flowers did you ask for?"

"Marigolds and shrubby everlastings."

"Why shrubby everlastings?"

Rei pointed to the little yellow flowers hanging from the ceiling.

"Because they don't wilt. That way, even if she doesn't wake up for several months, she can enjoy them. The marigolds will be dead, of course. And I like immortals. Besides, surviving belladonna poisoning, although it depends on the dose, is quite an achievement."

"Hm. A student injected her with physo… stuff. Apparently it stabilized her well and kept her from deteriorating."

"Physostigmine. He had the right reflex."

"What's physostigmine?"

"A poison found in Calabar beans."

Seeing the expression of incomprehension on Thalia's face, they continued.

"A vine of the bean family that grows in the tropical forests of Africa."

"But… why a poison?"

"Oh, it's a poison that has the opposite effect to belladonna. Belladonna slows the heart rate, Calabar bean increases it. It's what is used to treat atropine toxicity in general. If he'd put too much on her, it might have killed her, but if he hadn't put any on her at all, she'd probably have died anyway. It was a risk to take. You'll have to reward the boy."

"I see, fighting fire with fire."

"Sort of, yeah."

"So she was incredibly lucky that someone who knew about this came along…"

"You have no idea," Rei murmured thoughtfully.

The florist returned, their bouquets in hand. Thalia paid for her bouquet, Rei paid for hers.

"Say, florist lady," Rei asked, "do you have a loyalty card or something? I might come here regularly."

"Oh, yes, I do."

She pulled out a small card with a sunflower on it from behind the counter and applied two bramble stamps.

"Every 10 dollars you get a stamp, after 10, you get 10 dollars free. The first stamp is automatic."

"Thank you very much."

"You're welcome. Have a nice day."

"Have a nice day."

Thalia and Rei walked out of the little shop, each holding a bouquet. The streets began to fill up slowly. Rei was pensive. He wasn't sure if he wanted to tell Thalia that he knew Mrs. Weems. He was waiting to see if the woman had changed.

"Rei, shall we take my car to the hospital?"

"Shall we? Yes, I don't know where it is anyway."

"It's not far, we could walk but it takes about half an hour. I'd rather take the car, I'm in heels."

"I'm in heels too."

"Perfect, I parked it near the café."

Avareida followed her friend to the car, thinking about her last real conversations with Larissa.

"You can't, it's not normal to be like this."

"I didn't choose, Rissa, I'm sorry…"

"Stay away from me, you're disgusting."

"But… Rissa…"

"LArissa, for you. You know what, don't talk to me anymore. I don't want to be friends with your kind."

They shuddered, hoping that their old friend had changed. After all, they hadn't seen each other for almost thirty years. They couldn't hate her, even after all that time. Larissa had been a great support to them. She had helped them to integrate, which was more difficult with the two classes they had skipped. It was thanks to Larissa that they had a more or less normal school life. They had always gotten along with her very well. A smile passed over their lips as they remembered the nightly trips to the forest, the times they'd skipped school to go shopping, the coffees they'd had together. Rei shook their head. Yes, their relationship had been good for them. Not everything about Larissa Weems was a waste.

"Rei? Is everything all right?"

"Is it? Oh, yeah, sorry. I was just thinking about my years at Nevermore."

"Oh, come to think of it, did you know Larissa when you were there?

"From a... certain distance, I know she was there, I might have talked to her once or twice, but I'm not sure. She was already 18 when I entered the academy, I was only 13. I only had two years in common with her."

"That's right, I forgot that you were younger than me."

"When you're around 40…"

"Shh, don't talk about that, I'm still 20 in my head."

Avareida burst out laughing. Thalia frowned as she unlocked her car. Rei climbed into the front passenger seat.

"And that was an old person's sentence."

"That's right, just mess with me. Just because you're four years younger than me doesn't mean you can. Watch out, time's catching up with you."

"Okay, boomer."

"So, shall we go to that hospital?"

"Well, get going, old girl."

Thalia grunted and turned on the ignition. As the car approached the hospital, Rei became lost in thought again. Thirty years had passed. But Larissa was not a forgettable character. Shit, they thought. They didn't want to risk loving her again. Yet they couldn't help but wonder how much she had changed.

"Say, Thalia. Are you still dating that other teacher?"

"Elizabeth? Yes, still. I mean, it's been a few weeks."

"And… your principal is okay with it?"

"She doesn't know about it. It's still new, we haven't told anyone around here, we don't want it to get out amongst our colleagues. Besides, I wouldn't be surprised if she was a lesbian."

"She? Lesbian?"

"Why does that shock you so much?"

"I don't know, I'd heard stories about her love for Gomez Addams, at the time, that's all."

Rei smiled a little. Of course she were a lesbian. They'd guessed it, at the time. But Larissa had locked herself in her closet so much that they'd come to believe it.

"Mmm… I don't know… But my gaydar rarely deceives me. You know, we're pretty close, though. Larissa is someone I like and respect very much. I think I can count her among my friends. She has a courage that I don't have and…"

Thalia's voice caught in her throat.

"God, I'm so glad she's not dead. The academy wouldn't have been the same without her."

"I hope she wakes up soon, then."

"Yes…"

Thalia parked the car in the hospital's large car park and got out. Rei followed her into the building. The hospital smelled clean and new. There was no smell of dirt, no smell of damp. It was all white. They were given the room number: room 128. They walked to the lift, without speaking.

The room was clean. Larissa was lying on her bed in a white patient's gown, her eyes closed, tubes in her nose and arms. A machine on the side was going "beep…beep…beep…beep…", as the lines representing her heartbeat distorted into spikes. Thalia readjusted her hat, which she had refused to remove at the reception desk, explaining her gorgon situation, and placed her bouquet in a vase, on the small cabinet next to the main one. Rei did the same. And then their eyes roamed over the principal's body. She had changed, yes. But she was still as beautiful… Very tall, too. Rei estimated her at almost 6"3. They were only a poor 5"7 feet tall.

