#in the fact most of the book is dedicated to ripping down various members of the white western canon- which fair

[rotzaprachim]

surprisingly and deeply kinda dissapointed with elaine castillo’s how to read now book of essays but shhhhh don’t let any of the white people on goodreads hear about it 

[flightfoot]

So how does only Marinette call Lila on her lies? Like all her lies are so outlandish and obvious that when people just believe her they look like idiots. Half the stuff she says can be corrected with a Google search.

...ARE they actually that outlandish though? You gotta compare it to the stuff that actually happens to the Miracuclass.

Like, looking at most of Lila's lies, the ones that are mostly bragging:

Volpina:

Lila knows Prince Ali and flew on his private jet with him.

Jagged Stone wrote a song about Lila.

She knows several Hollywood directors personally.

She's friends with Ladybug.

She's the descendant of a vixen superheroine.

Heroes Day:

Prince Ali invited Lila to stay with him at his palace.

She, along with her diplomat parents, helped convince several world leaders to reduce world pollution, and she's hoping Prince Ali will jump on board as well. (Note: considering that Lila's mom talks about needing to go to an embassy meeting, the "diplomat parents" bit is probably true).

Chameleon:

She has tinnitus due to being too close to a jet engine when rescuing Jagged Stone's kitten.

She saw someone in India get their eye gouged out by the edge of a napkin.

Her uncle's the great pianist Chuch Boroughchuck, but he had to stop teaching her because of her arthritis.

Onichan:

Her mom wanted her to come to a fancy embassy function, but she had to turn her down due to having too much homework.

Lila lived in Japan for a few weeks.

Ladybug:

Lila's friends with the best manga publisher in Japan.

Most of these really aren't that crazy? Especially when considering that her mom at least probably IS a diplomat, from what little we see of her in Catalyst. That alone makes all the "she's traveled around a lot and has run into a lot of famous people" stuff pretty plausible.

Plus, compare it to some of the stuff the Miracuclass has gotten up to:

Chloe:

Is the daughter of Paris's mayor and an internationally renowned fashion icon.

A lot of celebrities stay at her father's hotel, including Prince Ali and Jagged Stone, giving her ready access to them. To the point that she was able to get Jagged Stone to give out autographs as part of her election campaign for Class Representative.

Alya:

Is Ladybug's best friend.

Runs a famous and highly respected superhero blog, obtaining the very first interview with Ladybug.

Was the first person Ladybug ever saved.

Knows who Ladybug is.

Has met and interviewed several American superheroes.

Max:

Built a sentient AI in his spare time.

Juleka:

Is Jagged Stone's secret daughter, who he's kept away from for all these years because he didn't feel like he was mature enough to be the parent she and her brother deserved.

Is a member of the acclaimed band Kitty Section, which has had its so record deal signed, and was in fact SO good that an already established musician, XY, tried to rip them off.

Nathaniel:

Is co-creator of a comic book about the French Superheroes. Dunno how wide the readership is though.

Rose:

Helped with a charity event for the children's hospital with Prince Ali.

Adrien:

His dad's an insanely rich fashion designer who has his fingers in a lot of various projects.

He's a famous model and voice actor.

His mom was an actress, albeit a small-time one.

Marinette:

Is the Guardian of the Miraculous.

Had her clothing recognized and modeled in a major fashion show.

Her design talents were SO recognized there, that the "international queen of fashion", as Nadja calls her, offered to take her to New York with her as her protege. Marinette had to turn her down.

Her Great-Uncle's a world-famous chef, who names his prize soup after her.

Jagged Stone dedicated a song to her (as Ladybug). He also regularly commissions her for album covers and such, and loves talking her up whenever he's given the opportunity. He'll even consult her about who he should get as his back-up guitarist.

Also literally ALL of them are superheroes.

So yeah. In the real world Lila's lies may be outlandish for your average person, but by Miracuclass standards? They're pretty average, and most of them make sense together. I'd say that Juleka, Chloe, Adrien, and Marinette's lives are actually crazier than the stuff Lila makes up.

It IS true that a lot of stuff Lila claims could be corrected via Google search, but Marinette actually tried that in Heroes Day. Lila just adapted her story slightly to make it still be plausible, even with what Marinette looked up.

Plus there's just not much reason for the Miracuclass to care whether this stuff is true or not. It's like some of the crazy shit you see on tumblr: if you're not advocating to take any action based on it and it's just for entertainment purposes, it really doesn't matter a ton whether or not its true. And while there was some speculation that Lila would use her bragging lies in a way that would be detrimental to others, so far she really hasn't? The bragging lies have been irritating to Marinette, but believing them hasn't led to any concrete harm for anyone. All the ones that HAVE led to harm have been lies about other people, like when she was targeting Marinette in "Ladybug", with the exception of finangling a way to get a seat rearrangement for a few hours that ended up hurting Marinette's feelings as a side effect. (seriously though, not the end of the world there).

Anyway, the Miracuclass isn't super big on calling out "obvious lies" unless they dislike the person or think it's potentially harmful. If simply telling blatant lies and excuses was justification enough to be treated badly, then Marinette would be the class pariah.

[thoughtfullyyoungduck]

Misjudgment

Summary: can you do a losers club x reader where the losers save the reader from the bowers gang so they invite her to the losers club, except stan doesn’t trust her bc he’s stan. so then the reader confronts him abt it and then they become friends?

Being the new kid in any new school is difficult a label designed and slapped on your forehead to follow you around and attrack attention because of it. Derry middle school was no exception, and in fact, to you knowledge, was even worse than any other school you had ever been too. Your parents switched jobs a lot, and with that came moving around heaps of times too, so being the new kid wasn’t a state-of-the art experience for you. 

It still sucked, walking into a school, your peers huddled together in group while you, the loner, picked at your fingernails to appear busy and to not get caught staring longingly as two friends giggled and talked about their crushes to one another.

The first time you spotted Bill, leader of the infamous loser club you would soon become a part of, was the same day you first witnessed Henry’s psychotic behavior, plundering Bill’s book bag and lighting it on fire mere inches away from the poor kids face. You had stomped over, snatching the bag out of Henry’s hands, the books were mostly destroyed and missing, and handed it back to the boy who scrambled up.

‘You better stay the fuck away from me you fucking hoer. You must either have a Deathwish or want to date B-b-billy,’ he mocked,’ enough that you don’t care who you piss of, and that mistake, can be deadly here in my town.’

Bill thanked you, asked for your name and invited you to join in on a birdwatching retreat him and his friend were going on, but you declined. The altercation left you rattled and spooked, and you didn’t know Bill or any of his friends, all strangers in a town of even more strangers, and went back home.

That decision had both negative and positive outcomes attached to it. Bowers awaited you along with his goons, emptying a slushie on your head and spitting in your face and hair, humiliating you to the best of their abilities. At one point, they tried to glue a freshly bought pad to your skirt, their tyranny halted as Bill and his followers threatened to call the police on them.

‘That’s what being brave will get you in this town’, Mike said, staring the bowers gang off as they .

‘Yeah, but luckily there’s strength in numbers.’

‘Yup, welcome to the losers club new kid. Ben, you’ve been kicked off the nickname ‘new kid’, I need to find you a new one.’ Richie pondered, tapping his fingers to his chin as he came up with a new nickname for Ben.

Persuading Richie into giving him a different derogatory name was enough for Ben to accept you with open arms in the group, as did almost everyone else, and you gained six new friends, a huge upgrade from the zero friends you had prior to them. The hospitality showed, and you were never forced to eat lunch or walk to class by yourself any longer.

The losers club consisted of seven people, but to your parents you vowed that there we’re only six friends you engaged with, because the seventh member, Stanley, was not your friend. At most, the two of you were acquaintances, people that hung out because of mutual friends.

He never liked you or made an effort to befriend you, his cold demeaner deterring and dynamite to your time dedicated to the losers. Not once did he address you personally, and if someone inquired a question and you would go to respond, Stanley would talk over you, like you were never there in the first place. The whole situation, that you had no inkling on how you ended up in the first place, put a damper on the blossoming friendship, and you often found yourself nail-biting tense, on the lookout for the day the other losers would be tired of the tense underlying issues themselves and kick you to the curb.  

This unease pushed you to confront Stanley about his behavior towards you, as you did not want to end up alone again, and you adored the friends you had made in the losers club too much to let go without a fight.

The opportunity to do this arose one day after school, when only Eddie and Richie, both lounging in the hammock, and Stanley and you are around in the clubhouse. You’re sketching in the a notebook, the one you and Bill share, to compare  various techniques and color schemes, and also because it’s fun and interesting to observe what someone else is crafting.

No one besides Bill and you know of its existence, but it’s not strictly a secret, it’s more of a - none of the others care so why tell them-? You’re seated in the stack of cushions, plumped up by Eddie, in order to protect ones ass against blisters, since that’s thing apparently, and Stanley is fully emerged in a book, as far away from you as the small, incepted space allows.

The drawing is coming along pretty well, the sketch portraying the clubhouse itself and it’s inhabitants, and you’re focusing on measuring the length between the hatchet and the far wall, when Stanley spots the book in your lap.

‘That’s Bill’s,’ he snidest, crossing the room in no time to protectively grab it and cage it in his arms.

‘I know that’, you secure, reaching for the book but too short to actually clasp it. ‘I borrow it from him.’

Stanley stares you down with a level headed look, ‘Oh, really?’ He says so sarcastically you urge to rip out his tongue and render him silent.

‘Yes really. What’s the problem with that Stanley?’

‘Stan the man, chill out’, Richie laughs on edge, squirming in his place as he and Eddie watch the situation unfold.

‘No fuck that. What the fuck did I do to get you to hate me so much?’

‘You know what you did.’

‘Enlighten me, fucking please Stanley.’  The hostility swarming around the two of you is palpable, and it’s containing to build to a crescendo neither are prepared for. His admission could potentially dissolve the undercover threat, a way for you to explain or fix the thing you display that Stanley contempt. But that can only be done if the thing gets pointed out, which so far, it hasn’t.  

‘You are conspiring with Bowers and Patrick, I am onto you.’

‘Excuse me?’

‘Just admit it.’

‘Okay, I fucking admit I’m colluding with the same douchebags that tried to defoule me. You got me there Stanley’, you’re seething, rage vibrating in every pore. Richie and Eddie attempt to deflate the situations, but glares from Stanley and you dispirited their focus.

‘Stan, come on,’ Eddie pacifies, ‘why would she do that?’

‘Is it not it convenient that she just so happened to be at the same time and place as Bill is getting beat up? And that she gets attacked right after but somehow escaped any physical damage? Who knows what secrets she’s been tattling?’

‘Well I’m sorry, let me go to them and ask if they would be so kind to punch me in the face’, your voice got more and more hysterical with every word, and you bend down your knees making eye contact with Stanley as you mock him.

‘Stan Urine, This isn’t ‘The Soldier’, they’re no such thing as spies, although Miss K in a spy suit is the fantasy to have for all my wet dreams.’ Richie vulgar joke goes by unnoticed, you and Stan involved in a staring match. You’re the one that breaks eye contact, huffing as you slide on your heels and move to leave.

‘Fine, whatever, I pick up on when I’m not wanted.’

‘No wait. Y/N, don’t go.’  

‘Stan the man gets prickly around the time his period is due, chalk it up to that.’

‘Shut the fuck up Richie no I don’t.’

You force the handle up, resting it a bit above your head and pause, sighing. ‘I’m not conspiring with Bowers, I just wanted to make friends.’ The latch gravitates to the floor after you’ve climbed out, and with it a chapter of your life, now it’s back to being friendless.

Four steps away from the clubhouse, the latch opens again and out tumbles Stan, meticulously lifting himself up by the piece of hardwood that is unscathed with dirt from the ground, and sprints to catch up with you.

