#everyone in the family but George is supportive of any courtship

[earl-grey-teacake]

This might not make sense to anyone but this photo makes me want to write a Victorian AU. (Some people had a childhood obsessed with boats, trains, sea animals, the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire, etc. I had the Victorian era.)

Hear me out. This would make a fantastic romantic comedy.

Logan in frilly, lace Victorian era clothes with lace gloves and parasols. Suitors vying for his hand with letters and gifts. Alex is very much “I love Love” and George being “no one is good enough for Logan.”

Lewis is amused “he’s a spitting image of his grandfather (Nico) it’s no wonder he’s popular.” George screaming and throwing the request letters into the fireplace.

Alex is chaperoning Logan and Oscar on their first walk of their courtship. It should be a time for the young couple to get to know each other but it’s really a three-way conversation about why George is there as well.

Oscar: Uhm I might be new to this but I didn’t know both parents would act as chaperones.

Logan: Ignore him. He insisted on coming

Oscar: Does he not trust me? Have I offended him in any way?

Alex: He doesn’t trust any suitor. It’s a miracle we made it to the courting stage. They usually don’t make it past the request letter.

George: They are ill-mannered idiots who do not need to be given the time of day!

Alex: So Oscar, you mentioned horses? Logan loves animals.

I want to write this but I need to finish other stuff before I do.

Let me know what you think or add to it.

[deadmisanthrope]

#MisanthropeSolo - Rêve Noir

Rêve Noir - Domenico Sigalas

https://youtu.be/KEwP2fA7PGY

As I open the closet that hadn't been opened for over a century, the dark wooden doors creak as the old brass hinges turn, the smell of the past strikes me, and along with it all those memories I thought were long gone, bleached out, faded, not recalled ever since.

Inside the massive cabinet, hidden from time itself and now exposed to me for the first time in a long time, well-known items, once dear to me, like my father's pocket watch - a precious gem, not because it was his, but because I liked it, liked the sound of it, liked the weight in my hand and how it ticked constantly, always reliable if there was someone who wound it up every once in a while -, my mother's music box, which was meant to go to Stefan after she had passed away, but I selfishly kept it for myself. Stefan had his memories of her. The untainted memories of a child, too young to see what was going on behind closed doors in the world of adults. But I knew. I had seen. I had heard. Witnessed. And I still remember vividly.

Carefully I lift the box from the shelf, leaving a dark square where the wood wasn't exposed to the decay of the past century, blow the dust from the casket and slowly turn the key-shaped screw at the backside to wind up the mechanism. A strange melancholia, like a heavy blanket encloses me as the melody reaches my ear, and I open the marquetry adorned lid, as I always used to as a child to watch the comb-shaped piece of metal struck by the small pins on the barrel, turning inside the box, slowly and constantly.

Placing the music box back on the shelf while its strangely soothing song fills the room with not just the mere tune but with a certain atmosphere I hadn't felt in a long time but which still comes naturally to me, my eyes roam further through the shelves inside the closet, to explore the long lost treasures of a distant life that once was mine.

On another board, a couple of books I used to read. I was far too young to understand the deeper meaning of the words when I started to read Baudelaire, but I already appreciated the way he painted pictures of a world I had yet to explore by only using words. Words we all knew. Words we all used. And yet he managed to use them in a way I never experienced before. I even had an original copy from france which I used to learn french autodidactic. With moderate success, to say the least. Next to it a copy of Dante's "la Commedia", an anthology of Poe, well-thumbed, and other books, some of them prosaic novellas, but my predilection was clearly for poetries. Of course my father had other plans for his eldest son than letting him waste time with literature, music, poetry and other unprofitable arts. But I still cherished it as a hobby.

Furthermore, a photograph of Katherine, hidden in another book, but now partly revealed to me; I apparently had to hurry to put it back the last time I took it out, but were too sloppy to hide it properly, so a corner of the photograph became yellow over the years, decades, centuries. I hid it not only from Stefan, but from everyone. Even from her. I used to look at it every once in a while. Sometimes, when I wrote, I liked to place it on the desk next to me, so a part of her was always present and inspired me with more than just her obvious beauty. I also took it out to say her good night, whenever she was too exhausted, too tired to meet me. Of course I was always polite and decent; bid her farewell at  the door to her room when she asked me to, but was yet bold enough to steal a kiss at any given opportunity. Back then I was sure she secretly liked it.

Not much is left of the clothes that were stored in the closet. Generations of moths had feasted on the now mere rags, covered in dust - materialized time - but I can still recall most of the familar attire. The characteristic gray of the confederate army uniform. One of the many chapters in my life I'd like to erase, rip out of the book and burn the pages. After I had returned from the battlefield - deserted, they called it; looking out for myself and do what was reasonable is what I called it, and still do - it had become almost impossible to get into my father's good graces. I came back as an even greater disappointment to him and a shame to my family. The nightmares haunted me for a long time, and sometimes still do. Support for returning soldiers were an alien concept back then, and even when I look at it today, people still have no idea what horrors you have to face; things no human being should ever witness, and yet I think that a species capable of such bestiality deserves just that.

Besides the uniform there are several other pieces, beyond recognition, gone forever. But a surprisingly well preserved sleeve that stands out between the rotting cloths catches my attention.

And as I run my fingers casually along the fabric, take out what appears to be a tailcoat, fragments of the past flare up in my mind. Voices. Laughter. People whose names I don't recall. Music. Dancing. But not me.

I can see myself standing a little aside, right after I had finished a light conversation with a friend of the family, George Lockwood, more to distract myself than actually listening to him. Father would have appreciated to see me being more involved, more interested in the founding family's business. Politics. What an ineffably prosaic sort of pastime. Nothing more it was to me, back those days. And why should I care about the fate of Mystic Falls... when all I cared about... was in the center of the room, dressed in a blue gown and drawing everyone's attention, clinging to my brother's arm as he led her through the crowd, swaggering like a peacock in courtship.

