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victoriadallonfan · 26 days

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Let's Talk About the Alien vs Predator Films

Talk about wasted potential, am I right?

I'm struggling to format this in an interesting way, since so much has been covered over the past 20 years since the first film was released. You can read my thoughts on Aliens Franchise and the Predator Franchise as well.

Note that it doesn't include Alien: Romulus, but suffice to say it was a good movie!

I think the best place to start is with covering the themes of Alien and Predator, and the history before these films were created (and the failure of Fox).

My fellow AvP enjoyer @agendergorgon has already posted some thoughts on the topic, giving me a lot to think about, so check out their blog too!

For the purposes of this review, I am not going to include Alien 3, Alien: Resurrection, Prometheus, nor Alien: Covenant.... mostly. The AvP films really don't take much of anything beyond the first two films, though I will touch on Prometheus when it comes to religion.

Ditto for the Predator films, but that's because Predator wouldn't get a third film until 2010, 3 years after the AvP duo.

The themes of Alien Franchise:

I'm sure the first thing to come to mind is that the Alien series is about sexual assault, and you'd be correct. The xenomorph is designed to be extremely phallic, the facehuggers quite literally rape their victims, Burke locks his victims (including a child) in a room to be raped, Ash tries to murder Ripley by thrusting a rolled up porn magazine down her throat etc etc.

Some of you might also remember how Aliens was noted by James Cameron to be a criticism of the Vietnam War, Corporate Greed, and the callous arrogance of the US Military. The xenomorphs represented the innumerable "faceless" soldiers that could overwhelm more advanced enemies with ambush tactics and numbers, Burke thinks only in "goddamn percentages" and how this could benefit himself and the company, and the Colonial Marines are not only woefully mismanaged a newly brought on commander but also completely delusional with their own sense of invulnerability, only to break and panic under pressure once they meet a foe who is determined to fight to the death.

(I will NOT be tackling the fucked-upness of comparing people fighting for their independence vs a fucking Xenomorph, because holy fucking shit, it is literally the opposite AND worse counterpart to having the Predators be colonizers)

But, in the broader scope of the series, Alien - and the xenomorph - represent the uncontrollable, unfathomable, unknown. What are they? Why were they there? What are their motives? How did they end up in that ship? Were they built? How do they 'see'? Why did the xenomorph spare Jonesy the Cat? Are they intelligent life? How on earth do they function with their bizarre biology?

We don't get any real answers to these questions in the original films. The whole point of these movies is that there are things that mankind does not understand, and the horrors of space are vast. And equally terrifying is the arrogance of man (and synth kind) to think they can harness this horror for profit at the expense of human lives.

The themes of the Predator Franchise:

There's been tons of articles on how Predator is either a reconstruction or deconstruction (depending on who you ask) of the 80's action hero flick. A team of muscle laden, big gun toting, sweaty men spouting off one-liners as they mow down their enemies in a secret CIA led operation during the Cold War, interrupted by the presence of an intergalactic hunter than treats these badasses like mere toys. The massive Arnold Schwarzenegger is smacked out like a mouse facing off against a particularly cruel cat, needing to rely on tricks - not his brawns or guns - to stay alive and eventually defeat the Predator.

Others might point to its related take down of machismo. The opening scene is rife with characters testing each other's physical strength against each other such as with Dillon and Dutch, Ventura and Dutch have a small face-off in the helicopter as they try to make a pecking order, Ventura makes a whole speech about being a "sexual tyrannosaurus" and then mocked about sticking a gun up his "sore-ass", Hawkins repeatedly tries to make pussy and sex jokes, and they end up with a single woman in the group who is treated more like an object and baggage than a person for much of the movie. All of these men are emasculated by the Predator, some of them not even lasting a single second to its predations (both in tech and physicality), all of them losing any sense of quips and confidence, and the sole woman of the group survives because she didn't fit the movie's (and Predator's) mold of "tough as nails". When Arnold/Dutch is rescued by helicopter, it's not a cheerful one; he's haunted by what he endured and remains silent as the film pans into his thousand-yard stare.

All of this applies to Predator 2 as well, amping up the violence, dick measuring, and rules of the Predator targeting anyone who thinks they are tough shit for carrying a gun or knife. Even Danny Glover's victory is bittersweet, because he is now left in the middle of dozens of officer deaths, and entire subway car filled with corpses, and an antique flintlock pistol that promises the return of the Predators to Earth.

In a much broader sense, the Predator films are about the oversaturation of violence and lack of care for human life. Predator 1's main plot before he arrives is the CIA using Green Berets and then Dutch's special ops team to clean up their dirty work, giving them false information and not even reporting the Berets being MIA in furtherance of their Cold War goals (slaughtering guerrillas who were working with Soviet Russia). In Predator 2, the police are seen as being ineffective because they trample on each other's jurisdiction, with the Federal task force being willing to kill their own cops to keep the Predator existence a secret and letting it hunt people down for a better chance at capture and experimentation.

The Predator creatures are the epitome of such greed and arrogance. They are the General Zaroffs of The Most Dangerous Game, taken to a new height by showing that human lives literally mean nothing to them beyond a trophy hunt. They care nothing about our social lives, our politics, our loved ones, because for them this is nothing more than the equivalent of posh British Elite going on a Fox Hunt: cruel and sadistic, just to placate their egos. They will violate the corpses of the dead and taunt those in mourning, for the thrill of the game. And in that sense, the Predators are very human antagonists: they are not unfathomable nor are their goals beyond our understanding. The horror of the Predators is that they are creatures we can understand, communicate with, and even see similarities in their culture to ours... and that culture is putting us on a trophy rack alongside other skulls of creatures they felt a thrill to hunt.

So, did the Alien vs Predator films cover even half of these topics?

Well... kinda? Just... not well.

Not well at all.

The Build Up

Alien and Predator have a connected history dating back to the creation of the Predator itself. Stan Winston was on a flight with James Cameron some time after the famous director had finished with Aliens, and the director made a comment about wanting to see a monster with mandibles, which eventually led to the creature we know and love today.

Predator's debut on screen was also often compared to Aliens due to the superficially similar premise of a team of commandos going on a mission and fighting an unknown alien threat.

Despite what some people think, the AvP series wasn't started by the films.

Yes, there was a particularly memorable scene in Predator 2, where the City Hunter is admiring his trophy room and a xenomorph skull can be seen mounted on the wall (though, fun fact, it's actually an inaccurate depiction as xenomorph skulls look more humanoid facing), but that wasn't the first time the duo met in media.

And I'm not referring to the 1993 Arcade Game either (since that only came out a year after Predator 2).

The Alien vs Predator comic first appeared in 1989. And there were publications continuing ever since.

Think about that going forward. There was 25 years of content to choose from, storylines they could adapt, interesting forays into the cosmology and interactions between Yaujta, Xenomorphs, and Humanity.

The movies used exactly none of it (barring 1 thing: the Predalien).

Alien vs Predator (2004)

The plot of this movie is that Weyland-Yutani corporation detects a heat bloom under the ice in Antartica that reveals an underground pyramid, and in a race against his competitors, Weyland rounds up a team of elite experts led by Lex Woods to investigate the ruins (and find that the Predators have left them a convenient tunnel to enter the deep ice). Only to find out that this was a trap, as the pyramid comes to life activates a Xenomorph Queen, unleashing a brood of facehuggers on the helpless crew, all the while the Predators hunt them down. After a spectacular shitshow and release of the Xenomorph Queen, Lex and the last Predator (Scar) have to reluctantly team up to escape the pyramid and blow up the xenomorphs, ending in a final battle with the Xenomorph Queen. Scar perishes in the fight, but Lex manages to send the Queen into the depth of the artic ocean, and is rewarded by the watching Eldar Predator with a spear for her troubles. A post-credit scene reveals that Scar had a chest-burster inside of him, birthing the Predalien!

