#baker's convention

[pahtoosh]

baker's convention

[image ID: a gif from infinity war of steve hugging bucky. /.end ID]

masterlist

18+

wc: 1900 words

warnings: food. reader gets picked up by steve. i kinda gave our baba anxiety(sorry)

a/n: i am SO proud of this! i hope you all love it! and i am very happy to expand the chef/baker universe! i sprinkled in a hint at a future fic with baker!nat, but let me know if you guys have any suggestions for our other friends!

pairing: chef!daddy!bucky x gn!little!reader

summary: bucky takes you to a baker's convention and you get to try new creations from his closest friends. special appearances from natasha, sam, and steve!

⋆｡ﾟ☁︎｡⋆｡ ﾟ☾ ﾟ｡⋆ ⋆｡ﾟ☁︎｡⋆｡ ﾟ☾ ﾟ｡⋆ ⋆｡ﾟ☁︎｡⋆｡ ﾟ☾

Bucky helped you put on your lanyard and nametag at the convention center’s entrance. He knew you could do it yourself, but he was stalling and needed something to occupy his shaky hands. He straightened out your shirt, another nervous habit of his. 

“Are you excited, bubba?”

“Yes! So excited, Daddy.” 

“Good, good. Daddy’s excited too.”

He kept fiddling with your clothes and tried not to think about how nervous he was for today. You’d met his baker buddies before, but never all at once, in one day. And never in such a crowded place. 

He wasn’t worried because of you; he was worried about all the things beyond his control. What if the convention was too overwhelming? What if you two got separated? What if a stranger was mean to you? Breathe, Bucky. Breathe. 

“Daddy?”

“Y-yeah?”

“I can have all the sweets I want today, right?”

Bucky laughed, taken aback by your question.

“Our minds are in two different places, honeybun.” He stopped messing with your clothes and kissed your forehead. “Yes, you can have all the sweets you want if you remember your manners–and if you give me a big hug right now.”

You squealed and wrapped your arms around Bucky, squeezing him with all your might. “Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!”

Bucky was starting to feel a bit better. As usual, you were able to calm his nerves and remind him that he had nothing to worry about. He was a good caregiver. If you got overwhelmed, he would know the signs and how to help you. If you got lost, he had plenty of friends and colleagues who knew you, loved you, and would do anything to help. If a stranger tried ruining your day, he was more concerned with what you could do to them than what they could do to you. 

While you were hugging Bucky as hard as you could, you were also helping slow down his heart rate and the other physical signs of his stress. He was finally prepared to go in.

“Are you ready, baby?”

“Yes! Yes! I’m so ready!” 

You swung your interlocked hands back and forth as you and Bucky walked through the doors and down the long hallway that led to the convention center.

The sight of the many vendors and their stalls selling baked goods stopped you in your tracks. There were more than you could count. It seemed as if there were endless rows of cookies, cupcakes, pies, and happy people enjoying the art of baking. 

Bucky noticed a friend giving you a slight wave to get your attention. He gently tugged your hand. 

“Do you wanna go over there, honey? That booth looks good.”

You looked at the booth and gasped, then walked as fast as you could to get there, tugging Bucky along behind you. You were by no means as gentle with Bucky as he had been with you earlier. He laughed good-naturedly as you practically pulled his arm out of its socket. 

“Natty!”

“Hey there, firecracker.” 

Bucky greeted her with a nod. “Natalia.”

“Buchanan.” She turned to face you again. “I saw you pulling your Daddy back there. I could teach you this trick if you re-”

Bucky covered your ears with his hands and gave his friend a bewildered look. “You’re not teaching them that,” he whisper shouted. 

Natasha stifled a laugh while Bucky took his hands away from your ears and tried to redirect your attention. “Which of these treats do you wanna try first, bun?”

“Can I have one of the cakes, please?”

“Comin’ right up.” She handed you a small plate with a square piece of cake and two forks. Bucky motioned for you to take the first bite. Your eyes widened in delight. The cake was so delicate and soaked in a sweet milk. The cake itself was sightly sour, but the sweet milk and ganache topping balanced the whole dessert. 

“What is this?”

“It’s bird’s milk cake. Do you like it?”

“Mhm!” You went in for another bite. 

