#i am thinking of ART taking on a RB and winning

[the-faultofdaedalus]

had a dream the other night where there was a new murderbot book out but for some reason it was set in the TLT universe but kept continuity which implied that it had ALWAYS been in the same universe as tlt, just that the corporation rim + preservation is just mostly blissfully unaware of all the shit happening between the 9 houses and the other settled systems

which i think is deeply good and very funny.

the only snippet i remember from my dream was MB bitching about doing security for necromancers because a) the whole cavalier thing is “humans doing their own security” taken to its worst extreme (at least they don’t have projectile or energy weapons) and b) necromancers in general are just not afraid of it or other secunits, and not in the same way mensah isn’t afraid of it (because she trusts it) but because they 100% know that they can neutralize it in an instant and it won’t be able to do anything about it. this makes its threat assessment module freak the fuck out.

[ryo-hirakawa]

top 5 f1 prospects (anywhere in the feeder series)

omg thank u for this nonnie. alright so this will be kids i acc think can make it to f1 and not necessarily my fav juniors rn. holds up a sign that says "ask me about my youths for hypercars recommendations"

5. victor martins

putting him 5th because i fear putting him higher will jinx him and ogs know vic is one of my main guys. has had a pretty ass start to the season which i am not forgiving art gp for btw, but if este and pierre really both go "fuck it" then victor could get a chance. but it'd only happen if both seats are vacant bc there's still jack. honourable mention to jack who did not make top 5 simply bc i like victor more but he's the 6th. oh also if jack gets the f1 seat but vic doesn't i would love to recommend him to a certain affiliated hypercar team. in the 36 bc im attached to 35's lineup already #thealiens

4. zane maloney

f2 championship leader rn. i know it's incredibly early days and he has to contend with theo BUT if he does win f2 this year he would have done it in 2 years as opposed to theo's 3. although his case will only truly be made if theo flops in superformula (probably measured by performance relative to other toyota cars rather than the whole grid, but if ayumu beats him it Won't look good.) anyway if the above two things do happen zane's in a real shout for an audi seat. come on audi you can't be serious about hulk rn can ya...

3. arvid lindblad

why not the loveable red bull f2 lineup? imo it's the timing; isack and pepe are too close to make it to the next big rb shuffle, but arvid is 16, youngest f3 winner ever, and has the time to polish the rougher edges to be the prime choice for the baby bull seat when it becomes vacant again. also arvid is good although he panicked at the end of his f4 campaign and handed it to kacper. but isack also panicked at the end of his f3 campaign and i still rate him so. also hi isack have you considered hypercar (i know pepe already has)

2. liam lawson

pre-f1 debut i would think liam was doomed to be forgotten by the red bull machine because it's not easy to get your foot in the door. but because he did, and also because of the general wackiness of the red bull driver situation rn, he could stand a real chance. most likely he will take ric's seat. in the event they decide to show both ric and checo the door, they probably won't put him straight in the red bull. then again maybe verstappen will veto sainz jr again and then they'd have no choice (they won't put yuki in the second rb. i don't trust like that.)

1. ollie bearman

lil bro's destiny is all but written for him at this point, i'm very confident he will get a haas seat. whether he manages to make it into ferrari will imo depends less on how the charles/lewis lineup does and more on whether he can get to grips with the beast that is haas. once upon a time mick schumacher won euro f3 and f2 but what did haas do for him? exactly. although he is the best fda prospect of his generation (i am so sorry dino) so i am more inclined to think he will swim rather than sink

EDIT HOW DID I FORGET ABOUT KIMI ANTONELLI. although i think the f1 community as a whole is hyping him up too much and he deserves some breathing space to do what he does at his own pace so i am not ranking him 🫶

[russilton]

i have successfully read ur au like. thrice now. and ik all will be revealed in the fanfic itself but i was curious, how's george like when he's starting to have a bad time in the redbull seat :000 ofc u dont have to answer if it spoils anything!! ++ love the art i am Consuming this au with my entire being - @ruszhou

Oh I absolutely want to talk about it so for anyone who doesn’t wanna be spoiled early here’s ur warning. This au is taking over my soul slightly so I GET you.

Red Bull au spoilers below!

(Redbull George prologue - summary )

So George starts his season flying pretty high, he vibes with the Redbull car almost immediately since the alpha tauri is a close sibling, and the rb car is just that but on speed. He doesn’t immediately eclipse max in points, max is more adjusted to the car and gets preferred team strategy, George knows his job is to be a nuisance and he likes doing so. He’ll absolutely put the idea of chasing max for a win to the side to waste time making Lewis work hard to overtake him. It’s fun, adrenaline pumping, and after a couple races they begin the hate fucking, so George knows Lewis will reward his on track sass with a hard railing over the table in his motor home later. Win fuckin win!

The problem for Redbull however becomes when George starts out qualifying Max semi consistently. Max brings them more sponsors than George, and to Redbull one of George’s flaws is that he’s too polite on track. George will push Lewis to the limit of letter of the law, but he won’t ever make Lewis choose between letting him by or crashing. George thinks that tactic is bullshit, risky and frankly boring. Redbull think George is soft and will reprimand him on “letting Lewis by” but they view George as Second driver so as long as he’s keeping Lewis up, it’s fine. When George is staying close in points to Lewis and max, they can ignore it because max is ahead. But when he’s close, qualifies ahead, and is the one leading, it’s harder to justify to George why he’s not getting preferred tire strategy, or left out long, potentially ruining his race, just to hamper Lewis.

Redbull are unyielding about preference, and even though Max is still being ‘nice’ to George (he’s certainly tried to get George to be pleased max is paying attention to him, but George is too busy finding ways to poke Lewis. Besides, George doesn’t trust other Redbull drivers, Alex taught him that), his patience is starting to wear thin that max is put first when George frankly thinks he’s better. He’s all ego remember, Redbull cultured that on purpose, so he looks at the team and starts to question why his race strategies are so shit. They tell him to shut up and drive, he just can’t see the same things they do on the pit wall. George grumbles but keeps going, but it eats at him. The first time it REALLY gets to him is when george was on clear track for a win, but max would have come second, and the points gap with lewis is too close, so george is ordered to let max by. George is told “Max’s tires are old, he can’t defend against lewis, your tires are new, we need you to hold lewis off to maximise points for the team”, and he does it even though he’s pretty sure Max’s tires are fine from what he can see. After the race he sees that Max’s tires frankly looked better than his own, and probably would have held up just fine, and he’s fuckin livid. Lewis is already seeking him out for their semi usual routine, where he gets his annoyance at a slow pit and George’s defence out by making George blow him, but when he finds George, George is all lip biting, trying to be dominant, tugging Lewis in by his race collar. Lewis ends up pressing him into a wall dangerously close to a window anyone could see, and reminding him who’s boss, and at least THAT makes sense. Lewis doesn’t fuck about, he doesn’t try to be nice to George, he calls George his bitch and doesn’t particularly care how George feels about it (he loves it). George would much rather have Lewis call him a whore than have Redbull piss on his boots and tell him it’s raining.

Unfortunately for Georgie boy things don’t get much better from there, just more blatant. He follows the team line even if he’s seething, grits his teeth and tells sky that he just didn’t have the pace to catch Max when the team had ensured it. He continues to be a dutiful second driver in the paddock, but he makes Lewis treat him rougher behind closed doors. Lewis makes sense, Lewis doesn’t ask George to get on his knees, he forces it. He doesn’t chase his own pleasure while telling George it’s for the good of them both, he tells George to come untouched or not at all. Lewis notices this shift, distantly. Where George had laid back in his sheets with a cocky grin after they’d finished before, teasing Lewis even while he had Lewis’ come dripping out of him, now he’s up and out of bed within minutes, tugging his clothes back on and barging out the door without much of a parting barb. He chalks it up to it not all being sunshine and rainbows at Redbull and doesn’t let it concern him, what he and George do is still entirely consensual even if George isn’t finding the magic fix to his problems in it. That’s what you get picking a shit team. But he does keep a closer eye on them, if things are barely mid season and already getting spicy at the other team, odds are they’re not gonna suddenly get more relaxed

[botwstoriesandsuch]

[Image ID: A screenshot of an anon asking saying “I just wanna say that your tags whenever you rb art and fics are so cute 🥺 you reblogged something of mine the other day and the tags were just so nice and innocent??? It’s like watching a little kid at an aquarium 😝so as an artist I thank you, hope you don’t take it as cringy” End ID]

- - - - - 

Cringey?? nonononono I may be a young kid watching the pretty fish swim aimlessly in the aquarium but I will

recklessly enjoy other people’s content don’t test me

I try to keep it in the tags cause I don’t wanna take away from the op’s original work, plus it makes it easier for other people to rb it from me, but I will amp up the love and appreciation when the situation calls for it. You could straight up come into my inbox or messages and just ask me to give you a reblog and I will do it, I do not care I love you, content creators.

