#charles also spent more time talking about how special the fans are than actually giving us inights on the track

[petit-papillion]

Charles's track guide to Suzuka

🎥 Scuderia Ferrari

[originalwinnercheesecake]

Chain of Iron theories: the adopted baby

Here is another hot discussion topic in the fandom. CC has hinted that their will be a special baby, and that they will need to be adopted. So Questions, who is giving a baby up and why? I am assuming that this is a Shadowhunter baby. I cannot see either Hypatia Vex or Kellington who party, operate a secret saloon, and take pleasure in seducing interesting artistic individuals deciding to devote themselves to parenthood. Woosley Scott is set to show up, but their is no way he wants to adopt. Every other downworlder has appeared in the future and never made reference to having raised a baby. So which shadowhunters in this series of so many parents, children, and would be couples are looking to adopt? We know that shadowhunters adoption program isn’t perfect; Ariadne being adopted by an elderly white couple who know nothing about Indian culture and Tatiana somehow being allowed to adopt Grace despite the fact that she is aggressive, clearly insane, and famously unable to care for the one child she gave birth to. But I want to hold on to hope that whoever this little baby is their story will end happily with being given a nice home and family. My Theories

Anna and Ariadne  adopt Eugenia’s baby. (retracted)

  This was my original theory. In COG2 we learnt that Eugenia temporarily left home because of some scandal no one really wants to talk about. It apparently involved her and some guy being caught in a “compromising position” after which said guy could have saved things by asking to marry her but did not? ??? This led many people to believe she and this guy had been immanent and that she might now be pregnant., but unable to raise the baby on her own. So she would give it up for adoption. Eugenia’s older sister Barbara had an understanding with a very nice gentleman named Oliver and kept trying to get Oliver to purpose. I wondered if maybe a reason Barbara was in such a rush to marry is she was hoping for her and Oliver to adopt Eugenia’s baby and pass them off as theirs. Now that both Barbara and Oliver are sadly deceased Eugenia would need to look into finding new  parents to take he unborn child. Well spoilers relating to Eugenia state that despite having different interests and hobbies, she and Anna get along well. She also is set to become friends with Ariadne. Ariadne who really wanted to be a mom. So I thought that if Eugenia was pregnant and looking to give her child up for adoption then maybe she would ask Anna and Ariadne to adopt her baby. That had the potential to be sweet.

  But we have gotten more information now, and surprise surprise, people jumped the gun to quick on what happened with Eugenia. While we still do not know what the scandal was, it is hinted to have been way less extreme/serious than premarital intimacy, and she is very unlikely to be pregnant. I am now hoping that her ex got into a fight with some other guy, she stepped in to hit the other guy with a parasol, and her ex got embarrassed about having to be saved by her and broke up with her. Something that shows the guy was a real loser.

Elias puts Baby Carstairs up for adoption

  In COG2 we got a huge surprise that Sona was pregnant with her third child, unexpected as the family tree only lists her and Elias as having two children. Well actually actually the Carstairs family line is tree has parts of it that “Were lost to time”. So something clearly happened. Jem was clearly hiding something.

   This pregnancy was clearly unplanned and does present some worry’s. For starters Sona is well past the age where it easier/safest for women to give have children. She was already starting to have a difficult time with it during COG2 when she finally confessed to Cordelia that she was about 3 months along. This means that she will be about 7 months along (almost ready to give birth) when we pick up again in COI. Well in the early chapter read Alastair said that his mother has been put on Bed rest with her husband staying by her side and silent brothers monitoring her. This does not sound good. Several people have theorized that even with the brothers help, she will not make it through childbirth. Now lets talk about the babies father Elias Carstairs. Elias Carstairs is even older than his wife. He spent his youth traveling the world (I read a tweet that said he has even gone between dimensions before) leading special expeditions and hunting rare and powerful demons. This sounds grand, but it was a grueling life that left him physically and emotionally scared. Tragically the Clave does not recognize mental health as a need, so they do not provide any kind of therapy or treatment for those who become traumatized. Like many poor soldiers throughout American history Elias was there for the Clave when they needed his help but it that help was not reciprocated at the end. The only comfort he found was at the bottom of the bottle. It took Elias until he was already in his 40′s to start a family, and he has struggled with being able to take care of himself enough to act as a father to the two children he and Sona have already raised. Elias is 63. He is sad and tired, and struggling to keep a handle on his sobriety. This child was unplanned. I have read tweets that show he is at least trying to support Sona, but CC reveals he is questioning if or if not he can really do this a third time. If Sona dies there is no way Elias can raise this child himself. I won’t fault him if he makes that choice, it might be the most loving thing he can do.

   Who would adopt the little guy. Well the most common theory is that Alastair and Thomas would become his new dads. Now the family tree does suggest that both Alastair and Thomas are dads in the future. It also doesn’t list the names of either of their spouses (I am guessing neither had wives) so their is nothing to suggest that they do not live together raising a group of adopted children. Given the way the Cave feels about homosexual parents that could also be why Jem “lost” the records. I will not deny Thomstair becoming adopted parents is plausible, but I am not completely sure that baby Carstaris is who they will adopt. Babies are hard, they are a lot of work, and I am not convinced either Alastair or Thomas will be up to it. Look at Alastair. He is not exactly in a good place at the start of COI, and whenever fans ask CC if Alastair will make any friends she always reply that he won’t until he learns how to speak nicely to people and to be there for them when they need him. Honestly that is a thing he struggles with. He obviously loves Cordelia, but he totally pulled an  Queen Elsa on her where he shut the door and shut her out for roughly 7 years of their lives, leaving her as alone as Anna was. He claims to have loved Charles but the pair spend most of COG arguing because Alastair wants Charles to spend all his time with him and Charles is struggling to balance his promotion, his public reputation, and Alastair (Important I am not saying it was wrong for Alastair to be upset about Charles engagements or to break up with him. I am just saying it seems like Charles did try to see Alastair as much as he could, and Alastair trying to pin all his emotional needs on one person, who already had so much going on, was unfair). On Thomas side well lets just say he has a lot of mixed up and complicated feeling of his own he needs to work out before he will be able to be in a healthy relationship let alone raise a child.

  If Thomstair aren’t able to take care of Baby Carstairs I bet I know a long time married, long time Carstairs loving couple, who would be happy to take the little guy in and have enough resources, experience, and love to give him a great life. Hey in the future Tessa says she has kept watch over three families: the Herondales, the Carstairs, and the Blackthorns. The Herondales and the Blackthorns are her and Will’s grandchildren. If she were watching the Carstairs because they were once her friends wouldn’t she also watch out for the Fairchilds and Lightwoods?

Blackthorn Babies with Mundane and Shadowhunter mommies and daddies

  (Okay this is one will involve some hopping around and several references to the family tree, so stay with me people, stay with me.) We aleady know Jem made some changes to this line. Lucie is not 12, she is 16. Tatiana is probably not going to live another 15 years. Also the tree said that Jesse dies 59, yet he actually died at 17. But future wife Lucie wants to resurrect him... which is highly illegal and should she be successful she will probably face terrible repercussions. Jesse also might not be able to live as a shadowhunter after being brought back. So even if we don’t want it, for the sake of this theory lets assume that upon Jesse’s resurrection both he and Lucie are banished and become a mundane pianist and writer. Let’s assume they also get married and have children. In order for the TDA Blackthorns to be shadowhunters at least one of Jucie’s kids would have to become a shadowhunter and move to the shadow world. I feel like Luce and Jesse would be willing to let their kids go in that case. That was all Jesse wanted growing up and Lucie is Will’s daughter. The children would just need someone they could stay with.

  Now lets hop to the Lightwood family line. According to the tree Christopher and Grace get married (Grace is also listed as a Cartwright so was her adoption overturned and she rejoined her bio family?) and continue the Lightwood line down to TMI. Grace and Christopher are set up to bond  (over science) and many fans are willing to believe that they are an endgame ship. But fans are also doubting that they are the ancestors of the TMI lightwoods.  For one thing Christopher is heavily coded to be asexual; and Grace herself seems to have a very.... twisted and warped view of physical acts. So now lets say Grace is somehow saved from punishment over Jesse’s resurrection or because of her past trauma is given a lighter sentence. Lets say Gracetopher really do get married. if they got married they probably will apt out of having children; at least biological children.

   Christopher has a younger brother , Alexander Lightwood, who seems like a much more likely candidate to continue his family line. Alex has been noted to have those dark blue eyes that while once a Herondale trait later become a Lightwood trait. He shares a first name one of TMI’s most prominent characters, and that is just about the only way baby Alex could have relevance to the story given that he is way to young to help out in the war. If Alexander Lightwood the first is one who carried on the Lightwood line why are his descendants listed under his brother and sister in laws names?

   Well way back before the CC launched TLH I remember her posting a tweet that said Grace could become an ancestor of either the Herondale or the Blackthorn line. This upset a lot of people who thought that it meant that Grace may have a baby with either James or Jesse. (No, just NO!!!) But what if instead of Grace having a baby with Jesse, She and Christopher adopt one of Jesse and Lucie’s babies so that that baby could be raised as a shadowhunter? I could see Grace and Christopher doing do: they each love one of the respective parents and are set get to know the other. The only good thing about Tatiana adopting Grace was she got Jesse as a brother. Should she ever recover from having Tatiana as an adoptive mother I could see her becoming very critical of other adoptions and refusing to allow Jesse’s children to potentially end up like she did. I am in love with a head cannon I have that Christopher will become a science professor at the academy. If Lucie and Jesse have to leave the shadow world, and they have to give up their children then I want to imagine that child living in Malec’s future academy suit with Shadowhunter mommy and daddy Gracetopher while they secretly get gifts and send letters to their mundane mommy and daddy Juice. (It is the least CC can do for the pain reading about that potential exile would cause me.)

[makeitquietly]

A quick recap of what criticism I remember reading about this Blu-ray set: nobody agrees about the picture quality, or on which films it’s best/worst, but it’s on the waxy/soft side mostly because of too much digital cleaning or whatever, the sound is said to be good, some hissing, out of sync in the 1936 version of Berth Marks, extras are good too, no Blu-ray logo on the case, no booklet, awkward menu always reverts back to beginning, no play-all possibility, the films are not in the order of making/release.

But a lot of people worked very hard for a long time to make this set available. Which is why nothing negative should be said about it? Eh. Next time go for quality instead. Or don’t sell your product. Make it a fanwork.

Anyhow, if I was all powerful and had commissioned someone to restore these films, I’d make them go back and do it again if this set was presented to my ruling eyes.

OTOH, I paid 99 euros for this package and have had lots of fun with it and if there’d been Stan’s scrapbook (pages) amongst the galleries, I’d happily paid double. It’s not about the money spent except when people imply that negative reviews aren’t allowed. I’d paid 99 euros for the galleries alone.

It’s about the fact that the films aren’t as well restored as they should/could be. Beyond me, why it’s so difficult to admit. And it’s clearly not only an issue of getting waxified during some final cleanup or somehow being ruined when transferred to Blu-ray disks.

Any idiot (me) knowing nothing about the processes involved can easily confirm this by watching how different films on the same disk have different quality, likewise first reel can be almost okay, the second much worse, scenes and cuts have often annoyingly varying quality, even single frames look like they came from different prints and nothing was done to make them fit more seamlessly in their surroundings. And I’m not talking about that one wandering frame in Scram!, which must be some person’s idea of a joke, how else could it be so out of place?

Or didn’t anyone watch these that one last important time since it wasn’t removed, nor were the countless spots still there in most of the films? I know, when things get cleaned up that one remaining crumb is much easier to spot... er... see my point?

There are also jumpy frames, which I imagine would’ve been easy to adjust, and to prevent those ubiquitous flashy cuts, you’d only needed to adjust the brightness of that single frame causing the flashing. Even I have done that on GIMP when making gifs. I’m guessing too much contrast on, say, Me and My Pal isn’t a problem created by the wax people either.

The ridiculously softly glowing Brats might be, there’s an awful lot of glowing in One Good Turn too, and in parts of Sons of the Desert, for example, where faces are dangerously close to have that overly scrubbed look, which is a big problem in The Chimp and Come Clean.

When it comes to wax, Helpmates and County Hospital are the most hideous, the latter must be the worst looking of all the films in this set, being also awfully spotty as well as too dark. It’s got other faults too, like wonky frames. The Music Box has a pretty decent first reel (except for the opening scene), and despite not being able to see the stripes on Stan’s and Ollie’s pants because of too much contrast, Me and My Pal is also clearly better wax-wise in the first reel.

It’s interesting to watch some of these films for the first time, thinking that this is crap quality picture, but then the second reel is even worse and suddenly there’s a whole new level of crappiness.

I think the sound is ever so slightly out of sync for a bit in Way Out West and One Good Turn. At least it is compared to those same films on my 21 DVD set. In addition to being very clearly out of sync in that Berth Marks reissue like others have noticed. Berth Marks also has a weird stripey “cover” over the actual film. I suppose it was impossible to remove.

Even with some sync problems, if I had to choose the best restorations from this new collection, Way Out West would be on my list, together with Busy Bodies, Hog Wild and Towed in a Hole. Some parts of Sons of the Desert look gorgeous. With grain and all. Pretty much like Atoll K but unfortunately not as consistently. (Atoll K was restored by different people, I gather.)

The much anticipated but already online for free since 2019 The Battle of the Century then? Well, the first reel is quite good, or would be if it wasn’t a weird blend of an ugly greenish yellow or yellowish green. Sepia isn’t what it used to be. And I would’ve thought they’d made sure to get all those black spots removed at least from this one what with it being one of the “new” things on this set. The second reel is worse except colour-wise. But at least it’s there complete with Charlie Hall and the “what pie fight” ending.

Haven’t mentioned The Midnight Patrol, Their First Mistake or Twice Two yet. The last two are pretty evenly waxy, and comparing The Midnight Patrol to Come Clean and The Chimp makes it not that bad. There’s no actual need to bleach faces or an excuse for Billy Gilbert’s patternless shirt, is there?

For me the treasures from this set can be found on each disk under galleries. Even for those not interested in scripts, press material, posters and assorted documents, there are circa 1,400 photos, many of which really are rare, or at least I’d never seen them before. One of the gems are the about 140 photos from Babe’s Vim days. Awesome! Nothing as gemmy from Stan’s past before Laurel and Hardy, and someone put wrong names on the photos where he appears with the Hurleys, not the Cookes. Yes, there’s a short, handy description for most of the photos. 

So many of them and I must peruse more, of course, but I’m going give a special mention to Stan with both Loises on the set of Brats for adorableness and likewise to Thelma Todd for previously unseen (by me) variations from her photoshoot on that bathroom set. Love the six new-to-me photos of Stan and Babe together on the 1932 British tour especially. Great stuff. Oh, and Mae Busch, Dorothy Christy and Charley Chase in their Sons of the Desert portraits look fabulous.

Another treasure are the interviews with only a couple of slightly dubious moments. Joe Rock made me grin. George Marshall made me cry. Walter Woolf King made me laugh. Most wonderful. Short introduction by Randy Skretvedt for each interview. He’s the one who did the interviewing too. There’s 15 of them altogether. Plus a chance to hear composer Marvin Hatley perform Honolulu Baby and Will You Be My Lovey-Dovey. The audio only interviews come with some more great photos.

I kind of adore how Richard W. Bann casually debunks Anita Garvin’s The Battle of the Century story with one dry line during his commentary of the film. Hurts so good. Let’s have more debunking!

Speaking of the commentaries, and maybe more about them on some other occasion, Bann only comments The Battle and The Music Box, all the rest, including That’s That and The Tree in a Test Tube have commentaries by Randy Skretvedt.

I was expecting Bann to tell the whole story of why it took so long to get The Battle on video but he didn’t; fair enough, I thought, but then in his other commentary he goes on about his grudge with a dead guy, so I guess it was not his, um, politeness that stopped him from dishing on the much more recent and therefore interesting stuff. What then?

Perhaps a third person sharing the commentary duties would’ve been a good idea. That was my thought when Skretvedt obsessed over Stan’s smoking for the third time. By obsessed I mean he listed all the films where, according to him, Stan smokes. What for, you may wonder. I did. No answer. I remember reading somewhere that Stan not smoking in the movies means he’s a child. (Yes, some Laurel and Hardy fans are somewhat weird sometimes. Aren’t we all?) Maybe Skretvedt was trying to debunk that theory? Hehe, okay, I know he wasn’t, because he did the “they’re children, Hal Roach said so” routine in his Their First Mistake commentary, complete with Charles Barr quotes to prove there’s nothing gay about Ollie liking Stan more than his own wife. Made me fume. I don’t know why. Nothing new.

I don’t know why it doesn’t occur to him that if Ollie didn’t spend so much time with Stan, Mae wouldn’t be the lonely, disappointed wife who ends up wanting a divorce after one too many lies from Ollie and accuses Stan of alienation of Ollie’s affections. But no, apparently it’s no wonder that Ollie likes Stan more than his wife because she hits him with the broom. So the hitting came first and then too much time spent with Stan? I don’t think so.

Anyhow, third person, more variety, something newer, or at least an explanation for Stan’s smoking being of particular importance. Ollie’s smoking isn’t mentioned. Also, to digress even more, I always found the claim that Stan doesn’t smoke because he is a child odd, not only because he does, but also because he drinks alcohol too and manages to be married in several films. But the Laurel & Hardy child squad of course thinks the wives are actually their mothers. (Yes & again, weird.)

I did and do also wonder if there would’ve been anyone available and even if there had been, if these old school fans had accepted someone with different views. Probably not.

Still waiting for Skretvedt to notice Stan’s camera looks. Maybe he just hasn’t been a fan for long enough yet... 😛

I’m out of steam now. Need to rehydrate.

One more thing: No booklet, so maybe nobody involved wanted to spread about their name more than absolutely necessary knowing the restoration work was, shall we say, uneven?

Tl;dr: Uneven restoration work. Great extras. Mostly interesting commentaries.

[ahmeddocuments]

Day 3, (Paris: Disneyland Paris/Midnight in Downtown Paris), 27-9-2019

Written by Ahmed Hassan, edited and corrected by Aya Ashraf.

The alarm went earlier today, it was set to wake me up at 6:00 AM. I gotta say, a busy day I'm having today. I've been alive for 28 years and I spent most of these years fantasizing about visiting Disneyland. It was all linked with my childhood, and how this place always looked like a sanctuary of my childhood fears, also a way to look up to a future built on fulfilling dreams.

I started to get ready, left the house around 7:00 AM. I was heading back to Charles de Gaulle Airport as Mohamed, a friend of mine, will join my tour for the upcoming two weeks. It took me like 20 minutes to get there, started looking for his flight and turned out I'll have to wait for like 45 minutes. I was extremely hungry actually but decided I'm going to wait for him till he arrives to make him have the full experience from day 1. It was his first time in France and Europe so he was pretty excited, in a way that made him buy us the two Disneyland tickets! I've known Mohamed since we were together in university, so we're talking about 11 years at least here, and Mohamed has always been a lovely caring and generous person.

After hearing the call for Mohamed’s flight, and it was a matter of minutes till he shows up. He finally appeared and it was an emotional scene full of mutual excitement about what we're going to witness later. Mohamed needed to have a french SIM card to use internet, so we made sure we got that at the airport. It was almost 8:15 AM and we're having two tasks before going to Disneyland: 1- to check-in in Mohamed’s hostel in Downtown Paris. 2- Start the journey to Disneyland!