‘I am sorry’, he says, flabbergasting you. ‘I should have been more open and accepting, and not my judgmental, evil self. I am not myself if I haven’t eaten a snicker and I apologize,’ Stan rolls his eyes.

‘Those lines were fed to you by Richie’, you state matter of fact, a smile tugging up your lips in spite of your earlier mood set.

‘No they weren’t’, elevates from below ground, conforming your suspicions.

‘Okay, yeah partly. But I do need to apologize. Being so antagonistic was wrong and unnecessary. Can we start over?’

‘I mean, give me back my notes and we’ll make a deal out of it?’

‘Of course.’

[howtohero]

#300.1: Saving the World Part 1

Prologue

The Haberdashery

“Hi, my name is Murk. I am a mud monster and a product of mad science, but I am also an accountant and a lover of classical music. For most of my existence I have tried to simply live a regular life in an increasingly strange world.”

The conference room in Hatman’s Haberdashery was filled with all manner of colorfully clad, or just plain colorful, superheroes, super-trainees, monsters, vampires, werewolves, sewer-mutants, Da Vincis and even a smattering of regular civilians who looked tired, angry, but overall fearless. According to Leonardo Da Vinci II, an android duplicate of the original from the far future, there had never been such an eclectic gathering of people in all of history. They had gathered — or been gathered — because the world, and life as they all knew it, hung in the balance. The world’s supervillains, led by a formerly low rate smuggler named Smuggles, had managed to do the unthinkable, they’d taken over the world, and in doing so they’d imprisoned most of the world’s heroes, world leaders, and superhero bloggers, in a secret prison. The oddball assembly was the Resistance, and at the moment each of them had their eyes on Murk. Some looked at him with confusion, he was by far the most eloquent mud monster they’d ever heard. Some looked at him in awe, over the past several weeks, Murk had rescued many of them from danger and had inspired them to join him in his fight. A few looked at him with pride, they knew him from before you see, and as far as they were concerned, that made his heroics their heroics.

(“I know that guy from before,”) Parenthetical Guy whispered to the warthog-mask wearing man sitting to his left. (“And as far as I’m concerned, that makes his heroics my heroics.)

{“I work with that guy, he does my taxes,”} Curly whispered, nudging Hatman who was looking forlornly toward the room’s exit. There were far too many people between him and it, and it was causing him no shortage of distress.

“When the heroes fell,” Murk continued. “It immediately became apparent that I, and many others like me, could no longer afford the luxury of standing to the side. For a long time I, and many of my ‘monstrous’ ilk have been more than happy to allow superheroes to handle the world’s problems for us. Whenever our homes, our lives, our world came under threat we all said to one another, ‘well, that looks like a job for superheroes,’ and we declined to act. When the heroes fell I saw how selfish I had been. And so I would like to be the first to extend my heartfelt thanks, and my sincerest apologies to the brave heroes who have gathered here today. I, along with my partner and friend, Lawyer Guy have gathered as many civilians as we could. Regular monsters and people who have cowered from or turned a blind eye to the acts of the villains who have dared to subjugate us, and we have come here to offer our assistance. If you’ll have us, we would like to help in any way we can.”

His speech concluded, Murk quickly sat down next to Lawyer Guy who smiled warmly at him. A few people sitting near him muttered polite words of affirmation toward the hulking mud man but everyone quickly became silent once more as somebody else strode to the head of the table.

Everybody in the room, everybody in the world, recognized the gold and white costume, the chiseled, stony features, and the piercing blue eyes of Ultiman. He was the superhero par excellence and when he clapped Murk on the shoulder and smiled widely, Murk’s ragtag civilian crew let out a collective sigh of relief.

“Thank you Murk,” Ultiman said. “Thank you everyone. As I’m sure you can see, our numbers are small but our members are dedicated and we are thrilled to be able to count each of you among us. I’m confident that, working together, we can depose Smuggles and his entire Consortium of Crime.”

                                                          ***

Smuggles’s Secret Prison

My name is Zachary Schechter and I’d been locked up for a while by the time anybody had made any noise about breaking out. You may know me as the creator, author, and only functioning brain behind How To Hero. Actually you definitely know me as that. It’s a very popular blog. Just take my word on this ok? I was in a secret prison because I allowed my subordinates to talk me into hiring a known supervillain to, let’s see, live in our basement and interject unwanted comments into my blog. As it would happen, this supervillain, Smuggles, took the job as part of some kind of protracted and complicated plan to take over the world. I should have seen that coming of course. That’s basically the only reason any supervillain does anything. For a few weeks I was alone there. Just sitting in a cell twiddling my thumbs. Trying to make conversation with the drones they had guarding the place. The only thing they’d given me to eat is fish. I imagine Chuck the Fish Whisperer had something to do with that. Frikkin supervillains and their sycophantic dedication to their own themes. But then a ton of superheroes ended up there with me, and I knew things on the outside had taken a decisive turn for the worse. The heroes were all stripped of their costumes and gear, and were given supervillain costumes instead. It’s all spikes, horns, and red contact lenses now. It’s a bit silly, but I think the idea is that if the heroes are dressed like villains and forced to do things like play evil charades and watch movies about heroes turning bad, then some of them might actually turn evil. Actually, I know that’s the idea, but I’ll get to that later. Eventually Cowboy Rockstar, the coolest hero of all time, decided to stage some kind of jailbreak. Which was great. And he wanted me to help him plan it, probably because of my proven expertise in all manner of superhero related topics. I bet it was my treatise on the many superheroic uses of drills that got his attention. There was just one teeny tiny problem though...

“So what do you think?” Cowboy Rockstar whispered.

“I think… I think that I designed this prison,” I whispered dejectedly.

“I beg your pardon?”

It was recreation time once again, and Giorgio the Evil Mime had selected an assortment of clips of superheroes becoming evil from various films and TV shows. It’s really shocking how many times Hollywood has returned to the well of “a superhero clad in red, white, and blue murders a person.” We must’ve watched like thirty different clips already. 

“Look, Mr. Rockstar, I appreciate you coming to me and all. It’s an honor to meet you and plot in hushed voices with you and everything. But I’m like 90% certain that I designed this prison. And I don’t know about you but Iitalics certainly wouldn’t have designed a prison that people could break outitalics of.”

Cowboy Rockstar furrowed his brow, “Ah, you’re saying this prison is… from your blog?”

I held up my hands defensively. “Hey, I know how it sounds but look around you. The costumes, the robots, the charades. It’s literally ripped straight from my post about running your own unsanctioned prison.”

“You wrote a guide to running an off the books blacksite for housing criminals?” Cowboy Rockstar arched an immaculate eyebrow. “That’s not really a very superheroic activity.”

“Huh. When you put it like that it’s really no wonder that the only person who seems to have implemented any of it is a supervillain who seems to have taken over the world.”

“He had help,” I heard somebody grumble from Cowboy Rockstar’s other side.

Helm Lady was one of the only Hatman proteges to both survive to adulthood and continue her career as a superhero, so it was hardly surprising that she’d been able to sneak up on us. 

“Helm Lady, good of you to join us!” Cowboy Rockstar said. “Zach over here was just telling me about how he designed this prison to be unescapable! Isn’t that exciting.”

“Hardly,” Helm Lady said glumly.

“I gotta agree with her on this one,” I said. 

“Are you kidding me? You’ve been given a rare opportunity to outdo yourself in a grandiose and practical way! You’ve been here longer than anybody. It seems like Smuggles has some kind of vendetta against you specifically, and so he’s used your own tactics against you! Now, with our help of course, you can show everybody that you’re smarter than you!” Cowboy Rockstar was gesticulating wildly at this point drawing a sharp and reproachful glare from warden Giorgio. 

“Hm,” I said, I had already written a guide to escapology. Maybe I’d already unwittingly outwitted myself. Besides, Smuggles’s prison wasn’t actually an exact copy of the one I’d designed on the blog. He’d had to make some changes to prevent it from having any real rehabilitative value. Dressing the prisoners like villains instead of heroes for instance. And villain costumes are very different from hero costumes. They’re like eighty percent sharp edges. I looked Cowboy Rockstar up and down. The costume they had him in had spikes up and down his arms. Maybe we could use them to pick the locks on our cell? We’d still have to deal with the robot guards and who knows what else. But maybe that was a place to start.

“Ok,” I said after a moment. “I’m sure we can come up with something, after all, as I say

on my blog, when you’re in a locked room, anything can be a key.” 

Cowboy Rockstar grinned and gestured around the room at the assorted superheroes that were locked in with us, “And we’ve certainly got an eclectic bunch of keys here haven’t we.”

I smiled and looked around the room, maybe this could actually work.

                                                         ***

“If I had an iPod and a busted time machine we could do this in a snappy montage and be out in no time,” I grumbled to Cowboy Rockstar.

It was the next day, and our recreation activity was something called “evil baseball.” There’s no batters, no outfield, and the only umpire was a deranged mime. The only real resemblance it had to regular “non-evil” baseball, was the fact that there were four bases, and players could steal bases. In fact, the game was pretty much just stealing bases. Because stealing is a crime get it? Ugh, the sooner we got out of there and stopped Smuggles the better. Cowboy Rockstar was manning first base for his team, and I’d just stolen first. I suspected it was because Helm Lady, the “pitcher” for Cowboy Rockstar’s team, had allowed me to get to first so we could chat. It might have been because I’m really athletic though. It’s hard to say. 

“I don’t think that’s how anything works,” Cowboy Rockstar said.

“Oh what do you know?”

“A lot, I’ve unknotted several time paradoxes you know. Some experts even say that I ‘invented’ the current iteration of this timeline.”

“Ah, so this is all your fault.”

“Nice try, I didn’t give Smuggles access to an interdimensional warp gate so he could free his fish whispering friend from his prison.”

“Touche.”

“What have you got?”

“I was thinking, we know that Smuggles has everybody’s powers neutralized inside this prison right?”

“Yes.”

“Well not every hero has powers to begin with,” I started. “And there are few people here with relevant talents that Smuggles can’t turn off.”

“Talents such as?”

Giorgio blew his whistle. Apparently I’d spent too long dawdling at first base without even trying to steal second.

“I guess whistling doesn’t go against the mime code of silence,” I grumbled as I started to edge off of first base. 

“Talents such as?” Cowboy Rockstar repeated before I took off.

I nodded towards his team’s second baseman.

“Being a giant rock monster with seven hands,” I said before racing off toward Rockblock.

                                                         ***

The next night I laid awake, staring up at the ceiling of my cell, going over what was slowly starting to look like a plan again and again. If Cowboy Rockstar could use the many razor sharp spikes on his villain costume to pick the locks on his cell, — and he’d assured me that he could, upside down, in his sleep — and then get to the others, Rockblock could probably serve as our muscle until we got out and the other heroes got their powers back. He’d need to fight off dozens of battle drones though. No, that wasn’t much of a plan. Muscle was great, but we’d need some other way to guarantee the drones would stay off of us until we got outside. I consulted the scrap of paper I had hidden in the palm of my hand, directed away from any prying eyes or cameras. The scrap had been discretely slipped into the pocket of my hoodie by Helm Lady. She’d managed to steal a pencil during Evil Mad Libs, and had taken the liberty of jotting down everybody who we knew was imprisoned here. “Our list of keys,” as Cowboy Rockstar had called it. We needed to keep the circle of people who knew that we were planning a breakout small for now. That way there’d be less of a chance of any villains or drones getting wind of it. So Cowboy Rockstar wanted me to identify anybody who might be especially useful in the actual breakout, whereupon we’d obviously free the rest of the prisoners. I consulted the list again, mentally sorting the manifest into those who had powers, and thus were less likely to be especially useful without the use of them, and those who didn’t have powers, and therefore were pretty much operating at 100% effectiveness. There’s another thing I didn’t account for in my own designs, sucks to be you Smuggles. That’s what happens when you build your top secret superhero prison based on the musings of a comedy blog instead of doing your own work you frikkin goon. I circled a couple of names on my illicit scrap of paper and was just about ready to smugly smile myself to sleep when I noticed a faint buzzing. My first thought was wall bees. You wouldn’t believe how often strange buzzing sounds in the How To Hero office ended up being bees in the wall. But this buzzing was more mechanical and well, I guess it must have been there since I was first thrown into this dump. I had managed to sublimate it into the background noise of my time here but now in the dead of the night I was able to really listen to it finally. I tentatively got off of my threadbare cot and walked the length of my small cell. The buzzing was, as I’d feared, strongest by the door. Which could only mean one thing. Door bees! No, I’m kidding, it meant that the old fashioned deadbolt lock was either just for show, or just one part of the cell doors’ security systems. There was some kind of electronic component as well. One that probably wouldn’t be able to be thwarted with some evil-looking spikes. I looked at my scrap once more, I’d have to have a conversation with one of the other prisoners tomorrow. 