“I have something else for you to try too.” Natasha reached beside her and handed you and Bucky another plate with two small, potato-like objects. “This is called kartosha.”

You tried pronouncing this new word before taking a bite. Once again, you were struck by how beautifully simple and balanced the dessert was. Bittersweet cookie crumbles were combined with sweet, sticky condensed milk.

“It’s so good!”

“I’m glad you think so.” Natasha looked like she was going to say more, but then a special someone caught her eye. She leaned over to whisper in your ear. “I think someone’s been stealing looks and wondering when you’re going to visit their booth.”

You whipped your head around and saw Sam look quickly in the other direction, as if he was pretending that he hadn’t been looking at you earlier. He had a mischievous smile on his face though, and his eyes wandered to you for a second before darting back. He rocked back and forth on his heels and even began to whistle a little. You giggled at his attempts to look casual.

You turned to Bucky. “Daddy, can we go to Sammy’s booth?”

“Sure can, let’s say bye to Nat first.”

“Bye, Natty! Thank you for the cake and kartosha!”

“You’re welcome.” She walked around the booth to give you a goodbye hug. “You have to come visit the cafe soon, okay? The kitties miss you and I need some help from my little decorator.”

“I will!” You waved goodbye and then skipped to Sam’s booth. 

He was still putting on his oblivious act. 

“Sammy, hi!”

“Oh, hey! I didn’t even see you there!”

You laughed and shook your head. “Nuh uh, I saw you looking!”

“Alright, alright, ya caught me. But once you see the show I’ve got planned for you, you’ll understand.”

“A show?” you asked, bouncing excitedly.

“Yup. A whole show. Tell me something, do you like caramel?” He took a step to where his burner stove was.

“Yeah!” 

“Okay well this isn’t exactly caramel, but if you like caramel, you’ll like this.” He put a small pan on the stove and turned on the heat. “We’ll start off with a little butter, some cinnamon, and brown sugar.” Sam effortlessly dropped and sprinkled the ingredients into the pan as he listed them off. He gave the mixture a stir, shaking the pan at the same time like a pro.

“Now I don’t know if you like bananas. But if you don’t, you’ll like them after this.” He put a small handful of slices into the pan and coated them in the sauce. He turned off the stove. 

“Alright, here’s the real show. I need y’all to take one step back so you’re behind that red tape on the floor.”

You and Bucky did as he said. 

“Perfect, thank you. Now these bananas just need a little more juice.” He poured a small amount of clear amber liquid into the pan. “And they could also use a little more heat.” He flicked a lighter just to the side of the pan, setting all of the amber liquid aflame. He shook the pan back and forth, flipping the bananas in the flaming sauce. You watched the fire, absolutely mesmerized by how it shifted and how Sam had so much control over the volatile force. He kept the whole thing moving, like it was a choreographed dance between him and the flaming pan where he was the leader. Slowly, the flames died down and the bananas were left in a glistening sauce.

“THAT WAS THE COOLEST THING EVER!” you screamed, clapping your hands and jumping up and down. “How did you do that?!”

“A lot of practice, okay? Don’t ever try this at home.”

You nodded. “I’ll just watch you do it every day.”

Sam laughed. “If you boost my ego like this every time, I’ll do this whenever you want. You ready to try the bananas now?”

“Yes please!”

“Alright, and one more very important question.” He halted and looked at you seriously. “Do you want ice cream?”

𓏲 ࣪₊♡

Sam gave you and Bucky two beautiful bowls of bananas foster, he called it. He grinned from ear to ear as you asked him endless questions. You wanted to talk more(and ask for another serving), but a crowd full of people wanting to see Sam’s show had formed. You thanked him profusely and waved goodbye nearly your entire walk to the next booth, until you had to turn the corner and could no longer see your friend. Luckily, Bucky was holding your other hand and leading the way to make sure you didn’t bump into anyone or get lost.

You were about to mourn the end of the best time of your life, when you saw another friend waving to you excitedly.

“Stevie!”

You skipped to his booth and he met you in the middle, picking you up for a bone-crushing hug. 

“I missed you, bug!”

“Easy, Rogers. Bubba’s full of sweets and ice cream.”