Rewatching this movie, I'm surprised at how good it looks. The opening scene of the satellite in space, several shots of the ship (and spaceship), the frozen tundra, the set pieces like the Xenomorph Queen Prison, and the CGI!

The CGI! Of 2004! I was shocked that they looked so good for something that is 20 years old now, but they did really well for themselves.

But it was the practical effects that blew me away the most. The shifting Pyramid is absolutely iconic and the abandoned whaling station is suitably creepy. The face-huggers look amazing and the xenomorphs are just *chefs kiss*. It's so funny seeing these Xenomorph effects compared to that of Alien:Covenant, and seeing how much work bodysuit and puppetry can do to make a monster look so much more terrifying than a CGI creature.

I know a lot of people didn't like the Predator's bulky appearance in this movie, but honestly... I dig it? It makes sense that not all Predators are literally built the same, and that the ones who would choose to go hunting in the artic would be the bigger ones who could hold more body heat. And the movie does a really great fucking job of making these Predators look badass and distinct from each other, with Celtic having the coolest mask of the whole group.

And the way the movie is shot is really fantastic! There are a lot of wide and tracking shots where the movie lets the atmosphere do the work instead of badgering us with words, taking its time to build up tension and soak up the visuals. One of my favorites shots they did was slow roam through the Predator ship as the systems come to life and we get to see holograms come on-line, feeding information directly into their masks. Equally good was when the Xenomorph Queen is awakened to cackling electricity and ominous lighting, showing us how vast this chamber is and how huge this Queen is in comparison to the one Ripley faces.

The same goes for most of the actions scenes, with a decent amount of cool slow-mo shots for things like Face-huggles launching themselves, Predators leaping across chasms, and showing Scar's impressive athleticism when he leaps 10 meters into the air and stabs a spear through the Queens skull.

And I can always rewatch the first time Alien Meets Predator Fight. God, that score! The music is just so damn good!!! You really feel like you are watching two massive horrors from space finally finding themselves sharing a space together.

Honestly, the Predators using the Xenomorphs as some kind of fucked up exotic pet for hunting trials and training fits the lore PERFECTLY. It’s actually a literal fox hunt not just metaphorical (and of course, in typical Alien fashion, it all went to shit).

Aliens vs Predator: Requiem (2007)

"Wait, Ridtom/VictoriaDallonFan, are you about to say something nice about AvP:R?!"

Well, after turning up the brightness and hanging blankets over my windows and then watching the movie underneath more blankets... yes!

For one thing, the Alien and Predator effects are spectacular! Some of the best work I've seen in the franchises! The fight scenes are creative and use really cool set-pieces like the sewer and power plant, where we get to see Wolf (the name of the Predator of this movie) absolutely kick ass and slaughter his way through hordes of Xenomorphs. Not that the xenos are left in the dust, as they get plenty of murders on screen and even outsmart Wolf on occasion.

I actually like the Predalien design and the idea that it’s more intelligent than the average Xeno, including holding personal grudges and understanding Predator behavior.

And the Predator tech is really cool too! We got laser grids, land mines, power fists, converting the plasma caster into a plasma pistol And I love the moment where Wolf kidnaps one of the human protags to use as live bait. Such a dick thing to do but so in-character.

Even the bits we get of Wolf mourning his fellow dead hunters was a neat addition.

And to be honest, I didn’t mind the idea of seeing an actual xenomorph infestation in real time, in a small town. I think that sort of setting would be really fun for a one-shot story.

And… that’s it. That’s all the good stuff.

What Went Wrong?

I compiled a list of sources where I got a lot of information on the AvP production: Source 1, Source 2, Source 3, Source 4

Note that a lot of these are 20 years old so I apologize for the outdated and honestly abhorrent word use that some articles and videos may use. And another apology for using the Xenopedia wiki, it was just a good shorthand for other information.

In short: Fox fucking sucks. They will absolutely self-sabotage themselves in order to make a (perceived) profit. Tom Rothman is the most well known (and he’s gone to Sony as of now), but Fox has had a looong history of being stingy and terrified of any risks for their films.

The sheer amount of drama involving Alien 3 and Alien Resurrection is an insane rollercoaster.

AvP removed pretty much any sense of horror and purposely had the design of the Predators to be more “human” and “heroic” (hence the weird human eyes and bulky physique), with a PG-13 rating for more audience numbers. While the human characters aren’t bad, they are not unique or even memorable (barring the fandom romantic tension between Lexi and the final Predator). Also, it was very weird that the Predators couldn’t kill a single Xenomorph, meanwhile the Colonial Marines couldn’t trip without blasting apart swarms of them. It felt like they really wanted to save money on the film in that regard.

AvP:R was even worse, with it being filmed with such a lack of lighting that people could not actually see any of the movie, and even modern advancements in color grading make it a strain. The human characters are awful, just absolutely boring and unremarkable beyond being veiled callbacks to characters from Alien, and we get a bunch of stupid Dawson’s Creek drama involving teenagers who look like they are 30 years old fighting over a girl who has no personality because she was written to just be “hot girl”.

If the story had focused entirely on the wife coming home from the war and dealing with the fact that her own daughter doesn’t feel close or comfortable with her after years of being gone, there could have been focus and themes and yadda yadda yadda.

Also, while this movie at least has horror aspects, did we REALLY need to see the Xenomorphs eating the fetuses and belly bursting out of still screaming mothers? Like, there is horror and then there is just being gross.

Final Thoughts

I often wonder if AvP took the wind out of the sails of Prometheus. Both play with the idea of humans worshiping aliens as gods, because Ancient Aliens is fucking everywhere, but it’s really hard to take Prometheus seriously when you remember AvP did basically the same setup (with arguably smarter characters).

And these movies have really soiled the idea of the AvP franchise barring the video games and comics. There’s apparently an AvP anime locked up in Disney Vaults and so far, both franchises have kept their respectful distances from each other.

However, with the recent successes of Alien: Romulus and Prey, there’s been a bit of a stir with some comments hinting at a potential AvP future.

Who knows. It’s been 17 years, perhaps 3rd time is the charm.

#avp #avp:r #avp: requiem #alien vs predator #alien vs predator: requiem #alien vs predator requiem #alien franchise #xenomorph #predator franchise #the predator #yautja #yaujta #film analysis #prey 2022 #alien: romulus

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astoundingbeyondbelief · 8 months

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Kaiju Week in Review (January 21-27, 2024)

Godzilla Minus One made awards show history in both Japan and the U.S. this week. Its Oscar nomination for best Visual Effects is the first of the series (Godzilla [1998], Godzilla [2014] and Godzilla vs. Kong were previously shortlisted) and the first for any Japanese film. Small wonder Takashi Yamazaki, Kiyoko Shibuya, and their team went berserk when the nomination was announced. The other nominees are The Creator, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, Napoleon, and Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One. According to IndieWire, The Creator has the edge, but Minus One could very well win. And while it naturally made less headlines in the Anglosphere, Minus One also picked up a whopping 12 Japan Academy Film Prize nominations, exceeding Shin Godzilla's 10.

Godzilla Minus One/Minus Color is now in North American theaters. I was intrigued enough to make it my fourth theatrical viewing of this movie, but in the end it did basically strike me as a gimmick. Godzilla Minus One was shot digitally with sets designed for color, so making it actually look like a film from the 40s was always going to be an uphill battle. Even with the regrade, there wasn’t a ton of contrast in most shots, and some of the scenes taking place at night were quite hard to see. Still, apart from the Odo Island massacre, I found the Godzilla scenes as gripping as ever.

Thanks to Minus Color, Minus One made $2.6 million this weekend, crawling back into the box office top 10. Its total in the U.S. and Canada now stands at $55 million, third among all foreign-language films released in the U.S.

Brush of the God, Keizo Murase's directorial debut after a lifetime in movies, is finally complete. It'll play at the Osaka Asian Film Festival in March (link contains more images), and hopefully travel overseas very soon. Murase will also receive an Association Special Award at the Japan Academy Film Prize.

