#harry markham

[mariocki]

Play for Today: Sunset Across the Bay (BBC, 1975)

"It's one of them buses with a lavatory. Are you going to go?"

"I don't want to go."

"I do."

"Well go then."

"I don't want everybody to know I'm going."

"She's been in twice already. She were in there before we got to Stanningley. Anyway, what does it matter what folk think? We're retired now."

[hollowsart]

miscellaneous spiderverse related doodles n things

Maxima’s first attempt concept. I’m not happy. I need to work on her some more and get a design/look that I am happy with, but it’s a start!!

Acedia/Me in a [cute outfit] for fun.

Harry being proud of something!! (fill in the blank fun!)

and also Acedia’s POV of Otto sitting and reading <3

[bookwormchocaholic]

Okay, I sort of did this poll yesterday and I goofed - I set it for one day instead of one week. I am reposting it and have added a few other couples.

[kitsune024]

Harry Potter Fanfiction

The Choices We Make by Stacygenesis

Fanart by @obi_wan_ff on insta

Choices are the hinges of destiny." - Edwin Markham

Hermione didn't choose to be a witch and Draco didn't choose to be given a suicide mission. But in a world where they lacked agency, what if they chose one another?

A sliding-doors like reimagining of 6th year through the end of the war.

----

"You left her!" Draco roared, following Weasley to where he fell. "She begged you to stay, and you left her!"

"You don’t know what it was like,” Weasley said, almost too soft to hear.

A crazed, humorless laugh tore from Draco's lips. "I don't care what it was like. You were supposed to stay with her!"

"I just kept having these dark and terrible thoughts…."

"I'm not your fucking mind-healer, Weasley," Draco growled, marching towards him again. "She begged you, you fucking coward."

“I know,” Weasley finally said.

“You don’t deserve her,” Draco hissed and leveled his wand. "Obliviate".

Chapters 49/49

[hlupdate]

tanumuino: @harrystyles  - Daylight. Harry, nothing you can't do. Flying, joggling, riding bikes and horse's, walking on the rope, dancing (my favorite), and I just can only image what else you can ) Its so amazing to create a video on a music that is in your favorites. Thank you for having me H, Love! 

Thank you - amazing big team, who made it in one crazy daylight! Director: @tanumuino Creative Director: @mollyjane_x DOP: @nikitakk Label: @columbiarecords Commissioner: @bryanyounce Production Company: @underwondercontent Producer: @mauriziovontrapp Exec Prod: @frankborin @ivannaborin Matthew Fone Service Co: @riffrafffilms Production Designer: @nightwindow Choreographer: @hollytblakey Artist Stylist: @harry_lambert Editor: @carlosfontclos VFX: @tiltvfx @romafx Colorist: @josephbicknell @company_ 1st AC:  @samrawlings110 2nd AC: Ben Casciello-Rogers 2nd AC:  @williamcrafts Camera Trainee: Grace Pogonoski Ronin Technician: Joe Redman DIT: @davisdaviskristin 1st AD: @jailusser 2nd AD: @niomiemmacollins 3rd AD: @conorj_oyce Runner: Liam Offord Runner: Milo Manolson Runner: @__maddysmith Runner: @sophiakawyani Location Manager: @mrwaterhouse Location Assistant: Andrew Conteh 
Location Assistant: Lewis Chandler Key Grip: @tomjrnorth Crane Grip: Billy Smith Crane Grip: Aaron McDonaugh Head Crane Tech: Tim Dean Crane Tech: Daniel Huddy Gaffer: @elliot_be Electrician: Paul Rowe Electrician: Paul Hill Electrician: Max Halstead Electrician: Sedge Wick Electrician: Sam Alberg Electrician: Matt Markham Lighting Rigger: Joe O’Brian Lighting Rigger: Danny Grove Art Director: @jamesmid Prop Assistant: @gracesnellock Art Assistant: @addles Art Assistant: @phoebe__ Art Assistant: Jack Evill Art Assistant: @karen.hettey Art Assistant: Melis Oyzoyn Scenic Artist: @melissawickhampaints Costume Designer: @spencerhorne1 Assistant Wardrobe: @callump91 Assistant Wardrobe: @CEeej Assistant Wardrobe: Louise Byford Assistant Wardrobe: Sabrina Picci Sound Op: @simon_haggis_sound Sound Assistant: Declan Chew Makeup Artist: @georgiahopemakeup Makeup Assistant: @martinaderosa_mua Makeup Assistant: @shanimushington Makeup Assistant: @coco.hirani Hair Stylist: @oskarperahair

[mermaidsirennikita]

Could you please recommend some books with that particular Friends to lovers trope?

I shall try! I haven't been able to find as many of these as I wish I could.

I actually was inspired to write that post because I just started listening to Sierra Simone's The Seduction of Molly O'Flaherty. This is a spinoff of her Ivy Leavold novellas, but I don't think you would need to read those first (they're quite good--though early on I kinda think I like this more...?). Molly is a scandalous woman a part of a scandalous group of libertines that tend to have sex with each other as friends a lot, actually. And she THOUGHT she was in love with Ivy Leavold's hero, Julian Markham. But in the beginning of Seduction, she's thinking back on this moment in the Ivy Leavold books when she was having sex with her friend Silas (they have sex... a good bit) and she looked down at him and realized "oh shit I'm in love with SILAS".

Anyway, TW, the book does begin with Molly as a wreck shortly after an off-page sexual assault, and she does NOT tell Silas about this before having sex with him again for comfort, and it's INCREDIBLY hot and I did actually feel like I was reading about two people who know each other super well and have had sex a lot, which is a great and hard thing to write--but yeah, halfway through it goes from really dirty shit to him MAKING LOOOVE to her. And then the novella cuts to Silas leaving because somehow he fucked up and we don't know how and now he's BACK IN TOWN. I'm GRIPPED.