Cringe Culture is dead it’s time to gush plus if I do this often enough people might do it more for me so it’s a win win hehe

Legit, I got a super sweet comment on one of my fics quoting something I wrote and it made me so happy so I was like “huh, guess I’ll do that more often then” and now I’m doing that, that’s how impressionable I am asdfghjk

Also hello?? specifically *my* tags helped you out?? I am a nobody, CLEARLY not enough people are doing this smh, allow me to teach the masses for a sec here

How To Make A Content Creator Happy: the world’s simplest guide to spreading serotonin through a keyboard

Step fucking one) You reblog it. I mean, that’s a given. You’ve all seen those “reblogs help creators out and likes do nothing” posts so I won’t rant too much. Likes are good, but reblogs are like handing someone a stack of a hundred dollars and all it takes is one click! 

(PRO TIP: Hold down the button and swipe for mobile, and hold the left alt button and click once for computer [though it will only rb to your main blog. if you want it for a side-blog then you’re stuck with two clicks but HEY two clicks to help out a creator you like is nothing!])

You share it! Just share stuff. Share the ao3 like, please do it. Don’t repost, don’t just mention it, give the links especially when you’re just in conversation or talking about it around plz I swear it does wonders

Ok moving on to the super simple stuff for commenting and putting stuff in the tags because I guarantee that the op will read them

write A N Y T H I N G and I literally mean anything just fucking:

!!!!!!!

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

sdjflksdjfkjh

?!?!?!?!!?

hhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhghghhhhhhhhh

:OOOOOOOOO

prettyyy

<33333333333333333

just fucking go ham, go nuts, it doesn’t need to be coherent it just needs to EXIST the very existence of someone enjoying someone’s content gives so much serotonin so stop being silent cowards and give us a smiley face from time to time

uh what else what else....hmm [golden rule is treat others the way you want to be treated, so if you’re a creator yourself, just give whatever you would want seen in the comments of your stuff! I mean that’s how I came up with all this...]

Point out the details! I mentioned earlier about quoting stuff from fics (that stuff is just 👌👌👌 so delicious) but I’m pretty sure (I’m not an artist myself don’t quote me) that the exact same effect is present when you talk about details in art or something. So talk about that pretty snowflake in the background! Or that piece of dialogue that made you laugh. Just a simple nod to the details is a big difference between saying “I like this” versus “I like this thing that you took the time to make the effort you put into the details did not go unnoticed”

just ALL the feedback please and thank you

this might vary from person to person, though personally I love when people are like “The way you write imagery is so good please do more!!” so just give a little nod to someone like “The way you draw this character is amazing please do more” or something like that

I wouldn’t go as far as to give criticism (although personally I’m the type of person that loves the occasionally critique for future reference, cause it means that you care as much as I do about the quality of my work) 

But along the same lines as the details thing, a nice nod to a creator about what they’re doing right is sooooo good! makes the butterflies flutter

                ~~~~~~Did that post give you emotions?~~~~~~

   G   O   O   D

 ~~FUCKING TELL US~~

THE ACT OF SOMEONE WRITING A SET OF LETTERS, OR SOMEONE SKETCHING A BLOB MADE ANOTHER DISTANT HUMAN BEING DEVELOP CHEMICALS IN THEIR BRAIN?? SURE WOULD LOVE TO KNOW THAT BECAUSE WOW THAT’S AMAZING!?!??

just go “I’m so happy” or “I’m so sad” just “TT__TT” just fucking “:OO” or just “I hate this” [HUMOURISTICALLY] and “I can’t believe you’ve done” just give it yes tell us the emotion that you have felt we love it

I don’t think enough people understand how amazing that is???? You were once in a normal, neutral state, and then a piece of content that I created just made you smile or laugh or cry like WHAT that’s amazing omg

Ok so that’s pretty much the simple stuff right, that’s your elementary classwork right there

Just give something, literally anything and just go “I love this so much!!!!!” bam done, you just murdered the op with your love, great job

So yeah, that’s that. Pretty simple stuff, no?

...but you wanna graduate to master class?

You wanna fucking go ape shit

you wanna just

g o    t o    town?

I said this was gonna be a simple guide so don’t worry, I’m not gonna tell you that you have to write a full length essay on every post that you come across

[BUT IF YOU WANT TO DON’T LET ME STOP YOU THAT WOULD ACTUALLY BE AMAZING?? HELL WRITING OUT A PARAGRAPH OF A COMMENT IS ALREADY JUST *CHEFS KISS* MASTERCLASS OF MURDERING THE OP WITH LOVE JUST ANALYZING THE SHIT OUT OF THE COLORS AND SHADING AND FRAMING OR JUST POINTING OUT THE THEMES AND SUBTEXT AND CHARACTERIZATION --part of the reason I love betaing stuff so much because I can analyze shit and shower it with premature love while also helping fics to be even better than they were originally ugh so cleansing for my literature heart-- SO YEAH GIVE CREATORS A PARAGRAPH, DARE I DREAM OF PARAGRAPHS, BECAUSE WOW YES PLEASE YES]

...ahem anyway

the way to graduate from good to great as a receiver of content is

to do all this

any of this

any of this simple stupid amazing shit

and just

put it in an ask or message

that’s literally it

Let me tell you why that’s so amazing, it pumps up the already amazing dopamine dosage of these actions alone, and multiplies it by a hundred, let me tell you why

Let’s say you read a drabble. You loved it, you reblogged it, you gave it hearts and emojis and ranted for a few tags about how it made you drop your muffin on the ground. Fantastic work, you just made the op pass out.

Then you go about your day and that’s the end of that.

BUT

if you do all that

and then put it in an ASK

dare you even a direct message?? (probably not most of us on here are cowards I get that)

but an ASK, anon or otherwise?

The message you just sent to the op was “I interacted with the post you made, and I loved it so much that I went the extra mile of going to your blog to make extra extra sure you understand how much I liked your thing”

There’s a wordless wall with every post! You like and reblog the thing and move on with your day. 

But the fact that YOU sent a HEART a SINGLE sentence about how you liked a thing? the fact that you BREACHED that wall and just fucking keyboard smashed in the inbox? the fact that you did that is the most amazing thing in the world

you just ambush the op with good vibes. we were expecting the bare minimum in the comments and tags, but the fact you when out of your way to make it a message or ask???? superb, outstanding, the sheer SHOCK of it will shift tectonic plates

you’re my fucking hero if you do this. you’re a godsend. I would kill for you,👏people👏would👏kill👏for👏you.

AT LEAST THEY WOULD KILL FOR YOU IF THIS ACTION DIDN’T ALREADY MURDER THEM

BE A MURDERER, NAY, A SERIAL KILLER. MURDER CONTENT CREATORS WITH LOVE

BE RECKLESSLY KIND AND LOVING YOU PIECE OF SHIT, ITS IMPOSSIBLE TO BE CRINGY TO STARVING AND DYING WRITERS AND ARTISTS WE WILL TAKE IT ALL GOD DAMMIT

YOU ARE A CHILD STARING UP AT AN AQUARIUM IN WONDER.

MAKE YOUR HAPPINESS STIR THE TIDES, LET YOUR PRESCENCE BE KNOWN PAST THE REFLECTION OF THE GLASS.

THE FISH ARE LOOKING FOR YOUR SMILE. 

[yasbxxgie]

The Artist’s Way: Writer-director Radha Blank ruminates on creative frustration and rejuvenation in her debut feature, The Forty-Year-Old Version

Fair warning: This interview with Radha Blank isn’t business — it’s personal. Right now, like at this very moment, Radha is being introduced to the world as the writer, director, and star of the remarkable new Netflix film The Forty-Year-Old Version. But I remember Radha in the 1990s, smashing open mics at Brooklyn Moon in N.Y.C., rocking a fitted N.Y. Yankees cap and big hoop earrings. I remember her jumping into cyphers and catching wreck (read: she can dance her ass off) at Club Kilimanjaro. I remember sitting in the audience of her play Seed in 2011 and thinking, Damn, homegirl can write. I remember witnessing the rise of her emcee alter ego and one-woman show RadhaMUSprime at Joe’s Pub in 2014 and thinking, Damn, Radha can rhyme. AND she funny AF. Because Radha was (and is) a part of a close-knit artists’ community, I also recall her hustle, the keeping-the-lights-on-while-trying-to-make-your-dreams-come-true shuffle we know so well. Radha worked as a teacher, she wrote for children’s television and for shows such as Empire and She’s Gotta Have It.

So when The Forty-Year-Old Version won the U.S. Dramatic Directing Award at Sundance earlier this year, the community rejoiced! This wasn’t just a win for Radha, it was a win for the people. Here was a film rooted in Radha’s own story, about a woman at 40; a Black artist trying to get her stories told — as a playwright and as a rapper; a daughter grieving the death of her mother. Radha told her story her way, down to shooting the streets of New York on 35mm film in black and white. The result is a whole, liberating mood. There’s even a nod to Prince’s Purple Rain.

Karen Good Marable: First of all, Radha, congratulations! The Forty-Year-Old Version is amazing. Your success feels so much like a win for Brooklyn. A win for us all. Thank you for writing it. Radha Blank: I really did make it for us — us being Black women, Black women of a certain age, Black women artists of a certain age. I didn’t think I’d be starting a whole new career in my 40s, but I think it speaks to what’s possible if you let go of other people’s ideas of where you should be in your life. If I listened to other people and gave credence to their ideas, I would not be here.

