#immunity is back rihanna is here

[radicaloptimisms]

normally i'm like "okay calm down" whenever a person is like "i look like this celeb" but this queen on drag race uk IS rihanna

[skeppsbrott]

I’D LOVE IT IF WE MADE IT :: A Cronus/Meenah fanmix

A playlist about the two-person project of travelling to the abyss and back.

We’ve been stuck now for so long, we just got the start wrong, one more last try, I will get the ending right

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INTRO: Ms. Lauryn Hill Doo Wop (That Thing)

1. The 1975 Love It If We Made It  2. Ed Sheeran Don’t  3. Veronica Maggio Fiender Är Tråkigt  4. Gloria Jones Tainted Love  5. Bruce Springsteen Pink Cadillac  6. Carly Rae Jepsen Boy Problems  7. The Cure Boys Don’t Cry  8. Ellie Goulding On My Mind  9. Prince Nothing Compares 2 U  10. Agnes One Last Time  11. The White Stripes I Just Don’t Know What To Do With Myself  12. Miriam Bryant Black Car  13. Maroon 5 This Love  14. Kate Nash Drink About You  15. Marianas Trench Haven’t Had Enough

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57 MINUTES || SPOTIFY LINK

We should have been friends, friends are forever, would keep you around. It is so dull, being enemies, so unbearably dull.

Whew!

First off - that second quote is a paraphrase translation of the chorus to “Fiender är Tråkigt”, thank you Veronica Maggio for filling my life with all the most delicious messy relationship pop songs.

The illustration is mine, because I saw someone ask about it.

There’s a few tricks in this one. Most obviously there’s an even match of male and female vocalists and an (almost) back-and-forth structure with regards to that. While it doesn’t really come off in the cover art, in my mind this is a story of two people who are equally terrible for and towards each other, so it was important for me to balance the perspectives. Along that axis there’s also three (in my mind) matching pairs of songs:

Don’t and On My Mind are famously two sides of the same event. Goulding picks up Sheeran’s lyrics in the refrain, “you don’t fuck mess with love”, making for a pair of pop songs which are perhaps not revolutionary but hold a dear place in my heart. It’s a whole mess from start to finish and I think they capture it well - the ways we assume we understand other people’s intentions and the ways our own feelings neither exist in a vacuum nor are particularly predictable.

Pink Cadillac is a song I’ve pegged as a Cronus/Meenah song for a while now and here I think it pairs well with Black Car. I have to imagine that Bryant’s lovers car is equally classic, if perhaps not as expensive or flashy, a keen reminder of the aesthetics of relationships which very few of us are immune to.

Nothing Compares 2 U and Tainted Love are classics today better known by their cover versions. Simple as that.

Other notes:

I feel like Marianas Trench are decidedly uncool on account of having been a tumblrcore staple back in 2013, but “we’ve been stuck now for so long, we just got the start wrong, one more last try” is too good a lyric for this to pass up. Similarly, Maroon 5 are indefensibly uncool in 2022, but I’d argue that This Love is still really good, at least if you can stop thinking about Levine’s thirteen other songs about the anguish of being desired carnally by women with whom he has no hope of any sustainable romantic relationship.

One Last Time is a heartbreaking song in the same tradition as Rihannas Unfaithful and I think Meenah deserved a moment of anguish.

Finally, Doo Wop (That Thing) does not neccessarily fit into the narrative as a main character, which is why it’s an intro. Imagine Ms. Lauryn Hill as a muse, if you will, giving a unheeded word of caution.

[miraculousbelladonna]

Look What You Made Me Do

This is some salt inspired by Taylor Swift’s song ‘Look What You Made Me Do’ and @miraculouscontent’s LadyBugOut AU (go read it. it’s AMAZING)

Summary: So maybe she’d let Lila’s stories be true. She’d become what they all already thought she was. She has nothing left to lose. (AO3)

Marinette was sick of Lila. Sick of her pathetic easily debunked lies and convoluted stories.

She was sick of her classmates and her so-called “friends.” Sick of them letting themselves be manipulated. Lila was honest for once when she said she only told them what they wanted to hear, which meant that they wanted to believe the worst of her. They were too quick to turn on her for it to have been anything else.

So maybe she’d let Lila’s stories be true. She’d become what they all already thought she was. She has nothing left to lose.

She showed up to class early, well, early for her. Everyone was already in class, just chatting, a handful of people were clustered around Lila as she told an astoundingly bad fake story about Rihanna promising her she’d name the next Fenty Beauty product after her.

Adrien was sitting next to her, as far away from her as he could be while still physically being on the bench, and he smiled and waved at her as she walked in. No one else did. She waved back, but didn’t smile. She was still pissed about his “taking the high road” nonsense. She knew he was sheltered and naive, which isn’t his fault, but she thought he’d have the grace to admit he was out of his depth when it came to school bullies. At least he offered her support, even if his words ended up really meaning nothing because he never followed through.

She walks towards Lila’s table in a deliberate manner that has everyone clustered around the liar looking and glaring daggers at her. She just shrugs at them and keeps walking, humming to herself, and as she walks by Lila’s table, and her bag on the floor, she kicks it down the stairs, walks to her seat, and waits.

Everyone is gasping and gaping at her. Lila has turned to her, big sad eyes already welling with crocodile tears, already whining in about 3 octaves too high than Marinette wants to deal with this early in the morning, about “Marinette! How could you do that? How could you kick my things away like that?” Cue fake sobs that wrack her body and everyone glaring at her even harder. “I thought you were so nice! I only wanted - I only wanted to be friends!”

“Hmm.” She hums aloud, letting her mouth spread into an easy sharp grin that has everyone stepping back and has even Lila’s eyes widening a little in fear. “No. You didn’t.”

“Girl!” Of course, Alya cuts in. Jumping to Lila’s defense like she used to jump to hers. Same old routine. “I can’t believe you just did that to Lila’s stuff!”

“Can’t you though? I mean, Lila’s been claiming for months that I’ve been bullying her, threatening her, and you’ve never seen me do it, but you believed her, didn’t you?”

Alya sputters with rage at the insinuation. She’s stuttering and spitting and utterly unable to get a single word out, and Nino puts his hand on her shoulder and turns a disapproving frown on Marinette. “Dude. That totally wasn’t cool.”

“Wasn’t it? I was just giving you guys a little proof. You all think I’m torturing the poor girl regardless of what I say, so why not just make her lies be true? It’s what you all expect of me! Especially considering how you’ve been treating me for the past couple of months. You can’t honestly tell me that you’re surprised, because then it would mean you don’t believe Lila and that she is in fact a liar. And we wouldn’t want anyone to be akumatized, now, would we, Adrien?”

Adrien is looking up at her, eyes darting between her and the rest of the class, not knowing what to say. Her gaze hardens the longer he stays silent, and they’re in a silent staring contest now, with Marinette’s smile getting wider and sharper as it goes on. He looks away.

She’s becoming something truly terrifying right before their eyes, and with the startling realization that they don’t know her anymore, the class starts looking around for akumas.

She knows now that Adrien’s word means nothing. It’s too bad she didn’t find out sooner. She sits back in her chair, drops the sharp scary smile, and everyone relaxes minutely. Adrien still isn’t looking at her.

“Oh, but Adrien, don’t worry! If anyone gets akumatized today it won’t be me. Not like you really cared in the first place, though. Am I right? Not about me or my feelings, at least. Anyways, nothing I’m feeling right now is negative enough to risk me getting akumatized, which is more than I can say about everyone else in this class right now. How many times would this be, Lila? Five? Six? Now I know Hawkmoth is a magical terrorist that takes advantage of people’s negative emotions, but I have to say anything more than 3 seems excessive. If I didn’t know better, I’d say it seemed almost like you want to be akumatized. Like you and Hawkmoth have some kind of deal. But of course, I’d never say anything like that without proof.” She spits out the last word like it’s a poison dart, and they all know just who’s heart it’s aimed at. Many of her classmates turn to look at Alya, who has paled and is now sitting in her seat frantically typing on her phone, looking more panicked after every result.

The eerie sharp smile is back on Marinette’s face, but this time, it’s smug. It’s knowing.

At that moment, Mme. Bustier rushes into the room with Mr. Damocles, Sabrina’s father, two uniformed officers, and a frantic and angry looking woman.

Lila pales as soon as she sees the woman come through the door, and she’s standing immediately, about to start spinning her web of lies before anyone can even speak, but Officer Raincomprix speaks over her, walking up to her with an open pair of handcuffs.

“Delilah Rossi. Hands behind your back.” She complies, still confused about what’s going on, still spouting nonsense about how surely it’s all just a misunderstanding, Marinette must have framed her or set her up, you see, she’s always had it out for her, this must be a mistake, but Raincomprix isn’t listening. “You are under arrest for collusion with a known terrorist, and aiding and abetting the aforementioned terrorist. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to speak to an attorney, and to have an attorney present during any questioning. If you cannot afford a lawyer, one will be provided for you at government expense.”

“You can’t arrest me! You don’t have any proof! Even if you did, I’m 15! No judge is gonna believe a bunch of wrinkly old men over a face like this! Besides, I’m the daughter of a diplomat. You can’t touch me. Tell them, mother!”

“Why do you think I’m here, Lila? The police came to me with this information and the substantial evidence against you, and I agreed to give them full cooperation. I have rescinded your diplomatic immunity. You will be punished to the full extent of the law, and hopefully in the process you will learn that your actions have consequences.”

The two uniformed officers all but carry a screeching, screaming Lila out of the class, and they all follow as she’s frog marched out of the building.

It’s when they’re on the sidewalk, about to shove her into the patrol car when it happens. An akuma is flying towards Lila as she stands next to the patrol car, and she lunges towards it. When she misses, when one of the cops grabs her arm again to get ahold of her, she twists out of his grip and runs towards it. She’s screaming “Hawkmoth! I knew you’d send an akuma for me!” She’s so close, and the entire class is split between trying to stop her or running as far away as possible, and then a yo-yo is sweeping through the air and capturing the akuma.

“Come on, Lila. Did you really think I’d let you get away with that again?” Ladybug says after she releases the purified akuma.

Lila is seething, and she lunges one more time, at Ladybug, but both of the uniformed officers have grabbed ahold of her again, so all she manages is spitting at Ladybug’s feet.

“Screw you, Ladybug. You and Marinette are two peas in a stupid pod. You’re both pathetic and fake and stupid. I’ll get my revenge.” The officers are now shoving her into the patrol car and all that can be heard is her screeching, “I’ll get her back for this!”

Ladybug steps up to Officer Raincomprix and Mme. Rossi and says, “I think it’d be prudent to get her out of the country as soon as possible, considering the fact that we’ve all seen just how willing she is to work with terrorists.”

Officer Raincomprix nods and says, “Absolutely. We’ll look into fast tracking her deportation.”

Mme. Rossi cringes and adds, “I’ll pay for it out of pocket if it’ll help speed up the process. It’s the least I can do after my daughter has been terrorizing your country and community like this.”

Ladybug nods and turns to leave, but Alya calls out to her, and as tempted as she is not to, she pauses.

“Yes, Mme. Césaire?”

“Well, I guess it’s kind of obvious from this interaction, but I have to ask, were you and Lila ever best friends?”

“No. We only interacted when I was purifying her akumas, and if she didn’t hate my guts before today, she definitely does now. We were never best friends. We were never even friends nor acquaintances. Which you’d have known, if you bothered to think about anything beyond getting views for your blog and asked me.”

Alya blanched at that, taken aback by the brutal honesty, and hangs her head in shame. “I know. I’ve learned my lesson. I’m sorry, Ladybug. It won’t happen again.”

“Sorry means nothing to me. Your words mean nothing to me. Don’t give me your empty promises. Don’t tell me you’re sorry. Show me you’re sorry. Don’t just tell me this won’t happen again, take steps to ensure it doesn’t. Take down the interview. Do your research. Trust your friends. Listen to them. Mme. Dupain-Cheng was the one who first came to me about Lila’s transgressions, and told me exactly what was happening in her classroom. What you all let happen. Do not ever let me hear about anything like this happening again. Understood?”