"Get well soon, Larissa. The academy needs you again," Thalia said, as if the principal could hear her.

A nurse entered the room and motioned for the Gorgon to follow her.

"I'll be right back, Rei."

Rei nodded and left. They took the opportunity to take a closer look at their former friend's features. She was beautiful…

"So you're a lesbian, huh? You should have admitted it to yourself earlier, stupid. You'd better get over it soon. I think I'd like to see you again. You're lucky, I could have hated you."

They left the room to wait for Thalia, who soon returned with a smile on her face.

"Her condition is completely stabilised and she is starting to recover. She even showed signs of brain activity in some places that indicate a near awakening. She'll probably be back with us in a few days!"

Rei smiled. They loved to see their friend so happy. And the thought of Larissa waking up made them happy too.

[kimmiessimmies]

"So what's the deal with James and Sadie?"

Today, I posted this post as my response to a tag. In the comments on that post, I was asked if James and Sadie were together now.

I think that's a very legitimate question, so I thought I'd make a post about it. I understand things may be blurry by now. After all, it's been a while since we've seen James and Sadie together in the context of the story, and after the holiday AU posts and other suggestive remarks made about them by myself and other characters, I understand it may have gotten a bit confusing by now.

TL;DR:

James and Sadie are not together, though they have a strong and quite special friendship. Yet I feel the chemistry and ship it along with pretty much everyone else, so I am very okay with using them in tag- and ask game things as if they were together.

The longer story? ⬇️

I decided to do a short summary of where James and Sadie stand in relation to each other:

Current date in the timeline of the story: Early March 08.

Underlined dates are links to the referred chapters on my WordPress blog

October 07: While many things happened before (which are probably also good to know), we need to start somewhere, and this is where everything changes... Sadie, Finn and Rachel start university. Sadie is looking forward to being reunited with Daniel again and goes on a date with him. But as she tells him what she's been up to while they were apart, including her friends-with-benefits situation with Finn, it suddenly hits her she actually caught feelings for Finn... She tells Finn (who also has feelings for her). But also says she needs time to figure stuff out. As she's sitting on a bench thinking things through, she is joined by James. He tells her he's missed her (in the band) and asks her to rejoin. She wants nothing more. And everyone reading this saw the chemistry...

November 07: James and Sadie go to Bridgeport together for an interview about The Hot Wings and spend a night in a hotel room. Sadie has a very heated dream about James, which confuses her greatly.

December 07: Still struggling with everything she feels, Sadie does realise what she once had with Dan is in the past and she tells him so. They let go of each other for good now but remain on good terms. Meanwhile, the sexual tension between James and Sadie, on stage, continues to rise.

January 08: It's the day of the debut album release for The Hot Wings! Emotions and sexual tensions run high. After their performance, Finn comes up to Sadie and asks her where they stand. Has she finally figured out what she wants and is it maybe him? Sadie feels overwhelmed and tells him she needs more time. He gets angry, tells her she can forget all about it then and later she sees him talking to a girl at the bar. All emotions combined, Sadie and James go home together and end up getting the release they needed (in other words, have sex). They end up talking for a long time afterwards during which James talks a little bit about his internal conflicts and issues with love and romance and Sadie admits to herself and to James she's in love with Finn, but has been scared to allow herself to be because of her history with him.

Still January 08: The day after the release performance, it doesn't take long until everyone in the house/ friend groups/band knows James and Sadie slept together and *everyone* has an opinion... Feeling alone and like everyone hates her, Sadie goes for a run, in the snow, to clear her mind. As she sits down on a bench, she gets so cold and feels the cold actually numbs the thoughts on her mind, so she stays out... James notices her sitting there and takes her in from the cold, helps her to warm up and after she's cried out, they have an honest and quite deep conversation in which James tells her about self destructive things he has done. This night brings them closer emotionally.

February 08: The friendship that has developed between James and Sadie is very close, very grounded and rather special. They spend every night together, in close embrace, because they understand each other in a way others don't, but they're not having sex, they're not even kissing. It's not romance. They say.

And that's where we're at right now. The upcoming chapter will bring more changes...

THAT SAID...

I know the Jadie ship is strongly sailing, and my dears, I'm SO on board. Time will tell if they will actually be together or end up with other people as originally intended. But I see the chemistry, I feel the chemistry and when I get the chance I go with the chemistry. Be it in an AU, a random photoshoot or a tag-/askgame.

[usafphantom2]

Movie "Top Gun 3" looks like it's going to take off

Fernando Valduga By Fernando Valduga 12/01/2024 - 22:28in Fun, Military

Aviation enthusiasts received great news today, when it was announced by various Hollywood media that the movie "Top Gun 3" began to be developed.

It was announced through The Hollywood Reporter, that Top Gun 3 is officially in development by Paramount Pictures, but not yet official by the studio that released the first two films.

Tom Cruise and Joseph Kosinski, during the release of "Top Gun: Maverick".

With the return of actors Tom Cruise, Miles Teller and Glen Powell, the production will feature Joseph Kosinski, from "Top Gun: Maverick" in the direction. The script is already being written by Ehren Kruger, co-author of the second film.

Although Tom Cruise signed a non-exclusive pact with Warner Bros earlier this week, it seems that he will remain busy with Paramount for some time. Cruise is currently filming Mission: Impossible 8 with the studio. The actor's space film with NASA is also fermenting at Universal. Doug Liman is driving this.

The original 1986 "Top Gun" introduced viewers to Cruise's bold, if not impulsive, "Maverick" as a student who tried to prove his worth in the U.S. Navy's elite fighter pilot school.

In the sequence that he hit theaters in May 2022, thirty-six years later (and some delays), he had to deal with his status as an elderly aviator while reconciling the loss of his best friend and co-pilot "Goose" (Anthony Edwards).