Amen. When you were younger, did you have the boxes to check, i.e., “I need to get this done by 30, I need to get this done by 40”? Were you that girl? RB:

I think I was that girl. And I always say this about aging: It’s never really about the person; it’s about other people’s perceptions that you then take on. I thought by 40, I would be married with a couple of kids, all of my work being published, theaters asking, “Can we do a revival of this play now?” I really thought once I decided to be a playwright, which was probably my mid-20s, I thought, Oh, by 40, I’m going to be set up. I will have a house. And I do have a house, but that came from Cookie and Lucious Lyon. They got me a house.

Come through, Empire. RB:

I feel like we’ve all been conditioned to think that 40 is: You’re an adult, you’re accomplished, you’re established. What me and my character share is there’s still all of these “who am I” moments, questions around identity. Especially when my mother died, I really had to figure out who I was, because so much of my life as a woman, as a person, as a Black American, as an artist, was tied to this woman. When she died, I really had no sense of myself. So I feel like my personal experience propelled me toward telling the story. We just don’t see women of that age saying, What do I do next? Am I happy? Is this enough?

Your mother — curator, visual artist, cinephile, and arts teacher Carol Blank — figures prominently in the film. She is a goddess and a guide, but she also represents a complicated lesson in what it means to be an artist. RB: Oh, listen, I feel like everything I’ve learned, I’ve learned from my mother — from my frustration as an artist to being a teaching artist for so long. That’s where I learned how to be a director, honestly. I didn’t go to film school. I did stand-up comedy and all this performance stuff, and my first example was my mother. She knew how to turn a phrase or a joke to get the kids interested, and if they weren’t, she wasn’t going to push it. I learned from her first, and I tried to match her energy.

I don’t know what my mother went through when she turned 40, as an artist. I know she was a mom of two by that time, but I gathered — especially because she was a teaching artist for so many years — that she was hustling, jumping between these different roles, trying to make sense of something for herself. In that way, I feel like the movie and my journey as an artist brought me closer to her. I was like, Oh, this is what you had to go through. And then you had two kids on top of that?

In the film, your character is also a teacher. As much as she tries to model support and positivity, sometimes the frustration seeps through. One line stayed with me: “Don’t think that because you created something, people will appreciate it.” RB:

Yeah, I have been bitter. I was able to transform that into a film; it gave me a story to tell. But I did feel that theater as an institution didn’t pay off, there wasn’t much of a dividend. I had done a play in 2011 called Seed, and everyone was like, “Girl, this is your breakout! This is your moment! This play is going on Broadway!” None of that shit happened. Theater was not responding in the same way. I was quietly devastated by it, and I think the movie is my exploration of the why. How come things didn’t happen for me? Here’s someone who has been trying for 20-something years and my biggest accomplishment was 10 years ago when I was 30. That’s why I invented the 30 Under 30 award for my character: The idea that accomplishments are amplified by one’s proximity to youth. There’s no 50 Under 50 award. Or 60 Under 60. Being young and doing something as an artist seems more of a cause for celebration. You know what I mean?

There’s also this theme of displacement that runs through the film. In addition to your protagonist feeling out of place in the classroom and in the theater community, she’s also setting a play, Harlem Ave, that deals with gentrification. RB:

So, my parents were gentrifiers in their own way in the late 60s and 70s, when they moved to the south side of Williamsburg, Brooklyn. They didn’t displace people, because what they and their artist and jazz musician comrades would do is take over dilapidated spaces that were considered unlivable — broken-down lofts and factories and storefronts — and create community. There was an investment in engaging the community that came before you, whereas now I think gentrification really is just about an opportunity for the person moving in — “Oh, look at this dope, cheap brownstone that I can get” — with no regard for what came before.

Right. RB: The same thing happens with these artistic institutions: They find a dilapidated space, they revive it and put a million dollars into it. Then when it comes to programming, the people on the stage don’t look like the people outside of the gate. They’re thinking of their silver-haired patrons, because those people can afford a $100 ticket, and that is who I feel most of the theaters cater to. So when diversity shows up on the stage, it’s a version of diversity that protects the audience from feeling bad about racism or sexism. They can still remain in a comfortable place, so they can come back next week or next month and see something for the $300 membership.

But then you brilliantly juxtapose said institutions with the battle rap in the Bronx. RB: I wanted to show these different hubs of art in New York. This film is about capturing an authentic New York experience, and so we shot that battle rap scene at a warehouse space at the tip-top of the Bronx. Art and culture are happening in these spaces that we’re not always focusing the camera on and that don’t have the multimillion-dollar renovation fund of a downtown theater. But this is theater. This is art.

Is that battle based on an actual show? RB:

Yes. Well, we recreated that. Babs Bunny, who people may recognize from Making the Band, created this brand called Queen of the Ring. If you go on YouTube, you’ll see their battle raps. I would watch them because I just needed to see women slaying shit and not being proper or polite. I just wanted to put it into a cinematic world.

Your pen is equally hard-hitting, Radha. Rhymes like “Poverty Porn” and “This Some Bullshit” do so much in revealing character, advancing the narrative. RB:

Thank you. I mean, I feel like if we’re stopping to listen to a song, it should still be about advancing the narrative. We’re still moving forward, riding on this person’s frustration, but into the next scene, next act, or what have you. I think it comes from being a playwright, making sure that everything is earned and not just thrown in there for novelty or because it’s colorful and interesting. I feel like RadhaMUSprime is probably an explosion of her consciousness, the things that she’d been suppressing.But yeah, I’m an emcee. I rhyme. The beautiful thing about the film is I didn’t have to become a professional rapper. I don’t feel like the movie is 8 Mile. I say the movie is 2 Mile,

because she’s not trying to go that far. She’s not trying to be a hip-hop star. For her, hip-hop is a meditation and it shows up in many ways, from the trap beat floating outside her window, to her freestyling in the mirror, or with the dudes in the basement cypher at Arlene’s Grocery.

In some ways, the moral and artistic struggles of The Forty-Year-Old Version remind me of Hollywood Shuffle, Robert Townsend’s 1987 classic. RB:

I appreciate that you bring up Hollywood Shuffle, because I know that because I’m Black and I’m shooting in black and white, people always make the comparison to She’s Gotta Have It. But I feel like my film calls back to Hollywood Shuffle, about a Black artist confronting the white gatekeepers on who gets to tell a Black story and how.

Exactly. And like Townsend, you wrote, directed, and starred in your own first feature film. How was that experience, and do you think you would do it again? RB:

I wouldn’t say I regret being in my film, but I think that there’s probably more of a fascination with my film because I’m in it. And I have too much respect for actors to call myself one. I don’t come from training. I don’t sit in these auditions day after day. I don’t have to endure seven callbacks for a role. I just think that when an audience is familiar with a face, it might make it easier for them to go down the line with this person. So while I don’t plan on being in another one of my films, I do plan on mining my family legacy for storytelling, and on telling stories where music is a driving force.I really want to be an auteur. I’m hoping that my stories get quieter. Very quiet, but very potent. A slow burn, but such a beautiful payoff. I want to make work like that.

Amen.

Photographs:

Radha Blank on set, t & m

Radha Blank with her fellow cast members

[vero-magic]

Top 10 Moments from this Women's World Cup?

Okay so I kinda just did TOP TEN HIGHLIGHTS of the 2019 WWC... because I didn’t just want it to be goals//matches//dribbles. I wanted it to be bigger than that.

Where do I even begin? Seesh! Okay you asked to go down this rabbit hole. I apologize to no one for how long this is.

[10.] Lucy Bronze v Norway (Defender, England)

Okay... So we shouldn’t be surprised that I put Lucy Bronze on this list. But her goal vs Norway was my personal goal of the tournament. The strike, the technicality, the pace, ugh. Beautiful stuff from a beautiful human being. I mean it was a rocket. This was such a statement win, not to mention the fantastic tournament that Lucy had as well as the rest of the Lionesses. She anchored the english backline despite being a RB up in the attack. I think Lucy is the engine of the team. (Tbh, I don’t like Houghton as a captain because she doesn’t command enough of a presence for me on the field) You know who does have a presence on the field? Lucy Tough Bronze. This goal proved that statement to be true.

[9.] Amel Majri (Defender, France)

Switching flanks to the LB position, let’s talk Amel. Majri had one of the strongest if not the strongest performances throughout the entire WWC. (If she gets left off of the Best XI, I will literally riot.) She was strong, creative, pushed forward and added to the attack, while still providing top-class defense. She was able to keep world class forwards and mids quiet for 90+ minutes game after game. She had insane stats for this WWC, listen to this and tell me it’s not crazy. She led the entire tournament (think about the strong teams of Germany, USA, Netherlands, etc.) leading into the Round of 16 // Q/F games in assists, chances created, crosses//successful crosses. She’s a left back. I’m sorry but I just have to point out how important she is to the French side. Her dynamic running and influence was//is crucial to their attacking play. (She did more than Gauvin and Thiney combined tbh.) But anyhoo, Amel Majri had a hell of a tournament and she is a hell of a player. That’s just the facts. 

[8.] LGBTQ+ Visibility

I think this entire point can be summed up in one tweet. 

The LGBTQ+ Community THRIVED this World Cup. And I was here for it.