She looks up at the rest of the class that have clustered behind Alya while she was talking. “That goes for all of you. You are all on my list. I will be watching all of you, even when you think I’m not. You better not give me a reason to make a visit like this ever again.”

Alya is shocked speechless, and her classmates all look thoroughly guilty and shamed. It sends a thrill of satisfaction through her that almost makes her feel guilty. Key word: almost.

She flings her yoyo up and disappears from view, and touches down in an alley near the school to detransform.

Tikki flies up to her immediately and rests her entire self against Marinette’s cheek in as close to a hug as her tiny body can manage. “Oh, Marinette! That couldn’t have gone better if I orchestrated it myself! You were wonderful! I’m so proud of you!”

Marinette smiles and leans into the hug, heaving a sigh that releases all the tension she’s been holding in her over the past couple of months. She has no regrets. If any, it’s that she didn’t do this sooner.

She walks back into class with her chin up, shoulders back, and ignores every single sympathetic look thrown her way, every aborted wave to get her attention. She is above them all, and she always has been, but she’s just finally realized it.

*****

Her friendship with the class never goes back to the way it was. They’ve shown their true faces now, and she has forgiven them, but she will never forget. She’ll never forget how easily they tossed her to the side for the next shiny new thing. How readily, how eagerly they dismissed and belittled her. How quick they were to use things she told them in confidence, favors she did for them as tokens of friendship, against her. She’ll never forget the years of friendship and trust, something she thought was rock solid, crumbling like sand within a matter of mere months.

No. That trust can’t be built back up. It’s been swept away with the tide. It’s gone. There’s nothing left, nothing to build from, and Marinette doesn’t even want to bother trying. She knows now that it isn’t worth it, that she could never trust any of these people again.

Ladybug makes her own blog, the LadyBugOut, and makes her first post an official announcement that this is the only blog she’ll be endorsing from here on out, and all of the temporary heroes are being retired and will never wield any miraculous again due to things that have occurred in their civilian lives.

She pretends to be appropriately curious about why the majority of her class is down in the dumps the entire week after Ladybug makes her announcement, and tries not to seem too enthused when the views on LadyBugOut rise as the views for the Ladyblog start dwindling … and keep dwindling until Alya is getting tens of likes instead of the hundreds she was used to.

Nothing is ever the same, but that’s ok. It’s time for Marinette, and Ladybug, to move on. To be the hero she was always meant to be.

Now she has nothing holding her back.

[i-am-very-very-tired]

Let’s get one thing straight: Body-shaming someone is never OK, even if the target is a public figure. However, despite the fact that this should be a universal rule of decorum, people are still prone to criticizing the appearances of others, including those of celebrities.Although social media has shone a bright light on the issue in recent years, celebrity body-shaming is nothing new. Since the rise of gossip magazines, stars have had their bodies scrutinized for all the world to see. From critics saying Gigi Hadid is too skinny for the runway to onlookers rudely commenting on Tyra Banks's swimsuit body, it seems no celebrity is totally immune to the plague of judgment and unnecessary remarks.Pregnancy rumors, comments about weight gain, and bullying for clothing choices all fall under the tasteless domain of all that encompasses body-shaming — and it happens even more often than you may think. But that doesn’t stop most of these stars from living their best lives and even taking some time to teach these trolls a lesson or two, when they're in the right mood for it. Below are 17 times celebrities have experienced body-shaming, either before their time in the spotlight or while living directly in it. Gigi Hadid Supermodel Gigi Hadid is no stranger to having her body commented on by the public. Some people have accused the model of being too thin while others have said she’s too curvy for the runway. Despite these comments, Hadid stresses that she loves her body and that shamers should mind their own business. It’s not their body, after all. Demi Lovato Growing up in the spotlight is no easy task for anyone. Demi Lovato has dealt with body-shamers since her days as a Disney star and still faces unwanted comments about the way she looks regularly. Most recently, people came after the singer for supposedly gaining weight while in rehab and used a paparazzi photo to tear the singer apart. Thankfully, Lovato isn’t afraid to stand up for herself and has a history of taking people down when they make negative comments. Selena Gomez Like Lovato, Selena Gomez grew up in the spotlight and has subsequently suffered years of body shaming at the hands of "fans" and haters alike. In 2015, the actress and singer opened up about how she sought therapy after being body-shamed publicly. Most recently, Gomez clapped back at fans who commented on a photo of her wearing a bikini on Instagram. Jennifer Aniston Jennifer Aniston has also experienced some body-shaming. The former Friends actress once wrote an empowering essay for HuffPost in 2016 about being “fed up” over ridiculous rumors and unwarranted comments about her body. During this time, gossip magazines were speculating that Aniston was pregnant because her stomach "looked bloated" in a few photos. The actress set the record straight while simultaneously destroying the idea that people’s bodies are something that should be critiqued. Tyra Banks “Kiss my fat ass.” That’s the iconic and unforgettable response that queen Tyra Banks had for body-shamers in 2007 after tabloids captioned a photo of her in her swimsuit with cruel phrases, and it seems she's sticking with it. Kelly Clarkson Kelly Clarkson has dealt with body-shamers, as well. In 2017, a Twitter troll tweeted that the American Idol winner was fat. Clarkson responded, “...and still fucking awesome,” proving she is not here for any type of comments on her body. This wasn't Clarkson's first troll, either. In 2015, British media personality Katie Hopkins had the nerve to comment that Clarkson had gained weight, to which she responded by saying this wasn’t the first time she’s been attacked for the way she looks. Clarkson also said she’d rather have wine than waste any time thinking about shamers. Same, girl. Adele Adele has faced years of disgusting comments about her body since her intro to stardom in 2006. Nevertheless, the clap-back queen makes sure to shut down instances of body-shaming immediately. But that doesn’t mean words don’t hurt. In a 2015 interview, Adele mentioned that while she does sometimes

struggle with her body image, she tries not to let it rule her life. America Ferrera For her 33rd birthday, America Ferrera wrote a letter to her body. She shared the body-positive message on Instagram, saying she’s finally learned to love her body after years of harboring feelings of negativity towards it. However, people are still commenting on Ferrera’s body. In fact, Ferrera has famously said that she didn’t know she was ugly or fat until she starred in the show Ugly Betty, which says a lot about the way people treat public figures. Chrissy Teigen Twitter phenomenon and multitalented model Chrissy Teigen has often been the subject of judgmental comments. In fact, Teigen was body-shamed at the 2018 Emmy Awards, with trolls talking about her weight post-pregnancy with son Miles. Teigen sarcastically responded to the trolls in her typical hilarious tone by showing them she has no time to be shamed for her body. Lady Gaga Body-shamers have come after Mother Monster, too. Lady Gaga, who has been open about her struggle with chronic illness, has had her image picked apart since appearing on the scene with her 2008 hit “Just Dance.” Trolls also had something to say after her 2017 Super Bowl halftime performance. Of course, the ever-busy superstar didn’t have time for such nonsense and quickly responded that she loves her body. Alicia Silverstone Clueless star Alicia Silverstone saw her career take off in the '90s, but stardom didn’t come without a slew of critics picking apart the actor's appearance. When it was announced that Silverstone would play Batgirl in the then-upcoming film Batman & Robin, the actress was met with an onslaught of hateful comments about her body. In an Entertainment Weekly article from 1996, it’s noted that fashion critics said Silverstone looked “more Babe than babe,” referring to the fictional pig. The actor later recalled that paparazzi chased her down in an airport chanting “fat girl” to the Batman theme song. Rihanna Rihanna has also been attacked for the way her body looks. After her 2018 Grammy performance (which she slayed, by the way), trolls came after Rihanna for her apparent weight gain, speculating that the singer might be pregnant. This isn’t even the first time Rihanna has faced such criticism. In 2017, the Fenty Beauty founder shut haters down with a Gucci Mane meme (in which she showed two photos of rapper Gucci Mane, from 2007 and 2017, and captioned the meme "If you can’t handle me at my 2007 Gucci Mane, you don’t deserve me at my 2017 Gucci Mane"), proving that body-shaming her or anyone else will not be tolerated. Serena Williams Serena Williams is one of the greatest tennis players of all time. Yet the 23-time Grand Slam champion has had her body scrutinized countless times for being "too muscular." Although the tennis champion says such comments have hurt her feelings, she also says that she's now more confident than ever about her body and calls it her “weapon.” Jennifer Lawrence Jennifer Lawrence says that when she was beginning her career, people in the film industry shamed her for "being fat.” According to the actor, she was once told she would be fired if she didn’t lose weight. Kate Winslet Before she landed her lead role in Titanic, Kate Winslet says the kids at her school would bully her for the way she looked. The actor opened up about being body-shamed by her fellow classmates, who called her “blubber” and told her she was too ugly to be an actress. However, Winslet never gave up on her dreams and has since spoken out against body-shaming, saying that she had to ignore the negative comments to be the person she is today. Drew Barrymore The lovable Drew Barrymore faced her own harassment in the '90s over the way her body looked onscreen. During this time, Barrymore often had her “baby fat” criticized in reviews. In a 2010 interview, the actor says she was often bullied for her weight when she was younger. More recently, the actress has had to refute pregnancy rumors over the way her stomach looks on TV. Renée Zellweger It seems Ren´ee Zellweger

can’t please the critics (nor should she have to). Since gaining weight for her role in the early-2000s film Bridget Jones's Diary, Zellweger’s weight has been a subject of contention for body-shamers everywhere. Some people think she’s too skinny, while others think she’s too fat. Nevertheless, Zellweger isn’t here for tabloids that want to critique her body. The actress wrote an article for HuffPost in 2016 after people commented on her rumored cosmetic surgery, proving once and for all that her body isn’t for public consumption or criticism.

[calypsoff]

Twenty Seven.

Rolling my eyes hard while on FaceTime to Chris, you know what why is the man I love, also is the love of my life and I adore him so much, but he is so fucking stubborn. He has his moments where he will leave his ego at the door where he will obey me and what I say and then the next day he will refuse to hear me out or say I am being judgemental and I need to listen to what I am saying to him, it’s always my way, it never is anyways. But I swear he does shit and doesn’t think of the bigger picture at all “you got a face on with me?” So he says “not so much, you could be here with me in Cali but instead you’re there in Virginia about to do something dumb, it’s not even your child to care” I want to tell him no, I want to say to him if you love me don’t go but I know it will fall on deaf ears. I will look like the nasty one and that I look insecure when I don’t “exactly, show my face and go” I sniggered “that is the issue, you know why Chris. Do it, go. I am busy anyways, I think you need a lesson” rubbing my forehead “you are doing the most for nothing, it’s really nothing. But anyways I’m going to go and look pretty” annoying asshole “ok bye” disconnecting the call before he could say anything more, he just wants to annoy me “why does he purposely go out of his way to be an asshole!” I shouted “baby you could have said no, it’s easy” Mel added hearing the whole conversation, this is whole other issue. I don’t like how we are all dating people in the same circle, if shit goes wrong it will affect us “you don’t know Chris like I do, but you know what. Let him go, he hasn’t had the blogs be on his ass, he doesn’t know what it is like being famous and he will soon find out, I want him too. I’m going to rehearsal and ignoring him when he’s getting tagged in false claims, I don’t care for them. I just didn’t want the mess but let him, he will be calling me up saying I didn’t do anything. Let it happen Mel, who am I to hide him when he doesn’t want it from me, but I am angry, and until further notice I don’t want to know” shaking my head, he is going to get a nasty wake up call.