This time fans won't have to wait so long for the next movie, as Paramount recently announced that it has reached an agreement for "Top Gun 3". Now we have the hope that "Maverick" has been promoted to captain or will finally retire.

Actors Glen Powell and Miles Teller will return to their characters as Lieutenant Jake "Hangman" Seresin and Lieutenant Bradley "Rooster" Bradshaw, respectively. Producers Jerry Bruckheimer and David Ellison are also expected to sign the sequel.

Miles Teller.

Glen Powell.

Although Bruckheimer has repeatedly pretended to be shy about the possibility, Kosinski previously suggested that there are more stories to tell about Cruise's Pete "Maverick" Mitchell.

"Is there another story that is convincing enough for us to need to come back?" Kosinski asked. "It seems to me that at the end of this movie Maverick still has a little gasoline in the tank."

"Top Gun: Maverick" was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Film last year and took home the Oscar for Best Sound. In addition, its box office revenue of almost $1.5 billion shows that even after almost four decades, fans have never lost that loving feeling for the franchise. It was also the highest-grossing film of Cruise's career.

Paramount has not yet released information about the third film or its history. The production and release dates are also not clear.

Tags: Military AviationmoviesTop Gun movieTop Gun: MaverickUSN - United States Navy/U.S. Navy

Sharing

tweet

Fernando Valduga

Fernando Valduga

Aviation photographer and pilot since 1992, he has participated in several events and air operations, such as Cruzex, AirVenture, Dayton Airshow and FIDAE. He has works published in specialized aviation magazines in Brazil and abroad. He uses Canon equipment during his photographic work in the world of aviation.

Related news

MILITARY

Dassault Aviation receives request for 42 Rafale fighters for the French Air Force

12/01/2024 - 18:26

MILITARY

Tanzania acquires Leonardo C-27J Spartan aircraft

12/01/2024 - 11:30

MILITARY

US and allies counter the Houthis in Yemen

12/01/2024 - 08:35

BRAZILIAN AIR FORCE

BRAZIL: Navy Military completes Hunting Squadron Leadership Course at FAB

12/01/2024 - 07:56

HELICOPTERS

After emergency landing, UN helicopter is captured by terrorist group in Somalia

11/01/2024 - 20:33

MILITARY

Mexican Air Force intends to acquire two C-130J Super Hercules

11/01/2024 - 19:44

[variablejabberwocky]

Getting to Know You Meme

Tagged by @texasdreamer01. been a while since i did one of these so i guess imma do one again.

01) Are you currently in a serious relationship? no. which i've learned the hard way is a good thing rn. i am A Mess and i need to be less of one before i can contribute to a relationship

02) What was your dream growing up? i'm assuming this a "what did you want to be?" question and not something else ( i may be too autistic for this). in rough order: a paleontologist, an archaeologist, an astrophysicist. alas i was born chronically ill and Shit Happened so none of that panned out.

03) What talent do you wish you had? i have adhd. there are a LOT of "able to take care of self" skills/talents that elude me because i have the attention span of a concussed goldfish.

04) If someone bought you a drink what would it be? non-alcoholic. could go for a french vanilla icee or a chocolate shake tho

05) Favorite vegetable? none. they don't like me and the feeling is mutual. (due to Weird Health reasons they rip me up inside so i have to be VERY moderate with them and plan in advance for Misery Time)

06) What was the last book you read? i've been reading online stories almost exclusively for so long now that i don't actually remember. i THINK it was either a dresden files book or a godstalk series book.

07) What zodiac sign are you? *cackles* cancer sunsign, leo moonsign, geminai ascendant. so yes my sunsign is THE moonsign and my moonsign is THE sunsign. and my ascendant is very "this malarkey might as well happen". its very funny.

08) Any Tattoos and/or Piercings? no, unfortunately. i tried a long time ago to get my ears pierced and was only given the option of the little stand at a grocery store or not at all. so i HAD pierced ears (badly) and let them heal up because no earrings would actually fit (they pierced SIDEWAYS wtf)

09) Worst Habit? no clue but from what others in my life tell me one of the most annoying/funny habits is getting uppity when the color of the food clip doesn't match the color of the food packaging its used on. *false innocent tone* why yes my family DOES have a history of ocd, why do you ask?

10) What is your favorite sport? i am not a fan of sportsball. but to watch: ice skating. to play: badminton

11) Do you have a Pessimistic or Optimistic attitude? both. both is good. (no but seriously im usually an optimistic pessimist. in that i plan for the worst and hope for the best. considering my... everything thats actually progress for me)

12) Tell me one weird fact about you. *looks down at my autistic ass* where do i even begin???

13) Do you have any pets? no, unfortunately. i used to but then my allergies got worse.

14) Do you think clowns are cute or scary? both? depends on the clown. they all have a bit of Creep to them but some also have some cute thrown in. and i like cute and creepy so...

15) If you could change one thing about how you look, what would it be? *stares flatly at you in Trans* take a wild guess

16) What color eyes do you have? internal heterochromia green and brown. which means genetically they count as a Weird Green. and i have the most common type of heterochromia. so like Spicy Normal.

17) Ever been arrested? no. i did get escorted by the cops to a suicide watch place once tho. that was...not a great experience.

18) Bottle or can soda? neither, unfortunately. (same health issue that makes vegetables a pain also makes carbonation the bane of my existence)

19) If you won $10,000 today, what would you do with it? give it to mom to pay the bills. i'm unemployable and rely on freebe shit so i can't use the money directly. (and i live with her so its not like it won't benefit me in some way either)

20) What's your favorite place to hang out at? home. creature comforts and all my meds are here in case of Health Issue Flairups

21) Do you believe in ghosts? *shrugs* eh. i'm kind of in a similar place to joy bibliosphere on this. check your carbon monoxide detectors and house for mold and shit first.

