#busby family

[gacmediadaily]

@danicamckellar - What an amazing 2000s-themed night! (Do you like the Elle Woods-inspired 2000s look I ended up going with? 😋) #DanceParty2EndALZ was magical in every way. SO many friends coming together from both @gactv & @hallmarkchannel for an important cause, supporting @alzassociation. 💜 So many talented friends performed, and we raised $300K! Shout-out to founder @kimberlywilliamspaisley and powerhouse hosts @nikdeloach & @ashleywilliamsandcompany (how did we not get a pic together??). And what a treat to get a mini (comedy!) concert from the one and only @bradpaisley before the event. 🎸 . . Thank you to everyone who joined us in donating, and we can't wait for next year!! 💜 . . #alzheimers #2000sfashion #2000s #ElleWoods #legallyblonde 😁

[hallmark-movie-fanatics]

Upcoming Hallmark Movies

--- Hallmark Channel ---

Everything Puppies Premiering Saturday, May 18 8pm/7c Starring Pascal Lamothe-Kipnes, Stephen Huszar, and Kathryn Davis Synopsis: A dedicated entrepreneur and inventor looking to make it big creating innovative dog toys and treats finds success with the support of a handsome client. 

A Whitewater Romance Premiering Saturday, May 11 8pm/7c Starring Cindy Busby and Benjamin Hollingsworth Synopsis: Maya attends an exclusive business retreat in the Rocky Mountains where she meets Matt who, initially, is her competitor. As they're forced to pair up, an unlikely connection begins to evolve. 

--- Hallmark Mystery ---

Family Practice Mysteries: Coming Home Premiering Friday, May 17 9pm/8c Starring Amanda Schull and Brendan Penny Synopsis: A former Army surgeon moves back to her hometown and joins a practice of family doctors, but when she's drawn into solving the mysterious death of a patient, her quiet life becomes upended.

[fading-event-608]

Recently the syndicate of chemists in Lebanon has issued a statement warning people to not go near the blast sites due to alleged use of depleted uranium by Israel. (link - you need to scroll till the statement in Arabic). The screenshot of their statement on twitter was shared here on Tumblr and I’ve seen multiple people expressing scepticism regarding the source. Some people linked an article (link) from anti-Hezbollah 'democratic' newspaper 'L’Orient Today' to ‘fact-check’ - because of course they can’t read Arabic and are discontent with a twitter link.

This is my short summary of the article: they confirm that Israel has used Depleted Uranium (DU) weapons, not only in Lebanon but also in Gaza in June of this year and between October and December of last year. They establish a history of the use of Depleted Uranium, and include examples of its use in Iran in 2003. Israel doesn't directly talk about their use of DU, but neither are they hiding it - because there is no law that forbids the use of these bombs by Israel, there is no treaty regulating the use of DU weapons. There were several resolutions calling for a moratorium on the use of DU weapons in the UN and EU Parliament, the latest of which was in 2022, but these have failed to stop their use (those who have used them also includes both Russia and Ukraine). The article ends with an ominous addition that the Israeli army has been found guilty multiple times of using white phosphorus, which IS prohibited against civilians or civilian property under international law. (You probably can already tell that their defense is that they do not use it against civilians)

There is another article that was published in early September this year - LINK - I highly encourage you to read this one yourself, as it is quite short, especially when considering the amount of information it contains. As this one is more easily accessible, I won’t summarize it - please take it in yourself. I will say, however, that this article’s author, one Dr. Busby, worked with colleagues to conduct several investigations into the use of uranium-based weapons in both Lebanon and Gaza. In 2006, Dr. Busby asked his colleague to collect multiple samples from a crater left by what was suspected to be Depleted Uranium weapons. Samples from an ambulance air filter were also taken. Dr. Busby and company found not only the  presence of depleted uranium but also of Enriched Uranium. Here’s the paper: link.

Enriched Uranium. In 2006.

By 2024, all of the laboratories that Dr. Busby had used to Conduct the investigation have closed their doors either to him or in general. Busby’s letters to the UN, as well as papers detailing evidence of the use of enriched and depleted uranium are either dismissed or ignored, rendering it unlikely that there will ever be the “official” source for these claims that certain people now see fit to demand. And even if the UN did accept those letters and did push for ban of those weapons - would Israel comply? Genocide is ‘illegal’ under international law, and Israel still faces the case in ICJ, but what will that ICJ do if they rule that Israel is guilty? What would UN do if they accept evidence of Israel using uranium-based weapons? Scold them and write a fine?

The aspect of the deployment of nuclear weapons considered the most horrific is - and has always been - the fallout. The idea that all nuclear weapons would leave evidence - again, fallout - behind was born into the cultural consciousness through various cold war era PSAs, as well as other media inspired by these horrors, potential and otherwise. The weapons Israel is using here do not create fallout, however. But do not mistake them as harmless - they are still highly carcinogenic. They cause birth defects, as well as various other illnesses - mysterious illnesses, or at least mysterious until doctors attempting to treat them register that their patients have been exposed to enriched uranium, after which point the mystery goes away. 

In a sense, the horrors advertised by cold war PSAs and films like Doctor Strangelove, the promise of some explosive end brought about by some fool in the US pushing the wrong button - these serve to draw a veil over the continued use of nuclear weapons that have been ongoing since this technology was first harnessed for violence. This is a severe danger to the people of Gaza, and we can’t ignore it simply because we have developed in our minds too much faith in the loosest understandings of nuclear warfare.

I think many of you are familiar with a boiling frog story. The story goes that if you put a frog in a pot of boiling water, it will try to climb out. But if you put it in warm water and very slowly heat it, it will be so accustomed to the temperature it will eventually be boiled alive. It’s not very authentic, of course - in reality the frog will try to jump out as soon as it deems the water temperature uncomfortable. Just like you would try to get out of the bathtub as soon as it gets too hot for you or try to warm yourself up when you spend too much time outside in winter. 

But some of it still rings true. At what point will the UN, or ICJ, or some other white savior wannabe decide that Israel has done too much? What is that ‘too-much’ point that makes them try to protest, and what would that protest be?

As in case with Tumblr, it seems that the boiling point, in fact, has already passed and people grew accustomed to deaths of Palestinians. There are thousands of posts about the situation in Gaza, and the whole Palestine, Lebanon, Yemen, Syria… They get a lot of attention by both zionists and Palestine supporters. There are also hundreds of Gazans that came to Tumblr in hopes to escape the genocide by asking people to cover evacuation and survival costs. Do they get the same attention? Barely. Arguably zionists are more invested in interacting with those posts - they mass report them and harass Palestinians. And even if the fundraiser post gets a lot of attention, it does not necessarily translate into a lot of donations - people just assume that someone else will donate instead of them.

You can’t stop Israel all by yourself. You can’t convince the UN or try to progress the ICJ case by yourself. You can, however, do small acts that will contribute to Palestinian resistance. Go protest, go boycott, and please, please, please, go donate to Palestinian fundraisers.

Falastin’s family are under constant threat in Gaza. She’s been fundraising to save them since late June, and yet they’ve only recently gotten to just over 5% of their total goal - a little short of $10,000 USD. They’re still in Gaza, and still in need of funds for survival. The longer they are trapped there, the more they need - not just for food and water, but also for medicine, shelter, and clothes. Each time they’re displaced, due to inadequate time to pack, they lose more supplies, and their needs increase. Give what you can so that they can survive this, and please share their fundraiser as much as you’re able regardless of whether you can donate, just in case someone you know might be able to help. Not just here on Tumblr, on other social media, talk to your friends, coworkers, family, in group chats and in discord servers.

Please keep in mind conversion rates before donating:

10$ = 103 SEK

25$ = 260 SEK

50$ = 519 SEK

100$ = 1,038 SEK

[mysunshinetemptress]

Never yours to fix

Alessia Russo x mum!reader

Warnings: angst absent parent, fluff

As a child you dreamed of being a mum, it was something your parents often talked about you constantly carrying your baby doll a girl you had named Gina.