Steve set you down gently and fixed your clothes that he had messed up. “Sorry, bubba, sorry. Wait–you had ice cream already?”

“Uh huh! We went to Sam’s booth!”

“Aw, you went to Sam’s booth before mine? That’s not fair!” he whined. He put a hand over his chest. “You’re breakin’ my heart, bubba.”

“And he gave me a fire show.”

“And he gave you a fire show?” Steve pretended to cry, putting his head in his hands and allowing sobs to run through his body. 

“Stevieee, c’mon!” You wrapped your arms around him and patted his back. “Do you know what Sammy didn’t give to me?”

“What?” Steve asked, still pouting. 

“Two hugs!”

Steve stopped his crocodile tears and returned your embrace, swinging you side to side to hear your giggles. 

“I guess the hugs make up for me not having any fire. And I’m the best hugger you know, right?”

“I-”

“Let’s go see the sweets I have for you!” he said, cutting you off. He carried you on his hip for the short walk to his booth and set you down at the front of it, because only vendors were allowed in the behind area.

Steve stepped behind the display and fixed his apron. Before he spoke, he puffed out his chest and held out his hands in a theatrical manner.

“Welcome to a slice of paradise! We have every pie you can think of! Apple, pumpkin, pecan, key lime, cherry, strawberry–every American classic! And for the non-pie lovers, I have cheesecakes, tarts, and the best rice krispie treats made with my Ma’s secret recipe.” He ended his speech with a wink.

“Wow! There’s so many! I don’t know which one to choose.” You looked at Bucky for assistance. 

“Lucky for you, my little bug, I have a sampler platter!” Steve presented you with a plate of many small squares of everything he was selling, all with different colored toothpicks. “You can try these out and when you decide the one you want, let me know and I’ll serve you a whole slice.”

You giddily took the sampler plate and tried all the samples with Bucky, giving Steve feedback after each bite. When you finished trying all of the sweets, you couldn’t pick just one to have a full slice of.

“Stevie?”

“Yeah?”

“Can I have another sample plate, please?”

“Sure, but don’t you want a whole slice of your favorite one?”

“I can’t choose a favorite! They’re all so good.”

Steve smiled proudly. “Alright, one more sampler platter for the charmer with the grouchy daddy.”

Bucky grunted while you giggled. “I have one more question.”

Steve nodded while he arranged your next plate. “What’s up?”

“Can I have a scoop of ice cream too? I need to try all of them with it, for science.”

[joe-spookyy]

hello an american werewolf in london nation here is me dressed as jack. and hello reanimator nation here is me meeting dan and herb. #bless up like and subscribe for more baller vfx makeup and fire outfits.

[littlemagicalstardust]

During the signing/meeting fans portion of Comic Con for various AEW stars Orange Cassidy was sat next to Will Ospreay & Toni Storm! // IG Story: aewontv

[skybrushus]

The final drawing that I started during my first Doctor Who themed Picarto stream. It was a request for my fennec muse Abdul from my Andur dreamscape dressed as Tom Baker as the Doctor.

     So I decided to draw Abdul and his wife Evenara as a cosplayers at a convention. Note. I drew Abdul about 6 inches taller than his usual 36" height. That or I drew Evernara too short.

[frostycatblr-fandom-files]

Nearly cried when Dee Bradley Baker signed the print and spoke to me in Wrecker, Tech, Crosshair and Captain Rex's voices today!

Got a lot of cool things my first day out of two at the convention center today, but nothing will top this.

[junkyardbluebox]

Mini Hiatus

I'll be at LI Who this weekend so I won't have much (if any) time to post. I'll see if I can squeeze in a couple of posts early tomorrow... If not, I should be back on Monday.

See you all then!

[greensparty]

Stuff I'm Looking Forward To in October

Well it is now Fall and the 4th quarter of 2024. In addition to Rosh Hashanah (10/2-10/3), Yom Kippur (10/11-12), Columbus Day (10/14), Indigenous Peoples' Day (10/14), and Halloween (10/31) as well as the Vice Presidential Debate (10/1) here is what's on my radar this month:

Movies:

Daytime Revolution

As a Beatle fanatic I always appreciate it when a documentarian goes for the less obvious part of John Lennon's history, i.e. LennoNYC, The Lost Weekend: A Love Story, John Lennon: Murder Without Trial, and Revival69: The Concert That Rocked The World since Imagine: John Lennon is the single most comprehensive doc about Lennon. So this new doc about Lennon and Yoko Ono taking over for Mike Douglas's TV show in 1972 has my attention. Opening on 10/9 (Lennon's birthday).