22) Favorite thing to do in your spare time? *~*WORLDBUILDING*~*. either reading about it or figuring it out myself. other people's settings or my own original settings. canon adjacent or full on aus. worldbuilding WORLDBUILDING WORLDBUILDING!!!

23) Do you swear a lot? *cackles* not as much as my teen years but yes. i'm still compared to a sailor at times.

24) Biggest pet peeve? hypocrisy, yes even in myself

25) In one word, how would you describe yourself? alien

26) Do you believe/appreciate romance? ??? like believe in? like think its real? buddy im not about to shit on other people's experiences just cause mine might be different. i LIKE romance but im not good at it and unsure if i'm somewhere on the arospec or not. doesn't mean its not real tho goddamn

27) Favourite and least favourite food? CHICKEN! i very much had a liaos moment when in my lifetime they were all "yeah all birds are dinosaurs" and realized my fave food was also one of my fave types of animals. least fave: greenbeans. i will throw up if i so much as smell them. even in a can i can detect them. not sure if its an actual allergy or just a truama response but its STRONG and NOT GOOD.

28) Do you believe in God? i'm an agnostic athiest (please for the love of fuck be chill about this. i WILL block even longstanding mutuals if they give me hell over this. do not test me.)

29) What makes you happy: special interests, good sleep, good food, fun time with people i care about, a break from health flairups, nice interesting weather, a well told story with a premise/characters i find interesting, unexpected good news

30) Currently listening/the last thing you listened to: uhhh. in general? a boatload of asmr white noise videos. music wise? a shortlist of 80s songs from my very early childhood (heads will roll, in for the kill, anything eurythmics, that kind of thing)

31) Favourite place to spend time: bed. im an insomniac. i HAVE NO CIRCADIAN RHYTHM. i don't GET rem sleep except in tiny less-than-a-minute bursts. any time in bed that im not in pain is blessed blessed REST time. and i need all i can get since i don't get as much out of it as most people do.

32) Favourite lyric: ??? at the moment no clue. i'll come back and change this if i think of something.

33) Recommend a film: the mummy movie with brendan fraser in it

34) Recommend a book: the coldfire trilogy (its fantasy! its scifi! there are two key ladies and a little girl with speaking lines and Very Important To The Plot powers! its got a gremlin of a man! it takes a cold hard look at some fantasy tropes and turns some on their head! it talks about the importance of redemption and the price you have to pay for it! it doesn't let a bad guy just DIE to get redemption! an asshole faces the consequences of their actions! there is a fairly strong Colonization Is Bad thread to the whole story!)

35) Recommend a band, a song, or album: you're gonna make me choose??? fuck that noise. in no particular order (and just going of of music): eurthymics, my chemical romance, matchbox twenty, imagine dragons, enya (if you want soothing), loreena mckennit (for soothing and narrative)

36) Recommend a TV show: i dont really watch tv. i cant handle all the ads, much less the noise difference is overwhelming.

37) Where are you from, and do you still live there? Where have you lived? SoCal. still live here. have only lived here. but i have visited a few spots on the coast and in nearby states.

38) Do you have any pets or animals in your life? How did you find/get them? not at the moment, but i used to. grandparents had an oldman bastard cat i adored as a kidlet. had guppies there for a while no clue where we first got them, they were cool but not really my interest (and was sad to watch them eat their own babies). had a dog i didn't want that bit me there for a short while (gave them to a good home). had a snake that died and we suspected foul play so stopped with the pets until we were somewhere safer. now im too sickly and prone to allergies to afford a pet.

39) What's the most unusual thing you've ever eaten? a cursed mixture of peanut butter, chocolate milk mix, cheeseitz and something else i forgot (garlic powder maybe?). i think i had some kind of nutritional imbalance because it actually tasted good to me for the first several bites and then it tasted like garbage. thank fuck that particular craving never happened again.

40) How did you 'find' fandom? looked up ferngully (it was new at the time) on the early internet and found my first fic (lol, oh boy!) got a little traumatized by not understanding what i stumbled upon and not knowing how to even begin to process it and backed off. a couple of years later went looking for gundam wing official art because that was my fave anime at the time and found a webring by accident. they had official art, fanart, and FANFICTION! they also very helpfully TAGGED THEIR SHIT so i learned what stuff meant and had in it and could make choices on what i could handle. and i've been in "fandom" ever since. although the current hyperfixation has changed several times since then. part of why finding a gundam wing fic from that era on ao3 (that DID NOT EXIST AT THE TIME) kind of jumpscared me, but in a good way

41) Make a list of 5 things that you see without getting up. phone, tea, stim toys, pill cutter, mints

42) How do you style your hair? i don't. i buzz it to less than a centimeter when i get annoyed by it then wait for it to grow out. when its long enough to annoy me i buzz it again.

No pressure tags: anyone who wants to do this.

[wondereads]

Weekly Reading Update (07/24/23)

Reviews and thoughts under the cut

The Poppy War by R. F. Kuang (10/10)

This book is pretty much perfect. The plot is engaging, the characters are all amazing, the writing style hits hard, and there’s really good social commentary that touches on, honestly, almost every issue out there. Rin has got to be one of my favorite protagonists of all time; she’s the underdog, she’s easy to root for, and our desire for her to succeed almost makes us overlook her glaring flaws. Kuang establishes Rin’s overwhelming need to succeed, to win, to be the last one standing from the very beginning, and it leads to her slow but steady downfall as she must decide how far she is willing to go for the sake of her nation. Rin’s time in Sinegard is an interesting and unique twist on the fantasy school setting, and the tone switch between the time at Sinegard and the time at war is done masterfully. Even the war takes an incredibly dark turn, goes farther than the reader would ever expect, as Kuang draws from real history to write horrors that should’ve been beyond anyone’s imagination. Perhaps the most technically amazing part of this book is that even when she has fallen so far, part of us agrees with Rin; which is the danger of it all, isn’t it?