Although you had dreamed of being a mum you never expected it to happen so soon but after your boyfriend knocked you up at the age of 19 you knew no matter what you would love every moment of it. And you did well mostly, you loved the moments it was just you and Teddy or the moments you shared with your family, you hated the moments she would sit watching the door for her Dad to decide he wanted to spend time with her, the moments she cried into your arms stating “daddy not love me.” The moments he cancelled last minute or didn’t show up at all.

Teddy’s heart had been broken so many times that you often felt like you failed her, you hadn’t not by a long shot you where the best mum a 21 year old could be, Teddy was loved and cared for and you made sure she didn’t have to worry about ever feeling hungry..well your dad did after he got you a job in his company but still it was you there to laugh with her when she was her happiest and hold her when she was at her saddest which was more frequent these days after her Dad found himself a new girlfriend. Being caught up in making sure Teddy was loved and happy you often neglected it for yourself but you couldn’t possibly bring in a new person to your life scared Teddy would get attached and then become even more heartbroken when it eventually turned bad. That was until you met her.

Teddy was staying with your parents while you and your brother attended Manchester United vs Newcastle at Old Trafford, since you where kids both you and your brother held season tickets and although you still bought it you hadn’t used yours in two since having your daughter. Seats picked right beside the directors box at the Bobby Charlton stand you both got comfortable catching up.

You both sat with batted breath as you watch the boys in red try tirelessly to defend sighing and dropping your head in disappointment turning when you heard a laugh, eyes catching two girls sat beside you. The brunette turned before locking eyes with you and smiling sheepishly hitting the blonde girl beside her “sorry, it’s not funny I know but if I don’t laugh I’ll cry.” It was your turn to laugh before nodding “that’s understandable haven’t seen them preform as good as they should be since I was a kid if I’m being honest but once a red always a red so I’ll keep coming.” The girls smiled at you “I’m Y/n and this is my brother Jamie.” The brunette smiled “I’m..” Jamie laughed “oh we know who you are best number seven for United and Alessia the traitor.” You thumped Jamie’s arm at the last part “sorry ignore him he wishes he was half as decent as you Alessia.” The girls laughed as the whistle sounded for half time “right my turn to buy drinks.” You dragged your brother up before turning to the girls “you guys coming “oh no we…”. You smiled “come on it’s on me please.” The both nodded standing before following you to the drinks stand.

Arriving back to your seats Ella was pulled away spotting a family friend so Alessia had decided to take her seat beside you as you both struck up a conversation “so how long have you been a United fan for.” You shrugged thinking “god don’t think I can remember but my entire life really, Dads a red used to live by Busby way as a kid then he met mum, Mum moved from Ireland when she was 22 they met shortly after in the Stretford end actually, got married and when the business did well moved to Hale had My brother then me and the rest is history.” Alessia smiled at your little story “sorry just realised I told you my entire life story.” Alessia laughed nah it’s all good “I’m a red as well although I grew down south, my Dad is a massive fan. My brothers and I followed after him my mum she isn’t really into it but she’ll watch if I’m playing.” You smiled “that’s really cute.” You both continued talking not even realising the final whistle had blown until Jamie shuck your shoulder “ready.” You looked around “oh, well I best be off it was really nice to meet you Alessia.” You stood slowly smiling at the girl as Alessia shot from her seat “wait, I’d ehm well I…you don’t have to.. I mean I don’t even know if this is what your into…oh god spit it out… would you like to go out with me tomorrow.” You looked at her surprised “like a date.” Alessia nodded “yeah…I had a really nice time with you and I would love to do it again if you are free.” You stood thinking before turning to Jamie “I got T don’t worry.” You smiled great fully “I’d love to here out your number in.”

It was your second date when you finally told Alessia about Teddy. “I really like you and before this goes any further I need to tell you something.” Alessia grabbed your hand across the table “breath Y/n.” You looked at her eyes wide in worry “I have a daughter, Teddy..she ehm she’s two and my entire world and listen I understand if this is all to much for you and before you get up and leave just know I have had the best time with you these past few weeks.” Alessia let go of your hand eyes wide in shock “Teddy.” You nodded head dropping slightly “oh my god that is the cutest name ever have you got photos oh when can I meet her, does she have a favourite show, favourite princess, does she like football tell me everything.” You looked at her in shock before bursting into tears as Alessia got up to move beside you “oh shit Y/n I’m sorry.” You shook your head “no I’m sorry I god it’s just I love her so much and I was so scared of telling you in fear you wouldn’t like me anymore because I really like you.” You spent the rest of the night show Less videos of Teddy and telling her all about her and Alessia found herself falling fast watching your eyes sparkle as you talked about your daughter buzzing in anticipation to meet her.

A month after Alessia finally asked you to be her girlfriend you decided it was time to introduce her to Teddy so you invited Alessia around for lunch “hey baby remember Mummy has someone special coming to visit today Teddy hummed focused on playing with her toys “I know your my best girl but I need you to promise me you will be good.” Teddy looked up eyes big “I promise I good girl Mama.” You smiled spreading your arms “ok come give me a hug and a kiss.” Teddy ran over smiling wrapping her little arms around you before wiggling out to go back to playing. Shortly after the doorbell rang and your nerves spiked at the thought of Alessia actually being here.

You opened the door smiling softly as she pulled you in for a hug “hi gorgeous.” You pulled back kissing her cheek before asking “ready.” Alessia nodded excitedly “so ready I’m absolutely buzzin to meet her.” You laughed pulling her in hands locked together “Hey T can you come here a second there is someone I want you to meet.” Teddy threw her toys down jumping up from the floor and raced towards you putting her hands in the air “up mama.” You smiled letting go of Alessia’s hand picking her up as she rested her head on your chest “hey love this is the person I was telling you about, her name is Alessia can you say hi.” Teddy looked at the blonde studying her before smiling “hi lessia I Teddy.”you looked at the older girl smiling as she laughed “hi Teddy your so pretty aren’t you.” It was Teddy’s turn to laugh before she reached over for Alessia’s hair “hair like Punzle.” You smiled nodding “yeah Alessia does have hair like Rapunzle.” Teddy lifted her head getting more comfortable with your girlfriend “you a princess.” Alessia smiled shaking her head “Alessia plays football she’s not a princess.” Teddy’s eyes widened as a smile took over her face “I love football, like my mama and uncle jam and Grandpa.” Alessia smiled as Teddy wiggled letting you know she wanted to be put down before she grabbed Alessia’s hand “I show you I show you.” You nodded at the older girl “go I’ll start lunch.”

It’s safe to say the first meeting was a hit Alessia ended up staying until well after Teddy went to bed your daughter the happiest you had seen her in awhile “oh god Y/n she’s amazing, really amazing and she absolutely adores you.” You smiled resting your head on Alessia’s shoulder as you watched the tv “well I can say the same about you I think today might be her favourite out of the year, you made her laugh more today then I have been able to these last few weeks.” Alessia squeezed you tightly “if you’ll let me I would love to spend more time with the both of you. You’re my girlfriend, I care about you a lot and I care about her a lot too, I don’t plan on leaving, that is unless you want me to but we’ll from the moment I met you at Old Trafford I couldn’t help the butterflies and I don’t ever want them to stop.” You smiled pulling her into a kiss “I’d love nothing more than for you to stick around.”

You and Alessia fell into a routine something you had asked for as to not get Teddy all mixed up. Alessia face timed on the nights she wasn’t up in Manchester which at the start was frequently as she lived in London but after the first night she stayed over and how happy Teddy was afterwards it happened more frequently, so Sunday nights Alessia traveled to yours and would be there when Teddy awoke the next morning she would leave then Monday night and be back Wednesday night and Thursday night before heading back down to do it all over again.