Piece by Piece 

Morgan Neville is one of the great documentarians of our time and he's been on a roll recently after last year's Bono & The Edge: A Sort of Homecoming with Dave Letterman and this year's Steve! (Martin). Now he's back with a Pharrell Williams doc as documented by legos. What an approach! Opens 10/11.

Saturday Night

Jason Reitman, who has made many great films, takes on the very beginning of Saturday Night Live in 1975. I am a lifelong SNL fanatic and I certainly hope this biopic can live up to the bar that is set. Opens 10/11 (the anniversary of SNL's premiere).

Anora

Sean Baker has very quietly become one of the most exciting voices of indie film to emerge in the last decade with his quirky character studies about sex workers. His new one won Palm d'Or at Cannes Film Festival. Opening 10/18.

Road Diary: Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band

Thom Zimny and Bruce Springsteen are becoming one of the great director/subject relationships in film! They've done performance pieces like Western Stars and Springsteen on Broadway as well as making-of fly-on-the-wall docs like Letter to You and original archival footage like The Legendary 1979 No Nukes Concerts. Now Zimny is back with a chronicle of The Boss's 2023-2024 world tour. Premieres on Disney+ and Hulu on 10/25 (review to come).

Don't Move

Nothing like a good old clock-is-ticking-before-you-die horror flick. In addition to producer Sam Raimi, this was co-directed by Adam Schindler. Way back in the 00s I worked as a PA on the HBO specials Dane Cook: Vicious Circle and Justin Timberlake FutureSex/LoveShow, where Adam was one of the assistants. It's very cool to see how far he has come since then. Premieres 10/25 on Netflix.

Music:

The Smile Cutouts

One of the best albums of this year so far is easily Wall of Eyes from The Smile, Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood's Radiohead side project with Sons of Kemet’s Tom Skinner. Since that release in January, they have somehow found time to do a whole new album dropping on 10/4 (review to come).

The Linda Lindas No Obligation

I included The Linda Lindas' debut album Growing Up in my Best Albums of 2022. They are on a roll and recently opened for Green Day. New album drops on 10/11.

MC5 Heavy Lifting

MC5 are pretty much the architects of what became punk rock. I love their legendary live album Kick Out the Jams. Earlier this year we lost founding members Wayne Kramer and Dennis Thompson. But the good news is that just as the band is going to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, they recorded a studio album (their first since 1971) that is set to be released on 10/18!

The Pixies the Night the Zombies Came

The 9th studio album from The Pixies is coming at an interesting time. Just two years after their excellent album Doggerel (which I named my #4 Album of 2022 it was easily their best album since they reunited in 2004) and a few months since they parted ways with bassist Paz Lenchantin, their bassist since 2014. New bassist Emma Richardson has been touring with the group since the Spring. I for one am really looking forward to this! Album drops 10/25 (review to come).

Events:

Collectibles Extravaganza

The team that run the Northeast Comic Con are back with their Collectibles Extravaganza. I had fun at the 1-day event they did in July. This one is in Boxborough, MA on 10/5-6.

Film Festivals:

IFFBoston Fall Focus

My favorite film festival is Independent Film Festival Boston, which takes place in the Spring. IFFBoston’s mini-fest Fall Focus happens in the Fall to showcase some of the Fall festival darlings before they get released during end of the year Awards Season. This year's Fall Focus is 10/31-11/3 at the Brattle (Harvard Square, Cambridge).

[aceredshirt13]

IT'S HIM

IT'S ANTHONY OF THE ALBANY

So Raffles fan art in the style of The Great Mouse Detective seemed like a good idea at the time but then I was like HOW THE FUCK DOES MICE WORK???