I enjoyed Virginia a lot, I loved how homie it was. I enjoyed my time with Chris, and I loved it all. It was a real good time away to be honest, it was my home when I was doing the exchange programme, I loved that his family treated me well and I feel Chris and I are closer than ever. But he just needs to stop trying to hear his own voice, like he doesn’t need to go but he will. And I can’t wait to hear him call me and say I didn’t do anything when they are dragging him, me. I have become immune to it, Chris will get a lesson in this “you have a face like thunder, the dancers are going to be shook” Mel said through her laughter “oh I’m not angry, I was just thinking. But how is you and Barry getting on? Is he less stubborn than Chris? Does he actually listen” Mel chuckled, she is laughing but I’m not, I hate when Chris is like this. Tries to be the man of our home, he knows damn well he will be crying to me “he’s a nerd, like Chris and I like that about him. He’s easy going, and we talk every day. He said that if we do end up being together and it works out well enough that he would move here and I’m like nigga already!? I mean I am not whipped at all but he’s nice, and easy going” I sighed out “oh brother, now why can’t Chris be this way” my man is a whole pain “because he likes to be the man of the house, I don’t know. Something he will get over but I’m excited” I’m scared of this whole relationship with friends’ things, I am just not sure of what to make of it. I feel like we will be judging each other, maybe that’s me because Chris is being a pain, but I hope it’s not what I assume it will be, I want better for me, for him, for us to be honest.

Robyn is cute, like she left me her gold chain. I mean it’s cute and small, but she left it behind, I think she did, or she purposely left it here, but I am wearing it anyways. Putting my snapback backwards, I wore the chain anyways, but I am just wearing the minimum, I wore white tee and grey sweatpants. I am just going to go to the thing and then leave, I am there for the free food like the fuck. It’s not even that deep, like I don’t understand why it’s a big thing, I mean I get it but it’s nothing. Go there and leave, that is it. I am late anyways, I told him I am going to go there late because I don’t want to be there all day. They are having the reveal at a hall, so I will turn up and then leave. I showed my face, I am there for my nigga so does it matter. Closing my bedroom door and making my way down the steps “where are you going?” Desean asked me “out, I will be back. Dad, I am borrowing the car!” I shouted; I been borrowing the car every day since being here. I need to get my own car; this is my list for my family. A new car for them, a new home. A bigger one anyways, they deserve it “when will you be back?” my dad asked “I won’t be long, I am going to see TJ” my dad nodded his head “uh, isn’t it Seiko gender party today? I saw someone post a little something about it” nodding my head “anyways, bye” I don’t need to hear anyone speak on this, I know what I am doing. This is my life, I need to take a hold of it in a way of making big money, I need to get into that life. And I think California, well me being in California will do me good. I need that in my life, I need to win big for me and my family and also Robyn, I need to do it for her too.

Locking my car door and making my way to the hall, these Jordan’s I have on right now are brand new, I just bought them today and these sweatpants is what Drake gave me from his clothing line, dope. I ain’t dressed up, I ain’t even shaved so if anyone thinks I made the effort then they lying as fuck. Licking my top lip pulling open the door to the place, I told TJ I am coming, and he came to meet me “I am so fucking happy to see you my brother” TJ hugged me “nigga got a whole fucking clown suit on” Barry snorted laughing “I had to look the part, I got the Burberry tie on. Man, my momma is so happy about this. I hate it” moving back from the hug and dapping Barry “well of course you ain’t going to be happy, shit was a mistake” I chuckled “is Seiko brother’s here?” not like I care “mhmm yeah, they trying to beef me up but whatever” of course “I am hungry, where the food at. There better be chicken wings” rubbing my stomach “nigga I paid half, I made sure there was. We wait on you so come. We can get some alcohol and food” nodding my head, least they waited on me. I don’t care for anyone, just my brother’s.

Licking my fingers as I placed the paper plate down, I am getting weird looks from people I don’t know “little rat, why you keep coming here?” TJ said to his sister “can I get a picture with you?” wiping my hands on my sweatpants “who?” I asked “you” she pointed “me!?” I spat half confused “can I? I want to tell my friends that I know you because you date Rihanna!” she half shouted, I chuckled “who is Rihanna? I don’t date Rihanna ma, see. The pictures you see they are photoshopped. I am single” I lied, but she doesn’t believe me. She seems more disappointed that I even lied to her, she looked down at her phone “my sister is pain bro, like she into this celebrity shit. Like live you damn life “look” she patted my lap, turning to her “oh wow, who is that woman?” she out here pulling out receipts of Robyn and I “stop lying, can I please have a picture with you. You’re super famous now” she is tripping “I am not famous, my god. It’s me Chris! I ain’t had this before with you” TJ nudged me “just do it bro so we can get rid of her” taking in a deep breath “fine, come here” waving her over “TJ take it” she passed her his phone and she openly sat in my lap, I ain’t into this picture thing “you look so annoyed, smile for me. Quick” I grinned at the camera “now go away! Leave us alone, dang” that is the weirdest shit to happen to me today.

Sitting back in my seat as TJ made his way to his baby mother, I find this hilarious to me. I know this nigga hates this, but he is putting on a front, I am so happy it wasn’t me. Chewing on my bottom, Seiko and I eyes met and she is just blatantly staring at me in a room full of people, I mean I wish she looked away, but I can tell she regrets things, she looked away as she should. Clearing my throat looking away laughing to myself “you look well Chris” looking to the side of me “I do? You look well too Kristie” moving my arm from the chair “you’re rather the celebrity in this joint, kind of knocked my best friend off her pedestal” moving my chair away from her as she sat down “I don’t bite, I mean you should know that” rubbing my hands against my sweatpants “I ain’t do shit, I come here to support my friend” there is one thing, I never fucked ugly bitches and I love that for me “likewise, she does love you and still does” I sniggered “right, and having sex with my best friend made that right” she pointed at me “you sir are a hypocrite, you fucked all her friends” shaking my head “she was right there, y’all was ok with it. She knew it was wrong from jump with TJ. She knew that” is this girl being real right now “I never liked her like that anyways, that is the point. I am happier, away from her” Kristie laughed “who wouldn’t be dating Rihanna? She is beautiful and rich, you tell me Chris did you purposely take her there to get with Rihanna?” shaking my head “I didn’t think Rihanna would even remember me like that, I love her so much and I don’t pass around that word much so you can’t say it’s like that when it’s not. Nothing to do with being rich, she is my childhood sweetheart” I don’t care, I will tell the whole world “that sent my friend a shut up letter, Seiko loves you still. I say good riddance, she says she lost but you look well. Better then I last saw you naked” she winked at me “it’s the tan” she got up from her seat “I suppose” watching her walk off, now I should have dated her between her and Seiko.

I clapped seeing that my friend is having a son, happy for him. I think if he was having a girl he would be even more depressed “are you dating Rihanna? You’re the guy she is dating” this girl pointed me out, I stopped clapping “huh, what?” I said all confused “you’re like the guy Rihanna is dating, she was in Virginia and she was at her old school, oh my god you are actually him. I follow him!” she shouted “I am just a regular dude” I put my hands up, in my defence I am “can we like take a picture with you? You are literally the sexiest light skinned nigga. I get why she would date you” I chuckled “I will pass on the photos” I walked by them “congratulations brother, a boy” dapping TJ “I am so happy, like I don’t know what I would do with a girl. Now you need to have a boy, then Barry we all going to have a day care” shaking my head laughing “you need to get Rih pregnant, on god” I shushed him “relax on that, she busy now. But I am happy for you” hugging him “thank you” I know he appreciates it “nice seeing you here” Seiko spoke to me, I stepped back keeping my distance “for TJ, I am going to see to Barry” dapping TJ walking off.

Barry is eating again “people are weird here, they all are speaking on Rihanna and I am her boyfriend. I am but the fuck. I am just a regular dude” Barry is stuffing his face “that makes you famous by affiliation now Chris, you famous” furrowing my eyebrows “that is bullshit, anyways. Kristie came up to me. Started speaking on Seiko still in love with me and shit. This is why I ran here but I think it’s my time to go” I think I do “can we talk?” Seiko is right there “about what? There is nothing to talk about” Barry stood next to me, I ain’t moving anywhere with her “did you go to her concert to get back with her, I hate myself. She was laughing at me all that time when she took you from me” taking in a deep breath “I was never yours, yes I was with you. I dated you but it really meant nothing when I always loved her, I did. I wish you let me go, take off my pictures. Move on, so you can be happier in yourself also. I came here for TJ, not to see you. I am going Barry, good luck with that” I pointed at her bump as I walked off, all I know is that I am in my city but people are acting mad weird now with this Rihanna shit and I want to run home.

[sokkable]

Last week I shared how for the last two years I have attended a school with past/present notable alumni including billionaires, actors, and politicians. People are highly requesting me to reveal tea from my school so here’s the post. Obviously I could be wrong about certain details, this is just what I’ve heard through the grapevine:

*Also if you go to this school, please don’t reveal what school this is because lmao I want to be anonymous lol

At my school there are different groups of kids. There’s the popular local rich kids (rich as in multimillionaires to billionaires), I am not in the PLRK group and there’s a lot of tea within that group that I don’t know about. Apparently a lot of them are related (like cousins idk to what degree though) and the people in that group hook up a lot though to my knowledge the ones who are related don’t hook up. These kids also go on to attend Ivy League schools BTW.

There’s also the popular foreign kids group (some are upper middle class, some are the children of teachers, some have their tuition paid by the company their parents work for). The PFK group are also heavy partiers (they go to the clubs and house parties and their parents are chill with it). I am not in this group either but I know theres A LOT of tea.

There are other groups as well however they don’t have notable tea LMAO.  

Stories:

There was this guy we’ll call him Liam. Liam was new to the school and made it into the PFK group. However about a month or two in, he said something ill-mannered to another PFK (I have no idea what he said). Then that kid hired someone to beat Liam up (keep in mind that Liam himself had diplomatic immunity, and really shouldn’t have been touched at all). Liam ended up chipping his front tooth in the fight and he was ostracized from the PFK group.

Another kid, we’ll call him Noah, was also in the PFK group. He may have been a drug dealer as well though I am fuzzy on the details. He had beef with people from the PLRK group. So the PLRK guys all agreed to stay sober (no drugs) for a few months, knowing that Noah was still taking drugs. Then those guys planted drugs in pill form in Noah’s backpack and went to the Vice Principal and ratted him out on having drugs on him. Noah was immediately expelled from school and deported back to his home country of England. Noah’s parents were teachers at the school and continued to teach even after Noah left.

I was in my English class and this really kind girl sat next to me and we became friends fairly quickly. She was so genuine and friendly and normal that I never really spent a lot of time thinking about her background. It wasn’t until maybe halfway through the year when I found out that she is part of one of the richest families on the continent. It was honestly really shocking because I always expected billionaires to entitled and snobby but she really is the opposite. She invited me and another girl to her house for her birthday and I remember feeling so out of place because her house is like a piece of art and I’m trash lmao. Moral of the story ig: don’t judge a book by its cover

One of my best friends’s parents are filmmakers and own a production company and they’ve made high budget movies. My friend took film during her upperclassmen years and she also inherited the genes to make amazing movies because her short films are wonderful. She made a short film starring her aunt (who is an actress with millions of followers on instagram) and my friend submitted it to film festivals and ended up getting to travel overseas to meet other young filmmakers.

Last year I took dance and I met this girl and it turns out she’s an aspiring/already successful singer. She was on The Voice Kids (of the country I live in) and got pretty far in the competition and now she has a big following on social media, has original music out, and got to perform at a music festival recently.

I don’t have a list of all the big alumni that attended this school (I only have what the internet tells me) and a very prominent TV actress that 90% of y’all would recognize attended this school for like 12 years which is wild. She never visited though :/. I was also part of my school’s film club and the supervisor told me that people who have worked with like Rihanna and Steven Spielberg graduated from this school and they judge our short films for our school’s film festival.

OOF, my school had this very very very prominent scandal that happened when I was in middle school. This scandal was so big that it wouldn’t be a stretch to say that all principals and superintendents from around the world heard about it. This scandal left like half a dozen people in federal prison.