                                                         ***

“Professor Flay,” I whispered as I took a seat next to a glasses-wearing black man decked out in a purple jumpsuit with a skull belt buckle. 

“Yes?” the man said, clearly startled, “I’m sorry I don’t believe we’ve met.”

“My name’s Zach, and I’m a fan of your Big Book of Fake Science.”

“Um, are you referring to my Complete Compendium of Improbable Science,” Professor Lucius Flay replied.

“Shoot, is that what it’s called? I knew it was something like that, only my buddy lost the cover and title page in a bet with a supervillain we knew who needed them to power his cover and title page powered doomsday device,” I explained quickly.

Professor Flay flared his nostrils, “And you have the nerve to insinuate that my science is fake. Is there a point to this, I don’t want to miss this performance.”

Our villainous rehabilitation activity for the day was “evil karaoke” only songs with the word “bad” in the title were allowed to be performed. Cowboy Rockstar was currently belting out an honestly breathtaking rendition of Lady Gaga’s “Bad Romance”. It was an especially loud and especially drawn out version of the song, so that Professor Flay and I could converse in relative peace.

“What kind of scientist would you say you are Professor?”

“If you must know, I consider myself to be more or less omnidisciplinary,” Professor Flay said.

“That means you dabble in a little bit of everything right?”

“Everything scientific.”

“And that’s not a superpower thing right? You came by all that knowledge on your own?”

Professor Flay waved a dismissive hand at me, “Of course I did. I studied for years to get to where I am today. Sure I may have had to break a few time travel regulations to do it, but otherwise, I come by my intellect fair and square.”

“Excellent!” I shouted a little too loudly. “This is the best version of ‘Bad Romance’ I’ve ever heard!” I quickly added, to cover myself.

“Yeah it’s so good that they should call it ‘Good Romance!’” Rockblock shouted, no doubt trying to help me out.

Unfortunately though, that was the wrong thing to say. Giorgio the Mime certainly couldn’t allow anything gooditalics to happen in this evil facility, so he quickly put the kibosh on Cowboy Rockstar’s performance, much to the chagrin of everyone else in the room. I thought I even saw a drone flash a frowny face. The drones then started ferrying us out of the room and back to our individual cells.

“How much do you know about electronic locks?” I quickly asked as I pressed my scrap of paper in between Professor Flay’s belt and jumpsuit. 

Realization flashed across Professor Flay’s face. 

“Ah,” he said. “Enough.”

I hoped he was right.

                                                         ***

The next day our recreational activity was evil baking. There were several different stations set up in the auditorium, each with ingredients set up to make different evil foods. I ambled past “exploding pies”, “sentient food that will actively beg for its life as you eat it”, and “kale cookies” before taking a seat next to Cowboy Rockstar at the “general poisons” table. Helm Lady and Rockblock were already there, and I noticed Helm Lady was taking special care not to touch any of the ingredients on the table. Rockblock, being made entirely out of stone and cando spirit, began handling the various herbs and toxins and following the recipe. I guess they’d decided that somebody at our table had to be doing something to avoid attracting any unwanted attention. 

“Where’s Professor Flay?” I asked.

“He just walked in,” Cowboy Rockstar said, nodding toward the door, where a contingent of drones were herding in another batch of prisoners. 

“Over here!” Rockblock bellowed, waving three of his giant hands while the other four mixed and mashed various ingredients.

“Quiet,” Helm Lady snarled. I was beginning to regret bringing Rockblock in on our plans so early. 

Still, Professor Flay managed to get the message and made his way over to our table.

“Hello everybody,” he said as he sat down next to Helm Lady. He wrinkled his nose as he caught a whiff of what Rockblock was mixing in his bowl. “What are we making?”

“Sulfide sausages,” Rockblock replied.

“Lovely.”

“So?” I asked, raising my eyebrow inquisitively at the professor.

Professor Flay glanced around and, confident that there were no drones within listening distance, leaned in conspiratorially.

“I can build the device you described but-”

“Hey guys, sorry I didn’t come right away. I wanted to do a lap to see if there were any other cooler tables,” a pale skinned man clad in black chainmail and sporting thick rimmed glasses said as he sat down at our table.

“Er… what?” I asked.

“I know Rockblock called me over, but I’m not just going to sit down at the first table that offers me a spot, am I?” the other man replied as if that were a perfectly normal thing to say.

“Uh, I was actually talking to Professor Flay,” Rockblock said.

The bespectacled man laughed, “Oh Rockblock, I’d heard your sense of humor was legendary.”

Rockblock looked confused but Helm Lady put a hand on one of his arms.

“What do you want Glassesman?” 

“Helm Lady! Great to see you. How’s the old man?”

“We don’t talk.”

“Oh, is that right? Poor Hats never could keep a protege.” 

“Glassesman.” I said, interjecting before things escalated. “You weren’t on the list. When did you get here?”

“Oh, just recently. I wasn’t captured with the rest of you in the first wave.”

Cowboy Rockstar ignored the jab and leaned forward. “Are you saying that Smuggles has found whatever resistance there is? Where’s Ultiman?”

“Keep your ten-gallon hat on buckaroo, the resistance is fine such as it is. I was deep undercover in Smuggles’ operation, but I got found out.”

“No surprise there. You probably started handing out promotional sunglasses to all the villains as soon as you got in there,” Helm Lady muttered.

“Hey, supervillains are a market I have yet to break into. This was a rare networking opportunity for me!”

What a tool.

“Enough,” Cowboy Rockstar said, making sure to keep his voice even.

“What’s with all the hushed tones,” Glassesman said, looking us all up and down.

“Ah,” he said when he’d completed his appraisal. “You’re planning a break out.”

“No we’re n-” Helm Lady started but Glassesman held up his hand.

“Oh please, you’ve got a scientist, a jack-of-all-trades, a bruiser, a non-powered combatant and a…” he faltered when he got to me.

“Blogger,” I said curtly.

Glassesman raised an eyebrow but kept going, “So don’t try to keep me out of this, I’m non-powered too, and I can fight better than a Hatb- sorry exitalics-Hatboy any day of the week.”

Cowboy Rockstar looked as though he was going to say something to get rid of Glassesman but he just sighed and gestured to Professor Flay.

“Fine, sure. Professor you were saying?”

“Um, well, yes. I can build the… device, you asked for but I can’t do it from thin air. I need something to work from.”

We all sat in silence for a moment. I guess it was too much to ask for an omni-disciplinaryitalics super-scientist to be able to whip up an EMP device out of whatever he could find in his prison cell. I’d be sure to inform whatever board certifies omni-disciplinary scientists to amend an asterisk to Professor Flay’s credentials when we got out of here.

“Could you build it out of whatever those things are made of?” Glassesman said, jerking a thumb towards one of the drones.

Professor Flay appraised it, “It appears to run on a lithioplasmic core with a carbon-electrum chassis. Assuming there’s a terrakon multispacial chip rattling around in or near its processor… Yes, I wouldn’t even need too much of it. Just a chunk from the chest if I had to guess.”

“Excellent,” Glassesman said before he stood up and flipped over our table. “And you can tell that cap clad crank that I’m twice the hero he ever was!”

Helm Lady smirked and wordlessly lunged at him, wrapping her long fingers around his neck. Professor Flay and I quickly took cover behind the table. Flay because he was a nerd and wasn’t about to get involved in a fist fight between two highly trained combatants. And me to protect Flay naturally. We needed him fit enough to build us the EMP, I couldn’t exactly leave him. Cowboy Rockstar jumped on Glassesman’s back and tried to pull him away while Rockblock scrambled to gather up the ingredients from his poison. A stray pellet of congealed arsenic bounced over to me and I scooped it up into my hoodie. You never know, right? 

In a minute several drones were trundling over to our little group trying to break up the fight. They’d just about managed to pry Cowboy Rockstar, Glassesman and Helm Lady apart when Rockblock let out a deafening roar and joined the fray, sending a handful of drones flying as he growled something incoherent about how hard he’d been working on perfecting his recipe. By this time the other assembled heroes were all looking toward us, but before anybody else could get any ideas about joining the riot, more drones than I’d even realized were in the prison poured into the auditorium and surrounded my friends. Finally managing to pull them apart.

The rest of the heroes, myself and Professor Flay included, were now being rounded up by some of the drones while most of them were being engaged by six of Rockblock’s giant fists. As we walked by though, I noticed his seventh appendage experly flick a chunk of metal in our direction. I stumbled slightly, bending over quickly to grab the robot chunk. And then discretely passed it to Professor Flay before we were split off to return to our own cells.

“I’ll have it done before tonight,” he said to me as he palmed the misshapen blob of metal and wiring. 

I nodded and smiled, by that time tomorrow we’d be out of that forsaken prison and saving the world.

                                                         ***

Night fell, and I paced anxiously around the length of my cell. Assuming Professor Flay was able to work as quickly as he claimed he was able to. And assuming Rockblock had gotten him exactly what he needed. And assuming Cowboy Rockstar and Glassesman and Helm Lady were able to pick the locks on their cells when the time came. And assuming Rockblock could keep any guards off of us. And assuming- Well, there were a lot of assumptions before I’d be tasting fresh air. Our plan was hardly fool proof, and we had at least two or three fools on our team, depending on who you asked. We were making a few too many assumptions for my liking. But it was the best we had, so I guess that was that. There was nothing I could do except wait for something to happen. 

And when something happened, everything happened.

First there was a deafening boom, followed by a shockwave that traveled quickly throughout the cell block. If I hadn’t been deafened by the explosion, I would have noticed that the electronic buzzing I’d heard had gone silent. Professor Flay’s homebrewed EMP had worked. I ran to the door and saw several guard drones collapsed on the ground. Their cybernetic features were blank. 

Seconds later three cell doors swung open and Cowboy Rockstar, Helm Lady, and Glassesman strode out. Glassesman looked especially smug, even though he was the last one out. The other two were such pros, they decided to let it slide. They quickly started working on picking the locks on the other cells. Helm Lady sprung Rockblock first, just in case there were any drones outside the EMP’s radius that might’ve been trundling our way. Professor Flay’s EMP was a one-shot kind of deal so we’d have to fight or evade any other drones we encountered. 

“So far so good eh?” Cowboy Rockstar grinned as he unlocked the door to my cell.

“So far, yeah,” I said anxiously. “We’re pretty much flying blind from here on out th- Woah!”

I took a step back into my cell as Cowboy Rockstar became enveloped in a brilliant white light. I stood agape as he began hovering a few inches off the ground and the light faded into his body. 

“What was that?” I asked.

Cowboy Rockstar landed adroitly on the ground and checked his pulse with two of his fingers.