That happened without a hiccup for a few weeks until your ex decided he wanted to start seeing Teddy again, you had forgotten to tell Less that Teddy was at her dads on the Wednesday and you definitely didn’t miss the disappointment on her face when she came through the front door waiting on the 2 yr old to jump at her only to be met with silence “sorry darling, I completely forgot Mickey came to get her this morning he’s back on his “I love my daughter and want to see her” phase again but she’ll be home tomorrow.” Alessia nodded “oh ok, we’ll how about we go out for dinner then.” You smiled kissing her softly “ok sounds good.”

That happened for three more weeks until you where sat at dinner laughing about Alessia being clumsy like always when your phone rang “sorry Less it’s Mickey let me get it.” You stood up walking away from the table answering your phone before you rushed back 5 minutes later “hey hey Y/n what’s going on.” You picked up everything taking out the money for the meal “it’s Teddy, Mickey never picked her up from my parents house I have to go get her I’m really sorry less I have to go get her.” Alessia shook her head “hey it’s ok let me drive yeah we will both go get her.” You smiled at her taking her hand as you both left to get your daughter.

You raced up the driveway Alessia following after you as you knocked on the door, before looking at your dad “where is she.” Your Dad stepped aside as you walked through the house finding your daughter cuddled up to your brother hiccuping “hey Pumpkin.” Teddy’s head shot up at the sound of your voice “Mama.” You kneeled down in front of her “oh baby I’m so sorry.” Teddy crawled off Jamie’s lap before wrapping herself around you “No Daddy.” You dropped your head sighing “I’m sorry baby.” Teddy lifted her head seeing Alessia standing behind you putting her hands out for the Blonde as you passed her over “no daddy Less.” Alessia looked at you trying to work out what to say “I’m sorry T.” Teddy began playing with Alessia’s hair “you stay.” Alessia nodded “I’m staying as long as you want piccola Stella.” Teddy’s little chin began to wobble “no go stay.” Alessia nodded “I promise it’s ok I’m staying.” Teddy began crying feeling overwhelmed.

Alessia was there for Teddy and you after that more so then she had been, she left London earlier to spend more time in Manchester with you both and often stayed longer then she was allowed to with training, but she didn’t care “Teddy needs me, you need me, I’ll stay as long as I have go to make sure she isn’t going to bed crying over that idiot who doesn’t deserve her.” You cried into her arms that night.

A few months later Mickey fell back into his phase only this time Teddy was an awful lot more reluctant to go with him stating “no stay, stay with Mama and Lessia no go Daddy.” Mickey wasn’t to happy about that often screaming down the phone at you stating “how dare you take my daughter away from me you and that bitch blonde.” You hung up on him only for him to come banging on the door. You turned at the noise before looking at Teddy “hey Pumpkin you stay here ok I have to go answer the door Less will be here shortly ok.” Teddy nodded watching the TV. Opening the door stood Mickey “where is she.” You sighed “she doesn’t want to see you.” Mickey shook his head “bullshit she’s two she can’t make up her own mind over what tutu to wear, I won’t ask again Y/n where is she.” You moved slightly as her tried to push past you “for the sake of our daughters happiness im sorry Mickey but no, you do this every few weeks, you get this itch to spend time with her like you’re supposed to and then you push her to the side when you get fed up, she is a two year old child not a toy you can’t keep doing that to her, her tiny heart breaks every time and I’m tired of trying to tell her you love her when you clearly don’t and she is starting to realise.” Mickey pushed you back into the hall “Fuck you she is my kid, you can’t keep her from me TEDDY ITS DADDY LETS GO.” Teddy stood up from the couch running to the door peaking out “hey T.” Teddy shook her head “not my name.” Mickey looked at her confused “yeah it is.” Teddy shook her head again “only Mama and Less allowed not daddy.” Mickey looked at you anger sparking in his eyes “what but I’m your Daddy.” Teddy nodded “yeah but Daddy not love me, Mama and Less love me.” Mickey turned to you “what bullshit have you been feeding her, how…how dare you turn her against me, I’m taking you to court you bitch you can’t keep her from me.” Mickey had you pushed against the wall now as Teddy began to cry, just on time Alessia came through the door “I’d take your hands off her if I where you Mickey.” Teddy ran past you both to Alessia putting her hands up as Alessia lifted her up “you should go.” Mickey shook his head “I’m not leaving without my daughter.” Teddy ducked her head into Alessia neck “yeah you are, your not taking her like this, especially not when you are this angry so I won’t ask again leave, take a few days and when you have calmed the hell down try it again in a nicer manner.” Mickey stepped forward but you stopped him placing your hand on his chest “you have broken her heart enough Mickey, don’t make her fear you as well.” Mickey stopped looking at Teddy “I’m sorry baby, I’ll see you soon.” Mickey walked out after that as you looked at your daughter crying in Alessia’s arms.

Sighing you placed Teddy in bed kissing her head before stepping back into Alessia’s arms. “You ok amore mio.” You nodded “I love you.” Alessia froze for a minute before pulling you closer “I love you too.” You turned facing her “I never got to thank you.” Alessia looked at you confused “for what Y/n.” You looked back at Teddy’s sleeping form “we where….we where never yours to fix but you have, I was so scared of love until I met you and Teddy never knew love like yours existed until she met you, you have made us both the happiest girls in the world these past few months and you have eased my worries…I feared she would cry watching the door every day for the rest of her life for her father to love her like she deserves but you…you have loved her since I told you about her in the restaurant and I know she will never have to worry about being heart broken by you, that she will never have to sit watching the door for you..so thank you for fixing what was never yours to fix but loving us both enough to do it.” Alessia smiled pulling you into a kiss “I would do it again in a heartbeat.” You kissed her pulling her impossibly closer. “I love you.” You smiled “we love you too.”

[differenteagletragedy]

Our Life Swap AU continues to haunt me. This one begins sometime between Step 2 and 3. Baxter and MC befriend a stray cat and they pay attention to that instead of to their feelings.

The first time the cat came around, Baxter was having a bad day.

You weren't sure exactly why, but you could tell by his demeanor that it wasn't the time to pry. He'd tell you eventually whatever it was that had happened, he always did, but sometimes it was better for him to push the bad things away at first and to let a little light back in before he could face them. You were, he'd often told you, that light for him.

He'd come over that afternoon, and the two of you were sitting outside your house, just talking about nothing in particular, when the cat showed up. It was a stray, you could tell that much, and had a black coat with some white markings that made it look like it was wearing a tuxedo.

Baxter had brightened up when he saw you, but at the sight of the cat, he began beaming.

Your best friend always loved being fancy, he had since he was small, but he was no snob, so it wasn't a surprise when he knelt down right on the street and held his hand out, trying to coax the cat over.

"Here, kitty kitty," he began saying in such a soft, earnest voice that you couldn't help but smile.

"Careful," you told him, but the warning was unnecessary. Almost as if it sensed that Baxter could use the extra support, the cat cautiously made its way over to his outstretched hand and lightly touched it with its nose.

"I think it likes you," you said.

Judging by the massive grin he shot back at you, dimples shown prominently in his smooth cheeks, the feeling was mutual.

The rest of the afternoon was spent focused solely on the cat. You theorized where it came from, how old was, if it was a boy cat or a girl cat. Baxter in particular wondered about its family, and he came up with an elaborate backstory spanning generations before you thought to ask a more basic question.

"What do you think we should name it?"

He took a moment, looking the cat over, then said "Busby."

Smiles came awfully easy that day, and you gave another then. Before you met your friend, you'd never heard the name, but it was one that belonged to his favorite film director. Memories of watching Busby Berkeley movies, black and white classics with big dance numbers that he thought were absolutely magical, came to mind. Considering the cat's built-in formalwear, it was a fitting name.

