#downtown 81

[filmgifs]

“The city looked big and I felt big ‘cause I was part of the landscape. I’m an artist. When you tell people that, they usually say: ‘What’s your medium?’ I usually say: ‘Extra large.’”

Jean-Michel Basquiat Downtown 81 (2000) dir. Edo Bertoglio

[steezylad]

[hiyutekivigil]

downtown '81, 2001

jean-michel basquiat

[spilladabalia]

James White and the Blacks - Sax Maniac (Live - Downtown 81)

[ogmensch]

[rudetuesday]

[herbaklava]

MUBI for the win. ✨

[shreyaajmani]

Mumbai Art Scene Boosted by Gallery Weekend, New Galleries

The city's stock as a contemporary art hub has risen with the arrival of a new art fair and spaces including Gallery XXL and Nature Morte.

Text by Shreya Ajmani for Ocula.

[kaijuno]

LOUISE JENKINS MERIWETHER

(May 8, 1923 – October 10, 2023)

Louise Jenkins Meriwether, a novelist, essayist, journalist, and social activist, was the only daughter of Marion Lloyd Jenkins and his wife, Julia. Meriwether was born May 8, 1923, in Haverstraw, New York, to parents from South Carolina.

After the 1929 stock market crash, Louise’s family migrated from Haverstraw to New York City. They moved to Brooklyn first and later to Harlem. The third of five children, Louise grew up during the Great Depression, a time that would deeply affect her young life and ultimately influence her as a writer.

Louise Jenkins attended Public School 81 in Harlem and graduated from Central Commercial High School in downtown Manhattan. In the 1950s, she received a B.A. in English from New York University before meeting and marrying Angelo Meriwether, a Los Angeles teacher. Although this marriage and later marriage to Earle Howe ended in divorce, Louise continued to use the Meriwether name. In 1965, Louise earned an M.A. in journalism from the University of California at Los Angeles. Her first book, Daddy Was a Number Runner, a fictional account of the economic devastation of Harlem in the Great Depression, appeared in 1970 as the first novel to emerge from the Watts Writers’ Workshop.

The circumstances surrounding this photo are largely unnatributed to larger context but some citation indicates that Jenkins-Merriwether was being questioned by police at a protest.

[annoyincommander]

Jean-Michel Basquiat in the film Downtown 81

[artnlife2]

Jean-Michel Basquiat filming DOWNTOWN 81....

[cloveroctobers]

STRAWBERRY CRUSH — STELLA KIDD [Spring Prompts]

A/N: alright, alright you caught me! I may or may not have a crush on Stella and thought it was only fair to write a little something since I am binge-watching after all—currently finishing up season six as I write this! In short: Yes we love Stellaride over here but this one specifically is for my wlw, you’re welcome!

PROMPTS ARE FROM HERE + I’m using: 6. “I am going to have a magical picnic and you can’t do anything to stop it!” “Yeah, but the bugs can.” + 16. “Your beauty outshines all the flowers.” “Are you sure? The flowers are really pretty this year.” 

WARNINGS: reader is a southern plant/earth lover, this is what it’s like to see Stella crushing but unsure, + written in MY version of HC’s/note form.

᠃ 𖡼᠂ 𖥧⚘ 𓅪 ⚘𖥧᠂ 𖡼᠃ ˖𓍢ִ໋ ᠃ 𖡼᠂ 𖥧⚘ 𓅪 ⚘𖥧᠂ 𖡼᠃ ˖𓍢ִ໋ ᠃ 𖡼᠂ 𖥧⚘

Strawberries require well drained soil, they must be placed on a gradual slope, and receive full sunlight in order to experience successful growth.

That’s something your grandfather first told you, once you were old enough to get into farming.

It’s never left your mind even with his passing and you always had the best eye when it came to picking produce.

Granted, picking that particular item in a mini mart in the city might not be the best choice but Stella made sure to put the red berry on the list.

She wanted the best snacks or else she would leave you hanging on this outing—just like she ditched her second date with the guy from 98–to be with you.

Stella can’t help but to catch a glimpse of you at the end of one aisle, you’re by the freezers now and you’re standing on your tippy toes, teal silk shirt raising above your fitted jeans and revealing tatted skin as you grab a beverage.

The height difference is something she has to get used to and often caught her mind thinking about whenever you were face to face and she would have to play it off as her being tired instead of daydreaming about what your lips would feel like.

“You ready, Stella star?” Your hip is bumping against hers before you carry on towards the registers.

It’s your own personal nickname for her and it has a cuteness to it with your contrast of a southern twang. However when each of you are out fighting fires, you on squad and her on her truck 81, she has to learn how not to miss it as much, as you go forth with using her last name like everyone else.

The man at the register jokes, “You ladies buying the whole store?”

You rack your red nails against the counter, “hm…you sell lottery tickets? My friend here is feeling lucky.”