She had chosen him to accompany her on the founders ball. I shouldn't be too worried about my little brother's affection for her, rather should be thankful that he kept her company while I was away, spending days at a confederate army camp just outside Richmond and helping to defend the south. Because it was just that, right? Just a harmless infatuation. But I couldn't help feeling a light sting at the scenery playing out right in front of me. Little did I know about the importance of the founders council in my future life; I just learned about the actual existence of vampires and that my beloved Katherine was one of them, which is why I low-key wished, hoped, that it would have been me who would have had the joy, the honor of being her escort for the dance.

Because of the secret we shared and the trust she put in me by telling me the truth, there was no doubt, that she appreciated my company. Still I remember vividly how we used to spend numerous afternoons wandering in the garden of my family's estate or simply roamed through the village until we reached the Fell's property with the town's church.

And now she seemed to have chosen my brother over me. Him, who whenever the topic of vampires was mentioned, shuddered with fear and disgust. He needs more convincing, I thought back then. She is just making an effort to show him that there is truly no difference between us, I tried to reassure myself. A fool I was. No compulsion needed. Just the feeling that someone cared about my point of view was enough.

From this day on, my courting became bolder. More apparent and obvious for everyone around us. I strolled through town with her, accompanied her when she visited her friend Pearl and made sure everyone saw us. I wanted this to be the image people would memorize. Not the dance at the founder's ball. And she welcomed the additional attention and my interest in her way of living. An inquisitive student I was, eager and hungry for knowledge. I wanted to learn everything and - once she would deem me ready - become one of hers and be with her forever. At night I snuck out of the house to join her in the woods where she showed me to lie in wait. Where she showed me how to bait, how to feed, how to kill...

And the more time I spent with her, the more I diverged from father and my brother; we grew apart, even cold. My brother and I, inseparable all summer, long before she stepped into the picture, rarely talked anymore. Whenever we exchanged words, it led to arguing, no matter how trivial the conversation started out. Especially since he was insistent in persuading father regarding his views on vampires. He even wanted to educate the town council and thought he could sway them. It was his naiveté that eventually led to the events that marked a turning point in our lives: The night of September 25th, 1864.  

Another item veiled by shadows and dust at the bottom of the closet, now brought to light by removing the tailcoat from the hanging rail diverts my attention from the melancholic retrospection of having to share her and - once the object is identified - shoves me right into another, direful memory. Carelessly I place the hook of the coathanger back on the rail, uncaring for possible creases that - over time - might ruin the well-preserved fabric forever and crouch in front of the ancient furniture to reach for what I now realize is not neatly placed on one of the shelving for a reason.

I remember, I felt cold. Cold to the point that every fiber of my body hurt and refused to move or even shift its position. I also remember the smell of damp leaves and poached up soil. There was no sound at first and I felt like floating but at the same time under heavy pressure. Like the air itself was closing and tightening around me. It was a curious feeling and while my subconsciousness began to wrap around it and explore it, I suddenly gasped for air, realizing that I haven't been breathing for quite some time. My body, now finally being able to move, jolts into a sitting position and panic filled me when more impressions kept crashing down on me. Voices, yelling men and screaming women, but far away and even more distant, smoke. And being as cold as the peaty ground I even thought I could feel the warmth of a fire that must have been at least a mile away. I took a quick look around and found myself alone, absent of any company that my foggy memory insisted on. As I looked over my shoulder, I noticed ruts in the ground that led away from my place and... towards the church. Towards the screams and the smoke.

Katherine! It shot through my head and an ice cold fist clutched at my heart. And I jumped to my feet. And I ran. I ran faster than ever before. Perhaps faster than humanly possible.

When I reached the church, I found it blazing fiercely and I quailed. Several carriages waited in the courtyard and those few people who stood outside, armed with whatever they could find, were cheering at the fire, raising their arms with joy, rejoicing. Closer to my own position I rather heard than saw poor little Anna weeping for her mother, eyes red and watery with tears fixed on the conflagration. And instead of giving each other  solace, we both just watched in horror, too afraid to leave the cover of the trees, for we might have been thrown into the burning church as well, if we got caught.

Long after dawn and long after the sun reached and transcended its zenith, when the people of Mystic Falls were sure that all vampires were perished in the fire and left to probably celebrate, I dared to leave the shadows and slowly approached what was left of the former largest building in town. Most of the stone walls had come down and beneath them I could still feel the heat coming from embers that refused to stop licking at the remains of wooden beams. As I slid my feet through the ashes and took the few steps that used to lead to the door, which was now nothing but a stone arch leading to nothing but debris, I felt the heat burning my skin. But it didn't matter. It was nothing compared to excruciating pain she must have felt. And to feel close to her for one last time, as if torturing myself would have lessened her own torment, I endured it for a while.

Slowly I rise from my knees and carefully store the muzzle - too large and peculiar in shape to be made for anything else than a human head - on one of the boards, pulling out the book next to it and part its pages to look at her picture once more; this time I make sure to fully conceal the precious keepsake to preserve it from further decay. And as I do, the soothing melody of the music box slows, further and further, and stops, rendering the room’s atmosphere to the former clotted silence.

Unaffected by any outside influences remains my own memory, unattached to any token that might not stand the test of time. It will always be there, treasured, for eternity. Long after the closet's content and the wood itself has turned to dust.

The old brass hinges creak again as I slowly push the wooden doors shut and seal those items, memories and stories - those and many more - inside, to be found again in the future, by myself or - who knows - by someone else.

~end of solo~

[whatthefundie]

Romanticism of Fundamental Christian Gender Roles

This has been whirling around in my brain for a long time now, and I’d like to try and get it out there and see what other people think.  THIS IS LONG. SORRY. But also this is the kind of thing I want to do on this blog - I’ve been thinking about whatI actually want to do with this blog.  Please question me on any parts you think are incorrect!  I want to open up a debate.