Clover Press shipped out copies of Godzilla & Kong: The Cinematic Storyboard Art of Richard Bennett to Kickstarter backers, myself included. It's an excellent art book, and there are plenty of deleted and altered scenes mixed in with more familiar sequences. Believe it or not, Bennett drew the panel above for Kong: Skull Island—they considered having James Conrad (Tom Hiddleston) flash back to an encounter with King Ghidorah in Vietnam. Not sure how that would've worked, as Ghidorah is generally not one to lie low for a few decades, but it's the first I've ever heard of it being considered. I'm hoping to post some more scans soon. Here's the order link.

Minecraft social media accounts teased a crossover with the Monsterverse, in what's likely to be the most high-profile of the Godzilla x Kong video game collaborations. The Mobzilla mod was created over 10 years ago, so this is long overdue.

The big toy news this week was Titanic Creations revealing the digital sculpt for its Yongary figure. This guy's had even less figures than Gorgo - I can only think of one, and very few of them were made - so expect massive demand. New Godzilla toys were also on display at London Toy Fair, both at the Playmates booth and among the plushies made by an unknown company.

#kaiju week in review #godzilla minus one #godzilla #yongary #minecraft #king kong #kong skull island #king ghidorah #art #orochi #brush of the god #kaiju #tokusatsu #godzilla x kong the new empire

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planerot · 11 months

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Age is confusing in the World Of Cars universe and I wanna rant a bit.

I'm currently in the very, very early pre-planning and research phase for a Planes fic idea I want to write, and I decided to try and do some calculation for character ages. Not really plot relevant, but a good frame of reference to have none the less.

I decided to try and figure out Cabbie's age first, since he's presumably the oldest.

I always thought the idea that he was apart of the Korean war (and by extension Vietnam war) was just very popular fanon, but no! It's actually mentioned in the Meet the Planes book.

The Korean war took place from 1950 to 1953, meaning that, during 2014, the time the movie was set in/released, he could be around 64-61 years old assuming he was made (born? manufactured?) explicitly for the war.

This causes problems for me! In the canon cars universe, if I'm not forgetting anything, it is unknown whether or not characters are just...brought into this world as adults or if they have a childhood like real people. It also could be very possible that cars characters live longer then humans on account of them being vehicles.

Even then, I want to make this fic a human AU, meaning I have to slap on an extra 18 years to make it actually possible for a human Cabbie to join the military.

This means he'd be about 82-79 years old.

I'm all for having old characters in my fic, but Cabbie is also an aerial firefighter and I don't know if they'd let someone that old still work.

I'm just stuck between a rock and a hard place, haha. Do I keep the fact he was in the Korean war, the one piece of real backstory we have for him, and just kind of wave away the age issue? Do I retcon the Korean war stuff and make him be much younger, thus making it more plausible he's still apart of the team, but removing a large part of his character both canon (which, to be fair, isn't a lot) and fanon wise? I honestly don't know what's the best option tbh

EIther way, Cabbie is a really cool characters based off a cool, old plane model and thus causes me MANY issues because of that old plane model.

#cabbie mchale #pixar planes #planes fandom

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dreaminginthedeepsouth · 1 month

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LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

August 21, 2024

Heather Cox Richardson

Aug 22, 2024

In 1974, music writer Jon Landau saw a relatively unknown musician in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and wrote for an alternative paper: "Last Thursday, at the Harvard Square theater, I saw rock'n'roll past flash before my eyes. And I saw something else: I saw rock and roll future and its name is Bruce Springsteen. And on a night when I needed to feel young, he made me feel like I was hearing music for the very first time." The review helped to catapult Springsteen to stardom.

After three days at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, Illinois, I feel like I have seen the political future and its name is the Democratic Party. But rather than feeling like I’m hearing politics for the first time, I am hearing the echo of political themes embraced in the best moments of America’s past.

The theme of the third day of the Democratic National Convention, held in the United Center in Chicago, Illinois, was “A Fight for Our Freedoms.” But the speeches were less about fighting than they were about recovering the roots of American democracy.

The Democrats have not lost their conviction that the reelection of Donald Trump and the enactment of Project 2025 are an existential threat both to democracy and to Americans themselves. Speakers throughout the convention have condemned Trump and highlighted Project 2025, a blueprint written by the Heritage Foundation and other right-wing organizations for a second Trump term. Although Trump has tried to distance himself from Project 2025, Democratic vice presidential nominee Minnesota governor Tim Walz, who was a high school football coach, notes that no one bothers to write a playbook if they’re not going to use it.

Tonight, comedian and actor Kenan Thompson illustrated the dangers of Project 2025 with humor, bringing home the horror of it as only humor can do. With a giant copy of the plan as a prop, he gave a woman married for eight years to her wife the bad news that Project 2025 would end protections for LGBTQ+ Americans, informed a woman who pays $35 a month for her insulin that the plan would overturn the law that makes drugs more affordable, notified an OBGYN that the plan would ban abortion nationwide and throw abortion providers into jail, and put a woman who called herself a proud civil servant on notice that Project 2025 would guarantee she would be fired unless she is a MAGA loyalist.

But the dark dangers of the assault of Trump and the MAGA Republicans on the country have finally pushed the party to move away from its customary caution and focus on policy to embrace the possibilities of a new future. The convention is electric, packed with young people who push jokey memes and poke fun at themselves, much as Walz and presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris are doing to deflect criticism, and who are sharing homemade politically-themed friendship bracelets that echo the homemade paraphernalia of singer Taylor Swift’s Eras tour.

And, after decades in which Republicans claimed the mantle of patriotism, now that the fate of democracy itself is on the line, Democrats are joyfully claiming the symbols and the principles of American democracy for their own.

During the Vietnam War in the 1960s and early 1970s, many Democrats shied away from symbols of patriotism because they seemed to support imperialism. Then, in the 1980s, Reagan and his supporters wrapped themselves in the flag and claimed it for their own. That impulse to define “Americans” as those who vote for Republicans has led us to a place where a small minority claims the right to rule over the rest of us.

The Democratic National Convention has powerfully illustrated that the rest of us are finally reclaiming the country and its symbols. The convention has been full of references to the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, the American Revolution, the national anthem, and the pledge of allegiance. Tonight, attendees chanting “USA” waved signs emblazoned with the letters. Speakers, many of whom are military veterans, have testified that they are proud to be Americans. The theme of patriotism was even in one of tonight’s afterparties: Haitian-born rapper Wyclef Jean played The Star Spangled Banner with an interpretation that recalled Jimi Hendrix at Woodstock. “America is the best place to be,” he said. “I’m the best of the American dream. Welcome to America…. You know what makes America great? We’re a bunch of immigrants.”

As Jean indicated, that embrace of our history does not come with the exceptionalism of MAGA Republicans, who maintain that the U.S. has a perfect past that it must reclaim to become great again. Indeed, speakers have emphasized that honoring our history means remembering the nation’s failures as well as its triumphs. The Democrats’ patriotism means recognizing that despite the fact that the U.S. has never fully realized the principles laid out in the Declaration of Independence, it has never abandoned them either—a statement paraphrased from President Joe Biden, who has said it repeatedly.

Speakers have highlighted that the imperfect version of those principles has enabled their personal success stories. Speaker after speaker, from Harris and Walz, of course, to tonight’s speakers Maryland governor Wes Moore, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, and journalist and television personality Oprah Winfrey, have recounted their own process of rising from humble beginnings to their current prominence,

Winfrey is an Independent who generally stays out of politics, but tonight she spoke passionately during prime time about electing Vice President Kamala Harris and Governor Walz. When a reporter asked her why she was willing to make a political statement, she said: "Because I really care about this country. And there couldn't have been a life like mine, a career like mine, a success like mine, without a country like America. Only in America could there be a me."

