#i just watched Kristian's live with him and Nathan

[theindiscreetbookworm]

it's really a testament to Con O'Neill's acting that Izzy Hands is as odious a character as he is, because good god damn is Con a treasure

[ofmdrecaps]

08/16 - 17/2024 Daily OFMD Recap

TLDR; Taika Waititi's Birthday!; David Jenkins; GalaxyCon San Jose: Vico, Con, Nathan, Kristian; David Fane; Samba Schutte; Madeleine Sami; Nat Torres; Erroll Shand; Cohen Holloway; Love Notes;

== Taika Waititi ==

Okay so I'm drastically late because yet again my life has become nutzoid, but Happy VERY belated birthday to the main man Taika Waititi! His birthday was August 16th, and he spent it with lots of friends and loved ones <3

Lots of videos! I couldn't include them all here, so you can see them all in one place on the Repo.

Sources: VasJMorgan's / Rita Ora's Instagram

== David Jenkins ==

David shared a tattoo that one of our crewmates shared his way!

Source: David Jenkins Instagram Stories

== GalaxyCon San Jose: Vico, Con, Kristian, and Nathan ==

Since there was so much footage, I'm going to try and break this up into two parts so I can fit in some other news!

Our friends over at @adoptourcrew were kind enough to live tweet the panel, here's those tweets below:

As you can see there was some clowning going on as well! Next up is fan shots shared on GalaxyCon San Jose or the cast member's instagrams! I'll try to get the original photo links in but if not I apologize! Let me know if I need to update them!

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Visit San Jose (@visitsanjose)

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by GalaxyCon (@galaxyconlive)

And Nathan was out with Con on his birthday!

Source: Galaxy Con San Jose's Instagram / Nathan/Con/Kristian/Vico's Instagrams

== David Fane ==

It's been a busy week for David! So glad to see him smiling!

Source: David Fane's Instagram

== Samba Schutte ==

Samba met up with his first drama teacher and sent a lovely message!

My very first drama teacher, the man who gave me the confidence to give my dream a shot, who helped me believe that I have something to offer as an artist. I owe him a lot, the ground that helped my seeds grow into a garden, and an amazing human and humanitarian to boot. So lovely to see you again, my dear Eugene van Erven. Check out his books! 23 years and going❤️✨🙏🏾

Source: Samba Schutte's Instagram

== Erroll Shand ==

Erroll is on Episode 5 of The Clearing, playing Henrik! You can check it out on DisneyPlus in Australia-- I tried looking for it on Disney Plus US but no luck. If you know of a better way to watch please let me know!

Source: Erroll Shand's Instagram

== Nat Torres ==

One of our fantastic writers, Nat Torres posted some quick pics for the end of summer. I had to get their dogs in there because of reasons.

Source: Natalie Torres' Instagram

== Madeleine Sami ==

Mads and her Co-star of Double Parked, Antonia Prebble talking life <3

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by The Breeze Auckland (@thebreezeauckland)

Source: TheBreezeAuckland Instagram

== Cohen Holloway ==

Pop Pop pops up so irregularly, so I had to share him being mentioned in this post by Costume Designer: Lissy Turner, tagged for a BTS picture of the film Lowdown Dirty Criminals.

Source: Cohen Holloway's Instagram

== Love Notes ==

Okay Lovelies, apologies, gonna need to have the fan spotlights in the next post because there was just so much going on with the Cast and Crew these past few days! There's still more to show, and I'll work on getting tonight's recap up as well here in a little bit. I truly hope you're being kind to yourself this weekend lovelies. It's been so busy lately, and I know sometimes life like to pop up and kick us in the tush and make things harder -- so remember that you're doing the best you can with what you have. There's enough shame in this world, try to remember not to add to it for yourself, because you deserve grace, especially when things continue to be tough. Sending so much love crew.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by REALEST® (@realestintentions)

[petrodragonicapocalypse]

I posted 929 times in 2022

That's 788 more posts than 2021!

234 posts created (25%)

695 posts reblogged (75%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@elytrians

@jesus-in-a-life-boat

@dingdongyouarewrong

@dank-side-of-the-moon

@red-sky-in-mourning

I tagged 791 of my posts in 2022

Only 15% of my posts had no tags

#my posts - 236 posts

#ofmd - 112 posts

#the sandman - 83 posts

#our flag means death - 62 posts

#the sandman fan art - 29 posts

#taika waititi - 26 posts

#dream of the endless - 24 posts

#morpheus - 23 posts

#stranger things - 19 posts

#danksidedraws - 19 posts

Longest Tag: 139 characters

#watched ep 6 today (hello beloved followers that have had to endure my posts about it) and it has me sobbing just at like random moments 😭

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

throwing my hat into the ring with yet another "what if hob and morpheus were sat at a table again" fanart because I LOVE THEM. the dialogue is based on this quote from tom sturridge.