[carolinemillerbooks]

New Post has been published on Books by Caroline Miller

New Post has been published on https://www.booksbycarolinemiller.com/musings/learning-from-the-apes/

Learning From The Apes

In 2011, Lara Logan, a CBS reporter, was in Cairo’s Tahrir Square covering the Arab Spring celebration– the peaceful overthrow of Hosni Murbaraks’ military dictatorship.   The crowd was jubilant as they sang and danced in the streets, so the reporter was surprised when her translator suddenly shouted, “Run!  Run!”  She did her best to follow him through the swirling crowd but soon lost sight of his back. What followed was an event that made media headlines.   Surrounded by 200-300 men, Logan felt their hands as they tore at her clothes, a frenzy that would not be satisfied until she was naked in their midst. If she cried for mercy, no one heard her.  Instead, countless males jammed their fingers up her vagina or engaged in sodomy before passing her to another as if she were a slab of meat. The entire time, she hung suspended by her arms and legs like an item of wet laundry.  Little wonder that her mind collapsed into a black hole of certainty. “I’m going to die.” Somehow, a knot of women nearby managed to reach out and pull her into their midst. Her nakedness they shielded with their bodies, a barrier that stopped the men in their tracks as if confronted by a tsunami. There was no mistaking the message that blazed from the women’s eyes. “We do not know this victim, but she is female. She is us.” Logan suffered wounds that kept her in the hospital for four days. Healing her psyche would take longer.  Even so, she was lucky.  Two of her male cohorts were killed that day in Tahrir Square. Readers may be surprised to learn that Logan’s claim to have been gang raped wouldn’t hold up in an American court. Rape excludes acts of oral, and statutory rape; rape with an object, finger, or fist. Rape is limited to penis penetration. The other violent act, the law reduces to a charge of assault.  Little wonder that Carrie N. Baker, writing in the Summer 2023 edition of Ms, conclude that women aren’t going to win within the legal system. (pg. 20) The sisterhood Logan experienced is a powerful force for women’s rights but it’s unreliable.  Sojourner Truth, a former slave, pushed her way onto the platform of the Women’s Rights Convention in 1851 where she was initially unwanted.  Finally given her voice, she asked the audience why they’d attempted to exclude her. “Ain’t I a woman?”  Not waiting for an answer, she went on to define the power of sisterhood, a message that those gathered in that room needed to hear. If the first woman God ever made was strong enough to turn the world upside down all alone, these women together ought to be able to turn it back and get it right side up again. So far the women’s movement hasn’t righted the wrongs against their sex. Other social divide them. That’s why Jane Rosenfeld’s new book, The Bonobo Sisterhood should be a primer for every female. An activist and member of Havrad’s Law School, Rosenfeld looks to the apes as a model for female behavior.  Bonobos live in matriarchal societies, proving that male dominance isn’t inevitable. Nor should it be. Patriarchy works against women’s interests and uses sexual coercion to control females as reproductive resources.  (“Be Li kth eBonobos,” by Carrie N. Baker, Ms., Summer 2023, pg. 20.) Bonobs females withstand male aggression by practicing cohesive behavior.  When a male threatens a female in the species, she lets out a special cry.  Hearing it, others of her sex come to her assistance–whether they know her, like her, or are related to her. (Ibid, pg. 21) This unquestioning unity enables the females to contain male aggression. Activist/actor Ashley Judd who wrote the preface to Rosenfeld’s book calls that unity empowerment through empathy. (Ibid, pg. 23) Empathy without regard to race, religion, culture, or political ideology is what Egyptian women gave to Lara Logan on the afternoon of her mass rape.  I’ve extolled that form of sisterhood before. Our mutual security should be our common bond. We owe each other that much loyalty. “Aint we all women?”

[callmeagardengnome]

✗ mob mentality ✗ | ATEEZ (series masterlist)

pairings ✃ individual! mafia! ateez ot8 x fem! reader

genre ✃ mafia au, one-shots, angst + hurt/comfort here and there, romance, potential yandere behaviour, romance

details ✃ a collection of (unique…?) mafia one-shots WITH NO SMUTTTT created by yours truly.