[7.] France - La Marseillaise // Chile - Canción Nacional

I love nothing more than pride for our heritage and country. I promise that not all of these moments are about France either. (sorry! Mais allez les bleues am I right?) But after living in France for 19 months learning the culture, understanding the people, loving the language and the pride. I couldn’t help but put this on the list. France (the host nation) walked out onto the Parc des Prince field June 7th, it was all the pride of the host nation on display. It was incredible to experience and as you watched the players take in a sold out Parc des Prince and have 45,261 people scream-sing your nations anthem, chills. One of my personal favorite moments I got to experience throughout the games I went to. Similarity, I got chills when the Chile WNT sang their national anthem. For whatever stupid reason that FIFA was being shitty, it all got somewhat remedied when we heard La Rojas belt out Cación Nacional each and every game. Passion. Soul. Chills.  

( Couldn’t find a video of these... :/ )

[6.] Oranje Legioe

Undoubtedly, the best fans throughout the entire WWC go to the Dutch. They went to Le Havre, Valenciennes, Reims, Rennes, and finally Lyon and they didn’t just go... No, they showed up with thousands upon thousands of supporters strong. You’ve got them all, old, young, kiddos, men, women, children, gay, straight, and even Lisa Evans in a dodgey Orange hat to support her gf. Even still you might be asking, “Sage, why do I love the Dutch Oranje so much?” Well dear tumblr user, because it wasn’t just about the fanbase that they brought to the France, rather it was the support they gave from home. Game after game, the Netherlands smashed viewing records by millions as the NEDWNT continued on to the final. Incredible support makes incredible football. #GrowTheGameTOGETHER

[5.] Erin Cuthbert’s Photo Tribute (Forward, Scotland) 

I made a post about this earlier in the WWC. But this moment was incredible. Erin and Co are playing Argentina in their final WWC Group Stage game. It’s simple, win and they’re in. (Ultimately they would fall short after a powerful rally from La Albiceleste that stunned the world.) Anyhoo, Erin scores her first-ever WWC goal and pulls out a small photo and kisses it. Probably the most tender goal celly of the entire tourney tbh. The image was unclear but it was soon confirmed that it was a photo of a young Erin Cuthbert. Erin later said this:

[4.] Marta’s Speech (Forward, Brazil) 

What a moment not only for the Brazilian fans but for fans across the globe. Marta after Brazil’s elimination to hosts France in the Round of 16, delivered a powerful speech. In it she stated, “There's not going to be a Formiga forever, there's not going to be a Marta forever, there's not going to be a Cristiane.” before inviting the youth of Brazil to give more and do more. This speech quickly, became a worldwide topic of interest. But you know who didn’t need to hear it? (Hint: Read #5 again.)

[3.] Italy Women’s National Team

They first turned heads on first WWC game since 1991 against Australia. Upsetting the favorites 2-1 in an intense, exciting game. No one expected the Italians to do well versus the likes of Sam Kerr (c), De Vanna, Kellond-Knight, Foord, and Williams but, the Italians came back with a unique set of talent in Sara Gama (c), Bonansea, Giacinti, Girelli, and Galli that led their team not only to a shock upset against Aussies but to the Q/F. They played with heart, soul, and passion. They played an exciting game and displayed to the worst why they were there. (and ruined thousands of brackets in the process. RIP.) By far, one of my personal favorite teams to watch this entire tournament. Fantastic football. Let’s just put some up a beautful goal yeah?

[2.] Badass Goalkeeping

This WWC had no shortage of badass women, and it didn’t have a shortage of badass goalkeepers. I’m talking about Christiane Endler, Alyssa Naeher, Shimeng Peng,  Hedvig Lindahl, Karen Bardsley, Vanina Correa, and Sari van Veenendaal among others. Each of these players came up with HUGE and critical saves and moments for their respective countries. Between the 4 Goddess (oops) Player of the Match awards went to keepers showcasing the power and punctuality of the art of goalkeeping. Sari van Veenendaal took home the coveted Golden Glove. 1/12th of awards from the tournament went to keepers and if you don’t think that is impressive just check out Tiane Endler’s  performance against the United States in the Group Stage OR just check out this GK WWC Youtube Vid I found....

[1.] USWNT

The USWNT proved to from the start that they came to play. With a whopping FIFA record setting 13-0 win versus Thailand the USA started the road to the final. But the road was not easy, they had to play Sweden, France, England and take down the Netherlands in the final. This year was filled with record breaking moments for the USWNT including adding a brand new 4th star to those jerseys. What I love about this team is not only the play (but in my opinion they did not play the most attractive football in the tournament (@Netherlands) nor did they play the most strategic (@Sweden) but they grinded out win, after win, after win all while being their dorky selves. Despite pressure to succeed from the ‘15 WWC, the nation, and backlash from the current US President... the United States proved to be made of diamonds and thrived under it all. We saw cellys, sipped some tea, and marveled at Megan. The USWNT won on every front.   

End Tangent: This WWC was so successful and laid a great foundation for the 2023 WWC. This WWC broke records, united nations, and created a platform to advocate for equality. The level of play was tremendous and we saw that every nation is growing the game. It was exciting to see and it makes me very, very excited for what’s to come.

[throughthewwods]

100 Days of Productivity 🏖 . Day 25, 26, 27

✨ it’s official ❣️My grad school acceptance letter finally came! ✨

🎈I start grad school in the fall 🎈

🎉

💚 Been hula hooping and walking each day

💜 Kiddo started her math tutoring, which she was happy about after, so that’s a win

💜 also set up her math rpg gaming account

💜 Got Kiddo outside for fresh air and some peopling

💙 I doodled in the shade while the kids played

📚 submitted my commencement application

⭐️ wrote up a positive feedback letter for a professor towards their promotion

⭐️ bought air filters to make my box fans into makeshift air purifiers in the event we have another wild fire kind of summer

📚 got in touch with one of my professors for a letter of rec toward my masters scholarship

💛 wrote up the second draft to my scholarship letter

⭐️ rearranged my bedroom and made it more cozy

🧡 had a couple helpline sessions

🌟 set up my air conditioner before the heat wave hits this weekend,

which was… cumbersome, but Kiddo was a good sport about letting me borrow her eyes and with our powers combined we managed to get it done!

⭐️ finally hung that Josephine wall tapestry that’s been bunched up on the shelf for ages

💙 nearly finished with Pride and Prejudice

💕 did another movie night

🐾 GSD training somewhere in all that, though not enough

As I attempt to update this, I’m reminded why I write daily. Today is Thursday. I scarcely remember Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday.. The chronology is mostly lost to me.

Monday..

with the best of intentions, we took my dog for a walk. He was difficult the whole way. As I shuffle my miscreant pup, mom’ing, rummaging through my bag for my credit card as the espresso machine roars, my phone rings. I have to ask my (hopefully) grad school if they will call me back in 5 minutes. FML 😆 all‘s well that ends well though. I received my acceptance letter later that afternoon. 🥳

Later kiddo sits beneath a shaded tree with a couple other little girls. they whisper amongst themselves giggling. I find a beach to doodle nonsensically, passing the time, briefly recalling that I am still an artist, considering maybe I have been over complicating this with worry Life has carried me away from art. It seems like The only thing missing is that I need to get out of the house more, to simply sit alone in quiet contemplation taking in the environment for inspiration then.. drawing happens.

Kiddo decides to make herself macaroni and cheese on the stove for the first time. Never has a bowl of Kraft been so savored as a 10 year old relishing her self-efficacy with every bite.

Tuesday…

We walked 20 minutes to sushi then had to turn right around because Kiddo forgot her mask. I was silent on the walk back not wanting my cumulative frustration with adolescence and possibly ADHD things become an overreaction.  At home I decide a fair, natural consequence is that she make us tuna sandwiches for lunch. 

I breathe through ‘blind girl’ anxiety  as I battle to install my air conditioner. The air conditioner is winning. The instructions are tiny, blurry, and irksome, but I’m too stubborn to quit. Halfway through I realize it will be necessary to rearrange my entire bedroom to make space for this contraption. Kiddo humors my confused irritability. It’s one of those occasions I am yet again exceptionally grateful for her literacy. When I point to a column she reads the next setup instructions aloud. With the project at long last complete, we both plop on my bed basking in the coolness of our 68 degree triumph.

Later RB treats everyone to a victory dinner. Mmmmmm Grande burritos 🤤

RB has had his own adulting victories that day, but struggles with workplace anxiety. I suggest we both meditate before bed. The fan hum draws us in. He describes feeling the lead of his worry lifting off his chest a little more the deeper he returned to his meditation until he was fast asleep. I feel and anxiousness lifting from my body too, but for me it is the warm lull of safety I have not known nearly enough of in this life. We both awoke we’ll rested.

I’m glad RB appreciates meditation. There was a decent chunk of my life where meditation was a major priority and on my relationship wish list.. then I dated a few douche-y New Age guys and it became less of a boyfriend criteria. In fact, I was pretty determined to never date another self professed ‘spiritual/philosophical guy’ again. 😅 RB doesn’t at all come off as the sort of man who’d practice meditation, so that’s been an endearing, healthy coping mechanism we casually share and support each other in.

Wednesday….

Kiddo has been using the chibi drawing tutorial book RB gave her. On his arrival, she rushes into the kitchen giddy to show him how it’s progressing.