(I feel it's SO important that I mention that he takes control of the moment by saying "let me have it". Which. Works.)

You, Again by Kate Goldbeck is definitely this. It's a 21st century take on When Harry Met Sally wherein the hero and heroine meet because they're hooking up with the same girl, dislike each other, then meet again after she's divorced and depressed and become best friends. You can tell that heeee is more aware of his feelings, but she's in total denial until he absolutely fuckin' rails her. And then she's like "FUCK" because it was supposed to be a one-off and now it's nooooot.

Reckless by Stella Rhys. The hero is the heroine's boss, but they've become best friends and have this totally codependent relationship lol. And they don't see each other in a Sexual light at all until they have this very CHARGED moment talking about sex stuff on a work trip when she's emotional because she just found out her fiance was cheating on her. Then he's like "well if you like.... need it......." which leads to a FWB thing (that starts in his office) and I can remember this particular scene where it's like "well SHIT" because what is gonna happen to their lovely fuckbuddies thing???

Friends Don't Fall in Love by Erin Hahn is a contemporary wherein the hero is actually a professional associate/friend of the heroine's fiance. She and her fiance are both country music up and comers, but when she sings a song protesting gun violence the country music community cancels her and her fiance dumps her, and she just happens to get drunk with the friend, who's closer to her, and then they have sex and it's definitely one of those things wherein Feelings Were Realized but she can't handle it so they go radio silence for a few years until she needs a place to stay and he becomes her landlord as she begins trying to restart her career. But... IT AIN'T OVER.

Give Me More by Sara Cate is a MMF take on this. Hunter and Drake have been best friends since childhood, and then Drake became friends with Isabel when she married Hunter. The three go on a roadtrip, during which Hunter notices Vibes between Isabel and Drake and basically asks them to fuck while he watches. However... Hunter gets increasingly Involved in these scenes, because maybe it's not that he likes to watch maybe it's that he's just, idk, bisexual, and there are SEVERAL moments where it's like.... oh. That's what that feeling is.

Unmasked by the Marquess by Cat Sebastian has the hero become friends with the new guy in town, except the new guy is actually a girl, except no that's not it the new girl is nonbinary and is disguised as a man for plot reasons, which really sends our poor hero into a tailspin of confusion because like... he was attracted to them... But once they have sex it's definitely an "oh fuck this is a lot more than attraction" thing, and the other lead, Robin, has this realization especially sharply when Alistair is fucking them against like, a door. It's GREAT.

[justinspoliticalcorner]

WaPo: Democratic nominee Harris to deliver closing argument speech Tuesday on the National Mall

Ellie Silverman and Tyler Pager at WaPo:

Vice President Kamala Harris is planning to deliver her closing argument Tuesday in a speech on the National Mall, according to people familiar with the planning and a permit application obtained by The Washington Post.

The Harris campaign is still finalizing her message, but the vice president plans to present a final case to the American people from a place selected to emphasize a contrast between herself and Donald Trump, a candidate she has argued poses a grave threat to the country, the people said, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss plans that were not yet public. As part of that, Harris is likely to mention Trump’s role in the Jan. 6 attacks on the U.S. Capitol, but the speech is expected to be broader than just focused on Trump’s threat to American democracy. A spokesperson for the Harris campaign declined to comment. Harris officials have focused on finding symbolic venues for the closing days of the campaign in an effort to draw maximum media attention beyond rallies in traditional battleground state such as Pennsylvania, where she has at least three events scheduled this week. Harris is spending most of her time in those states, but the closing message of the campaign is designed to speak to the American people more broadly.

On Friday, for example, Harris is holding a rally in Texas, a state she does not expect to win. But aides say her speech will focus on abortion rights, with her campaign calling Texas “ground zero of the nation’s extreme abortion bans.” Harris plans to warn Americans in other states, particularly the states that will determine the outcome of the election, about the threat Trump could pose to their reproductive rights, should he win. [...] According to the permit application, organizers with Markham, a D.C.-based event management and production company that works with the Harris campaign, requested space on the National Mall between Seventh and Fourth streets NW and estimated roughly 7,750 people would be in attendance for the gathering.

The permit application does not include many details about the event, aside from describing it as “First Amendment Activity: Political Speech” with four to five people and elected officials giving speeches. The plans include a 40-foot stage, 5,000 handheld signs, 1,000 chairs, 25 tables and 50 portable restrooms, according to the application. Organizers requested the Mall from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. for the event, but did not specify when the speeches would begin.

Kamala Harris is set to deliver her closing campaign remarks next Tuesday at the National Mall in DC, one week before Election Day.

[if-you-fan-a-fire]

"“THE FUTILITY OF CRIME"," Toronto Star Weekly. May 28, 1938. Page 50. ---- W HEN THOMAS "SHORTY" BRYANS is hanged June 30 for the murder of Norman Ford, Canadian police will write "finis" they hope to the most amazing saga of crime in the history of the Dominion's desperadoes… the story of the "Red Ryan gang."

Only one member of that reckless band of bank-robbers which Norman Ryan led "over the wall" of Kingston penitentiary in one of the most daring jail-breaks on record is still at large, and he, police, say, is going straight.

Edward "Wyoming" McMullen was shot at Blaine when he was "wanted" by Ontario police for the murder of Edward Stonehouse of Markham. Andrew Sullivan was shot and killed in Minneapolis. Red Ryan was shot and killed with Harry Checkley in Sarnia. Bryans was released from Kingston penitentiary May, 1937. Nine months later he was convicted of the murder for which he is under sentence of death.

When Ryan died in a liquor store he had tried to hold up in Sarnia, he had just unwittingly written the epitaphs of all of his gang in a book he titled: "The Futility of Crime."