“I mean, with a babe like you, who wouldn’t be?” He winks at you while Stella raises her brows with a cross of her arms.

He rings up two tickets before continuing with the rest of the items.

You and Stella are grabbing the bags before you say one last thing, “also it’s mango season so you may want to step it up with your mangoes since yours are rottin’ in the back, the last thing you want is for the insects to spread to the rest of the underwhelming products. Now, that’ll be all! You have a good one.”

Stella winks at the man for good measure who scowls at the both of you on your exit.

“His store is crappy anyway.” Stella sasses as the both of you load up her car some more, “There’s a way better one downtown, closer to lake shore.”

“Noted for next time.”

“Ohhh, look at you already thinking about spending more time with little ‘ol fabulous me?” Stella places a hand on her chest dramatically while she makes her way over to the driver’s side.

You smile as you open the passenger side, “what can I say? Maybe I just can’t get enough of you, Stella-Star.” Before climbing into the vehicle, leaving the dark haired woman to be impressed at your charm while also feeling her cheeks warm.

The drive to lake shore drive is full of Chicago’s vibrant buildings and singing along to the radio while you both smoothly move along with the traffic.

The ride felt shorter than it was, like time often felt between the two of you when you had the chance to have it.

Stella was definitely in her head about this, wondering if it was a date and knew chatting about it (unwillingly) with Otis and Joe was a lost cause so she chose to hit up your shared girl friends to see if you gave them any insight.

Gabby and Sylvie were 1000% sure it was a date—although they claim you didn’t say or gave much away when you causally brought it up. Stella even went as far to pick Cap and Tony’s brain before Severide could get a whiff and tease her about how awkward she was being.

Kelly was actually the first one to pinpoint that Stella was “drooling” over you and kept pushing for Stella to just go for it.

He would hint at things and then act like he wasn’t and that left Stella thinking maybe he was trying to set her up! to make a fool outta herself but she believed Kelly wouldn’t trick her like that, especially if this had the potential to be serious.

He had her back and she had his…they were good friends like that.

So when you approached after an extremely long shift with this idea, Stella almost collapsed to her knees.

The both of you rarely had alone time together, it was always in group settings but when you did share conversations privately—Stella felt something shift between you two recently and she was still trying to pinpoint when exactly that happened.

See…there she was being too much in her head about it!

“We should have brought some bikes out here,” Stella comments as she carries her portion of bags, glancing at the chicagoans who flew by on the biking path.

You shrug, “here’s the thing…I never could get that down.”

“What?!”” Stella is shocked, “aren’t you from the south? Don’t tell me you ran or walked everywhere with those roads? Or wait…rode horses?”

You snorted, “I never was much of a horse girl either since my ass and thighs always ended up hurting afterwards AND i watched one kick the jelly out of my Grammy! Call me traumatized from that point on. I left those things to my gramps and brothers to deal with while I spent time with the chickens and cows.”

“And the yams and green beans.” Stella jokes while you walk side by side, scoping out a good spot of greenery.

Pointing up ahead at a hill like portion that had a great view of the water and also the buildings behind you, ending up being the winner as the both of you headed towards the incline.

“I have you know that my family has won competitions for the best veggies! And if my Grammy was here, she’d show off her mountain of photos to you.” You’re stretching out some blankets, one of them being a incredibly soft birthday gift from Brett who claimed that she purchased it from a Portuguese woman who handmade it at the market.

“I’m not arguing with ya there,” Stella raises her hands in surrender, “you country folk are built different…can’t exactly say better but different!”

You scoff with a shake of your head, “you city slickers.”

Stella laughs to herself as you make yourself comfortable, sitting crossed legged before pulling a full on woven basket from behind you.

“Where the heck did you hide that?”

“Can’t reveal all my secrets can I?” You grin, happy that you could surprise her, “I am going to have a magical picnic and you can’t do anything to stop it!”

A picnic on lake shore was not entirely what Stella was expecting…honestly she had no clue what this day entailed besides the fact that all she needed was good snacks to be all in.

She’s getting ready to sit across from you but not without saying, “yeah, but the bugs can.”

“Don’t tell me thee Stella-Star is an afraid of a little green friend.”

“That ain’t no friend of mine,” Stella’s face is scrunched up as she watched the grasshopper get comfy on her portion of the blanket, “…can you uh—get it?”

You laugh, “really?” As you lean forward, holding out a bottle of water so the insect can crawl onto before you lead it elsewhere, “there. Nobody was harmed and everyone is safe.”

“You’re lucky I like you, otherwise I would have stomped its ass out,” Stella huffs as she plops down now staring at the bottle you used, “also that one is yours.”

“Understood,” you laugh once more before opening up the basket to reveal it contents, leaving Stella further impressed as she peeks inside.