"Busby it is," you told him.

You both knew you couldn't keep the cat. Your parents wouldn't allow pets, and neither would Baxter's. You decided to spend the day with it until you had to go back inside for the night and then bid it farewell, but Busby had other plans.

Day after day, week after week, the cat came back to your neighborhood. Eventually months went by, then a year, then a couple more, and your furry friend still made a point to stop by for food and pets nearly every day.

The week before Baxter left for college, the two of you sat outside your house like you'd done countless times, taking turns petting Busby and imagining all the adventures he'd been going on when he wasn't with you. At one point, the cat climbed on Baxter's lap and started kneading his stomach with its little paws. You both heard a loud purr, then it nuzzled its head firmly against his chin.

"I'm going to miss this more than words could possibly express," he said softly. You caught him glance at you, but before you could properly meet his eyes they turned back to the cat.

"Me too."

He was moving to Virginia for school, across the entire country. You'd been thinking about it constantly since he'd dropped the news, but it wasn't something you'd be able to fully grasp until he was gone. The idea that Baxter wouldn't be nearly within arm's reach every day was unfathomable. You knew it was something he felt like he had to do -- he was desperate to put as much distance as possible between him and his parents, and he wanted so badly to prove that he was capable of making it on his own. But still, life wouldn't be the same without him so close.

"Moms are going to keep taking care of our little friend?" he asked, giving Busby a gentle scratch behind the ears.

You nodded, reaching over to stroke the cat's back. In doing so, you scooted closer to Baxter, enough that your legs were touching and you could feel the heat coming off of him.

"And you're going to keep taking care of yourself?"

You looked up at him at that, and he looked back this time, his expression full of meaning. You saw ten years worth of caring in his eyes, what felt like almost a lifetime worth of love.

"Of course," you told him. "And you'll do the same?"

Instead of answering, he brought one hand away from your best furry friend and used it to slide around your shoulders. You felt him give you a squeeze before he pulled you against him, and he placed a firm kiss on your temple. You let out a shaky sign and leaned into it -- it lasted long enough for that -- and hoped that your own expression showed the same kind of friendly love and affection, that it didn't give away the years of longing that you'd felt for him.

"I'll take care of you too," he said, landing a series of smaller kisses along your cheek and forehead. It felt impossibly intimate between just-friends, but you didn't dare stop him from doing it.

"Always," he continued. "We may not be living on the same street or in the same state, but I hope you do know that you have a home in my heart. Anything you need, anything at all, for as long as you live, that will be my priority."

It was a heavy promise, but you didn't doubt he was sincere. He shifted slightly, pulling you a little harder against him. Another one of his kisses went further in your cheek, almost to the corner of your mouth. He stopped, taking a moment to look at you. There was a question in his eyes, and a sort of darkness you didn't recognize.

You'd wanted Baxter for a very, very long time. You'd thought about him looking at you like this, feeling his lips on your skin, more and more as time went on. Every time, you convinced yourself that your feelings were one-sided -- how could someone as beautiful and sweet and funny and perfect as him possibly want you?

But now, it felt a little different. His eyes trailed down to your lips, and he leaned a fraction closer.

"What if I need ear scratches?" you whispered, looking back down to the cat, deflecting because that was safer than whatever this was.

A moment passed, then Baxter's hand, which had made its way down to your hip at some point during his declaration, came up to your head. You felt gentle scratches against your scalp, and one more kiss on your cheek.

"I'll give you whatever you want," he told you.

[spurgie-cousin]

Wait. Were those the Busbys with Jinger and Jeremy at the anti-choice thingy? Are they pro-lifers? Darnit.

You mean the family from OutDaughtered? I thought they were well-known conservatives, granted I don't watch the show I've just seen people in the fundieverse talk about them.

[dandylion240]

Shane Busby made by @dstarstories

Age: 25

Siblings: Andy

Lives in Twin Brooks

Random Facts

Shane is close with his mother and brother but distant with his father who was in and out of his life. He works at the local coffee shop next door to the record store where his best friends, Vince and Carol Anne work.

Shane is trying to accept Vince's decision to date the guy who cheated with his ex-boyfriend. Every time he sees Vince with Archer he wants to scream. The worst part of the whole situation is, he can see how happy Vince is and it makes him jealous. Not that he wants Archer for himself but he wants that kind of relationship. Someone who loves him for him. Someone he can settle down with, start a family. You know the whole nine yards.

He dislikes bees, hates them really. He's allergic and it always seems they go out of their way to find him.

He kind of likes the sound of windchimes, especially on a breezy day. It's kind of calming when he's had a bad day.

[watchinghallmark]

We're starting to get info about May movies!

First up, A Whitewater Romance on May 11:

Maya attends an exclusive business retreat in the Rocky Mountains where she meets Matt who, initially, is her competitor. As they're forced to pair up, an unlikely connection begins to evolve. Starring Cindy Busby and Ben Hollingsworth.

There's already a preview and sneak peek up and it looks especially terrible. NO MORE CINDY ADVENTURE MOVIES!!!! ENOUGH ALREADY!!! I'm shocked it's not directed by Christie Will.

May 18th - Everything Puppies:

A dedicated entrepreneur and inventor looking to make it big creating innovative dog toys and treats finds success with the support of a handsome client. Starring Pascal Lamothe-Kipnes, Stephen Huszar, and Kathryn Davis.

We also have a new mystery movie!

May 17th - Family Practice Mysteries: Coming Home:

A former Army surgeon moves back to her hometown and joins a practice of family doctors, but when she's drawn into solving the mysterious death of a patient, her quiet life becomes upended. Stars Amanda Schull, Brendan Penny.

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

Any initial thoughts? We should be getting an official announcement of the full lineup at some point.

[rabbitcruiser]

National Mashed Potato Day

National Mashed Potato Day, on October 18, is one holiday that spud lovers in the United States look forward to every year. It’s an opportunity for them to indulge in even more of their favorite dishes. The origins of this holiday are not entirely clear. Different sources also state it as happening on different dates. Some people, however, believe the Idaho Potato Commission was responsible for founding this day in celebration of mashed potatoes. Whatever the case, the humble yet amazing potato deserves a day to honor its existence. Cultures all over the globe use potatoes as a staple food or a popular accompaniment for other dishes.

History of National Mashed Potato Day

Human beings have been growing potatoes from as far back as 8000 B.C. The earliest archaeologically verified potato tuber remains were found in central Peru at the coastal site of Ancón, dating to 2500 B.C. Potatoes also appear in the Peruvian archaeological records as a design influence of ceramic pottery. The ancient populations often made potatoes in the shape of vessels. Sir Walter Raleigh is credited with introducing potatoes to Ireland in 1589. After this, it took almost four decades for the tuber to spread to the rest of Europe. In the 1620s, the Governor of the Bahamas sent a gift package containing potatoes to the governor of the colony of Virginia. That’s how potatoes made their way to the colonies.

The humble spuds faced a hard time spreading throughout the northern colonies. It was only until Thomas Jefferson had them served to guests at the White House in 1802 that potatoes became widely accepted. Thereafter, the potato steadily gained in popularity, even more so due to a steady stream of Irish immigrants to the United States. Throughout Europe, the potato became the most important new food in the 19th century because of three major advantages. It had a lower rate of spoilage, it was bulky so it easily satisfied hunger, and it was cheap. The crop slowly spread across Europe and turned into a major staple by mid-century, especially in Ireland.

The tuber continues to gain favor among the American population. Since 2000, more than one million acres of potatoes have been planted and harvested each year, with Idaho being one of the top potato-producing potato states.

National Mashed Potato Day timeline

8000 B.C.Potatoes Enter the Scene

The Inca people of Peru become the first to cultivate potatoes.

1536 A.D.A Raid On Spuds

Spanish conquistadors invade Peru and bring potatoes back to Europe.