I’ve been thinking a lot about why shows featuring the Duggars, Bates, and similar families are so popular and why people are so drawn to the ‘all american family values’ type thing.  I think that’s why I got so drawn in in the first place.  It seems reminiscent of a time gone by, or a high standard that most can’t live up to in modern western life.  

I was watching a YouTube video about the new adaptation of Anne of Green Gables (Anne with an E?), and people were complaining that it is too dark in comparison to earlier adaptations and the original book, yet the key themes in the new adaption were always there in the book, but where most had read it as a child, they had not picked up on the darker tones of the story.  Many romanticise the past - in period dramas etc, we are presented with an idilic view of the past - the outfits, the grand houses, the high class social events - and we forget the more sinister aspects that went along with the elegant lifetsyles of the upper classes.  This is a phenomenon called ‘mean world syndrome’ (coined by George Gerbner) - we only see the pretty parts of the past, and in our current world we are constantly able to access news of disastrous things that are happening, especially in an age of social media and smartphones.

How and why is this relevant to Fundamentalist Christianity in popular media?  Also, I’d like to note here that this is not specific to shows like Counting On & Bringing Up Bates, but is present in most forms of reality TV, but when that is tangled up with religion it becomes more prominent in consumer response.  

We watch the Duggar and Bates children go from children to being married - being a young adult doesn’t really exist in their world.  Sure, we can recognise that Jana is at a different stage of life than Josie, but until they are married they are thrown into the category of ‘Duggar children’ - yes Jana takes on more of a supervisory role over the younger kids, but she is still presented to us a kid - owned by her parents and unable to break away independently (as far as we know - I know there have been some theories about her living outside the main compound).  Fundie children are just numbers until they’re married off to the most eligible bachelor, of course decided by their father.  It’s easy to romanticise: the parent picks out the perfect match for you, and you live happily ever after - yet this is not how it always works out - look at Josh and Anna.

There are plenty of blogs on the internet about being a godly daughter, and often dressed up in pretty feminine imagery, the reality of it is not something to be wishing for.  First of all, you have to be from a very privileged for this to even be an option for your family.  People in this situation are often from big families, who are supporting their kids until (if at all) they get married.  Regardless of religion, most people can’t afford to sustain a house of adults until they find ‘the one’.  At lovely as it might be live at home, until you are carried into your newlywed home by the husband of your dreams, the chances of that happening are very slim.

I also want to talk about how this way of life strictly enforces gender stereotypes.  This is a pretty obvious one, and we talk about it a lot, but I feel it’s relevant.  Boys are able to get jobs and have some independence.  Girls are trained in how to keep a home, and will wait around to be swept for their feet.  Boys are not allowed to be creative or emotionally open.  Boys are boys and they like mud and sports.  They flip houses and financially support the women in their lives.  They lead, girls follows.  As if this isn’t already bad enough, if any Quiverfull child is LGBT+, life is not going to be easy for them.

The model that the Duggars & Bates present to us on their show may seem to be a good way to live, but it is very restrictive.  Everyone needs to be cis gendered and hetrosexual, otherwise the whole community explodes into outrage, as their ‘perfect’ lifestyle is ‘threatened’ by a person wanting to fall in love with whoever they naturally do.  

It is easy to watch fundie reality shows and think about how simple life must be - I can definitely hold my hands up to that.  I worked my arse off to get my degree, I work an okay job, and rent a tiny apartment.  A life where I could just waltz through from one ‘season of life’ to the next seems appealing at a glance.

It’s worth remembering, how far we’ve come as a society.  If you want to be a housewife and can, that’s amazing.  But when there’s no choice, it’s problematic. 

I struggled for a while when I first started this blog.  I spent a lot of time reading and watching the Duggars and other fundie blogs that, even though I’m not religious, I felt shame in just being the person I am.  I started to feel there were things I shouldn’t do, because that’s ‘not how girls behave’.  I dread to think how this might affect religious people, because I don’t think the way fundies behave is the only way to be godly.  I definitely wouldn’t call them modest.

It’s fun to follow the lives of fundies - the process from courtship to marriage, life as newly weds, raising a family - but I feel I need to be more cautious.  I sometimes feel I am too light on this blog.  I don’t ever want to be seen as a ‘fan’ blog, and when people come across this blog, I want to use this platform to make  counterpoint to all the pretty pinteresty fundie girls.  Their way of life is fine, but never feel like you’re not as pure/godly/generally good because you don’t see yourself represented by them.  

[writingguide003-blog]

Who gave the best convention speech? Former writers weigh in.

New Post has been published on https://writingguideto.com/must-see/who-gave-the-best-convention-speech-former-writers-weigh-in/

Who gave the best convention speech? Former writers weigh in.

Melanie Trump, left, and Bill Clinton, right.

Roll calls, house bands, awkward dancing, comedy hats and protests aside, the political conventions that have dominated the news agenda over the past fortnight essentially boil down to one long succession of speeches.

An opportunity for Republicans and Democrats to galvanize support and attract voters in the build-up to the crucial November vote, they rely on a host of speakers to get vital messages across and really define the party line.

SEE ALSO: President Obama rips into Trump: ‘The Donald is not a facts guy’

Some give stirring speeches that leave few dry eyes in the house. Others have delegates in stitches with one-liners or impressions. And some just fall flat.

The public offers its opinion on each speaker in real time across social media, but what do the pros think?

Matt Latimer (@matt_latimer), deputy director of speechwriting to President George W. Bush and chief speechwriter to Donald Rumsfeld, and Barton Swaim, who wrote the book on speechwriting (literally), intently watched what unfolded in Cleveland and Philadelphia (where Hillary Clinton speaks Thursday night) and shared their thoughts with Mashable.

Latimer discussed some of the key speeches with us, and scored them out of ten. Shall we begin with the most controversial so far?

Melania Trump

Melania Trump’s words, which were relatively well-received as they were delivered, were tainted almost immediately by undeniable accusations of plagiarism that went on to dominate the first three days of the Republican convention. Latimer, though, thought she did a decent job.