The many stories in which ordinary Americans rise from adversity through hard work, decency, and service to others implicitly conflates those individual struggles with the struggles of the United States itself. Running through the stories told at the convention is the theme of working hard through a time of darkness to come out into the light. “Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning,” speakers have quoted the Biblical psalm, and they have referred to the vision of the American flag still flying after a night of bombardment during the War of 1812, captured by Francis Scott Key in the national anthem, promising that after our time of national darkness, there will be light.

The DNC has called not just for reasserting patriotism, but for reclaiming America with joy. It has showcased a deep bench of politicians, some of whom are great orators, repeatedly calling for joy in the work of saving democracy, and it has shown poets like Amanda Gorman and a wide range of musicians, from Stevie Wonder to Lil Jon to D.J. Cassidy to John Legend. The convention is designed to appeal to different generations—tonight actress Mindy Kaling helpfully explained to older attendees who she is—and younger attendees have handed out friendship bracelets saying things like “Madam Prez” to older people in an echo of the exchange of bracelets among Taylor Swift’s fans.

After an era in which politicians have seemed to lie to the American people, the convention has emphasized authenticity. It has featured testimonials about the candidates with speakers ranging from the candidates’ children to extended family and, tonight, to members of the football team Walz coached. There have been stories of Harris’s cooking and how Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff awkwardly called her for a date, and fond memories of Walz pulling a student out of a snowbank, hunting, and caring for his children. The convention has emphasized that the American government is made up of individuals and that the character of the people we put into leadership will determine what that government does.

Further, the Democrats have made their points with the stories of individual Americans who have overcome dark hours in order to move forward. In that storytelling, individuals represent the nation itself.

The message of joy as we protect democracy, backed as that message is with four years of extraordinary accomplishments that have bolstered the middle class and spread opportunity among poorer Americans, has taken off. The convention has heard from three Democratic presidents and a range of other speakers, including a number of Republicans who have turned against Trump and are backing Harris and Walz. In July, Harris raised four times the money Trump did: $204 million to $48 million, much of it from small donors.

The palpable energy and enthusiasm in Chicago, based as it is in a celebration of American values—especially in the idea of American freedom—reminds me of the enthusiasm of 1860 or 1932. It is about ending the darkness, not indulging in it, and it requires the hard work of everyone who believes that we deserve the freedom to determine our own lives.

Tonight, after his acceptance speech, Walz walked off stage to a favorite song of his: Neil Young’s “Rockin‘ in the Free World.” Neil Young personally allowed the campaign to use the song. When the Trump campaign used it, Young sued to make them stop.

LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

HEATHER COX RICHARDSON

#Letters From An American #Heather Cox Richardson #DNC convention #Harris/Walz #american values #democracy #the middle class #freedom #patriotism

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southeastasianists · 7 months

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After being abandoned as a French resort built in 1919 in colonial Vietnam, Bà Nà Hills was rebuilt and redesigned as a theme park. The beauty of Bà Nà Hills is unmatched. Majestically rising from the Da Nang region below, the only way to access this place is through a cable car ride. Make no mistake, as this is one of the best and longest cable car rides in the world, offering a 360-degree view overlooking the greenery below.An attraction is the Golden Bridge, a bridge meant to look like a thread being held by the hands of God. This is likely the most popular attraction of Bà Nà Hills. Beware though, because the bridge is overly congested with private groups of tourists trying to snap a photo on the bridge, which is just wide enough for a few people to pass through. Additionally, the entirety of Bà Nà Hills is built as a replica of the old French buildings in the once-abandoned resort. Separate from all the new buildings, a few ruins have been preserved. Bà Nà Hills has gone to its furthest extent trying to replicate what it once was, playing French music in the background and rebuilding cobbled roads.From a culinary standpoint, Bà Nà Hills is diverse, unique, and has many options. There are many French cafes and restaurants, but also restaurants with Vietnamese, Italian, and other foods. There’s also a lot of alcohol available, especially at the Beer Barrel, a giant barrel-shaped building with a bar inside. You can also visit the wine cellar, built inside the mountain with long tunnels, fireplaces, storage rooms, and more. These cellars were all created over a century ago by the French to store wine.Bà Nà Hills is also known for its unpredictability. The weather, 5,000 feet up, is subject to change at any time. Some days, Bà Nà Hills might be sunny and bright, while others might be cloudy and dark. Although Bà Nà Hills has become a tourist attraction, its presence is still unknown to many visitors in Vietnam.

#Southeast Asia #Viet Nam #Vietnam

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spenglercore · 8 months

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Tell us about the Big Damn Heroes incident where Ilse almost murdered Piotr

So, to start with: Piotr is the kind of guy who would rather suffer himself than let other suffer if he can help them. The man has a heart of gold and it's gotten his ass kicked more than once in his life. He's got a strong sense of justice and loyalty and would give you the shirt off his back or take on someone he knows is going to beat the shit out of him if means you'd be spared the harm.

At some point in his late twenties he joins the army as a tank mechanic and serves in both Korea and part of Vietnam. In the latter conflict, he gets set to a forward repair base when their foreman is KIA. He's slated to take the guy's place temporarily until his replacement arrives, and while he's there they end up having to go on tank recovery in hostile territory.

Now, retrieving an M48 Patton tank is almost always going to be An Affair in and of itself, depending on just how badly damaged it is. And if it was damaged enough that it couldn't be driven back to base, that means you've gotta send people out to get it, which requires a tank recovery vehicle (usually just another wholeass tank modified for towing) and also possibly do any repairs that it might need to even make it towable, and do so in the field.

This is what Piotr and his guys are doing when they discover it was a trap and they walked right into it.

So bullets are flying and people are diving for cover, of which there isn't much. Piotr is the guy in charge as far as the mechanics go, and he knows that the longer they sit there the more losses they'll incur. Yeah, they've got a guy on the radio yelling for backup, but between that moment and when backup actually arrives, IF it arrives at all, is an unknown quantity and a lot can happen in that time frame. Their best bet is to get to the recovery vehicle and beat a hasty retreat, while hoping the VC don't have any anti-tank weapons.

So this motherfucker decides that it's his job to get the recovery vehicle unhooked from the tank they were gonna recover and pile as many guys into it as possible while providing moving cover for anyone else so they can get out of the middle of things and into a more defensible position. Of course, this is a dumb idea, but Piotr can be dumb as a box of rocks at times. He's a machinist, engineer and mechanic, not a tactician.

He gives his dog tags to another guy, says the classic 'tell my wife and kid i love them' line, and then runs off. Miraculously, he's not instantly hit. Instead, when he gets to where the two vehicles are hooked together, he runs into an enemy soldier. Once again, he miraculously escapes injury or death by bayonet and instead brains the guy on reflex with the mini sledgehammer he had in his hand. Being close enough to see the effects of a hammer on a human head and watching the guy die is not something he was ever prepared for, and it's here that he locks up and gets hit. Not only does he get perforated, but his left knee takes a decent piece of shrapnel right to the joint and he gets a pretty nasty concussion and goes down.

Backup does arrive, and being concussed and panicky because holy shit he's been hit, Piotr gets uncharacteristically combative and gets his ass sedated before he's flown out to a MASH unit where he's patched up. But when he starts to come out of sedation, he's still combative due to having a traumatic brain injury and keeps saying his last name isn't Spengler, it's Kowalski, so not only can they not immediately verify his identity, he gets put in a medical coma for a while and is expected to recover but have chronic problems at absolute best.

While he's out, a clerical error occurs where he's mistakenly listed as KIA, and the corresponding letter is sent out to his wife, who is understandably distraught. Luckily, the day after she gets the letter, Piotr is brought out of the coma and it turns out he's just one of those lucky sons of bitches who recovers completely from the brain injury and nobody really knows why or how. And once he's been awake for a day or so, he finds out that he was mistakenly listed as dead and goes 'Oh fuck I need to call my WIFE.' Which he does, and when he explains that this whole mess is because he was trying to be a hero, he gets chewed out in German loud enough for everyone in the vicinity to hear.