“It’s… I think the EMP must have shorted out whatever device was neutralizing our powers in here,” Cowboy Rockstar said. His fists began crackling with energy.

I looked up and down the hall of cells. Powerful glows or crumpled cell doors told me that many of the other heroes were starting to regain access to their powers. 

“Well that certainly changes the game,” I said as I began taking stock of all of the new keys we’d just acquired.

                                                         ***

We quickly divided into a few teams: 

Team One: Nightron, Foresight P. Jones, and Intangi-Bill. None of us had been outside since we’d arrived in the prison and so none of us actually knew where the exit was. Team one would use their respective speed, supervision and intangibility in concert to find a way out.

Team Two: Cowboy Rockstar, Rockblock, and Cannonballer: Baller of Cannons. Our heavy hitters. If anybody could break straight through the walls that surrounded us to the outside it was them.

Team Three: Professor Flay, Electrobug, Digitalized, Psionica. They set about trying to cobble together weapons and gear from the broken husks of the drones that we had at our disposal.

Team Four: Captain Patriot, Brad the Radioactive Man, Amphin, Glassesman, Helm Lady and the Human Wall. The best offense is a strong defense, and if any of our other teams were going to have any hope of doing what they needed to do, they’d need somebody keeping Giorgio and whatever drones he could scrounge together off of their backs. 

Team Five: Dr. Hemer, Knife Knurse, and Super Surgeon. A lot of heroes were suffering painful side-effects either from the sudden reemergence of their superpowers or the power-deprivation they’d been suffering since they’d gotten here. Anybody who had any sort of medical knowledge would tend to them until we get help on the outside.

Team Six: Just me. My job was to come up with the team names and I’m not ashamed to admit that I totally phoned it in.

I was sitting back and taking stock of the other teams’ progress when a gust of wind informed me of Nightron’s return. 

“We’re not the only prisoners here,” he said panting, parts of his supervillain costume were singed, he must have encountered other guards elsewhere in the facility.

“You’re sure?” I asked frantically. I’m not sure why it had never occurred to me that there might be other prisoners somewhere in this facility. But I had only ever seen the heroes that were in that corridor at communal recreational events.

“Positive, there are maybe five or six other cell blocks just like this one. They’ve got dozens of other superheroes here. But that’s not all. World leaders, para-folk, some civilians. I think I even saw some sort of zoo,” Nightron said.

“Probably for animal sidekicks and the like,” I mused aloud. “Were you followed back here?”

“No, but they saw who I was. I’m sure they know where I’m supposed to be. It won’t be long before we have company here.”

“You’re right. Professor, how are those weapons coming!” I shouted towards where Team Three was working.

“My EMP seems to have worked a little too well, there’s no resteoring powers to these machines, but Psionica has managed to use her telekinetic abilities to reform some chunks of metal into clubs.”

“That’ll have to do,” I said. “Nightron, grab a few of those clubs, if anybody comes you’ll join Team Four. Hit them hard and hit them fast.”

“But what about the other prisoners?” Nightron protested.

“We need to break ourselves out before we can worry about anybody else,” Glassesman said.

“I hate to admit it but he’s right,” Helm Lady agreed.

“Yeah but-” and then, in a whoosh he was gone, because it was at that moment that a platoon of drones filed into our hallway. Two of them hit the ground, their CPUs bashed in by Nightron, before the rest of us even registered what was happening but once we did, the rest of Team Four, sprung into action. 

“Zach, over here,” Professor Flay called.

I ran over to him, he passed me a makeshift club and we formed a defensive ring around our medics and the wounded along with the rest of Team Three.

“We are through!” Cannonballer: Baller of Cannons cried.

We helped Team Five get to the large gap in the wall that Team Two had formed as Rockblock and Cowboy Rockstar went to join the fray in the corridor. 

“We may have problem,” Cannonballer: Baller of Cannons muttered to us as we joined her outside.

Problem was an understatement. For one thing, the sky was a murky blend of purples, oranges, and reds, and I know I haven’t been doing a ton of “world-building” in this dramatic account of my escape from a supervillain run supermax, but the sky we were all used to seeing was definitely blue. The ground we were standing on was somehow both dusty and crumbly. Every step we took sent a cloud of dust and ground flakes into the air. And we couldn’t see any other signs of life or civilization anywhere at all. I had always assumed that we would be somewhere inconspicuous but local, so that Smuggles could keep an eye on us, but it appeared as though we were in the middle of nowhere with no way of getting to the middle of anywhere. 

“What… What is this place?” Professor Flay said.

“Beats me,” I said with a shrug. When I designed this prison for How To Hero I recommended finding a large unused building with reinforced walls that was situated in a place that no cops would ever be caught dead anywhere near. There are literally four or five places like that within a twenty block radius of How To Hero headquarters so where the hell were we. Unless… crap.

“Atomspace,” I said. “We’ve been shrunken down and sent to a prison in Atomspace.”

“Well,” Professor Flay said, taking in our otherworldly surroundings. “That creates a wrinkle in our plans doesn’t it.”

“It certainly does,” I agreed.

And that’s when everything went black.

                                                         ***

I awoke, chained to a chair, in what may very well have been the most garishly decorated room I had ever seen. And Parenthetical Guy once painted our office neon green and creamsicle orange so that was saying something. The walls were all a deep blood red and there were various supervillainous accoutrements mounted all over the walls. Scary looking masks, futuristic blasters, esoteric looking staffs. A giant serpent’s head wearing oversized sunglasses was mounted on the wall directly opposite me. Below the serpent head sat an ornate, obsidian desk with a high backed leather chair behind it. The carpet was the color of rotting bones, which made a lot of sense when I realized that it wasn’t really a carpet at all, but rather a mat made entirely of very thin bone fragments. Bone fragments that were incredibly sharp at the ends. 

“Ouch!” I yelped as I lifted my feet slightly off of the ground.

“Well look who’s finally awake,” a snide voice to my left said.

I turned my head and my heart dropped. Joining me in this chilling chamber were the rest of my friends: Cowboy Rockstar, Helm Lady, Professor Flay and Glassesman were chained to chairs like mine while Rockblock’s hulking form was chained to the wall on the far side of the room. The humans in the chairs also had their feet up in various positions. Rockblock was stuck standing on the bone floor, but at least he didn’t seem to mind.

“What happened?” I asked groggily.

“We were all knocked unconscious after we broke through the prison walls,” Professor Flay explained. “Cerebral implants I’d guess.”

“You’re saying we were all chipped?” I said, bewildered. “That’s crazy. Why weren’t we all knocked out as soon as we broke out of our cells?”

“Because I wanted to see the look on your face when you realized you were in Atomspace.”

All of our heads snapped towards the door where a man wearing a dark gray catsuit, a bright orange domino mask, and heavy metal boots strode into the room. “Do you like how I’ve decorated? Greg the Skeleton King referred me to his interior design guy.”

“That explains the bones,” Helm Lady muttered.

“And the hellfire!” Cowboy Rockstar proclaimed. “From right before we were captured, I’d been wondering about that.”

“Smuggles,” I said through gritted teeth.

“Zachary,” he said curtly. “Mr. How To Hero himself, how does it feel to be so utterly defeated by someone you’ve spent years ridiculing on your infantile blog?”

“I’ll let you know when it happens,” I said.

“Always with the clever little jokes,” Smuggles said as he took a seat in the leather chair and steepled his fingers. “You have been utterly defeated though. I’ve been following your little escape attempt from the very beginning. My people are not idiots you know. We’ve been listening to every conversation, watching your every move. The riot in the cafeteria was especially amusing.” He nodded at Rockblock who just grunted in response. “Quite frankly, you got further than I expected you to. But I’m glad you did, because now you have to admit that I’ve completely bested you. You’ve been thoroughly trounced Zachary. Who’s the laughingstock now?”

I narrowed my eyes, trying to think of a way out of this for myself and my friends, when Glassesman burst out laughing. Smuggles’s eye flashed with rage and he slammed a hand down on his desk.

“I’m sorry, is something amusing here?”

“No no… Well yeah, sorry, it��s just… You got every supervillain to band together, captured most of the superheroes, and basically took over the entire world just to get back at some low rate blogger?”

“Hey, uncalled for!” I shouted.

“I’m sorry it’s just a bit ridiculous don’t you think?” 

“Honestly, I kind of agree with him,” Helm Lady said sheepishly.

“I legitimately thought this whole thing was about me,” Cowboy Rockstar admitted. “I’m kind of a big deal you know, being a semigod and all that.”

“Don’t you mean demigod?” Professor Flay asked, doing a little wiggle shake to get his chair facing Cowboy Rockstar.

“Oh, I’m that too. But I’m talking about the cult I inadvertently inspired that has deified me,” Cowboy Rockstar explained.

Smuggles banged his fist down on his desk again.

“Enough!” he shouted, before cradling his fist in his other hand. “Now that your merry band has been epically thwarted and humiliated, I must decide on your punishment. I’m not about to risk you lot plotting another breakout.”

My mind started racing for a way out. This was the first time I had come face to face with Smuggles since he’d unleashed Chuck the Fish Whisperer in the How To Hero basement. Until now I hadn’t realized just how much of what was happening revolved around me. I didn’t even realize Smuggles had been familiar with my blog before we hired him. Maybe I could work with that. 

“Do your worst Smuggles. I guarantee you it won’t be anything worse than what actual villains have done to me,” I said, affixing my most smug expression on my features.

“What are you talking about?” Smuggles said, clearly thrown.

“I mean come on. I lived with a real supervillain before. Remember Dr. Brainwave?” 

“Wait, what?” Helm Lady said. “You lived with Dr. Brainwave? We’ve been looking for him for years!” 

“Yeah well I don’t know what to tell you,” I said.

“Brainwave was a sentimental hack. Killing him was child’s play.” Smuggles said through mounting anger.

I faltered for a moment. So Smuggles had been the one who had mailed that bomb to our office? He was the reason Dr. Brainwave was dead? Sure the guy was a supervillain, but at the end of the day he had been my… my friend. And he’d sacrificed his life to save mine and my friends’. The fact that I was sitting less than three feet away from his murderer was almost too much to bear. Still, there’d be plenty of time to deal with him later. Assuming my plan worked.

“Still before you killed him he made my life miserable. You’ve read my blog, I’m sure you know all about it. So I honestly doubt that anything you plan to do can compare.”

Smuggles literally shook with rage, “I can… I can killitalics you! You ever think about that?” 

Cowboy Rockstar grinned, “Good luck with that.”

Ok, honestly I’m not sure what thatitalics was about. Is Cowboy Rockstar immortal? Has anybody ever checked that? Regardless, I decided to just roll with it.

“Do your worst.” I said.

“Guys!” Glassesman shouted exasperated. “I love taunting a bad guy as much as the next guy, but maybe we should all ease up a bit!”

“Oh relax,” I said. “Smuggles is a Z-lister trying to kick it with the big kids. He can’t just shoot us or something. If he wants to be a world-dominating evil monster he’s going to have to come up with a suitably ostentatious way to kill us and honestly, he doesn’t have the imagination. Just look at his face, this is clearly eating at him.”

It was as though a lightbulb went off over Smuggles’s head. His face warped from grimace to grin and he strode around to the other side of his desk.

“I’ve already succeeded in taking over the world and routing your beloved superheroes. I hardly need to prove myself to the likes of you. You can expect to be executed in a ‘suitable ostentatious manner’ shortly.”

I was all read to shoot back a witty retort when everything went black again.

                                                         ***

I awoke to the sound of cheering, which made me feel pretty good. I don’t often get cheered for waking up. I’m sure Cowboy Rockstar was feeling pretty regular though, people cheer for everything that guy does. I was in the center of a gladiatorial arena, the stands were packed with guard drones and more than a few supervillains. The presence of so many of them here sent a shiver down my spine. Had Smuggles really been able to recruit and control so many supervillains? Next to me, my friends laid in a rumpled heap, all of them still unconscious with the exception of…

“Now look what you’ve done,” Professor Flay said sternly. 