We moved by RER and metro to Montmartre. At the hostel,  he left his luggage and changed his clothes quickly to more Disneyland-appropriate outfit. But no matter what he did, nothing would have ever topped my planned outfit for the day! It was just a few days before travelling when I was surprised by Ahmed Hamdy, one of my best friends, giving me this t-shirt as a souvenir from his south-east Asia trip, and I instantly decided that this is gonna be my Disneyland day t-shirt!

So that’s it, we’re ready to go. Before going, we had a sneak peak at Sacré-Cœur of Montmartre, and it really felt nice seeing that one year later. I really like the idea of an important building appearing in the middle or a regular city scene, like it’s just blended there making everything look beautiful.

We had the longest RER trip ever, around 70 minutes to reach Marne-la-Vallée–Chessy station, which is commonly known as the Disneyland station. For those who don’t know me well, a very important pleasure of mine is to introduce something I really like to someone and see their reactions to it. And that’s exactly how I felt guiding Mohamed around the RER system and how everything is operating, I felt good about myself knowing more about Paris and actually started guiding people there, or at least discover it together all over. I also felt good seeing him really excited and his eyes sparkling as the RER starts moving, as people go inside the train and leave. I’ve felt the same back in 2018 and I’m still feeling it to date!

We’re going up to the park entrance, and we were instantly overwhelmed by how long the queue looked like.

We had the one day, two parks tickets; which allows us to have best of both words: Disneyland Park and Walt Disney Studios Park. The queue we saw at the main security gate took only a few minutes to pass, and we decided we’re starting our day with the Studios park first as it closes a few hours earlier than the main park. Nothing feels like seeing the Disney sign at the entrance, as if you’ve voluntarily chosen to teleport two decades back to your childhood and enjoy what you've been missing.

We stepped our feet inside Disney studios, and suddenly we’re in a scene of Animaniacs. Everything looks so colorful like it was painted a few hours ago, and the Weather was just PERFECT!

I also loved the level of details, which is what Disney is all about. I mean, I’m literally inside the first building and I’m already fascinated!

The first thing we saw after passing through the main entrance was the Park’s main feature: The Hollywood Boulevard. It was basically a statue of Walt Disney and Mickey Mouse greeting incoming visitors. I���m still shocked with how pretty that looked. Sometimes you just can’t help but recall moments like this just to feel you’ve done something right to yourself.

Both statues were followed by a replica of a typical Hollywood street, with multiple shops and stores that represent different styles. The street ended by what looked like a Hollywood sign in the horizon, which looked brilliantly real from far.

Using the Disneyland mobile application, we started to check the games with the least queues. The park was really busy that day, we had to go for the Hollywood Tower Hotel, which is one of the few rides I knew from before. I’ve always watched videos of how cool some of the rides were, and I couldn’t believe that I was actually waiting in line for it. (Later I couldn’t believe I’ve actually waited for 45 minutes, that turned out to be the least time spent in a queue for a ride that day)

The dominating style of the game, and most of the studios, is Art Deco. Which is one of my classical fantasies. It was a horror game in an elevator going speedy over multiple floors with very exciting free falls in the elevator shaft. It felt absolutely crazy being inside this game!

We later went for the longest queue of the day on Crush Coaster. It’s a one-car roller coaster that had Finding Nemo Theme. We thought it’s not gonna be an exciting game, but it turns out to be a great experience! We waited for 90 minutes, but it was worth it.

We stopped for a drink later and took a walk to freshen up. I’ve had the opportunity to take a picture that made my day, I’ve finally found my real match!

The Last ride we had at the first park was Studio Tram Tour: Behind the Magic. It was a 15 minute tour of studio effects, shooting stunts and special effects simulation in movies. I enjoyed every part of it, to the extent that I recorded the whole 15 minute ride, but I’m sharing below the most interesting part of it.

And like it couldn’t go more Art Deco, there was this restaurant that played live jazz music to attract customers and I absolutely loved it!

Now as much as we were sad leaving the first park , we were pretty excited about visiting the other park. We were going through the entrance of the main park and It’s passing through Castle Club hotel building.

Now nothing felt as great as walking down the main street and seeing the “Sleeping Beauty” castle up in the horizon, like yes, I instantly went back to when I was young, caring less about anything but beautiful colors and details.

As we started getting closer, surrounded by music and happy kids, the castle started getting bigger and bigger, revealing of course everything I've imagined when I was younger; pure happiness. It looked real not just an illusion, it actually existed and people are visiting it!

I had the opportunity to go around the castle, and even go inside. I never thought I’d find anything interesting inside, but it turned out to be even more beautiful. The interior looked like a huge hall with stairs and a very beautiful ceiling.. The second level of the hall was surrounded by beautiful glass windows, that let the light do the work.

We decided to end our fairy tale for a while since we still have a full park to discover. Most of the things we wanted to visit were really busy and required queuing for at least two hours. We found a ride called Phantom Manor, which was, as described, a haunted house ride. We’ve decided to give it a shot since it had a 30 minute waiting time only. The building looked as creepy as it should, making us feel excited cause we literally don’t know what’s going to happen next.

We went inside and discovered it was mainly inspired by The Phantom of the Opera, making it more creepy. It was mainly an underground carriages ride, telling a story of a marriage between the evil and the good. Everything felt completely real; the mansion interior, the theme, the music, the forced-marriage.

It was 5:30 PM already, and we wanted to get ready and save ourselves a spot near the daily fireworks show at 8:00 PM. So we moved to my most awaited ride of the night; Star Wars Hyperspace Mountain.

Not only for being a star wars fan, but for the sake of how I wanted to have that space mountain ride experience, I’ve watched multiple versions of the game and nothing made me feel lucky more than having the opportunity to have it in a Star Wars theme.

The queue lasted for approximately two hours, it even rained while we stood there. We knew it was worth it so we decided to wait. Later when we were finally in, we had the time of our lives! It was a really fun ride with so much adrenaline for being in one of the Star Wars’ galaxies with a very high speed! We were screaming like we have never done that day, we wanted to have another but that would’ve been a waste of time indeed. We saw one of our on-ride photos which described our excitement in a funny way!

That was followed by a quick ride that’s right in front of it, Star Tours, another Star Wars themed ride! Man, I was on fire today! The ride was a cinema simulation of a ride in the world of Star Wars. The queuing didn’t last 15 minutes, and it felt like nothing because it was all themed with everything I loved about this world!

I mean, Come on! I saw a talking R2-D2 and C-3PO!

The ride was just brilliant, I absolutely loved it and loved how real it felt. The ride has a separate Star Wars gift shop that felt like heaven!

It was 7:30 PM, we ran our way to the castle again to find a good spot, and we were very lucky finding a good place to witness the fairy show!

And now It was starting to get darker...

We waited for a couple of minutes before the beauty started. It was a recap of Disney’s well known movies and tales, made in a very beautiful way. The light system on the castle and the surrounding was just on point. It was accompanied by a very beautiful soundtrack, and most importantly: The greatest fireworks show I had ever witnessed to date! Here’s a small sample of my full 20 minutes video of the whole event!

After the show ended, everybody applauded and screamed like I had never heard before. That was the end of the day for what I assume to be everyone’s best day of their lives.

Everybody was leaving the park extremely happy, and as we welcomed the park by the same shot, we were saying goodbye the same way. It had all started only a few hours earlier, which felt like days ago!

Everything looked beautiful as it was the best way the park is saying good bye to us!

It was 9:00 PM , we were facing a nightmare trying to leave, as thousands of people were leaving the park at the same time. The RER station was packed with people. We could find a train of course but it was super crowded. I suggested that since we’re both starving, we might step out at the next station to have a meal at Val d’Europe. I had visited that mall back in 2018 because it wasn’t far from where I was staying, and I knew the whole mall would’ve been closed by now except for restaurants. We had to walk all the way around the mall till we found the food court and had MacDonald’s. The time we had our meals gave us the opportunity to wait for people to leave from Disney, and have a much emptier train for our long ride home.

I was extremely tired on my way back. I texted Islem to make sure he’s home and awake, and instead, he told me not to go home and meet him at Gare du Nord. Mohamed was heading to his hostel and I went up to meet Islem at 11:40 PM, just a couple of minutes away from midnight. I said, Okay that’s a good time to go home and rest, but no. Turns out He was with his Algerian friends, who I knew one of them from the year earlier. They had a car and they waited for me to do like a Midnight tour of Paris! That was an experience of a lifetime! We went through Rue de Rivoli, Place de la Concorde then passing to the other bank along the Seine. Then we parked right in the middle of Champ de Mars right behind Eiffel tower. The tower looked more beautiful at night, allowing me to see other side of Paris I haven’t seen before.

Somehow, such a scene brought me back to the movie Midnight in Paris. It was about all the fun starting when nobody is around. It was all about yourself and your thoughts, and how reality can be better than imagination. The tower was, as usual, well-lit. We parked the car and took a walk around it, had a very nice orange juice and then decided to leave.

I can’t remember pretty much what happened after I got in the car, because I was extremely tired. But as my google maps timeline shows, we went outside Paris to drop off one of Islem’s friends to his dorm. We then headed to our home which was a really long drive.

We arrived home at 2:40, I was dead tired in a way that I instantly wanted to just sleep and have no thoughts about what happened during the day. but as someone who’s writing that a few months after this day, I gotta say it felt priceless. Deciding to go through such details made me remember this all over like it was literally a few hours ago.

I’m grateful for everything that turned out to be well-planned, and I’m grateful for any pop ups or events that spiced it up and made it look the same way I’m documenting it.

[unwoundbobbin]

Nine Worlds 2018 - Sunday & Homeward

This write up is bought to you by a pack of Nerds, so who the hell knows how coherent it will be by the end.

(Actual footage of me)

From Saturday!

Sunday:

Our Last Best Hope for Science Fiction: 25 Years of Babylon 5

A look at a ground breaking sci-fi series, celebrating a show we love and how it grew from a something set on a space station to something truly special.

(Two Centauri, a starfleet officer, and a Morden(?) walk in to a panel...)

This is the panel I missed the talk on Golems for, and much as I wanted to see the Golems, this was 100% worth the trade, because I’ve never met that many people who are in to B5 before, and it was a really funny and thought provoking panel with some beautiful moments in it, including the moments of silence when we remembered those from the Babylon 5 family who have gone beyond the rim.

There was also discussion of favourite moments from Babylon 5. Mine has to be this, from the Centauri’s final assault on the Narn Homeworld. Peter Jurasik’s acting is superb here, but I love that the writers and director made a place in that episode to show the flipping of Mollari when he realises what he’s done - how out of control and repelled he feels by what should be a moment of triumph. And the moment he starts to work his way back towards some sort of redemption.

I think my favourite quote of the whole thing was by the person cosplaying as Londo Mollari:

"Behold minbari Jesus - his name is Jeff" 

(This psycop lurked for the entire panel. It’s as perfectly creepy and wonderful as it sounds. When I mentioned that on twitter, it devolved in to a Babylon 5 pun war...)

When I came out of the B5 panel, the one person I’d seen with a brain slug had become a collective. And they continued to grow in number throughout Sunday. Props to the person who spent an entire year making brain slugs to give away to strangers at Nine Worlds.

(The frightening brain slug collective. They continued to multiply throughout the day. Possibly the creepiest cosplay of the weekend, just because they continued to multiply.)

History’s Hidden Heroes III

Following two years of back-to-back success, the ‘History's Hidden Heroes’ session returns to its original format of ten to fifteen minute mini-talks by individual presenters discussing their favourite figures lost - or pushed aside - from mainstream history. Introduction by EK McAlpine, with talks from Tara, Avery, and Reiley.

This session was run by EK, and the speakers were Avery Delany, Tara Brown, and Reiley Daniels who all spoke about people in history who were part of the LGBTQ community, including some who were trans (though not remembered that way), some who were gender non-conforming, some who were openly queer at a time when that was (more) dangerous than now.

Avery spoke about trans masculine people in history, including a pioneering doctor, James Barry (note - while that Wiki article generally avoids using any pronouns at all, there is a source from the time quoted that misgenders Barry, so be careful if that would cause you any distress).

My favourite quote from Avery was “Do some queer history“, but I also really appreciated something I didn’t get the exact words of, but amounted to the idea that someone wouldn’t live as a gender different to the one they were assigned at birth for over 50 years if they did not actually identify as that gender. I really wish I’d got the actual words, because that quote stuck with me as much as anything.

Tara Brown spoke about three women of colour who were pioneers in blues and jazz - and sexuality, Ma Rainey, Bessie Smith, and Gladys Bentley.

One of the most interesting, and awful, takeaways from this talk was the brief discussion about how there is some difference in the historical record as to the sexuality women presented, and that this is due to McCarthyism which basically forced at least Gladys Bentley to present herself as no longer a lesbian. It made me so cross to think of a person as comfortable in their sexuality as Bentley having to forcibly change themselves because of the massive risks that being out and proud served in the backwards looking 1950s America.

Reiley spoke about a quack physician called Charles Hamilton (misgendered practically everywhere on the internet), and the importance of checking multiple sources and subjecting them to due scrutiny.

If anyone enjoyed this panel is interested in other hidden heroes from sources that aim at diversity in who and what they talk about (and use content notices), I highly recommend @missedinhistory, Sawbones, and @rejectedprincesses.

The Future of Nine Worlds

It's time for a chat about Nine Worlds and where it's going. If you have strong thoughts about what you'd like to see the event become, and would like to get involved in making things happen, this is your in-person opportunity to talk about the options and understand how we got where we are.

Went to this, and I honestly don’t have a lot to say about it - not a lot a could say about it because I’m very much not the right person to speak about what happened in the majority of the session.

I will say that the announcement that Nine Worlds was re-constituting after this year’s con felt like a blow to the gut.

(This was an incredibly powerful moment, and to know that even though the current director is stepping back a future nineworlds is possible meant so very much.)

(Main point by what may turn out to be the future team was that Nine Worlds is too precious to lose)

CN for discussion of police at con, and a failure act appropriately to the stated concerns of a con-goer (and more concerned people who did not speak about it at the Future of Nine Worlds panel). When this section is over there will be a delightful gif of Wonder Woman deflecting bullets so scroll below her if you will find this section challenging.

What happened next is best summed up by Alecto101 in this post which I urge you all to read (also please read this followup thread by the same person). Her recollection of what happened at that panel is extremely accurate. I was there, and that is what happened. It was not dealt with adequately by anyone there in an official capacity. Most people who wanted to say something in follow up raised the fact that Alecto101 had not had her question and concerns adequately addressed, and when the people on the stage did so, it was in an inappropriate way that put the emotional and intellectual workload back on the person who had rightly raised legitimate concerns.

I have absolutely no patience with the people who immediately strawmanned (Oh, you don’t want police there at all - you can’t exclude attendees based on job) - I was there and at no point did Alecto101 suggest that.

What I’m trying to say is something EK said much more eloquently: “Concerns about how police participate in 9W and the separation of their jobs and their everyday lives as fans are ABSOLUTELY valid and not the same as “ban cops”.“

The developments since have been a little more positive, and I’m hoping that the reconstitution can be used as a way to build in representation of PoC from the beginning rather than trying to add on later. The way 9W works for members of the LGBTQ or disabled communities needs to be the way it works for the BaME community too, or it is not diverse (I’ve paraphrased here. I’m pretty sure I’ve just mangled the original quote. I can’t remember who said it but it wasn’t originally me).

For followup, I recommend reading Avery Delany’s thread here and this thread on the official Nine Worlds twitter account. This web page from Nine Worlds is also very important reading. If you have the physical, emotional, and mental spoons to do so, please consider signing up to be part of the future.

Finally, if you’re thinking about writing to Alecto, please first consider this tweet from the official Nine Worlds Team: “We do not want people to interact with the blogger on our behalf. We do not need defending. We do not want them pursued again for conversations they don’t want to continue. Their opinions are valid and we are glad to have heard them. “ and just DON’T.

After that I had more con crash, and tried to manage it myself in the quiet room, before worrying that my nose blowing was going to upset those who had sensory overload and needed genuine quiet, and ran away to my room where E wrapped me in a blanket and fed me biscuits until I was human again. She is awesome and I’m totally in her debt. (Thread here of what I struggled with wrt the quiet room - I am not saying it should go away BTW - I don’t know what the right answer is, just that I found it challenging for my own particular issues)

The end of the con was then barrelling towards me at a terrifying speed. I went off site for food with some friends, and then we all formed half of a team for the unofficial “The Not The End of the Con Quiz” as team Last Best Hope for Victory, and we only went and bloody won! Massive props to @knittedace and @laalratty who basically carried our team through two rounds pretty much on their own (even though one of our team who shall remain nameless nearly submitted “Aragorn” as the name of the giant spider in Harry Potter, which was caught before we submitted for marking, but they shall not live it down... for a while anyway :))

(Team Last Best Hope for Victory. Actual quiz victors!)

Went to bed at midnight after several rounds of Slash, which was really the perfect end to a great con (even if I did keep crashing).

(Me on my way home. I look pretty knackered there, but it doesn’t even touch how completely mentally (and to some extent physically) exhausted I was, and still am. Completely worth it though.)

I may have listened to this on the journey home and sobbed. Like I said on my Friday post, it’s somehow become the song of the con for me.

[nightmareonfilmstreet]

GREMLINS 2: THE NEW BATCH – A Retrospective Interview with Brain Gremlin

First, keep them out of bright light—especially sunlight! It’ll kill ‘em. Second, don’t give them water. Not even to drink! And third, the most important rule of them all, one you must never forget. No matter how much they cry. No matter how much they beg. NEVER feed them after midnight!

These three vague yet specific rules governed a new breed of movie monster whose impact would send shock-waves through Hollywood. This seemingly cuddly creature would rise from the ranks of B-movie monsters to find its way into multiplexes, toy stores, and our hearts. That creature was called a Mogwai and the movie was 1984’s Gremlins. It was a genre blending Christmas-horror-dark-family-comedy whose mismatched pieces came together so seamlessly that Dr. Frankenstein himself would have been jealous. Joe Dante (The Howling), Chris Columbus (The Goonies), and Steven Spielberg (Duh) teamed up to tell the story of a small town overrun by gremlins after a blundering inventor gifts a Mogwai named Gizmo to his son Billy for Christmas. Audiences were delighted and disgusted. They eagerly lined up to gut their wallets and disembowel their purses for any trite bit of plastic with Gizmo’s face on it. The studio wanted a sequel.

After an agonizing six-year wait, Warner Bros. finally got their wish. Gremlins 2: The New Batch hit theaters on June 15th, 1990 and fans relished in a sequel like none they had ever seen before (and will probably ever see again). Raising the stakes, Billy (Zach Galligan) and Kate (Phoebe Cates) leave their small town and move to New York City to work in Clamp Tower, the automated office building of the future. After Gizmo winds up in Clamp Tower’s genetics lab, chaos reigns throughout the malfunctioning superstructure. Like a cyclone on a fishing line, the film is a masterfully crafted frenzy of satirical in-jokes, social commentary, and outlandish characters. The studio, however, was not so enthused.

To celebrate this triumphant marvel of zany anarchic chaos, we sat down with one of the film’s stars, Brain Gremlin, to gain some insight into the box office blunder and cult phenomenon that is Gremlins 2: The New Batch

  Mockbuster Beginnings

  NIGHTMARE ON FILM STREET: Thank you so much for joining us today, Brain.