1912Research into Potatoes

The Canadian Potato Research Center in Fredericton, New Brunswick is established.

1995Spuds in Space

The University of Wisconsin partners with N.A.S.A. to make the potato the first vegetable grown in space.

National Mashed Potato Day FAQs

What is the world’s largest potato ever grown?

“The Guinness Book of World Records” states that the largest potato weighed seven pounds one ounce, grown by J. East (1953) and J. Busby (1982) of the U.K.

How many potatoes do Americans eat?

The average American eats approximately 124 pounds of potatoes per year.

Which five American states produce the most potatoes?

Idaho is the largest potato-producing state in the U.S. The second, third, fourth, and fifth potato producers in the U.S. are Washington, Wisconsin, Oregon, and North Dakota respectively.

National Mashed Potato Day Activities

Eat some potatoes

Praise the potato

Tell others

There are numerous ways to prepare mashed potatoes, either by themselves or as part of a larger meal. Host a family hangout where everyone brings their version, then dig in!

Compose a song or poem about potatoes. Make it extra fun by getting your family to do the same then have some time to present your creations.

Letting your friends miss out on this day would be a mistake. Tell them about it so that they can indulge in tasty mashed potato dishes.

5 Interesting Facts About Potatoes

So many spuds

Unlikely family

Long life tubers

Available all over the globe

Potato composition

There are around 4,000 different types of potatoes.

Potatoes belong to the same family (Solanaceae) as tobacco and deadly nightshade.

Commercially, potatoes can be stored for up to a year by keeping them at 39°F.

Today potatoes are grown in about 125 countries worldwide.

The potato is made up of about 80% water and 20% solids.

Why We Love National Mashed Potato Day

We eat delicious food

It’s fun

We spend time with family

Potatoes go well with numerous other foods. On National Mashed Potato Day, we take our palates on a trip with different recipes.

The potato is such an interesting tuber. Apart from its culinary variety, we get to learn about its history and other uses on this day.

National Mashed Potato Day gives us a chance to bond with our families over delectable potato meals. Anything that brings the family together is a plus in our books.

Source

[joannanora]

STARZ and Channel 4 have commissioned a six-part thriller, “The Couple Next Door,” starring Sam Heughan (“Outlander,” “Suspect”), Eleanor Tomlinson (“The Outlaws,” “Poldark”), Jessica De Gouw (“Pennyworth,” Our Man from Jersey) and Alfred Enoch (Tigers, “How To Get Away with Murder”) from Eagle Eye Drama. The series is a deliciously dark, psychological drama, exploring the stultifying claustrophobia of suburbia and the fallout of chasing your darkest desires.

When Evie (Eleanor Tomlinson) and Pete (Alfred Enoch) move into an upscale neighborhood, they find themselves in a world of curtain twitching and status anxiety. But soon find friendship in the shape of the couple next door, alpha traffic cop Danny (Sam Heughan) and his wife, glamorous yoga instructor Becka (Jessica De Gouw). Sam Heughan heads up the cast as Danny who shares a passionate night with Evie, his beautiful but troubled neighbor.

Sam Heughan said: “l’m thrilled to be working with Eagle Eye Drama and director Dries Vos again and adding a third series with my STARZ family. Dries has a unique visual flair and I’m sure we’re going to make something special.”

Eleanor Tomlinson added: “Evie is an exciting challenge for me – a girl whose world is turned upside down as she navigates devastating trauma, which isn’t helped by unresolved issues from her past. We have an excellent team on board, and I am looking forward to exploring this dark and complicated world alongside Sam and our director Dries.”

“Sam has truly found his home at STARZ as he continues to shine on our slate,” said Kathryn Busby, President of Original Programming for STARZ. “This marks our third series with the brilliant actor and we cannot wait to see the chemistry he and Eleanor will ignite together in this provocative series.”

Caroline Hollick, Head of Drama, Channel 4 said: “This series is an addictive, emotional roller-coaster with something to say about modern sexual mores, with an electrifying cast that will set our screens on fire.”

Jo McGrath, Executive Producer and CCO of Eagle Eye Drama, commented: “At the heart of this series are two couples who get increasingly close to each other, and one fateful night become sexually entangled in a way that will change the rest of their lives forever. You never really know what goes on behind closed doors but this series sets out to make you wonder.”

Loosely adapted from the Dutch series “New Neighbours” the series is written by David Allison (Marcella, “Bedlam”), directed by award winning director Dries Vos (“Suspect,” “Professor T”), Series Produced by Jen Burnet, and is Executive Produced by Jo McGrath, Walter Iuzzolino and Alison Kee. The Couple Next Door is commissioned by Channel 4’s Head of Drama, Caroline Hollick and Commissioning Editor, Rebecca Holdsworth. Karen Bailey, EVP of Programming, is the executive overseeing “The Couple Next Door” for STARZ.

The series is produced by Eagle Eye Drama and distributed worldwide by Beta Film. “The Couple Next Door” has begun filming in Leeds and Belgium. “The Couple Next Door” will be available on Channel 4 in the UK and on STARZ in the US and Canada, as well as on LIONSGATE+, the international premium streaming service from STARZ, in Latin America, including Brazil.

[gacmediadaily]

@cindy_busby - Nora joins Brookfield! #whenhopecalls #staytuned@greatamericanfamily

[tilbageidanmark]

Movies I watched this week (#179):

71 Fragments of a Chronology of Chance, my 10th film by Michael Haneke, and the last part of his early 'Glaciation Trilogy'. Tense, murky and uncomfortable fragments of miserable and detached people, moving on with their daily chores without passion. All the while the television newscasts in the background drone on about wars, and massacres and other disasters. Unpleasant!

By now, I've seen all of his feature films, except of the two 'Funny Games' which, even as a completist, I have no desire to do.

🍿

1958 Côte d'Azur X 2:

🍿 My 6th melodrama by Otto Preminger, Bonjour Tristesse, and another where he collaborated with Saul Bass on the fanciful title sequence. A nearly-incestuous connection between suave cocksman and playboy David Niven (strutting most of the time in short shorts) with his spoiled and alienated daughter Jean Seberg. Based on the semi-biographical novella by Françoise Sagan, which she also had published at 17. Lifestyles of the carefree High-society on the French Riviera of the '50's, and the sensuality of the coast, the sun, the water. Tragic Manic Pixie Dream Girl Seberg, a disillusioned gamine with cropped short hair, disenchanted and confused.

🍿 "All the fashionable woman are wearing blue. (Except the English)..."

My 16th by Agnès Varda, Along the coast. If somebody has a hard-on for the notion of a coast vacation in the '50s, then this is for them Pure nostalgia straight into the veins, with impossible score by George Delarue, breezing through empty tourist spots of Saint-Tropez, Nice, Toulon, Monaco, Menton, Fréjus, Èze... Imagine if it was you, and you didn't know what you know now.... Simplement merveilleux! [*Female Director*]

Best film of the week!

🍿

“Are women magical?…”

More from The French Riviera, and another of my favorite re-watches ♻️: Truffaut’s meta-film 'La Nuit américaine'/Day for night. A perfect perfect film about movie making. There has never been a better one about the deep love for cinema, not '8 1/1', 'Contempt' or 'Singing in the rain', nor 'Sunset Boulevard', 'Get Shorty' or 'Boogie Nights'.

With another of George Delerue's sweeping scores, and with Nathalie Baye as Truffault's real-life script-girl Suzanne Schiffman, the one who kept it all together. And the cat. 10/10.

🍿

2 thrillers by Spanish Daniel Calparsoro:

🍿 To steal from a thief is a sophisticated heist story, with a crisp-sounding, exciting opening. Dynamic and drenched in heavy rains, it pulled me in. But as it continue, I came to realize that it's an exact copy of Spike Lee 'Inside Man', mixed with Jason Statham's 'The Bank Job' - but in Valencia. Too bad! I started to like it a lot.