It’s such a good day in Chicago, little birds chirping along, the spin on the bike wheels in the distance could still be heard up on the slope, while the wind brushes by from the lake and the sunlight still shined bright although the city’s buildings were as tall as they could be.

There’s a brief silence as you dive into the snacks and take turns from the jug that contained a berry lemonade you actually made, before falling into natural chatter.

It felt right being here with each other and it’s something you already knew that you would want to do again.

You never doubted that.

The sunlight was behind Stella whereas it shined over you. The both of you found that each of you were a beautiful sight to witness and Stella was just glad she chose to wear her hair back into a ponytail since the spring wind picked up every so often.

Soon you’re laying side by side now, just a inch of space in between your heads but close enough to feel the warmth from each other and for you to smell the amber, Tonka, and plum that radiates from her frame.

“You smell good, girl.” You comment, pulling yourself from zoning out while making Stella pry open her eyes.

The way you’re peering up at her, almost makes her choke on her own air. “Thanks,” she manages to wheeze out, “I picked it out myself!”

Stella knows she sounds silly but you find amusement in her pride nonetheless.

So she attempts to clean up, arm cradling the back of her head as a smirk appears on her lips at her next best idea with the compliment flying out of her lips, “Your beauty outshines all the flowers.”

There’s barely a daisy embedded in the grass somewhere up ahead but it’s the first thing that comes out of her pretty pouty lips.

You squint up at her as you question, “Are you sure? The flowers are really pretty this year.” 

You would know better than her with what’s in season and what not but something tells Stella, just by the way you break your stare that you may have some flaws you’re not too proud to speak about and that alone makes Stella frown a bit.

Before she can register what she’s doing, her fingers are reaching for your jaw, pulling your attention back to her’s, “are you kidding?! I’m damn sure and as corny as this is going to sound: you’d be my first flower I’d pick out of any garden. Anybody would and that’s because I said so! My word means a lot ya know?”

Your eyes shine like water but you don’t hold back a snort, “is does huh? Well I guess I have no choice but to believe you then.”

Stella’s chewing on her bottom lip now because there’s something in the air that’s telling her to just plant one on you.

“Stop me at any time,” she starts with a deep inhale, catching your eyes briefly on her mouth.

The corner’s of your mouth lift as you whisper, “do your worst, Stella-star.”

And with her lips on yours, you exhale as Stella breathes you in. Both hands are cupping your face as your lips move together in perfect unison and your hands shift from grasping her shoulder then down to her waist.

She’s watching your face in complete bliss when she decides to pull away but not fully, “was that okay?” She says against your lips.

“More than okay,” you nod at her with a beam before moving forward with another, “and I don’t think I said i was finished.”

Which leads into a full makeout session, and that’s something Stella is usually down for—especially if she’s had some drinks in her system but without the alcohol—she wouldn’t mind being drunk on you.

She’s on top of you now, and it quickly becomes a challenge of who gets to hold that position for the longest, erupting laughter between you two and Stella decides to cave once you both knock forehead’s.

You’re both panting now but there’s still laughter in your lungs and Stella is staring up at you adoringly, rubbing her head, while you caress the shape of her mouth, “what?” You quiz.

“You taste sweeter than I imagined.”

You smile, “so you thought about me in that way? I guess that means you really like me.”

“I couldn’t tell if you liked me!” Stella ran one hand over the top of her hair, clearly frustrated.

You snicker, “I thought I was pretty open with my flirtations but…I really like you too.”

And that’s all that matters to Stella as she’s pulling your face right back to hers.

Strawberries require well drained soil, they must be placed on a gradual slope, and receive full sunlight in order to experience successful growth.

᠃ 𖡼᠂ 𖥧⚘ 𓅪 ⚘𖥧᠂ 𖡼᠃ ˖𓍢ִ໋ ᠃ 𖡼᠂ 𖥧⚘ 𓅪 ⚘𖥧᠂ 𖡼᠃ ˖𓍢ִ໋ ᠃ 𖡼᠂ 𖥧⚘

Continue with my spring anthology prompts here.

[steezylad]

[hiyutekivigil]

jean-michel basquiat

[go-learn-esperanto]

Evolutionists' first comments on Grian becoming a Watcher

[Transcript:

[On a black background there's white text that reads "Jimmy's Evolution SMP Episode #99. It transitions to gameplay]

Jimmy: Do we wait until we hear from someone? 'cause I haven't literally heard from anyone. Haven't heard from anyone to date. Uhm, so I don't know really what to do. Do they think I'm dead? Do they think the Watchers took me 'cause they took another person? I don't know!

[Cut. Jimmy is now in Downtown Evo, the last big project of Grian on the server]

Jimmy: There it is. The abandoned building. Right there look; it's been boarded all the way up, dudes. It's been boarded the way up.

Jimmy: He's gone. Don't know what the Watchers are gonna do with him. Well, he is a Watcher now, right?