Neverseen by Shannon Messenger (8/10)

I have now officially reread all of the KotLC books I got through previously. Going into Lodestar will be uncharted territory for me, and wow am I glad I refreshed my memory. I forgot a lot of stuff, so it was almost like I was reading it for the first time. Like I predicted, this was a slower one, mostly filled with finding out more about the Black Swan and the Council, and there was a lot of Sophie and her friends wanting to do things that were "too dangerous." I won't lie, it dragged a bit, but it really picked up once Sophie started attending Exilium. I think the twins are a much-needed addition to the main cast to help shake things up and keep the dynamic from getting too worn out. Also, Calla is a particularly strong side character. While I could predict the broad strokes of the story, the actual method of getting there took me by surprise, and there's a huge twist at the end that totally restructures how the rest of the series is going to look. I'm very excited to start Lodestar!

Half Upon a Time by James Riley (8/10)

I loved this series as a kid, and rereading it was like returning home. It's actually so funny that this book has tons of tropes I love today just in a middle grade format. There's a pretty good level of intricacy to the plot, and the fairy tale elements are tons of fun. There are plenty of familiar characters that each have a unique twist to their story, often intertwining their stories with each other. For example, the Huntsman from Snow White is also the woodcutter/hunter from Little Red Riding Hood. This book also has a fun twist by being from the perspective of the character who guides someone who has fallen into another world. In most other books, May would be the main character, so having Jack tell the story subverts some expectations. The way Jack, May, and Philip interact is a little typical for the genre and time period, though I appreciate that it is heavily implied that Philip has no romantic interest in May. Finally, Jack's mysterious involvement with the Eye and his sword is one of my favorite parts of the book, and it's a pretty fresh concept.

The Serpent and the Wings of Night by Carissa Broadbent (CR, 20%)

I've barely progressed on this one, but I did make it to the end of the first trial, and I like how it was executed. Despite being a physically-based trial, there's a twist that allows Oraya to succeed through her wits, which makes infinitely more sense when she's up against vampires and demons. It also helps that Raihn is obviously gunning for an alliance with her, so he's more inclined to help her out. About the alliance, why Raihn specifically wants to team with Oraya is a pretty good one and honestly a more logical decision than I expected. However, Oraya turning him down made no sense to me. She's gonna have to team up with someone eventually, and Raihn seems like the lesser evil by far.

Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor (CR, 3%)

I've only just barely started this book, but I'm excited! I'm reading it with some friends, and the beginning seems quite interesting. I'll have some more in-depth thoughts next week once I've progressed more.

[kevinsreviewcatalogue]

Barbenheimer Double Feature Reviews: Oppenheimer (2023) and Barbie (2023)

NOW I AM BECOME BARBIE GIRL, DESTROYER OF BARBIE WORLD

MELTING PLASTIC, IT'S FANTASTIC

FALLOUT IN THE AIR, DESTRUCTION EVERYWHERE

ANNIHILATION, END OF ALL CREATION

...ahem. Anyway...

----------

Oppenheimer (2023)

Rated R for some sexuality, nudity and language

<Originally posted at https://kevinsreviewcatalogue.blogspot.com/2023/07/barbenheimer-double-feature-oppenheimer.html>

Score: 5 out of 5

Christopher Nolan is a very talented filmmaker who I have very mixed feelings about, and one who I think has been considerably overrated by film geeks of my generation who fixate on his successes and ignore his failures. On one hand, his Batman trilogy still holds up and has left a lasting mark on the character beyond just film, ensuring that his legacy in geek culture would be an enduring one even if he never made another movie. Inception, meanwhile, was a brilliant sci-fi thriller, and Dunkirk is one of the best war movies of the last ten years. What's more, his loving embrace of practical effects and old-fashioned storytelling is one that Hollywood could use more of in a time when it seems that bloated, CGI-fueled, franchise-baiting monstrosities are leading it down a road to ruin. On the other hand, his and Zack Snyder's attempts to apply The Dark Knight's deconstructionist approach to Superman with Man of Steel produced a movie that I didn't really like then and which has held up only worse with the hindsight of ten years of the DC Extended Universe, his sci-fi epic Interstellar was beautiful to look at but had a plot that went straight up its own ass and betrayed its pretensions towards "hard" science fiction, and while I did not see Tenet, his actions and public statements concerning the release of that film theatrically even during a pandemic struck me as pretentious to the point of callousness. What's more, he's popularized a rather annoying trend in sound mixing of trying to make audio more "realistic" that, in practice, means that dialogue often gets drowned out by ambient noise, especially during action scenes where there's a lot of loud noises going on in the background.

That said, while I believe that Nolan is ultimately human, I can also acknowledge that there's a reason why he's considered one of the best filmmakers working today. When he hits, he typically sends it out of the park. And Oppenheimer is Nolan at his best. He takes a three-hour historical biopic, one whose only real scene of spectacle is the Trinity test, and makes it feel like a three-hour epic. It has a sprawling, all-star cast and takes place over multiple time periods, often jumping back and forth between them as it needs to, but keeps its focus on a number of important threads in its subject's life in a manner that keeps it cohesive. The entire cast does amazing work, above all else longtime Nolan collaborator Cillian Murphy as the title character, a man who slowly and then all at once starts to realize what his groundbreaking scientific work has unleashed on the world. This was not the sort of movie that had me checking my watch even with its great length; no, I was gripped the whole way through, all the way to its tragic conclusion as J. Robert Oppenheimer looks back on his life and tribulations and wonders if he will go down in history as the man who destroyed the world. It is a grim film, and knowing just the barest amount about the subject matter going in, there's a reason why my double feature of this film and Barbie had me watching this one first. But it is a worthwhile one, and one that I think will go down in history as a modern classic and one of Nolan's best.