۶ blood in the clouds ৎ

[mafia leader! hongjoong x flight attendant! fem! reader]

it’s finally your last day as a flight attendant. you wanted nothing more than to laze on your couch and watch netflix - just to find out that one of your passengers blew out the brains of your pilot with a gun.

in which hongjoong hijacks a plane that his rival’s daughter is on.

poll | deleted scenes

۶ sugar and sin ৎ

[mafia! seonghwa x fem! reader]

seonghwa goes above and beyond to eliminate his targets: going undercover in places they go to most. when you happen to spend your time in a secluded bakery, seonghwa decides to bake your treats with doses of poison - yet somehow, you keep surviving.

in which you thought you made a new friend in your local bakery, when in reality - your ‘baker’ keeps mistaking laxatives for poison.

۶ marathon extravaganza ৎ

[mafia! yunho x rival! fem! reader]

yunho has been a professional shooter for all of his life. he’s killed lawyers, federal agents and even highly-protected politicians. so why does his shots keep missing you?

in which you and yunho become obsessed in a stalking game of cat and mouse. 

۶ under the hood ৎ

[mafia! yeosang x car mechanic! fem! reader]

as a mechanic, you tend to see clients on the daily - some new, some old. but when one of your regulars leave a $100,000 bag of cash on your counter, it seems like you’ve turned from ordinary citizen to wanted criminal. 

in which yeosang accidentally gave you the bag of money he stole instead of a ten dollar tip. 

۶ fries in the bag ৎ

[mafia! san x fast food employee! fem! reader]

san’s most effective method of killing is by using his looks to lure his enemies - making many powerful women (and men) fall for him. but when a regular person seems to be unfazed by his charms, san decides to do anything to make you fall in love with him. 

in which you finally got through your 2am shift, only to find the severed head of your abusive manager at your doorstep. 

۶ voice of crime ৎ

[mafia! mingi x anime VA! fem! reader]

when you entered the voice acting industry, you knew that there would be people that either loved you or hated you. but what you didn’t expect was to get shot at an anime convention by a weeb in cosplay. 

in which mingi accidentally shoots his favourite voice actress instead of her boyfriend that was beside her.

۶ money makers ৎ

[mafia! wooyoung x fem! reader]

day and night, you work in a shitty multi-million dollar corporation that doesn’t care about you. and to make matters worse, you had to find out that the whole company is in debt to a mafia gang by getting kidnapped during office hours. 

in which wooyoung tries to torture information out of you, only to realise that he’s found his kryptonite: a suicidal intern. 

۶ siren’s call ৎ

[mafia! jongho x jazz singer! fem! reader]

as the newest addition to the mafia, jongho got assigned to the boring task of scoping out a random bar in town. annoyed, he decided to leave early. or so he tried. when the singer stepped on stage and sang into the mic, her voice pulled jongho further into the bar than out. 

in which you begin to notice a regular in your gigs, though you can't ignore that your male audience seems to be disappearing one by one. 

hi yall! i initially only wanted to make one hongjoong oneshot until i realised how much i love mafia aus. there will be no smut in these stories and at most, there will be a detailed kissing scene. also do not expect regular updates!

if you want to be added to the taglist, feel free to ask!

series taglist [OPEN] - @hanoishere @scuzmunkie @sinfullygay @arusio @midnightrebel1028 @neemaxx @seungminsrighthand @arilevenatz @ateezswonderland @beabatiny @lemirabitur @sunnyhokyu @frzzenfrxg @cylovesmg @txtsoobean @seonghwasslytherin @sundaybossanova @sweetinsaniiity @cybrnaya @choisanchwego @mrskill2 @devilzliaison @scary-thingz

other fics

[macgyverphotography]

The Martin B-16B-25-MA Marauder "Flak-Bait" is undergoing restoration at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center. The plane flew 200 missions, including in suppport of the D-Day landings at Normandy and the Battle of the Bulge. The forward section of the plane was displayed in the National Air and Space Museum on the National Mall, but now the entire plane is in the process of being restored.

[paulyollyoxxenfree]

Omg I remember so much of it, McGann was a huge flirt and soooo touchy feely, I got so many hugs, McCoy told me he had to Wee and to take him to the nearest loo. Davison was explaining in detail how to make a flat white, Baker was kinda shy.

Mingolas wife was the sweetest person I’ve ever met! I remember we were in the room for his discussion and she was sitting next to me and said hello or something and we got to talking and she said that’s my husband up there and I was like no way! My husband is such a big fan! And she said oh well they should talk. And then we couldn’t get you guys to stop talking.