It’s a tradition for seniors from my school to vacation at this nice island (think Fiji, Tahiti, Bora Bora) during spring break by themselves without parent supervision. This trip was hyped up so much and people were so excited to go, people had already bought their tickets, rented their villas, and were in the midst of getting their fake ID’s when coronavirus happened so obviously the trip was cancelled. I’m still salty not gonna lie.

Ummmmmm, there’s more tea but I’ve been writing this for almost an hour and I’m tired so I’m gonna stop here. But this was like a sneak peak at my school. I want to be clear tho: I really am not rich and I don’t have any famous relatives and there are no politicians in my fam. My only flex in life is that I dmed Dante Basco once and he replied

[longgae]

11 celebrities who've been called out for homophobic comments

This is gonna be interesting...

1. In 2020, Twitter users accused J.K. Rowling of transphobia after comments she made on Twitter. Rowling tweeted, "'People who menstruate.' I'm sure there used to be a word for those people. Someone help me out. Wumben? Wimpund? Woomud?" Fans on social media quickly told the writer she was not being inclusive to the transgender community. Rowling backed up her statement by tweeting, "I respect every trans person's right to live any way that feels authentic and comfortable to them. I'd march with you if you were discriminated against on the basis of being trans. At the same time, my life has been shaped by being female. I do not believe it's hateful to say so." She also said, "I want trans women to be safe. At the same time, I do not want to make natal girls and women less safe. When you throw open the doors of bathrooms and changing rooms to any man who believes or feels he's a woman – and, as I've said, gender confirmation certificates may now be granted without any need for surgery or hormones – then you open the door to any and all men who wish to come inside. That is the simple truth."

2. Kevin Hart stepped down from hosting the Academy Awards after his old homophobic comments surfaced, saying, "I am evolving and want to continue to do so."

Between 2009 and 2010, Kevin Hart made insensitive jokes on Twitter and in his standup specials. For example, in one tweet, the comedian said he would break a dollhouse over his son's head if it turned out he was gay. In his 2010 special, "Seriously Funny," he reiterated the point that he would act abusively if his son was gay. "I wouldn't tell that joke today, because when I said it, the times weren't as sensitive as they are now," Hart later told Rolling Stone. "I think we love to make big deals out of things that aren't necessarily big deals, because we can. These things become public spectacles. So why set yourself up for failure?" When it was announced that Hart was going to be the host of the Oscars in 2018, his past jokes resurfaced. After backlash from the public, Hart stepped down as host. "I have made the choice to step down from hosting this year's Oscar's....this is because I do not want to be a distraction on a night that should be celebrated by so many amazing talented artists," he wrote in a tweet. "I sincerely apologize to the LGBTQ community for my insensitive words from my past … I am evolving and want to continue to do so. My goal is to bring people together not tear us apart."

3. After Paris Hilton was caught criticizing the gay community in an audio recording, she apologized, saying, "Gay people are the strongest and most inspiring people I know." In 2012, an audio recording of Paris Hilton in a taxi cab was leaked. According to reports, she was in the car with a gay man who was showing her the gay dating app, Grindr. In the audio, you can hear Hilton say, "Gay guys are the horniest people in the world. They're disgusting. Dude, most of them probably have AIDS. ... I would be so scared if I were a gay guy. You'll like, die of AIDS." Her publicist confirmed that the recording was in fact Hilton but emphasized the socialite was not homophobic. (Are they sure about this? God...) In an apology statement, Hilton said, "I am so sorry and so upset that I caused pain to my gay friends, fans, and their families. Gay people are the strongest and most inspiring people I know."

4. After a member of the audience called out Tracy Morgan for his homophobic remarks during a standup set, the comedian apologized. In 2011, a man chronicled Tracy Morgan's standup set in Nashville on Facebook. In the post, the man said Morgan said being gay is a choice because "God makes no mistakes." The comedian also allegedly said he would stab his son if he came out as gay. (Kevin Hart, you here?) After backlash and a half-hearted apology on "Late Show with David Letterman," Morgan issued an official apology. "I want to apologize to my fans and the gay & lesbian community for my choice of words at my recent stand-up act in Nashville," he said. "I'm not a hateful person and don't condone any kind of violence against others. While I am an equal opportunity jokester, and my friends know what is in my heart, even in a comedy club this clearly went too far and was not funny in any context." (Good sir. There is more to LGBTQ+ then just gays and lesbians)

5. Sarah Silverman used a gay slur in a 2010 tweet. When asked about it in 2018, she said, "I'm certainly creative enough to think of other words besides that that don't hurt people." In 2010, Sarah Silverman tweeted, "I don't mean this in a hateful way but the new bachelorette's a f-----." Although the tweet went relatively unnoticed at the time, it picked up momentum again in 2018 when people pointed out that it was unfair for Kevin Hart to step down from hosting the Oscars for doing something similar. "Yea, I'm done with that," Silverman told TMZ when she was asked about it in 2018. "I think I can find other ways to be funny. I used to say 'gay' all the time like, 'That's so gay!' Because we're from Boston. We'd go, 'That's what you say in Boston. I have gay friends. I just say gay.' Then I heard myself, and I realized I was like the guy who'd say, 'What? I say colored. I have colored friends.' I realized it's stupid, and I'm certainly creative enough to think of other words besides that that don't hurt people. But I fuck up all the time."

6. Eminem has been criticized for using gay slurs in his songs, but he insists he isn't homophobic. In 2018, Eminem released his album, "Kamikaze." In one song titled "The Fall," he focuses on fellow rapper Tyler, The Creator. In the song, Eminem raps," "Tyler create nothin', I see why you called yourself a f----t, bitch." This wasn't the first time rapper had been criticized for using a gay slut. Throughout his career, he has used similar words in his songs and received a lot of criticism for it. Eminem, however, insists he is not homophobic. "The honest-to-God truth is that none of that matters to me: I have no issue with someone's sexuality, religion, race, none of that," the rapper told Vulture. "Anyone who's followed my music knows I'm against bullies — that's why I hate that f---ing bully Trump — and I hate the idea that a kid who's gay might get s--- for it."

7. Mel Gibson mocked how gay men act in the early '90s. While doing an interview in 2001 for Spanish newspaper El Pais, Gibson said, "With this look, who's going to think I'm gay? I don't lend myself to that type of confusion. Do I look like a homosexual? Do I talk like them? Do I move like them?" Throughout the '90s, GLAAD protested Gibson's films, but the actor refused to apologize. "I'll apologize when hell freeze over," he said. "They can f--- off."

8. Alec Baldwin went on a homophobic Twitter rant against a reporter he did not agree with. He later said his remarks were "in no way was the result of homophobia." In 2013, Daily Mail reporter George Stark wrote a story accusing Alec Baldwin's wife, Hilaria, of tweeting at James Gandolfini's funeral. Baldwin took to Twitter to express his anger at Stark, calling the reporter a "toxic little queen," among other comments. In an interview with the Gothamist after the incident, Baldwin stood by his decision to call the reporter a "queen." "The idea of me calling this guy a 'queen' and that being something that people thought is homophobic … a queen to me has a different meaning. It's somebody who's just above," he told the publication. "It doesn't have any necessarily sexual connotations," Baldwin said. "To me a queen ... I know women that act queeny, I know men that are straight that act queeny, and I know gay men that act queeny. It doesn't have to be a definite sexual connotation or a homophobic connotation." He later issued an official apology, according to The Hollywood Reporter. "My anger was directed at Mr. Stark for blatantly lying and disseminating libelous information about my wife and her conduct at our friend's funeral service. As someone who fights against homophobia, I apologize," Baldwin said. "I would not advocate violence against someone for being gay, and I hope that my friends at GLAAD and the gay community understand that my attack on Mr. Stark in no way was the result of homophobia."

9. Chris Brown also used homophobic language (no shockers there) when talking about another rapper, but he later said, "I love all my gay fans." In 2010, rapper Raz provoked Chris Brown when he tweeted about Brown's past assault on Rihanna. Brown responded by attacking Raz on Twitter, referencing the fact that Raz was molested by another man as a child and calling him a "#homothug." "I'm not homophobic! He's just disrespectful," Brown tweeted later. "BTW…I love all my gay fans and this immature act is not targeted at you!!!! Love."

10. Azealia Banks has a long history of problematic comments, but she has since said she will no longer use gay slurs. In 2015, singer Azealia Banks was caught on camera yelling at a flight attendant after getting into a fight with a fellow passenger. In the video, you can hear Banks call the flight attendant a gay slur, according to HuffPost.She later tweeted about the incident, writing, "I don't care. I've said it before and I'll say it again."Banks' history with the word doesn't stop there. In 2016, she used the word to attack fellow singer Zayn Malik on Twitter, leading to the deactivation of her account. She has also called the LGBTQ community "the gay white KKK. Get some pink hoods and unicorns and rally down rodeo drive."In 2016, however, she announced she is never using the gay slur again. "The amount of people that get hurt when I use the word vs. the amount of people I've said it to are just not worth it," she wrote on Facebook. "Honestly... This isn't a cop-out, it's just me realizing that words hurt. and while I may be immune to every word and be thicker skinned than most, it doesn't mean that I get to go around treating people with the same toughness that made my skin so thick."

11. Drake Bell received backlash after posting a transphobic tweet. He later called the remarks "thoughtless." When Caitlin Jenner came out as transgender in 2015, Nickelodeon actor and singer Drake Bell tweeted, "Sorry...still calling you Bruce." After receiving backlash, he deleted the tweet and then posted another, misgendering Jenner. "I'm not dissing him! I just don't want to forget his legacy! He is the greatest athlete of all time," Bell tweeted. "Chill out!" After that, he tweeted out an apology. "I sincerely apologize for my thoughtless insensitive remarks," Bell wrote. "I in no way meant to hurt or demean those going through a similar journey. Although my comments were made in innocence, I deeply regret the negative effect they've had on so many."

Here are some tweets that were mentioned earlier (I couldn't find all of them)

So... yeah

[tabloidtoc]

Life & Style, January 18

You can now buy a copy of this issue for your very own at my eBay store: https://www.ebay.com/str/bradentonbooks

Cover: Uber Drivers Tell All 

Page 1: Photo Flash -- John Legend celebrated his birthday aboard a private yacht in St. Barts where he slid down the craft’s waterslide 

Page 2: Contents 

Page 4: The Top 10 Champagne Looks -- Joey King, Saoirse Ronan, Eiza Gonzalez, Gillian Anderson, Leona Lewis 

Page 5: Heidi Klum, Jennifer Lopez, Kim Kardashian, Scarlett Johansson 

Page 6: Kelly Clarkson’s daytime talk show tied with Ellen DeGeneres’ long-running series in the year-end TV ratings battle -- The Ellen DeGeneres Show lost advertisers and A-listers and audiences after former staffers came forward with stories of a toxic workplace while The Kelly Clarkson Show which was recently renewed through 2023 has become a household staple in its sophomore season and gaining viewers in daytime’s key demographic of women and ending 2020 on a season high -- Ellen is putting on a good front but deep down she feels threatened by Kelly’s success and she’s done everything she can to prove that she’s changed but she still can’t win back her fans plus Ellen is convinced that Kelly is trying to steal her famous friends even going so far as to demand that if a celebrity agrees to appear on Ellen then they can’t go on Kelly; it’s one or the other from here on out 

Page 7: Rihanna and A$AP Rocky celebrated their first Christmas together in her native Barbados where the couple went on a sunset cruise around the Caribbean isle with her loved ones -- Christmas is a really important time for Rihanna and it’s not often that she gets to see her family and friends all at once and she wanted A$AP to be a part of it -- he was a bit nervous meeting everyone but he was worrying over nothing because they all adore him -- she’s really close with her family so it was important for him to get to know them before things begin to get serious

* Throwback -- Billie Eilish 

* Biggest Spenders of the Week -- French Montana, Sean “Diddy” Combs, Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis, Gal Gadot, Katie Holmes 

Page 8: Critics slammed Demi Moore’s new movie Songbird calling it a Michael Bay-produced travesty that exploits the coronavirus epidemic for thrills -- the film takes place in the not-so-distant future during a COVID-23 outbreak with Demi playing a wealthy woman who sells immunity bands on the black market for a hefty price -- Demi jumped at the chance to star in the movie; with its topical storyline she expected it to be a box-office hit and she’s disappointed that it’s flopped and is shocked at the backlash and she certainly never intended to hurt anyone’s feelings 

* Hilaria Baldwin proudly showed off her post-baby body posting a photo of herself holding 3-month-old son Eduardo while wearing nothing but her bra and underwear but instead of being praised for her postpartum pic she was inundated with cruel comments after Amy Schumer reported the snap seemingly roasting Hilaria for setting unrealistic standards for new moms -- while the comedian soon apologized and deleted the image it wasn’t long before she replaced it with several other shots and making fun of the controversy -- there’s a fine line between being funny and being cruel and Amy overstepped the mark in Hilaria’s eyes

Page 10: The Week in Photos -- Kacey Musgraves visits Oscar the Grouch and Sesame Street 

Page 11: Gwen Stefani on The Kelly Clarkson Show 

Page 12: Animal Instinct -- Oliver Hudson plants a smooch on a goat, Mayim Bialik with her new co-star Monty the cat from her show Call Me Kat, Padma Lakshmi cuddling on the couch with her dog Ms. Divina 

Page 13: Jerry O’Connell got a slobbery kiss from his dog Phil in L.A. 