Much of the film is told in flashbacks from the year 1954, as Oppenheimer is undergoing a security hearing to determine whether or not his Q clearance should be revoked due to suspicion that security leaks at Los Alamos National Laboratory under his watch may have enabled the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics to take great strides forward on its own atomic weapons project. We start in the interwar period as Oppenheimer establishes himself as one of the world's leading nuclear physicists, continue through his establishment of the Los Alamos laboratory, the Manhattan Project, and the first and only wartime use of nuclear weapons, and conclude in the postwar years as he grows increasingly concerned about the destructive potential of the atomic bomb and especially the hydrogen bomb, becoming a leading voice in favor of arms control instead of an arms race. Through it all, his left-wing sympathies, owing to him being both a Jewish man watching the rise of fascism and a scientist whose profession strongly values the free flow of information, bring him first a measure of soft distrust during the war and then a more hard-edged suspicion afterwards as East/West wartime collaboration breaks down into the Cold War, especially given his interaction throughout his life with people and organizations (including his brother Frank, his wife Katherine, his mistress Jean Tatlock, and the Berkeley professor Haakon Chevalier) who were at one point or another connected to the Communist Party of the United States.

The film starts and ends with Cillian Murphy, who plays Oppenheimer at various points over the span of more than twenty years and is captivating in all of them. In his early scenes, between his hair and his performance, he evokes the feeling of a young "rock star" intellectual with his sights set on a bright mission to change the world, bringing with it the requisite ego. Being tapped to run the Manhattan Project forces him to clean himself up, literally and figuratively, adopting a more traditional haircut and dress while ending his overt dalliances with the various communists around him; while he remains with his wife after she explains to him that she lost faith in communism after her fiancé ran off to fight for the Spanish Republicans and died there (in real life, it was more complicated, but it's implied anyway that she's not being wholly honest here), he pulls back from Chevalier when he tries to get him to spill some nuclear secrets to pass along to the Soviets. The bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki leaves him haunted after he finds out just how much damage his weapon did, best conveyed in a scene where Nolan's sound mixing is actually used well as the congratulatory speech Oppenheimer is giving to his fellow workers at Los Alamos is drowned out by his own internal panic. Before the Trinity test, the possibility is raised on more than one occasion that the atomic bomb might ignite Earth's atmosphere and destroy the world; while that obviously didn't literally happen, the film ends with Oppenheimer wondering whether or not he might have done so metaphorically.

This is not a movie that glamorizes Oppenheimer. On one hand, it spotlights how he was not only one of the greatest minds America had at the time, but also somebody with a strong moral code, from how his politics were motivated by a genuine desire to do right by the world to how he helped recruit numerous European Jewish physicists into the Manhattan Project by recognizing how Adolf Hitler's antisemitism was causing him to cut off his nose to spite his face. On the other hand, by the time he realized what he unleashed and put aside his dispassionate pursuit of science for its own sake in favor of activism, the cat was already out of the bag, and what's more, his idealism, paired with his womanizing, blinded him to the threat of spies seeking to steal his research and use it to empower the Soviets, ultimately destroying his hope that the postwar era would see global cooperation for the betterment of all instead of the competition for power and glory that it ultimately became. He may be the main character of this film, but by the end, even he wouldn't tell you that he was any sort of hero.

The story here is big, and Nolan wades right into it and makes it feel big. At times, the number of supporting characters, famous faces in both the historical figures and in the all-star cast playing them, was almost too many to keep track of, but Nolan keeps it focused on the big ones, specifically how they all interact with J. Robert at various points in his life. In a unique touch, the "present-day" scenes in 1954 are shot in black-and-white, and the flashbacks in color, a choice meant to show that the security hearings are purely fact-based while the flashbacks are colored by Oppenheimer's memories of the events but which I think also served to highlight how, by the time the Cold War was in full swing, his youthful idealism had long since withered in the harsh light of how things actually played out.

And more importantly, even though this was a very "talky" movie, it felt as propulsive as any of Nolan's other films. Ludwig Göransson's score lent a sense of urgency and impending dread to the proceedings, knowing that it was telling the story of the inventor of the most fearsome and deadly weapon ever conceived and always seeming to be driving the film forward. Nolan and cinematographer Hoyte van Hoytema crafted a visual style that feels naturalistic in true Nolan fashion without necessarily going grim and gritty, whether it's the musty old libraries and classrooms that have a hint of dark academia to them or the vistas of Los Alamos, New Mexico that feel consciously designed to evoke Westerns, a comparison that Kitty herself makes when she first sees the town, highlighting the irony of how that older, simpler age of American history was about to be brought to an end through a project carried out in the kind of scenic Western vista that John Ford himself might have shot a movie. It was a long movie, but it was not a bloated one in the slightest. After all, how can you be when you're telling the story of a man who, for better or worse, changed the world?

The Bottom Line

Oppenheimer is another film that proves that, when Christopher Nolan is on the ball, he knows how to make a masterpiece. Whether you're a movie buff or into history or science, this will probably stand the test of time as a classic, and a definitive treatment of the life and work of J. Robert Oppenheimer.

----------

I was told that the preferential viewing order for this would be to screen Oppenheimer first and then Barbie, so that's exactly what I did.

Barbie (2023)

Rated PG-13 for suggestive references and brief language

Score: 4 out of 5

As a toy, a character, and a pop culture icon, Barbie is a figure with a lot of baggage. On one hand, when she first debuted in 1959 on store shelves that were otherwise lined with dolls of babies and young children, she was a game-changer, one who turned dolls from a fantasy of motherhood to a fantasy of being all grown up. She was the original ideal of the modern, liberated woman: beautiful, glamorous, and, as time went on, capable of working every career under the sun, while also having a handsome (boyfriend? Best friend? It's varied over the years) named Ken. On the other hand, having Barbie, a very '50s/'60s idea of a modern, liberated woman (even one who was herself designed by a woman, Ruth Handler), as an ideal to live up to has done a number on the self-image of generations of young girls, especially when it came to standards of physical beauty, and her aspirational marketing often ran head-first into a world where women and girls often found themselves treated as second-class citizens compared to men and boys.