1,530 notes - Posted September 1, 2022

#4

what's up guys, here to report to you on some Events from Nathan Foad and Kristian Nairn's Instagram livestream

"Oh my god this is happening" was improvised EDIT: apparently it was scripted but he chose the moment to say it

"I'm a little wooden boy and my legs are sticks" was improvised

There's a cut scene where Lucius pees himself

"OooOOoOhhh dAdDy" was originally MUCH longer and it got cut down

"I used to make dresses with my mother" was improvised, to paraphrase Kristian it was just him "being gay on set"

Both agreed that a musical episode would be the "best thing ever", if s2 goes ahead

in summary,, MUCH TO THINK ABOUT

1,721 notes - Posted April 24, 2022

#3

oh my god this is so bad my pen's running out of ink and my brain is in shambles. anyway hit post

quote from what we do in the shadows

2,303 notes - Posted August 29, 2022

#2

the virgin mark gatiss queerbaiting a generation of terminally online queer people despite having "gay" in his name and literally BEING gay vs the chad neil gaiman making everything in his works as gay as possible including changing characters' genders in TV adaptations to make it MORE gay thus living up to his name and restoring balance to the universe

2,332 notes - Posted August 7, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

THE GANG'S ALL HERE

2,710 notes - Posted January 10, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

[popblank]

Eurovision semifinal 2!  It was okay, but less interesting than the first semi. Thoughts below:

Those embroidered flowers on the hosts’ jackets are nice.  I enjoyed the opening number, but needs more Ruslana.

Serbia, Tijana Bogicevic, “In Too Deep” – I like watching the stage here.  With clever use of the graphics they can get some interesting effects like the water splash here or Hovig’s vortex, and the color scheme was pleasant on the eyes. This song is not that memorable.

Austria, Nathan Trent, “Running on Air” – Cute concept. He is very enthusiastic. It seems like this song should be just a little bit more relaxed, but it was very good-natured.  

FYR Macedonia, Jana Burceska, “Dance Alone” – First ultrasound I’ve seen in a postcard.  I���m getting a slightly different vibe from this performance than I do from the video.   Here it’s kind of “sultry cheerleader.”  

Malta, Claudia Faniello, “Breathlessly” – Recalls Celine Dion.  I don't know what they are trying to communicate by projecting a giant image of her torso on the screen.  After all of the flashing lights and cleverness so far, I am finding this rather refreshing, kind of a visual sorbet.

Romania, Ilinca feat. Alex Florea, “Yodel It!” – I LOL’d seeing the drumming toy soldiers.  It looks like they’re having fun and it made me smile.

The Netherlands, OG3NE, “Lights and Shadows” – Very good harmony.  Undecided about the lyrics onscreen.  I find that they do make me focus on the words more, otherwise I lose track of the meaning while listening to the harmonies.  The angel projection was startling.  

Hungray, Joci Papai, “Origo” – This one never really hooked me as a recording but I did get caught up in the performance toward the end.  There is a story being told there.  

Denmark, Anya, “Where I Am” – The way she sings makes me listen to the lyrics to consider what they mean and what she is trying to get across.  I kind of like her performance but I don’t really care for the song.

Ireland, Brendan Murray, “Dying to Try” – His voice takes some getting used to.  I’m not particularly fond of the chorus; the verses are more compelling.

San Marino, Valentina Monetta & Jimmie Wilson, “Spirit of the Night” – He has a nice voice.  The staging is a little plain; the video had more mystery.  They are likable though.

Croatia, Jacques Houdek, “My Friend” – I think this will have to be a song that I enjoy mostly from the recording, because the absurdity didn’t translate well on stage for me. I was hoping for something at once more sincere and more ridiculous.  (A wind machine would have been nice.)

Norway, JOWST, “Grab the Moment” – This is pleasant to listen to.  Not that fond of the harsh lights and screen pixelations.

Switzerland, Timebelle, “Apollo” – I ranked this quite low before the competition because the up-down-up chorus bothered me.  I haven’t really warmed to it.

Belarus, Naviband, “Story of My Life” – Excited!  (Please do well.)  They were fun.  I like how they used individual fan shots.