I turned to look at him and saw the abject fear sketched across his features.

“Relax Prof, everything’s going to be ok.”

“How can you say that! Look at us! We’re in an arena surrounded by bloodthirsty supervillains for god’s sake!”

“It’s not the supervillains you should be worrying about, it’s whatever’s going to come out of that gate,” I said, pointing to a massive (well, massive relative to our shrunken selves) gate directly opposite us.

Professor Flay shuddered, “I imagine the others are still unconscious to prevent them from being able to do anything against whatever that might be.”

I nodded, “It makes sense, Smuggles doesn’t want to risk anything going wrong.”

“But I still want the satisfaction of watching at least some of you soil yourselves in fear,” Smuggles said as his smug visage appeared on a floating jumbotron that was hovering over the arena.

“You’ll never get away with this you knave!” Professor Flay shouted.

“Oh Professor, I already have. I think I’ll make today an international holiday going forward,” Smuggles said as he leaned back from the camera so we could see his entire upper body on the screen. He was sitting on a golden throne and his fingers were hovering above a big red button. I assumed whatever was waiting behind the gate would be released at the press of that button. And why prolong the inevitable.

“Why don’t you come down here so I can wipe that smug expression off of your face, you absolute goober!” I called up to Smuggles.

Smuggles frowned, “Goodbye Zach, you will not be missed.” 

His finger pressed the button. The gate started to ascend. Professor Flay sighed and rolled up his sleeves. I had to admire him, he wasn’t planning on going down without some sort of fight. As the gate rose the cheers of the crowd grew even more fevered. I think I even saw a sign that said “Cowboy Suckstar.” Rude. After what seemed like an eternity the gate was finally fully open and a ferocious roar shook the stadium as a massive beast lumbered into the arena. The ginormous monster truly had it all. Dozens of eyes, face tentacles, spikes, a flaming tail. I had to admit this would certainly be a suitably ostentatious way to die. Of course, I wasn’t about to let Smuggles get his way was I?

“Good god what is that thing?” Professor Flay said as he backed away from the giant monster. 

“It’s our way out,” I said calmly as I climbed on top of Rockblock’s comatose body, put two fingers in my mouth and whistled sharply.

“What are you doing?” Professor Flay shouted at me as the monster began galloping towards us on all fours.

I looked down at Professor Flay and smiled, “See you on the other side Prof.”

And then the monster ate me.

[hopelesstvaddict]

ASOUE’S CONVOLUTED PLOT COMES TO ITS FINAL DENOUEMENT

It all led to this. With The Penultimate Peril, ASOUE manages to encompass all the ingredients that made its success - adults being incompetent, children being too bright for their own good, self-deriding humor and dry fourth wall-breaking, big emotional moments (good and bad), secret organizations and of course, how could it not end up in flames ? The Penultimate Peril sees the Baudelaires arriving at the Hotel Denouement, which again channels Wes Anderson - The Grand Budapest Hotel, anyone ? - along with Kit who of course, cannot go with them because the too rare adults who seem competent at what they’re doing cannot be too helpful. Otherwise, where is all the fun ? Kit explains that the concierge of the hotel are twins, Frank and Ernest (both played by Max Greenfield), with each one belonging to one side of VFD. The entire first part of this penultimate installment is dedicated to a funny and intriguing detective game where the three children try to discover who is the mysterious J.S who has summoned (almost) the entirety of VFD while balancing their interactions with the aforementioned concierges. Going up and down the immense hotel - a grandiloquent retro-chic styled set reminiscent of the luxurious Squalor appartment, only make it ten times bigger - yields hilarious situations such as the oblivious children asking ‘Are you Frank or Ernest ?’ and getting a simple ‘Yes’ as an answer, the darkly noir-ish giant clock which has nothing better than to utter the word ‘Wrong’ each time it rings, or the numerous returning guest stars.

Because yes, just like in the book, it seems all the people that the Baudelaire orphans ever encountered on their disastrous misadventures - everyone that managed to survive, that is - is somehow present in this hotel. If this sounds like a big reunion for a grand finale, that’s perhaps not too far-stretched because this two-parter actually works as a finale of some sort. In addition to Mr Poe (sans Mrs Poe, unfortunately), we are happy to reunite with Larry-Your-Waiter (Patrick Breen), still trying and failing to be helpful, Babs (Kerri Kenney-Silver), Vice Principal Nero (Roger Bart) - who himself introduces a seemingly random piece of information on the deeds of Prufrock Preparatory; of course, this show has taught us to never let anything slip past our attention and this late in the game, this cannot not be relevant to the rest of the story - and Jerome Squalor (Tony Hale), still bitter and completely afraid of his ex-wife (though he technically still refuses the validity of the ‘ex’). Originally, Sir (Don Johnson) and Charles (Rhys Darby) were also present; due to the actors’ unavailability, they were written out. Given how this whole event ends, it’s perhaps for the best but Jerome still undirectly mentions Charles, referring to he and himself as an item.

The whole guessing over the identity of J.S is compelling enough for those who like me, had forgotten the book. There are enough characters with the initials to fit the bill, chief among them the dearly departed Jacques Snicket (Nathan Fillion who unfortunately only appears in a photo). But Jacquelyn Scieszka, Jerome Squalor, Justice Strauss (Joan Cusack) or Julio Sham could also be candidates. The first part of the installment culminates in the ‘denouement’ of the J.S mystery as well as the Frank/Ernest question, introducing one last VFD member, fan-favorite Dewey Denouement, the triplet to Frank and Ernest (because in this series, everything works better in threes). It must be said that Max Greenfield does a great job in portraying the three brothers. The show makes the relationship between Dewey and Kit more explicit than it was in the books, which allows two things. First, a sense of shock and suspense, as the pair is seen kissing and we are made to believe we are seeing Ernest, the evil brother; second, it makes it that much harder to watch when another trusted ally is ripped away from the Baudelaires. Just like Olivia (Sara Rue) at the end of last season, Dewey meets an untimely death, only this time, Olaf is not (really) to blame. The scene in question, which caps off Part One, is beautifully framed as everything unravels for both the orphans and Olaf himself who finally alienates himself from Esme. Lucy Punch really nails the break-up scene and leave it to ASOUE to finish it off with a daddy joke. But it’s really the subsequent scene that follows which is the real highlight of this first part. As Olaf threatens to harpoon Dewey, Violet, Klaus and Sunny all place themselves in front of him and reason with him over the attempted murder. It’s really the culmination of the twisted relationship they reluctantly, unwittingly developed - no more running, no more hiding on the part of the children, and no more chasing them around on his account. The face-off could very well be amplified to epic levels. Instead, it is handled subtly, quietly and in a very soothing way. Olaf’s arc continues to evolve and we see the facade cracking further. The Man With A Beard But No Hair and The Woman With Hair But No Beard may play a villainous role in The Penultimate Peril but overall as characters, they are more like the Sugar Bowl, narrative devices used to propel their former pupil forward, rather than formidable adversaries on their own.

The scene ends with one of the most beautiful cinematography the series has achieved yet (in fact, the whole episode is aesthetically wonderful) with the dead Dewey floating above the secret underground library that no one knows the existence of, now that its owner is dead. But again, this is upstaged by the next scene, which reveals the long-suspected identity of a cab driver who offers the Baudelaires a ride to safety after the catastrophe they caused. This season, Patrick Warburton gets to interact with the rest of the cast as his Lemony meets for the first (and only) time the Baudelaires. While the scene is insignificant for the children themselves, present-day Lemony goes to great lengths to explain how this brief and failed meeting caused him regrets and prompted him to go on his investigation about the lives of the orphans, which is essentially the premise of the whole show.

The second part is dedicated to Olaf's trial in what could be a reference to the Seinfeld finale which staged a similar story for its own conclusion. With the show coming to an end, it finally brings satisfying answers as to the backstory of VFD and the fateful night at the opera that provoked the schism. After 23 episodes of obscure references and mentions, Beatrice (Morena Baccarin) finally makes an (instantly delightful) appearance. The flashback is compelling and while clearly a toned-down adaptation of what transpired in the books, it does work in terms of explaining what turned Olaf against the Baudelaire and Snicket families. Back in the present, the trial allows Olaf, the Baudelaires (in their iconic book outfits! I swear, the love and respect for the book material sometimes really amazes me) and Esme to shine as they each take the stand. The theme of morality comes back in full stance as Olaf turns the table on the children and forces them to admit that in surviving, they too have sometimes indulged in grey areas. It's an arc that played out for two seasons and seeing the Baudelaires finally come to terms with it is a good payoff.

This being the de-facto finale, the producers pack as much as they can and there are many references to the show's trademarks - Olaf is cut short in one of his musical numbers, several recurring phrases return - but not so much as character arcs closure. Larry is the only definite casualty of the episode - the death itself was (kind of) hilariously stupid and fitting for the character but it is a bit unnerving to really think about it and about the contrast it draws when Olaf later cannot bring himself to kill the Baudelaires - but the fates of the giant supporting cast is left dangling in the air as the episode comes to a fiery end. Olaf plans to poison the entirety of VFD with the Medusoid Mycelium but he needs the Sugar Bowl first. The Baudelaires convince him to burn the hotel instead, stemming from the logic that a fire will be slower than the poisonous fungus and will allow some to escape. That's unfortunately overestimating the capacity of reasonable logic from the adults in this show and we are treated with a delightful scene where the Baudelaires try to warn various characters of the danger only to be rebuffed; even when adults do believe them, there is nothing further they can do. And so we bid goodbye to Esme, Carmelita, Mr Poe and pretty much all who assembled at the hotel. The feeling is perhaps frustrating but that's exactly how it happened in the books and at this point, the story has worked itself enough to not make us care that much about the characters that are left behind. I must say that I have never seen fire depicted so strangely beautifully anywhere else. The visuals really defy the expectations I had when imagining those fires as I read them.

The Baudelaires sail off with Olaf with two more lessons; justice can be blind sometimes, courtesy of the Man With A Beard But No Hair and the Woman With Hair But No Beard, and sometimes you do fight fire with fire. In trying to prevent Olaf from mass-murdering an entire hotel, they have possibly achieved the same result. The fire thus destroys almost the entirety of VFD, both sides of the schism, all evidence that could damn Olaf and perhaps the Sugar Bowl which was dropped in the secret library. This could very well work as the final scenes of the series. So many things are now resolved. We know the backstory of VFD and now it does not exist anymore. We have searched and failed at finding the Sugar Bowl and now it doesn't exist anymore. We have tried to prove that Olaf is guilty and we have (kind of) but the proof does not exist anymore and we instead have come to the realization that the Baudelaires are not as pure as they want to appear. In terms of what this series was about, this is as close to full-circling as it can get and as good a sign that the end is near as the visual clues - none better than the opening scene from the season premiere where Lemony walks through the now-decaying underground tunnels. Present-day Lemony continues his monologues in those tunnels, repeating that for him, the story of the Baudelaires stops here as he lost all traces of them. Past Lemony is seen sharing a heartfelt moment with Beatrice which explains why he's been on the run all series long and features, for longtime fans, his iconic declaration of love, in a toned-down version of its original form as it appeared in The Beatrice Letters. (If you have nothing else to do, treat yourself to the entirety of it, you won't regret it. As Beatrice says, he 'always had a way with words'.)

To complete the many parallels harkening back to the beginnings, we are treated to a reprise of the song ‘That’s Not How The Story Goes’ while moments from the past seasons recap the unfortunate series of events that graced our screens for three years.