BRAIN GREMLIN: Think nothing of it, the pleasure is all mine.

NOFS: Before diving head first into Gremlins 2: The New Batch, I’d like to set the stage and touch briefly on the first film. I understand Spielberg and Dante’s relationship didn’t start on a high note.

BRAIN: It is a bit of an irregularity that friendship develops from artistic larceny. I suspect Steven was first acquainted with Joseph’s attempts at cinema after Roger Corman hired him to direct that bottom-feeding horror film Piranha. It was a flagrant attempt to capitalize on Steven’s film Jaws and everyone knew it. Universal Studios undoubtedly knew it. If memory serves there may have even been a cease and desist. Steven, being the magnanimous man he is, watched Piranha and was moved to benefaction, and the film moved forward undeterred.

NOFS: From such a rocky start, how did the two come to work together?

BRAIN: Well, imitation is the greatest form of flattery. Also I believe Steven saw something in the fledgling director. After having sent him Chris Columbus’s Gremlins script, Steven also invited Joseph to direct a segment of 1983’s Twilight Zone: The Movie. The man’s generosity is unparalleled. As you know Gremlins was an unprecedented success and gave Joseph’s career a real shot in the arm. It grossed close to 150 million domestically against an 11 million dollar budget. And that isn’t even taking into consideration the film’s inexplicable licensing potential. Naturally, talk of a sequel commenced immediately.

NOFS: Why then do you think it took Warner Bros. so long to produce a sequel?

BRAIN: Despite my antipathetic opinions toward him, Joseph Dante is an artist. He had little interest in rehashing his own work. He and Steven had both received scripts but declined due to their sheer redundancy. It wasn’t until a chance encounter years later, truly an act of providence, when Joseph ran into Terry Semel, then president of Warner Bros. Studios, on the studio lot. The man must have radiated desperation. With the promise of a new Gremlins film by the following summer, Joseph was given a sizable budget and full creative freedom. But ne’er the company man, Joseph would prove Terry’s confidence to be misplaced.

NOFS: You don’t think Dante was right for the job?

BRAIN: As I said, Joseph is an artist, but he is also an anarchist with little respect for convention. A saboteur. The sequel was a Trojan Horse from its inception. Gremlins 2 was to eliminate any possibility of a Gremlins 3. He and his screenwriting cohort, Charlie Haas, masterminded the demise of a budding franchise. The two had met on the 1979 film Over the Edge and Joseph obviously had an immediate affinity for Charles. In Twilight Zone: The Movie he named the character Charlie after his beloved chum.

    Gremlins on Broadway

  NOFS: I understand it was Charlie Haas’s idea to set the film in New York. How was filming in the Big Apple?

BRAIN: The studio was apprehensive about setting the film in New York City. They expected it would be quite costly. As a result, only three days of shooting actually took place in the city. Filming began in Times Square on the Friday before Memorial Day weekend. A dreadful bit of scheduling. Some of the exteriors of Clamp Tower were filmed at Park Avenue and 40th Street while the opening aerial footage of the city was pilfered directly from Superman IV: The Quest for Peace.

NOFS: If not New York, where did they shoot the rest of the film?

BRAIN: For a contributing writer at a film news source, there are some alarming gaps in your knowledge of the filmmaking process. Gremlins 2: The New Batch was filmed on a studio set. Set 15 at Warner Bros. Studios to be exact. Jim Spencer designed the interiors of Clamp Tower and really went above and beyond. The set featured functioning elevators and fully stocked retail stores. He even built a portion of the exterior of the building on set. It was truly a marvel to behold.

NOFS: Joe Dante has disclosed in interviews that 1984’s Gremlins was incredibly challenging to make and those difficulties were a large part of why he was reluctant to make a sequel. Would you say his concerns were validated?

BRAIN: Joseph approached making Gremlins 2 with the wisdom of experience. When working simultaneously with human and gremlin actors, problems can arise. I’m all for peace and harmony but some cultural gaps are just more difficult to bridge. We’re not exactly cut from the same cloth. We’re hardly the same material. With this in mind, Joseph filmed all the scenes with human actors first and then spent the remaining six weeks of production filming us gremlin actors. The most arduous scene to film was undoubtedly Gizmo’s dance number. To say he has two left feet would be an understatement. To make matters worse, once the ineffectual furball finally executed the number we learned that Billy Idol wasn’t going to grant us permission to use his tune. Thankfully, a Fats Domino number with an identical rhythm was found and Gizmo’s efforts, although pathetic, were not in vain.

    NOFS: While things went a little more smoothly during the filming process, I understand the writers did not share that good fortune.

BRAIN: Joseph and Charles endured weeks of misery locked in an office as they tried to liberate themselves from the corner they had dim-wittedly written themselves into. They had planned a finale where the heroic humans would fill Clamp Tower with wet cement, trapping all the gremlins. This proved to be too expensive and the two were swiftly returned to the drawing board. The climactic scene as it appears in the final film is much more satisfying than previous iterations. The ending also further utilizes Electricity Gremlin, a first-rate character whose role up until that point had been on the chopping block.

NOFS: Famous special effects artist Rick Baker was brought on board to lend his talents and I understand he also had input on the script.

BRAIN: Chris Walas helmed the special effects department in the first film but had a scheduling conflict as he was directing another sequel, The Fly II. Rick Baker was offered the job but turned it down. To further entice the creative genius, the Slice-o-Life Genetics Lab subplot was added to the film. This gave Rick much more creative freedom and essentially the ability to alter the story through the introduction of new characters. His inclusion in the film was the impetus that essentially launched my acting career. We were tremendously appreciative of his work. Joseph was too, although he had a strange way of showing it. Octoman, Rick’s first film, appears as an in-joke during a broadcast of Grandpa Fred’s horror TV show.

NOFS: The Slice-o-Life Genetics Lab is without a doubt an essential component of the film and it’s in the lab that we meet Dr. Catheter, played by Christopher Lee. What was it like working with the horror legend?

BRAIN: Working with Christopher was a delight and a true honor. The poor boy was indeed unprepared for the degree of adoration he received from the cast and crew. Upon the completion of his final scene, to celebrate his 200th film, a small party was thrown in his honor. There wasn’t a dry eye in the house as all involved lined up to shake the hand of a true professional. I had the pleasure of filming one scene with Christopher, the Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde transformation that births my character’s superior intellect. Sadly Christopher’s genetic transformation into Elvis Presley was cut before it even touched celluloid.

    A Star is Genetically Engineered

  NOFS: Your role is by far one of the most memorable in the film, can you tell us a little bit about the character you play?

BRAIN: Well, I essentially play myself. Go ahead, lump me in with your Fred Astaires and Bill Murrays. My character though, unlike other one-note trumpeteers, has an agenda. I recognize the potential of my race and believe we deserve more. I plan to lead my deranged brethren out from the seductive trappings of savagery to attain all the plentiful riches civilization has to offer.

NOFS: In the film we’re introduced to our first female gremlin who falls in love with Forster, a human character played by Robert Picardo. How do you feel about interspecies relationships?

BRAIN: Yes, Girl Gremlin is a truly bewitching vision of elegance. Her musical send up of Dames was inspired. On the topic of interspecies relationships, we intellectuals are a forward thinking lot. As far as I’m concerned the film has a happy ending, demonstrating the resolute tenacity of true love.

NOFS: You have a musical number as well, right?

BRAIN: Yes, an apropos tune by Frank Sinatra. It appears towards the end of the film just before little Zachery Galligan’s character unleashes his genocidal rage.

NOFS: There are a number of spectacular gremlin deaths throughout the film but the climax really manages to pack them in, including a hilarious Wizard of OZ reference. Who comes up with all these great deaths?

BRAIN: I also enjoyed the Wicked Witch death. The appearance of Lon Chaney’s Phantom complete with drop focus as he approaches the camera had me chuckling as well. The answer to your question, however, is everyone. Similarly to the first film, a morbid bit of paper scarred the set where cast and crew would scrawl their sick suggestions for gremlin death. We loathed that sheet of paper.

NOFS: Gizmo also has his fair share of torturous scenes in the film.

BRAIN: And you can bet they all made it onto my highlight reel. Gizmo embarks upon a heroes journey where he must rise to the challenge and become a warrior. He predictably fails and must rely on his human companions to shield him from harm.

NOFS: I understand many gremlin scenes were cut from the film?

BRAIN: Steven had final cut and found the film to be unbalanced. He said there were too many gremlin scenes. I’m all for equality but how many films have you seen with an entirely gremlin cast? No, don’t even bother. The answer is NONE!

    Satirical Genius

  [At this point in the interview Brain was becoming increasingly agitated and I had begun to fear for my safety. The question regarding gremlin scenes being cut from the film seemed to set him off. Suddenly his sharp teeth became more apparent to me as he spoke and he had a maniacal glint in his eye.]

NOFS: Let’s talk about the film’s tone. It has a cartoonish quality and even starts with a Looney Tunes cartoon.

BRAIN: Joseph grew up watching anarchic cartoons by the likes of Frank Tashlin. He applauded their irreverent lack of convention and aspired to sustain that restrained chaos throughout the film. Transcendent rebellion and subversion of popular culture were his objectives but along the way he took a wrong turn. He became the thing he sought to destroy. Joseph had become a part of popular culture. Like the man who learns he can never truly return home, he must burn it down.

NOFS: Perhaps we should shift gears a little and discuss a lighter topic. Let’s talk about cable TV and frozen yogurt.

BRAIN: Oh no, [Brain chuckles] you can’t pull the wool over these reptilian eyes. This is the dreaded prophecy question. For the sake of good sportsmanship, I’ll take the bait. Gremlins 2 has been praised for its prophetic satire of popular culture. Concepts that were conceived as jokes are now accepted norms of modern society. Some of your younger readers may not bat an eyelash at the idea of an entire channel devoted to cooking, but to audiences in 1990 it would have been comical, if not grotesque. The intent was to provide a gross exaggeration in order to highlight the excesses of the medium.

NOFS: Dante didn’t just poke fun at popular culture in general, he takes a few jabs at his own work.

BRAIN: Joseph’s self awareness is an admirable trait to be sure. He and Charles shine a light on the sheer absurdity of the supposed “cardinal rules” of rearing Mogwai as Zach’s character does his best to explain them to a skeptical audience in the building’s control room. Phoebe’s traumatic memory of Abraham Lincoln’s birthday is a call back to her laughably tragic Yuletide tale from the first film. References to Joseph’s other work crop up from time to time as well. Vectorscope Labs from the film Innerspace makes an appearance as well as a theater marquee that reads Howling 11. Not to sing the man’s praises too much but upon meeting, Christopher [Lee] apologized to Joseph for appearing in Howling 2. Real stand-up chap.

NOFS: Is Donald Trump the inspiration for the character of Daniel Clamp?

BRAIN: He may have been at one time but also remember that public perception of Donald in 1990 was very different. Clamp was originally intended to be the villain but John Glover played the role with such boyish charm that it really altered the tone of the film. However, Grandpa Fred is without a doubt modelled after Al Lewis’s Grandpa Munster.

NOFS: Did anyone have issue with the film’s satire and social commentary?

BRAIN: I can’t say Steven and Chris Columbus entirely appreciated it. There was also some controversy surrounding jokes made about the marketability of Gizmo. This was somewhat unheard of at the time. Joseph was essentially mocking the marketing and cross promotion for the film within the film itself.

    The Gremsters Vs. The Hulkster

  NOFS: After Leonard Maltin had given the first film a bad review, was it satisfying to see him get his just deserts in the sequel?

BRAIN: Oh yes, the gremlin community had a bit of an axe to grind with Mr. Maltin. His appearance was a way to, forgive me for mixing metaphors, bury the hatchet. We would extend the olive branch of peace but upon bending him to our will, reveal it to be the olive branch of victory.

NOFS: Did he bend to your will?

BRAIN: Well, my dear fellow I’d have to say the proof is in the numbers. Going from 2 out of 4 stars on the first film to 3 out of 4 on the second is nothing to turn your nose up at.

NOFS: Leonard Maltin was just one of many celebrity cameos in the film, but none were quite as outlandish as Hulk Hogan’s fantastic 4th wall breaking appearance.

BRAIN: It is an oddity, isn’t it. Joseph wanted to do a William Castle gag and chose 1959’s The Tingler for his inspiration. Similarly to The Tingler, our titular creatures wreak havoc inside the projection booth. However, in our film the hooligans are set straight by World Wrestling champion Hulk Hogan. The studio was dead set against this narrative detour. Joseph set up a test screening in order to prove to them that audiences would, in fact, get a kick out of it. On home video an alternate scene appears to suggest the viewer’s VCR is on the fritz. The poor gremlins would then wind up in a western. The 1970 John Wayne film Chisum was intercut with shots of gremlins and using Chad Everett’s impeccable John Wayne impression, the audience would watch as The Duke himself sends the mischief-makers fleeing back to their own film.

    Box Office Blunder

NOFS: Gremlins 2: The New Batch is often referred to as a “flop” or a “bomb”. Not only did it fail to live up to its predecessor but the film didn’t even turn a profit.

BRAIN: This is true, the film had a 50 million dollar budget but only brought in 41 million.

NOFS: The film had an extensive marketing campaign of which you were prominently featured, including cross promotional ads for Comfort Inn and Clarion Hotel chains. It seems the studio had very high expectations for what Dante considers to be possibly the most unconventional studio picture ever made.

BRAIN: Call it overconfidence. The film was originally scheduled for a May 3rd release date opposite the Mel Gibson/Goldie Hawn picture Bird on a Wire. Based on high test scores, the studio got a bit big-headed and pushed the date back. We would now open opposite the highly anticipated film, Dick Tracy, starring Warren Beatty and Madonna. The material girl was quite frankly the biggest star in the world at the time and she and Beatty were a bit of a hot item. They were 1990’s Brangelina. Wadonna. Determined to protect their box office records from the previous years Batman, Warner Bros. went after Dick Tracy with a herculean might. As it turned out, the Beatty/Madonna picture posed little threat to Batman’s record. This battle of studios only had one casualty, Gremlins 2: The New Batch.

NOFS: Despite its theatrical failings, the film found a cult following on home video. What do you believe the film’s appeal is to these die-hard fans?

BRAIN: While striving to destroy his legacy, Joseph managed to touch on a societal note that, at the time, was only just a whisper. But over the years it has grown into a symphony. The veil of ignorance has fallen. Joseph and Charles created a world closer to reality than they could have possibly envisioned. Given a parodical hyper-realist version of their everyday life, the viewer steps outside of their own existence to properly examine what is truly of value in this world. What holds meaning, what creates meaning, and what destroys it. Shown what happens when our automated lives break down, the audience revels in an existential awakening. They can now leave the theater a free people once again.

NOFS: Beautifully put, Brain, and thank you again for joining us. I thought we’d end the interview by addressing a little rumor that’s been popping up on message boards in recent years. Is there going to be a Gremlins 3?

BRAIN: [Brain chuckles] Considering the current state of that vacuous void known as Hollywood? I suppose only time will tell.

  The post GREMLINS 2: THE NEW BATCH – A Retrospective Interview with Brain Gremlin appeared first on Nightmare on Film Street - Horror Movie Podcast, News and Reviews.

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[lindafrancois]

The Ultimate Guide to Dry January (How to Crush a Month of “No Alcohol”)

So you want to learn all about Dry January?

Giving up alcohol for the first month of the year is a growing health trend and something we’ve seen many of our Online Coaching Clients partake in. Today, we’ll share with you the same tips and tricks we provide them when abstaining from alcohol.

Is drinking hindering your progress? Let a NF Coach help you decide!

Here’s what we’ll cover in today’s guide:

What is Dry January?

What happens when you do Dry January? (Why take a month off drinking?)

What are the benefits of Dry January?

Who SHOULDN’T do Dry January? (The risks of cold turkey)

How to start Dry January

Tools to help you with Dry January (Additional resources)

What to do in February (Next steps)

Pour yourself a tall one (of water) and let’s do this.

What Is Dry January?

Dry January, simply put, is the tradition of abstaining from alcohol for the month of January. You might also hear it called “Drynuary.”

While it’s gotten a lot of buzz (pun intended) in recent years, it actually dates back to 1942. The Finnish government launched a campaign called “Raitis tammikuu” or “Sober January” as a post-war effort to drink less.

Undoubtedly though, it’s been practiced by people in other places and times before that – as a way to focus and reset after the holiday season.

January doesn’t have a monopoly on sobriety though. 

You’ll also come across:

Dry Feb, which started as a fundraiser in Canada to support those affected by cancer.

Sober September, to mark the end of summer festivities.

Go Sober for October (or Sober October).

Dry July, an Australian charity similar to Dry Feb.

No matter what you call it, it’s all more or less the same goal: don’t drink for the month. 

What Happens When You Do Dry January? (Why Take a Month off Drinking?)

Here at Nerd Fitness, we’re really, really big fans of your “BIG Why” – the reason you start anything. 

Digging into your BIG Why can be incredibly helpful for you when you start any sort of health or fitness habit, and especially when you come up against challenges along the way (which WILL happen).

“Those who have a ‘why’ can bear with almost any ‘how.’”

-Victor Frankl

So before you dive further into Dry January, ask yourself “Why do you want to do it?”

Then dig deeper into that. Try to go three levels down! 

For example:

“I want to do Dry January so that I drink less.”

Deeper…

“I want to drink less because alcohol is really affecting my ability to get up early and workout.”

Deeper……

“Since I haven’t been able to work out regularly, I move terribly, and have a hard time keeping up with my kids. Drinking less will help me be there for them.”

Now we’re getting somewhere.

Make. It. Personal. 

You may tell your friends and family about Dry January, but at the heart of it all, it’s your journey.

Naturally, the more you can personalize your BIG Why, the more it will uplift you during difficult times this month (and beyond).

What Are the Benefits of Dry January?

Here are some of the positives of abstaining from alcohol for a month:

#1) Better Sleep

The negative effects of alcohol on sleep have been well documented.[1]

However, with even just one night of heavy drinking, it doesn’t take a pile of scientific papers to let you know your sleep is affected.

Good sleep is one of those “domino habits” that affects so many other things in our day.

A good night of sleep can help you get up and workout in the morning (or just start the day sooner and get more done!). 

You’ll likely be better focused at any tasks you have. There have even been studies correlating lower amounts of sleep to obesity.[2]

#2) Improved Mood

No doubt, better (and longer) sleep will improve your frame of mind. Not only that, but there is some evidence to suggest that reducing alcohol consumption might improve your mood in general.[3]

#3) Money Saved

Booze is expensive! Especially if you’re going out for it! 

Many people’s New Year’s resolutions include seeking financial improvement. An easy target to reduce spending could be to cut out alcohol.

#4) Losing Weight

As we discuss in The Nerd’s Guide to Alcohol, booze is pretty much void of any nutrients.

Sure, wine and some other beverages might have some antioxidants here and there.[4] But other than that, it’s more or less just alcohol, water, and calories.

That’s why you’ll often hear booze referred to as “empty calories.” Cutting back on alcohol will reduce your “calories in,” essential for weight loss. 

Not only will you cut the calories from the booze itself, but there’s another insidious effect alcohol can have on our weight loss efforts: the choices we make after a few drinks.

After a few cocktails, we may find our cravings increasing and our willpower decreasing. Avoiding this situation, by avoiding alcohol, can help support healthy habits.

At this point, we should note that not everyone will benefit from taking a month off drinking.