“There was something about her that made me want to like her.”

“I give Mrs. Trump a good deal of slack, because she is not a political veteran and does not speak the language [as a native] or seem to have much interest, for that matter, in the campaign world,” he said. “There was something about her that made me want to like her and maybe that was it.

“The entire speech was, of course, overshadowed by the plagiarism charge.This isn’t unprecedented, but it is uncommon. And I think it came about because of a chaotic, amateurish process that didn’t have a process for vetting speeches.This would almost certainly never have happened with a more traditional presidential campaign operation.

“The speech’s major failing is that it did not convey any personal side of Trump, except for the fact that he married an attractive, successful immigrant to America and has stayed with her for nearly 20 years,which in itself is not nothing.”

Score: 6/10 (would have been 7/10 if not for the plagiarism)

Mike Pence

Remember the stand-out moments from Pence’s speech? Neither do we. Latimer says that’s the point.

“His speech didn’t set the world on fire, but that’s a good thing.”

“Donald Trump needed a vice president who didn’t scare everyone,” Latimer said.”And Mike Pence came across just fine on that score a kind and decent family man, a nice guy, hard right on a few social issues, but not that different from a typical conservative,” he insisted.

“His speech was delivered with sincerity and humor.

“It didn’t set the world on fire, but that’s a good thing since many voters wonder if the top of the ticket plans to do just that should he win the White House.

“This was the kind of speech Trump needed to reassure the base and calm jittery voters down.

“It wasn’t particularly memorable, but we’re talking about vice presidents here anyway. Nobody is supposed to pay much attention to them.”

Score: 7/10

Donald Trump

“The speech no other candidate would have given, which is fitting for a campaign no other candidate would have run,” Latimer said of Trump’s historically long time on stage. “It lacked much, if any, humor and made no real effort to add a new dimension to the Trump persona,” he added.

“Many critics quickly denounced it as a ‘gloom and doom’ speech, but it’s not at all clear that these pundits have a better sense of the country’s mood than Trump does. (He’s proven them wrong on that score countless times so far.)

“In demeanor, style, message, delivery, Trump personified CHANGE, but in a totally different way to Obama’s change message of 2008. The two men couldn’t have more different speaking styles if they came from different planets.

“Trump’s only hope for winning is if a majority of the country wants a sharp departure from the Obama years, and radical change.If they do, his speech played right into that.”

Score: 8/10

Barton Swaim, the author of The Speechwriter: A Brief Education in Politics and a wordsmith for Rep. Mark Sanford during his time as governor of South Carolina, also gave Mashable his thoughts on Trump’s speech.

“Why did he yell so much?”

“It began well, but the weird cadence grated after the first ten minutes,” he said. “A few words, awkward stop. A few words, awkward stop. And why did he yell so much? It was as if he was trying to win over the angriest Republicans, but they’re already his strongest supporters.”

“The length was awful. You sympathize for American politicians to a degree they can’t get through a few phrases without another round of applause and it cuts into the time by a lot. Still, no political speech should go beyond 20 minutes. By the end you were just exhausted.”

Everyone watching this speech RN #RNCinCLE pic.twitter.com/rxfeirC2Ah

Mashable GIF (@mashablegif) July 22, 2016

“Trump has this magical ability a comedian’s talent, really to phrase much of what he says as if it were a punchline. He always puts the most important word at the end, like a well delivered punchline. He doesn’t say the important thing and then leave you with a long dependent clause. Almost every sentence ends with a pop. Nearly all of his tweets work like that; a lot of them will conclude with ‘Sad!’ or ‘America 1st!’ or ‘Overrated!'”

“Too much screaming, weird cadence, but a memorable speech and, for Trump, it was as on-message as anything could be.

Michelle Obama

The First Lady’s words were warmly praised by onlookers. John Podhoretz, the former speechwriter for both Reagan and George H.W. Bush, gave a standing ovation on Twitter.

Whoever wrote this speech, I salute you. This is how you frame an attack with a scalpel.

John Podhoretz (@jpodhoretz) July 26, 2016

As a former speechwriter, all I can do is listen to this and sayWHO WROTE THIS? YOU’RE MAKING US PROUD.

John Podhoretz (@jpodhoretz) July 26, 2016

Latimer, who is also a partner at Javelin, a literary and communications firm in Alexandria, VA, sang the First Lady’s praises.

“Charming, poised, tough, she brought her A-game to the speech and left more than one pundit wondering when she was going to announce her own campaign for something,” he said.

“There were many elements to this speech that could help Hillary Clinton as she puts a final polish on her own. The First Lady didn’t attack Trump directly.She didn’t need to her references were pointed, effective, and obvious.Even Trump seemed to know to steer clear of her: he departed from his customary tweet taunts during her speech and kept a wise silence.

“She had a number of good soundbites ‘when they go low, we go high,’ ‘I wake up every morning in a house that was built by slaves,’ ‘Hillary Clinton has never quit on anything in her life’ (like her marriage, wink) which are often key to making a speech moving and memorable.”

It was a huge contrast to Bill Clinton’s, Latimer said.

“It’s pretty hard to dispute that if she were running this year, the election would be over.”

Score: 10/10

Bill Clinton

The former president and potential First Gentleman spoke Tuesday during what many lambasted as a rambling and tedious affair. Latimer said it was not one of his best.

“This was the wedding toast that never ends.”

“This was the wedding toast that never ends,” he said. “The former president was like an aging father of the bride, who everyone kind of wants to like and nods and smiles at politely while he relives highlights of his life and sort of makes a point by accident.

“When I watched it, I was reminded of the famous ramble by Grandpa Simpson that includes the line: ‘I had an onion on my belt, which was the style at the time.'”

Bill Clinton: “so I tied an onion to my belt, which was the style at the time…” #DNCinPHL

Matt Latimer (@matt_latimer) July 27, 2016

“Bill Clinton was never a ‘soundbite’ kind of speaker. His most famous lines have been unintentional, and largely disastrous: ‘It depends on what the meaning of ‘is’ is;’ ‘I did not have sexual relations with that woman;’ and that time he said he wanted to date a mummy.