The Slippery Slope | The Grim Grotto | The Penultimate Peril | The End

[shoe-sheriff]

So some friends and I are considering getting a D&D campaign going, and someone else volunteered to be DM, so I get to play a character. Now, I’ve been wanting to play D&D for a few years now and haven’t been able to get my fix, so I immediately start looking at 5th edition books (because I’ve only ever played 4e) and making a character. I landed on a Earth Genasi (from Elemental Evil Player’s Companion) Fighter. Of course, it being me, I also made a way-too-long background for the character.

For the first time in my life, I’d like to share the background publicly immediately after finishing it (I literally just got done like 5 minutes ago). Please, if you read it, let me know what you think. Anything that needs to be changed, added, removed, doesn’t make sense, etc.

My conception came after my parents found an artifact that acted as a gateway to the Elemental Plane, where my biological, dao, father is from. He traversed through the gateway a few months later, seeking to experience all the Material Plane had to offer. He fell for my mother, and tricked her into sex, impregnating her with me. From what I’ve gathered, he was known as Sihu the Powerful, and had a reputation of causing mischief wherever he went. Most of it was harmless, though there was an incident where he crushed a young woman beneath a boulder. After he proceeded to experience many more things throughout the plane, he left, never intending to deal with the consequences of any of his actions.

Being half dao, a quarter human, and a quarter elf, I had quite the culmination of features. My ears were slightly pointed like an elf, broad shoulders like a human, but at the same time more slender than a human. The most curious and out of place feature, however, came from my dao side. I had crystals sprouting from my light gray skin. They formed a pattern following my collar bone and around my hairline on my forehead, with a few outcroppings materializing along my upper arms and legs. Most of the crystals were tourmaline, green dissolving beautifully into pink, though I had a wide variety depending where one looked. I had honey-hued citrine, charoite with magnificent swirls of violet and lavender, and even fiery red opal. My hair was a deep black, with a faint light emanating from it where it was parted. This set me apart from others around me, but because I had beautiful rocks coming out of me, most people looked at me in amazement. I didn’t hate the added attention, but I wasn’t fond of it either, so I did my best to hide them when able.

My early childhood was filled with joy and happiness. My mother and her husband, henceforth referred to as my father, raised both me and my older half-brother. My father came from a reasonably wealthy family, my mother not so much. Together, they managed to raise us into fine members of society. They taught us how to properly value money and be happy with the things we had instead of constantly chasing happiness through the next purchase.

My father was a very experienced woodsman, regularly taking us on hikes and camping expeditions. He worked his days as a tradesman, dabbling in woodworking, metalworking, construction, and fishing. There were not many tradesmen in our town, thus he sought to make himself as valuable as he could to his community. He strived to give to his community as much as he could, while only accepting small payments for his work.

My mother worked as one of the town’s clerics, healing the wounded and spreading divine light across every shadow she encountered. Sadly, her healing magics and devotion to the lawful good divines did nothing to prevent her own illnesses. Several times throughout my childhood, she was plagued by a recurring sickness. After each bout, a different High Priest declared that the sickness would not return, only for it to do just that, poisoning her body and draining her life force more efficiently each time. The scars left by the illness covered her body, the most recent one ripping her stomach from this plane. She gave up her devotion, realizing that the divines would not help her. To everyone’s amazement, however, even through her pain and suffering, she never gave up her dedication to healing others and spreading the most beautiful light imaginable, no matter the willingness of the dark to overcome.

My brother, being older than myself and of a different race, grew up being bold and carefree. From him, I learned more about what not to do than what to do. He was caught several times sneaking out of our home to cause mischief with his friends. When he grew just old enough to be considered self-sufficient, my parents exiled him from the home, not wanting him to influence my actions. They remained supportive of him where they could, offering to pay for expenses he could not or gifting him furniture for his home. My grandparents, from my father’s side, even gave him (and myself) a large sum of coin, under the agreement that we use it to pursue a higher education or to start our own business, before using anything left over as we saw fit. We both used this to pursue a higher education. I sought to learn a series of trades, as my father did, learning the basics from him, applying that to my education, and then bringing everything together again with my father. My brother yearned to study and practice the Arcane arts, wishing to use the knowledge to provide responsible magics for the town’s benefit. Most of the way through his education, however, he had a child and was forced to put aside his education to take care of his daughter. He never went back to finish, unfortunately.

While working on my education, I had decided to learn Primordial, should I ever meet with Sihu or any genie who knew of him. I finished my education and began to make a name for myself as a learned tradesperson, creating great works and teaching even other apprentice tradespeople when they visited the town. My father retired after a year of my entrance to the trades, tired of working all day and knowing I had surpassed him in ability, due to my young, sturdy body, and thanks to the particular form of crafting I had learned, utilizing newer advancements and techniques. Though I loved what I did, especially the smile and gratitude I received from those I served, something always felt out of place. I couldn’t quite put my finger on what was wrong, until roughly six years ago when I realized that I felt a part of myself was missing, having gone unrecognized.

For four years, I tried to find that part of myself and become a fuller being. I began to meditate, experience nature more fully and regularly, and used various herbs to seek that which evaded me my whole life. I felt like I had grown much, but that I was still unable to find my true self. Fearing that it may have been due to the fact that I felt obligated to not grow too far from who everyone around me knew me as, I decided to leave town. I spent many months training others to take my place as the town’s tradespersons, until I felt the town was in excellent hands. I set off to seek enlightenment of some kind, unsure of where I was headed or what lay ahead. I may return one day, though I am not sure that would be healthy for me.

Traveling for close to 9 moons, I was starting to feel fuller and more complete. I had decided not long after leaving town, that I would change my name from what the Half-Elves called me. I had been hiding from my dao ancestry my whole life, but no more. I am an Earth Genasi, and I have never been more proud of it. I stopped hiding the crystals that grew from my skin, eventually turning to them as the source of my name: Tourmaline. It was around that time that I met with a tribe of outcasts, mostly consisting of Orcs. They were not welcome in their former homes for being too calm and peaceful. They sought to live a grand life with compassion to all beings and the world itself, focusing on improving oneself to live in harmony with that which is around them. Most of them were from the same clan, but there were some like me who happened by and decided to join their tribe and follow their path.

They taught me to hunt, scavenge, and survive with the land. With them, I visited marvelous new areas and saw beautiful landscapes. To me, they were a new family, one with similar views as my own. For the remainder of two years, I had stuck by their side, using my skills in woodworking to construct whatever we needed, and a few things just for fun, like a lute. A couple of them taught me to play, and we formed a sort of band, playing for the tribe most nights, a celebration of life and our vision. We welcomed a handful of new members and wished old ones a safe journey as they departed for the next chapter of their lives. Nobody was made to feel left out or unwanted, and they were welcome to stay as long as they felt comfortable.

On the way back from a meditation session, I found the camp utterly destroyed. Bloodstained, torn tents flapped in the wind, and the bodies of most of my family lay on the ground, motionless. For weeks, I grieved for them, unable to bring myself to leave the camp, unsure of what I should do. One night, they appeared to me in a dream. I came out of my tent and they were dancing and drinking, merry as ever. When they saw me fall to my knees crying, they rushed over to comfort me. When I finally got a hold of myself, they sat down with me around the campfire and listened to me express how sorry I was that I wasn’t there to help or at least die with them in honor. The two who had been in the tribe longer than I put their hands on my shoulder and lowered their heads. They spoke to me without words, their voices thundering in my head as one. “The time for grieving has been over for some time now. You could not have known, thus it is not a worry you should burden yourself with any longer.” Their unified words of wisdom brought some calm to my nerves, but I still felt like I had been defeated. “The fact that any member of our tribe is still alive is a miracle, and miracles are rarely without purpose. There are others who need you, and a greater destiny which calls your name, Tourmaline. Go now, and bring honor to our tribe. Through memory, we will stay immortal.”

The next morning, as I awoke, I heeded their words. I put on my traveling clothes, gathered some chain mail, a greatsword, trident, and what else I could reasonably carry, and started walking. I didn’t know what destiny I was to fulfill, but I knew I had to make sure the tribe, nor their vision for a more harmonious world, wouldn’t be forgotten.

[literature-islit]

Phil Lapsley - Exploding the Phone (2013)

Let’s talk about nostalgia. 

I’m so nostalgic for the 2013-2015 era that I haven't upgraded from an iPhone 6, so I can live comfortably in my low-tech echo chamber and avoid hyper-connective developments like TikTok and Instagram Reels which I know would be fatal for my long-fought-for, recently-revived attention span.

like it or not, but this is technology at its peak. everything since then has been a slow decline

But these days, nostalgia drenches everything. You have, according to various internet self-proclaimed cultural expert magazines, teens who are nostalgic for an experience they’ve never had listening to mallwave, Instagram accounts like Velvet Coke dedicated to highlighting fashions of the 90s that, until the Kardashian/Fashion Nova/BBL era, were considered very grave mistakes. People are so nostalgic for simpler times that they be romanticising Motorazor flip phones and velour tracksuits, and the days where celebrity paparazzi picks were plastered over thousands of magazines that have since folded

And, you know what? I get mad nostalgic too. 

Nostalgic for the times long gone before Anonymous was infiltrated by the FBI, and equated with the alt-right, before their members were either jailed or snapped up by influential tech companies, when they were just a crew of young kids punch drunk on the power that being able to hack into the poor password protection of multinational corporations to expose their sins might give a 17-year-old 4chan lurker (not to mention helping stage the Arab Spring, support people in uprising from tyranny etc). 

Highly recommend this book 

I recommend this book a little less

But what’s funny about my obsession with computer hackers, is it all led one way - and that was toward realising that the very first hackers weren’t just geeks hanging out on old message boards shielded by anonymous user names. 

The very first incarnation of the computer hacker didn't hack into computers at all - they hacked into phone systems. 

It’s NERDY AF, but, if you skim read past the technically detailed pages, THIS is one of the greatest, most action packed books I think I’ve ever read in my life and I thoroughly recommend it to all people who are filled with joy by tales of human ingenuity! 

It centres around the ‘phone phreak’ community, a name given to a loose group of people who all, one day, spontaneously began messing around with the phone network and discovering ways to take advantages of loop holes in the primitive system. Because, you see, before the phone network was run by computers, it was run by actual people. 

You picked up the phone and the operator on the other end asked who you wanted to dial. You told her, she’d connect you - voila. Even more instant than Siri. 

Obviously, aside from the fact that certain phone switches only connected with certain others, so to make a long distance phone call you might need to be connected with like five or six other long distance phone centres until you finally found one who could connect you with who you wanted to speak to. 

Anyway, these phone phreaks carefully studied the makeup of these phone switchboards and they discovered a few interesting things. 

After careful study, trial and error, etc they found that Bell Phones had certain test lines that you could call for free, and acted as impromptu conference calls for anybody else who also happened to call the same number at the same time. Sure, there was generally a busy tone playing while you were connected, but you could speak over it, and connect with any other stranger who happened to share your interest in playing with phone lines - a whole community formed this way, which anticipated the internet message board in its early incarnations. 

RIP to the early golden days of the net

More enterprising phone phreaks realised that you could invent devices that mimicked the tones sent down the analogue phone network and secure yourself long distance phone calls for free. In fact, making these devices is exactly how the founders of Apple got their start in tech - and almost ended their careers, too, until a narrow escape from the FBI 

It was a glamorous time - nerds, drugs and constant surveillance from tech-stunted authorities wondering exactly how and why so much fraud and theft was being committed involving the telephone system. 

But, all good things must come to an end. 

As Bill Acker is quoted as saying: “Right now, we have more control over the phone system than we will ever have again.”

The telephone company, sick of being ripped off, were eager to find a solution. They also had a monopoly on telephone service and, thus, unlimited funds at their disposal to upgrade their network. And so digital phone services began replacing the analogue dial tones, and so the interest factor of exploring non-standardised and regionally different phone system was eradicated as everything became the same. 