Who Shouldn’t Do Dry January? (The Risks of Cold Turkey)

We’ve just spent some time going over the benefits of a Dry January – and there are a lot! 

But we also need to give the very real warning that this is NOT for everyone. 

We’ll go over a few possible scenarios, but if there is ANY apprehension to starting Dry January for any reason, then please consult your doctor first.

#1) Alcohol Dependency

If you currently have a strong alcohol dependency, then going cold turkey can be potentially life-threatening. There are numerous withdrawal symptoms such as rapid heartbeat, increase in potential for seizures, and even hallucinations.[5]

Again – and it bears repeating – if you believe you have any sort of dependency, please talk to your doctor before making dramatic changes in your alcohol consumption.

 #2) Predisposition to Seizures

As mentioned above, alcohol withdrawal can cause an increase in potential for seizures (due to an increase in your central nervous activity). 

If you are already knowingly prone to seizures for any reason, then a rapid swing in your drinking habits may exacerbate the situation.

 #3) Depression and Anxiety Issues

If you have been diagnosed, or suspect depression or anxiety issues, then sudden removal of alcohol as a possible coping mechanism may have detrimental effects. 

We recommend, as always, to reach out for professional support in these cases! 

You can find tons of outside resources in our guide, A Nerd’s Introduction to Mental Health.

In addition, if you feel like you want to start Dry January to absolve yourself of dietary “sins” from December, (“I can’t believe I ate and drank so much”), we’d also recommend that you revisit your BIG Why for starting.

We want this experiment to be beneficial to your health, not something that triggers a big swing in the opposite direction.

How to Start Dry January

“Alright Jim, I’ve gotten this far and I’m ready to start! I just stop drinking…right?”

Sure, sure – that’s the core of Dry January. But there are a few things to consider, to really personalize it and get even more out of it.

#1) Dry or Semi-Dry?

While the more popularly discussed variation of Dry January involves cutting out alcohol completely, perhaps you just use the month to do an alcoholic audit. You might just decide to reduce your consumption a bit. 

This may end up looking like one or more of the following:

Eliminating weekday drinks only.

Having drinks only on special occasions.

Reducing the amount of drinks you have in one sitting.

The point is that this “Dry” January may look different to everyone, and that’s ok. As far as we know, there’s no “Dry January” police that are going to bust in your doors for any dietary infractions.

This was a much better reference than The Untouchables.

#2) Are You Stuck in “All or Nothing” Thinking?

On a similar note, Dry January presents the challenge of having absolutely NO alcohol for the entire month. So maybe you start the month off with the best of intentions – no alcohol for me! – and then something happens and you have a drink.

Then it’s time to give up the rest of the month and return to old habits!

Also, whenever I get a flat – I make sure to slash the other three tires!

Jokes aside, if you start with one plan and things don’t quite go how you expected – that’s fine. 

Get right back to it. You are still making changes and focusing attention on improving your health.

And again, no Dry January police.

#3) What Are Your Triggers?

With any behavior you’re looking to change, it helps to identify what triggers that behavior in the first place.

Charles Duhigg, in his New York Times bestselling book The Power of Habit, talks about cues that lead to routines, that lead to rewards (note: the rewards may not always be healthy)

If you’re able to identify triggers, you have a better chance of avoiding or adjusting them to support your new behaviors. 

In regards to alcohol, look for triggers related to:

Time: Are you always drinking during a certain time of day, or day of the week?

Location: How about always drinking in a certain place?

Preceding Event: Is there something that always seems to happen beforehand, that then leads to having a drink?

Emotional State: How do you usually feel before having a drink? Or even just having a craving to drink?

Other People: Are you interacting with certain individuals before drinking?

Asking yourself these questions will help get to the root cause of your drinking habits. 

The other thing to consider here is “friction.”

James Clear, author of Atomic Habits, talks about habit change and the importance of “friction” – or how easy or hard you make an action. 

Specifically, we should look for ways to change our environment to increase or decrease friction. If you change your environment to reduce friction, you won’t have as many decisions to make to take the action you want. Then things start becoming automatic. 

For example, let’s say you want to “work out more.” Reduction friction might include putting your gym bag where you’ll always run into it, or setting a phone alarm to train.

Around here, we call these strategies “Hacking Your Batcave,” because of course that’s what we’d call it.

On the flipside, increasing friction for a habit we want to reduce (e.g., drinking) would mean we want to make that habit invisible. 

We can increase the friction with drinking by:

#1) Getting rid of all the booze in your house.

Dr. Berardi of Precision Nutrition often says:

If a food is in your possession or located in your residence, either you, someone you love, or someone you marginally tolerate will eventually eat it. 

That means if you don’t want to drink it, don’t keep it at home! 

#2) Avoiding areas where you can buy alcohol. 

If you have a beer and wine aisle at your regular supermarket, consider if you can shop without going near it.

You could also opt for grocery delivery, so you don’t even have to set foot inside a store with a beer/wine aisle.

Change your routes – if you walk or drive by a bar or liquor store regularly, look for new ways to go. Out of sight goes a long way for out of mind. 

Strategically increasing and decreasing friction will go a long way towards reducing the habit of drinking. 

If you want more tips and tricks for habit change, I’ve got two great resources for you:

How to Build Healthy Habits: read this guide for 5 hacks to build habits that will STICK.

The 3 Layers of Habit Change: most people go about habit change backwards – here’s exactly how to flip it.

Tools to Help You With Dry January (Additional Resources)

Let’s chat about some additional resources that may help as you begin your month-long journey.

#1) Community and Apps

Some find community and social accountability really helpful during Dry January. Others just like to see a visual streak of their success.

Nerd Fitness Prime provides social support through Facebook and Discord to hundreds of other Rebels. We’ve already used that community to tackle other challenges like running 5Ks: 

And rocking chin-ups!

For seeing a visual streak of progression, we have our NF Journey App (which is part of your NF Prime membership). 

We’re actually rolling out a 31-day habit challenge this January (boy, what excellent timing!). So jump on in and let it help your Dry January too! 

You can try a 7-day free trial of NF Journey right here:

#2) Non-Alcoholic Drinks

When reducing or eliminating alcohol in your routine, it can sometimes help to have a substitute that gives you a similar experience as alcohol, without the depressive effects. These options have come a LONG way from the days of watery, tasteless non-alcoholic beers.

For NA beers, I’ve personally tried the following:

Athletic Brewing Company: they make a great NA stout!

Brooklyn Special Effects: hoppy and very tasty!

Hop Tea: not quite beer, but the hop flavor gives a similar taste. (Caveat – many of these have caffeine.)

Partake Brewery: offers a wide variety of styles, plus a small “discovery pack” – where you can try one of each brew.

Wellbeing Brewery: the Victory Wheat is amazing!

For NA spirits, there are a couple good options here too:

Ritual Zero Proof: the “whiskey” won’t fool anyone, but having a glass of it still satisfied a lot of the “ritual” of sitting down for a drink.

Seedlip: it’s less of a stand-in, like Ritual Zero Proof, and more of their own distinct tastes. The Garden 108 was my favorite and a decent gin substitute.

They even make some non-alcoholic wine now, although admittedly I haven’t tried any yet:

Aerial

Tero

#3) Outside Help

As previously mentioned, if you do suspect you have an alcohol dependency issue – please talk to your doctor, your therapist, and/or social resources like Alcoholics Anonymous.

What to Do in February (Next Steps)

As you go through Dry January, it can be easy to focus on the end date. 

You just need to hold out a little longer, then you can get “back to normal!”

Instead, I’d recommend using the month of “no alcohol” to think about what February 1st will look like. 

This should be about introspection, not just avoidance. Use it as a time to look into your relationship with alcohol.

Ask yourself:

What adjustments have you made during January that feel sustainable?

What adjustments don’t feel sustainable?

What had you been using alcohol for in the past? (Boredom? Coping? Anxiety?)

Studies have shown that Dry January can become a foundation for continued and long-lasting changes to your health.[6]

However, for you to really see the benefits, you need to do the extra work here.[7]

Well, we hope to have provided enough information about Dry January that you can make the best decisions for yourself.

There is no shame if you’re not ready for this challenge (just as there’s no shame if your friend doesn’t participate while you do).

Whatever you’re going to embark on, we are here to support! 

If you want to continue your journey with Nerd Fitness, you can check out:

#1) Our Online Coaching Program: we work hand in hand with our clients for all sorts of nutritional changes, including drinking less. 

You can schedule a free call with our team so we can get to know you and see if our coaching program is right for you. Just click on the image below for more details:

Our coaching program changes lives. Learn how!

#2) If you like the idea of doing challenges with a group of others, check out NF Journey. Our fun habit-building app helps you exercise more frequently, eat healthier, and level up your life (literally).

Try your free trial right here:

#3) Join the Rebellion! We need good people like you in our community, the Nerd Fitness Rebellion. You’ll meet all sorts of individuals who are trying to better themselves, by drinking less, eating more vegetables, or lacing up to go for a run. 

Sign up in the box below to enlist and get our Diet Cheat Sheet, which will show you where certain alcoholic drinks fall on the “healthy or less-healthy” spectrum. 

Download our free weight loss guide

THE NERD FITNESS DIET: 10 Levels to Change Your Life

Follow our 10-level nutrition system at your own pace

What you need to know about weight loss and healthy eating

3 Simple rules we follow every day to stay on target

Let’s go!

-Jim

PS: Make sure you check out A Nerd’s Guide to Drinking for more thoughts on how to drink while still being a healthy individual.

###

Photo source: Talk like a pirate day, boule13 © 123RF.com, Brian Jackson © 123RF.com, Dmytro Sidelnikov  © 123RF.com, The Pirates are coming, Jaromir Chalabala © 123RF.com; Ready to plunder the Californian Beaches…, Let’s quench our thirst. 

Footnotes    ( returns to text)

Read, “The Effects of Alcohol on Quality of Sleep.” Souce, PubMed.

You can read this study or this study for more.

Psychologies has an interesting article exploring this. This interview from NPR also talks about an improved mood from drinking less.

Read, “Contribution of Red Wine Consumption to Human Health Protection.” Source, PubMed.

Read, “Alcohol Dependence, Withdrawal, and Relapse.” Source, PubMed.

Read, “Voluntary temporary abstinence from alcohol during “Dry January” and subsequent alcohol use.” Source, PubMed. Also, read, “Temporary abstinence during Dry January: predictors of success; impact on well-being and self-efficacy.” Source, PubMed.

Read, “Drink refusal self-efficacy and implicit drinking identity: an evaluation of moderators of the relationship between self-awareness and drinking behavior.” Source, PubMed.

The Ultimate Guide to Dry January (How to Crush a Month of “No Alcohol”) published first on https://dietariouspage.tumblr.com/

[delightful-mystery]

Why I Boycotted Once Upon A Time In Hollywood

Before I begin, I want to start by saying that the word “boycott” obviously means that I haven’t seen the film. It’s kind of unusual for me to argue about something without fully informing myself of the facts first, but this is something I had to write about. 

(and I will watch Once Upon a Time in Hollywood once I can source it for free…)

Okay, so now that we have the disclaimer out of the way, I want to begin by saying I used to be a massive Tarantino fan. I still am, to some extent. I love violent films and gore, and I am never one to shy away from anything because it is too weird or too violent (I’m not saying I class Tarantino as particularly weird, but I think he wants to be, and for mainstream films, he’s not the most basic). 

But, looking back on his films now from the perspective of someone who knows a little bit more about the world than the 15-year-old girl who persuaded her dad to watch Pulp Fiction with her, I feel uncomfortable. Not about the violence inherently, not even about the violence against women inherently, but about the fact that every punch in the face that a pregnant Uma Therman received was directed by a man. 

Obviously, feeling uncomfortable is kind of Tarantino’s end game here. But how much power over our emotions should be demanded by a white man who has never come up against societal oppression in his life? It’s weird. And that’s even before you start thinking about how many N-words you hear in his films. He does pay homage to the blaxploitation film trend with Jackie Brown, but… he’s not black? So is it his trend to reclaim?

Moving on from Tarantino himself, I next wanted to talk about why it was Once Upon A Time in Hollywood which particularly spiked my annoyance. And this is where I get to nerd out about one of my favourite true crime stories of all time – the Manson Murders. In a way similar to Tarantino reclaiming a narrative which is not his to reclaim, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood and the true crime story of the Manson Murders is a story which, I believe, should be reclaimed by women. 

The Manson Murders are one of the most widely talked about true crime stories out there. It’s also my personal favourite, another reason why I got so annoyed about this film being made. Charles Manson was a very troubled man who wanted to be a rockstar. Towards the end of the sixties, after a troubled childhood and adolescent spent in and out of prison, he began to gather a cult around him, known as “The Family”, convincing vulnerable young women who had run away from home that he was the messiah and would save them from the imminent apocalypse. What he really wanted was to record and release an album in response to the Beatles’ White Album, which he believed held the secret to surviving the apocalypse and was calling for him, in secret messages, to respond with his own music. When his demos were rejected by the music moguls of Hollywood, Manson told his followers that they had to enact revenge on those who wronged him, leading some of his right-hand women to kill an 8-month pregnant Sharon Tate and some of her friends who were in the house with her. 

[This is a very condensed version of what happened. For an in-depth version, I recommend the podcast ‘You Must Remember This’ and its series named ‘Manson’s Hollywood’.]

Creepy Manson is creepy.

Manson used a variety of methods to ensure that, once in the cult, the members were not able to leave. They felt they depended on him, and he constantly fed them lies about being the chosen one, how special they were to him, as well as giving them tabs of acid and talking to them whilst they were tripping. This sort of tactic obviously includes a lot of manipulating, brainwashing, gaslighting and more, even before we get to the illegal drugs. This sort of operation could only have happened on this scale at this time – i.e. the late sixties, where it was commonplace to “turn on, tune in, drop out” (a.k.a. running away from home to practice free love and take lots of acid) – meaning that there were plenty of young women and men roaming the streets. Manson’s “commune” on his ranch must have seemed like the perfect opportunity for them to find like-minded people who also believed in a new world. Charles Manson gathered followers over the years and told them of ‘Helter Skelter’ (so named after the Beatles’ song) – the apocalypse led by black people who would kill all the whites. This obviously sounds crazy written on paper, but after leaving their whole lives behind and being brainwashed instead by a guy who had smooth-talked his way into living in one of the Beach Boy’s homes (seriously, he did that), his followers were primed to believe anything. 

The Manson Murders are a gendered issue. And this is where I have a problem. It’s literally a tale of how one man manipulated a bunch of women. Vulnerable women, at the hands of one man who, after years of coercion and brainwashing, were manipulated into carrying out one of the most bizarre and bloodthirsty crimes that the States have ever seen. 

“Hold up now, weren’t there men in Charlie’s cult as well?”

Well yes, anonymous keyboard-owner, there were. And I’m glad you asked. There were indeed men involved in Charles Manson’s cult, but it was only the women who were subjected to the sexual manipulations, coercion and rape which Manson inflicted on his followers. He also predominantly targeted women to join The Family. Men were collateral damage in this instance, people he just picked up along the way. His main priority was finding women to follow him, and for him to have sex with. 

The crime itself was carried out by Tex Watson, Susan Atkins, Patricia Kenwinkle and Linda Kasabian. It was predominantly women who committed the best-known act of Tate’s murder (and the murder of the LaBiancas which I’m going to guess isn’t given as much screen time in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood because by this point Margot Robbie isn’t around?) and the murder of Tate’s unborn child in a perversion of motherhood which many see as a complete rejection of her femininity. Again, this story is a gendered crime. The manipulation which led up to it was gendered. It’s an extreme case of gaslighting and manipulation, sure, but it wouldn’t be the first time a woman has been manipulated by a narcissistic man. 

And somehow, I don’t think Tarantino would take all of this into account when directing his film. 

I have yet to watch it, of course (and I will post a follow-up review once I have and we can see if any of these predictions were right). But what I have done is read The Girls by Emma Cline. One of the best books I have ever read, The Girls is an occasionally overwritten but nonetheless a beautifully hazy and melancholic look at the end of the sixties, and loosely based on Charles Manson and The Family. It’s such a good read, whether you know about the Manson Murders or not (I have read it once before, and once after, becoming a nerd about this subject matter). What it’s especially good at, however, is bringing in the context of being a woman in this society. I have a few passages highlighted in this book. One of them is as follows; “All that time I had spent readying myself, the articles that taught me life was really just a waiting room until someone noticed you – the boys had spent that time becoming themselves.” She recognises that the fiendish acts of Manson would not have been able to occur had patriarchal inequality not existed. There are other examples of this being recognised, Charlie Says being one of them – a slightly underwhelming film by Guinevere Turner and directed by Mary Harron, the team behind American Psycho. This film uses the art-rehabilitation program in the Santa Cruz Prison Project – aimed to rehabilitate female inmates with feminist praxis and reading, and other art-based creative projects designed to give them more of a sense of self, independent from Manson – to frame the narrative and explore deeper the characters of the Mason murderesses. Unfortunately, it’s a great idea carried off without much success, but this is only one drop in the ocean of Manson-related media.

Matt Smith, Marian Rendon, Kayli Carter and Merritt Weaver in the sadly lacklustre feminist take on the Manson murders, Charlie Says.

We as a culture are obsessed with him. There’s countless films about this guy – Helter Skelter,  The Manson Family, Summer of Love (which was never actually finished). He has almost 40,000 monthly listeners on Spotify. I see Once Upon as a film which panders more towards the status of Manson and examines his crimes in the way that Tarantino tends to look at violence – with curiosity, and without moral judgement. I’m not saying you can’t make a fun film about the late sixties but I guess I would feel more comfortable if it was guaranteed that these issues would be explored sensitively by someone who understands them. 

But hey, I guess I could be wrong. I haven’t seen it after all. The film, from what I can tell, does not focus so much on “The Family” and instead chooses to follow at Leo and Brad as a failing actor and his stunt double. Does that make it better or worse? Does Margo Robbie get the well-rounded character development she deserves before Tate is brutally murdered by the women of The Family? And that’s another thing – Tarantino’s history of woman-on-woman action and fighting is not the most reassuring thing for me to base this essay on. It’s fetishistic and bloody – take again the scene of pregnant Uma Therman being beaten up by her co-workers in Kill Bill. It’s not to say his scenes in which he depicts violence against men are not completely horrible as well (the rape in Pulp Fiction, for example), but – as far as I’m aware – that scene was not based on a true story.

Tarantino has also, in his personal life, defended both Harvey Weinstein and Roman Polanski (also weirdly caught up in the story of the Manson Murders as he was married to Sharon Tate at the time). He has also caused Uma Therman permanent injuries of her neck and knees due to what she describes as “criminal negligence” during a dangerous driving scene in Kill Bill, which he insisted she did, instead of a stuntwoman. I’m just saying, he may not have the best understanding of how violence against women, and women’s issues in general, should be portrayed onscreen.

Then again, I haven’t watched the film. But after reading this piece, I would hope that you understand why I chose not to.

from Why I Boycotted Once Upon A Time In Hollywood

[thefinalexperiment]

The Final Experiment Chapter 19: Out of Options

A/N: So after that... cheerful last chapter, I’m starting to move the plot along. Here, we find out exactly why Kaitlynn went off the deep end.