Bulgaria, Kristian Kostov, “Beautiful Mess” – I never really understood why this was so popular.  Flat screen animations, don’t really care for them.  I do like how they manage to make it look like he’s in the middle of a rainstorm.  Other countries have also managed to create these almost-three-dimensional effects around the singer, which at least looks pretty cool on my screen.  

Lithuania, Fusedmarc, “Rain of Revolution” – I am probably one of the few people who was looking forward to this.  I like the bassline, the fake brass, and all the full-throttle stylized weirdness.  

Estonia, Koit Toome & Laura, “Verona” – Mic issue right off the bat?  I get the feeling this is trying to recreate the dynamic of “Goodbye to Yesterday,” but it seems like both of them would rather be on the stage alone.  It is uncomfortable to watch. (The recap clip may have actually included the creepiest moment in the whole performance.)

Israel, Imri Ziv, “I Feel Alive” – This reminds me of Greece’s song on Tuesday.  Wow, they really threw in everything they could think of for the end graphics there.  

My ranking:

1.       Belarus

2.       Lithuania

3.       Romania

4.       Norway

5.       Hungary

6.       Malta

7.       FYR Macedonia

8.       Croatia

9.       Israel

10.   Denmark

11.   Bulgaria

12.   Austria

13.   San Marino

14.   The Netherlands

15.   Ireland

16.   Serbia

17.   Switzerland

18.   Estonia

The life and times of Verka Serduchka.  It is very inspiring.

I don’t like as many of the songs this time as I did in the first semi.  If my top two went through, that would be just fine (and I have no illusions about Lithuania’s chances, so really all I want is for Belarus to make it).  

On the one hand, it really puts someone on the spot to be proposed to on live TV in front of all of Europe.  On the other hand, that’s a remarkable moment to remember.

Preview of France.  Interesting how her dress blends with the lights of Paris.  She looks very alone.  

Preview of Germany.  This discussion of Levina’s legs is awkward.  

Preview of Ukraine.  I like the guitars.

Results:

Bulgaria.  Well, it seemed popular.

Belarus.  Hey!

Croatia.  All right.

Hungary.  Yeah I can go with that.

Denmark.  Good for her.

Israel.  Not too surprised.

Romania.  Good for them.

Norway.  Nice.

The Netherlands.  Okay.

Austria.  Good for him.

This semi could have used a little more Jamala.

[white-eyed-girl]

I was humming Amar pelos dois the other day and it came to me that it would work as a very beautifully sad nostalgic soundtrack for a movie epilogue, one of those in which you see all the characters go back to their normal lives after living a great adventure together. So while singing (trying to sing?) I imagined some of the artists from this year's Eurovision going back home, with Amar pelos dois playing softly in the background like at the end of a movie. Like, Nathan jumps on his bed in his dark room and can't stop smiling at the ceiling. He jumps up again to open the window and let the daylight in. Man, he already misses all his new friends! At the same time, Blanche closes the door of her room behind her and takes a deep breath of relief. Kristian is going home still holding Bulgaria's flag tight around his shoulders, wiping one last tear away with it. Alma checks her phone once again, it's Amir who's calling her to tell her "well done!" Francesco and his dancing ape bow one last time one in front of the other before saying goodbye. What a rollercoaster this unexpected adventure has been. Ksenija and Artëm are finally back to their beloved country. He tells her to hug him, like in their first song together. She kisses him instead. There aren't 200 millions of people watching this time, but it still feels important. Salvador and Luísa are on a plane heading home. He smiles, she cries. Or laughs. Or both. She doesn't even know anymore. At the end I felt kinda sad :" Amar pelos dois never made me cry while listening to it, but apparently it does when I try to sing it. Also, all these people who have been so close for some time and now are as far away from each other as they could be. I know it happens every year but idk I just feel like this Eurovision will be a hard one to let go..

[runridedive]

France Rules In Jersey As Vincent Luis Takes The Victory

With the Women’s Triple Mix race setting the tone for determination, grit and tactics, it was now the men’s turn. After great sporting performances from the likes of Mario Mola (SPA), Vincent Luis (FRA), Kristian Blummenfelt (NOR) and Jonny Brownlee (GBR) in recent weeks, the Men’s Triple Mix winner would be anyone’s guess. Jersey’s very own Ollie Turner was racing in his first Super League Triathlon to a cheering home crowd.