NORMAN RYAN Killed at Sarnia

ANDREW SULLIVAN Killed at Minneapolis

HARRY CHECKLEY Killed at Sarnia

EDWARD MCMULLEN Killed in Blaine

THOMAS BRYANS Sentenced to hang

[sergeifyodorov]

we need to create the world we want to live in. who can be in a gay narrative with jeff skinner now. let's start a movement

FUNDAMENTALLY we need to start something... we need to have a conversation. every pundit on earth was out there last season insisting the sabres are ~FuN~ and frankly... what do we have to show for it? moving up 15 points in the standings but still not making the playoffs? minimal addition to the yaoi web -> no fun value really.

in addition from my scouting about a third of the sabres are fairly old and a third are babies... make of that what u will. jeff's whimsy might be a lot for another calmer older figure to really get into... (i am imagining him and ej trying to vibe together and it is not happening) but you could get a little bit like... not a father figure per se but like a friend's gay older brother who u were always kind of into. presenting options and dynamics:

jeff skinner/tage thompson: your classic centre + his chosen winger dynamic. there's always chemistry there

jeff skinner/alex tuch: see above. gonna be honest as """"fun"""" as the sabres are it might be me or it might be them but im not really like. aware of a lot of their personalities? like what are their deals. largely. this is a problem solved by fervent yaoiposting

jeff skinner/dylan cozens: dylcoz is one of the few sabres whose Vibe i could at least pretend to place and that Vibe is "brat." not that Markham Jeff is what you would consider a "dom" by any means but after being in the league for as long as he has he's earned kind of a (to me) old gay sage status... like he could list all of madonna's albums in order and certainly could tell a fresh young little gayboy what to do. dylan cozens is the teenager who would show up half an hour late to class belligerently high and make straight B+ses and jeff skinner is the harried yet firm history teacher who doesn't have enough time or budget to stop him especially not when he's clearly familiar with the material (despite his lack of respect for authority) and somehow they are having perfectly normal adult consensual moderate d/s sex about this.

jeff skinner/rasmus dahlin: ras has never met an Emotion he was at peace with . if you tell this to jeff he'll think you meant carly rae jepsen. see skinner/cozens but rasmus cries a lot more

[cultivating-wildflowers]

2024 Reading - April

April was a month full of sci-fi and false starts. I have now DNF'd as many books as I've finished from my short TBR for the year. And yet? Best reading month of the year so far?

Total books: 9  |  New reads: 5   |   2024 TBR completed: 5 (3 DNF) / 14/36 total   |   2024 Reading Goal: 20/100

March | May

potential reading list from April 1st

#1 - West with the Night by Beryl Markham - 5/5 stars (audio)

I didn't plan for the exploration(?) theme we've got going on (Emily Wilde, A Natural History of Dragons, Lynne Cox) but I'm not mad about it. This book had me hooked from the opening paragraph. Markham's voice is full of adventure and passion, and the story flows effortlessly from one event to another of Markham's highly eventful life. This is how you tell a good story.

Couple of notes:

As would be expected from a woman raised in Africa (specifically Kenya while it was still British East Africa) from the start of the 20th century, there are aspects of the way Markham tells her story that would come off as racist to modern sensibilities. It wasn't malicious or long-winded, only matter-of-fact.

If you want a better picture of Markham as a person, find one of the biographies written about her. West with the Night talks about her adventures, not her life. (Based on her own telling of her adventures, Markham's exactly the kind of character I'd expect to see in a Sayers novel. Look her up; then look up Hemingway's review of her book. I mean, come on; she was born Beryl Clutterbuck.)

I wouldn't recommend the audiobook for this one, at least the one narrated by Julie Harris. Editing wasn't that great and there were often weird breaks and pauses in the middle of sentences. You could hear Harris turning pages several times. (Which is fine if you like the sense of someone reading the book to you, and Harris's accents and pronunciation were great to my untrained ears.)

#2 - Recorder by Cathy McCrumb - 5/5 stars (reread, mixed print and audio)

I have had this book on my brain since first reading it two years ago--likely in part because I never would have picked it up on my own, had no great expectations for it, and then was blown away--and have been anticipating a reread in light of the final book of the trilogy being released in February. Happily, it holds up well to a reread. Really well. I cried again.

I won't say it's for everyone. It is very much a character-driven story with a pretty straightforward plot, and at times the writing style can get a little stilted (mostly in dialogue). But it's exactly what I needed at the time, and it has so much of what I love in stories. Also, there are cats. In space.

(I do recommend print over audio; the narrator is fine but her inflections are weird, and there are a lot of J-sounding names, which makes listening confusing.)

#3 - Aberration by Cathy McCrumb - 5/5 stars (reread, mixed print and audio)

My original review of this book mentioned the growing cast as my main issue, and on a reread, that's still my only real complaint. It's not really even a complaint, but there are so many characters to keep track of and they're moving all over the place as the various crises demand that by the end, I honestly forgot about a few of them.

The overarching plot continues at a solid pace and the tension ramps up excellently, though it's easy to forget what the actual goal when the Recorder and her friends are all just trying to survive one threat after another. And man, the relationships! Truly the highlight of this series. And it made me cry again, which automatically earns it some points.

For some reason when I started this book the first time, I'd expected it to take a slightly different route--literally, I thought we'd see more of this story's world outside of flashbacks. That doesn't detract from the story, only my expectations. (Also, I need someone to read this who enjoys it in kind of the same way I do so we can make our own memes. Because I want memes.)