RB and Kiddo watch the popcorn machine with wonder as fluffy kernels explode into the pot. I dig my hands in to toss the Parmesan olive oil, butter and garlic salt. RB grins. He has a fascinated twinkle to his eye saying, “it looks like you’re hunting for your keys”, to which I reply cheekily, “what makes you think I’m not?” I get Jurassic Park 3 rolling. I notice Kiddo uses scooting in for popcorn as an excuse to cuddle with RB and me. My heart is happy. Later the puppy joins us and we are quite the cute little family, all under throw blankets on the sectional, watching dinosaurs eat people.

[videcoeur]

also also ❤ + me cos i can have a little self indulgence, as a treat

Gonna take my time to give you a good reply here, even if I should be working and not procrastinating by giving you love--

whatever. Love first. Love always wins.

We didn’t exactly start off on the best terms but I’m glad we talked and overcame this.

Because I can truly say that today, you are most likely one of the persons I feel closest to. You are the person I talk to the most and even if we don’t rp a lot (because being a busy adult is a thing), you’re still someone I really enjoy being around as well. 

Our short bouts of discussion always make me smile and laug, and seeing you in my activity always brings me joy. I think it’s important to have friends like you around- you’re one of the only person I know who actually ask me how I am and care to know the answer lmao

You’re a ray of sunshine, René, for me, in this community. That’s why I check your blog almost daily to rb your stuff. Even when I don’t feel so good or not so social, talking with you doesn’t drain me, which is a feat because sometimes I don’t feel like I can even handle the most basic-ass conversation. And yet, you talk to me and it doesn’t make me recoil. You have a very easy personality, or maybe we just mesh well, who knows? I don’t but I certainly comfortable in this.

TL;DR: I love how soothing you are. If moirails were a thing, I’d totally have a pale crush on you. 

And now onto your characters!

Your designs are flawless and your art skills forever impresses me. It’s no wonder I commissionned a whole lot of stuff out of you. And trust me, if I was rich af you probably would be too lmao I love the way you draw expressions, the textures you use to shade and the way you manipulate colors. I think all of your characters are incredibly unique and well thought-out! I’m the kind of person who is more of a «spur of the moment» for character creation, but your designs feel like everything has a reason to be, otherwise you wouldn’t have put it there.

My favorite characters of yours are Shay, Gigi, Tom, Rose, and Adonis, but I also love a few more of yours.

All in all, I think you are a great person to be around, an amazing artist, and super creative. 

I love you

@8bit-mau5

[ilovejevsjeans]

Sorry to disturb you and sorry if this sounds presumptuous. I'm very new to F1 and still trying to catch up with everything and I found the asks you answered before about Carlos and Max (the Verstappens threatening them with taking Max off to Mercedes or Ferrari thing). I keep seeing some people claim that it was Sainzs spreading the rumors about Max going to Mercedes or Ferrari. 1/2

But judging by... many things, I don't think i'm very convinced?? It really confuses me and I wonder if there were any trustworthy sources that I can find? I'm not an English speaker so excuse me if I made any mistakes. Really love your blog, and thank you so much for everything!! 2/2

First of Hi! Your english is brilliant. And im so glad you like my blog.❤️❤️

I’ve never seen those claims before and I dont really understand why they would. What purpose would that serve? And I cant find anything on it either. Anyway I can safely say they’re bullshit. Purely because Jos himself went on record saying they were thinking about moving once his contract was over.

Speculation continues to swirl around the future of 18-year-old F1 rookie sensation Max Verstappen, with reports suggesting that the youngster is Maranello bound when Kimi Raikkonen decides to quit. “I think Max will stay here for another year to gain experience and then think about changing teams to get a better car”

Was seen talking to Toto while rumours were swirling that he was going to leave RB.

“Mercedes’ Toto Wolff has already been spotted in conversation with Verstappen’s father Jos.

Wolff wrote off the meeting as mere “coffee” with the former F1 driver, but when asked why Verstappen’s manager Raymond Vermeulen was also there, the Austrian told F1’s official website: “No, not sure!”

“Wolff had been seen in discussions with Verstappen's father Jos during the Russian Grand Prix weekend”

And most drivers when asked about moves to other teams will point out their already existing contracts and say something like “I’m very happy where i am, not looking blah blah blah. There was never any denial about talks or calling out the false rumours. They stoked them at every turn.

He referred to Max’s existing Red Bull deal but commented: “Whether that makes it impossible? I think in life nothing is impossible.”

Jos added: “We are always thinking about the future, as ultimately the goal for Max is to win races and fight for the championship.

But Verstappen said the rumours are flattering anyway, “It means I’m doing well. Sure it would be nice to drive for Ferrari. I think if you get a chance like that, you have to take it.”

“And has the Dutch camp played a role? Father Jos Verstappen and manager Raymond Vermeulen were schooled in the dark art of F1 politics by Flavio Briatore and Tom Walkinshaw, and they likely pre-empted the swap – using threats of Max signing pre-contracts elsewhere as leverage.” (X)

Pretty sure there’s more quotes from Jos out there too but dont really want to spend more time googling him than I have. Hope that answers your question. XX

[lotorlicious]

Lotorlicious Digital Art Giveaway!

I appreciate all the support and kindness many of you have shown me these past few months! In order to show my gratitude, I thought a little give away would be fun ^.^

This isn’t my actual art blog, but if you wanna check out my main click right here

A total of 3 winners will randomly be chosen (with a random generator) plus a poll for something extra for my wonderful followers!

TAKE THE POLL HERE

Poll Ends November 30th, 11:59PM CST.

Giveaway ends December 5th, 11:59PM CST.

RULES under the cut!

There will be a total of 3 winners! Each winner, depending on your place, will be able to commission me for free. All the pieces (digital art) will be fully colored with minimal shading ^.^ Since this is a Voltron blog, I will only be drawing Voltron characters.

Rules

This give away is meant for my followers, so you must be following me.

Please don’t just follow me just because you want to win. That’s an ass move. 

Don’t tag as “giveaway” because Tumblr apparently has a problem with that.

No giveaway blogs.

Winners will be notified via Tumblr messenger. Respond within 48 hours or else I will have to give the prize to someone else.

Winners also must be willing to give me their email address or discord so communication can be a bit simpler ^.^

How to get entries!

Reblog and/or like this post! You are only limited to one reblog. One rb is one entry. One like is also one entry.

Follow my art/main blog! This counts for two (2) entries! But please, follow if you genuinely like what I post and not just to win :(

So you can potentially have up to four (4) entries ^.^

What I will draw.

This is a voltron blog, so only Voltron characters for this particular event.

NO nsfw

Check out my art tag to see what I’m cool with.

I’m able to decline anything I am uncomfortable with drawing.

For “simple backgrounds,” I’m thinking more solid color with minimal designs. Not like the Shiro example under 2nd place. 

Also, for the sake of simplicity, I will be posting all finished artwork for this on my art blog, not this one. 

Thank you for being such amazing followers! I really appreciate what you guys have done ^.^ It’s a pleasure to know that there are nice people in this fandom haha. I also noticed how much I draw Shiro, Lotor, and occasionally Keith lol. My folder with all my art is just filled with these three and very purple tones haha. Anyways, thanks again! 

[thedenfantasyleague]

The Den Fantasy League Recap: Week Four

Gents,

It’s easy to panic. It’s easy to look at your roster and think, “How did I get here?”. The Fantasy world is one that can keep you up at night and on pins and needles waiting for a player to do something. It can also bring hope. As we know, anything can happen on a Monday night. It’s a long season, boys, so buckle up and in the words of the great thespian Will Ferrel in the critically acclaimed film Old School: let’s get it on.

El Commish v. Hank Mardukas

Fantasy football is tough and, a lot of times, very much out of your control. Right now, I’m behind E 0.4 points for the highest points allowed this season. Sometimes it’s just the luck of the draw for some teams; I am everyone’s Super Bowl. Scott continued that pace of high scoring against my team this week with a typical Scott week. Devante started his week off with a bang scoring 18 without a touchdown. Then the scoring continued. Scott only had two players not in double figures and was led by big games from Lamar (24.4), Golladay (18.7), and then that buffoon Lutz got 14 points on a Sunday night to seal my coffin. As for me, my team continued to show up. A lot of that is thanks to three players: Gallman (21.8), McCoy (14.9), and my beloved Pats D (23). Other than those three, no one else on my team met their projections. Frankly, I’m done with Matt Ryan. He’s a bum. Either way, Scott’s back in the winning column and I’m back to being a dumb loser.

Debbie Rowe v. The Perfect Ten

Speaking of points allowed, E had a good week but still fell short of Jane’s squad. E, our two-time defending champ, is back to his sly ways: losing early and planning for a great comeback in the second half. E’s team does come with a lot of questions. E did have good performances from Prater, Texans D, and the GOAT, John Matthew Stafford. His highest performer this week was Ekeler but could this be his final point outburst of the season with the return of Gordon? Speaking of return, how much does E need Tyreek? Other than his week two outburst, OBJ has failed to reach double digits in any other game this season. Even in their blowout win this past week, OBJ was a letdown with only 2 points. Yes, 2. Where does E go from here? Jane, on the other hand, has no questions. You can tell by the looks of his roster that he’s not making any changes any time soon; and why should he? Right now, Jake’s sitting at 3-1 and had another commanding victory this week. Jake benefitted from the deep ball this week and a lot of high scoring games. His pass catchers (Evans, Kupp, and Ebron) all had great games, plus throw in the always productive McCaffrey, it was in the bag.