Like the women’s race, this first stage saw the athletes race in their familiar swim-bike-run format; and it was South Africa’s Henri Schoeman who took charge in the water, putting in the fastest time for the round, with Luis hot on his heels. Schoeman took advantage of the new “short chute” reward: a shortcut onto the course from the transition area awarded to the first athlete to reach the dismount line. Blummenfelt put in the only sub-seven-minute performance on the bike in this stage but Schoeman’s lead could not be touched, as he triggered the 10-second break when crossing the line first. Blummenfelt and Luis ran through the line in second and third.

The Triple Mix’s brutal time rule means that those who fall 90-seconds or more behind the race leader after each discipline is not allowed to continue the race. Seven athletes ended their race day at this point, with Luke Schofield (AUS), Jack Felix (USA), Arturo Beltran (VEN), Taylor Reid (CAN), Nathan Killam (CAN), Mauro Cavanha (BRA) and Jersey-boy Ollie Turner all falling victim to this rule.

Schoeman’s Stage 1 win meant he had no time penalty going into Stage 2’s run-bike-swim format. There were strong bike performances across the field, with last year’s SLT Champion  Richard Murray (RSA) making up time against the race leaders to get the “short chute” going into the bike leg and maintained the lead to be awarded it once more going into the swim. However, his lead dwindled due to a slow swim and Schoeman and Luis were able to catch up. Schoeman powered through to claim the Stage 2 victory, with Luis and Murray behind him.

Due to the incredible speed of the race leaders in the second stage, eight further athletes were cut and could not make it to the third stage: Matthew Sharpe (CAN), Igor Polyanskiy (RUS), Sylvain Fridelance (SUI), Joao Pereira (POR), Andreas Schilling (DEN), Jonas Schomburg (GER) and Jayden Schofield (AUS). Jake Birtwhistle (AUS) suffered a crash but was able to continue his ride, however didn’t make up the time and could not progress into the final stage.

Just 11 athletes took to the bike-swim-run stage, where they once again had staggered starts depending on their previous stage positions. Blummenfelt and Murray both cycled hard but were unable to make up the time from their time penalties. Luis pulled ahead of Schoeman on the bike to claim the “short chute” going into the swim. The Frenchman didn’t let up in the water and the win was his for the taking, as he high-fived the crowd down the final straight, making it a double-win for the French, following Beaugrand’s victory in the women’s Triple Mix. Schoeman and Blummenfelt followed suit to take the other two podium spots, and it was Great Britain’s Jonny Brownlee who beat Murray to finish in fourth place.

Male Triple Top Three Final Results

1.      Vincent Luis (FRA)  0:56:07

2.      Henri Schoeman (RSA) 0:56:19

3.      Kristian Blummenfelt (NOR) 0:56:43

Still smiling and hardly breaking a sweat, Men’s Triple Mix winner Vincent Luis said about his race: “It was an amazing race. I try to make it look easy but it isn’t really. It’s fast and furious, and that’s how I like it. Everyone is really aggressive – it’s how I learnt triathlon so I’m used to it. It’s just so fast so you have to stay focused or you crash. You can be dropped so easily, and if you are dropped, you’re down. For sure I’m going to try and make it two gold medals by tomorrow….”

Triple Mix runner-up Kristian Blummenfelt said: “Jersey came out in force and made hard racing a little bit easier. It’s fun as always, you never know what to expect. It’s ever-changing, very tactical, and the short chutes make such a big difference.”

Current ITU World Champion Mario Mola said: “Super League Triathlon was hard today but it was a fun race to be part of. Crowds were amazing and I hope they enjoyed it because it was painful. It’s a race where small mistakes send you out. In every race, I learn as much as possible and hope that I will come back better in the next one.”

Having competed in his first SLT race, Jersey’s Ollie Turner said: “I had a strong swim and bike so the first two-thirds went well, and it’s clear where I need to improve. I will have to give 110% from the get-go tomorrow!”

Chris “Macca” McCormack, two-time Ironman World Champion and SLT co-founder said: “The race was ridiculously exciting! Only seven men finished, which shows how much pace there was up front. These short formats are the future for the sport. The French were amazing in transition and that was a major strength for Vincent Luis. It was a classy race and great for the sport.”

Check out the imagery from the Triple Mix by simply searching for ‘Super League Triathlon’ at smugmug.com for all the weekend’s photos.

For full results, click here.

You can watch the live action today and tomorrow from 3pm (GMT+1). It’s live and free to watch at superleaguetriathlon.com and Super League Triathlon Facebook. For TV coverage, you can check local listings.