“Calling his wife a change-maker’ was awkward. Is she good at giving you four quarters for a dollar? And the long, probably false story of their meeting and courtship probably raised uncomfortable memories of other women he’s courted.

“Many in the media tried to give him a pass, but I won’t.Clinton can give fantastic speeches this wasn’t one of them.”

Score: 6/10

Hillary Clinton takes to the stage for her own speech Thursday night. She’ll have some tough and memorable acts to follow.

Read more: http://mashable.com/

[maysoper]

TBC: Gretzky

If there's one player who I never fully appreciated during his time in the league, it likely was Wayne Gretzky. Part of it, I suspect, was how he was a member of the Oilers and they continually rolled over the Winnipeg Jets in the playoffs every seemingly every spring, but I never found any room in my heart for #99. Having read a few books about the Oilers, I have to admit I went searching for more information on the Edmonton dynasty, and I'm happy to add today's book to Teebz's Book Club thanks to Wayne Gretzky's telling of the Oilers years through his eyes. Teebz's Book Club is proud to review Gretzky: An Autobiography, written by Wayne Gretzky with Rick Reilly and published by HarperCollins Publishers Ltd. In his own words, Gretzky talks about the building of the dynasty, the highs and lows of the Stanley Cup, falling in love, the trade, and everything else that went on with the Oilers. One should note that the publication date of this book originally was in 1990, so there is nothing about the Blues or Rangers nor is there a lot about the Los Angeles Kings.

I'm pretty sure that Wayne Gretzky doesn't need an introduction, but let's do this anyway. He played with the Oilers, Kings, Blues, and Rangers in the NHL where he amassed the most goals, assists, and points in NHL history over a 20-year career. He also played one season in the WHA with the Indianapolis Racers after playing with the OHL's Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds. It was with the Racers where he scored his first professional goal against Dave Lumley and the Edmonton Oilers. After the folding of the WHA and the Oilers were admitted into the NHL, Gretzky went on to have the best statistical career of any player in history. Wayne is married to actress Janet Jones, and they reside in Los Angeles.

Rick Reilly has had an incredible career as a sportswriter. He covered football for the Denver Post from 1981-83 before moving to Los Angeles where he followed the Rams for the Los Angeles Times for two years. He joined Sports Illustrated in 1985, and was featured on the back page of SI from 1997 until 2007. Reilly's work has resulted in him being voted NSSA National Sportswriter of the Year eleven times, and he co-wrote the film Leatherheads that featured George Clooney and Renee Zellweger. He has also authored a number of books including The Wit and Wisdom of Charles Barkley, and New York Times bestsellers The Life of Reilly and Who's Your Caddy. Reilly currently works for ESPN. Gretzky takes you through Gretzky's childhood in one chapter and launches you into his professional career with the WHA after his days in the Soo where they called Gretzky "Pretzel". From there, one gets to embark on a career that is unmatched by any other hockey player before or after, and there are some interesting tidbits of information that Gretzky passes along in this book. Of all the things that one learns about the Oilers in Gretzky, it's how much of a family-like atmosphere they had when it came to the young guns of the Oilers maturing together. Players like Gretzky, Mark Messier, Paul Coffey, Andy Moog, Grant Fuhr, Kevin Lowe, and Jari Kurri were all around the same age when they arrived in Edmonton, and it's interesting to hear how they needed to learn the lessons that great teams like the Islanders went through to achieve greatness. They grew together, they learned together, but it seems the biggest lesson in all of Gtrezky's writing is that the guys simply liked being together and playing hockey together. Individually, they were good players, but together, they were greater than they were as individuals. Gretzky does go into other segments such as the Canada Cup tournaments, his courtship and eventual marriage to actress Janet Jones, and the trade to Los Angeles, but Gretzky: An Autobiography deals mostly with the years with the Edmonton Oilers. He talks of winning the Stanley Cup, the loss to Calgary in 1986, the ups and downs with Glen Sather and Peter Pocklington, and dealing with being the most famous hockey player on the planet. He doesn't duck away from the difficult points, often writing things he likely wouldn't say today, but his candor in some of these moments is refreshing to read when you consider its source. What I found rather interesting is how superstitious Wayne Gretzky is. Throughout Gretzky: An Autobiography, Gretzky talks about his superstitions that he simply couldn't or wouldn't shake. Besides having a fear of flying for a while, Gretzky went deep into one superstition about a piece of equipment that literally has no effect on the game, but was vital to his consecutive-games-with-a-point streak. He writes,

See, hockey players use garter belts to keep their socks up, and I'd used the same one throughout the whole streak. It got so beat up and raggedy that I had to use a dime in place of the button to keep it together. Didn't matter. I wasn't going to change it. Not that I'm superstitious. But when we got to Vancouver, I couldn't find it. We'd left it in Palm Springs. So they gave me a new one. I tried to tear it and mangle it a little so it looked like the old one and, reluctantly, I put it on. It must have worked. I got two goals and two assists and kept the streak alive.