Professor Remus Lupin v. Fire Jarn

The game everyone this week was watching. Gabe joined me on the recap last week and guaranteed a victory over Rob. What we didn’t know was that after some long debate and spirits flying around everywhere, Gabe would make a change that no one saw coming. After three long years, Gabe relinquished day-to-day operations from his team and handed the reigns over to Professor Lupin, an expert in the dark arts. It was a gamble that paid off. Lupin waved his wand and finally, Gabe’s team was brought back to life. Led by Goff, Carson, Woods, Seahawks D, and a MASSIVE game from Chubb (36.3) sealed his victory. Rubbie is starting to take his dive a little earlier this year but we all knew he couldn’t sustain his winning ways. Rob did put an impressive start on TNF, however, that may have led to his demise as Friday was the day that Gabe handed over control of his team. Rob continued to have a good week with guys like Kerryon, Godwin, and Bears D but his other players didn’t perform up to their normal standards. Kamara disappointed and Boyd (like the Bengals) fell flat on his face on MNF. These are two interesting teams that we need to keep an eye on.

Stick With Us PVO v. Wilmore Cinderella

Imagine this: you wake up after a long night of not sleeping well and but still wake up early to go to the gym since some other fellas are joining. Sometimes you need a good morning workout. You’re done and about to go home and then JP, who scored half of your points this week, looks at you and says, “I can’t believe I have a better record than you.” I truly can’t believe it either, JP. Jarrod’s team, we can all agree, was embarrassing this week. Case got pulled with -0.5, Mecole ended up with -1.1, and only TWO players on his team met their projections (Conner, 18.5, and Washington D). He’s lucky Conner had himself a game against the Bungals on MNF to salvage any sense of respect. Dylan (who is second to last on PA this year), survived with another victory, breaking the cycle of a Dylan-win-Browns-lose rhythm. Despite having the third-lowest score of the week, he benefitted by playing our worst team this week. He was led by Fournette and his kicker. Really, that’s about it. No one else on his team met their projections and even Russ came back down to earth this week. He did leave a lot of points on his bench this week but we’ll see how Dylan’s team responds to the loss of his star RB and a key WR.

VP v. Team Timshel

Vinny was our other successful guarantee this week. It was a bold move considering Mike had yet to lose a game this season. Vinny, surprisingly, delivered. Vinny was led by huge games from Brisket (22.5) and Williams (15.6). Plus he was supplemented with big games from guys like Alshon, Hooper, and Chargers D. Vinny’s past couple of weeks have been tricky ones as he has since lost his projected QB, RB, and his WR2 in the last few weeks. This week, he showed his team could respond and bounce back. Vinny may be the only one who believed in his team these past few weeks. Mike, who was our lowest in points allowed thus far, finally met his demise for his first loss of the year. Mike, similarly to Vinny, found himself needing to make some immediate moves to cover the loss of a big player. Melvin, who has since returned, was holding out to begin the season left Mike in a sticky situation. He found good games from Gurley, Sterling, and Panthers D this week but that’s about it. Can Gordon come in and compete right away or his value diminished from the success of Ekeler? Only time can tell for both of these teams. 

Virginia Kuppcakes v. Kalabar’s Revenge

We say anything can happen on a Monday night but sometimes that anything can mean losing which is exactly what happened to Al. With his loss, Al is now our only winless team heading into Week 5. His team has shown flashes of hope here and there but this week they fell flat on their face. Josh Allen faced a tough NE D (you’re welcome) and only two players on his team met their projections: DJ (13.9) and Titans D (thanks a lot). Going into MNF, Al was pitted against JuJu (USC Trojans, Fight On) to his Mixon. If Mixon could’ve reached his projection, he could have won. That’s how bad G played as well. Some (not me) are beginning to wonder if G should focus less on Kurses and more on his team. However, G was still able to be victorious despite all of the off-the-field distractions this week. G snuck by with three players meeting their projections this week: A-Rob (7.7), Andrews (9.1), and Greg the Leg (13). His defense, RB2 (get well soon Jamaal), and WR1 combined for 1.5 points this week. Not great! What G does have going for him this week is that the calendar page turned and now we’re in Spooky Season: October. We’ll see if G gets stronger by the week as we get closer to All Hallows’ Eve.

Week Four Recap: 

Good luck everyone as we get into Week Four. As always, set your lineups accordingly. 

Your beloved Commissioner, 

Jared R. Mosqueda

[fuckyeahevanrwood]

Rebel and a Basket Case

Evan Rachel Wood, known for her leading role as a heroine and oldest host in the HBO Original series Westworld, as well as her roles in films Thirteen, The Wrestler, TV series True Blood and the mini series Mildred Pearce.  Her covetable award-winning catalog of acting roles barely highlights her deep rooted musical background she evolved at a very young age.

We get a squint of her prolific vocal talent as the star of the 2007 musical film ‘Across the Universe‘ as she covers 1960’s  Beatles songs.  

Fast forward to 2017; Evan and Zach chat with novelist Laura Albert about the inspiration for their debut album and the journey of writing songs whilst juggling an intense acting career.

Rebel and a Basket Case an edgy, 80’s inspired electro –pop duo who are reclaiming inspirational moments from their teenage music icons, The Breakfast club, Karaoke and verve for all that is a unicorn world.

Interview by Laura Albert

Laura: I very much love Westworld. Has the unfurling story which seems a constant peeling back of identity, seeped into your musical world?

Evan: Zach and I wrote a lot of the album while I was in production and while we were on a short hiatus. Playing that character definitely gave me a new found strength that trickled over into our music I’m sure. So many themes on the record have to do with overcoming oppressive situations and West World is very much the same.

Laura: Your music has an uplifting message — it understands suffering but offers support to lift others out of darkness. It brings to mind a quote from my mentor David Milch, “You know, people say that my writing is dark. And for me it’s quite the opposite. It sees light in darkness and it doesn’t try to distort darkness. The essential thing is that the seeing itself is joyful.” It seems like you share this philosophy – would be great to hear both your thoughts.

Zach: Yep. I’m all about being present in the journey. One of the greatest life lessons I’ve ever learned is that you “can learn just as much from a ‘bad’ experience, as you can a ‘good’ experience.” So either way, you are balancing the scales and moving “forward” more than anything. That is cumulative. That’s unstoppable. And growth is independent of how enjoyable a particular life challenge or experience is. So, I think we capture that in our music. There is always pain and hardship that comes along (eventually) in tandem with the greatest joy. That’s the spice of life. We all want to be happy. But those moments when we are not or challenged is when we learn the most about ourselves…and carry that knowledge forward allowing us to enjoy our happy moments all more the deeply.

Evan: A lot of the lyrics that I pulled out of my arsenal came from a time when I was suffering, heartbroken, oppressed, misunderstood, and generally teetering on madness. The fact that I made it out and feel like a better person for it taught me a lot. Especially because my work in film is usually really heavy and dramatic I felt I would drain myself if the music I made was similar. I wanted our songs and lyrics to acknowledge the struggle but also say, “Hey, you aren’t alone and it’s going to be ok. You will survive.” Making uplifting and empowering music can sometimes be more challenging. Just like it’s easier to take an insult rather than a compliment. I think especially where we are in the world right now, people know things are hard, people know things are bad, I feel like we need to be reminded that we can overcome.

Laura: You were brought together collaborating on music, can you tell us more about that, and how you both felt it was a fit worth exploring.

Zach: Originally, this tune I had written sounded pretty lame with my vocals in the lead…enter Evan. She has an amazing gift both as a vocalist, and as a writer, which I discovered later. Her talent was apparent, but when it seemed like our collaboration gave her a stage to fully explore the writer inside of her, I happy obliged. That she feels comfortable with me in that regard is an honor, and a pleasure. Her turn of word never ceases to amaze me, and opened me up musically to explore different territory. It’s incredible to work with her, see how her mind works, and see the connections she makes to music emotionally. And her explosiveness and dynamic ability as a performer is hard to rival. Which is lovely, because I have looked a long time for someone who can give me a run for my money in the performative arena. I think we push each other, and complement each other equally. That’s why it works.

Evan: Music was always my first love. I held it in such high regard and it was so precious to me I couldn’t even bring myself to put my own out in the world because I wanted it to be perfect. Linda Perry heard me sing, reached out to me and became a sort of mentor. She gave me that little push I needed and the confidence to just start, it didn’t have to be perfect. Once that door was open I started working with Zach on this play we did together and we started talking about music. We not only had great chemistry but it seemed like we had the same vision for what we wanted to achieve, not just musically but the general concept. We both loved androgyny, glam rock, and were born in the 80’s raised in the 90’s so we have a lot of the same influences stylistically. Zach was the first person I felt comfortable enough with to be vulnerable and share my writing and melodies. He was really patient and nurturing and it felt safe. Once those barriers were down it was like we couldn’t stop making music, it flowed so freely and naturally. Zach is incredible with the little details and he can hear things I just don’t. He is also the hook master!