The post France Rules In Jersey As Vincent Luis Takes The Victory appeared first on Run Ride Dive.

from WordPress https://www.runridedive.com/france-rules-in-jersey-as-vincent-luis-takes-the-victory/

[while-my-tardis-gently-weeps]

Thoughts and Predictions - Eurovision 2nd Semi-Final

And now that all the acts have finished their first rehearsal, it’s time to take a look at the second semi-final. I have to say, this is definitely the harder one to qualify out of, because there are a lot less sure bets and a lot more borderline entries. 

Serbia - “In Too Deep” - Tijana Bogićević - I went in expecting a mediocre song, and my opinion has not changed, really. She was good, but with her coming so early in the running order and more memorable entries coming up, I think this will ultimately be forgotten by the time it comes to voting.

Austria - “Running on Air” - Nathan Trent - This has become my biggest soft spot this year, especially since my top two favorites are in the Big Five. The song itself is not that special, let’s be honest, but Nathan just sells it so well with his charm and charisma, and he brings it 100% to this rehearsal. Words coming out of the press room says there are still kinks to work on with camera angle and the smoke effects, but it’s looking like it will be an absolutely lovely performance. The place of this song in the running order still means that it may be forgotten come voting time, but I think (and hope dearly) that his charm and the iconic image of the stage will carry him through (fingers firmly crossed).

Macedonia - “Dance Alone” - Jana Burčeska - I suppose the staging is nice, modern, but I don’t think anything will really convince me to really get behind this song. The idea of New York skyline behind her also makes me cringe, because even though it might be an effect of me being a resident of New York, but to me it just makes it feel cheap and starts me wondering if the stage designer was slacking off and out of ideas. It will definitely still appeal to quite a few people, but nowhere near the extent of, say, Sweden, where it convinces me that it has a solid chance of qualification despite my personal opinion of the song.

Malta - “Breathlessly” - Claudia Faniello - This one was a nice surprise. I had all but written it off completely before watching the rehearsal clip, but what I’ve seen of the staging and her performance absolutely makes it come alive and gives Malta a fighting chance. 

Romania - “Yodel It” - Ilinca and Alex Florea - This song was just a delight from start to finish, with so much energy, joy, and all-around positivity. The singer and the producing team are well aware of what the song is and are completely committed to the gimmicks and the campiness and are just there to have a good time, and it absolutely works. This will be a sure hit with the televoters, so as long as the jury doesn’t treat it too harshly it is sure to qualify. 

Netherlands - “Light and Shadows” - O’G3NES - Those harmonies man. They were good on recording, and worlds better live (as an aside, the version that blew me away was actually the short scene where they were doing a run through a cappella in the daily backstage summary video on the official youtube channel of Eurovision). The staging also compliments rather than distracts, and that’s all Netherland’s staging needs to do because these girls can *slay* with their harmonies. The jury will eat this one right up and I think quite a lot of televoters will like it too, so the question should be how far it can go in the finals rather than whether it will qualify.

Hungary - “Origo” - Joci Pápai - The rehearsal clip was underwhelming for me, and comments out of the press room also indicated that he seemed nervous and a bit stiff. I really appreciated the milk jug instrument though, I thought that was a nice cultural touch. I do think it has potentials though, and as long as they fix the kinks and Joci hits his stride in terms of confidence and connecting with the audience, I think Hungary should be safe. 

Denmark - “Where I Am” - Anja - Nothing I didn’t already expect here, really, except maybe her costume, which I sure hope isn’t what she’s actually going to wear to the semis next week. It’s a bit too “song contest winner template” for my own taste, but with a voice like Anja’s I think the odds are more for than against her making it to the finals. 

Ireland - “Dying to Try” - Brendan Murray - This was a lot better than I expected. I found his voice grating in the recording and some live performance videos I’ve seen, but in the rehearsal clip he was surprisingly tolerable. I’m not sure if I like the hot air ballon concept, but I suppose it beats having him stand there all alone with nothing but wind machines blowing. Still a bit too 90s boyband for my taste, but he’s got a good chance as long as he hits those high notes perfectly. 

S. Marino - “Spirit Of The Night” - Valentina & Jimmie - Both the song and the staging felt a bit too “generic Eurovision we’ve seen a million times before” to me. Which is not to say that it’s bad, just that it’s hard for me to pinpoint anything unique about it that makes it stand out amongst all the other amazing entries the semi has to provide. 

Croatia - “My Friend” - Jacques Houdek - How does one describe Croatia’s song this year? It’s just so over-the-top insane. I find myself in the “cringing and averting my eyes” camp, but I think many will find that it’s so camp and crazy and bad it’s good. It all feels like a more colorful and Doctor-Jekyll-and-Mr.-Hyde-esque version of Romania’s Cezar back in 2013. I don’t want it to advance, but it sure is memorable enough that I think some people will vote.