How crazy is that? Most players likely never thought twice about the old garter belts that were used, but there's Gretzky fussing over making a new one look beat up like his old one. I guess that attention to detail went into a lot of his life and why he's regarded as the best scorer in the history of the game. Superstitions are funny things, though. One of the coolest things I discovered about Gretzky: An Autobiography is that the deal in having Gretzky write the book is that it was also translated into Braille. Gretzky is a big supporter of charities for the blind after meeting a blind child in an airport who recognized Wayne Gretzky by his voice. That's an incredible gesture for Gretzky to make for the visually-impaired community, and it shows that no matter how big of a star he became that he was always trying to use that fame to help others. That's awesome. Gretzky: An Autobiography pulls back the curtains on how the greatest player the game has ever seen saw the game during the 1980s. He speaks of coaches, players, management, family, and friends in the book with a candor and freedom that one rarely sees from Wayne Gretzky, and I found this voice to be informative and entertaining. Having read other books from players who played alongside Gretzky during these heady days of the Oilers gives one all sorts of perspectives in terms of how everyone saw the successes and failures of the Oilers, and Gretzky's autobiography only adds to that overall arc of the Oilers' history. Because of the writing, honesty, and perspectives that Gretzky brings in this book, Gretzky: An Autobiography certainly deserves the Teebz's Book Club Seal of Approval! You can likely find Gretzky: An Autobiography at most libraries across North America and perhaps a few used bookstores. There's nothing to salacious in this book to worry about when it comes to language or topics, so I would say it would be a suitable read for all readers! Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice! from Sports News http://hockey-blog-in-canada.blogspot.com/2019/03/tbc-gretzky.html

[inloveandwords]

This post was inspired by Ally’s series (which was inspired by Lia at Lost in a Story).

It works like this

Go to your goodreads to-read shelf.

Order on ascending date added.

Take the first 5 (or 10 (or even more!) if you’re feeling adventurous) books

Read the synopsis of the books

Decide: keep it or should it go?

    The Complete Poetry and Prose by William Blake, David V. Erdman (editor)

Since its first publication in 1965, this edition has been widely hailed as the best available text of Blake’s poetry and prose. Now revised, it includes up-to-date work on variants, chronology of the poems, and critical commentary by Harold Bloom. An “Approved Edition” of the Center for Scholarly Editions of the Modern Language Association.

Date added to TBR: September 2, 2010 Keep or Ditch? Ditch Comments: I went through a William Blake obsession in high school after I read Red Dragon and while, if I saw this book on sale I’d probably buy it, I wouldn’t go out of my way to read it therefore it doesn’t belong on my TBR.

Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov, Craig Raine

Humbert Humbert – scholar, aesthete and romantic – has fallen completely and utterly in love with Lolita Haze, his landlady’s gum-snapping, silky skinned twelve-year-old daughter. Reluctantly agreeing to marry Mrs Haze just to be close to Lolita, Humbert suffers greatly in the pursuit of romance; but when Lo herself starts looking for attention elsewhere, he will carry her off on a desperate cross-country misadventure, all in the name of Love. Hilarious, flamboyant, heart-breaking and full of ingenious word play, Lolita is an immaculate, unforgettable masterpiece of obsession, delusion and lust.

Date added to TBR: September 2, 2010 Keep or Ditch? Ditch Comments: Honestly? I just don’t think I could stomach actually reading this.

Books That Changed the World by Robert B. Downs

From the Bible, the Iliad, and the Republic to Civil Disobedience, Das Kapital, and Silent Spring, this revised and greatly expanded edition is a monument to the power of the printed word-an informative discussion of many of the most important works ever created.

Date added to TBR: September 2, 2010 Keep or Ditch? Ditch Comments: While this sounds interesting… I don’t think I’d want to read an entire book. Especially one that is likely dated. I think I’d rather skim a blog post with this list LOL!

Still Life with Woodpecker by Tom Robbins

Still Life with Woodpecker is a sort of a love story that takes place inside a pack of Camel cigarettes. It reveals the purpose of the moon, explains the difference between criminals and outlaws, examines the conflict between social activism and romantic individualism, and paints a portrait of contemporary society that includes powerful Arabs, exiled royalty, and pregnant cheerleaders. It also deals with the problem of redheads.

Date added to TBR: September 2, 2010 Keep or Ditch? Ditch Comments: I have no idea why I added this to my TBR in the first place…

Immanuel’s Veins (Books of History Chronicles) by Ted Dekker

This story is for everyone–but not everyone is for this story.

It is a dangerous tale of times past. A love story full of deep seduction. A story of terrible longing and bold sacrifice.

Then as now, evil begins its courtship cloaked in light. And the heart embraces what it should flee. Forgetting it once had a truer lover.

With a kiss, evil will ravage body, soul, and mind. Yet there remains hope, because the heart knows no bounds.

Love will prove greater than lust. Sacrifice will overcome seduction. And blood will flow.

Because the battle for the heart is always violently opposed. For those desperate to drink deep from this fountain of life, enter.

But remember, not everyone is for this story.

Date added to TBR: September 15, 2010 Keep or Ditch? Ditch Comments: Dear Bree from 2010… WTF?

  The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

It is 1939. Nazi Germany. The country is holding its breath. Death has never been busier, and will be busier still.

By her brother’s graveside, Liesel’s life is changed when she picks up a single object, partially hidden in the snow. It is The Gravedigger’s Handbook, left behind there by accident, and it is her first act of book thievery. So begins a love affair with books and words, as Liesel, with the help of her accordian-playing foster father, learns to read. Soon she is stealing books from Nazi book-burnings, the mayor’s wife’s library, wherever there are books to be found.

But these are dangerous times. When Liesel’s foster family hides a Jew in their basement, Liesel’s world is both opened up, and closed down.

In superbly crafted writing that burns with intensity, award-winning author Markus Zusak has given us one of the most enduring stories of our time.

Date added to TBR: June 27, 2011 Keep or Ditch? Ditch Comments: I actually DNF’ed this book many years ago, but not because I didn’t appreciate it. I actually loved how it was written and remember tagging almost every other page, but I kept choosing other books instead of finishing it until eventually I put it down for good.

Insight Meditation: A Step-by-step Course on How to Meditate by Sharon Salzberg

Insight Meditation box set includes: • 240-page Insight Meditation workbook (wire-o binding)—This workbook is designed as a complete self-guided curriculum. Organized into nine lessons, the workbook features more than 75 step-by-step mindfulness exercises, question-and-answer sections, glossaries, and photographs illustrating correct meditation postures.

• 2 CDs (70 minutes each)—Six meditations teach the cornerstone practices in the Insight tradition.

• Insight study cards (12 cards)—Daily reminders of the fundamentals of meditation in a convenient, portable form.