🍿 Because he is considered one of the best 'Action' directors in Spain, I tried also his latest All the Names of God, but it was even worst. A taxi driver has to survive after being kidnapped by a Muslim suicide bomber in Madrid. But again, it just copied previous plots (Tom Cruise's 'Collateral', Dennis Hopper's 'Speed', as well as the surprise explosion at the beginning of 'Children of Men') without adding much else to it. 3/10.

🍿

The Gang's All Here (1943), directed by Busby Berkeley. My first joyful experience with Carmen Miranda (here in her famous The Lady In The Tutti-Frutti Hat number). Full of sexual innuendos from Brazil and cultural appropriations, still a wonderful entry to this world.

🍿

2 more movies about the Holocaust:

🍿 Toyland was the short German Oscar winner in 2009. A dark & moving story about 2 boys in 1942, who are best friends. When the Jewish family is being deported, the other boy decides to join his "blood brother", because his mother explains their moving, as 'they are going to Toyland'. 9/10.

🍿 "They'll have to drag me out of here. You know that."

My first re-watch of The Zone of Interest; This is not about mass murder, but about a family that lives on the other side of a wall. A father reading good-night stories to his daughter, a wife who pushes her husband to take her back to their favourite vacation place in Italy. The mundane as a chilling metaphor, with distant sounds as the only reminders. 9/10. ♻️

🍿

Legendary Thelma Schoonmaker X 2:

🍿 The Key to Reserva (2007) was a Martin Scorsese joke, constructed as a faux Hitchcock homage. In it he claimed that he discovered a previously-unknown script for an unproduced Hitchcock movie, and he went and filmed it "as the master would have done it today". But in reality it was just a fucking slick commercial for some cheap champagne brand! Very much like his other meta-film 'Goncharov'. Featuring Thelma Schoonmaker as herself, and suave Simon Baker as Cary Grant. 9/10.

🍿 My third by Spanish director Isabel Coixet, Learning to drive, a standard movie about simple connections. Patricia Clarkson is a literary editor whose husband left her, and Ben Kingsley a Sikh driving instructor in Queens, NY. With a surprising and funny tantric sex scene at the end of Act 2, and music score by George Harrison's son, Dhani.

I often think that Schoonmaker doesn't get enough credit for her work for Scorsese. Here there's no bravado, just clear and thoroughly enjoyable editing. [*Female Director*].

🍿

David Ehrlich X 2:

🍿 Talking about great editing, I saw David Ehrlich’s annual Video Countdown The 25 Best Films of 2023, again♻️. It was brilliantly edited by him. So far I've seen 13 14 of these 25 films, and plan to see most of the others (especially 'The boy and the Heron', which he rated as 'The best movie of the year').

🍿 From his list: La Chimera, my second by Alice Rohrwacher, and one of many starring her sister Alba Rohrwacher. A slow, interesting mood piece about some rustic Etruscan grave robbers in the 1980's. I couldn't get into it initially, until I realize that it was an Italian Magical Realism dream. Divination gets into the picture, and treasure hunting, and nostalgia for the past and for the dead. I didn't expect it to end like the Dutch 'Spoorloos', not even metaphorically, and maybe it didn't. [*Female Director*].

🍿

First time watching: While waiting for his 'Megalopolis', the chronicles of Coppola's wife from The Philippines, Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker’s Apocalypse. Documenting a self-indulgent genius, megalomaniac visionary, stubborn Macho Man, building an insane universe out of dreams. [*Female Director*].

🍿

3 by Slovenian Špela Čadež:

🍿 Boles is a dreamlike stop-motion tale about a young author with a writer's block. It is based on 'Her Lover', a sad short story by Maxim Gorky. It's depressingly Russian, and stylistically brilliant.

🍿 Steakhouse (2021), an uncomfortable and original masterpiece. Like Studio Ghibli FoodPorn, but where the sizzle signifies fear. An impatient husband prepares a steak for his wife's birthday - WOW!

🍿 In Nighthawk (2016) a drunken badger steals a cop car and goes on high-speed joy-ride that starts blurry and end up completely abstract. [*Female Director*].

🍿

All 3 of Ellie Wen's shorts:

🍿In the intimate little documentary Single Mother Only Daughter, a young woman calls her mother in Hong Kong, after she had nearly died in a car accident. It hits much too close to home for me - 10/10.

🍿 Share (2018) is about a very young 'influencer' who struggles with coming out to his family. Not too original.

🍿 The missfits are an all female high school robotics team from San Francisco. A PBS documentary. [*Female Director*].

🍿

"This country is not built for another civil war. It's going to be the first time in history that you'll see fat refugees..."

I always loved Colin Quinn. His 2019 stand-up Colin Quinn: Red state, blue state is one of funniest political shit since George Carlin died. Sharp observations, relentless pessimism, cynical solutions. 10/10!

🍿

2 From British director Adam Butcher:

🍿 Internet Story (2010) is a clever horror mystery, an early entry in the 'Screenlife' genre, where everything is revealed via computer and phone screens (Like 'Searching' and 'Missing', Etc.). It's a treasure hunt of old internet lore, which may or maybe not be true. Art imitates Life. 8/10.

🍿 The prevailing wind (2016), an ominous tale about a woman who's searching for her missing sister on some mysterious wind-swept moors, while a deadly chemical spill threaten their lives. Atmospheric, but a bit thin.

🍿

I'm going to continue watching even more short films (Found via this massive Letterbox list):

🍿 "Those who eat their fill, speak to the hungry Of wonderful times to come."

Dinner for Few (2015) is a harrowing Greek metaphor about the "Elite", 6 fat cats, actually fat pigs, who get to feast on all the food, while the cats milling between their feet gets only crumbs. 'Orwell's Animal Farm' on bad acid! The cycle never ends. 9/10. (Full Movie Above).

🍿 I am so proud of my 94 year old mother! I introduced her to James Joyce, and she is going right now through his 'Dubliners' collection, trying to figure it out. I haven't read it for many years, but I might pick it up again. Meanwhile, it seems that many of the Dubliners stories had been filmed [John Huston's 'The dead' was magnificent], so I started with James Joyce's the Sisters (2017), a faithful, somber and literary adaptation. This was Joyce's first published story.

🍿 Hunger, a bizarre Canadian animation short, that was the very first computer animated film nominated for an Oscar (in 1974). A guy can't stop stuffing his face.

🍿 Buster Keaton’s 2-reeler One week, his first independent production (1920). Newly-wed Keaton builds a modernist kit house. It includes a risqué scene where his half-naked lovely wife takes a bath and drops her soap. Before getting out and retrieving it, she breaks the 4th wall, motions to the photographer, whose hand appears and covers the lens. Astounding! 8/10.

🍿 My second by Norwegian André Øvredal (after ‘Troll Hunter’ which I couldn’t finish), The tunnel (2016) is a terrifying science-fiction short. A family returning from a day at the beach and getting stuck in a massive traffic line. Must be seen to be felt. 8/10.

🍿 Widdershins (2018) a weird Scottish steampunk animation about an orderly gentlemen who falls for a free-spirited sky-biker. Blade Runners via Wes Anderson.

🍿 Music for One Apartment and Six Drummers, a wordless comic musical about 6 percussionists who break into a Swedish apartment when the occupants leave, and who play rhythmic melodies using everyday objects they find there. Re-Watch from 2001. ♻️

🍿 The giving tree (1973), an animated version of the classic story, narrated by Shel Silverstein himself. Still not clear if it's about selfless love, or an abusive relationship.

🍿 Pitalev (2018), a fat teenager works at an Israeli 'Shipudiya' (fast food grill stall), and tries to score a date.

🍿 Papers, Please, an interesting Russian story about a border patrol officer sitting in a small booth, and having to decide on the fate of the people in front of him; Should they be allowed to enter this fictional country of Arstotzka, or denied? Apparently, it is based on a famous computer game!