Norway - “Grab the Moment” - JOWST - It was a slick, polished performance that’s been adapted well to the Eurovision stage, and I think it’s definitely poised to do well and advance to the final. 

Switzerland - “Apollo” - Timebelle - Urgh. Way to ruin a perfectly good song with costume and staging. The vocals were quite good, but imho they threw away something perfectly good from the national finals and went for the cheap dollar store knock off of Belle from Beauty and the Beast, with pastel imageries on the LED screen to match. I was first sold on her national final performance, with the dark atmospheric background and the stunning vision of a red dress, so this was a total letdown. Actually had to double check the title of the video to make sure I didn’t accidentally click on something completely different. That said, I think it still has potentials, but personally I think it’s a long shot unless there are major changes between now and next week. 

Belarus - “Story Of My Life” - Naviband - There are still changes that need to be made, and I agree with the opinion going around that it felt a bit static and needs a greater sense of motion, but even as it is it’s vastly enjoyable, and the singers have great chemistry together. What they’ve done so far with the staging work well with the joyful, uptempo beat of the song, and as long as they work out the kinks this will be a delight to watch, in this semi-final and hopefully in the grand final as well. 

Bulgaria - “Beautiful Mess” - Kristian Kostov - Wow. His vocals were very on point, and I just love what they’ve done with the stage, making it a tighter, monochromatic space that works magic on a song that’s already quite good. I didn’t like the looks of the squiggly lines in the leaked pictures I’ve seen, but they’ve still got time to work things out on that front. This will definitely qualify, and probably go far in the finals too. 

Lithuania - “Rain Of Revolution” - Fusedmarc - Sorry, I’m sure you are all lovely people, but I still hate everything about this song. Just, no. Sorry, but no.

Estonia - “Verona” - Koit Toome & Laura - The vocals were on point, and even though it sounded like Koit Toome had problems hitting his camera marks it’s nothing that can’t be fixed between now and showtime. My main worry is their chemistry, which still doesn’t quite feel all there, especially contrasted to Belarus, but i still think they have a very good chance at a ticket to the final, especially coming so late in the running order. 

Israel - “I Feel Alive” - l Imri Ziv - It’s definitely my cup of tea, but I think it does its job well. That, coupled with the fact that it’s the closing act, makes me think it’s very likely to qualify. 

My Predictions (In No Particular Order):

Estonia, Norway, Bulgaria, Netherlands, Romania, Austria, Belarus, Hungary, Denmark, Israel

...And that was agonizing to choose. Even now I keep thinking I should have added Croatia in there but there are so many other entries that I can’t bring myself to eliminate in its place. 

[ofmdrecaps]

07/12/2024 Daily OFMD Recap

TLDR; Rhys Darby; Samba Schutte; Vico Ortiz; Rachel House; Nathan Foad; Kristian Nairn; Minnie Driver; Gypsy Taylor; Nathan Foad; You Bear Fine Thing Well; Articles; Non Binary Awareness Week; Love Notes; Daily Darby/Today's Taika

== Rhys Darby ==

A LIVE Cryptid Factor show has been announced at ther Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2023! August 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th! Unfortunately it looks like they sold out within the first few hours. Hopefully we'll see some more lives soon! Grats boys on the quick sellout!

Source: Rhys Darby's Instagram

Rhys also posted multiple tiktok videos today regarding a new character I assume? "Brief Moments of Genius: The Doug Thandwich Pamphlet"

Source: Rhys Darby's Tiktok

== Samba Schutte ==

Samba made it safely to Florida Supercon! Annnnd apparently the hotel didn't think about his height when getting him set up in the deluxe rainfall shower!

Source: Samba Schutte's Instagram

== Vico Ortiz ==

Vico also made it to Florida Supercon safely (with Jack!)! Are you going to be seeing them this weekend?

Source: Vico's Instagram Stories

ALSO -- more OFMD S2 BTS (as well as exclusive other BTS from their other shows, etc) from Vico on their Patreon! Check out the new video here!

Source: Vico Ortiz' Patreon

== Rachel House ==

Rachel was out at a showing of &Juliet getting to meet one of her heroes, Keala Settle!

Source: Rachel House's Instagram

== Kristian Nairn ==

As mentioned before - Signed copies of Kristian's book are on pre-sale now! Apparently some of the signing is happening now because Kristian posted a video of some signatures happening! They've also hit the Barnes & Nobles Best Sellers list!