[On a black background there's white text that reads "Martyn's Evolution SMP Episode #81. It transitions to gameplay]

Martyn: Oh my God!

BigB: What?

Martyn: That's- ugh... Not only have they split us for a dragon fight, not only have they taken Grian, we're now thousands of blocks from home!

[cut]

BigB: So wait; they took Grian?

Martyn: Apparently so!

Netty: Yeah, he's a Watcher now.

Salem: Apparently so! Do we really want Grian as a Watcher? (Laughs)

Martyn: He already had too much power when he was mortal!

Pearl: I think that's a bit explosive.

Martyn and Salem: Yeah!

BigB: He was technically always a Watcher with they way he always put TNT and pranked everyone.

End transcript]

[msperfectsheep-posts]

Ask Meme

I was tagged by @rosencrantzsguildenstern for this ask meme, so why not!

Do you make your bed?

Uhhhh well. Sort of. I definitely make it any time I expect I'm going to have company, but on a weekday when I'm the only one in my dorm room? Nah. I didn't make it when I had a roommate either unless I thought she was going to have company (but she never warned me in advance for that so LMAO)

What's your favorite number?

I'm a lucky 7 kind of gal, but I also really jive with 36 and 81. My factors of 9 <3 <3 <3 If I have to pick one, it's always going to be 7 though

What is your job?

Right now, I work for the US Department of Agriculture! I've worked some other random jobs though, such as a waitress at a high-end retirement home and an assistant at a local hospital

If you could go back to school, would you?

Yes. Absolutely. I would reduce how many classes I take (because haha I am at 22 credit hours right now :')) but I love learning! I don't love all the pomp and circumstance of academia, but I've considered becoming a teacher several times as a career option and I actually have taught in a professional setting before. School's a love of mine that even all the stresses I've put myself through hasn't fully been killed

Can you parallel park?

Yep! My city almost never requires it because it's a newer one and street parking is only really used in our tiny downtown or in neighborhoods, but I can do it!

A job you had that would surprise people?

Uhhhh I think my current job is that, LOL! But even then, once I explain the details of my job, people seem to think it fits me pretty well :)

Do you think aliens are real?

I think that somewhere in space, there's something that could be considered life, but we can't agree if viruses are living, so I doubt that whatever could be "life" in another part of space would fit our current definitions! Evolution is already fucked enough as is, so accidentally going down any path that resembles what happened on Earth feels pretty unlikely to me

Can you drive a manual car?

Yes! I practiced with my grandpa's old car, though I also stalled a few times LOL so I'm not GOOD, but I can do it! With more practice I think I would be fine

What's your guilty pleasure?

I'm not really sure? I'm not really guilty about any of my pleasures because they're all pretty vanilla? In my household it's definitely mayo though. No one in my household likes mayo and I usually have to deal with Bullying of the highest degree if I want to use it when I'm eating with my sister and parents

Tattoos?

Nope! And I don't want to get them either. I have an irrational thing of permanently adding things to my body to the point where I had a surgery to remove a part of my flesh instead of having a tiny metal rod inserted in me. Tattoos are filed under the same "body modification" ick mentally

Favorite Color?

A soft lilac! I also really like the darker, desaturated greens, but purple is my eternal love

Favorite type of music?

Things that lean more into the rock side of things! I like harsher sounds, faster tempos, that sort of thing, but also my music taste is literally all over the place. It really really REALLY is a case-by-case basis but if I had to say anything, most Paramore songs are ones I love

Do you like puzzles?

It depends on the puzzle! I like logic and math puzzles, and mysteries are fun as well, but a jigsaw is something I'll only really do if I'm with friends or exceedingly bored

Any phobias?

Well, there's that body modification one I mentioned earlier! I also have an irrational fear of beetles and an even more irrational fear of specifically dropping a kitchen knife into my foot! Yowch!

Favorite childhood sport?

I didn't really play sports as a kid, but if I had to pick one, probably swimming? My current favorite sport is definitely dancing, though (folk and ballroom!)

Do you talk to yourself?

Yep! I use both the singular and plural first person pronouns "I" and "We" when I talk to myself. Generally, I use "I" when I'm more passively thinking, and "We" when I'm being metacognizant.

What movie(s) do you adore?

Back to the Future (1985) by Robert Zemekis my BELOVED!!!! I cannot recommend it enough, and I made a quote from it my senior quote in high school. I also really love The Sixth Sense (1999) and Tangled (2010)

Coffee or tea?

Tea, as I have yet to ever drink coffee! But when I drink my tea, I like it unsweetened and iced

First thing you wanted to be when growing up?

First thing I remember was, ironically, a teacher! Some things don't change <3

I'm gonna tag @riinsanity @0mega-x @koi0boi @always-a-joyful-note and @yukimomodivorce but anyone can join in!