As such, the announcement of a movie based on Barbie, officially licensed by Mattel, was inevitably going to have to tackle all of this head-on: what Barbie was originally conceived as versus what she had come to represent. And when it was announced that Greta Gerwig, a young filmmaker known for naturalistic, relationship-focused dramas who came up through the "mumblecore" scene in indie cinema, would be directing and co-writing the film with her longtime partner (both creative and romantic) Noah Baumbach, I thought I'd figured out exactly what kind of movie I was going to get just from the trailers: a stinging satire of Barbie's complicated relationship with womanhood and girlhood, wrapped in over-the-top girly aesthetics. That is more or less the film that they delivered, but not in the directions I was expecting. Make no mistake, Barbie is an avowedly, unapologetically feminist film, and one that I'm not surprised has already inspired plenty of unbridled, predictable rage from a certain class of commentator. But it's one that surprised me, and one where really getting into the meat and potatoes of its message would require giving away some of the best moments of the movie.

So, to keep this brief, I had a blast with Barbie. It is undoubtedly a very snarky parody of the doll line, its commercialization, and how people have reacted to it over the years, but it is also an affectionate one made by somebody who clearly spent much of her childhood playing with Barbie dolls and suggests here that they played a big role in making her who she is today. It couldn't have had better casting, not just in its sprawling all-star cast but also in its leads, Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling, who not only perfectly look the part of the iconic characters they play but take them to some very interesting and even daring places over the course of the film. It's a visual treat, especially in how it imagines the neon-pink world that Barbie and Ken live in, and its jokes were not only hilarious but also hit very close to home, like the most biting Saturday Night Live parodies of Barbie done on a blockbuster budget. Even if you're the most rugged, bearded manly man who thinks he's above this kind of movie, I guarantee, you'll laugh your ass off watching it.

The film starts in Barbieland, where all the Barbies and Kens live. It's presented to us as a utopian matriarchy where all the Barbies are successful women living their best lives and running everything, and the Kens are eye candy who are happy to live for their girlfriends. Robbie and Gosling's characters are the classic, stereotypical Barbie and Ken we all think of when we hear the names "Barbie and Ken", the beautiful blonde bombshell and her hunky-yet-chaste romantic partner whose life revolves around two things, Barbie and the beach. It's established early on that the Barbies know they live in a fantasy world connected to a toy line in the "real world", and that their purpose is to serve as an aspirational ideal to young girls so that they can become better women when they grow up. Which makes the thoughts of death that Barbie has one day rather unfortunate, especially as they mark the beginning of a breakdown of her perfect life. Turning to "Weird Barbie", a wise older Barbie who lives alone and is connected to a real-world Barbie doll whose owner badly mistreated her, for help, Barbie sets out on a mission to the real world to find the little girl she's connected to, with Ken coming along for the ride.

The film doesn't linger for very long on the mechanics of how all of this operates beyond "it's magic", and frankly, it doesn't need to, dropping enough hints that most viewers could probably figure it out on their own. The Mattel corporation is fully involved, but while Will Ferrell's vaguely villainous CEO has shown up in the marketing for this, he and the company as a whole are chiefly two things: the butt of many of the film's jokes, and more importantly, red herrings. The actual villain is telegraphed pretty early once Barbie and Ken enter the real world, and their identity is rather important to the film's central themes, but I will hold off on spoiling it because it's just such a fun moment that I don't wanna give away. Rest assured, though, this is not a film that rests on its laurels and just throws a torrent of classic Barbie iconography at you to distract from a threadbare story.

And it all starts with the casting. Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling as Barbie and Ken may just be the most perfect casting I can imagine, two actors who both embody the kind of mid-century Hollywood beauty standards that Barbie and Ken were based on and are also two of the most gifted actors of their generation (side note: Gosling's been around for so long that I was surprised to see that he's only eight-and-a-half years older than Robbie), meaning that they don't just look the part, they fill it with personas that I imagine will color how people view the dolls for a very long time. Robbie grabbed me from the moment we get an early dance sequence set to a Dua Lipa disco banger in which, after voicing her thoughts about death, she's tries to go back to putting on a happy-go-lucky party girl face -- but every so often, for just a split second, we see the look of worry creep in. Her comic timing, one of her strongest yet most underappeciated assets, is also on full display here, setting up some of the most hilarious scenes in the film. Throughout, Robbie delivers the kind of performance that would vanquish any doubts as to whether or not she's just a flash in the pan, running the full gamut of emotions as she has to learn about the real world and all its messy stuff. She would've easily walked away as the film's MVP if it weren't for Gosling, who matches her beat-for-beat as Ken learning about his own place in the world and what it really means to be a man. He gets a pair of great musical numbers that both land incredibly well even if he doesn't have the best pipes, and does an amazing job making Ken not just a partner to Barbie, but a mirror to her in some key ways.

Among the characters in the real world, meanwhile, it's America Ferrera and Ariana Greenblatt as the mother Gloria and her teenage daughter Sasha who both give this film its human soul and rest at the heart of its message. We meet Sasha first, and she's representative of young people who see Barbie as a symbol of the older generations' broken promises to girls and young women, the unattainable ideal that they could never live up to and which was all too often used to belittle them. Gloria, meanwhile, is a mom approaching middle age and working an unglamorous office job who sees Barbie quite differently, as the figure who showed her that she didn't have to choose between a career and a family, and remains attached to the ideal of Barbie even if she knows her life isn't perfect. Together, Gloria and Sasha are the ones who force Barbie to confront what she symbolizes, especially as her own life increasingly flies off the rails and she needs to figure out who she really is if she wants to... well, again, spoilers.