More like this: This is going to sound lame or cheesy or something, but I cannot help comparing this series to Murderbot. Murderbot and the Recorder start out at kind of the same place: outcast, bodies and minds honed to a specific purpose, seen by many as less-than, but slowly drawn into a tight-knit group that gives them a better purpose and a fuller identity. Despite their vast differences, there are a ton of similarities between the two stories, including how each is set in some version of a futuristic authoritarian society (though they each come at that from very different angles). The major difference (apart from tone) is obviously that Murderbot is known for the action and high drama and explicit language; while Children of the Consortium is Christian sci-fi and follows different standards (but mercifully without being either preachy or sanctimonious). I don't think someone would like one specifically because they enjoy the other, but here we are.

#4 - Guardian by Cathy McCrumb - 4/5 stars (audio)

This was a satisfying end to the trilogy. Some of the narrative choices left me a little confused, but they worked well enough. And based on how the first two books went, they make sense. We get a manifold happy ending, and I'm content. It earns four stars because the character relationships and interactions continued to deliver. Heaven knows what my neighbors must have thought of me, giggling and in my hammock in my backyard while I listened to the love interest very tenderly help the wounded MC out of her armor. I am a simple woman.

Coming to the end of the story, however, I'm certain I wouldn't recommend this to many people. It was very much a comfort read to me, and it has its flaws: repetitive writing, pacing issues, and an open ending I'm weirdly ambivalent about. Conceptually, it's a great story, and I'll definitely look for more from this writer.

#5 - Pyramids by Terry Pratchett - 4/5 stars

Another fun one from Pratchett. It was relatively light, it was quick, there were assassins and kings and handmaidens, and naturally everything exploded splendidly right at the end. Teppic is cool.

#6 - Queen of Attolia by Megan Whalen Turner - 5/5 stars (reread, audio)

I am so normal about this book.

#7 - Watership Down by Richard Adams - 5/5 stars (reread, audio)

Hadn't planned on getting to this one until at least next month, but my goodness if it isn't the perfect audiobook to listen to in the background, and I seriously needed that. (Though I caught a LOT of little errors in the audiobook editing because I was reading along for bits and pieces.)

#8 - Starship Troopers by Robert A. Heinlein - 4/5 stars ('24 TBR, Top 5 Anticipated Read)

If we look back at my January reading, we'll notice that I tried a different Heinlein book at the beginning of the year and...hated it. Didn't even finish it.

But I kept this book on my list because it's a classic and my sources said it's far and away much better than The Puppet Masters, so I wanted to give it a chance. Despite my better judgment. After all, I enjoyed The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress. Maybe Starship Troopers would split the difference and tell me if it's worth pursuing any of Heinlein's other works.

Despite the fact that it has a lot of the elements that made me put down The Forever War (see below), I enjoyed this one? I think it was the narrative voice. A quick and engaging read. Honestly, Heinlein could write a decent story so long as he kept the women out of it.

But I think this will be my last Heinlein unless someone manages to talk me into another; and it'll take a lot of convincing.

More like this: Honestly, I don't read much in this line so the fact that we have space wars against bug-like aliens obviously made me think of "Ender's Game". I also thought of "Old Man's War" in terms of style. And this starts out on the same footing as "The Forever War", though the tones are very different, so perhaps that's worth checking out if you really want more like this? (goodreads shows these books are three of the four top "readers also enjoyed" choices, alongside one by Arthur C. Clarke. so yay me.)

#9 - At the Back of the North Wind by George MacDonald - 4/5 stars ('24 TBR, audio)

Splendidly vivid and enthralling, a little bit saccharine, and...uh. Very Victorian. Didn't like the ending, I'll be honest, though I wasn't exactly surprised.

DNF (I was struggling this month, folks)

Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life by Barbara Kingsolver, with Steven L. Hopp and Camille Kingsolver ('24 TBR)

The funniest tag for this book on goodreads is "author get over thyself", which about sums up my sentiments. I got all of 45 minutes into the audiobook before I gave up due to excessive eye-rolling. Intent: good. Delivery: bad. Robin Wall Kimmerer runs a similar line of discussion in Braiding Sweetgrass and I didn't have to suffer being condescended to for the entirety of that book.

Secret Contest Book (YA Sci-Fi) - I did my very best to be objective since I don't really read this genre any more. The concept was intriguing, and I wanted to like it, but right out of the gate the writing couldn't keep up with the idea. Which, unfortunately, is not a surprise given the theme of this contest. Alas.

Midnight for Charlie Bone by Jenny Nimmo (‘24 TBR) - Another book I decided to try after one of the mutuals said they liked it. It isn’t for me, but I see the appeal. I’ll be keeping this one in my back pocket for future recs.

To Sleep in a Sea of Stars by Christopher Paolini - Pushed myself through two chapters before giving up. Not my style. Felt very Brandon Sanderson with the verbosity. (Also, and this is probably just me, I spent those two chapters going "yeah, Chris, you were definitely home-schooled".)

The Forever War by Joe Haldeman (‘24 TBR) - Again, not for me. The elements that do appeal to me (relativistic space travel, sci-fi tech, group dynamics) I can get elsewhere without the elements I don’t like (the stuff you typically find in war stories, especially those written in the 60’s and 70’s). If someone wants more of a war story than a sci-fi story, or is interested in the historical background that apparently drove the writing of this book, I say check it out.

Currently Reading:

DragonSpell by Donita K. Paul - Finallyyyyyyy.

[mariocki]

Six Plays by Alan Bennett: All Day on the Sands (1.6, LWT, 1979)

"Look at the level of that sauce. Only started yesterday, it's gone down dramatically. I'm under no compulsion to provide sauce. Lathering it on. It's not as if my cooking needed sauce!"

"Make it available on request. Sauce available on request, that'll bring them to a sense of responsibility."

"Wouldn't care, but they go at the salt and pepper like lunatics. You'd think they'd never seen a cruet in their lives."