Not long after that, he finds himself on his way home on a medical discharge because the cartilage of his left knee got pretty fucked up and he's no longer fit to serve. But rather than a warm welcome, Piotr is greeted with a halfhearted slap across the face and another tirade of German as Ilse goes off about what an ass he is, how he scared the shit out of her, about what a dipshit move that was taking off his dog tags and trying to be a hero, etc etc. The ride home is quiet and tense, as is getting settled in for the evening.

Once everything is put away and they're behind closed doors though, he pulls Ilse in for a hug and apologizes for putting her through so much. er emotions finally come out and she just sort of collapses into the hug and cries. Seeing her crying over the whole thing has more of an impact on Piotr than her being pissed enough to slap him; he goes to sometimes comical lengths to avoid causing her distress or otherwise upsetting her or making her feel bad, even on accident, and knowing that he did it anyway really eats at him for awhile.

Over the decades though, the time Ilse almost murdered her husband for being a shit idiot becomes something of a running joke.

Along with the time he got goaded into going streaking on a motorcycle.

#none braincells left beef #asks #spenglerisims #piotr spengler

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wanderingnork · 1 year

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Military Horror Movies

So this one was a tricky one, because there just aren't a lot of military-focused horror movies out there. But I did manage to find a few! Here they are.

Predator (1987): A group of Vietnam veterans is sent into a deep South American rainforest in an attempt to deal with a Soviet-backed invasion. Things take a turn for the horrifying when they discover that there's a nearly-invincible alien threat hunting them. The characters are cut off from any kind of support. Even their most powerful weapons are useless. Humans are hunted by an unstoppable malevolent force, even more terrifying than a slasher or a demon. It's pitched as a sci-fi action thriller, but I believe that--despite the grand-scale violence, explosions, and hammy shouting--this is the most straightforwardly standard Horror Movie on this list.

Sputnik: Two cosmonauts return to Earth with an extra passenger. The movie focuses on how the Soviet military handles that passenger. Considering that this takes place during the end of the Cold War, you can imagine just what the military might want with a potential alien weapon. Also, the movie was released in 2020, six years after the Russian invasion of Crimea--two years before the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Given that, the timing of a Russian movie that criticizes military excesses and misuse of power is...interesting.

The Lair: In which a team of American/UK soldiers and allies, stationed in Afghanistan, unintentionally awaken unsettling alien creatures in an abandoned Soviet bunker. Full disclosure, this is a movie I vastly did not like. It's very enthusiastically in favor of western militaries invading Afghanistan (despite the best and most complex character being a member of the Taliban, I loved Kabir so much and his actor pulled that role off so well), among other issues, and that was enough to put me right off. However, it is very definitely horror, and the handling of the alien creatures themselves is good. Plus they use practical effects which. Always lovely.

28 Days Later: Taking a completely opposite perspective here on the military, soldiers in this movie take advantage of the chaos of a zombie apocalypse to misuse their power and weapons to commit atrocities. While containing what might be one of the most tense and frightening scenes in horror fiction (the opening walk through silent London), it manages to also turn the military characters in a more viscerally awful threat than an entire zombie horde.

Godzilla (2014): This falls under a little-discussed and controversial genre called "epic horror." The existence of the genre is debated. Classic horror tales with ghosts and serial killers are up close and intimate, taking place in closed, small-scale settings where ordinary characters become extraordinary by confronting or even surviving the horror. Epics are big, lengthy stories about extraordinary deeds and characters whose exploits take place on a great scale, maybe even confronting gods or other cosmic entities in their adventures. Epic horror, then, is about extraordinary characters on a wide stage confronting vast and malevolent beings which they may not be able to defeat, or only defeat at a dreadfully high cost. I'd argue that Beowulf's first two sections (Grendel and his mother) qualify as an epic horror on their own, and even the attack of the dragon has elements of a horror tale. Stephen King's The Dark Tower series is frequently cited as a modern example. This entry to the Godzilla franchise, dealing with heroic soldiers in desperate and perhaps futile battles against massive entities of unknown origin, would definitely count as an epic horror.

Food for thought: Why are so many of the threats in these movies alien or alien-adjacent? What role do guns play? Do they make the horror (alien, zombie, kaiju) less threatening, or does the type of weapon not matter? Does horror have to be intimate and small-scale in order to be truly considered horror? If yes, then what do you think about movies like Nope, Cloverfield, or any movie involving large-scale zombie hordes? Do you think that "epic horror" is a genre, or do you think that it's a bit absurd? How much would you agree with the statement that, in The Lair, the real monsters are actually the movie's main characters?

#nork rants #the horror tag

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praeteritus-memories-muses · 8 months

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Name: Aslan Jade Callenreese Ash Lynx

Series: Banana Fish

Continuity: 2018 Anime

Age: 18

Height: 5'11"

Birthday: August 12th

Birthplace: Massachusetts, United States

Orientation: Biromantic / Asexual

Species: Human

Occupation: Gang leader

Father: Jim Callenreese

Mother: Unnamed (unknown status)

Sibling(s): Griffin Callenreese

Bio:

TRIGGER WARNING: CSA, HUMAN TRAFFICKING, GANGS, ETC.

Ash Lynx, or Aslan Callenreese, was born in Cape Cod to his father and his second wife. Yet he never actually knew his mother because she walked out on his father when Ash was just a few months old, leaving him to be raised by his father and brother.

Yet his father was honestly terrible. He was an alcoholic and was extremely neglectful so he gave all legal rights to raise Ash to his brother, Griffith. Griffith absolutely loved his little brother and was the one person that Ash cared about more than anything, yet even these happy memories with his brother didn’t last.

Griffith chose to leave for the army when Ash was six years old, he was immediately shipped off to Vietnam. (Iraq in the anime). This left Ash all alone with his father, who definitely wasn’t happy to be left with Ash again even if he had no involvement in his life.

It’s at the age of seven that he was raped by the coach for the local little league which deeply traumatized Ash. Though his father notified the police about it, they didn’t believe him so his father simply told Ash “Let him do it again but ask for money next time.”. Ash was raped repeatedly by this coach until the age of eight where he chose to take matters into his own hands and used his father’s gun to kill his rapist.

It’s then the coach was uncovered to be a child murderer and was labeled the “Cape Cod Blue Beard” and Ash was found not guilty for killing him by means of self defense. This killing made Ash the talk of the town where everyone harassed him with questions about what happened, his father saw the toll it did on Ash so he sent him to live with his aunt.

This did not go well as Ash was already severely traumatized and never even made it to his aunt’s house. As a runaway kid in New York, he was immediately kidnapped by a group of child traffickers for prostitution. He’s immediately sent to a place called Club Cod. A club owned by mafia don, Dino Golzine, where Ash is absolutely horrified by it but he has to learn how to survive in this new situation if he didn’t want to end up dead the way the other kids secretly would if they preformed badly enough.

He learned how to be extremely charismatic and entice the politicians and other mafia members in this club, even unfortunately staring in adult films and photoshoots that he’s since been trying to destroy for his own pride. To this day, camera clicks when he's not asked for a photo are still a huge trigger for him as the memories of these 'photoshoots' and 'videos' come flooding back.

He caught the eye of Dino Golzine who personally took Ash as a personal sex slave or “pet”. Dino would then teach Ash everything of someone in the upper class, including fine dining and extremely high education which later resulted in Ash having an IQ of 210. Not only was he raised like someone in the upper class would, but he was taught to fight and shoot where he’d learn how to use a handgun and knife by a profession Russian assassin named Blanca.

At fourteen, he fell in love with a very nice girl but it never went anywhere as she was killed immediately once it was assumed she was Ash’s girlfriend. He never even got to tell the girl he loved her, and it was a sign for Ash that he simply can’t let people get too close.