Word Count: 

**WARNINGS**: Mentions of murder, brief action, further allusions to insanity.

Previous Parts: 1–2–3–4–5–6–7–8–9–10–11–12–13–14–15–16–17--18

@after-avenging-hours @casameanlock @nicolejones412 @dashingdetectivetimelady @my-crazy-hectic-life @here-to-wreak-havok

Tags:

@mla02 @shamvictoria11 @fanficcrapforme @procrastinatingvirgo @arie-tfw

I didn’t return to the tower that night, or for the next three days. Empowered by this new feeling, I followed the urge wherever it lead me. I wound up in an abandoned corporate building somewhere. Ironically, I realized, it had once been a place for making and storing frozen goods.

Taking in my surroundings, I ran my hands along the walls as I explored. If I was going to stay here, I needed someplace hospitable to my preferred climate that would also serve as a fortress against unwanted visitors. I rearranged the largest office to be a bedroom of sorts, then I set about defending the premises.

I strolled into the lobby, humming thoughtfully as I observed the space. I moved up to the revolving door and placed my hand on the glass. The frost began to spread over the panels, then it seemed to crawl through the cracks of the door to begin consuming the outside of the structure.

This time, when I used my power, it wasn’t as random. I didn’t feel overwhelmed, but rather… in control. With my mind, I directed the icy path of my powers until the building had been sealed off from the outside world.

“Well this is an interesting development…” I murmured to myself. Time to do some redecorating.

~No One’s POV~

Tony frowned, looking over the newest SHIELD report. He was pretty sure he knew who was responsible, but if he was right, that would mean… Yeah, he really didn’t want to go there. But he also had a responsibility as an Avenger. He couldn’t just not say anything.

This kid… She had found a place in the team’s heart in a short amount of time, and now it looked like the Avengers would be facing their biggest challenge yet. If they were forced to take her out, it might just tear them apart. Maybe that had been HYDRA’s aim all along… to make her a time bomb and destroy them from the inside.

Taking a deep breath, Tony turned off the monitor and headed to break the news to the team. He found Steve and Natasha outside the training room, chatting in quiet tones over their water bottles.

“Guys…” He immediately had their attention. The expression on his face seemed to seek volumes. “Yeah… It’s not good.” Best just get it over with. “That murder Fury mentioned a few days ago was committed by a cryokinetic mutant.”

He saw the realization in their eyes as they thought about their young ward who was currently MIA.

“Kaitlynn…”

“Yep, time to go… take care of HYDRA’s mess.”

It wasn’t hard to find out where she was hiding, if you could even call it that. The building was thoroughly and completely encased in a thick layer of ice and frost, despite the 90 degree weather. Not exactly inconspicuous.

None of the Avengers had been looking forward to this. Wanda insisted she could reason with Kaitlynn, but Steve wasn’t letting her anywhere near the girl until they knew for certain what they were dealing with. In fact, he had intended to do it himself, but both Bucky and Tony were firm in their “no way” stance. Maybe it was the shock of the two of them actually agreeing for once, but Steve didn’t argue.

In the end, it was decided that Bucky would go, seeing as he would have the least trouble… compartmentalizing his personal attachments. Of course, the peace between he and Tony couldn’t last for very long, but Bucky didn’t even react to “Haven’t you spent enough time on ice, Barnes?” as he headed into the fortress. There was only one thing on his mind.

~Kaitlynn’s POV~

After scrounging up what my fractured mind considered to be a decent outfit from some room I had stumbled upon last night, I went down to the largest, main room in the center of the building. It wasn’t a lobby; it wasn’t near any of the entrances--another reason I liked it--but it’s ceiling spanned several floors and I had used my powers to make long, large staircases from balcony to balcony, officially making this the center of my domain.

I knew it wouldn’t be long before the Avengers came to me. A few days, at most maybe. The Soldier would probably be the one to approach… Best make things fun. In the main room, I decided for a bit of ironic overdramatics, forming a raised platform with stairs of ice and a solitary chair that resembled a throne.

That’s where I was when he finally made it inside: casually sitting sideways on the chair, my legs thrown over the arm.

“Took you longer than I expected, Soldier… I’m disappointed. I even made it easy for you.”

His dark eyes observed me carefully as he slowly moved around the room, his rifle halfway up. His flesh hand was gloved and his metal arm glinted in the cold light that refracted around me. He was no longer just a caring friend. That was still there too, of course, but now his main objective was to eliminate me as a threat, whether that meant changing my mind… or taking me out. Barnes shifted his weight, murmuring in Russian to himself.

“Come now, Soldier… Enough of that. Do what you came here to do.”

I was boredly examining my nails as I waited for him to do something.

“You killed that boy… Why?”

Smirking, I kicked my legs up and stood, the frozen floor not even slippery under my heels. “Well he was hardly innocent… And it was fun. He attacked me first anyway.”

Barnes shook his head in disbelief. “That doesn’t constitute murder!”

“You’re one to talk,” I replied quietly. “Of all people to give me a speech about morality, you are perhaps the worst candidate.”

He was trying not to let my words affect him, but I could see his jaw clench as he mentally ran through all the implications of my jab. I strode down the stairs, approaching him confidently.

“Kaitlynn…”

“I suggest that you don’t call me that.”

Exasperated, he rolled his eyes. “Then what would you suggest?”

“Hm… Well, Hydra called me the White Witch, but I’m really not a fan of that…” Another smirk spread across my face. “How about Frostbite? Ooh, yes… I like that a lot. Frostbite it is. Frostbite.”

I said it once more just to memorize the way it felt. The Soldier was growing impatient.

“Look, something went wrong with you. I don’t know what, but you were fine yesterday. Or… stable, at least.”

My expression hardened. “My eyes were opened, that’s what happened. This way is so much better… If I hate everyone, I’m not afraid of hurting anyone. Problem solved.”

“I can’t let you keep doing this.”

“Try to stop me, then.”

As soon as the words were out of my mouth, he lunged forward, grabbing my throat.

“This brings back memories…” I choked out as frost began crawling up his metal arm.

Barnes growled and slammed me into the ground. Barely even dazed, I was confident he’d soon be dead, but the smirk slid off of my face when I saw the effects of my powers suddenly sizzle and evaporate. The metal, once a comfortable temperature for me in the chilled room, was now growing unbearably hot. I hissed in pain and reached for the bare skin of his face, determined to end this here and now. Maybe sending the Avengers his corpse would get my message through to them…

But before I could make contact, there was a sharp prick in my neck. The world tilted suddenly, my vision blurring before fading from gray to black.

~Bucky’s POV~

Whatever Stark had given me was definitely efficient. Almost immediately after I gave her the injection, the girl I thought I knew went limp on the icy floor, her snow-white hair haphazardly splayed around her pale face.

I no longer felt anything regarding her. Initially, it had been a mixture of protectiveness and companionship, but now… Now she was just a reminder, a traitor no better than HYDRA. That made me cold and indifferent. Sighing, I lifted her over my shoulder, alerting the team that I was on my way back.

Once she was secured and we were in flight, I sat off by myself, thinking things over. I didn’t speak to anyone, even when the jet landed. Not at the tower, though. We had all decided she needed to be contained at the main base. A few hours later, we were standing around the containment room where Kaitlynn was still heavily sedated, comatose and restrained in a hospital bed. Helen Cho and Bruce Banner stood next to Steve, Tony, Clint, and I. They said they had news about her condition, but by the grim looks on their faces, it wasn’t good.

“So let me get this straight…” Tony started once they’d explained, “HYDRA put a leech in her?”

“Not quite,” said Doctor Cho. “It’s a non-living symbiotic parasite. Completely artificial, but enough to cause a permanent change in her system.”

“Can you get rid of it?” Steve asked, concerned.

Helen looked over to Bruce, leaving him to deliver the news. The man sighed and pulled his glasses off, rubbing his eyes with his other hand.

“Unfortunately, whatever agent they used has now permanently bonded to her DNA, sort of… latching onto her mutation. If we attempt to separate it, her system will cannibalize and she’ll die.”

I saw Clint go pale at Banner’s words. Stark was staring at the floor, anxiously stroking his beard. Steve’s jaw clenched, his gaze fixing on nothing. I was the only one to speak up.

“So we can either kill her by trying to save her… or we let her destroy herself?”

“Well…” Banner hesitated, “I may have an alternative.”

“What kind of alternative?” Clint finally found his voice.

“A colleague of mine, Professor Charles Xavier, specializes in mutations and he has a scientist in his facility, someone much more knowledgeable when it comes to problems like Kaitlynn’s. The professor runs a school for young mutants unable to control their powers or seeking refuge from society. He’s willing to take her in, to try to figure out what’s going on.”

We all exchanged glances. This option wasn’t quite ideal…

“Setting Frostbite loose in a school full of kids doesn’t exactly sound smart…” I pointed out.

“Professor Xavier assures me that it will be alright. He’s quite confident that they can handle it.”

Steve sighed. “I don’t like it, but… right now, it sounds like the only choice we’ve got.”

Tony looked up, resignation written on his face, weakly covered by joking humor. “Alright then… Time to deliver one teenage assassin to the mutant academy and hope nothing goes wrong.”

Next Part

[schninner-writes-some-stuff]

Sirius’ Character Page (Updated 7/10/17)

(The GIF is not mine)

YO! @the-singing-canary @maruthor @cuddles-for-cassie @isabellegunawan @leagueofocs @preppygothica @royslittleharper @angstytodd @saramdeuli I FINALLY MADE IT!

Original art Bio is HERE!

Basic Info

Full Name: Sirius Vance

Alias: Sirius (yep, just Sirius)

Nicknames

Blue boy

Blue

Little boy blue

Over grown Smurf (Makayla calls him this when she’s upset with him)

Blue wonder

Gender: Male

Sexuality: Pansexual

Current Race: blue star

Previous Race: Meta-human

Nationality: Irish (although he claims not to know)

Date of Birth: May 8th, 1724

Citizenship: American

Occupation: Not many people are up for Hiring Blue stars… so he is unemployed!

Height:  5’11

Weight:  145 lbs.

Eye Color: The white part of his eyes are a light shade of blue and his irises are cerulean blue

Age: 

       Physically: 20 years

       Actual Age: 293 Years old (Although he had previously claimed to be millions of years old.)

Hair Color: Sky blue, that slowly graduates to Azure at the tips

Skin color: I would like to say it’s a tossup between Cornflower and Sky blue

Body Type: He’s thin and lean with some defined muscles, but not much

Outfit/Style:

He usually wears various White or grey V-neck shirts

Never wears blue, says it “Clashes” with his complexion

Wears darker or black skinny jeans (Again, never anything blue)

Enjoys wearing sneakers, he just thinks there so freaken comfy!

His costume? Pretty much his casual wear with a black leather jacket, (This was a recent addition, which was added because Makayla had made the comment that Jason Todd was hot)

Fan Cast:  Colin Ford

Family:

Mother- Mary-Anne Vance.        Status: Deceased

Father- Charles Vance     Status: Deceased

Siblings- He has man younger and older siblings that he refuses to talk about       Status: Deceased

POWER

Manipulates energy around him to create solid object he can use in battle, usually light blue and transparent. (Think of the object that the green lantern corps can create with their rings)

He cannot fly, but can use his powers to create object that can hover and carry him.

Can breathe/ survive the atmosphere (or lack of one) in space

Immune to fire and extreme heat

Has some special Star powers, that are unpredictable and highly dangerous. He can’t access them on his own accord, they just kind of come bursting out in cases of extreme stress, anxiety, or anger

SKILLS

He’s a clever boy

Very tricky and quick thinker

He can eat 10 cups of applesauce in less than a minute (he is so proud of this, that he put it on his resume

HABITS

Rubs or Scratches the back of his neck when nervous

Tends to think aloud when excited

So, he talks a lot

When he’s upset, really upset, he grows silent

Furrows eyebrows when in thought

LIKES

Makayla Fray!

Bonfire

Loves listening to the violin

Applesauce

Comedies are his go to movie

Especially Romantic Comedies

HE LOVES FOOD! (He’s pretty much always snacking on something)

Himself

Colors, all of them

The ocean

He just loves earth and pretty much everything in it!

DISLIKES

Jason Todd (thinks of him as a rival)

Those who hurts is friends

Empty fridge

Outer space

Being alone

Complete Silence

STRENGTHS

His determined and stubborn attitude

His love for the planet

And people in general

WEAKNESSES

Makayla, he loves her, and would do anything for her

His cockiness, often get him in trouble

He’s not indestructible, but he often acts like he is

FEARS

Outer space, He nearly went insane there and doesn’t plan on going back

Being Alone again

Losing the ones, he loves

OTHER FACTS

Back before Sirius was the blue boy we know today, he was your average everyday cocky teenage meta-human

He had a boat Load of siblings and a father and mother who he loved, and was loved by

Doesn’t like to talk about his past

Whenever his past is brought up, he quickly tries to change the subject

He was cursed into space where he became the blue wonder by a witch named Cassandra Blackheart

He kept bragging about his skill and eventually just pissed her off, which caused her to curse him

This curse altered his DNA immensely, giving him star like properties, turning him blue, and giving his a few new abilities.

In his cursed state, he couldn’t age, be hurt, or killed. It also kept him in perfect physical condition.

He spent thousands and thousands of years in space, without being able to see anything but black nothingness

This caused him to lose his Sanity somewhere along the line

But then he started getting visions, they were small at first, but as time went on, they became more frequent and long.

These “Visions” started the day Makayla Fray began being tested on with the mysterious substance called “Red Comet”

Sirius quickly figured out that these were real events that were presently happening.

He could see things through Makayla’s eyes, could feel her emotional pain and thoughts.

The sudden intake and sight of something that wasn’t space, slowly brought him back to sanity

He began to grow emotionally attached to Makayla through the bond she wasn’t aware they had, and he eventually fell in love with her.

He rejoiced when she finally broke free of her captors, and waited several months for her to heal (both mentally and physically) before contacting her through their bond asking her to come free him

She did so, (reluctantly at first) and now he is on earth just loving everything

He was a myth in the magic community

A lot of the “mythical” gods like Zeus and such, know of him and his past as well

Sirius does live with Makayla, but not in the way that your thinking. What happened was, when he was freed, Makayla went to Bruce Wayne to see if he would take care of Sirius’ Financial and housing issue, in which he responded with “Your mess, your problem.”

So, Sirius sleeps on the futon

If Sirius were ever to die, the outcome would very on the way he died, but there a few events that could happen when he dies.one of them would be a super Nova, A blast of mass destruction that occurs soon after death. Or a small black whole would open, only to soon disperse.

He doesn’t love Makayla simply because she’s a pretty face, but because she was the one that pulled him back form over the edge. He was a hopeless mess of insanity, he thought he’d be stuck where he was for all eternity, but when saw what she saw, felt what she felt, it brought him hope, not only for his freedom, but also hope for a better life

Sirius loves pretty much everybody, Except for Jason Todd. he thinks the man is a horrible role model for Makayla. Not only that, but he hates how Jason thinks that he’s the best thing since sliced bread, and Sirius knows for a fact that He is the real shit.

He pretty much flirts with anybody he finds attractive, but don’t get him wrong, he’s no player, he just can’t help himself!

He absolutely loves the world and all its colors and beauty!

He doesn’t get mad easily, you must do something extremely awful to him to get on his nerves

He’s a dork, but extremely smooth when it comes to flirting

Pretty much all TV and book references pass over his head

Not very literate, school wasn’t a top priority back his day, and they didn’t exactly have books for him to read in the vast emptiness that is space.

[papermoth-bird-blog]

Austin: Tan lines in Texas (and an introduction to an Ashram in Arizona)

(okay, so I’ll note I’m actually writing this from Arizona, but the last few days have been a blur & it was hard to find time to write. Love to whoever is reading this.)

Austin was a great idea. Again, would have been made easier if I had a car, but it’s a good thing I made friends here. Or I should say- It’s a good thing my friends hooked me up with their friends that still live in Austin (particularly Kyle!)

Still been eating really good food. And by that, I mean in large part American comfort food. I have fully become addicted to tacos and have at least one a day.. (okay yeah, I’ve always had a burrito problem). I’ve pretty much conquered/eaten all the southern/tex-mex/austin staples. On top of that I had that I had the best bowl of Ramen I’ve ever had. I’ve also had a lot of juice/smoothies.. cause they love that here, for whatever reason. The sun came out & lifted my spirits tremendously. I spent so much time ‘playing’ outside. Barton creek is a really beautiful water body- Mediterranean blue! Right in the middle of the city. I’m glad that I started a morning pilgrimage to Zilker’s park to have tree-time. Some of my best memories from Austin were made there.

Kyle’s friend Marlon (who performs under the name Tasi) invited me out to a kinda institution/dive venue (a la Gus’ Pub but much bigger) to watch some people perform who were in the local indie scene.Turns out, one of the performer’s was Charlie from Hovvdy- a band I’d seen play earlier in the week. That was a really great night out. I feel like I was finally around people that reminded me of my friends back home- musicians, leftys, artists. It was really nice chatting to them all & making friends. It was grounding at a time that I felt a little more adrift. Marlon was super kind & totally hooked me up with a bunch of art shows & music shows for the rest of the week- not to mention introduced me to a lot of cool people.  I told him I’d repay the favour if he ever came up to Canada- and I hope he takes me up on it (I feel like he’s the type to). I also made friend’s with the bartender that night because apparently I am the doppleganger of her childhood best friend Katie. She even showed me pictures... it was a little weird, we did look oddly similar. If anything, it just made me feel that string-like guide of strange circumstances that has lead me along this wandering journey. So I kinda nodded my head instead of getting actually weirded out. Stranger and stranger everyday- and so, less strange overall. ‘Tis the life of a witch, I suppose.

The following evening was the BIG night I’d been awaiting since I started this trip- I went to see Jonathan Richman. It was a short set, which, not gonna lie, induced some skepticism. HOLY MOLY it was a great show. It filled me with so much joy and I danced through the whole set all by myself. He was so silly & playful- which made for a really engaging & flowing performance. Despite the overtone of hipstery-indifference, he pulled a lot of audience participation out of the crowd. We worshipped the sun together & sang praises for the summer feeling that arrived in Austin earlier that day. He also played a couple of his older hits (which I didn’t except, cause I was told he didn’t really play those anymore). The whole time there was this one guy full-fan-girling next to me. I kinda think he was freaking Jojo out. I’d probably have been weirded out to. By virtue of us being right beside each other in the front row, it meant that that Jojo was looking at me in the eyes (and boobs) all night. Which felt kinda weird, but kinda special. (haha). He also pranced around the stage with maracas which put me in a good mood. Strangely enough, he wasn’t the only one to whip out the maracas. Later on that night, I went to see another country band. The lead singer was decked out in Rhinestone Cowboy apparel. Sure enough, he whipped out the maracas eventually too. I guess something is in the air- mostly Maracas. 

My final day in Austin reached a high of 31 degrees. I walked around in shorts and a bathing suit all day- whispering to myself reminders that it was february. It put a lightness in my heart. I skipped around town, eating my favourite foods & got ice cream. I met up with a friend too & went swimming. We basked in the sun & talked about the future & travel. He just came back from hiking the Appalachian trail (which took 6 months). I quizzed him endlessly about it. It certainly sounds intimidating, but incredibly rewarding. It’s definitely something that’s doggy-eared on my travel wishlist. I mean- walking from Georgia to Maine! Can you imagine!! All throughout some of the most beautiful sections of mountains the world has to offer. Reading ‘Wild’ has certainly been encouraging me along this thought plain too. 