[brookstonalmanac]

Birthdays 4.23

Beer Birthdays

Anton Schwartz (1853)

Christian Kazakoff (1971)

Five Favorite Birthdays

Valerie Bertinelli; actor (1960)

John Oliver; comedian (1977)

Max Planck; German physicist (1858)

Sergei Prokofiev; composer (1891)

William Shakespeare; writer, playwright (1564)

Johann Adam Stamm; wagonmaker (1702)

Famous Birthdays

David Birney; actor (1939)

Shirley Temple Black; actor, ambassador (1928)

Blair Brown; actor (1949)

James Buchanan; 15th U.S. President (1791)

Steve Clark; rock musician (1960)

Cow Cow Davenport; jazz pianist (1894)

Sandra Dee; actor (1942)

Joyce DeWitt; actor (1949)

J.P. Donleavy; writer (1926)

Stephen Douglas; politician (1813)

Tony Esposito; Chicago Blackhawks G (1943)

Jim Fixx; jogger, writer (1932)

Boris Godunov; tsar of Muscovy (1598)

Virgil "Gus" Grissom; astronaut (1926)

Halston; fashion designer (1932)

Estelle Harris; actor (1936)

Art Hoppe; writer, columnist (1925)

Jaime King; model, actor (1979)

Joanna Krupa; model (1979)

Lee Majors; actor (1939)

Edwin Markham; writer (1852)

Ngaio Marsh; writer (1899)

Michael Moore; documentary filmmaker (1954)

Roy Orbison; pop singer (1936)

Kal Penn; actor (1977)

Warren Spahn; Boston/Milwaukee Braves P (1921)

J.M.W. Turner; artist (1775)

Herve Villechaize; actor (1943)

[tanumuino]

Harry Styles - Daylight from tanumuino on Vimeo.

Director: @tanumuino Creative Director: @mollyjane_x DOP: @nikitakkkuz Label: @columbiarecords Commissioner: @bryanyounce Production Company: @underwondercontent Producer: @mauriziovontrapp Exec Prod: @frankborin @ivannaborin Matthew Fone Service Co: @riffrafffilms Production Designer: @nightwindow Choreographer: @hollytblakey Artist Stylist: @harry_lambert Editor: @carlosfontclos VFX: @tiltvfx @romafx Colorist: @josephbicknell @company_ 1st AC: @samrawlings110 2nd AC: Ben Casciello-Rogers 2nd AC: @williamcrafts Camera Trainee: Grace Pogonoski Ronin Technician: Joe Redman DIT: @davisdaviskristin 1st AD: @jailusser 2nd AD: @niomiemmacollins 3rd AD: @conorj_oyce Runner: Liam Offord Runner: Milo Manolson Runner: @__maddysmith Runner: @sophiakawyani Location Manager: @mrwaterhouse Location Assistant: Andrew Conteh 
Location Assistant: Lewis Chandler Key Grip: @tomjrnorth Crane Grip: Billy Smith Crane Grip: Aaron McDonaugh Head Crane Tech: Tim Dean Crane Tech: Daniel Huddy Gaffer: @elliot_be Electrician: Paul Rowe Electrician: Paul Hill Electrician: Max Halstead Electrician: Sedge Wick Electrician: Sam Alberg Electrician: Matt Markham Lighting Rigger: Joe O’Brian Lighting Rigger: Danny Grove Art Director: @jamesmid Prop Assistant: @gracesnellock Art Assistant: @addles Art Assistant: @phoebe__ Art Assistant: Jack Evill Art Assistant: @karen.hettey Art Assistant: Melis Oyzoyn Scenic Artist: @melissawickhampaints Costume Designer: @spencerhorne1 Assistant Wardrobe: @callump91 Assistant Wardrobe: @CEeej Assistant Wardrobe: Louise Byford Assistant Wardrobe: Sabrina Picci Sound Op: @simon_haggis_sound Sound Assistant: Declan Chew Makeup Artist: @georgiahopemakeup Makeup Assistant: @martinaderosa_mua Makeup Assistant: @shanimushington Makeup Assistant: @coco.hirani Hair Stylist: @oskarperahair

[wankerwatch]

Lords Vote

On: Passenger Railway Services (Public Ownership) Bill

Lord Moylan moved amendment 13, in clause 2, page 3, line 32, at end to insert – “30D Statement on the impact of the Act on rail freight target The Secretary of State must, within six months of the day on which the Passenger Railway Services (Public Ownership) Act 2024 is passed, make a statement in each House of Parliament outlining how the Government’s plans to achieve a 75% increase in the volume of rail freight in the United Kingdom by 2050 are affected by the provisions of that Act.” The House divided:

Ayes: 69 (85.5% Con, 10.1% XB, 1.4% , 1.4% Bshp, 1.4% Green) Noes: 124 (87.9% Lab, 9.7% XB, 2.4% ) Absent: ~636

Likely Referenced Bill: Passenger Railway Services (Public Ownership) Bill

Description: A Bill to make provision for passenger railway services to be provided by public sector companies instead of by means of franchises.