When he was fifteen, he was sent to juvenile detention for killing three people where he met his best friend, Shorter Wong. It was seeing Shorter’s gang in Chinatown that he slowly gets the idea to start a gang.

Yet these thoughts of pulling up one stops when he finally found his brother Griffith in a dirty old hospital for unnamed Vietnam soldiers (a regular hospital in the anime). Griffith was completely handicapped and many doctors assumed he was brain dead but Ash knew he was still alive so he got him out of the hospital and into his dingy old apartment with his roommate, who was a little boy he befriended.

Wanting to earn better money and try to figure out what the hell happened to his older brother, Ash started up a gang in Manhattan at the age of sixteen and works under Dino Golzine. He has plans to expose him and everyone else once he hears about this “Banana Fish” that is supposedly connected to Dino and his brother.

While Ash can be very serious but crack a few jokes, he struggles a lot with his personal demons. He’s suffered so much that he easily can risk his life doing something because he’s been through so much that dying simply isn’t a big deal to him anymore. He can be philosophical as well but absolutely terrifying to deal with if you’re on his kill list. He can shoot right between the eyes at a far distance without much trouble and skilled with his fists and knives.

He’s also very sex repulsed, having been abused for so long by it that all he can view sex as is simply the easiest way to get what you want so Ash only every offers sex if he needs information, money or manipulate someone to get what he wants. The act disgusts him, to a point of nausea, that he refuses to get intimate with anyone. Even if he managed to fall in love, the overwhelming repulsion of sex is too much for him to make an exception.

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gaywatermelonbread · 1 year

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More info about ur codz ocs?

I have alot of zombie critters...So how about I give fun facts about them! ^^

There's about 12(13 if you count primis ida as a separate oc) of these guys, hints why I'm jist gonna make it like a fun fact thing. All facts of them under the cut.

Ida(OG/Ultimis) - Ida, genuinely, loves cooking. Since she had to cook for her and Richtofen(her "brother") when they lived together, her fondness of cooking grew on her. It was a past time she longs for now, but hopefully will be able to do. If she does fins the time, she makes the best Käsekuchen(German cheesecake)

Ida(Primis) - She only became a scientist to spite Richtofen. Due to their heated argument, Richtofen made a very unwelcome comment on how she's probably the stupidest person he ever met. Now, she lives comfortable in her secret lab where she grows mushrooms and other veggies that she had genetically modified to grow in human made light

Gunther(Child Ida)- He is a lover of space. He once told Richtofen that when he gotten older he was going to go to the moon...

Bobby - He actually helped raised some puppies during his youth and continued to do so when he took over his fathers mafia. He is a big dog lover, but he is allergic to them sadly

Scarlett - Her dog plushie is based on a rl plushie called Bonzo the dog during 1920s! Her parents gotten it from a yard sale for her so she can at least have a "friend" to keep her company when

Sarah - She was a teacher for kindergartens before the zombies came along. She uses ASL for her classes as she speaks due to her and her brothers mother going deaf in her older years

Sammy - He used to work as a carpenter before quitting when he was drafted for the Vietnam War...but that was a bust when his sister tried to take his place and the zombies came

Edgar - The definition of the shy guy that listens to heavy metal. He's embarrassed by it, but will honestly die if Stuhlinger founds out about it. He was just going through an edgy phase that he never really gotten out of

R.O.B. - A robot designed by an unknown japanese scientist to keep an eye on the wild life/test subjects in shi no numa. This robot would record its finds so the research and finds will never be forgotten. It really loves the animals, and tries it's beat to never harm any living things

John - He's actually AroAce! Even though his story shows differently, he later finds out that he never liked it in the first place. He does become a better person after the whole MPD thing, and he wrapped up in a different universe where 5 adult children claim him as their dad

Lifmos - They are fascinated by the concept of love. How humans come together and be so affectionate to one another. How it changes from different people. It was probably the proudest creator of humans moment for them

Solsif - Has memories of every cycle, of every universe. Being the protector of universe isn't the beat, especially when you're missing your friends that had to have their memory wiped

Zelmesh - This guy...them right their...are the definition of hopeless romantic. They love Lifmos and their ideas, and honestly will try to always be there for them. Just an alien in love with another alien

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brookstonalmanac · 1 year

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Events 4.2

1513 – Having spotted land on March 27, Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de León comes ashore on what is now the U.S. state of Florida, landing somewhere between the modern city of St. Augustine and the mouth of the St. Johns River. 1755 – Commodore William James captures the Maratha fortress of Suvarnadurg on the west coast of India. 1792 – The Coinage Act is passed by Congress, establishing the United States Mint. 1800 – Ludwig van Beethoven leads the premiere of his First Symphony in Vienna. 1801 – French Revolutionary Wars: In the Battle of Copenhagen a British Royal Navy squadron defeats a hastily assembled, smaller, mostly-volunteer Dano-Norwegian Navy at high cost, forcing Denmark out of the Second League of Armed Neutrality. 1863 – American Civil War: The largest in a series of Southern bread riots occurs in Richmond, Virginia. 1865 – American Civil War: Defeat at the Third Battle of Petersburg forces the Army of Northern Virginia and the Confederate government to abandon Richmond, Virginia. 1885 – Canadian Cree warriors attack the village of Frog Lake, killing nine. 1902 – Dmitry Sipyagin, Minister of Interior of the Russian Empire, is assassinated in the Mariinsky Palace, Saint Petersburg. 1902 – "Electric Theatre", the first full-time movie theater in the United States, opens in Los Angeles. 1911 – The Australian Bureau of Statistics conducts the country's first national census. 1912 – The ill-fated RMS Titanic begins sea trials. 1917 – American entry into World War I: President Wilson asks the U.S. Congress for a declaration of war on Germany. 1921 – The Autonomous Government of Khorasan, a military government encompassing the modern state of Iran, is established. 1930 – After the mysterious death of Empress Zewditu, Haile Selassie is proclaimed emperor of Ethiopia. 1954 – A 19-month-old infant is swept up in the ocean tides at Hermosa Beach, California. Local photographer John L. Gaunt photographs the incident; 1955 Pulitzer winner "Tragedy by the Sea". 1956 – As the World Turns and The Edge of Night premiere on CBS. The two soaps become the first daytime dramas to debut in the 30-minute format. 1964 – The Soviet Union launches Zond 1. 1972 – Actor Charlie Chaplin returns to the United States for the first time since being labeled a communist during the Red Scare in the early 1950s. 1973 – Launch of the LexisNexis computerized legal research service. 1975 – Vietnam War: Thousands of civilian refugees flee from Quảng Ngãi Province in front of advancing North Vietnamese troops. 1976 – Prince Norodom Sihanouk resigns as leader of Cambodia and is placed under house arrest. 1979 – A Soviet bio-warfare laboratory at Sverdlovsk accidentally releases airborne anthrax spores, killing 66 plus an unknown amount of livestock. 1980 – United States President Jimmy Carter signs the Crude Oil Windfall Profits Tax Act. 1982 – Falklands War: Argentina invades the Falkland Islands. 1986 – Alabama governor George Wallace, a former segregationist, best known for the "Stand in the Schoolhouse Door", announces that he will not seek a fifth four-year term and will retire from public life upon the end of his term in January 1987. 1989 – Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev arrives in Havana, Cuba, to meet with Fidel Castro in an attempt to mend strained relations. 1991 – Rita Johnston becomes the first female Premier of a Canadian province when she succeeds William Vander Zalm (who had resigned) as Premier of British Columbia. 1992 – In New York, Mafia boss John Gotti is convicted of murder and racketeering and is later sentenced to life in prison. 1992 – Forty-two civilians are massacred in the town of Bijeljina in Bosnia and Herzegovina. 2002 – Israeli forces surround the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, into which armed Palestinians had retreated. 2004 – Islamist terrorists involved in the 11 March 2004 Madrid attacks attempt to bomb the Spanish high-speed train AVE near Madrid; the attack is thwarted. 2006 – Over 60 tornadoes break out in the United States; Tennessee is hardest hit with 29 people killed. 2012 – A mass shooting at Oikos University in California leaves seven people dead and three injured. 2014 – A spree shooting occurs at the Fort Hood army base in Texas, with four dead, including the gunman, and 16 others injured. 2015 – Gunmen attack Garissa University College in Kenya, killing at least 148 people and wounding 79 others. 2015 – Four men steal items worth up to £200 million from an underground safe deposit facility in London's Hatton Garden area in what has been called the "largest burglary in English legal history." 2020 – COVID-19 pandemic: The total number of confirmed cases reach one million. 2021 – At least 49 people are killed in a train derailment in Taiwan after a truck accidentally rolls onto the track. 2021 – A Capitol Police officer is killed and another injured when an attacker rams his car into a barricade outside the United States Capitol.