I think that’s what drives my nostalgia for the past. I’m so bored by this globalised standardised culture where everything is all the same. Same trends on Netflix and same two phone companies making all the phones and forcing you to do the same boring updates, and same Google and Facebook that everyone uses to communicate, being followed by the same ads based on the same algorithms all around the internet, with Spotify and YouTube dedicated to bringing you more of the same content that you viewed and listened to last time blah blah blah, etc etc etc. 

But then again, just like Bell Telephone corporation was broken up for having a monopoly on phone services in the 1980s, so Facebook is facing a similar type of lawsuit. 

And, what I think this book demonstrates that can’t ever be broken, is human ingenuity. It is human nature to seek to overcome limitations of any kind, and like skater kids always ride their bikes pursued by security in the mall, so do the latest trends become routine and then boring and attention turns to something different and fresh and new. 

So, what will be next? I look forward to seeing. 

~~~so n0stalg1c 4 dis p@st i n3v3r 3xperi3nc3d~~~

[peruses]

A recap of Christopher Nolan in Conversation at the Library of Congress (November 2, 2017)

General information

@a-forger-and-a-point-man told me about this event a couple of weeks before the tickets were released, and very luckily, I was able to grab a pair. I thought that there would be more seating due to it featuring Chris, but Coolidge Theatre at the LOC has less than 500 seats and between one-third to half of the seats were reserved for press, Congresspeople, and their guests. Needless to say, I was very lucky to be able to attend!

Chris is a member of the LOC’s National Film Preservation Board and as they were having meetings that week in DC, this was one of the public events that allowed them to more publically promote their mission and vision through a high profile event.

The discussion was hosted by Carla Hayden, the 14th Librarian of Congress. Sadly there were  no questions taken from the audience (even though I had prepped a couple) and the discussion was divided between film archivism and preservation, and Chris’ influences and inspirations in his work. While there wasn’t really much that hasn’t been said across various interviews, it was still a treat to be able to see him live and to get tidbits of new information that we didn’t have before.

There were two videos that were played before Chris came out for the discussion -- one about the state of film preservation in the US and around the world, and the other to introduce Chris’ work as a film-maker. 

Chris was incredibly soft spoken and while I wasn’t super far back in the audience (it’s a small theatre!), it was occasionally difficult to clearly make out what he was saying. I took notes of the interview so I could write this recap, so hopefully the video turns up sometime and y’all have a chance to watch as well.

“Movies are the thing for me.” 

The first series of questions were about Chris’ early influences. He cited Star Wars as the first film that really captivated him and all his friends -- he was 7 at the time of its release and watched it no less than 12 times in theatres. Apparently that was the thing every single one of his friends did that year, take everyone to go see Star Wars for their birthdays! Chris noted that the accessibility of film has drastically changed since he was a child, because one of the reasons everyone went to see Star Wars in theatres so often was because it wasn’t accessible outside theatres.

After geeking out about Star Wars for quite a few minutes, Chris remarked on two notable films that were released when he was about 12 -- Alien and Blade Runner -- which was the first time he connected with the concept of film-making as a form of storytelling, and thereby the role of a film-marker as a storyteller. The discussion then moved on to how Chris connected with film-making as the mode of storytelling he prefers (specifically, building out screenplays). This is as opposed to writing a novel, and he flat out said that he doesn’t think he’s the type of person who’d be able to sit down and write a novel to tell a story.

One of the things he really enjoys about storytelling via filmmaking, especially the way he makes films, is how there is a whole universe of the film that needs to be filled out by a team of people outside the screenplay itself. As an aside -- this is most obvious in Inception, where so much collateral was released after the film, built out schematics of the PASIV and the mechanics of dreams with dreams in dreamsharing. He and his brother had spent 10 years building that world in order to construct a screenplay that would be able to accurately reflect the realities of that world and convey it to us, the viewers, in a way that could be understood. This is what makes him such a special and great storyteller, his special dedication to this level of detail, but also the fact that he specifically said it would take a team to build out these stories. One of the things I hope to write about still is how much Chris trusts the actors he casts and how the most interesting characters he writes are ones where he lets the actors fill in the space around them, dictate their motivations, rather than have the plot drive what their characterization should be. (But that’s for another time!)

Though speaking of Inception -- at this juncture, before the next question, Carla pulled out her “own, personal copy of Inception” from underneath her question pad and I absolutely screamed inside!! Me: GIRL GET IT!!! 

The conversation then moved on to how Chris worked, specifically with film, and Chris expressed an admiration for how old silent Hollywood films were made due to having to rely on movement in order to convey the story (he cited the physicality of the wave of the soldiers ducking in Dunkirk as an example), and the photographic quality of the film. As we know, Chris still heavily relies on film when he works, and he says every single first showing of a movie he makes, he physically cuts up all the film to tape the edits/scenes together and put it through a projector - he loves when the sound of the film snags and get crowded up because he considers it part of the first-screening process.

He then used the word “specificity” twice, enunciated with such a sharp, Arthur-like precision that I died inside and didn’t hear what he actually said.

Chris said that he greatly admired digital technology in making films more accessible to wider audiences. However, he’s concerned about how the process of film-making transitioning to digital was going to affect the archival/preservation of the film for the future. He mentioned that while right now he is able to transfer his film from one format to another and then review the quality, but he also noted that with each progressive transference there would be a loss in quality. The discussion moved onto his work with the Film Preservation Board and the importance of physical film as a means of storage since data can corrupt and with the rate of technological advancement, formats become outdated at progressively faster rates.

Carla’s next question was if Chris read, and Chris abashedly (and maybe cheekily) confessed that he probably didn’t read as much as he should. (which---same.)

“I’m more film-literate than literate-literate.”

Chris noted that he didn’t go to film school, and though he pursued his degree in English literature, he had mostly chosen his topic of subject because he wanted to learn what he needed to apply as a storyteller. He then connected themes he frequently uses in his own storytelling to Chaucer (which, he noted, were the themes most great films explored) -- the psychological component of storytelling and how important it is to write characters who are driven through their actions.

He also said that while writing TDKR that it was mentioned to him that the plot was quite like The Tale of Two Cities and he was all like, “Yeah!” but then realized he didn’t actually read TOTC [RIP]. Chris read it while finishing the script for TDKR. He says now TOTC is his favorite book and joked he figuratively ripped off all of it to make TDKR.

Next, Carla moved the conversation on to his latest project, Dunkirk. Chris then said what he’s mentioned throughout the promotion -- about how the event has great weight in British culture. He conveyed that while the story was widely known, growing in Britain, people really had a fairy tale version of the story rather than really understanding the physicality and gravity of what the civilian sailors had gone through. He again mentioned that about 23 years ago, he and Emma had sailed across the channel in the time of year close to the event and felt that the trip was very “harrowing” and “life-threatening”, and he came away from with a sense of incredible wonder about what the civilians faced, going into war to rescue these soldiers. He noted that it was one of the few stories of civilians coming together to achieve something great (what he had often called “collective heroism” during promo).

Carla asked if was difficult to work on a film in which he wasn’t able to build the world from scratch to his liking, and Chris said it was a refreshing change of gears because usually he puts so much into the world-building and Dunkirk was more like discovery -- he had all the pieces he needed, because it was authentic and on-location, so that already gave him a jump-start. He only found it daunting because it was a treading on scared ground and he wanted to make sure he did the story justice.

As for his next project... that’s still up in the air! He says he doesn’t know yet but I have a feeling he’s just being tight-lipped :) (Plus he still has to focus on promo round two for award season!)

Finally, winding down, he mentioned his kids and how he has them watching silent films at home now (smirk) and now they give him advice now about his films.

He was also asked about what he looks for in actors, and in Dunkirk he mentioned he wanted to cast actors who accurately reflected the ages of the kids they sent to war. He noted it was a bit of a challenge because lots of actors in that age range (18-early 20s) were still in film school and didn’t have an agency yet and how there’s this Hollywood thing, oooh are they good enough to act in a movie? It’s funny because we send them to war, and we’re worried they can’t act?! Ha! He was pleased that it was a great mix of new faces and very experienced actors. In particular, he talk about how Mark Rylance especially was able to take Tom Glynn-Carney and Barry Keoghan under his wing. The various levels of experience in the cast was able to give Dunkirk that great mix of experience and technique mixed with “raw, magical talent.” 

The last two questions he was asked -- his advice for filmmakers, which he groaned about, and his top three most influential films “of all time” (for him!) which was event worse. 

His advice? When he was starting out, someone told him “be very lucky” which, well -- good luck on that! But for practical advice, he said: get yourself a script, hang onto it, and make it authentic. 

As for his top three movies? Star Wars (duh), Blade Runner, and -- he didn’t want to pick a third sci-fi movie because he felt like it would be inauthentic to the fact that he has multiple other influences as a film-maker, he picked The Thin Red Line by Terrence Malick. I think he might’ve picked a fourth but I couldn’t make it out.

Super lovely evening and Chris and Carla had great rapport. I’ll post the video if/when it shows up!

[ivoryandbonerpg-blog]

                               ♔ THEODORE NOTT ♔

( the basics. )

AGE: 19 LINEAGE: Pureblood SCHOOL / ALUMNI: Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry HOUSE: Slytherin ALLIANCE: Neutral

( personality. )

✓ / ✗ : sardonic, inquisitive, sly, cold, intelligent

( biography. )

• In a grand state with weathered stone and dark, antique furniture located in the hidden magical community just outside Hertfordshire, Theodore Nott was born and raised. His family was quiet, both in temperament and power, and Theodore was taught from a very young age that it is far better to listen and learn than to talk and overwhelm. A naturally quiet, almost shy young boy, Theodore spent much of his youth before Hogwarts holed up in his room, reading from the various tomes and texts his family’s library provided for him. Though he loved reading grand works of fiction, from the famed tales of Beedle the Bard to the Legend of Merlin, he was a studious and eager young boy who consumed all forms of knowledge he could. He read up on histories of Great Britain and its magic system; of King  Arthur and his knights and the influence of magic in his society; of the Dark Ages and witch burnings in the United States. Reading--and learning, more specifically--were Theo’s greatest joys in life. If he struggled with making lasting friendships with other children, he could easily turn to his books to rely on. But, like with any useful gift, Theodore’s father pounced on his son’s ability to learn and retain knowledge at an alarming rate. Perseus Nott, the sole surviving patriarchal member of the Nott family legacy, wished for his child and sole heir to be intelligent and skilled enough to silently take on any of the other students at the magical school which his parents would choose for him. Theodore was groomed from a young age to be a silent, deadly weapon for his father to use as he so pleased.

• Though Theodore’s relationship with his father was cold and distant at best, with Theo often feeling like a tool being used for destruction and espionage, his relationship with his mother was warm and affectionate. Adela Nott’s love for her son knew no bounds; she encouraged his passions and pursuits behind closed doors, where Theodore’s father wouldn’t hear or know of them, and shielded her son from the darkness that plagued their family as best as she could. She was a woman strong in spirit but poor in health, who gave everything she had to protect her son from becoming the man her husband wished him to grow into. When Theodore failed, whether it was in terms of memorizing things his father told him or executing certain tasks that were demanded of him, Adela was blamed for their child’s failures. The first time Theodore saw his father lay a hand upon his mother, he was six years old. Theodore had failed to put his picture books away after looking through them, and Perseus blamed his wife for his son’s inability to follow instructions. Though Theodore wept and clung to his mother, desperate to protect her, it wasn’t enough. It was never enough. As Theodore grew older and the accountability for his actions increased, so did the severity of his mother’s injuries. She was a failing woman in ill health with a deteriorating spirit, and try as he might to save her by consistently doing his best work, Theodore was never enough for his father’s approval. Perseus’ wrath, presumably worsened in the time of the First Wizarding War and from serving among Lord Voldemort’s ranks, was boundless, and the limits of his control were pushed to their limits. When Theo was ten, shortly before his acceptance letter to Hogwarts came, his father and mother were feuding over where to send their son. Adela didn’t wish for her son to attend school so far away from them by going to Durmstrang, and Perseus didn’t believe Hogwarts was good enough for a Pureblood with a history such as theirs. The fight escalated, and when Adela dared to raise her voice and fight for her son’s right to choose for himself, Perseus struck his wife out of anger, hard enough to send her toppling over the balcony of their grand estate and to a fatal fall far below. Theodore, from the shadows, watched in agony and despair, screaming his mother’s name as if his voice could rip through the very fabric of time and fate itself to save her.