Originating house: Commons Current house: Lords Bill Stage: Report stage

Individual Votes:

Ayes

Conservative (59 votes)

Agnew of Oulton, L. Bellingham, L. Berridge, B. Booth-Smith, L. Borwick, L. Bridgeman, V. Camoys, L. Colgrain, L. Courtown, E. Cumberlege, B. De Mauley, L. Deben, L. Effingham, E. Evans of Rainow, L. Fookes, B. Fuller, L. Garnier, L. Hannan of Kingsclere, L. Harding of Winscombe, B. Harlech, L. Hodgson of Abinger, B. Hodgson of Astley Abbotts, L. Holmes of Richmond, L. Hooper, B. Howe, E. Jackson of Peterborough, L. Laing of Elderslie, B. Lawlor, B. Leicester, E. Lingfield, L. Lucas, L. Mackinlay of Richborough, L. Magan of Castletown, L. Manzoor, B. Markham, L. McInnes of Kilwinning, L. Monckton of Dallington Forest, B. Moylan, L. Moynihan of Chelsea, L. Murray of Blidworth, L. Norton of Louth, L. Owen of Alderley Edge, B. Reay, L. Roberts of Belgravia, L. Scott of Bybrook, B. Sharpe of Epsom, L. Shinkwin, L. Shrewsbury, E. Strathcarron, L. Strathclyde, L. Sugg, B. Taylor of Holbeach, L. Trefgarne, L. Trenchard, V. True, L. Vere of Norbiton, B. Waldegrave of North Hill, L. Wyld, B. Young of Cookham, L.

Crossbench (7 votes)

Alton of Liverpool, L. Craigavon, V. Fowler, L. Kerr of Kinlochard, L. Londesborough, L. O'Loan, B. Peel, E.

Non-affiliated (1 vote)

Cooper of Windrush, L.

Bishops (1 vote)

Canterbury, Abp.

Green Party (1 vote)

Bennett of Manor Castle, B.

Noes

Labour (109 votes)

Adams of Craigielea, B. Alli, L. Armstrong of Hill Top, B. Ashton of Upholland, B. Bach, L. Bassam of Brighton, L. Beamish, L. Berkeley, L. Blackstone, B. Blake of Leeds, B. Blower, B. Boateng, L. Bradley, L. Brooke of Alverthorpe, L. Browne of Ladyton, L. Bryan of Partick, B. Campbell-Savours, L. Carter of Coles, L. Chakrabarti, B. Chandos, V. Chapman of Darlington, B. Coaker, L. Collins of Highbury, L. Crawley, B. Cryer, L. Davidson of Glen Clova, L. Davies of Brixton, L. Donaghy, B. Drake, B. Falconer of Thoroton, L. Faulkner of Worcester, L. Goldsmith, L. Grantchester, L. Hacking, L. Hannett of Everton, L. Hanson of Flint, L. Hanworth, V. Harris of Haringey, L. Haskel, L. Hayman of Ullock, B. Hazarika, B. Healy of Primrose Hill, B. Hendy of Richmond Hill, L. Hendy, L. Hermer, L. Howarth of Newport, L. Hunt of Kings Heath, L. Jones of Whitchurch, B. Keeley, B. Kennedy of Cradley, B. Kennedy of Southwark, L. Kingsmill, B. Kinnock, L. Knight of Weymouth, L. Lawrence of Clarendon, B. Lennie, L. Leong, L. Liddell of Coatdyke, B. Liddle, L. Lister of Burtersett, B. Livermore, L. Mann, L. McConnell of Glenscorrodale, L. McIntosh of Hudnall, B. McNicol of West Kilbride, L. Mendelsohn, L. Merron, B. Mitchell, L. Morgan of Drefelin, B. Murphy of Torfaen, L. Nye, B. O'Grady of Upper Holloway, B. Osamor, B. Pitkeathley, B. Ponsonby of Shulbrede, L. Prentis of Leeds, L. Prosser, B. Ramsey of Wall Heath, B. Rebuck, B. Reid of Cardowan, L. Rowlands, L. Sahota, L. Sawyer, L. Shamash, L. Sikka, L. Smith of Basildon, B. Smith of Cluny, B. Smith of Malvern, B. Spellar, L. Stansgate, V. Stevenson of Balmacara, L. Symons of Vernham Dean, B. Taylor of Stevenage, B. Thornton, B. Timpson, L. Touhig, L. Tunnicliffe, L. Twycross, B. Vallance of Balham, L. Warwick of Undercliffe, B. Watson of Wyre Forest, L. Watts, L. Wheeler, B. Whitaker, B. Whitty, L. Wilcox of Newport, B. Winston, L. Winterton of Doncaster, B. Wood of Anfield, L.

Crossbench (12 votes)

Aberdare, L. Bew, L. Bilimoria, L. Boycott, B. Butler of Brockwell, L. D'Souza, B. Freyberg, L. Hampton, L. Jay of Ewelme, L. Loomba, L. McDonald of Salford, L. Ravensdale, L.

Non-affiliated (3 votes)

Austin of Dudley, L. Livingston of Parkhead, L. Patel of Bradford, L.

[claudia1829things]

Ranking of "SANDITON" Season Three (2023) Episodes

Below is my ranking of the Season Three episodes from "SANDITON", the ITV adaptation of Jane Austen's unfinished novel. Adapted by Andrew Davies, the limited series starred Rose Williams, Crystal Clarke and Ben Lloyd-Hughes:

RANKING OF "SANDITON" SEASON THREE (2023) EPISODES

1. (3.03) "Episode 3" - Landowner Alexander Colburne holds a shooting party for the highbrow locals, where he confesses his continuing love for Charlotte Heywood, now engaged to another. The roguish Sir Edward Denham request's Alexander's permission to court the latter's niece, Augusta Markham. And heiress Georgiana Lambe receives a surprise visit from former beau Otis Molyneux in London, who is there to offer support during the trial to save her fortune.

2. (3.05) "Episode 5" - Augusta and Sir Edward leave Sanditon to elope in Scotland. Charlotte and Alexander race after the pair to stop their elopement. Georgiana reunites with her long-lost mother, thanks to Otis. Tom and Mary Parker quarrel over the former and Mr. Pryce's plans to demolish Sanditon's old working-class neighborhood for a new resort hotel.