Page 16: Stars Behaving Badly -- Selma Blair topless in a impromptu shoot off the highway in Palm Springs, Sean Lennon pretended to attack a replica of the Empire State Building during a lighting ceremony in NYC, Jameela Jamil and Jason Mantzoukas let their middle fingers fly 

Page 18: Say What?! Miley Cyrus on being single during the pandemic, Dolly Parton on her fashion and beauty credo, Kristin Chenoweth on starring in Holidate with 5-foot-2 Emma Roberts, Keke Palmer joking about her skin issues, Jason Momoa who’s been wed to Lisa Bonet since 2017 

Page 20: Jennifer Lopez and Alex Rodriguez planned to tie the knot in Italy but after being forced to postpone their nuptials twice since the pandemic struck Alex has gotten a case of cold feet -- the pressure of a huge wedding was very overwhelming and in the end Alex decided it wasn’t necessary anymore -- J.Lo also hinted as much saying they’ve talked about canceling the destination wedding altogether because at their ages and they’ve both been married before should they get married or not -- the very next day Jennifer was pictured without her engagement ring sparking speculation that the couple had already reached a decision that they would no longer be walking down the aisle and Jennifer’s heartbroken because she wanted a big splashy wedding since this was going to be her fourth and final trip to the altar

Page 21: Courteney Cox was recently reunited with boyfriend Johnny McDaid after spending nine months apart due to the COVID-19 crisis but the long-awaited meetup in Ireland was far from romantic -- this was a make-or-break trip to either figure things out or go their separate ways and shortly after arriving Courteney laid all her cards on the table and she made it clear to Johnny that in order to move forward things had to change -- with her living in LA and Johnny based in Ireland the time difference is a real problem and FaceTime calls are few and far between and texts go unreturned for hours or sometimes not at all and it’s a daily struggle and Courteney’s at the end of her rope 

Page 22: Cover Story -- Uber drivers tell all -- the scoop on celebrities’ best and worst moments as rideshare passengers -- Brooke Shields’ boozy cruise, Tom Selleck requires a quiet car 

Page 23: Justin Bieber threw a party on wheels, blind items

Page 24: George Clooney uses a pseudonym, Kylie Jenner was 2 hours late for her ride

Page 25: Cash-carrying Prince Harry is a huge tipper, Tom Cruise is not a cool customer, Jennifer Lawrence makes the back seat her bed 

Page 26: Lori Loughlin breaks her silence -- after completing a two-month prison sentence for her role in the infamous college admissions cheating scandal Lori emerges to find her life and family in pieces -- Lori wants to move forward as a family in a positive direction but her daughters have so many walls up now

Page 28: The Bachelorette’s Clare Crawley and Tayshia Adams: Two dream weddings -- with a wild ride of a season behind them leading ladies Clare and Tayshia are happily planning their respective nuptials 

Page 30: The truth about Khloe Kardashian and Tristan Thompson’s engagement -- Khloe’s new ring from Tristan sparks wedding speculation -- Tristan swears he’ll never ever stray again and Khloe is desperate to make their relationship work because she loves the little family they’ve created 

Page 32: Who Lives Here? Kathy Griffin 

Page 36: Fashion -- shop these haute hues -- Pantone’s 2021 Colors of the Year are Ultimate Grey and Illuminating Yellow, making them musts for every fashionista’s wardrobe 

Page 40: Diva or Down-to-Earth? John Legend grabs groceries -- down-to-earth, Heather Locklear pumps her own gas -- down-to-earth

Page 41: Gal Gadot assembles a glam squad -- diva, Zac Efron cuts his friend’s hair -- down-to-earth 

Page 42: Social Stars Posts of the Week -- Angela Kinsey and her dogs, Kim Kardashian and longtime pal La La Anthony, Laura Prepon building a snowman, Kevin Jonas and wife Danielle 

Page 44: Horoscope -- Capricorn Zooey Deschanel turned 41 on January 17

* They’re Not Together, But They Should Be -- Aries Jennifer Garner and Aquarius Justin Hartley 

Page 46: Made Ya Look! Emily Blunt strikes a stylish pose 

Page 48: What I’m Into -- Jonathan Van Ness  

[wordmagician11]

Higher Perspective

So, today, I would like to try and reframe a perspective, and instead give a better way to think, a "higher perspective".

To give an example, today my parents were both gone, and my sister went off to school.

Being currently unemployed, without a driver's license at the moment (this is not to say I'm not doing anything about any of these things, but that is for another topic), and a chill percolating outside, I stayed home for 8 hours.

The things that happened in-between, the moment everybody left to the moment they came back. The things that happened in-between yet how it almost felt like nothing happened at all.

I tried to make some sense of myself, fending off that fear of boredom, of doing "nothing" by trying to do "something" which turned out to just be a numbing distraction, a slight curve around what one really wants, the 'blank page' I call it with it's vast expanse, almost like a mirror, showing oneself what they don't want to see.

I tried a lot of things, yet still found I felt restless.

The insecurities came in.

Hmm, maybe I should just do a bunch of workouts today, I'm not skinny enough. But if I do one, at least I'll feel good about myself?

Hmm, maybe I should just sit on the couch and watch TV? None of this will matter anyway.

Hmm, maybe I should just take a walk around the block. Just a walk. It'll take my mind off everything, and hey, at least it'll make me feel like I accomplished something.

I have my own little textbook psychology definitions for these things (this happened as a child, that's why I do these things), (ohhhh, the achievement = worthiness) yet, that awareness doesn't necessarily lead to immunity. Just because I may know the cause doesn't mean the situation can cease.

And for today, thinking doesn't lead to less thinking.

Yet, I had a realization, and I'm gonna take it all the way back to Rihanna's song "The Only Girl In The World".

What an interesting topic that was, being the only person in the world (to be fair, in the video, she was alone). Sure, I'm stretching a love song into something else but bear with me.

Sometimes I have the thought of sitting in my own house that I'll own someday, just sitting on the couch, doing something. And there's no one else around. Seems just perfect. But...

Here comes the cursed words.

We're all made to be social creatures.

In a way, we all crave another person, whether that be another person's touch, or even just their companionship, or even, just seeing them.

But, being alone today, it made me realize that I took other people in my life for granted.

The truth is, companionship is not something you can just discard. Without it, you'll begin to feel it's effects. It's like going without food or holding your breath.

You can cope, but a part of you knows it's not natural to be alone for too long.

And so I take today as a lesson.

It was not my favorite day by any means, but at least I can say I'm trying, and that my family members are home.

What once felt like a grueling process is now something I can take forward.

The takeaway is, I realize, all too well that current culture is caught up in movement.

Movement is good... Movement is natural...

But too much movement isn't good.

There is a phone (which I'm typing on right now), there is a computer, there is a TV, there is, of course, the Internet (not trying to sound like a Boomer y'all 😭).

There is so much to do, that there is so little time to do nothing.

Oh, bingo...

That nothing. That nothingness. Begrudged in its quietness. Nothing to fill it with. Nothing imposed. It just is.

I wonder if that's where the unicorns come from. If that's where the great ideas come and leave. That place... right there... that silent place, full of mystifying color, if you choose to see it, or straight blackness (still a color). Is that the place where Elon Musk got all his millionaire ideas? We'll never know.

But the point is, there is always so many things to do, sometimes it's too much.

Maybe doing everything isn't that important so long as we're doing the right things, and maybe everything isn't the right thing?

Going from here to there. And there to here and back all around again, racing around that track or hamster wheel only to come away exhausted.

We may all have our own reason for jumping on this hamster wheel or for running incessantly down a "track".

My own reason is that it helps me to feel enough. That, if I did it, at least it fills the void that not doing anything could leave.

Now, I'm not just saying for y'all to do absolutely nothing with your life, or let everything pass you by.

But, just as we need movement, we also need the stillness. And maybe, if we accept both away from all their perceived stereotypes, the stillness won't be so terrifying, or vice versa?

So, I'll leave you with this.

What hamster wheel are you running on?

And is it a dead end situation, or is there something you can learn from it?

[pipelinelaserraygun]

Will 💟 YOUR BLOOD, sweat, and tears speak?

What speaks BETTER?

Concentrate helping defend ⬆️ persons who are your Brothers and Sisters, such as by performing hands-on homeless outreach, creating fellowship with broken and hungry Believers, united THROUGH the ✝️ blood of Jesus Christ.

Continuing our week-long 📖 Bible study of Genesis 4:

... WHAT'S the point of giving an account of yourself to God, when he already knows you backwards + forwards?

When God asks you a question, it's NOT because he doesn't have the answer! You are being placed 🎯 on the spot.

MUST 🙈 SEE‼️

There are MANY POLITICAL ☠️ death merchants who need to be placed 🎯 on the spot, like Cain.

⬇️ Look here and further below for posts about "Cytokine storm" DOUBLE IMPACTS on persons: Your immune system goes HAYWIRE the moment 🇨🇳 china's virus is detected INSIDE you. Your immune system is thrown haywire a SECOND time, from the powerful vaccine chemical compositions.

It's HARD for the body to calm down, following back-to-back traumatic episodes.

Now, imagine putting your body through additional booster shot

TRAUMA: 😷💉😱🤧!!

Don't waste what little time you may have left.

Make smarter choices. Get right with God. You don't get to chart your OWN afterlife path.

Outpouring of BLOOD.

WAR IS DECLARED‼️

SIGNS AND WONDERS

MUST 🙈 SEE❣️

[newstfionline]

Friday, July 16, 2021

Authoritarianism advances as world battles the pandemic (AP) Here’s some of what happened while the world was distracted by the coronavirus: China shut Hong Kong’s last pro-democracy newspaper. Brazil’s government extolled dictatorship. And Belarus hijacked a passenger plane to arrest a journalist. COVID-19 has absorbed the world’s energies and isolated countries from one another, which may have accelerated the creep of authoritarianism and extremism across the globe, some researchers and activists believe. “COVID is a dictator’s dream opportunity,” said Theary Seng, a Cambodian-American human rights lawyer who has been indicted on charges including treason in the ostensibly democratic southeast Asian nation, where Prime Minister Hun Sen has been in power for more than three decades. The biggest global public health emergency in a century has handed power to government authorities and restricted life for billions of people. Luke Cooper, a London School of Economics researcher and author of the book “Authoritarian Contagion,” said the vast economic, health and social resources poured into fighting the pandemic mean “the state is back as a force to manage society and to deliver public goods.” Restrictions on civil liberties or political opponents have been stepped up during the pandemic on several continents.