#Events

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yourreddancer · 22 days

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HEATHER COX RICHARDSON

August 21, 2024 (Wednesday)

But the dark dangers of the assault of Trump and the MAGA Republicans on the country have finally pushed the party to move away from its customary caution and focus on policy to embrace the possibilities of a new future. The convention is electric, packed with young people who push jokey memes and poke fun at themselves, much as Walz and presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris are doing to deflect criticism, and who are sharing homemade politically-themed friendship bracelets that echoe the homemade paraphernalia of singer Taylor Swift’s Eras tour.

The convention has heard from three Democratic presidents and a range of other speakers, including a number of Republicans who have turned against Trump and are backing Harris and Walz. In July, Harris raised four times the money Trump did: $204 million to $48 million, much of it from small donors.

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mikka-minns · 1 month

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Yeah in most media and I've noticed in Modern Chinese media too, Gods only see Humans as lesser forms of them or insects they can easily crush beneath their feet and we're only useful as their tools but in Vietnam, Gods would quite literally go against whatever more powerful than them if they think to harm the Humans they protect unjustly

Well the Water God Thuy Tinh practically almost ruined the country hence he got the worst punishment, imagine what they would do to some bitch who can't handle and kill innocent mortals cuz they didn't give enough offerings to them?

Yeah a God like that would get QUITE THE REPUTATION here, like you're automatically a trash if you don't do shits but expect more gifts from others, the social reputation they would have is atrocious, the gossip culture here is a huge part of our lives and I like to think it's also a thing to the Gods

Having a reputation of being a Bitch in the Gods' world here is honestly a torture, I mean Thuy Tinh's exile is at least better since most of the time he's spent by himself, I like to think the Gods here are social and well being a God who's known for "want to eat but not want to work" here would give you quite the extreme social ostracism, a big punishment as cruel as being unknown, considering that "you work for to earn to your keep" is a natural thing in Vietnam. Gods here work to earn the respect and devotion from the People so you get what I mean

Even if you aren't super good at your job, being a minor god of a village still has its goods and merits, considering how it's a neat simple job and you're still greatly appreciated even with small efforts, it means you made a contribution to the general benefits of everyone, which is a part of our culture too, as small as your efforts are, they're still contribution for the greater good

We have retired Gods here apparently so I think they just took small positions in small villages and chill for the rest of their immortality, the sweet life

Chinese Gods should go here for retirement since we have great retirement benefits here for Gods and Humans, Gods usually don't deal with too many problems except the occasional chaos which is honestly unavoidable and a part of nature, but it's mostly peaceful and we got great natural habitats perfect for rest and relaxation.

I feel like Chinese Gods would apply for early retirement if they know how good the conditions are here in the Vietnamese Pantheon

Vietnamese pantheon fr gas the best conditions

I feel like they could succswsfully make peace with SWK. Since they are so chill in the first place and wouldnt do half(or any) of the stuff that got Wukong angry with the Chinese gods.

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misfitwashere · 1 month

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August 21, 2024

HEATHER COX RICHARDSON

AUG 22

After an era in which politicians have seemed to lie to the American people, the convention has emphasized authenticity. It has featured testimonials about the candidates with speakers ranging from the candidates’ children and grandchildren, to extended family and, tonight, to members of the football team Walz coached. There have been stories of Harris’s cooking and how Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff awkwardly called her for a date, and fond memories of Walz pulling a student out of a snowbank, hunting, and caring for his children. The convention has emphasized that the American government is made up of individuals and that the character of the people we put into leadership will determine what that government does.

#heather cox richardson #letters from an american

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nfr-reviews · 1 month

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NFR Reviews #7: The Endless Summer

Released 1966 / Inducted 2002

Surfing momentarily took over pop culture in the first half of the 1960s. Post-WWII experimentation with new materials like resin, fiberglass, and later foam made more maneuverable, easier-to-produce surfboards. Media production followed suit. The music charts featured surf-rock artists like the Beach Boys and Dick Dale, while movies like 1959’s Gidget, 1961’s Elvis vehicle Blue Hawaii, and several following beach party movies used the sport as a selling point. It wasn't difficult to see the appeal: a combination of idyllic beach scenes, a sense of freedom, and a little bit of thrill and danger.

Despite all that, director Bruce Brown struggled to find distributors for this low-budget movie due to perceived lack of mainstream appeal. It was a hit on its first screenings in Wichita, Kansas, but distributors weren’t sure about it until after a successful run at Kip’s Bay Theater in New York City. It set itself apart from other films cashing in on the trend. Other surf films were more commercialized and focused more on hedonism and romance subplots than the athleticism of the sport itself, its creators often having little direct surfing experience. Many early-60s beach party movies leaned towards clean-cut characters with parent-generation-approved behaviors and values despite a lack of onscreen adult supervision, starring teen idols like Fabian and Frankie Avalon. This one had a niche target audience of other surfers, to be exhibited at surf clubs, placing it in the subgenre of “pure” surf movies. Other surf media portrayed California as an object of escapist desire filled with bright colors and suntans; this one has the state as an overcrowded locale with an inconvenient winter season. This sets up the central concept: surfers Mike Hynson and Robert August leave California to travel around the world, following the summer season through Africa, Australia, and the Pacific Islands to find the perfect wave.

The Endless Summer does share one quality with all the surf exploitation movies and music: its intention to be seen as young and hip. Thanks to the postwar economy and baby boom, the mid-60s had an abundance of young people with disposable income. It gained traction in the mainstream despite its niche roots, which the director attributed to a desire for innocence and escapism during the Vietnam era. Another big factor is how the movie makes you feel like you’re an accepted member of a cool, trendy club. Bruce Brown’s narration offers a fresh distinction from the average documentary narrator. He positions himself as the viewer’s buddy and not a teacher or authority figure by peppering the script with jokes. He refers to himself by saying things like “he’s the only surfer I’ve ever seen do this,” aiming for the specificity and relatability of his personal experiences instead of having the narrator be a detached, objective presence. Due to its origin as silent footage screened in clubs with Brown adding live commentary, the official script and music recordings were added after the fact. He’s the sole voice heard through the majority of the film’s runtime. Instead of hearing either the surfers or natives speaking on camera, Brown often-jokingly recreates interactions and voice impressions in a similar manner to retelling old stories with a friend. The repetition of “You should’ve been here yesterday” in the Australia section, referring to how the best waves always happen the day before a surfer arrives, gives the audience the feeling of being let in on an inside joke.