🍿 Chuck Jones’s Duck Amuck (1953) was voted as the second ‘greatest cartoon of all time’ (after ‘What’s Opera, Doc’, also by Jones). It contains some serious 4th wall breaking.

🍿 Rhapsody in blue, the 3rd movement from 'Fastasia 2000'. 1930 New York City animated in the style of Al Hirschfeld.

🍿 More, Disney's Once Upon a Studio (2023), a 9-min. commemorative compilation for the company’s 100 year anniversary.

🍿 Also, Ghibli Studio's short Zen, Grogu and Dust Bunnies, a meditative crossover clip about Baby Yoda and the dust bunnies.

🍿 See Saw - A guy wakes up to discover that his personal information had been leaked all over the internet.

🍿 First watch: Adult Swim’s 2014 parody Too many cooks. Makes me regret that I’ve never watched sit-com television - Not!… 8/10.

🍿 Your mother and I (2016), based on a story by Dave Eggers. Another off-tone father-teenage daughter relationship, where the father talks and talks, mostly spinning bullshit stories about the mother which apparently is not there any more. 2/10. [*Female Director*].

🍿

(My complete movie list is here).

[lboogie1906]

Lieutenant Sam Greenlee (July 13, 1930 - May 19, 2014) was born in Chicago after his family migrated from the South. He attended inner-city schools in Chicago and became politically active at a very young age. He participated in his first sit-in protest at the age of 15 and walked a picket line later that year.

He graduated with a BA in Political Science from the University of Wisconsin. He joined the Army and served for two years, achieving the rank of first lieutenant before the end of his service.

He continued his education at the University of Chicago, studying international relations from 1954 to 1957. became one of the first Black officers in the US Information Agency, a position that would take him around the world until he left the agency in 1965. He served in Iraq, Pakistan, Indonesia, and Greece. He received the Meritorious Service Award for bravery during the 1958 Kassem Revolution in Iraq, an event that inspired his book, Bagdad Blues.

He studied at the University of Thessaloniki in Greece and spent some time living on the Greek Island of Mykonos. He composed his famous and highly controversial novel, The Spook Who Stood by the Door (1969). His novel was the tale of a Black former CIA operative who leaves the agency to secretly create a small army of Black Nationalist freedom fighters in the US.

The book was turned down by more than 40 American publishers before it was accepted by the British publisher, Allison and Busby, of London, UK. He co-wrote the screenplay for The Spook Who Stood by the Door, and the film became instantly popular during the short time it was shown. It was pulled from distribution for unknown reasons, possibly due to opposition from the US government. The film was re-released in 2004.

He continued to be politically active, speaking against social injustice and the imperialistic practices of the US government both in interviews and as a radio talk show host until his death. His other published works included Blues for an African Princess (1971) and Ammunition! Poetry and Other Raps (1975). #africanhistory365 #africanexcellence #kappaalphapsi

[blvcksims-4]

BUSBY FAMILY LP EP.3

[mthguy]

Judy Garland and Mickey Rooney perform “Good Morning” in the MGM film Babes in Arms (1939)

Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland proved to be a dynamic duo on screen, appearing together in such films as Love Finds Andy Hardy (1938) and Babes on Broadway (1941). The pair had an amazing connection, perhaps helped by the fact that they had a lot in common off-screen. They both came from theatrical families. Garland, born Frances Ethel Gumm, made her stage debut as a toddler in her older sisters' act; and Rooney, born Joseph Yule, Jr., had a vaudeville performer for a father and a showgirl for a mother.

Both had parents who pushed them into show business. Rooney moved to California with his mother in the mid-1920s to launch his career, and she even changed his name to give it more Hollywood appeal. Garland grew up performing with her sisters before landing a film contract when she was only 13 years old. MGM Studios boss Louis B. Meyer reportedly hired Garland without having her do a screen test. She, too, went through a name transformation to make her more marketable. From an early age, Rooney and Garland both knew all too well the ups and downs of the entertainment business.

Rooney may have only been a year or so older than Garland, but he had much more film experience when they started working together. He made his film debut in the 1926 short, Not to Be Trusted. From there, Rooney starred in a series of shorts based on the comic strip character Mickey McGuire.

Garland and Rooney first met in 1935, when Rooney was a rising star and Garland was just starting out, but it took a few years for the studio realize that Garland and Rooney would be a winning combination.

Garland made her first feature film appearance in the 1936 sports comedy, Pigskin Parade. Garland and Rooney made their joint appearance in the 1937 film Thoroughbreds Don't Cry. Garland later credited Rooney with giving her some of the best acting advice of her career while making this film. He told the talented young performer to perform her lines "like you're singing it."

Rooney had already made four popular films in the Andy Hardy series before he was joined on screen by Garland. Starting with 1937's A Family Affair, the series explored the lives of Judge James K. Hardy and his family. Rooney played his teenaged son Andy, and this friendly character who seemed to represent an all-American image quickly won over audiences.

Garland first appeared in 1938's Love Finds Andy Hardy as Andy's friend Betsy. Early in her career, she was marketed as a girl-next-door type. The two characters' relationship mirrored the actors' off-screen connection as well. Garland, just like Betsy, had a romantic interest in Rooney at the start, but Rooney, similar to Andy, was too busy pursuing other girls to notice her. He was involved with a number of other actresses, including Norma Shearer, who was 20 years his senior.

Garland's career soon started to take off. When Rooney and Garland appeared in 1939's Babes in Arms, the pair shared top billing. The musical, directed by the legendary Busby Berkeley, proved to be a huge hit. Rooney and Garland seemed to play off each other in a way that made their performances better, and moviegoers found them to be a compelling and magical pair to watch.

Babes in Arms is a film version of the 1937 coming-of-age Broadway musical of the same title. Directed by Busby Berkeley, in addition to Rooney and Garland, it featured Charles Winninger, Guy Kibbee, June Preisser, Grace Hayes, and Betty Jaynes. It was Garland and Rooney's second film together as lead characters after their earlier successful pairing in the fourth of the Andy Hardy films. The film concerns a group of youngsters trying to put on a show to prove their vaudevillian parents wrong and make it to Broadway.

It premiered on October 13, 1939, and became one of the 10 biggest hits of the year. With all the adorable gumption of its young stars, Babes in Arms pays thoroughly entertaining tribute to the magic of show business.

The film was nominated for two Academy Awards: Best Actor in a Leading Role for Mickey Rooney, who was 19 at the time and became the second-youngest Best Actor nominee, and Best Music, Scoring by Roger Edens and Georgie Stoll.

[justforbooks]

Sir Bobby Charlton, who has died aged 86, was one of the greatest footballers England has ever produced. He was certainly the most successful, the only English player to win all of football’s major honours – the FA Cup, Football League and European Cup with Manchester United, and the World Cup with England, accumulating a record number of international caps and goals.

As captain of United in 1968, when they were the first English team to win the European Cup, and a key player in the 1966 World Cup-winning team, he was the embodiment of a golden age of English football. But he was also involved in one of the game’s darkest moments, the 1958 Munich air disaster, in which eight of his team-mates, three United staff and a further 12 passengers were killed.

Charlton was renowned for his raking passes and explosive long-range shots, with either foot, and was blessed with speed, athleticism and perfect balance.

Some commentators say he was a scorer of great goals rather than a great goal scorer, but the statistics undermine that claim. For England, he scored 49 in 106 appearances, and he was United’s highest all-time scorer, with 249 in 758 games, until 2017, when his record was beaten by Wayne Rooney.

But it was his modesty and gentlemanly demeanour, as much as his outstanding ability, that won him admiration far beyond Manchester and England. At the height of his fame in the mid to late 60s, when London and the counterculture were in full swing, one of the world’s most famous Englishmen was an old-fashioned sporting hero. Across the world, the first or only two words of English many people could speak were “Bobby Charlton”.