Massive flight delays, cancellations prompt finger-pointing (The Hill) Airlines are racking up an unprecedented number of delays and flight cancellations just months after Congress gave the industry $54 billion so that carriers could retain their employees and facilitate a seamless return to air travel as the nation emerged from the pandemic. From July 1 to July 6, JetBlue delayed 51 percent of its flights, Southwest Airlines delayed 39 percent of its flights and American Airlines delayed 34 percent of its flights, according to data from FlightAware. Those setbacks came after major airlines canceled hundreds of flights this month to prevent additional delays. Industry experts said poor weather conditions grounded many of those flights but also blamed the almost unprecedented uptick in delays and cancellations on a shortage of trained pilots and airport employees. The aviation industry is finding it difficult to find employees to clean airplanes, transport baggage and handle reservations, among other roles.

Drug overdose deaths soared to a record 93,000 last year (Washington Post) Deaths from drug overdoses soared to more than 93,000 last year, a staggering record that reflects the coronavirus pandemic’s toll on efforts to quell the crisis and the continued spread of the synthetic opioid fentanyl in the illegal narcotic supply, the government reported Wednesday. The death toll jumped by more than 21,000, or nearly 30 percent, from 2019, according to provisional data released by the National Center for Health Statistics, eclipsing the record set that year. “Every one of those people, somebody loved them,” said Keith Humphreys, a psychiatry professor at Stanford University and an expert on addiction and drug policy. “It’s terrifying. It’s the biggest increase in overdose deaths in the history of the United States, it’s the worst overdose crisis in the history of the United States, and we’re not making progress. It’s really overwhelming.”

Warning Caribbean asylum seekers (Washington Post) For decades, the United States met asylum seekers from Cuba and Haiti with divergent attitudes: for Cubans, open arms, and for Haitians, return tickets. Now, as both countries grapple with domestic turmoil, the Biden administration has delivered them a uniform message: Don’t come. The warning from Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas Tuesday appeared to be the administration’s attempt to get out ahead of what some experts warn could become concurrent Caribbean migration crises.

Unproven fraud claims delay Peru’s election result (Washington Post) If ever a presidential administration needed a smooth transition, it’s that of Pedro Castillo, the leftist schoolteacher who will apparently be Peru’s next leader. With no experience in public office, he eschewed policy advisers during both rounds of the Andean nation’s presidential elections—even as he made improbable, apparently spontaneous campaign promises ranging from banning imports to expelling thousands of Venezuelan refugees. Peru is grasping for political stability after going through three presidents in a single month last year. And with the world’s worst reported covid-19 mortality rate per capita, the country is in a desperate race to vaccinate as many of its 32 million people as possible. According to Peru’s electoral agency, Castillo leads the fiercely contested June 6 runoff by 44,000 votes out of nearly 19 million cast, taking 50.13 percent of the vote to 49.87 percent for his opponent, Keiko Fujimori. But more than five weeks after election day and less than two weeks before inauguration day on July 28 (also the much anticipated 200th anniversary of Peruvian independence), Castillo, 51, has yet to begin preparing for the official transfer of power—his path blocked by Fujimori’s claims of electoral fraud. With a looming trial for alleged money laundering and the potential for a long jail sentence if she doesn’t acquire presidential immunity, Fujimori, 46, is refusing to concede.

Over 90 dead, dozens missing as severe floods strike Europe (AP) More than 90 people have died and dozens were missing Thursday as severe flooding in western Germany and Belgium turned streams and streets into raging torrents that swept away cars and caused houses to collapse. Recent storms across parts of western Europe made rivers and reservoirs burst their banks, triggering flash floods overnight after the saturated soil couldn’t absorb any more water.

Neck rubs, tapped phones: Merkel has history with US leaders (AP/Washington Post) Neck rubs, pricy dinners, allegations of phone tapping, awkward handshake moments. Angela Merkel has just about seen it all when it comes to U.S. presidents. The German chancellor is making her 19th and likely final official visit to the U.S. on Thursday for a meeting with President Joe Biden—her fourth American president—as she nears the end of her 16-year tenure. Merkel, who turns 67 on Saturday, will be heading into political retirement soon, after deciding long ago not to seek a fifth term in Germany’s Sept. 26 election. One of the longest-serving leaders of one of the closest U.S. allies, Merkel is set for a warm welcome when she meets Biden during her first visit to Washington since he took office in January. Still, contentious issues are on the table—notably the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline running from Russia to Germany, which the U.S. has long opposed.      German perceptions of the US aren’t always positive either. Data from the end of Trump’s term showed that while Americans view Germany as a partner on key foreign policy issues, the feeling was not often reciprocated. Polling data from Pew Research released last year found that 55 percent of Germans thought China had overtaken the United States as the world’s leading economic power. A poll conducted for the Welt newspaper by polling firm Infratest Dimap in December found that only 17 percent of Germans supported siding with the United States in a potential U.S.-China conflict, with three-quarters preferring to remain neutral.

The Taliban’s advance (Foreign Policy) The Taliban seized the second-busiest entry point into Afghanistan on Wednesday as the group continues its advance following the withdrawal of U.S. and international forces. The capture of the Wesh crossing on the Pakistani border comes after similar border crossing seizures in Herat, Farah and Kunduz provinces in recent days. As Peer Schouten observed in a Foreign Policy feature in June, the revenue potential of checkpoints and roadblocks make them “the business model of choice” for insurgent groups the world over.

Afghanistan’s neighbors wary as US seeks nearby staging area (AP) American diplomats are escalating a charm offensive with Central Asian leaders this week as they work to secure a close-by spot to respond to any resurgence of outside militants in Afghanistan after the U.S. military withdraws. But even as high-level U.S. diplomats head to the region, they’re meeting with more doubts from Afghanistan’s neighbors about any such security partnering with the United States. That stands in contrast to 2001, when Central Asian countries made available their territory for U.S. bases, troops and other access as America hit back for the 9/11 attacks plotted by al-Qaida in Afghanistan. There’s distrust of the U.S. as a reliable long-term partner, after an only partly successful war in Afghanistan and after years of widely fluctuating U.S. engagement regionally and globally, former American diplomats say. There’s Russia, blasting out this week that a permanent U.S. military base in its Central Asia sphere of influence would be “unacceptable.” Meanwhile, the Taliban leadership has been visiting regional capitals and Moscow this summer in a diplomatic push of its own, offering broad pledges that it will pursue regional security, peace and trade whatever comes of its fight with the Kabul government.

India internet law adds to fears over online speech, privacy (AP) It began in February with a tweet by pop star Rihanna that sparked widespread condemnation of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s handling of massive farmer protests near the capital, souring an already troubled relationship between the government and Twitter. Moving to contain the backlash, officials hit Twitter with multiple injunctions to block hundreds of tweets critical of the government. Twitter complied with some and resisted others. Relations between Twitter and Modi’s government have gone downhill ever since. At the heart of the standoff is a sweeping internet law that puts digital platforms like Twitter and Facebook under direct government oversight. Officials say the rules are needed to quell misinformation and hate speech and to give users more power to flag objectionable content. Critics of the law worry it may lead to outright censorship in a country where digital freedoms have been shrinking since Modi took office in 2014. Police have raided Twitter’s offices and have accused its India chief, Manish Maheshwari, of spreading “communal hatred” and “hurting the sentiments of Indians.”

Hariri abandons bid to form Lebanese government (Reuters) Lebanese politician Saad al-Hariri abandoned his effort to form a new government on Thursday, dimming the chances of a cabinet being agreed any time soon to start rescuing the country from financial meltdown. Hariri announced his decision after meeting President Michel Aoun, saying it was clear they could not agree, underscoring the political squabbling that has blocked the cabinet formation even as Lebanon sinks deeper into crisis. Protesters blocked some roads near predominantly Sunni areas of Beirut after his announcement, setting fire to trash and tyres. Army troops deployed, firing in the air to disperse protesters who pelted the soldiers with missiles, live TV footage showed. The World Bank has described Lebanon's depression as one of the sharpest in modern history. The currency has lost more than 90% in two years, poverty has spread and Lebanon has been crippled by fuel shortages. Fears of social unrest are growing.

South Africans take stand against rioting (AP) Surveying the uneasy standoff between South African soldiers and huddles of young men faced off Wednesday across the rubble-strewn street in front of Soweto’s Maponya mall, Katlego Motati shook her head sadly. “I’m standing here against vandals and hooligans,” the 32-year-old said of the weeklong unrest and looting sparked by the imprisonment of ex-President Jacob Zuma, which has left at least 72 people dead. She was one of scores of residents who came out to stand against the rioting that has rocked poor areas of South Africa. “When I saw the destruction ... I was in tears, seeing how all this has panned out,” Motati said. “At the end of the day, we will be struggling because of this. Our economy is going to be really damaged.”

25,000 troops deployed to quell South Africa riots, 117 dead (AP) In one of the largest deployments of soldiers since the end of white minority rule, 25,000 South African troops began taking up positions Thursday to help quell weeklong riots sparked by the imprisonment of former President Jacob Zuma. At least 117 people have been killed in the violence, authorities said, and more than 2,200 people have been arrested for theft and vandalism. The government said 10,000 soldiers were on the streets by Thursday morning patrolling alongside police, and the South African National Defence Force had also called up all of its reserve force of 12,000 troops. In a show of strength, a convoy of more than a dozen armored personnel carriers brought soldiers into Gauteng province, South Africa’s most populous, which includes the largest city, Johannesburg, and the capital, Pretoria. Buses, trucks, airplanes and helicopters were also being used to move the large deployment of troops to trouble spots in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal province that have seen violence.

[miki-agrawal]

From Carole Baskin to Leslie Jordan, the Unlikely Stars of the Quarantine

A look at the people and products who captured our imaginations (and, in some cases, our hearts) during a strange moment in history

Originally Posted On lamag.com By Paul Schrodt On May 17, 2020

It’s hard to think of the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact as anything other than a series of downturns: in global health, the economy, our cultural lifeblood, and moods. But as in any crisis, there are positives deserving praise. Dr. Anthony Fauci, unknown to many of us months ago, now has his own bobblehead—and deservedly so. But other experts and personalities—some with direct ties to the novel coronavirus, others who are delightful distractions—have captured our collective imagination. Here are 20.

Carole Baskin

Netflix’s zeitgeist-defining docuseries Tiger King is teeming with wilder-than-the-last characters, but one rises above the rest. Baskin—the 58-year-old former big-cat breeder turned conservationist and archrival/attempted murder victim of central subject Joe Exotic—sports an enviable feline-inspired wardrobe; coos her memed-around-the-world tagline, “Hey all you cool cats and kittens”; and prefers not to answer questions about her mysteriously missing ex-husband. A morally ambiguous figure for our uncertain times, she’s also sure to be one of Halloween’s most popular costumes—so stock up now on the fiercest tiger prints you can find.

Dua Lipa

The British singer, 24, didn’t want to release her second album, Future Nostalgia, into a pandemic—she announced its arrival with tears on social media. But its neo-disco bangers are exactly what a lockdown dance party demands, and the release is her first Top 10 LP in the U.S. She’s liberated the masses to move while (fabulously) self-quarantining with her model-celebrity-spawn boyfriend Anwar Hadid. But how hard is that?

https://www.instagram.com/p/CAayNagnmHF/

Ryan Heffington

Heffington, 46, had already been motivating Angelenos to hone their hip shaking 
at his Silver Lake dance studio, the Sweat Spot, but the Grammy-nominated choreographer has turned his Joshua Tree house into a makeshift gym space. For his five-day-a-week Sweatfest cardio class on Instagram Live, he coaches around 8,000 viewers at a time through unique moves. Fans are known to end sessions with a cathartic cry.