Source: Kristian Nairn's Instagram

REMINDER: Adopt Our Crew was kind enough to put together his list of where you can buy Kristian's Book! Reminder-- bookshop is great if you want to support your local bookstores!

Barnes & Noble

Amazon US

Amazon UK 

Bookshop.com

Source: Adopt Our Crew's Twitter

== Nathan Foad ==

Nathan once again out with friends <3. I'm so happy we're getting to see him have so much fun this summer!

Source: Nathan Foad's Instagram

== Minnie Driver ==

Our fabulous Anne Bonny, Minnie Driver is playing Elizabeth I in Serpent Queen Season 2! Which just so happens to premier today on Starz!

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Min. (@driverminnie)

Source: Minnie Driver's Instagram

== Gypsy Taylor ==

Our darling costume designer for s2 - Gypsy Taylor has received a special gift from one of our fan crews-- Our Flag Means Daddy! She received a special jacket with the name Sea Gypsy embroidered on it! Congrats Gypsy and thank you Our Flag Means Daddy crew for continuing to bring joy and recognition to our dear OFMD Cast & Crew!

Source: Gypsy Taylor's Instagram

== You Bear Fine Things Well ==

Today was the final day for #YouBearFineThingsWell! @adoptourcrew asked fans to share their favorite bear puns Rhys came up with for the Hungry Games! I have to say mine was "We asked Cassanova if he had any types... he said brunettes".

Source: @adoptourcrew's Twitter

== Articles ==

A few more mentions of OFMD this week!

Source: Collider Article

And thank you to @adoptourcrew for bringing this screenrant article to our attention!

Source: Adopt Our Crew Twitter

== Non Binary Awareness Week ==

Another article from Pink News -- this time recommending 11 Must Watch Films/TV Shows Starring Non-Binary Actors! I already know several I'll be seeing once they're available. Check them out!

Source: Pink News Article

== Love Notes ==

Hey there lovelies! Happy start to the weekend! I truly hope you've had fun this week in some capacity. There's been something for everyone and hopefully we continue to see some hype coming up in the up coming weeks.

Today I wanted to remind you of something that I know you've heard before, but like anything in this life, repetition helps to solidify things so I'm gonna say some of it again. You don't need to prove to anyone your worth. You don't need to beg for anyone to love you and you certainly don't need to be someone you're not for someone else's sake. We all have demands from outside forces every day-- work, school, etc, and a lot of those demands are things we have to cope with in order to function in and be a part of society. Those demands aren't always in our best interest, but for the most part they're at least somewhat reasonable. However, there are going to be times that others have demands on you that are completely unreasonable. Maybe someone expects you to fall into a pretty little category. Maybe someone expects you to understand them when they aren't being clear. Maybe someone expects you to bend over backwards and change for their benefit, but not provide you with the same courtesy.

Whatever unreasonable demands you're dealing with, I just want to send you a reminder that you are allowed to say no. You are allowed to set up boundaries to help minimise that kind of behavior. You are allowed to just be you, and to continue to shine being you. Nothing is black and white, so it may not be easy, and may not be viable, or safe for some people-- I absolutely get that, and you should always keep your safety and security top of mind. But if you have the wiggle room, and you can set up those boundaries, remember there's nothing wrong with wanting to continue to be you, the way you are and defending that you.

You are wonderful lovelies, and we all have things in life we can improve on, but you being your beautiful, unique, authentic self is a right, and you have every right to protect the parts of you you hold dear. You don't have to prove to anyone that you are worthy of love just being yourself-- because you already ARE worthy of love, and light, and good things.

You don't have to fit into a neat little box to be loved, or valid. You are already both of those things, and sometimes it's hard to see it in ourselves-- so this reminder is from me to you, from the crew, to you, that you are wonderful just the way you are. Rest well and be kind to yourselves lovelies, you deserve it.

== Daily Darby / Today's Taika ==

Tonight's theme is shades on a couple of cool dudes! Gifs courtesy of two of the most fabulous and talented gif makers on the internet - @ofmd-ann and @bizarrelittlemew!

[popblank]

Thoughts on the Eurovision 2017 Grand Final (late, as usual):

The individual country introductions/Parade of Nations at the beginning of the show might be my favorite obvious change that the show has made in the last five years. The screens were put to good use, and with the camera work it made it look like every contestant materialized from the darkness in a shower of glitter and confetti under an enormous image of their national flag.  Did the announcer’s mic cut out a couple of times? I didn’t hear him announce Belarus or Armenia.

I don’t have a lot of new comments on the semifinal qualifiers.  In general I liked them better than I did in the semi, possibly because of repeated viewing and possibly because the performances were actually better.