As soon as the two surfers arrive in Senegal, waves breaking outside their hotel are accompanied with a narrative of unconquered wilderness, complete with waves no surfer had ever ridden or perhaps even seen. In the Ghana section, comedy is mined from the locals being clueless about surfing. There’s jokes about Africans potentially attacking over violations of unknown religious taboos or spearing the surfers, too. The film claims the American surfers were the ones to introduce surfing to the area and no one else had seen anything like it. The film later admits the fishermen's canoes weren’t so different, albeit intended more as practical tools for work than a sport. Surfing developed in Polynesia, and was introduced to the US through Hawaii. It held major spiritual significance, and the best surfing spots were reserved for royalty. However, similar wave-riding practices developed independently throughout Africa, with one account dating back to the 1640s in what’s now Ghana. They used canoes, yes, but also 12-foot longboards and smaller boards of 3 to 5 feet in length. Onscreen, the surfers have little issue sharing their knowledge with the kids and appear to get along with them. However, the additional in-film framing and narration portrays them as an “other.” The narrative is of Americans who have the means and leisure time to travel the world versus some countries they visited whose ways of life that haven’t changed in millennia and are more tied to daily labor such as fishing. Many elements in modern surf culture did originate in Polynesia–equipment innovations like the long, narrow olo board, surf forecasting, and techniques of trimming across the wave face being some of them. However, the concept of using a board to ride waves for fun and sport developed across most warm-water coastal cultures, including Ghana.

The perfect surfing spot contains a finite amount of space. In the mid-1960s, Surfer magazine began keeping some spots secret so tourist overflow wouldn’t ruin the experience. Author Matt Warshaw suggested journeys to far-flung locations were less about new discoveries and more about getting away from crowds. The Endless Summer team found the perfect wave in South Africa, a country they previously noted as having long stretches of uninhabited space. Like many subcultures, surfing enthusiasts formed in-groups and out-groups. Endless Summer takes steps to define its own identity through who it wants audiences to identify with and who is used as a point of comparison. Its breezy sense of humor twists the traditional documentary format away from “narrator as objective teacher” into “friends joking around.” It captured a youth culture of the time that was distinct from their parents’ mores in a more naturalistic way than the commercialized offerings of big studios. Unfortunately, it also makes comparisons by flattening other countries into unexplored wilderness areas filled with primitive people. The movie’s methods of identity-forming are strongest when the subculture defines itself as who they are, not who they aren’t. A film lacks the limited space of real surf spots, and this one found a wide audience outside niche surf clubs by making viewers feel like they’re included in the club, whether they've ever surfed themselves or not.

Sources

https://e-space.mmu.ac.uk/617596/1/Endless%20summer%201%20Nov%2004.pdf

https://e-space.mmu.ac.uk/617593/1/surf%20rhetoric%20in%20british%20magazines.pdf

https://lagunaartmuseum.org/exhibitions/surf-culture-the-art-history-of-surfing/

https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/37438736.pdf

https://www.surfertoday.com/surfing/things-you-didnt-know-about-the-endless-summer

https://www.surfer.com/news/africans-surfed-long-before-bruce-brown-showed-up

https://www.fairobserver.com/history/how-ancient-polynesians-conquered-the-pacific-on-their-surfboards/#

https://www.pbssocal.org/shows/lost-la/clip/the-endless-summer-defined-surf-culture-on-its-own-terms

https://www.theinertia.com/surf/where-was-surfing-actually-born-a-look-at-the-origins-of-wave-riding/

https://www.surfertoday.com/surfing/hawaiian-words-every-surfer-should-know

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Endless_Summer (Tumblr link limit strikes again)

#the endless summer #release year: 1966 #induction year: 2002

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ypgoz9939s · 2 months

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The Best Washington DC Bus Tours for History Buffs and Sightseers

Washington DC bus tours offer an unparalleled way to explore the rich history, stunning architecture, and vibrant culture of the United States capital. These tours are designed to provide visitors with a comprehensive and enjoyable experience, allowing them to see the city's most iconic landmarks and hidden gems in a convenient and comfortable manner.From the majestic Lincoln Memorial and the awe-inspiring Capitol Building to the poignant Vietnam Veterans Memorial and the bustling National Mall, Washington DC bus tours cover all the must-see attractions. Knowledgeable and engaging tour guides provide fascinating insights and historical context, ensuring that each stop is both informative and memorable.

Explore the National Mall with Washington DC Bus Tours

Washington DC bus tours offer an excellent way to explore the National Mall, home to some of the most iconic landmarks in the United States. Visitors can enjoy the convenience of hopping on and off at various sites such as the Lincoln Memorial, Washington Monument, and the Smithsonian museums. With knowledgeable guides providing historical context and interesting facts, these tours make it easy to appreciate the significance and beauty of these national treasures. Whether you're interested in art, history, or architecture, the National Mall has something for everyone, and Washington DC bus tours provide a seamless way to take it all in.

Discover the Capitol Building on Washington DC Bus Tours

The Capitol Building is a must-see on any trip to Washington DC, and bus tours provide the perfect opportunity to explore this iconic symbol of American democracy. As you approach the Capitol, you'll be treated to stunning views of its grand architecture and beautiful gardens. Tour guides share the building's rich history and significance, offering insights into the legislative process and the role of Congress. With Washington DC bus tours, you can enjoy a comfortable ride and convenient access to one of the most important buildings in the United States.

Experience the Monuments by Moonlight with Washington DC Bus Tours

One of the most magical ways to see Washington DC is on a Monuments by Moonlight bus tour. These evening tours showcase the city's famous landmarks illuminated against the night sky, creating a breathtaking and unforgettable experience. Sites like the Lincoln Memorial, Jefferson Memorial, and Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial take on a new level of beauty and poignancy when viewed at night. Washington DC bus tours provide a safe and comfortable way to enjoy these sights, making it a perfect option for a romantic evening or a unique family outing.

Dive into History at the Smithsonian Museums on Washington DC Bus Tours

The Smithsonian museums are a highlight of any visit to Washington DC, and bus tours offer a convenient way to explore these world-renowned institutions. With multiple museums located along the National Mall, Washington DC bus tours allow you to easily hop from one to another, maximizing your time and minimizing the hassle. Whether you're fascinated by natural history, American history, air and space, or art, the Smithsonian museums have something to captivate every interest. Tour guides provide valuable insights and tips, helping you make the most of your visit.

Visit Arlington National Cemetery with Washington DC Bus Tours

Arlington National Cemetery is a place of profound significance and solemn beauty, and Washington DC bus tours make it accessible and informative. The tours typically include stops at key sites within the cemetery, such as the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, the Kennedy gravesites, and the Arlington House. Guides provide context and share the stories of the heroes buried here, enhancing your understanding and appreciation of this sacred ground. Washington DC bus tours offer a respectful and convenient way to pay your respects and learn about the sacrifices made by the nation's military personnel.

Explore Historic Georgetown on Washington DC Bus Tours

Georgetown is one of Washington DC's most charming and historic neighborhoods, and bus tours provide an easy way to explore its cobblestone streets and picturesque architecture. Highlights of a Georgetown tour might include the Old Stone House, the C&O Canal, and the vibrant shopping and dining scene along M Street and Wisconsin Avenue. Washington DC bus tours offer the flexibility to hop off and explore on foot, then rejoin the tour to continue your adventure. This is an ideal way to experience the unique character and history of one of the city's most beloved areas.

Discover the White House with Washington DC Bus Tours

No trip to Washington DC is complete without seeing the White House, and bus tours offer a prime opportunity to view this iconic residence. While access to the interior is limited, bus tours provide excellent views and informative commentary about the history and significance of the President's home. You'll learn about the architecture, the famous events that have taken place there, and the lives of the Presidents and their families. Washington DC bus tours make it easy to get a close-up look at one of the most famous buildings in the world.

Conclusion

Washington DC bus tours provide a comprehensive and convenient way to explore the nation's capital. From the iconic landmarks of the National Mall to the historic neighborhoods of Georgetown and the poignant memorials and museums, these tours offer something for everyone. With knowledgeable guides, comfortable transportation, and the flexibility to hop on and off at various sites, Washington DC bus tours ensure that you can experience the rich history and vibrant culture of this incredible city in a hassle-free and enjoyable manner. Whether you're a first-time visitor or a seasoned traveler, these tours are the perfect way to discover all that Washington DC has to offer.

#Washington DC bus tours

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