Laura: I dig how your band name is taken from the stereotype-labels from John Hughes’ Breakfast Club — there is a power in taking on a label and owning it. When I was a kid, my mom taught be about the Chinese finger puzzle, a straw tube you put your fingers into. If you try to pull your fingers out, it tightens around your fingers. The only way out is in: when you press your finger deeper inside, then it magically opens. As  public figures, so many tags or typecasting can get thrust on you. But you are both freely exploring a variety genres, but ultimately it feels like you are inviting the audience to go deeper than the label or category — and by doing so, you can follow any rule want. Do you feel free to explore any genre of music with Rebel?

Evan: I feel like we have so many influences and what I love about our first record is that it all fits together but it shows a vast range. We were exploring and finding different parts of ourselves musically as a band and I think that reflects in a cool way on this album. I also think you need to keep reinventing yourself as an artist because as people we don’t stay the same, we grow and evolve so that can’t help but be mirrored in what you create. I am hoping we are able to show many sides of who we are as artists while keeping the integrity of our vibe and mission.

Zach: With Ev on this one. As a writer, I am fairly disrespectful of any kind of genre restrictions. Of course things need to sound cohesive, and we definitely have an aesthetic as RB&C but, rules are made to be broken. And music in this era we are in is so fluid. Which mirrors what we are seeing movement wise as a culture. With structure comes freedom. No fear to explore.

Laura: Zach, it’s awesome how varied your creative outlets have been, did anyone every try to dissuade you from being so expansive in your artistic endeavors or outlets? Zach did you always know you wanted to make music?

Zach: Yes. Pretty much a LOT of people tried to dissuade me. They all had the best intentions, thinking that they were doing me a favor in their advice to streamline my energies… that I would be more focused on one thing, give move to just acting or dancing etc, and clear the field and my calendar. Unfortunately, that often backfires in modern society, and gone are the days of the Greeks, Romans, and MGM Pictures when we encouraged artists (and people) to be well-rounded ; confident that the X-training in experience would yield more interesting and varied results. So, in short I told those individuals thanks but no thanks. I wouldn’t be the musician I am today without the extensive background I have in dance, acting etc. They all feed one another.

Laura: How do you form your fashion sensibilities? They seem very playful.

Zach: I like clothes that elevate an aesthetic. That allows me to feel like I can transcend the norm and connect to something ethereal. Like lights and glitter. Evan?

Evan: I always view my alter ego ‘Basket case’ as just a heightened version of myself. Like when you go to burning man and you are allowed to create whatever character you want that would normally raise a few eyebrows on the streets. Thats why music and rock n roll have always been so alluring to me, it represented full expression and freedom. We also want it to reflect our message which is ‘be loud and proud and who you are and have fun doing it!

Laura: What are your tour plans? Your music has a cinematic edge to it, would you be interested in  creating soundtracks for films together?

Zach: We are playing regionally as much as possible and focusing on our unicorns on the West Coast. We are playing a Pride fest in Chicago and Oslo in June. Soundtracks for films? Absolutely….. lock me in a room with synth pads and a picture with lots of coffee any day.

Evan: I am actually directing my first film this spring so you might hear a couple of new tunes from R&BC in there.

Laura: Evan, when I became a parent, a fierce new kind of advocacy blossomed in me – I needed to protect and advocate for this child, and I would do what ever that required. With the art I created right after my son was born, I felt a not-dissimilar form of advocacy that was new in me. Not just for my art, but the idea of this child going through any of what I had experienced — sexual and physical abuse — chilled me to my core. I knew I could not shield him from suffering, but I felt that, by giving a voice to what had happened, by telling and raising awareness, I could perhaps make the world safer for him.  Did you experience anything like that?

Evan: Absolutely. I feel like it is my duty as a person and as a mother to be honest about my journey to help people on theirs. I hope I can set a good example for my son in that way. There is no shame.

Laura: Film acting reminds me of writing, in that there is no direct contact with the audience at the moment of creation. What I loved about making music was feeling locked in with an outside energy and not being alone, feeling that there could be a transmigration of spirit. When you sing, there is a sense that you are going to the depth of your being to bring connected emotion into being. Do you feel that music allows for more of felt or immediate shared sense of experience than your acting does?

Evan: Yes, it’s like doing theatre you get an immediate response from the audience. No matter how many times you rehearse, the second you are confronted by your audience everything changes, you feed off of their energy and go to another place. You lift each other up and the connection is palpable and immediate. Seeing people dance and sing to something that came from your soul which in many ways is your soul, there are no words to describe it. Feeling like you are raising people’s spirits and turning something painful into something joyous is why I do it.

Laura: From your tweets to your interviews, it seems you are inviting others to move out of where they might be stuck, to come alive in their compassion, to move past an illusion of isolation of self. Do you think of directing and writing as other tools for you to take problems of our soul and spirit and transform them into issues of craft, so that others might care about what they did not care about before?

Evan: All the art I make is to release my feelings and express myself in ways I can’t otherwise. It’s why I call myself an artist because it’s just something I have to do in some way or another to survive. It’s like air to me. I don’t know what I would without it. If by doing that and being honest wakes people up and makes them view themselves and the world in a way they hadn’t before, if breaks down walls and opens up doors then I have done my job well.

[ryo-hirakawa]

also dennis is all but confirmed to be going to f2 next year. most likely with prema. i need fred and victor in f2 next year too.

staying any longer in f3 will just damage fred's career imo. already this year everyone was expecting him to be a title challenger which he hasn't quite managed to do, if he stays another year not in a prema i don't think much will change and even if he does get the title next year it'll be in his third year and people won't value it as much, so to say. if cash allows it's better he moves up.

victor should move up as well, to strike while the iron is hot. he's impressed greatly in his rookie season, he should keep that momentum going. if he stays in f3 another year he runs the same risk fred had of being expected to fight for the title and then proving underwhelming due to the premas. and i doubt he's getting a prema seat. if he goes to f2, he either takes a while to get up to speed, which would be understandable, or he comes in as a proper title challenger, and he'll keep impressing. he already has the 40 sl points he really has nothing to lose here (besides cash). alpine i am watching get your boy an f2 seat or else 🔪

other thoughts on junior silly season:

i think robert will do a third year of f2 unless he manages to snatch the championship somehow. i know a lot of dudebros still hype him up on f1twt for some reason, but if he does get an f1 seat in 2023 after doing f2 for 3 years, he'd essentially be doing the same thing guanyu is probably gonna do, and they're the same folks complaining about guanyu rn. hmm.

also, if oscar doesn't win f2, with dennis moving up robert's probably losing the prema seat to him. regardless of whether dennis wins f3 (although that's like a foregone conclusion at this point). sure, robert is an f3 champ too, but recency bias plus dennis being one of marko's special little boys will swing the odds in his favour. without the prema seat i'm not sure if robert would want to continue in f2 or peace out to some other series, but if he does want to stay i'm sure the power of smp racing will let him find a seat elsewhere.

jüri and liam should and probably would stay another season in f2. now that jüri has his superlicense and helps out with the sim and f1 testing i doubt marko will banish him to superformula again. (hope i didn't jinx it) liam has impressed in dtm, rb might even want him to continue this double season setup he's got going on.

jehan i love you but f2 does not. he should go. he was going to do a young driver test for mahindra, he can look in that direction. carlin might replace one red bull junior with another, and take jack doohan, who i think will probably be moving up to f2 as well.

as richard is supposedly signed to mp motorsport on a race by race basis, it shouldn't be that hard for them to drop him in favour of getting victor into f2, as they'd have the benefit of continuity and also probably more money. would be a bummer for richard, that's for sure. (god that pun.) he is doing better than lirim tho, with the all important win and 7 places higher than him in the standings...perhaps that could prove enough for mp motorsport to keep him permanently? we will see.

christian is not going to stay. i can feel it in my bones. he's going to indycar. there isn't any reason for christian to stay anymore. he's getting overshadowed in the alpine academy which already is notorious for being very bad at getting drivers into f1. he's bailed and he'll find a career elsewhere. you know what. good for him. this should leave an art seat open for fred to progress to after this season. the downside? it's art gp, junior home of the second driver curse, and his teammate is going to be theo pourchaire. it would be tough, but if fred can make it work and bring a challenge to theo, it'll definitely look good for him.

arthur should stay. he needs another year to find his footing. olli hasn't had any moments where i felt he was ready to move up either. sorry.

clem probably would be moving up but does he really want a fucking trident

[russilton]

Hiya! I just read through the Redbull au master post again and was wonder what the plan is.. No pressure just curious?! Are you planning to write the whole thing before posting? Do you have an outline! I think this fic is such a great and creative idea and I am very intrigued about it! <3

Also please feel to use this ask as a place to talk about the fic, I love to hear about anything and everything to do with this fic!

🥰

Hey! Always happy to talk about RB au, I have an ask sat in my inbox currently about another snippet that I want to be able to fulfil some time, but I haven’t really had time to write it yet…

Plans! I do have an outline, a VERY detailed outline, that goes race by race through the 2021 season. I have a race win chart, I have points graph, I have background blocked out for George. This thing is planned to the nth degree. Each chapter should be one race, with a couple extras… so you’re looking at a 26ish chapter fic, with a couple k per chapter minimum. This thing is going to take a WHILE to write. And no I absolutely won’t post it till it’s done, and I will not dump the whole thing at once. I hate deadlines and posting before I’m done will remove the ability to be flexible with continuity and adding scenes when I need them.