D-Nice

Born Derrick Jones, 
D-Nice had a moment as a hip-hop
 artist in the ’90s that
 quickly faded. But 
the 49-year-old DJ 
reached newfound fame streaming his live Club Quarantine sets from his downtown L.A. apartment, drawing hundreds of thousands of stay-at-home revelers, including Rihanna, Oprah Winfrey, Bernie Sanders, Joe Biden, and Michelle Obama. The funk-and-soul-heavy playlists are more than a sonic escape—they’re an act of communal transcendence against all odds.

Zack Fox

A previously undersung L.A. comedian and internet provocateur, Fox, 29, racked up more than 300,000 views with a stone-faced parody—which made perfect use of Three 6 Mafia’s “Slob on My Knob”—of Gal Gadot’s viral-for-all-the-wrong-reasons “Imagine” sing-along.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B98XjQ7AK9X/

Juan Delcan and
 Valentina Izaguirre


The local artist couple, based in View Park-Windsor Hills, illuminated the power of social distancing with their “Safety Match” viral video, in which animated matches light up in a row until one of them steps out of the way. Viewed roughly a million times, the contemporary art piece achieved what no government PSA could.

Alison Roman

The New York Times cooking writer (and native Angeleno), 34, had already achieved food-world stardom with two best-selling books before lockdown. Under quarantine, Roman’s simple yet flavor-packed recipes for dishes like caramelized shallot pasta—and her unfussy-but-particular Brooklyn boho banter—have become required reading and eating. Roman went from darling to pariah in May when controversial comments she made about Chrissy Teigen and Marie Kondo went viral. If only shallots made you immune to Twitter backlash.

Ina Garten

More than 3 million people on Instagram watched the tranquil Barefoot Contessa, 72, demonstrate how she keeps her “favorite tradition,” the cocktail hour, alive under desperate conditions. The Food Network star has been a rightfully beloved figure for nearly two decades, but her mixing a gigantic cosmo was a hilariously refreshing reminder of what a true treasure she is.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B-cJUwUpxbM/

L.A. tap water

You’re not good, we never loved you, and yet without gallons of overpriced filtered alkaline H2O, we’re suddenly overjoyed to guzzle you.

Bidet attachments

After hoarders cleared out the toilet paper aisles, the makers of bidet products began cleaning up with their water-jet-shooting self-cleaning devices. The brand Brondell saw a 300 percent spike in sales, while the cleverly marketed Tushy sold out entirely. The future may be wipe free.

Zoom

The video-conferencing platform—which has raised security concerns and provides the same service as FaceTime, Google Hangouts, and Facebook Messenger—has become a key part of life under quarantine. Zoom stock has jumped more than 100 percent since January.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CAAihoslm_O/

The brothers Cuomo

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, 62, has been lionized for leading his state through the darkness. But his cute younger brother, 49-year-old CNN anchor Chris, stole plenty of shine when he 
tested positive for 
COVID-19 and 
without missing a
 beat continued hosting 
his show in self-isolation
from his basement. Despite regular potshots from 
right-wing critics, the younger Cuomo managed to come off 
as more sincere and urgent than ever. One NYC matchmaker says the duo are topping her “most wanted” list, beating out even the Jonas brothers.

Reply All’s “The Case
of the Missing Hit”


Podcast Reply All delivered a blockbuster with a mind-bending search for a song—which might not exist—that a man says got stuck in his head in the ’90s. A reflection of the unanswered questions inundating our lives, except with far lower stakes, the March episode has sparked a 35 percent increase in the show’s listenership.

Trolls World Tour

Universal’s Trolls sequel, with a bizarre rock-versus-pop premise and a message about cultural appropriation that will likely go over the heads of its intended audience (and perhaps that of star Justin Timberlake), set a record for the biggest debut for a digital release, topping every relevant platform during its opening weekend in April. The $20 two-day rental price seemed steep to some, but to parents with stir-crazy kids it was a bargain.

The Womanizer vibrator

With Tinder hookups on hold, we’re turning inward—and reaching for sex toys. This cheekily marketed device has seen
 a 152 percent year-over-year rise in U.S. sales thanks to quarantine orders. Its resonant new slogan for those hungry for pleasure: Stay home.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CAp1cWNpQz6/

Sourdough
bread


It’s a cliche at
 this point, but
 making it ourselves is truly com
forting, if not always Tartine level. No wonder more than 100,000 posts have been tagged with #crumbshot on Instagram.

The new class of badass reporters

Journalism is never more important than during a national emergency or the mass dissemination of misinformation. We happen to be living through both. A young crop of reporters in the White House briefing room—including Weijia Jiang of CBS, Kaitlan Collins and Jeremy Diamond of CNN, Yamiche Alcindor of PBS, and Kristin Fisher of Fox News—has resisted President Trump’s theatrical boasting and mugging, pressing for straightforward information and fact-checking on the spot.

Leslie Jordan

The 64-year-old veteran actor from Will
 & Grace and American Horror Story has amassed more than 3 million Instagram followers since March as a result of absurdist check-in videos in which he appears to be either very bored or very stoned. Pointing to his DIY painted toenails, he shares: “I messed this one up.” Relatable.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CAtA9Nfhat7/

My Year of Rest
 and Relaxation


Ottessa Moshfegh’s
 2018 best-selling novel, about a beautiful, lazy, pill-popping
 young woman who attempts a yearlong 
hibernation in a Manhattan apartment, had
 been celebrated at the time of its publication for its dark humor. Now its wit is hailed as beautifully horrific, as evidenced by the literary critics who are circling back to it. Vice declared of the book in one recent headline: “Blacking Out in a Juicy Couture Tracksuit Is a Lockdown Mood.”

The smart bike

Already a cult obsession, Peloton’s $2,245 souped-up stationary bike has never been more covetable as gyms lie dormant. The company’s stock bounced 50 percent in March, leaving an offensive Christmas-ad debacle in the dust. Cheaper competitors are also racing ahead. Echelon, whose bikes start at $839, reported a tenfold increase in sales the same month.

Tushy is a bidet startup which aims to replace toilet paper, Tushy was founded by Miki Agrawal.

[survivorozarks]

Day 5- Immunity Challenge #2 Results

Alright, welcome back Niangua, Sequoyah, and Taneycomo tribes! Let’s first take a look at the official list of 60 songs that you all were trying to decipher:

Pray You Catch Me- Beyonce

New Americana- Halsey

Not Your Way- Misterwives

On My Mind- Ellie Goulding

The Hills- The Weekend

Hold On- Alabama Shakes

Ego- Beyonce

From Eden- Hozier

Purple Yellow Red and Blue- Portugal. The Man

Gypsy- Fleetwood Mac

Cool For the Summer- Demi Lovato

The Girl You  Lost to Cocaine- Sia

Hot n Cold- Katy Perry

High School Never Ends- Bowling for Soup

Gods and Monsters- Lana Del Rey

I Miss You- Blink 182

Head Over Feet- Alanis Morisette

In Too Deep- Sum 41

Leave a Trace- CHVRCHES

My Body- Young the Giant

Little Red Wagon- Miranda Lambert

The Man Who Never Lied- Maroon 5

The Next Episode- Dr Dre and Snoop Dogg

Redemption Song- Bob Marley

Run Around- Blues Traveler

The Sound of Silence- Simon and Garfunkel

Side to Side- Ariana Grande and Nicki Minaj

Timshel- Mumford and Sons

Should’ve Been Us- Tori Kelley

This Head I Hold- Electric Guest

Walk This Way- MØ

When It’s Over- Sugar Ray

You Know You Like It- DJ Snake

You’ve Changed- Sia

6AM- Fitz and the Tantrums

Unwritten- Natasha Bedingfield

1901- Phoenix

The Night Is Still Young- Nicki Minaj

Monster- Kanye West

Love Myself- Hailee Steinfeld 

Lonely Town- Brandon Flowers

Landslide- The Chicks

Let it Rock- Kevin Rudolf

Sweatpants- Childish Gambino

Intoxicated- Martin Solveig

Heartbeat- Carrie Underwood

Flashed Junk Mind- Milky Chance

Good Girls Go Bad- Cobra Starship

Freedom- Beyonce

Andiamo A Comandare- Fabio Rovazzi

Everybody’s Changing- Keane

Down in New Orleans- Dr. John

California King Bed- Rihanna

Cecilia and the Satellite- Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness

Break the Walls- Fitz and the Tantrums

Bottoms Up- Trey Songs and Nicki Minaj

Black Out Days- Phantogram

Bitch Better Have My Money- Rihanna

Killer- Baby K and Tiziano Ferro

All of You- Betty Who

Hopefully listening to short little 5 second clips of these songs over and over and over again didn’t ruin them for you because there are some SERIOUS gems on here!

Anyways, let us take a look at the results. The three tribe scores are 41, 14, and 13.

Our highest scoring tribe, with a score of 41 is Taneycomo!

Congratulations Taneycomo, with the highest score in this challenge you will be safe at tonight’s tribal council. Not only did you win, but you CRUSHED both of the other tribes. Way to turn it around from last round! That leaves us with Niangua and Sequoyah.

Well, the second place tribe who is also safe from tribal council tonight is Niangua! Congratulations Niangua, with a score of 14 (though not the best  score in general), you have also saved yourself from having to send home one of your own.

That means that Sequoyah, with only 13 correctly guessed songs, you will have a date with Trace and Michael tomorrow night at tribal council where someone will become the 2nd person voted off of Tumblr Survivor: Ozarks! Your votes are due at 8PM EST on Sunday, March 21st! Good luck!

[antifra]

Is Celebrity Influence in Earnest?: Re-examining Our Brand Loyalty as it Relates to Inclusion

The following is my final project for my Fashion Journalism course I took the semester before last. Getting to know my classmates was hugely beneficial to opening my eyes to the abuse of language and lack of objective observation among young, prospective journalists. There was a palpable absence of integrity among my peers during discussions about current events, celebrities, and a controversial FIT runway show that was falsely deemed to feature racially insensitive accessories. I read this article aloud along with an explanation of what motivated me to bring this manipulation to the forefront, and both were received well, though I wonder if my words were enough to pull anyone out of the endless trance of misattribution and mindless consumerism. 

Disclaimer: I've mentioned that I was in the habit of pulling random statistics to support baseless ideas, and this article features a few that I hyperlinked in the original, but have purposefully plucked out. Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain and take from it what you will.

Is Celebrity Influence in Earnest?: Re-examining Our Brand Loyalty as it Relates to Inclusion

Since the initial launch of the notoriously diverse array of shades offered by Fenty Beauty’s Pro Filter foundation in September 2017, award-winning recording artist Rihanna has been the subject of praise. Surely, as a woman of color, she’s well aware of the historic inflexibility of complexion product ranges. The brand bears her namesake, after all. Not only that, but Fenty, who also dabbles in size-inclusive clothing and lingerie, cares deeply about those who feel excluded or exoticized in the makeup industry. Rihanna has said herself that she launched the brand “so that women everywhere would be included.”

This sentiment is largely felt by those who patronize her brands as well as other emerging lines like the Kardashian sisters’ jeans and shapewear, hawked by Khloe Kardashian and Kim Kardashian-West, respectively. All three share a similar mission statement that revolves around empowering women who are misrepresented in or completely absent from the media, and subsequently, seemingly, from a highly visual society itself.

The message is clear and agreeable: we don’t typically see average women portrayed in print, on television, or online, which adversely warps the public’s perception of what the female body is supposed to look like, therefore it is necessary to bend this mass misconception back into a place based in reality, and in trying to do so, one is exercising great virtue.

This idea gives way to a slew of sociological probings, but for the sake of celebrity’s influence on inclusive fashion, it’s two-prong. First, in examining widely accepted appearances, it isn’t known that there was a place based in reality to begin with, nor that it has ever been the intention of fashion designers or beauty entrepreneurs to align themselves or their creative executions with it. Second, in fostering a close association with a brand because of the perceived virtue of shared beliefs, one can become blindly loyal and misattribute multiple facets of the brand to its figurehead.