Workbook Contents Lesson One: The Power of Mindfulness Lesson Two: Bare Attention Lesson Three: Desire and Aversion Lesson Four: Sleepiness, Restlessness, and Doubt Lesson Five: Concepts and Reality Lesson Six: Suffering Lesson Seven: Karma Lesson Eight: Equanimity Lesson Nine: Lovingkindness Last Words Appendix A: Meditation Supplies Appendix B: The Five Hindrances Appendix C: The Three Great Myths Appendix D: The Three Kinds of Suffering Appendix E: The Four Brahma-Viharas Appendix F: The Six Realms of Existence Appendix G: The Eight Vicissitudes

CD Contents Each CD features three guided meditations that will help you explore the direct experience of meditation. The meditations are set up to simulate as closely as possible the ambience of an actual practice session at a retreat center like the Insight Meditation Society. Meditations include: 1. Breath Meditation 2. Walking Meditation 3. Meditation on Body Sensations 4. Meditation on Hindrances 5. Meditation on Emotions 6. Metta Meditation

Excerpt Welcome to Insight Meditation. The compact discs and workbook will take you step by step through a comprehensive training course in basic meditation. The cards included in the box list various helpful teachings that are explored throughout this workbook. This course is rooted in the Buddhist style of vipassana, or insight meditation, but these fundamental techniques for sharpening your awareness and releasing painful mental habits are useful no matter what your religious or spiritual orientation. It’s not necessary to affiliate with any belief system in order to benefit from Insight Meditation. These mindfulness practices can support your existing spiritual path, whether it’s a structured practice like Christianity or Judaism, or simply a personal sense of your relationship with the great questions of human existence. What to Expect: Insight Meditation comprises two compact discs, a workbook, and a set of informational cards. The workbook contains: –Information on meditation resources –Suggestions for setting up a meditation space and a daily practice –Buddhist teachings about meditation and life –Q & A sessions that clarify practical new issues new meditators tend to encounter –Exercises to help you deepen your understanding and experience of meditation (and space to respond to them) –Tips for taking your meditataive awareness into the world and for troubleshooting problem areas in your practice — Glossaries of Pali, Sanskrit, and other terms — A list of books and tapes you can use to further your study of meditation.

Date added to TBR: June 27, 2011 Keep or Ditch? Ditch Comments: My friend and I started a meditation group back in 2011 and this was what we kind of based our meetings on… we followed the meditations in this book, so I got through some of this book, but when our group fizzled out, I never really went back to it and I don’t see myself doing so. That is not to say this isn’t a wonderful book for beginners, because it truly is. I highly recommend this box set to anyone who is interested in meditation, but it just doesn’t belong on my TBR.

Helen of Troy by Margaret George

A lush, seductive novel of the legendary beauty whose face launched a thousand ships

Daughter of a god, wife of a king, prize of antiquity’s bloodiest war, Helen of Troy has inspired artists for millennia. Now, Margaret George, the highly acclaimed bestselling historical novelist, has turned her intelligent, perceptive eye to the myth that is Helen of Troy.

Margaret George breathes new life into the great Homeric tale by having Helen narrate her own story. Through her eyes and in her voice, we experience the young Helen’s discovery of her divine origin and her terrifying beauty. While hardly more than a girl, Helen married the remote Spartan king Menelaus and bore him a daughter. By the age of twenty, the world’s most beautiful woman was resigned to a passionless marriage until she encountered the handsome Trojan prince Paris. And once the lovers flee to Troy, war, murder, and tragedy become inevitable. In Helen of Troy, Margaret George has captured a timeless legend in a mesmerizing tale of a woman whose life was destined to create strife and destroy civilizations.

Date added to TBR: June 27, 2011 Keep or Ditch? Keep Comments: This beauty of a book is currently sitting on my bookshelf and has been since 2011 and there it shall remain. I do really want to read this book because I effing hate Helen of Troy and Paris with a fiery passion. I think they’re both despicably selfish and stupid and I’d love to read this book and see their side of the story.

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas by Hunter S. Thompson

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas is the best chronicle of drug-soaked, addle-brained, rollicking good times ever committed to the printed page. It is also the tale of a long weekend road trip that has gone down in the annals of American pop culture as one of the strangest journeys ever undertaken.

Date added to TBR: June 27, 2011 Keep or Ditch? Ditch Comments: TBH I read most of this book and saw most of the movie, but I don’t see myself picking it up again.

Vampires: The Greatest Stories by Martin H. Greenberg

Contents • 1 • Introduction (Vampires: The Greatest Stories) • essay by Martin H. Greenberg • 3 • The Bat Is My Brother • (1944) • shortstory by Robert Bloch • 23 • In Darkness, Angels • (1983) • novelette by Eric Van Lustbader • 53 • Dayblood • (1985) • shortstory by Roger Zelazny • 59 • The Man Who Loved the Vampire Lady • (1988) • novelette by Brian Stableford • 81 • The Cookie Lady • (1953) • shortstory by Philip K. Dick • 91 • The Miracle Mile • (1991) • novelette by Robert R. McCammon • 111 • Something Had to Be Done • (1975) • shortstory by David Drake • 117 • Valentine from a Vampire • (1988) • novelette by Ed Gorman [as by Daniel Ransom ] • 151 • Mama Gone • (1991) • shortstory by Jane Yolen • 157 • Beyond Any Measure • (1982) • novella by Karl Edward Wagner • 207 • Red as Blood • (1979) • shortstory by Tanith Lee • 219 • No Such Thing as a Vampire • (1959) • shortstory by Richard Matheson • 229 • The Vampire of Mallworld • [Mallworld] • (1981) • novelette by S. P. Somtow [as by Somtow Sucharitkul ] • 253 • Child of an Ancient City • (1988) • novelette by Tad Williams

Date added to TBR: June 27, 2011 Keep or Ditch? Ditch Comments: #vampirephase #thanksTwilight

      Here are the stats

You guys… I’ve added so many books to my TBR the past few months because I’ve been watching more BookTube channels and I made a few Book Outlet and library bookstore purchases, so my count has grown exponentially!