Also every time I’ve posted a fic before it’s done I don’t finish it. So for the sake of me not ghosting and running, y’all will have to wait. But art might happen, I liked the RB au art I did even if the response was luke warm lol.

[judefan833-blog]

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[testdrivehihello]

Storytelling is a powerful narrative tool to influence a range of audiences and can be an effective supplement to presentations and data analysis. This expert tells you how.

Rob Biesenbach is the author of Unleash the Power of Storytelling: Win Hearts, Change Minds, Get Results (see my book review here). The book covers company origin stories, the use of stories during presentations, and personal brand stories.

Rob is a corporate communications consultant, and the author of books Act Like You Mean Business and 11 Deadly Presentation Sins. His clients have included AC Nielsen, Mars, MillerCoors, Motorola, Allstate, Deloitte and Lockheed Martin. Rob is a former vice president at Ogilvy PR Worldwide and has served in government as well.

Rob joins us in this chat on storytelling tactics during startup pitches, impacts of stories, the habits and achievements of successful storytellers, and the role of digital media.

Edited excerpts of the interview:

YourStory: What are the typical challenges entrepreneurs face as they scale up their company? How can storytelling help in the different stages of the journey?

Rob Biesenbach: Entrepreneurs are often driven by a fervent belief in what they are doing, which is important, of course. But that passion can also mean they lose their objectivity. They know so much about their company, product, or service that they find it difficult to distinguish the truly necessary information from the merely interesting.

That’s where storytelling comes in. By framing your idea or business in a narrative, you learn to keep the content tight and audience-focused. And that’s critical when pitching to investors, prospects, and recruits.

YS: How should innovators strike that delicate balance between ‘Stick to your vision’ and ‘Adapt to a changed world’? How should their story reflect the ups and downs of the journey?

RB: Change is all about conflict, and conflict is an essential ingredient for any story. A story where everything goes according to plan isn’t really a story. So revealing some of the ups and downs in the journey can be compelling.

But again, it’s important to focus. A story should not be a catalogue of every single twist and turn in the process, but only those essential to the narrative.

 YS: What is your current field of research in storytelling?

RB: I state pretty clearly in the introduction of the book that I am not an academic. And that, I think, is part of what makes the book so readable. Other than where I cite some of the neuroscientific evidence behind the power of storytelling, it’s not dense with scholarly footnotes.

I stay current on the topic by reading whatever I can from other experts. Mostly, though, I learn through the consulting and workshops I do. That gives me an understanding of the challenges people face in telling stories, and I’m able to collect more real-life examples of successful storytelling.

YS: How big a role do academics play in storytelling? Can storytelling really be formally taught?

RB: Absolutely, storytelling can be taught. My book aims to simplify and demystify storytelling. In terms of simplicity, I’ve seen storytelling processes with as many as 19 steps! That’s unnecessarily complicated, especially for busy professionals. I break it down to its essential components.

As for the “mystery” of storytelling, I believe that with the right tools and structure anyone can learn to tell a good story. Too many business people psych themselves out. They watch TED Talks and think they have to tell the kind of stories that send people into fits of laughter or tears.

But not every story has to have that level of impact. Often it’s enough to simply trigger an acknowledgement of a shared perspective (“I’ve been there”) or a glimmer of understanding (“I know what you mean”). That helps lay the foundation for a relationship, a sale, or whatever your goal might be.

YS: In the time since your book was published, what are some notable new examples of storytelling you have come across?

RB: The beauty of storytelling is that there are so many ways to come at it, and one of the most rewarding aspects of my work is seeing people craft and deliver their own stories. They draw on their personal experience or movies they’ve seen, they inject humour and surprise, they use elaborate physical gestures to amplify their message and more.

One participant started telling a story about a giant and I thought, “We really should be focusing on business stories here, not fables.” But then she revealed that the giant is Amazon! It was an allegory designed to communicate a key threat to her business to others in her organisation. Stories that go in an unexpected direction can be especially captivating.

YS: How was your book received? What were some of the unusual responses and reactions you got?

RB: I was delighted that in its first year it exceeded sales for my first two books combined. And I don’t think it’s necessarily a better book — it just seems that the topic of storytelling is of high interest to a lot of people.

One unusual response was from a colleague who seemed surprised that the book offers a detailed, step-by-step process for storytelling — implying that I was giving away all my secrets. By contrast, I read customer reviews of another book expressing disappointment that it was short on detail and seemingly designed to “upsell” readers on premium products.

I prefer my approach. The whole point is to help people fuel their success through storytelling.

YS: Most of the case studies in your book feature big companies; can you cite some examples of effective storytelling by startups and entrepreneurs? How about storytelling in government?

RB: I live in a 100-year-old home, so we are constantly bringing in contractors for repairs and projects. I do my due diligence — checking out reviews, getting recommendations, gathering the data, etc.

But what often drives my final decision is how they present themselves on their website. Do they have an interesting story that is well told and presents an authentic face to customers? Like a family-owned business with a long history in the community, for instance.

It may sound like a crazy way to pick a roofer or electrician, but all other things being equal, I go with the company with a good story. It helps create trust and confidence.

In terms of government, I tell a story in the book about the National Park Service in the US, which told a poignant story about the death of a hiker to warn people about the very real threats they may face in the wilderness. It had far more impact than your typical list of “dos and don’ts.”

YS: Who are some of the storytellers you admire the most today, and why?

RB: Malcolm Gladwell is a great storyteller. He’s been criticised by others in his field for oversimplifying science, but there’s no question he has a talent for boiling down complex ideas into compelling narratives that inform and persuade. Other technical types — engineers, technologists, physicians, lawyers — could learn from his approach.

But most of my inspiration comes from the arts and literature. The whole basis of my teaching is that practically everything we need to know about business communication can be learned from the world of performance —from connecting with an audience to expressing ourselves creatively.

YS: What are the top three ways in which digital media is transforming the craft of storytelling – for the better and the worse?

RB: First, digital communication places a premium on brevity, and I always say when it comes to storytelling, shorter is better. Especially for amateur storytellers.

Second, having an HD camera in virtually everyone’s hands have democratised storytelling, making it far easier to collect stories from employees, customers, and other audiences. That way it’s not all “top-down” storytelling from corporates.

Finally, of course, digital has allowed widespread and easy sharing of stories which, one would hope, might create more empathy and understanding across cultures.

YS: How does storytelling culture differ in countries around the world, e.g. US vs. Europe and Asia?

RB: I am not an expert in international cultures and customs, but when I do speak internationally I always work with clients to ensure I know as much as possible about the audience I’ll be working with (which I do domestically, too, of course).

One important thing I’ve learned — and this goes back to my days working at an international PR firm — is that people in other countries are often not as “expressive” as people in the US might typically be, with our “Have a nice day” email signoffs and possible overuse of exclamation points.

Because emotion is critical to successful storytelling, people in some cultures may worry that they’re expected to create an “Oprah”-style moment that takes them far out of their comfort zone. So I work extra hard to take the fear out of storytelling and bring people along to a place that works for them.

YS: What is it like to make a living as a storytelling coach and consultant? What are the challenges you face, and how do you tackle them?

RB: The biggest challenge is overcoming people’s scepticism about storytelling. Some bottom line-oriented people or highly technical ones, like lawyers or engineers, discount storytelling as “soft” or lacking in substance.

It’s important to emphasise that stories are not a replacement for facts and data — they’re a supplement to it. Often a vital supplement. Studies show people respond better to a cohesive narrative than a data dump. And they want to get a better sense of the people behind the product or brand.

In order to change minds, you have to win hearts, and stories offer a path for doing that.

So I start by speaking their language — presenting the hard evidence for why stories work — then I lead them through the process of discovering and shaping their stories.

YS: What new projects or initiatives are you working on now? Where do you see yourself headed in the next 5-10 years?

RB: I am always working to expand my portfolio, developing new keynotes on communication topics, and adding new material to existing programs. In the next 5-10 years, I envision doing more and more virtual training and online coaching to meet clients’ needs.

YS: What is your next book going to be about?

RB: It will probably be about advanced presentation skills, which is my other major area of focus, and the subject of my second book, 11 Deadly Presentation Sins. A great presentation can help you close a sale, win over a sceptic, motivate a team or build your brand.

Much has been written on the subject, but the problem of Death by PowerPoint persists. Attend any conference or typical corporate meeting and you see the same thing: dull, ugly visuals, information overload, lacklustre delivery.

Presenters need to step up their game because audiences are more sophisticated than ever. They’re watching TED Talks and they expect more. So the new book will draw on many of the lessons I’ve taught — and learned — doing individual and group training for hundreds of leaders.

YS: What is your parting message to startups and aspiring entrepreneurs in our audience?

RB: Don’t let fear stop you from letting go of the data and opening up and telling your story. Companies often make similar-sounding claims, but nobody else has your specific story. That’s a competitive advantage that can distinguish you from others and ensure you’re remembered.

from YourStory RSS Feed Madanmohan Rao ( )http://bit.ly/2AETSWY