Later that night I went to a friend’s birthday party at a really boogie secret bar. I felt out of place, cause I was wearing cut off jean shorts & a ripped t-shirt & a bandana- definitely not exactly the vibe. It was a good time anyway & all the waiters had cute Irish Accents. Later in the night Brandon & I took off to go to another party across town, after picking up some more of his friends. I was flying to Pheonix the next day & mentally preparing myself for Ashram life. It felt a little odd to be around so many people doing coke- but if anything, it just confirmed that I feel really good about staying sober & living my life on the path I am travelling on. All the people there knew each other from high school (mostly Anderson high... which if I’m not mistaken is the high school in Dazed & Confused). It definitely brought me back to high school in a way- not that the conversations were particularly high school like (well maybe), but more so reminded me how I felt in high school. That just because I could get along with everybody & find things to talk about, doesn’t mean they are “my people”. I was just filled with pangs of gratitude for the people I have back home that make me feel so fulfilled & supported & loved wholly. It makes it easy to be away & explore knowing that. 

In some ways, I’ve seen flashes of every version of myself I’ve ever been. I’ve had moments that reminded me of my childhood. I’ve had moments reminding me of my adolescence. And along the way- I’ve found ways to make peace with the trouble some of those memories bring to me. Soothing me, teaching me, giving me room to grow. It’s like I’ve been repotted- I’m going through the lessons I was faced with before, but this time, I have many more tools & experiences to support me through them. It’s helped me spark a bit of excitement to spend time in Ontario again. 

The next morning, Brandon drove me to the airport. I’m so grateful to him for doing that too- because we slept in & I wouldn’t have had enough time if I had to take an uber. I tumbled high-speed through the airport & next thing I knew I was in Phoenix. (okay, there was a weird bit about the lady at TSA getting mad at me & patting me down because she didn’t like how many notes I had shoved in my overall’s pockets. I didn’t get it really. I looked more like a toddler that a smuggler, but whatever). My jaw practically hit the floor when I saw the landscape I dropped into. Such a big sky! and so blue! And mountain in the distance- that looked more like hardend sand dunes. The cactus’s are huge & fill the landscape, instead of an abundance of trees. It made me regret taking the plane, instead of the bus. Despite what everyone was saying, I really think I would have loved it. Now I just know I will have to trust my own feelings ever-forward when it comes to those things. 

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

Sedona, too, is more beautiful than I could have expected. I mean, I’ve seen pictures of course, but seeing the monuments & their contrast with space & sky is something else. I took this huge breath here that I feel like I’d been holding for months & months. I can tell I have work to do here. Routine to entangle in, feelings to purge. I will be here for two or three weeks- doing yoga & meditation & chanting everyday. I can already feel the shift in me. (and in some ways, a shift back to a way I was in the past too). Being part of a land co-op certainly does allow for a lot of outdoor work & collaborative living. I do love all that, and it definitely exists as a main part of the ashram. There is a different feeling here, though. Definitely less silly. It’s full of intention. I don’t know how to explain it right now- except it’s like your spirit makes eye contact with everyone else’s spirit. You can’t hide from your weaknesses. It requires honesty & commitment to make life work here. I’ve always been ready for that- but you don’t find too many places (especially in modern cities) that allows you to live that way. My body, too, is being challenged. Everyone here is a relatively devout yogi (karmic & asana). I myself have to catch up in ways. I already have the chants stuck in my  head as I work in the garden.

One think I’ve found challenging so far is what I am doing for my Karma Yoga practice. Rukmini can be a little nit-picky (although I know she’s working on that). She is also taking over for Swamiji while he is away, which I realize has it’s own stresses. She hopes that I will help her in the kitchen and help her with “momma chores”. The thought of that is challenging for me, however, because I’ve never been particularly inclined towards those things. Gopala is leaving the ashram soon. He has done a lot of the cooking & I think she really wants me to help with that..... my ultimate challenge. I mean, I told her I love farm work and building projects. Dharmagan & Charles are building a little temple by the bar. Really, I am craving to work on that. I think, Rukmini would prefer me to work with her, though. We did have a special moment earlier in which we were both totally geeking out about plants and gardening. That felt really nice. I’ve been thinking a lot about “my path” of course. I still feel intentional about doing some sort of healing practice. In clearing away all my obligations, I have thought every morning “in a perfect world, what would you do with this day). In almost all my answers, it has something to do with being outside with plant friends & sharing the gifts of plant medicines with my dearest people friends. I do really want to be a farmer- but in nova scotia that is certainly hard to make your full income. I love the idea of doing massage to fill out the rest of my time (as I’ve discussed for years), but it doesn’t spark the same immediate joy that plants do. I think it would still be something I’d be good at though & would open so many doors for me. (anyways, I digress... and most of my good friends have heard me repeat this conversation over and over again).

I can’t help but feel doubted (which is an ultimate pet peeve of mine) in areas that are a little more physical or perhaps typically male roles. She did allow me to help her garden today. We planted Onions & lilies & garlic as flakes of snow fell from the sky. It’s about 5 degrees- which for me, feels reasonable to be working outside. Everyone else keeps mentioning “THE COLD!” I just smile to myself, because it’s familiar to me & I love being outside. It did mean that Gopala brought me a big mug of Cocao while I planted. Which was kind and really thoughtful. 

Saraswati is the patron goddess of this ashram. Her colour is yellow (my favourite) and she is the goddess of wisdom & knowledge. She is actually one of my favourite Hindu Gods- so it was a happy surprise when I found that out. The library, where her shrine is, is beautiful & filled with yellow & gold. It’s a very happy place to be. All the book titles have filled me with a thirst to read as much as I can. Rukmini gave me a book about Peace Pilgrim. On my first day I sat down by the river with my feel sunk into the mud (next to the many raccoon paw prints) and read in the tree for a few hours. Peace Pilgrim is a favourite of the Swami here. He, like Peace Pilgrim, also journeyed around America, relying on faith & the kindness of strangers to help him on his way. I am looking forward to meeting him. Mare has told me wonderful things about him (mostly that he reminds her a lot of Dumbledore-- which is probably the highest praise any teacher could get). He arrives tomorrow- so I’m sure there will once again be another shift in energy. We’ve gotten a little lackadaisical with the timing of the schedule. I’ve heard Swami keep the household a little strict- but I suppose you have to when there is a bunch of people in & out (in addition to it being a serious spiritual centre). 

This is a small Ashram- with only about 7 of us here now. It is less than a year old, however, so it is still being established in many ways. The other ashrams have 50, maybe even 100 people living there. I feel good about this ashram though. Especially when it comes to learning, I feel like it will be more effective in a small group. Although I suppose larger ones would be nice because there would be lots of people to work with & talk to. It feels right to be in this one though. 

There was a girl who left the day before I arrived & her name was also Zoe. Apparently there was some confusion because we had the same name. I personally am just taking it as another sign that I’m supposed to be here. Something that I didn’t really expect is that I am feeling a lot of gratitude for my name- Which means life. There has been a lot of chants exploring that theme- being alive. I guess that could be expected, but it’s been standing out to me. My thoughts keep circling back to that mysterious phrase that lead me to this journey on the first place “go to New Orleans to learn about death”. I think I let a lot of things die when I chose to leave Halifax. There was death in that, surely. In a re:birthing context. I think what I learned most is that life exists concurrently with death. 

I struggle quite a bit still with thoughts of Ellie’s death. I found myself crying unexpectedly in Satsung yesterday, and then again when talking to Rukminiji. I find it hard to laugh and smile without it making me feel guilty in some way. As if keeping sadness close to my heart is penitence, or proof in someway that I loved her. New Orleans, certainly conjured the ideal of how deeply & brightly both the concepts of death & life can coexist. And so, still with thoughts & appreciation for death, I’ve been able to live a little more freely. Which is not something I thought I’d ever fully be able to move towards in sincerity. But I feel it. My prana is having the dust shaken off along this dessert journey. I am grateful for every moment of it- all the challenges & moments of peace that is being gifted to me. 

[flauntpage]

November Rain – Observations from Sixers 124, Heat 114

I’m sure you’ve read about the Markelle Fultz and Drew Hanlen craziness by now and probably seen the horrendous free throw all over social media and ESPN.

So let’s talk about Joel Embiid instead, because I feel like I really haven’t written much about him this year. In every recap, it goes something like, “oh yeah, by the way, Joel had 32 and 12 last night, he’s just been so good in 2018.”

I guess the reason for the lack of words is because Joel is a known quantity. You expect him to go for 28 and 15 in every game now, and in the early part of the season, we’re focused on things like Markelle and Ben and their shooting and some of the new faces on the team.

Joel is on pace for a historic season. He put up 35 and 18 last night with six offensive rebounds. He shot 8-15 from the field, 3-4 from three, 16-20 (!!!) from the foul line, and turned the ball over twice while committing just one foul. That is a ridiculous basketball line, just elite in so many ways, especially for a 7’2″ center in the modern day NBA.

This is a 24-year-old guy who didn’t even start playing basketball until he was a teenager. The minutes restriction is a thing of the past. He is fully healthy and he is certainly an MVP candidate if he keeps playing this way.

Year to date, Joel is playing about five more minutes per game. His shooting is up and pretty much everything extrapolates to an improvement when you run his per-36 numbers.

Lemme give you the raw stats first:

His field goal percentage holds steady from last year, but you see a lot of improvement from the foul line. He’s getting there 11 times per game and hitting at 80%.

Here’s what it looks like if you run last year’s numbers on 36 minute parameters:

29 and 14 per 36 minutes. That’s wild stuff.

He’s averaging more points on fewer two pointers, and you see the increase in three point and free throw shooting.  His turnover numbers are down significantly and his rebounding and block numbers look good. I think the improvement from the foul line has been a really pleasant surprise.

League-wide Joel is now:

2nd in points per game

5th in rebounds per game

6th in blocks per game

1st in double-doubles

The only area where other centers are truly outplaying him, if you really want to go there, is in three-point shooting. Guys like Nikola Jokic and Nik Vucevic are hitting almost 10 percentage points better from deep, and it wouldn’t be much of a sidebar at all if Joel wasn’t attempting 4.3 deep shots per game. Still, he makes up for that from the line, where he shoots better than the likes of Anthony Davis, Jusuf Nurkic, and Marc Gasol.

Right, so Joel is in elite company this year. He’s having a fantastic season, and his performance last night was key in getting the Sixers a good road win over a decent Miami team.

Some other notes from last night:

Popping the Kork

Was it a mistake to decline Furkan Korkmaz’s rookie option?

He poured in a career-high 16 points last night on 5-9 shooting while going 3-6 from deep and 3-3 from the line.

Furkan has some game. He really does, and he’s not just a catch and shoot guy off the bench. He’s shown some savvy on the floor, which you saw last night on that nice give-and-go backdoor play with Ben Simmons that got him a layup at the rim.

More than anything, you could always use shooting off the bench. Brett Brown says he doesn’t know what happens with Furkan’s minutes moving forward, and Korkmaz complained about his lack of playing time about two weeks ago, but at this point would you rather trade for a 37 year old Kyle Korver or give Furkan a chance to be the guy coming off the pine?

Something to think about.

Clank

If you didn’t see it:

Markelle Fultz’s form is quickly becoming the Charles Barkley golf swing of basketball my lord pic.twitter.com/zBVmeNMe8L

— Rob Perez (@WorldWideWob) November 13, 2018

Markelle told reporters after the game that the ball slipped out of his hands.

Seems like there was a lot of backlash against trainer Drew Hanlen last night, and maybe rightfully so, because I’m 99.9% sure that this was given to Alex Kennedy as a way of Hanlen distancing himself from Fultz:

Markelle Fultz and Drew Hanlen are no longer working together or on speaking terms, according to league sources. No word on why the two parted ways, but their relationship deteriorated about three weeks ago. Prior to this falling out, Fultz spent the summer training with Hanlen.

— Alex Kennedy (@AlexKennedyNBA) November 13, 2018

Here’s the thing to remember: Markelle showed some really smooth jumpers in the preseason and even in the regular season. He was not consistent, no, but for all intents and purposes, it seemed like the mechanics were back to where they needed to be.

So is this purely mental? Yeah, probably. People still seem to think there’s some kind of injury here, but I’m not sure how something like that would not be fully diagnosed and rehabbed by now. For what it’s worth, Brett Brown was asked last week if Markelle had any lingering health issues, and the answer was “not that I know of.”

Say whatever you want about Hanlen, but he’s a basketball skills trainer and not a sports psychologist. He can teach Markelle everything he needs to know about his shot, but it’s on Markelle and nobody else to just go out there and get it done. It’s nice that the fan base and front office and coaching staff are all throwing their unconditional support behind him. The media has more or less been restrained in the questions we’ve asked him. It’s time for him to take the next step forward, because he’s the only one who can walk through that door.

Other notes:

Miami’s City Edition uniforms are fantastic, though the pink baselines were kind of trippy. Felt like I was on acid last night.

On FIOS, the broadcast went silent about halfway through the first quarter and was not fixed until halfway through the second quarter. My wife became so irritated that she took over the TV, turned on “The Real Housewives of Orange County,” and made me put the game on my tablet instead, which also did not have sound.

Mike Muscala took ten three pointers and hit three last night. I’m fine with that. If you’re open, shoot it. If he can give the Sixers important stretch-four minutes in the post-Dario era, that would be a really nice surprise.

Wilson Chandler started last night and played a conservative game. He logged 23 minutes with five points and three assists on 2-3 shooting. He was a +6.

JJ Redick poured in a “quiet” 25 with Embiid dominating the game on both ends of the floor.

Hassan Whiteside, who I think is a slug, actually had a decent double-double game. You just see how special Embiid is though when you compare his output to Whiteside’s output.

Last, and certainly not least, the Sixers only turned the ball over 9 times last night. It’s their lowest total of the season and first time they finished in single digits this year. They were 5-1 in six games last year where they coughed up the ball fewer than 10 times. Add in 39 free throws and 10 offensive rebounds, and that’s the formula for limiting opponent possessions and winning on the road.

The post November Rain – Observations from Sixers 124, Heat 114 appeared first on Crossing Broad.

November Rain – Observations from Sixers 124, Heat 114 published first on https://footballhighlightseurope.tumblr.com/

[deadcactuswalking]

BLAST TO THE PAST: A Critical Look at the ‘It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown’ Soundtrack Album (feat. MKtheInstrumentalist)

Okay so my friend Jasbre told me to review this album and I’m not sure if he thought I had any experience with freaking Charlie Brown specials or anything but he would be sadly mistaken if so because, no, I do not – I have never watched one of these Charlie Brown films except the most recent CGI film, I recall it was named The Peanuts Movie or something but it was a decent film from what I remember; I saw it a few years ago and never bothered to watch it again so I must not have been really all that interested in it or have much reason to rewatch. I probably shouldn’t be reviewing this, I don’t have any experience with this Charlie Brown stuff, man... but I do know someone who does. Okay, hold on, let me get MK on this.

Basically, the album’s just a really terrible edited-down s**tshow taken from the dubbing track of the special, seeing as they don’t have the original masters. – MKtheInstrumentalist

“Edited down” may just be an understatement. Happy Halloween, everyone, and welcome to BLAST TO THE PAST!

It’s not a great soundtrack, Charlie Brown!

So today I will be talking about the soundtrack released only this year to the 1966 television special, It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown, which is the third of God knows how many half-hour television films they made based off of the Peanuts comics which were created by Charles M. Schulz, with some rude interruptions from MK every now and then.

Excuse me, I’m rude? Didn’t you DM me yelling about Soulja Boy’s Discord server at 3am?

It was an important issue, Max! Geez. Anyway, this particular special was also written by Shulz and directed by Bill Melendez, who actually voiced Snoopy and Woodstock, who from what I can gather, are the dog and the bird that are best friends. The score for the special was composed by the late Vince Guaraldi, who recorded it with his sextet only 10 years before his death. On October 12th this year, the soundtrack was released, and let’s just say some people weren’t exactly all too happy with the result. When MK said it was “edited down”, that’s because it’s a short 20 minutes (only few minutes less than the special, mind you) and very compressed; it’s not exactly all too noticeable but it doesn’t sound as great as it easily could have if they had the masters. I understand that they wouldn’t have the audience to release it when they did have them back in the 1960s and 1970s, but I don’t think much effort was put into this cheap, quick and easy release, which is actually pretty sad because I know a lot of people would want more material, better quality, and all that good stuff, since it’s been decades since and I’m sure you can gather some sort of bonus track or demo, right? I mean the pop music industry doesn’t care about graverobbing, does the animation industry actually have a stick up its—

Stop rambling, there’s an album you need to talk about.

MK, aren’t you supposed to be talking to your Thomas the Tank Engine fanclub? Sorry about that. We might as well look at some opinions from fans on the Internet here. Self-proclaimed “DVD buff” on Amazon.com says the length makes for a lousy LP, and, yes, I agree completely here. He considered adding the Thanksgiving special’s background music to make a more full-length record, and yeah that would have been a better idea, or even add the Christmas soundtrack for extra worldwide appeal, and make a Charlie Brown Holidays album, that would have been nice. As it is, with only barely 20 minutes of music, an introduction from Lee Mendelson, and some stories in the liner notes, it isn’t worth the price of a full-length and is a big waste of money, especially considering that there are lot of songs in the tracklist here that are repeated. There are 17 tracks here, and eight minutes of it is stuff we’ve heard before earlier on in the album. That’s more than a third spent on reprises of compositions, and I know they’d want all the music from the special but when I pay full price for this I expect it to double up as both a good compilation of background music from a respected composer and a listenable album in its own right that doesn’t feel like it’s retreading itself. I’m sorry, but I don’t want to listen to seven non-consecutive minutes of “The Great Pumpkin Waltz” over only six tracks, especially since the first time we heard it, it was three minutes – a perfectly decent length, surely – so we don’t need to hear an extra four, right? Instead of loading it up with reprises how about some extra content, though? How about some extra money, time and effort spent on actually getting the damn masters and making it such a smoother listen?

Oh, who cares about that? How about they remove that awful pseudo-stereo effect that makes everything sound muddy as all hell? As a professional musician—

Oh, please!

Let me talk or I play the lossless audio of “The Great Pumpkin Waltz” on loop.

Okay, now, Max, you might as well shoot me.

Now, going back to what I was saying – as the owner of the largest collection of Secret Show merch, it’s safe to say I’m nerdy enough to be in the main demographic for this release, so you can’t imagine my disappointment when I actually got to listening to this album. Hence, what I have here is a Blu-Ray rip of the dubbing track which is entirely unedited excluding a few minor tweaks to the EQ. It’s not perfect because it also has some of that crappy pseudo-stereo effect, and it may sound a little weird, but otherwise it’s much better, and is not nearly as bad as what they did to the album.

And where can we listen to that version, MK?

Well, there should be a MEGA link for you to listen and download at the end of this review.

Oh, this is the end of the review. If anything, you’re just wasting my time and padding out the length of this review by holding this up and not just posting the link.

Well, with that attitude, maybe you don’t deserve the high-quality audio.

Max, it’s a Charlie Brown soundtrack album. Just give us the Goddamn high-quality pumpkin waltz!

What’s the magic word?

I’ll tell you a couple magic words in a minute.

Well, yeah, that’s what I asked.

That’s not what I meant, and I know it. Do you want me to lodge my fist through this laptop screen and get the album myself?