Starting Total TBR Count: 1760 Previous Total TBR Count: 1762 Total Marked TBR ASAP: 138 Updated Total TBR Count: 1849 Total Ditched Today: 9 Total Kept Today: 1

Bye-Bye Books: Decluttering my TBR January 2019 This post was inspired by Ally’s series (which was inspired by Lia at Lost in a Story…

[peniseargementtips]

http://ift.tt/2xkoRof <div style='font-style:italic;' class='uawbyline'>By George Gibson</div><br /><br /> <div class='uawarticle'>One of the best foundations of a good marriage is to find a person who shares in your values and belief. Traditional Muslim courtship is difficult today as people disperse to diverse areas and mix with other cultures. <a href="http://ift.tt/2inPQf3">Online matchmaking service for Muslims</a> presents your best option to find an authentic partner who shares and appreciates your values. How can you identify the best site among the many that dot the internet?<br /> <br /> The site sticks to Islamic principles and values at all times. Courtship in Islamic faith was about respect and personal dignity. The family was involved in every step to safeguard the interests of both the man and woman. Such tenets must be seen on any platform that purports to connect Muslim partners. This means unnecessary exposure and keeping away persons who violate the code of conduct.<br /> <br /> Confidentiality and security of personal details can easily be compromised online. In some cases, the details are shared to third parties leading to unwarranted exposure. The site must never leave room for scandalous relationships. This calls for incorporation of strict secrecy and security measures. Such a platform must guarantee utmost privacy to those who subscribe.<br /> <br /> As the world opens up, members should have the opportunity to engage with persons of diverse geographical and cultural backgrounds. Exposure to a variety of Muslims is a mark of quality matchmaking services. This gives everyone a chance to go beyond his locality. Allow people of different professional orientations, nationalities and any other inclination to join the group. This gives members an opportunity to choose from a wide variety and thus increase the chances of finding the perfect match.<br /> <br /> A referral is one way of identifying a genuine Muslim dating site from a fake one. Ask a friend, colleague, peer, etc who has been successful at finding a soul mate online. This saves time since you do not have to jump from one site to the other looking for the best platform. The services and engagements of such a matchmaker have been tested and proven to work. Check online for reviews of the best services by independent users or members.<br /> <br /> There are people who join such sites to make fun or with the intention of swindling others of their cash. The management of a website should be keen enough to weed out such characters. One of the methods is the demand for identity. The site should also monitor the activities of members and have an established code of conduct. Anyone who does not adhere to the code should be kicked out of such a site.<br /> <br /> Potential partners require necessary support to maintain their Islamic grounding. It must focus on more than providing a platform for them to meet. It should offer encouragement and tips on how to maintain the values even in marriage. Part of support also includes protecting members against harmful individuals on such groups.<br /> <br /> The platform must provide an opportunity to know a partner and begin a long term relationship. The environment must be protected ensuring that members adhere to a strict code of ethics. With necessary protection measures, many Muslims will find their soul mates and live happily ever after without compromising their faith.<br /> <br /> </div><br /> <div class='uawresource'><br /> <div style='font-style:italic;' class='uawabout'><br /> About the Author:<br /> </div><br /> <div class='uawlinks'>Find a list of the benefits you get when you use an <a href="http://ift.tt/2g46O1g">online matchmaking service for Muslims</a> and more info about an experienced matchmaker at http://ift.tt/2g46O1g today.</div><br /> </div><br /> Distinguish The Best Online Matchmaking Service For Muslims

By George Gibson

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About the Author:

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from Blogger http://ift.tt/2xkoRof via IFTTT

[earl-grey-teacake]

what if my world is becoming you sounds delightful and i am SUCH a fan of all the snippets you’ve posted! however.. do you have any more ideas for the victorian loscar au? bridgerton has made me even more enthusiastic for how their courting will go. and your descriptions of long suffering carlos w his love sick son oscar always amuse me, not to mention george’s over protectiveness and alex torturing him by helping logan 🫶

I absolutely have more ideas for the Victorian Loscar AU. The AU is abo/omegaverse but I am changing some of the rules and stuff.

Courting gifts- they are a big deal. Traditional courting gifts were expected to not be super expensive since it could be interpreted as a bribe. At the beginning of the courtship, the recipient would be sent books, flowers, and sweets. As it got more serious, it would be things geared towards personal interests like hats and hat pins, soap, scarves. The most serious would be jewelry (often bearing family crests or colors), perfume, and most importantly gloves since they cover the scent glands.

Hierarchy- So in this society, the hierarchy from top to bottom is title -> secondary gender -> gender. As a result, secondary gender is what decides if someone can inherit a title. Lia, who is Logan’s younger sister in this AU, is actually the heir after George because she is an Alpha compared to Logan, who is an omega even if he is the eldest son.

Very close knit family. I just want Logan to be loved and happy and supported. Everyone is invested and supportive of Logan and Oscar’s courtship. His family genuinely wants him to find love and not worry about having to marry for title and money.

Oscar is very much ‘I never cared about dating and now I have to date and court and it’s a nightmare” - (this is me)

Carlos is “we paid so much for you to go to school and travel the world and this is the result?”

Lando is “yeah, don’t write that in a letter to Logan. Alex might not care but George will definitely care and I do not need to hear him go on about it.”

One of the biggest things I know I want to include is that Oscar is not good at courting. He’s rich, titled, good looking, but he’s not suitable in the marriage market because he just doesn’t know the correct way to court. For all its speak of finding love in marriage, there were very strict rules on how to go about it and how to communicate and Oscar is very bad at it. He fumbles, messes up but gets up and tries again and again. Carlos is exasperated, George is worried for the future of his child, and Alex admires Oscar’s refusal to give up.

I hope you enjoy these. I tried to give a variety of world building and of the characters. These are subject to change but not likely. If you want more or for me to delve into specifics, feel free to let me know 😊