It was perhaps to be expected that Greta Gerwig made this a character-focused film above all else given her background, but the real surprises came in the production design. The trailers already showed off Barbieland quite vividly, and the film spends a surprising amount of time there to show it off even further, a landscape saturated in bright pink and primary colors that would feel like it came out of a Y2K-throwback hyperpop music video if it were played for even the slightest bit of irony. The other assorted Barbies and Kens (and forgotten oddities in the Barbie back catalogue like Midge, Skipper, and Allan) are played by a who's who of actors, musicians, models, and other celebrities who feel like they all signed onto this film just to have the opportunity to say that they were in the Barbie movie, and each of them felt like they were having a blast hanging out on set, the exact kind of non-stop-party energy that Barbieland needed. Speaking of hyperpop, the soundtrack too is absolutely stuffed with top-notch quality, a murderer's row of pop and R&B superstars, cult favorites, and up-and-comers that I think is likely to inspire a lot of musicians in its own right, especially with how it often plays in the context of the movie itself.

If I had one real problem with the film, it's that the bits with Mattel often felt superficial and extraneous, especially compared to the deeper commentary of the film's main satirical thrust. Will Ferrell was funny as he often is, but he felt like he was only in this to act like an oblivious jerk, he and his corporate minions barely figuring into the plot except to serve as an obstacle. There are ways I think this movie could've approached the Mattel subplot better, and which it seemed to be leaning into, presenting them not as a soulless corporate behemoth but as a company whose leadership seems to genuinely think they're doing right by the world in general and girls in particular, but is critically failing them and leaving many of them bitter like Sasha. It's a subplot that could've been fleshed out a bit more with maybe five or ten minutes of extra scenes; I'd love to see what the deleted scenes look like when this hits home video.

The Bottom Line

Barbie wasn't just a wonderful palate cleanser after the gloom of Oppenheimer, it's a legitimately great movie in its own right, as both a big, high-concept comedy of a sort we don't normally get these days and a cutting yet affectionate satire of its main subject. If anybody tells you this movie's "only" for women and girls, don't listen to them. Go see it anyway.

[mostlysignssomeportents]

This day in history

Today (June 7), I’m keynoting the Re:publica conference in Berlin.

Tomorrow (June 8) at 8PM, I’m at Otherland Books in Berlin with my novel Red Team Blues.

#20yrsago Encrypted AIM https://web.archive.org/web/20030801072150/http://enterprise.aim.com/products/aim/personalcerts/

#15yrsago Virgin Media UK working with record industry to spy on and threaten downloaders https://www.independent.co.uk/tech/virgin-warns-illegal-downloaders-stop-or-face-prosecution-842086.html

#15yrsago Broadcasters fight hard against public use of blank spectrum https://arstechnica.com/uncategorized/2008/06/if-white-spaces-fail-we-dont-have-that-many-chances-left/

#10yrsago PRISM and denials, what’s going on? https://www.engadget.com/2013-06-07-new-york-time-report-may-fill-the-gap-between-prism-leaks-and-co.html

#10yrsago Another Top Secret leak: Obama’s cyber-war hit-list https://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/jun/07/obama-china-targets-cyber-overseas

#5yrsago The BBC warns that new EU copyright rule will break the internet https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-44412025

#5yrsago Anti-piracy group’s study reveals that pirates are mostly people who couldn’t afford, find, or use a commercial version https://torrentfreak.com/pirates-are-valuable-customers-not-the-enemy-180606/

#1yrago Powered wheelchairs and Right to Repair https://pluralistic.net/2022/06/08/chair-ish/#r2r

[screentonescast]

Screen Tones, a Webcomic Podcast

Show Notes

Fan Comics

Release Date: October 12, 2022

Featuring

Renie Jesanis - She/They, www.kateblast.com

Christina Major (Delphina) - She/Her, www.sombulus.com

Kristen Lee (Krispy) - She/They, https://www.ghostjunksickness.com/

Emma - She/Her, https://www.honestlynotarobot.com/

In This Episode:

What do we mean when we say fancomic? They’re basically fanfiction and fanart combined in the comic medium.  Fan works of other properties in comic form have a long history, and can be adaptations of video games or novels, continuations of well-loved stories, adding your favorite characters to your own setting, or adding your favorite setting to your own characters.  There are really so many options, and we’re gonna talk about our own experiences with them today!

2:18 Have you ever made a fancomic?  Tell us about it (and remember, cringe is dead, everything is valid)!

17:31 What are the benefits of making fancomics versus ones based on original concepts? How did making fancomics help you in your comics journey?

It's easier to connect with readers and drive points and symbolism home because the world and lore is already created and established. It can give you practice for your own webcomic in a less exhausting environment. Work those comic muscles!

37:07 What’s the state of fancomics today, and what concerns should people keep in mind when they’re approaching fancomics?

Be aware of the legality of what you're making. The state of the fandom, the world, etc, may change and you should be prepared to change with it as needed. Have fun with it, but don't feel locked into it.

Thanks for Listening!

Have a comment? Question? Concern?

Contact us via Twitter @ScreenTonesCast or email screentonescast@gmail.com

Screen Tones Cast:

Ally Rom Colthoff (Varethane) - She/They http://chirault.sevensmith.net/ http://wychwoodcomic.com/

Christina Major (Delphina) - She/Her, www.sombulus.com

Claire Niebergall (Clam) - She/Her, www.phantomarine.com

Kristen Lee (Krispy) - She/They https://www.ghostjunksickness.com/

Megan Davison - She/Her, https://www.webtoons.com/en/search?keyword=megasketch

Miranda Reoch - She/Her, mirandacakes.art 

Phineas Klier - They/Them, http://heirsoftheveil.fervorcraft.de

Rae Baade(Rae) - they/them, https://www.empyreancomic.com 

Renie Jesanis - She/They , www.kateblast.com