How in the hell are you gonna—

https://mega.nz/#!R6xCDaAR!2C6G9Ak9EyOEiMOs_Vn8GQxCRA0Ua_oKTDgYBfO-xyw

Oh.

If you’re disappointed in this album like we are, just click the link above and I imagine you’ll have some of your problems fixed. Thank you for reading, and we’ll see you next time! Except this moron won’t, because he’s never going to be on this show again.

Well, that was uncalled for.

Oh, go eat a Secret Thing, Max. Bye, everyone!

[lindafrancois]

The Ultimate Guide to Dry January (How to Crush a Month of “No Alcohol”)

So you want to learn all about Dry January?

Giving up alcohol for the first month of the year is a growing health trend and something we’ve seen many of our Online Coaching Clients partake in. Today, we’ll share with you the same tips and tricks we provide them when abstaining from alcohol.

Is drinking hindering your progress? Let a NF Coach help you decide!

Here’s what we’ll cover in today’s guide:

What is Dry January?

What happens when you do Dry January? (Why take a month off drinking?)

What are the benefits of Dry January?

Who SHOULDN’T do Dry January? (The risks of cold turkey)

How to start Dry January

Tools to help you with Dry January (Additional resources)

What to do in February (Next steps)

Pour yourself a tall one (of water) and let’s do this.

What Is Dry January?

Dry January, simply put, is the tradition of abstaining from alcohol for the month of January. You might also hear it called “Drynuary.”

While it’s gotten a lot of buzz (pun intended) in recent years, it actually dates back to 1942. The Finnish government launched a campaign called “Raitis tammikuu” or “Sober January” as a post-war effort to drink less.

Undoubtedly though, it’s been practiced by people in other places and times before that – as a way to focus and reset after the holiday season.

January doesn’t have a monopoly on sobriety though. 

You’ll also come across:

Dry Feb, which started as a fundraiser in Canada to support those affected by cancer.

Sober September, to mark the end of summer festivities.

Go Sober for October (or Sober October).

Dry July, an Australian charity similar to Dry Feb.

No matter what you call it, it’s all more or less the same goal: don’t drink for the month. 

What Happens When You Do Dry January? (Why Take a Month off Drinking?)

Here at Nerd Fitness, we’re really, really big fans of your “BIG Why” – the reason you start anything. 

Digging into your BIG Why can be incredibly helpful for you when you start any sort of health or fitness habit, and especially when you come up against challenges along the way (which WILL happen).

“Those who have a ‘why’ can bear with almost any ‘how.’”

-Victor Frankl

So before you dive further into Dry January, ask yourself “Why do you want to do it?”

Then dig deeper into that. Try to go three levels down! 

For example:

“I want to do Dry January so that I drink less.”

Deeper…

“I want to drink less because alcohol is really affecting my ability to get up early and workout.”

Deeper……

“Since I haven’t been able to work out regularly, I move terribly, and have a hard time keeping up with my kids. Drinking less will help me be there for them.”

Now we’re getting somewhere.

Make. It. Personal. 

You may tell your friends and family about Dry January, but at the heart of it all, it’s your journey.

Naturally, the more you can personalize your BIG Why, the more it will uplift you during difficult times this month (and beyond).

What Are the Benefits of Dry January?

Here are some of the positives of abstaining from alcohol for a month:

#1) Better Sleep

The negative effects of alcohol on sleep have been well documented.[1]

However, with even just one night of heavy drinking, it doesn’t take a pile of scientific papers to let you know your sleep is affected.

Good sleep is one of those “domino habits” that affects so many other things in our day.

A good night of sleep can help you get up and workout in the morning (or just start the day sooner and get more done!). 

You’ll likely be better focused at any tasks you have. There have even been studies correlating lower amounts of sleep to obesity.[2]

#2) Improved Mood

No doubt, better (and longer) sleep will improve your frame of mind. Not only that, but there is some evidence to suggest that reducing alcohol consumption might improve your mood in general.[3]

#3) Money Saved

Booze is expensive! Especially if you’re going out for it! 

Many people’s New Year’s resolutions include seeking financial improvement. An easy target to reduce spending could be to cut out alcohol.

#4) Losing Weight

As we discuss in The Nerd’s Guide to Alcohol, booze is pretty much void of any nutrients.

Sure, wine and some other beverages might have some antioxidants here and there.[4] But other than that, it’s more or less just alcohol, water, and calories.

That’s why you’ll often hear booze referred to as “empty calories.” Cutting back on alcohol will reduce your “calories in,” essential for weight loss. 

Not only will you cut the calories from the booze itself, but there’s another insidious effect alcohol can have on our weight loss efforts: the choices we make after a few drinks.

After a few cocktails, we may find our cravings increasing and our willpower decreasing. Avoiding this situation, by avoiding alcohol, can help support healthy habits.

At this point, we should note that not everyone will benefit from taking a month off drinking.

Who Shouldn’t Do Dry January? (The Risks of Cold Turkey)

We’ve just spent some time going over the benefits of a Dry January – and there are a lot! 

But we also need to give the very real warning that this is NOT for everyone. 

We’ll go over a few possible scenarios, but if there is ANY apprehension to starting Dry January for any reason, then please consult your doctor first.

#1) Alcohol Dependency

If you currently have a strong alcohol dependency, then going cold turkey can be potentially life-threatening. There are numerous withdrawal symptoms such as rapid heartbeat, increase in potential for seizures, and even hallucinations.[5]

Again – and it bears repeating – if you believe you have any sort of dependency, please talk to your doctor before making dramatic changes in your alcohol consumption.

 #2) Predisposition to Seizures

As mentioned above, alcohol withdrawal can cause an increase in potential for seizures (due to an increase in your central nervous activity). 

If you are already knowingly prone to seizures for any reason, then a rapid swing in your drinking habits may exacerbate the situation.

 #3) Depression and Anxiety Issues

If you have been diagnosed, or suspect depression or anxiety issues, then sudden removal of alcohol as a possible coping mechanism may have detrimental effects. 

We recommend, as always, to reach out for professional support in these cases! 

You can find tons of outside resources in our guide, A Nerd’s Introduction to Mental Health.

In addition, if you feel like you want to start Dry January to absolve yourself of dietary “sins” from December, (“I can’t believe I ate and drank so much”), we’d also recommend that you revisit your BIG Why for starting.

We want this experiment to be beneficial to your health, not something that triggers a big swing in the opposite direction.

How to Start Dry January

“Alright Jim, I’ve gotten this far and I’m ready to start! I just stop drinking…right?”

Sure, sure – that’s the core of Dry January. But there are a few things to consider, to really personalize it and get even more out of it.

#1) Dry or Semi-Dry?

While the more popularly discussed variation of Dry January involves cutting out alcohol completely, perhaps you just use the month to do an alcoholic audit. You might just decide to reduce your consumption a bit. 

This may end up looking like one or more of the following:

Eliminating weekday drinks only.

Having drinks only on special occasions.

Reducing the amount of drinks you have in one sitting.

The point is that this “Dry” January may look different to everyone, and that’s ok. As far as we know, there’s no “Dry January” police that are going to bust in your doors for any dietary infractions.

This was a much better reference than The Untouchables.

#2) Are You Stuck in “All or Nothing” Thinking?

On a similar note, Dry January presents the challenge of having absolutely NO alcohol for the entire month. So maybe you start the month off with the best of intentions – no alcohol for me! – and then something happens and you have a drink.

Then it’s time to give up the rest of the month and return to old habits!

Also, whenever I get a flat – I make sure to slash the other three tires!

Jokes aside, if you start with one plan and things don’t quite go how you expected – that’s fine. 

Get right back to it. You are still making changes and focusing attention on improving your health.

And again, no Dry January police.

#3) What Are Your Triggers?

With any behavior you’re looking to change, it helps to identify what triggers that behavior in the first place.

Charles Duhigg, in his New York Times bestselling book The Power of Habit, talks about cues that lead to routines, that lead to rewards (note: the rewards may not always be healthy)

If you’re able to identify triggers, you have a better chance of avoiding or adjusting them to support your new behaviors. 

In regards to alcohol, look for triggers related to:

Time: Are you always drinking during a certain time of day, or day of the week?

Location: How about always drinking in a certain place?

Preceding Event: Is there something that always seems to happen beforehand, that then leads to having a drink?

Emotional State: How do you usually feel before having a drink? Or even just having a craving to drink?

Other People: Are you interacting with certain individuals before drinking?

Asking yourself these questions will help get to the root cause of your drinking habits. 

The other thing to consider here is “friction.”

James Clear, author of Atomic Habits, talks about habit change and the importance of “friction” – or how easy or hard you make an action. 

Specifically, we should look for ways to change our environment to increase or decrease friction. If you change your environment to reduce friction, you won’t have as many decisions to make to take the action you want. Then things start becoming automatic. 

For example, let’s say you want to “work out more.” Reduction friction might include putting your gym bag where you’ll always run into it, or setting a phone alarm to train.

Around here, we call these strategies “Hacking Your Batcave,” because of course that’s what we’d call it.

On the flipside, increasing friction for a habit we want to reduce (e.g., drinking) would mean we want to make that habit invisible. 

We can increase the friction with drinking by:

#1) Getting rid of all the booze in your house.

Dr. Berardi of Precision Nutrition often says:

If a food is in your possession or located in your residence, either you, someone you love, or someone you marginally tolerate will eventually eat it. 

That means if you don’t want to drink it, don’t keep it at home! 

#2) Avoiding areas where you can buy alcohol. 

If you have a beer and wine aisle at your regular supermarket, consider if you can shop without going near it.

You could also opt for grocery delivery, so you don’t even have to set foot inside a store with a beer/wine aisle.

Change your routes – if you walk or drive by a bar or liquor store regularly, look for new ways to go. Out of sight goes a long way for out of mind. 

Strategically increasing and decreasing friction will go a long way towards reducing the habit of drinking. 

If you want more tips and tricks for habit change, I’ve got two great resources for you:

How to Build Healthy Habits: read this guide for 5 hacks to build habits that will STICK.

The 3 Layers of Habit Change: most people go about habit change backwards – here’s exactly how to flip it.

Tools to Help You With Dry January (Additional Resources)

Let’s chat about some additional resources that may help as you begin your month-long journey.

#1) Community and Apps

Some find community and social accountability really helpful during Dry January. Others just like to see a visual streak of their success.

Nerd Fitness Prime provides social support through Facebook and Discord to hundreds of other Rebels. We’ve already used that community to tackle other challenges like running 5Ks: 

And rocking chin-ups!

For seeing a visual streak of progression, we have our NF Journey App (which is part of your NF Prime membership). 

We’re actually rolling out a 31-day habit challenge this January (boy, what excellent timing!). So jump on in and let it help your Dry January too! 

You can try a 7-day free trial of NF Journey right here:

#2) Non-Alcoholic Drinks

When reducing or eliminating alcohol in your routine, it can sometimes help to have a substitute that gives you a similar experience as alcohol, without the depressive effects. These options have come a LONG way from the days of watery, tasteless non-alcoholic beers.

For NA beers, I’ve personally tried the following:

Athletic Brewing Company: they make a great NA stout!

Brooklyn Special Effects: hoppy and very tasty!

Hop Tea: not quite beer, but the hop flavor gives a similar taste. (Caveat – many of these have caffeine.)

Partake Brewery: offers a wide variety of styles, plus a small “discovery pack” – where you can try one of each brew.

Wellbeing Brewery: the Victory Wheat is amazing!

For NA spirits, there are a couple good options here too:

Ritual Zero Proof: the “whiskey” won’t fool anyone, but having a glass of it still satisfied a lot of the “ritual” of sitting down for a drink.

Seedlip: it’s less of a stand-in, like Ritual Zero Proof, and more of their own distinct tastes. The Garden 108 was my favorite and a decent gin substitute.

They even make some non-alcoholic wine now, although admittedly I haven’t tried any yet:

Aerial

Tero

#3) Outside Help

As previously mentioned, if you do suspect you have an alcohol dependency issue – please talk to your doctor, your therapist, and/or social resources like Alcoholics Anonymous.

What to Do in February (Next Steps)

As you go through Dry January, it can be easy to focus on the end date. 

You just need to hold out a little longer, then you can get “back to normal!”

Instead, I’d recommend using the month of “no alcohol” to think about what February 1st will look like. 

This should be about introspection, not just avoidance. Use it as a time to look into your relationship with alcohol.

Ask yourself:

What adjustments have you made during January that feel sustainable?

What adjustments don’t feel sustainable?

What had you been using alcohol for in the past? (Boredom? Coping? Anxiety?)

Studies have shown that Dry January can become a foundation for continued and long-lasting changes to your health.[6]

However, for you to really see the benefits, you need to do the extra work here.[7]

Well, we hope to have provided enough information about Dry January that you can make the best decisions for yourself.

There is no shame if you’re not ready for this challenge (just as there’s no shame if your friend doesn’t participate while you do).

Whatever you’re going to embark on, we are here to support! 

If you want to continue your journey with Nerd Fitness, you can check out:

#1) Our Online Coaching Program: we work hand in hand with our clients for all sorts of nutritional changes, including drinking less. 

You can schedule a free call with our team so we can get to know you and see if our coaching program is right for you. Just click on the image below for more details:

Our coaching program changes lives. Learn how!

#2) If you like the idea of doing challenges with a group of others, check out NF Journey. Our fun habit-building app helps you exercise more frequently, eat healthier, and level up your life (literally).

Try your free trial right here:

#3) Join the Rebellion! We need good people like you in our community, the Nerd Fitness Rebellion. You’ll meet all sorts of individuals who are trying to better themselves, by drinking less, eating more vegetables, or lacing up to go for a run. 

Sign up in the box below to enlist and get our Diet Cheat Sheet, which will show you where certain alcoholic drinks fall on the “healthy or less-healthy” spectrum. 

Download our free weight loss guide

THE NERD FITNESS DIET: 10 Levels to Change Your Life

Follow our 10-level nutrition system at your own pace

What you need to know about weight loss and healthy eating

3 Simple rules we follow every day to stay on target

Let’s go!

-Jim

PS: Make sure you check out A Nerd’s Guide to Drinking for more thoughts on how to drink while still being a healthy individual.

###

Photo source: Talk like a pirate day, boule13 © 123RF.com, Brian Jackson © 123RF.com, Dmytro Sidelnikov  © 123RF.com, The Pirates are coming, Jaromir Chalabala © 123RF.com; Ready to plunder the Californian Beaches…, Let’s quench our thirst. 

Footnotes    ( returns to text)

Read, “The Effects of Alcohol on Quality of Sleep.” Souce, PubMed.

You can read this study or this study for more.

Psychologies has an interesting article exploring this. This interview from NPR also talks about an improved mood from drinking less.

Read, “Contribution of Red Wine Consumption to Human Health Protection.” Source, PubMed.

Read, “Alcohol Dependence, Withdrawal, and Relapse.” Source, PubMed.

Read, “Voluntary temporary abstinence from alcohol during “Dry January” and subsequent alcohol use.” Source, PubMed. Also, read, “Temporary abstinence during Dry January: predictors of success; impact on well-being and self-efficacy.” Source, PubMed.

Read, “Drink refusal self-efficacy and implicit drinking identity: an evaluation of moderators of the relationship between self-awareness and drinking behavior.” Source, PubMed.

The Ultimate Guide to Dry January (How to Crush a Month of “No Alcohol”) published first on https://dietariouspage.tumblr.com/

[lovesimos]

Michael Jackson’s first book saw the light in United States at the end of February 1988 with a display worthy for the star he was. In the book, Michael discusses his personal and professional life and the publisher Doubleday described it as “candid”. With “Moonwalk” MJ traces an autobiography where he talks about his friends, his surgeries and his compelling rise to the category of a star. The book was another success for Jacqueline Onassis.

Book picture

 As an editor at Doubleday Books the former first lady presented Michael Jackson book as an idea that would be worth pursuing. The marketing department people were out of a different background and they had no idea about MJ but she got the approval. Rumours tells that her kids Caroline and John, Jr. suggested her to approach MJ. So she orchestrated the deal. Michael Jackson book would have been a bestseller.

Closing The Contract With Michael Jackson

She reached Michael’s to talk about the possibility of writing a book. Despite the reservation in which wrapped up his private life, he could not say no to the former first lady and actually Michael signed with Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis in 1984, before the “Victory” tour. Jackie achieved a coveted book contract with MJ.

Robert Hilburn helped Michael in the beginning. But it seem there were a difference of intent between MJ and Mrs. Onassis: he wanted to put together a picture book, while Onassis wanted a full-scale biography. After a clarification between the two, attorney John Branca ended Hilburn involvement in the book.

“She was the only person in America who could get him on the phone,” said Stephen Davis, one of the ghost-writers of “Moon Walk,” in an interview with Reuters. Michael considered the former First Lady a great woman and was deeply flattered when she approached him.

Writing The Book

The agony that accompanied its publication was great. Michael had agreed to write it with the help of a ghostwriter at the behest of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, and editor Shaye Arehert spent several weeks in his house of Los Angeles and followed him on his tour in Australia, but writing the book went on for, like, four years. “While he loved books and carried them with him wherever he went, creating one was just not as exciting as finding the right note or step or guitarist,” explained Areheart. “So the writing of this book took a long time.”

Then came the anguish of shaping his story. Before this, he had never stopped to consider what it meant to narrate the critical events of his life. He struggled with the process and procrastinated for years. When he agreed to be interviewed, Michael dwelled on his childhood and the cruelty of his father. In fact, after Michael himself, his father Joseph emerges as the book’s most memorable character. After Michael rejected the work of the first ghost-writer, began consulting directly with Areheart. Eventually a second writer, Stephen Davis, was employed, although his name did not appear on the book’s cover.

After finally approving the contents and allowing the book to go to press, Michael had a crisis of conscience; worried that the memoir would alienate his family, he was especially concerned about his descriptions of the beatings he suffered at Joseph’s hand. Michael feared that had been too candid. Then at the last minute he threatened to pull the plug on the book unless Jackie would have wrote the introduction. She complied though she complained about it for months–“I don’t know what to write.” Finally she wrote a two-paragraph introduction, which began with the line, “What can we say about Michael Jackson?”

The amount received by MJ was kept secret but according to a People Magazine article of that time, Onassis paid Jackson a $300,000 advance for the book. The ghostwriter Davis received what “a generous flat fee.”

The operation had been managed in complete secrecy, to where only a small number of top executives of the publisher knew the project, the manuscript was kept in a cash box and its different chapters were sent to the pre-printed by special couriers. MJ even had put a name in code to the autobiographer: Neil Armstrong, who was the first man to take a lunar walk. For once, the measures have worked, and the book reached the bookstores in plain surprise. It was printed on a paper heavier and more expensive than usual, carrying on each page a small drawing of the feet of Michael Jackson when he makes his famous moonwalk.

The Book Launch

As Doubleday was aware that Michael Jackson fans were not regular bookstores clients a formidable publicity launch was arranged, saturating above all the radio waves, with spots, promotions and broadcasting, with a bell in seven stations in the twenty-seven most important cities of the country, as well as advertising on television and videos, and even in bookstores, with some figures of the singer in natural size able to hold in both hands nineteen books.

The promotions involved trivias or song contests, for which winners received copies of ”Moonwalk”. Those stations featured rock music and rhythm-and-blues. Somewhat similar promotions also runned on the top 19 national video shows, including the Turner Broadcasting System, Nickelodeon and VH-1. Both the radio and video promotions were arranged by Epic Records, Michael Jackson’s recording label.