We do have a great life.

@arsnof and I.

My first time at a Comic Convention was the best thing that has ever happened ( other than getting married).  I volunteered to help my friend who was a talent director and it just so happened that part of the talent were not one but FOUR DOCTORS!   I got to escort  Sylvester McCoy and Paul McGann to their various interviews  and then today on my last day I got to sit backstage as all four ( McCoy, McGann, Davidson and  Baker) did another interview,   standing around all day paid off because even though I look like crap from all the work,  I got these pictures.   I STILL CANT EVEN! 

[deadpresidents]

"Somehow disruption doesn't begin to cover it. Upheaval might be closer. Revolution maybe. In less than two weeks since being elected again, Donald J. Trump has embarked on a new campaign to shatter the institutions of Washington as no incoming President has in his lifetime.

He has rolled a giant grenade into the middle of the nation's capital and watched with mischievous glee to see who runs away and who throws themselves on it. Suffice it to say, so far there have been more of the former than the latter. Mr. Trump has said that 'real power' is the ability to engender fear, and he seems to have achieved that.

Mr. Trump's early transition moves amount to a generational stress test for the system. If Republicans bow to his demand to recess the Senate so that he can install appointees without confirmation, it would rewrite the balance of power established by the Founders more than two centuries ago. And if he gets his way on selections for some of the most important posts in government, he would put in place loyalists intent on blowing up the very departments they would lead.

He has chosen a bomb-throwing backbench congressman who has spent his career attacking fellow Republicans and fending off sex-and-drugs allegations to run the same Justice Department that investigated him, though it did not charge him, on suspicion of trafficking underage girls. He has chosen a conspiracy theorist with no medical training who disparages the foundations of conventional health care to run the Department of Health and Human Services.

He has chosen a weekend morning television host with a history of defending convicted war criminals while sporting a Christian Crusader tattoo that has been adopted as a symbol by the far right to run the most powerful armed forces in the history of the world. He has chosen a former congresswoman who has defended Middle East dictators and echoed positions favored by Russia to oversee the nation's intelligence agencies.

Nine years after Mr. Trump began upsetting political norms, it may be easy to underestimate just how extraordinary all of this is. In the past, none of those selections would have passed muster in Washington, where a failure to pay employment taxes for a nanny used to be enough to disqualify a cabinet nominee. Mr. Trump, by contrast, has bulled past the old red lines, opting for nominees who are so provocative that even fellow Republicans wondered whether he is trolling them.

The message to Washington is simple, according to Roger Stone, the longtime Trump friend who relishes his own reputation as a political dirty trickster. 'Things are going to be different,' he said by text."

-- Peter Baker, "Trump Signals a 'Seismic Shift,' Shocking the Washington Establishment,' The New York Times, November 17, 2024.

Here's another incisive article about President-elect Donald Trump's transition and his frightening Cabinet nominees, who are abnormal even for Trump and the personality cult that has been built around him since 2015. For the past quarter-century, Peter Baker has been one of the very best, most level-headed analysts of the contemporary American Presidency, and he seems be stunned by the direction the incoming Trump Administration is already heading. Once again, all of these links are gift links to bypass the New York Times paywall so that you may read and share these important pieces and remain alert to the very real consequences of the 2024 election which are already taking shape.

[becausegoodheroesdeservekidneys]

if I remember right, a year or two ago you made a list of recommendations for the Edinburgh Fringe. Any recommendations for this year? Already got Steffan on the list, obviously

I did! Okay, okay, here's what I've got this year. Caveat: I personally have not been up there yet (I'm going in a few days), but these are things I saw in preview/have heard great things about.

Steffan Alun: Free Standup, but at What Cost

Venue 156: PBH's Free Fringe @ Banshee Labyrinth - Banquet Hall, 21.30-22.30

Back again! Eighth Fringe, this. The show is an hour, but that includes a 15 minute warm-up act, then Steff for 45 mins. He does this so that reviewers won't come and ruin the vibe.

Anyway this year he talks a bit about being Welsh and how he is therefore grumpy with Bristolian Tesco self-checkout machines

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Jake Baker: Rule Breaker!