3. (3.02) "Episode 2" - Georgiana desperately searches for a barrister to help her fight Charles Lockhart's attempt to take her fortune. Alexander's brother, Samuel Colburne, finally offers to represent her. He also becomes attracted to Charlotte's friend, Lady Susan. Tom reveals his plans regarding Sanditon's old neighborhood to Lady Denham. Tom's new partner, Rowleigh Pryce, proves to be Lady Denham's former flame. Arthur Parker befriends Harry Montrose, Duke of Buckinghamshire and Georgiana's potential suitor.

4. (3.04) "Episode 4" - Georgiana becomes engaged to Harry Montrose, which threatens the latter's budding relationship with Arthur. Charlotte attempts to distance herself from Alexander, but as they are repeatedly thrown into each other's orbit. Sir Edward and Augusta make plans to elope.

5. (3.01) "Episode 1" - Charlotte returns to Sanditon with her fiancé Ralph Starling, to celebrate Georgiana's 21st birthday. She and Alexander have an awkward reunion. Sir Edward tries to prove to Lady Denham that he has changed for the better. Georgiana receives news of Lockhart's lawsuit during her party.

6. (3.06) "Episode 6" - In the series finale, Tom cancels his partnership with Mr. Pryce. Lady Denham ends her engagement to Mr. Pryce. Seeing that Sir Edward's character has improved following his aborted elopement with Augusta, Lady Denham offers him a living as a clergyman. Charlotte, Georgiana, Arthur and others all find true love.

[faithnfrivolity]

Like most so-called overnight successes, Vincent Anthony Guaraldi—(July 17, 1928 – February 6, 1976) who forever described himself as "a reformed boogie-woogie piano player"—worked hard for his big break.

The man eventually dubbed "Dr. Funk" by his compatriots was born in San Francisco on July 17, 1928; he graduated from Lincoln High School and then San Francisco State College. Guaraldi began performing while in college, haunting sessions at the Black Hawk and Jackson's Nook, sometimes with the Chubby Jackson / Bill Harris band, other times in combos with Sonny Criss and Bill Harris. He played weddings, high school concerts, and countless other small-potatoes gigs.

His first serious booking came at the Black Hawk, when he worked as an intermission pianist ... filling in for the legendary Art Tatum. "It was more than scary", Guaraldi later recalled. "I came close to giving up the instrument, and I wouldn't have been the first after working with Tatum". Guaraldi's first recorded work can be heard on "Vibratharpe", a 1953 release by the Cal Tjader. Guaraldi then avoided studios for the next few years, preferring to further hone his talents in the often unforgiving atmosphere of San Francisco's beatnik club scene. In 1955 he put together his own trio — longtime friend Eddie Duran on guitar, Dean Reilly on bass — and tackled North Beach's bohemian hungry i club. He also returned to studio work that year, making his recorded debut as group leader, although with different personnel: John Markham (drums), Eugene Wright (bass) and Jerry Dodgion (alto sax). What soon came to be recognized as the "Guaraldi sound", however, resulted from several recording sessions with his hungry i buddies. The original Vince Guaraldi Trio, with Duran and Reilly, can be heard on two releases: "The Vince Guaraldi Trio" (1956) and "A Flower is a Lonesome Thing" (1957)

The late 50s were a busy time. Aside from studio sessions with Conte Candoli (two albums), Frank Rosolino (one album), and Cal Tjader (at least ten albums), Guaraldi toured in 1956 with Woody Herman's third "Thundering Herd", replacing Nat Pierce on piano for one season. Not too much later, just after midnight during 1958's first annual Monterey Jazz Festival, some 6,000 rabid but by now quite tired jazz fans came to their feet when The Cal Tjader Quintet blew them away.

Thanks in no small part to the "sound of surprise" from the feisty Guaraldi, whose extended blues riffs literally had the crowd screaming for more, Tjader's quintet received an enthusiastic standing ovation.

National prominence was just around the corner. Inspired by the 1959 French/Portuguese film "Black Orpheus", Guaraldi hit the studio with a new trio — Monte Budwig on bass, Colin Bailey on drums — and recorded his own interpretations of Antonio Carlos Jobim's haunting soundtrack music. The 1962 album was called "Jazz Impression of Black Orpheus", and "Samba de Orpheus" was the first selection released as a single. Combing the album for a suitable B-side number, Guaraldi's producers finally ghettoized a modest original composition titled "Cast Your Fate to the Wind".

Fortunately, some enterprising Sacramento, California DJs turned the single over...

...and the rest is history.

"Cast Your Fate to the Wind" became a Gold Record winner and earned the 1963 Grammy as Best Instrumental Jazz Composition. It was constantly demanded during Guaraldi's club engagements, and suddenly jazz fans couldn't get enough of him. He responded with several albums during 1963 and '64, perhaps the most important of which was "Vince Guaraldi, Bola Sete, and Friends", with Fred Marshall (bass), Jerry Granelli (drums) and Brazilian guitarist Bola Sete. That marked the first of several collaborations with Sete, a musical collaboration whose whole was greater than the sum of its already quite talented parts.

Guaraldi was also a recognized fixture on television, if only in the greater San Francisco region. He and jazz critic Ralph Gleason documented the success of "Cast Your Fate to the Wind" in the three-part "Anatomy of a Hit", produced for San Francisco's KQED; later, shortly after his first album with Sete, Guaraldi did a "Jazz Casual" TV show for the same network

The most prestigious task, however, was yet to come. Even before Duke Ellington played San Francisco's Grace Cathedral, that venerable institution's Reverend Charles Gompertz selected Guaraldi to write a modern jazz setting for the choral Eucharist. The composer labored18 months with his trio and a 68-voice choir, and the result is an impressive blend of Latin influences, waltz tempos, and traditional jazz "supper music". It was performed live on May 21, 1965, and the album became another popular and critical hit. Clearly, if Vince Guaraldi could write music for God, he could pen tunes for Charlie Brown.