Fashion is no stranger to fantasy. In fact, it serves as an avenue by which people who don’t otherwise have the means to express their innermost desires can do so in the privacy of their bedrooms, among family members, or in the public eye. The idea evokes a sense of exclusivity for a particular time, place, and person, and, not coincidentally, so does traditional fashion media and advertising.

The accessibility and interactivity of sites like Twitter, Snapchat, and Pinterest make it so that users can curate their lives to look however they wish others to perceive it. It is more possible than ever to literally and figuratively “follow” a person’s every move and milestone, however heightened or contrived they may be. Private citizens have used this to further their personal fantasies without the promise of financial gain. Advertisers have also utilized this, but as a means of pushing products and services. A curious dynamic has taken form from the convening of celebrity, consumer, and corporation on the same virtual playing field, insinuating a sense of false intimacy between the three. Where does the product end and the person begin?

Distinctions between Instagram pages of those who are paid to post and those who are not are slowly fading. The line between aspirational and attainable has become increasingly blurry. A study done by researchers at the Manchester School of Business in 2012 concluded that millennials often do indeed develop their personalities around that of celebrities. In an effort to imitate influencers, adolescents and young adults are deliberately positioning themselves alongside products, in places, and with similar production quality as those who monetize their social media. This is accomplished by complying with what will create direct value--in this case, social currency--according to a social marketing report published by the Journal of Business Research in 2010. It isn’t uncommon to hear one refer to maintaining their personhood as upholding their “brand.”

A constant, in-depth conversation can be struck up with the previously unreachable rich and famous whereas before, an occasional surface-level interview and a “who are you wearing?” were commonplace. With this development, there appears to be little difference between big names and lay people at first glance. The introduction and continued endorsement of clothing, products, and services that celebrities lay claim to and purportedly use on a daily basis may add to the illusion that there is substance beneath the shine.

All of this serves to further the narrative that not only is inclusion something that is appreciated, but necessary. The public is privy to a whole host of information about who they’ve deemed to be their favorites and are equipped with the tools to take on their appearance, too.

Rihanna’s look has been heralded as on-of-a-kind, but her partnership with LVMH to create a fashion house inspired by her style has made it so that women from sizes 00-24 can be unique, too. But does that serve to uphold the concept of singularity?

To marketers, it doesn’t matter. Different facets of celebrities’ public lives are merely commodities. Chrissy Teigen’s Twitter-famous food photos can easily be recreated by taking a page from her two bestselling cookbooks. Kim Kardashian’s signature curvaceous figure is finally within reach with her new line of shapewear. Beyonce’s plant-based Coachella-performance body can be achieved by subscribing to her vegan meal delivery plan.

This isn’t subject to objection by the famed nor their fans. If there are financial gains to be made for the former and a perceived benefit to be had by the latter, then the project has served its purpose. Collectivism is essential to the bottom line. If crowds can get behind a product or service and its purveyor, then a loyal following has been formed, and a well known method of retaining this is by creating a sense of trust. Research published by Nielsen in 2015 has shown that millennials and members of Gen Z are more susceptible to trusting celebrity endorsements.

Rihanna and her Kardashian counterparts are regarded as “self-made,” but their projects are far from sole-proprietorships. There are teams upon teams of professionals behind them working to bring a definitive vision to fruition. Whether or not this vision originated in the minds of the “self-made” is neither here nor there, but certainly each part of the supply chain from an idea’s inception to its fulfillment has been facilitated by multiple people. The common misattribution of the fruit borne by brands to their figureheads creates an even stronger association where there may be none.

Keeping Up with the Kardashians has developed a cult following since its debut in October 2007. It has viewers into feeling as if they are witnessing the unfabricated woes and wonderments of the lives of American royalty. A bond has been forged between the viewership and the program’s cast of sisters. Those who tune in every week are under the impression that they know Kris, Kim, Kourtney, Khloe, Kendall, and Kylie on some level by virtue of what they’ve seen play out on screen and online. This superficial omniscience serves to ease some reluctance to invest in their lines of skincare, cosmetics, and clothing because it invokes the aforementioned evidence-based sense of familiarity. 

The clan consists of polarizing figures who have not been immune to bad press, but a study done by Taiwanese researchers in 2011 revealed that consumers’ statuses as fans or foes is irrelevant when considering brand recall. Support from celebrities has been found to be chemically indistinguishable from the advice of a valued friend in the human brain. There remains a finite difference in the motivations of marketing teams and trusted companions: hopes for a return on investment. This isn’t to say that recommendations from stars are any less in earnest than those from the latter, but consciously discerning one from the other can lead one to question the former’s intentions, especially as it relates to inclusion.

Fashion relies on mimicry. If there weren’t muses, common threads among the masses, and a trickling of trends down, up, or across, the principle would be lost. Businesses would and have suffered from not conforming to the ever changing, largely digital landscape that lies before us. In an age when authenticity has become increasingly difficult to gauge with the proliferation of fake news but is still valued by consumers, companies have to follow suit in a way that is not construed as contrived.

Adding a human element to an advertising campaign, or attaching a big name to a product in some capacity instead of prompting the public to pay a faceless corporation has been found to alleviate fears of false promises, as evidenced by statistically-supported blind trust in celebrities. When humans themselves become brands, rely on the compliance of their followers for financial gain, and do so as a means of survival, one may think to revisit the rationale behind that initial fear.

[museicaliteacup]

Phichuuri + 15: kiss in the rain

For the ever wonderful Meg @delicadenza who deserves a dozen iterations of Phichuuri Teen Romance Movie/Disney Channel Original Movie™ - glad to provide one version feat. gratuitous prompt-appropriate Rihanna ♫

The street lights twinkle orange in the rain. The street is soft under deep grey cloud, and as Yuuri splashes through the puddles it rings out like a drumbeat. Phichit’s riding high after a good practice, and he dashes ahead, singing loud like the entire street should join in.

“When the sun shines, we’ll shine together! Told you I’ll be here forever—”

And it’s impossible not to see the sunshine when he’s with Phichit. It makes Yuuri smile, small and fond, as he nestles under an umbrella big enough for three. His feet itch to dance. Phichit twirls around a lamppost—“Said I'd always be a friend, took an oath, I’m a stick it out to the end!”—and Yuuri wants to twirl him, up and down the pavement, across the road, between the cars, sparkling and shining in the rain.

The age-old adage still rings true in his ears—if you get caught out in the rain too long, you’ll get a cold!—but then, Yuuri has a good raincoat and a strong immune system. There’s another option, though. Yuuri clears his throat, masked as Phichit strides forwards like the footpath is his catwalk, chest to the sky as he belts the song, and raises his voice as the next line comes in.

“You can stand under my umbrella!” he sings. He doesn’t dare sing very loud, but he knows the tune, knows the words, knows what’ll make Phichit even happier. Phichit turns, eyes alight.

“You can stand under my um-ber-ella-ella-ella, eh, eh, eh—”

“Under my um-ber-ella-ella-ella,” Yuuri sings back.

Phichit’s “eh, eh, eh” descends into tinkling laughter, and he reaches for Yuuri’s hand as he ducks under the umbrella, dripping. He stills smells of sweat and musty ice rink, nothing like Picture-Perfect Phichit, the darling of Instagram, but Yuuri doesn’t care. Instagram can’t have this: a warm hand Yuuri now reaches back for without thought, and shoulders bumping as Phichit slows himself just for this moment, and lips sweeter than cola lip balm as they peck smiling, once against Yuuri’s cheek, and once again when Yuuri turns his head to meet Phichit’s lips. Phichit’s nose scrunches when he smiles in full bloom, like when he kisses Yuuri, and Yuuri is lucky to get close enough to notice.

And Instagram doesn’t have Phichit picking up the pace, step by bouncing step, and tugging him around. Yuuri hangs tight to his umbrella at first, but Phichit gives him a puppy-dog pout, and Yuuri rolls his eyes but hands it over with a smile. Phichit pulls it down and holds out his hands.

“Dance with me!” he says.

So they do—it’s not a swing and it’s not ballet and it’s not any kind of dance they could name, but it’s dancing and singing in the rain and it’s them, which is enough. Phichit tumbles against Yuuri as he slips through a puddle, laughing; presses himself higher to peck Yuuri on the lips; grabs both his hands again with a sure grip despite still holding the umbrella. He tugs him forwards: down the street, towards their dorm building, towards, Yuuri’s sure, another adventure.

Now that it’s raining more than ever, know that we’ll still have each other—

And in this moment, Yuuri knows this more surely than anything else in the whole wide world.

[tsurvivorbelize]

Individual Immunity #5 - RESULTS

Lets see who knows their songs!

With a score of 146, we had to go to a tiebreaker between Kyle and Sharky!

With the tiebreaker score being 308, the person with the closest tiebreaker answer and securing themselves in the Final 4 is...

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SHARKY!

Congratulations Sharky, you proceed to the Final 4! You will get to see Day 33 and get to move on one step further to pleading your case to the jury!

As for the rest of you, one of the four of you, Day 32 is your final day in Belize. You have the next day to think over who that person will be. Tribal will be done at 9:30 PM EST on 21 September. 

Here is a screenshot of all the scores: https://imgur.com/a/Lxzpujl

Below are the answers:

Video #1: Problem 15:

Adele - “Rolling In The Deep” Alesso (feat. Roy English) - “Cool” Ariana Grande - “Focus” Cher Lloyd - “With UR Love” (US Version) Fifth Harmony - “Miss Movin’ On” Glee - “Last Friday Night” Jack & Jack - “Wild Life” Jacob Whitesides - “Ohio” Jason Derulo (feat. Ty Dolla $ign & Nicki Minaj) - “Swalla” Kesha - “Praying” Little Mix (feat. Stormzy) - “Power” Mako - “Smoke Filled Room” Monsta X - “Hero” (Rooftop Version) Pentatonix - “Cheerleader” Selena Gomez (feat. Gucci Mane) - “Good For You” Taylor Swift - “Shake It Off”

Total Possible Points: 32

Video #2: Lucky Strike 20:

Selena Gomez - “Birthday” Of Monsters And Men - “Little Talks” OneRepublic - “Counting Stars” The Fray - “Over My Head (Cable Car)” Paramore - “Misery Business” Beyonce - “Love On Top” Calvin Harris - “My Way” Lily Allen - “Hard Out Here” Adam Lambert - “Never Close Our Eyes” Borgeous (feat. Lights) - “Zero Gravity” Usher (feat. Pitbull) - “DJ Got Us Fallin In Love” Fall Out Boy - “Centuries” Demi Lovato (feat. Cher Lloyd)  - “Really Don’t Care” Jake Miller (feat. Travie McCoy) - “Dazed And Confused” Rihanna - “Man Down” Zedd (feat. Jon Bellion)  - “Beautiful Now” Big Time Rush (feat. Snoop Dogg)  - “Boyfriend” Nick Jonas - “Champagne Problems” Panic! At The Disco - “Victorious” Metro Station - “Married In Vegas” Shakira - “Waka Waka (Time For Africa)” Hannah Montana - “You’ll Always Find Your Way Back Home” Girls Generation - “Catch Me If You Can” (Korean Version) Kesha - “C’mon”

Total Points Possible: 48

Video #3: Feel The Vibe 5:

Selena Gomez and The Scene - “Hit The Lights” Monsta X - “Dramarama” Tove Styrke - “Mistakes” Against The Current - “Wasteland” Demi Lovato - “Neon Lights” Khalid (feat. Normani) - “Love Lies” Sara Bareilles - “Brave” Justin Bieber (feat. Nicki Minaj) - “Beauty And A Beat” Kelly Clarkson - “Meaning Of Life” Adam Lambert - “Never Close Our Eyes” Lost Kings (feat. Sabrina Carpenter) - “First Love” Jacob Whitesides - “Lovesick” Tori Kelly - “Don’t You Worry Bout A Thing”

Total Points Possible: 26