He was born in the Northumberland mining village of Ashington, the second of four sons of Robert Charlton, a miner, and his wife, Elizabeth, known as Cissie, who came from the famous Milburn football family. Four of her brothers were professional footballers and her cousin was the Newcastle United and England centre-forward Jackie Milburn. Bobby’s elder brother, Jack, also became a footballer, and, although not as gifted as his younger brother, he enjoyed a distinguished career as a centre-half for Leeds United, and later as a successful manager. Jack and Bobby were England team-mates in 1966.

Most Ashington boys went down the pit on leaving school (as Jack did briefly before joining Leeds), but from a young age it was apparent that Bobby would become a footballer. He passed the 11-plus but attending the local grammar was unthinkable because it was a rugby-playing school. However, he was such a prodigy that his headteacher – with encouragement from Cissie – arranged a place at another nearby school, the football-playing Bedlington grammar.

In his last year at school, he played four times for England schoolboys, scoring five goals, and football scouts from across Britain were soon knocking at the family’s door. He received offers from 18 clubs in all, but was charmed by Manchester United’s chief scout, Joe Armstrong, and signed for them in 1953.

Apart from a brief swansong with Preston North End and then Waterford, in Ireland, it was to be his only club, and an inspired choice. Not only were United a club on the rise, but their inspirational manager, Matt Busby, was prepared to give youth its head, assembling a precociously talented young team that played with swagger and flair, capturing the nation’s imagination and earning them the nickname the Busby Babes. They swept all before them to win the First Division (the equivalent of today’s Premier League) in 1955-56, and retained the title the following season, in which Charlton scored twice on his debut, against Charlton Athletic, on 6 October 1956.

As champions, United entered the European Cup, the first English side to do so, and reached the semi-finals in 1957. A year later they beat Red Star Belgrade in the quarter-finals, with Charlton, now an established first-teamer, scoring three goals over the two legs. On the flight back from Belgrade the following day, the team’s plane stopped to refuel in Munich. In freezing conditions, it crashed and burst into flames while attempting to take off from the snowy runway.

Charlton was catapulted 40 yards from the plane, still strapped into his seat, and clear of the burning wreck. He woke minutes later, suffering only from shock and minor cuts. He later described his escape as a miracle, but it would haunt him for the rest of his life. The grief of witnessing friends perish left its mark, turning an already shy young man into an introspective one. Many close to him, including Busby and his brother Jack, said that Bobby changed for ever after Munich. “He never got over Munich,” said Busby. “He felt responsible. Those were his kids that died that day.”

Characteristically, Jack was more blunt. In his 1996 autobiography, he wrote: “I saw a big change in our kid from that day on. He stopped smiling, a trait which continues to this day.” The book lifted the lid on the brothers’ strained relationship – they barely spoke for many years, partly due to the cooling of relations between Norma (nee Ball), Bobby’s wife, whom he married in 1961, and his wider family, in particular Cissie, to whom he did not pay a visit in the final four years of her life. Fortunately Bobby and Jack were reconciled before Jack’s death in 2020.

Despite all the success and veneration that would come Charlton’s way, he always carried a slight air of melancholy. He was not withdrawn, however, on the football field, where he exuded the freedom, desire and commanding presence characteristic of great athletes.

Just 23 days after Munich, Charlton was back playing for United, and for the remainder of that traumatic season, and indeed the next decade, he was the foundation stone on which Manchester United were rebuilt. Showing remarkable spirit, United reached the FA Cup final within three months of the disaster, with a patched-up team of youth players, stop-gap signings and four players who had survived the crash. There was a tide of public sympathy behind them, but they lost the game 2-0 to Bolton Wanderers.

On 19 April, shortly before the Cup final, Charlton made his England debut, scoring in a 4-0 win against Scotland at Hampden Park. He scored twice more in his second game, against Portugal at Wembley, and this earned him a place in the squad for the World Cup in Sweden that summer. It was the first of his four World Cup squads (another record for an Englishman), though he did not get off the bench in Sweden. By the 1962 World Cup in Chile, he was a first-choice player and scored against Argentina as England reached the quarter-finals before losing to the eventual champions, Brazil.

As hosts of the 1966 World Cup, England made a disappointing start, with a 0-0 draw against Uruguay. It was in the second game, against Mexico, that Charlton lit up England’s hopes with a magnificent goal, running from his own half with the ball before unleashing a trademark thunderbolt shot. In the semi-final against Portugal, he had the international game of his life, scoring both goals in the 2-1 win that put England into the final.

He had a relatively quiet game in the 4-2 final victory against West Germany, given the task by the England manager, Alf Ramsey, of marking the brilliant young Franz Beckenbauer, who had been told to mark Charlton, so that they largely cancelled each other out. But the battle between the two best players on the pitch was pivotal to the game’s outcome, as Beckenbauer acknowledged years later: “England beat us in 1966 because Bobby Charlton was just a bit better than me.” Ramsey declared that Charlton was “very much the linchpin of the 1966 team”, and he was voted player of the tournament. He ended the season not only as a world champion but as Footballer of the Year and European Footballer of the Year, too.

There was to be one last World Cup hurrah, in Mexico in 1970. He was 32 by then and, although he was still perhaps England’s best player, in the quarter-final, again against West Germany, with England winning 2-1, Ramsey controversially substituted Charlton to conserve his energy for what seemed like a certain semi-final. But the Germans came back to win 3-2 and England were out. It was Charlton’s record 106th cap – the game in which he passed Billy Wright’s tally, and a record that stood until passed by Rooney in 2015 – and his last, an unsatisfactory end to a glittering international career.

His halcyon days with England coincided with Manchester United’s post-Munich renaissance. By the mid-1960s Busby had built his second great team, Charlton now at the heart of it, playing as an attacking midfielder. The line-up included the Northern Irishman George Best and the Scot Denis Law, who together with Charlton formed a dazzling forward line that reignited the legend of the Busby Babes. They were brilliant individuals (in the space of five years, all three were named European Player of the Year) and together helped United win the FA Cup in 1963 and the league title in 1964-65 and 1966-67.

Ten years after the Munich disaster, United finally realised Busby’s dream of playing in a European Cup final, against the Portuguese club Benfica. United won 4-1 at Wembley, with Charlton scoring twice and lifting the cup as captain. For him and Bill Foulkes, the only two crash survivors in the team, and for Busby, it was an overwhelming evening. After the match, while the rest of the team celebrated, Charlton was so exhausted that he could not get off his hotel bed to go downstairs and join the party. Busby retired as manager a year later, and United went into slow decline, though Charlton played on until 1973.

With his playing career over, he felt uncertain about what to do next, and simply waited for the phone to ring. It was three weeks before it did, and he accepted the first offer that came his way, to manage Second Division Preston North End. The club were relegated in his first season in charge, and he resigned the next. It was a chastening experience after so many illustrious years as a player, and he never returned to full-time management.

He had more success in the media, working as a BBC football pundit, and in 1978 he also set up the innovative Bobby Charlton Soccer Schools, which provided top-level coaching to young players. In 1984 he returned to Manchester United as a director. He developed a close bond with the United manager Alex Ferguson, and his diplomacy and peerless standing in the game made him the perfect ambassador for the club as it developed into a global sporting brand in the 90s. Such qualities were not lost on other sporting bodies, and Charlton, who was knighted in 1994, was an automatic choice for the teams bidding to win the 1996 and 2000 Olympic Games and the 2002 Commonwealth Games for Manchester, the 2006 and 2018 World Cups for England, and London’s successful pitch for the 2012 Olympic Games.

He is survived by Norma and their daughters, Suzanne, a former BBC weather presenter, and Andrea.

🔔 Robert Charlton, footballer, born 11 October 1937; died 21 October 2023

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