The jazz pianist's association with Charles Schulz's creations actually had begun the year before, when Guaraldi was hired to score the first Peanuts television special, adocumentary called "A Boy Named Charlie Brown" (not to be confused with the big-screen feature of the same title). The show brought together four remarkable talents: Schulz, writer/producer/director Lee Mendelson, artist Bill Melendez and Guaraldi.

Guaraldi's smooth trio compositions — piano, bass and drums — perfectly balanced Charlie Brown's kid-sized universe. Sprightly, puckish, and just as swiftly somber and poignant, these gentle jazz riffs established musical trademarks which, to this day, still prompt smiles of recognition.

They reflected the whimsical personality of a man affectionately known as a "pixie", an image Guaraldi did not discourage. He'd wear funny hats, wild mustaches, and display hairstyles from buzzed crewcuts to rock-star shags.

Unfortunately, with an irony that seemed appropriate for a documentary about Charlie Brown, Mendelson never was able to sell the show, which remains unseen to this day by the general public. Fortunately, the unaired program became an expensive calling-card that attracted a sponsor (Coca-Cola) intrigued by the notion of a Peanuts Christmas TV special. Thus, when "A Charlie Brown Christmas" debuted in December 1965, it did more than reunite Schulz, Mendelson, Melendez and Guaraldi, all of whom quickly turned the Peanuts franchise into a television institution. That first special also shot Guaraldi to greater fame, and he became irreplaceably welded to all subsequent Peanuts shows. Many of his earliest Peanuts tunes — "Linus and Lucy", "Red Baron" and "Great Pumpkin Waltz", among others — became signature themes that turned up in later specials.

Guaraldi became so busy that the ensuing decade saw only half a dozen album releases, three of them direct results of his Peanuts work: "A Boy Named Charlie Brown", "A Charlie Brown Christmas" and "Oh, Good Grief!" At some point between his switch from the Fantasy label to Warner Brothers, Guaraldi took the time to produce and direct an album that has become quite obscure: 1968's "Vince Guaraldi with the San Francisco Boys Chorus", released on his own D&D label. This was followed by two Warners releases: "The Eclectic Vince Guaraldi", which marks Guaraldi's recorded vocal debut; and "Alma-Ville", which showcases a Guaraldi guitar solo on one cut. On February 6, 1976, while waiting in a motel room between sets at Menlo Park's Butterfield's nightclub, Guaraldi died of a sudden heart-attack. He was only 47 years old.

A few weeks later, on March 16, "It's Arbor Day, Charlie Brown" debuted on television. It was the 15th, and last, Peanuts television special to boast Guaraldi's original music. He had just finished recording his portion of the soundtrack on the very afternoon of the day he died.

Time ... passed.

Those who followed in Guaraldi's Peanuts-themed footsteps — Ed Bogas, Desiree Goyette, Judy Munsen and others — found the shoes impossible to fill. Not one produced a song or theme anywhere near as catchy as the Master, and several of the specials from the late 1970s and '80s consequently lacked a certain zip.

A whopping three decades later, no doubt responding to unceasing pleas from fans who had played Guaraldi's three Peanuts albums to death — and wondered what had become of the themes and background music in all those other television specials — Fantasy released 1998's "Charlie Brown's Holiday Hits". The CD included nine previously unissued tracks, from the theme to "A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving" to a vocal rendition of "Oh, Good Grief", performed by Lee Mendelson's son's sixth-grade class.Four years later, in the summer of 2003, Vince Guaraldi's son, David, teamed up with Bluebird Records to release "The Charlie Brown Suite". The centerpiece selection, long spoken of in reverential tones by fans who only knew of it but never had heard it, is the fully orchestrated "Charlie Brown Suite", recorded live on May 18, 1969, during a benefit performance with Amici Della Musica (Richard Williams, conductor) at Mr. D's, a theater/restaurant in San Francisco's North Beach region. This awesome piece of music clocks in at roughly 40 minutes and skillfully weaves half a dozen songs into an integrated whole: "Linus and Lucy", "The Great Pumpkin Waltz", "Peppermint Patty", "Oh, Good Grief", "Rain, Rain, Go Away" and "Red Baron".

Encouraged by the enthusiastic response to this new compilation of his father's previously unreleased recordings, David Guaraldi has big plans for the upcoming years ... and this Web site is the place to get up-to-the-minute information.

"I don't think I'm a great piano player", Vince Guaraldi once said, "but I would like to have people like me, to play pretty tunes and reach the audience. And I hope some of those tunes will become standards. I want to write standards, not just hits". He got his wish.

Windham Hill recording artist George Winston has been playing "Linus and Lucy" for years, during his concert appearances. A promise to record it and other Guaraldi cuts finally bore fruit in the autumn of 1996, with the release of Winston's "Linus & Lucy: TheMusic of Vince Guaraldi".

"Linus and Lucy" also has been interpreted by Wynton Marsalis, Dave Brubeck and David Benoit; the latter has become Guaraldi's ongoing torch-bearer in the most recent Peanuts animated TV specials. GRP Records had a smash hit back in 1990, with their soundtrack to the television special "Happy Anniversary Charlie Brown", which gathered numerous jazz luminaries for their interpretations of classic Guaraldi compositions, along with some new cuts clearly inspired by Dr. Funk's Peanuts themes.

"Christmas Time is Here" has become a seasonal fixture, and pretty much everybody of consequence has covered "Cast Your Fate to the Wind".

Let's fade with the words of Jon Hendricks, poet laureate of jazz, who once wrote:

"Vince is what you call a piano player. That's different from a pianist. A pianist can play anything you can put in front of him. A piano player can play anything before you can put it in front of him."

Source: Derrick Bang, All About Jazz