At the beginning, three hundred thousand copies had been printed soon reaching 500,000 after having topped the New York Times Best Sellers and quickly sold out the initial print. That was an extremely successful book.

The obvious next step was to print more copies and then prepare a paperback version. But MJ, “who had total control of the project, vetoed both plans”. “There was so much bad feeling when it didn’t go back to press,” Davis said. Relations between the two cultural icons were already strained because Michael had threatened to block the book’s publication unless Onassis wrote a foreword. Onassis, who as MJ, used to guard her privacy and did not want her name in any book she edited, reluctantly made an exception.

Michael planned to have his autobiography “Moonwalker” published in Europe to coincide his British tour dates. MJ added two further dates at Wembley on August 26 and 27 taking a total of seven nights in all — a record for the venue. Prince Charles and Princess Diana attended Michael’s July 16 concert at Wembley — benefit for Great Ormond Street Hospital The Prince’s Trust. The UK publishers was Heinemann.

Inside The Book

If “Moon walk” would have been written by any other Pop Star it would have probably been a dull affair—it’s really just a brief ramble by this bloke through what he’s done in the last 29 years and why he did it. “Moon walk”, however, is rarely dull for several reasons.

Firstly Michael Jackson was so famous and reclusive already at that time and it’s been years since anyone’s really known what he thought about anything, so even the little bit that “Moon Walk” gave away was fascinating.

Secondly Michael Jackson was not the slightest bit like any other pop star, or even like many other people—the picture he gave in “Moon Walk” is of someone obsessed with achieving certain things all his life to a degree most people could barely imagine.

At the beginning of the book, after an intriguing self portrait with his head covered by a “Billie Jean “hat and signed “MJ 1998” and the dedication to dancer Fred Astaire,

he placed two quotes that sum a lot of what he tried to say in the rest of the book.

One by Beatles John Lennon in which he say he is just a channel for music and the only joy for him is when the music flows through him: “those moments are what I live for”.

The other—perhaps more revealing—is by Thomas Edison (inventor of the light bulb) who explains that to discover anything he would first study everything that has ever been done in the past to do with that thing, then says the three qualities you need to achieve anything worthwhile are “hard work”, “stick-to-it-

Other two themes also come up again and again:

The first one is the price he paid. If you’ve believed all those newspaper reports about how off his trolley he’s supposed to be you’ll be surprised at how clearly he seemed to realize the position he was in—all the way through he empathizes how important what he does and how much he loves it. From time to time there are sad little references to how he’d like to be as the other people, to how lonely he is and to how difficult it is for him to find love.  Occasionally you feel like giving him a kick and telling him not to be so wet and weedy but more often you feel like giving him a hug.

The other main theme is this amazing belief he could make people all around the world thrilled. Sometime you get the impression that deep down he thinks what had happened to him was in some ways terribly unfair—all he tried to do was to make people happy and harm no one, all he got in return was people calling him a freak or a loony. “I hope this book help clear up some misconceptions” say Michael Jackson at one point. Well, “Moon walk” was a superb start.

“I believe I’m one of the loneliest people in the world.” That’s just one of the many sad tales in the book that Michael Jackson wrote, and I pick out a few more “highlights” to explain why the book is such a “fascinating read”.

When Michael Jackson and his brothers used to rehearse in the family’s tiny house in Gary, Indiana, some other local “kids’ used to throw rocks at the windows as they played and teased them they never ever be successful. His first performance was in first grade where he stood up and sang–Climb Every Mountain – from The Sound Of Music. He remembers feeling a bit confused at how impressed everyone was after he’d done something that seemed so sample but also thrilled because he’d made some of his teachers so happy that they started blabbing.

The Jackson 5 would play in dodgy ‘strip’ dubs and -seedy’ clubs. As well as watching lots of women take their clothes off, in one club he and his brothers used to take turns peeking through a hole in the wall of their dressing room into the ladies’ toilet: “I saw stuff l have never forgotten” recalls Michael. On the same subject Michael adds, rather ominously. “I received quite an education as a child. More than most. Perhaps this freed me to concentrate on other aspects of my life as an adult..”

When the Jackson 5 were first starting off, no-one in the family was allowed to talk on the phone or more than five minutes in case anybody from a record company phoned up to offer them a record contract.

Once the Jackson 5 started to have hits like “I Want You Back” Michael would spend a lot of his time living with “veteran” songstress Diana Ross – she’d go shopping for pencils and paint with him. “She was my mother, my lover and my sister all combined in one amazing person” he coos. When she announced she was getting married Michael admit that he was a bit hurt and a little jealous …“it was hard for me because I had to walk around pretending to be overwhelmed that Diana was getting married to this man I’d never met …”

Before the Jackson 5 did interviews their record company Motown would sit in on the interviews, blocking any questions they thought were not suitable. Michael remembers that once they were bit narked at not being allowed to answer a question about Black Power (a big American black rights movement) so at the end they winked at the interviewer and quickly gave a black power clenched fist salute, the scamps…

Whenever they were on a tour, the Jackson 5 used to get up to pranks galore: they’d have fast walking races down hotel corridors, pillow fights, wrestling matches, shaving cream wars, would drop balloon and paper bags full or water off the balconies, order huge meals on room service for strangers and would booby trap their hotel room doors so that anyone walking in would get a bucket of water on their head. Phew, rock’n’roll eh.

Getting acne as a teenager was, claim Michael, one of the most ghastly things he’s ever had to live through… “a pimple for every oil gland”. As a result, he became subconsciously scarred: “My appearance began to depress me I couldn’t look it people when I talked to them”.

People did not worship Michael because his good at doing pop music. Michael could be shit at pop music and it wouldn’t matter. People worshipped and still adore Michael because he was very very good at being a star. He was doing it brilliantly until about 1987 and with up and down he’s still up there among the top six charismas.

Even though unremittingly cheapened by the tabloids Michael is still about as close as the pop carousel ever comes to mythology. But it is essential he remains fundamentally unattainable.

His autobiography should in theory expose how normal he was, how boring just like the rest of us, how he wiped his potty everyday and went down the shops and watches the TV and, er,” feeds the chimp”. There you are…He can’t do it. He might even be trying to do it but it’s not in his nature. He’s supernature. Michael Jackson was uncommon.

However once one gets over prose style, “Moon walk” is pretty absorbing.  The mildly-fashioned anecdotes concerning Jackie Wilson, Gamble and Huff, even ugly Quincy Jones, are entertaining. There are no great shakes but his memories of Billie Jean arriving by carrier pigeon from The Muse are sparkly enough and the tragic real-life heartbreak (Liza Minnelli, Liz Taylor, Brooke Shield, Diana Ross — “I’ve always loved her and & always will” are like cinnamon-flavoured news bulletins.

 The pictures are great, and the print is so big is practically braille. He’s a perfectionist about his records and his movies and every little “oof” or “wap” is precious; tingly; understanding. The book is written like a deckchair with woodworm, but he does what his good at, fascinate people.

Is “Moonwalk” the true story of Michael Jackson?

No, it isn’t. “Moonwalk” is an autobiography with all the unpleasant memories taken out. It gives to the reader the impression that Michael Jackson has been selective in the way he viewed his own history. There are very good reasons for Michael’s reluctance to air any dirty linen.

He probably was conscious that his fans did love him more for his childlike Peter Pan personality. After all, his sexuality as performer, on entertainer, was and it is legendary. Why bother to spoil that?

In this book MJ was honest about his nose surgeries, his religious preferences and some various anecdotes but he remained an enigma. For a man with so much soul he had taken pains to conceal his own soul. The final impression is of a rather lonely fellow who is hell bent on perfecting career. He also show to be a genuinely nice and gentle man and maybe that’s more important than everything else.

Michael Jackson’s film “Moonwalker”

It was set for a 1988 spring release too. A full-length feature directed by Jerry Kramer with special effects by Colin Chilvers. It contains a series of set pieces put together and includes a section around the “Smooth Criminal” from the”BAD” album.

The film reputedly cost 22 million dollars. The film’s message is a slogan against drugs in general and against the exploitation of children-dealers in particular.

      Sources:

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-jackson-jackieo/michael-jackson-book-a-headache-for-jackie-o-idUSTRE5631S420090704

“Jackie as Editor: The Literary Life of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis” – January 4, 2011 by Greg Lawrence

“MoonWalk” By Michael Jackson – February 1988

              “Moonwalk”Michael Jackson’s Autobiography Turn 30 Michael Jackson's first book saw the light in United States at the end of February 1988 with a display worthy for the star he was.

[mrmichaelchadler]

Your Roger Stories: The Meetings

As we celebrate empathy this week on the fifth anniversary of Roger Ebert's passing, we'll be sharing some of your Roger stories submitted over the last week. In this installment, we've gathered memories of those who met and talked to him over the years. We previously published a collection of memories from fellow film critics, and tomorrow we'll be sharing some memories sent in by his readers. 

LUKAS BRASHERFONS

I met Roger on April 1, 2006. The occasion was the Wisconsin Film Festival (in the glory days of Meg Hamel's curation), and Roger was hosting a Q&A in correspondence with the festival, on the isthmus downtown in what he called "the people's republic of Madison." Roger opened his dialogue with the audience by asking "who here has seen a good movie lately?" At the time I was 14, and fancied myself a cinematic expeditionary, and when my turn to share came I mentioned I had been recently struck by Bergman's “The Seventh Seal.” While my choice was no doubt show-offish, Roger proceeded to cogently and seriously discuss the film with me, as well as the philosophical underpinnings of the chess match in cinema. He was excited that this (pretentious) young person was taking an interest in classic art-house films and gave me his Wisconsin Film Fest pin as a medal for "being curious about great movies." 

Only a few months later he would undergo surgery that would leave him without his physical voice. I remain incredibly grateful to have met him and spoken with him, however briefly, and still cherish the pin to this day.

ROB CACY

I saw Roger at Sundance, 2000. Siskel had just died, so unexpectedly, the previous year. I was a senior at film school, I grew up on their reviews, and I missed Gene greatly already. It was so delightful to see that Roger was in the audience with me at “The Eyes of Tammy Faye.”

After the film, crowds gathered around Tammy Faye. She was tiny, but still larger than life. Roger was furiously snapping (film) photos of her. A fan interrupted him to ask for a photo with them. Roger snapped back angrily, “I’m working here!”

I laughed and laughed. I’m sure the fan was upset, but to me, it was classic Ebert. We waited around for 15-20 minutes more, and Roger graciously, if expediently, posed for a picture with us (after he’d had the chance to talk to Tammy Faye).

I have pictures of the whole encounter, including him taking pictures of her, and both her and him taking pictures with us, which I cherish. I know he softened over the years and had a decent, humanist heart, but I loved prickly Ebert.

JAY DIAMOND

I met Roger Ebert on a book tour for Your Movie Sucks. I waited patiently in line for a signing, as I’d been a fan for many years. Upon meeting him, I thanked him for mentioning that a movie I’d wanted to see forever (Errol Morris' “Gates of Heaven”) was finally released on DVD. I was a fan of the director (in part because of Roger’s reviews over the years) and had tried to find it without success. 

He signed my book and looked off in the distance. I assumed that he was done with me, like so many authors signing a million books, with a million more to sign.

As I started to walk away, he began to speak. At first I thought he was addressing the next person, but it was for me. “There’s this woman in that movie—Florence Rasmussen, who gives the most moving speech.” He then spent about two minutes spontaneously dissecting one scene of a movie, why it was moving, and why it was remarkable storytelling.

To my surprise, Roger hadn’t dismissed me, but rather was deep in thought about a craft that he loved and wanted to share that with a random stranger who’d expressed interested. The moment that he spent to pass on his passion has never left me.

IAN MANTGANI

Years back, which is to say during the mid-to-late-1990s, I was pen-pals with Roger, who was an early adopter of the Internet through Compuserve. I was also writing reviews online, which of course is not nearly as common a practice as it is now. As an admirer of his work, it was a great thrill to finally meet him at Telluride Film Festival in 2002. We went for an iced tea (which he picked up the tab for), and as we left the place, a young girl asked him for his autograph. He signed it, then pointed to me, and said, “You should get his autograph too—he’s one of the best-known critics online.” It was a bit of an embellishment for him to say that, but I never forgot what a classy move it was and how it made me feel special and like I could accomplish something worthy of the gesture. Not a lot of people would have the presence of mind to make a move like that.

BETH MILLER

I had the privilege of getting to know this brilliant and kind man through my dear friendship with his wife Chaz who I met nearly 20 years ago. 

I had many wonderful times with Roger including his Star Ceremony in Hollywood, the green room before his segment on the Tonight show and many Telluride Film Festivals. However none of these bigger moments compare to a visit to their home in Chicago after Roger had lost the ability to speak. He showed me with pride all of his mementos and awards and then we sat down in their living room. He wrote on a pad of paper if I would read to him one of his favorites, Yeats. So there we were, just he and I, one of the most prolific writers and speakers in the world asking me to read to him so he could absorb these beautiful words. He smiled and it was in that moment that I knew that we had shared one of life’s remarkable experiences. A lesson in empathy for never taking “my voice” for granted and how the smallest gesture can be the most impactful. 

I love and miss you, Roger.

CHRIS OSTERNDORF

While my interactions with Roger probably amount more to anecdotes than stories, I still feel compelled to share them because they meant a lot to me.

Both occasions I was lucky enough to meet Roger were in the screening room in Chicago, where I would go to review movies for my college newspaper, The DePaulia. I hadn’t been doing it very long when one day, I was running late to a screening of "Exit Through the Gift Shop." I had heard Roger Ebert came to the screening room pretty often, but again, I was still new to this whole world and I didn’t quite believe I would ever see him. Well, I believed it on that day, when I arrived to the film at least five minutes late, desperately trying to find a seat, and ended up having to take the one right in front of Mr. Ebert himself. 

I watched the rest of the movie (which is quite good) overly distracted, acutely aware of the giant I was sitting in front of. When the film was done, I felt that I had to say something, for fear I would always curse myself if I never got another chance. I tried to approach him as casually as I could. Roger and Chaz were both very nice to me, though I must’ve come off as a blubbering amateur. I asked Roger what he thought of the movie, and learned the hard way that he didn’t discuss films before his review was published. Nevertheless, I walked away feeling happy that I got to tell a man who’s work meant so much to me exactly that.

On the next occasion I ran into him, I'd made sure to bring my copy of The Great Movies with me for him to sign. He not only did this graciously, despite what was probably an unprofessional request on my part, he also dated it and inscribed that we had met in the screening room. He gave me his email too, so I could reach out about doing an interview with him for The DePaulia. This never happened, but I still cherish the little interaction we had that day and the time before. 

I continued to see him at the screening room until I left Chicago a few years later (my favorite of these occasions was probably when somehow we were both tasked with reviewing "Hatchet 2,") but I don’t think I approached him again, probably for fear of bothering him. It was clear that his health was not good by that point. 

Years later, I walked into a movie theater in Los Angeles to see "Life Itself." One of the movies Ebert was reviewing in the film was "Inside the Mind of Charles Swan III," a forgettable Charlie Sheen vehicle from Roman Coppola. It occurred to me this was the last movie I saw at this very theater, the last time I was in Los Angeles, the year earlier. I wept when the movie was over, not so much because a man I loved was gone, but because I felt overwhelmed by life’s happy little coincidences, which several times in college afforded me the chance to actually talk to this man. 

They say you should never meet your heroes, but I met Roger Ebert twice, and wouldn’t trade either interaction for anything.

JEFF STILL

I was a big fan of the Siskel & Ebert television shows (in all their incarnations), since the 1970s and so it was certainly one of the big moments in my life when I actually met Roger Ebert.  

My name is Jeff Still, I'm an actor, and in the winter of 2000 I was working at the Steppenwolf Theatre in Chicago in a play by Austin Pendleton called Orson's Shadow; I played Orson Welles in this piece, and of course in doing so I did quite a bit of research including reading all about Citizen Kane. I was aware that Roger Ebert was quite an expert on this particular subject, and had also enjoyed greatly his book of interviews entitled "A Kiss is Still a Kiss." I knew very well that Roger Ebert was, among other things, an expert on "Citizen Kane." At the end of the play there is a section where the characters, chiefly Orson Welles, Laurence Olivier, and Joan Plowright, are standing on stage as Plowright informs them what happened to their lives after the life of the play, which took place in 1960, ended. I had chosen to stand during this section in a stance copied from a stance that Orson Welles took in one of the Citizen Kane posters. This was something I just did for myself, there is no reason any audience member would know what I was doing.

One night after the performance Roger Ebert came around to meet with the actors. We were all awed and delighted that he did so, and it was a thrill to hear him thank us and congratulate us on our work. I wore a fat suit to play Orson Welles and, as I struggled with the zipper to get out of it Roger quipped, "That's how I get out of mine, too." It was wonderful to meet him and talk with him, this man whom I had admired for so long, and as we talked about the play, and also about "Citizen Kane," Roger said "You know, I know a little about this." I thought, "no kidding." 

Then he said, "You know, that stance you took at the end of the play - that looked just like Welles did on the poster" and I was, as the British would say, gobsmacked. No one else but Roger Ebert would have known that. Afterwards we all went across the street to O'Rourke's and, while I did not get the chance to talk to him there, it was still an honor knowing he was in the room (Roger was not drinking any alcoholic beverages by this point, by the way—I would find out later he had stopped drinking). I treated myself to a cab that night, thinking in the back seat as we sped north towards Andersonville how elated I was that I had not only just met Roger Ebert, but that this great man had validated my work.

Many years later, as Roger was assembling "At the Movies with Roger Ebert," he wanted to do an intro to the show that was an homage to a trailer Orson Welles had done for Citizen Kane, introducing the people on his program as Welles had once introduced the Mercury Theatre players. Roger had remembered my performance of Welles that was, at this point, some 11 or 12 years prior, and inquired as to whether I would do the introduction. After a brief Skype interview/audition with Chaz I was offered the part and did the introduction, and so had yet another connection with Roger Ebert.

Roger Ebert was a giant in his field, a Pulitzer Prize winning writer, and one of the nicest "celebrities" (I'm sure he would scoff at that word to describe him) I have ever met, and by now I've met quite a few. I miss him every time a movie comes out that I want to see and I wish he were here to tell me what he thought about it. Rest well, Mr. Ebert—you've earned that permanent seat on the aisle.

RON SUSSMAN

I was living in Chicago in the early '90s and ran into Roger in a Laserdisc store one afternoon. He had a huge stack of discs under his arm. I said hi, told him I was an editor and asked what he was buying. He put down his stack and went through each title, telling me why he was buying it and what was so special about each film, even if it was just a fun title with no real cinematic worthiness.

LIZ WEIR

Back in April 2006 on the last night of the Conference on World Affairs I received a call in Boulder Colorado to tell me my 92-year-old mother had suffered a stroke back in Ireland. I fell into panic mode and got the first available flight back to Dublin via Chicago next morning.

Roger shared the ride to the airport next morning with us and was really sympathetic to the emotions I was going through. He offered to take my daughter and I into the first class lounge to wait for our flight. He was really kind to us and I will never forget it.

Mummy died that same night, 12 years ago now and then Roger left us. I will never forget him.

He used to call me “the Irish storyteller” and once asked me to voice some his jokes at a gathering in Colorado. I smile at the memory and acknowledge the empathy he showed me.

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