Venue 78: PBH's Free Fringe @ Canons' Gait - Lower, 16.30-17.30

I love Jake, he's lovely. He's a gentle soul and has an excellent delivery style; very warm and deceptively witty. Normally he goes with Just The Tonic and is given a searing hot basement in the sky that smells of mould for a room, but this year he's in Canons' Gait, which is much much nicer.

His blurb: A rule-breaker, a risk taker, a wave-maker and a convention-shaker – all phrases never before used to describe Jake Baker. But when a frustrating game of Alan Turing-themed Monopoly leaves him questioning the laws of the game, he finds himself turning that analytical impulse to bigger things.

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Stephanie Laing: Rudder

Venue 300: Underbelly, George Square - The Wee Coo, 14.50-15.50

This show is particularly Tumblr-friendly, actually; it's described as 'neurodiversity-led'. However, it's a show with a content warning, although all the ticket page is saying is "themes" (insert Stephen Fry meme here); so, <SPOILER> she talks about withdrawing consent while sleeping with a FIB, and him continuing anyway. She talks about it in a very gentle way, avoiding Big Words, and it's very heavy on aftercare </SPOILER>

Her blurb: A comedy dance show about balance. Stephanie has a history of falling over a lot, accidentally kneeing herself in the face, and falling in love with total kn*bheads. In this show she uses a mixture of stand-up and dance to talk about bodies, sex, dancing, liking yourself, consent and healing. Also, there are cartoon bears and burlesque.

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Erin McKinnie: The Faff Chronicles

Venue 108: Hoots @ The Apex - Hoot 4, 16.50-17.50

An Edinburgh local! Good solid standup for those who like such things. New-ish, but one to watch, she's very good. Don't be surprised to see her take off

Her blurb: What a faff! Erin McKinnie, a rising star on the Scottish comedy circuit, talks about faffing through early adulthood – from rogue adventures to living the "below-deck life" on cruise ships – she finds the funny in every bizarre encounter in this uplifting show that asks: Do we really need a life plan? Or... are we all just winging it? A brilliant, snort-worthy giggle-fest about exiting your 20s, facing life indecision and chasing answers for those big questions, all the while trying to convince your mother that this is a real job...

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Alexander Bennett: Emotional Daredevil

Venue 24: Gilded Balloon Patter House - Coorie, 18.20-19.20

Dark feelings show with a really positive, optimistic message and a fun concept. It uses audience participation, but that's not compulsory, you're safe.

Blurb: I'm the emotional daredevil, and for my next feat, I need someone's help. A show about risk, for the unsatisfied and traumatised, from a Chortle Award nominee

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Alex Franklin: Gurl Code

Venue 61: Underbelly, Cowgate - Delhi Belly, 20.25-21.25

Alex does a fun thing each year where she takes her publicity budget and rather than spending it on publicity, she hides it somewhere in Edinburgh and then reveals a clue to its location every day. This tells you something about her, I think

Her blurb: In 2024, trans girl Alex (me) started HRT. Now she (me) feels the most alive she's (me's) ever felt; and she wants to make you feel alive too, or die trying. A ludicrous, musical, chaotic, joyful show about the colours of the world becoming slowly brighter and giving people furniture via the tube. Also being trans.

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Character Building Experience

Venue 49: Bedlam Theatre - Bedlam Theatre, 20.00-21.00

It's a D&D show - the MC Sasha Ellen makes a bunch of 40-minute simple campaigns and a selection of pre-rolled characters to do them, and then gets three comedians each time to play them. You know the drill. Good quality fun, and different each time, since you'll never see the same campaign/comedian mix.

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2 Truths, 1 Lie

Multiple venues and times (search the EdFringe app or website to see them all), but I recommend catching the 3pm show on either the 25th or 26th August at Venue 108: Hoots @ The Apex - Hoot 1 for reasons I shall not share here (ooh, mysterious)

Fun panel-like show! Often MC'd by Steff, especially if you catch one of the 3pm shows. The format is:

Three comedians each declare a statement. Two are true, but one comedian is lying. The MC doesn't know the liar, nor does the audience. The audience gets to ask questions of the comedians; at the end, they vote on who they think the liar is.

(The prize for winning is a smug sense of satisfaction.)

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Anyway, once I'm up there I will possibly have more, but currently, that's my list