Israel, IMRI, “I Feel Alive” – Good choice of high-energy song to start things off. 

Poland, Kasia Moś – Strong vocal.

Belarus, Naviband, “Story of My Life” – Awwww.

Austria, Nathan Trent, “Running on Air” – Definitely more relaxed, and better for it I think.

Armenia, Artsvik, “Fly With Me” – She really holds my attention.

The Netherlands, OG3NE, “Lights and Shadows” – Staging is kind of literal, in multiple senses of the word.

Moldova, Sunstroke Project, “Hey Mamma” – Still well done.

Hungary, Joci Pápai, “Origo” – I like this much better as a live performance than audio-only.  (I was inconsistent about paying attention to visuals in the official videos.)

Italy, Francesco Gabbani, “Occidentali’s Karma” – I am not sure this staging (EDIT: and camera work) helped the song.  It was constantly minimizing one of the strongest elements of the performance – Francesco himself.  

Denmark, Anya, “Where I Am” – Tough spot in the running order.

Portugal, Salvador Sobral, “Amar Pelos Dois” – I had barely noticed the backdrop of trees, but it was very nice.  I think his singing was stronger this time.

Azerbaijan, Dihaj, “Skeletons” – Also in a tough spot.  Probably my favorite entry from Azerbaijan.

Croatia, Jacques Houdek, “My Friend” – I preferred the feeling of the first music video (the one with the writing).

Australia, Isaiah, “Don’t Come Easy” – Better singing this time but I still don’t understand the stage presentation.

Greece, Demy, “This is Love” – This is fine.

Spain, Manel Navarro, “Do It for Your Lover” – This would be perfectly pleasant if not for the chorus (and that unfortunate screech).

Norway, JOWST, “Grab the Moment” – That was fine. 

United Kingdom, Lucie Jones, “Never Give Up On You” – Not bad.  I was feeling more positive after the semifinal preview clip, while this seemed a tiny bit overwrought.  But it sounded pretty good and the staging looked good, and it appears to have been a solid effort.  

Cyprus, Hovig, “Gravity” – (shrug)

Romania, Ilinca feat. Alex Florea, “Yodel It!” – Kiss was a little awkward.

Germany, Levina, “Perfect Life” – Liked the camera shot that came down through the chandelier lighting contraption thing.  Liked the color scheme, though as a visual presentation it was very restrained.  Nice but not a standout.

Ukraine, O. Torvald, “Time” – Guitar break was the best part. Did not really understand the giant head, even when it was explained in the semifinal preview.

Belgium, Blanche, “City Lights” – She looked so much more comfortable on stage.  What the staging said to me: if you did want to take her hand, you’d have to get through all these barriers around her – the swirling triangle mesh (which seems to pop from the screen thanks to the display and lighting effects), the whirlpool on the floor, the cage of lights, the triangle ring, all the while trying to avoid upsetting the giant pulsing orb behind her.  Sounds kind of like a video game but it works as a metaphor.

Sweden, Robin Bengtsson, “I Can’t Go On” – This is at least my sixth time watching this on a livestream and it just isn’t  song I need to hear that often.

(EDIT: oops I forgot to add a comment on Bulgaria)

Bulgaria, Kristian Kostov, “Beautiful Mess” – I think Bulgaria and Australia would have had similar goals as far as presentation, and I think Bulgaria executed better.

France, Alma, “Requiem” – While I liked the background graphics, couldn’t they have done a bit more?  

On the results:

Happy for Portugal.  One unexpected side effect of this year’s competition is that I am inclined to look up Luísa Sobral’s music.

Befuddled by Bulgaria.  For whatever reason, this song has barely made an impression on me.  (Yet I occasionally find last year’s “Soldiers of Love” playing in a loop in my head.  My mind can be a mystery.)

Surprised and happy for Belgium.  Fourth place is considerably better than I expected after the semi.

Surprised that Italy didn’t end up closer to the top given the expectations.  Later on I watched the Sanremo performance and realized it had some of the same graphics (I had only watched it once before) – but with much, much more focus on Francesco.  Could Italy have gotten a better result if they’d used fewer shots where he was a barely-visible dot on the stage?  I think so.

Belarus and Armenia, not even on the left side of the board.  Europe, why?

On the whole it was a pretty good show and not that bad a year for songs, even if none of them turned out to be as all-consuming as “If Love Was a Crime.” I don’t plan to buy the album, but I’ve already bought "City Lights” and may get a few of the other individual songs.