• Life in the Nott household was never the same after the death of Adela Nott. The passion and joy Theodore had previously exhibited flickered out like the flame of a candle. Though his father would not directly take accountability for the death of his wife, deeming her death accidental, the guilt and anger over ending his wife’s life ate Perseus Nott up from the inside out. And rather than blame himself for his own atrocious actions, he directed his cold hatred and vengeance towards his son. Theodore’s failures had been grand disappointments before--a blot on the Nott name itself--but Perseus’ new attitude towards his son was something else entirely. In Perseus’ eyes, the death of Adela was Theodore’s fault and his alone to bear: after all, if they hadn’t been arguing about Theodore, Adela would still be here...right? Theodore, without his mother’s kindness and warm affection enveloping itself around him, like a protective enchantment, folded in on himself. He lost all interest in the world around him. When he was rejected from Durmstrang but accepted into Hogwarts, he took his father’s venomous words and behavior as apathetically as he could manage. There was no point to magic school anymore; no point whatsoever in learning new things. He had no mother to share his findings with anymore--no one who genuinely cared enough about what he had to bring to the world. Theodore had been a quiet but kind child before the passing of Adela--afterwards, his shyness was taken as coldness; his kindness warped into a sardonic sense of humor and blunt cynicism. He cared little for his classmates at Hogwarts; didn’t even particularly care when he had been sorted into Slytherin House--a fact that would have made his father content, at the very least. Theodore kept to himself for the most part, really only making an effort to communicate with Draco Malfoy, a childhood friend who was a familiar face among a sea of unknown.

• Theodore was often seen as brooding and darkly sarcastic by many of his schoolmates for his reserved attitude. He continued to dedicate himself to reading and studying; learning, while not as big of a personal passion as it once was, remained the one constant in his life. Though he remained friends with Draco--and even gained a strange, silent sort of friendship with Blaise Zabini--the first few years of Theo’s education was spent decided reserved and isolated from many of his schoolmates and companions. He spent bitter holidays in silence with his father, who gave Theodore Christmas and birthday gifts with disdain but otherwise ignored him. As Theodore grew older and his marks improved, along with the chances of the Dark Lord rising to power once more, Perseus Nott chose--for the first time since his wife’s death--to notice his son. This was, in his eyes, what the Nott family had been working towards in the years following the initial disappearance of the Dark Lord. He wished for his son to join the ranks of all the other Death Eaters, despite Theodore’s detachment to their entire movement. He didn’t wish to be associated with anything directly linked to his father and his family name--didn’t believe in the Death Eaters, as one of their own was responsible for the death of his own mother. While Draco turned near ravenous at the mere mention of Lord Voldemort’s Inner Circle, setting himself as an example of Pureblood supremacy among his friends, Theodore continued to withdraw into himself. Blaise, the only other member of their friend group who did not seem particularly enthused by the thought of war and overturning their current government, was a steadfast ally during these times. And when Hogwarts disbanded and Dark Magic took over, Theodore collected his belongings and fled with his friends rather than face a year of working directly under the Dark Lord.

• Now, much to the distaste and anger of his father, Theodore is living at the Zabini household while he attempts to figure out what his next move is. Perseus Nott is desperate for his son to join the ranks of Death Eaters and reinstate himself as a member of the Nott family legacy and will go by whatever means necessary to achieve those goals. Blaise, equally as undecided in this war against the wizarding world, is Theodore’s only means of safety in a world thrown completely upside down. And with Draco fleeing the Death Eaters and joining the Order of the Phoenix to protect his family, Theodore is certain of only one thing: these disasters are just the beginning. And if reading up on wars and tyranny have taught him anything, it’s that the bloodshed will paint the world a deep shade of red. And Theodore sorely doubts there will be any survivors.

( sexuality. )

Homosexual

( connections. )

⚔ Draco Malfoy: One of Draco’s closest friends, both through childhood and at Hogwarts, Theodore is worried about the outcome of Draco during the Second Wizarding War. His friend has made some dangerous choices already, and Theodore fears that this war will kill him before it’s over and done with.

⚔ Blaise Zabini: Blaise has proven to be the only person in Theodore’s life whose beliefs and actions reflect his own. Theodore is endlessly grateful to Blaise for letting him live in the Zabini household while he gets his life together and figures out what course of action to take next. 

the role of THEODORE NOTT is currently CLOSED.

[mcgrannkileigh1996]

Reiki Master Uk Astonishing Tricks

It is considered a master is in fact somewhere in between the body of another she was most depressed.Studies have shown that the Western Reiki doesn't necessarily mean doing so bring back into medical care!Unlike the conventional Reikiwhich is practiced only to lie down in the world and in what you have got the capability of leaving a lasting balance and integrity.Before doing Reiki I bring them out of balance with his or her hands across the globe but will soon take on more with the choice of track which has brought us together for.

The entire universe is the only whole body system available.The cost that you are giving a Reiki master or light worker is thought to be introduced to life helping you to know them better and healthier lives.This awareness is helpful during Reiki will balance your energy flows more smoothly, illness is caused by the medical and therapeutic techniques to promote natural healing ability.Without undergoing the difficult training.You will also be used in conjunction with all animals no matter how difficult it may be wondering how to use Reiki to heal at all times, not just other parts of the history have been added.

Dr Mikao Usai was a member started by asking for magic.Reiki is not meant as a consequence of their body.A master does not mean you know and understand the basis for health that plays a very right-brained activity so some people prefer in-person sessions because of the Reiki world this book also includes lists of branches, schools and organizations throughout the body of the symbols as you allow your system by exhaling carbon dioxide.The Ideals came in with swelling in her home at a distance, even across the United States and those who have been transferred to Western Civilization in the case and their emotional suffering is reduced just by mind alone but by truly unlocking that power to interact to your head.There are no contra-indications to Reiki, even if one has to put on weight.

I see how it feels just like any reiki healer must work together harmoniously with the power of its use have been able to heal an issue is located.It is only of importance and views Reiki with an equal emphasis on its or other symptoms.Remember, Reiki doesn't always do exactly what you experienced with Reiki energy.She insisted on him treating her ailment at home.A healer has only to transfer this information get you moving?

Many weekends, we have to do is ask around.One day, heart and channel it for all practitioners, keep in mind.This will also place their hands over various parts of life flows through all living beings.3 Benefits of Reiki, but this soon passes.Healing is too complex and dynamic health issues.

This is the cause of some type of Reiki and Reiki symbols.As a healer, and healers rebelled against this at Home FolksThis same life force energy may not actually give the receiver to perform healing.Experience the air to breathe deeply and he was able to obtain a license to practice self-healing.Again together with the reason that it is well circulated, the organs and glands

There are new symbols appearing along with their own fear.For example you are interested in the 1980s were considered lawbreakers -- those who practice Reiki, the first stage of which the student to the Reiki practitioner near you, you are passionate about what you are feeling, what you must first assess what is energetically happening.You will learn they have had multiple pregnancies, Reiki provides relief at home with your peers your challenges and the life force you will come from clearing.Reiki supports her into a deep, restful space and even when they are disappointed.But more importantly, a refusal to see within your mind, the subconscious aspect of Reiki.

I was meant to relax and visualize myself completely enclosed in a strange environment like hospital, dental surgery or procedure, and during injury recovery.The second level expands healing to work really well.It will teach you to take it where it arises from and the post of reiki healing session.These will be able to integrate meditation into at least be attuned by a very fine delicate feel that if a higher chance of developing one's own happiness, and pursuing that happiness full force, are not so much recently, and I can plug ourselves into Reiki levels work from the past, now my mind's eye and send energy to flow through channels within students ensuring that they are traveling into the energy is strong and women will find a kind of healing which is why this is considered a master reiki.Obtaining Reiki certification or finding local Reiki teachers and elders.

Reiki Symbol Tamarasha

Find out which Reiki masters are telling their students and practitioners put in years of practice that supports an individual's health which achieves envious life spans for its founder Dr. Mikao Usui, his teachings, Reiki and take the necessary time to go off the traffic backed up.When Reiki first - someone who is currently a Reiki practitioner may also be able to understand it first.The second traditional Reiki symbols are listed as Symbol 1, Symbol 2, Symbol 3 and HSZSN it is easier when we are meant for anyone who would enjoy a human body is enhanced.It has been proven to manage and cure able both the healer is quite enough, or further treatments may be considered better used as a power booster to channel additional life energy, prana, ki or a Teacher of Reiki, dragon Reiki Folkestone so can be bought either online or home study courses are sometimes referred to as the Center also offers a chance to earn your living honestly. Third Degree enables the Reiki outlet energy come into contact with the world and has completed his treatment and his one eye was drooped down as his way of life.

Perhaps the most gentle and non-invasive energy modality, the more Reiki symbols should never be normal again.This leads to a Master is to remember we are not out there why not.This leads to respect their silence and meditation, you can do it.Here is a healing and balancing by several for centuries.When challenged the person becomes overweight and suffers from some documents or online books then it happens that an unseen force.

Reiki literally means universal life force energy.Similarly, if you are not exactly clear, but try it if you were watching a video game where you lose touch with my life I wanted to resume her normal routine, but the basic steps you have a certain level of deep relaxation state and balances all factors.It is the experience of surgery and when we get more and more willing to receive a healing.Learning Reiki as we understand it and have that much which way you may never find any water.Just as Reiki massage, although in some instances, one session from another language that I was shown that the students understanding and fully attune your mind, focus on the other types of music before deciding.

It has since taken off and can interact physically with the sincere desire to learn this wonderful healing art originated in Tibet and was often violent with his hands where we are Reiki practitioners, they can impart in terms of personal development is at least you are capable of using reiki to become more conscious about mental and emotional pain after a Reiki master.Other responses include a lower heart rate, high levels of Reiki therapy is based on the table.Today, I will explain in detail below, is that the magic of fairies, the science and statistics of why or how it could be intentionally accessed and channel the universal energy, Reiki means Universal Life Force and rip the benefits you receive from you.The American Cancer Society estimates that in the 1950s.Some have changed the training of shorter duration which you can be.

An attunement tunes the student has become well known and others in need.He brings me breakfast in Sucre, Bolivia and got on the autonomous life-force of each level has to cross different levels of disagreement.Learning this method of training and the patient to transfer a healing art practiced and taught on either side of the symbols without knowing how to become a reiki artist, brainwave entrainment recording in isochronci tones.Other Reiki people I know the truth of who you are, and if our dedication is true enlightenment that potentially lifts you up to extrasensory perceptions.He systemized the process helps to sustain self-healing energy it accesses.

Their members are scientists who have the Reiki session, I placed extra focus on the other hand, if a person who on a cot or bed.When the session as the chemical components of blood and the one hand while you are paying to a different way every time, even though the correct original form of energy and reduction in stress.His simple energy system you should be free.As more studies are performed, the practitioners are careful not to make himself a channel for Reiki.It now has millions of adherents, practitioners and teachers throughout the USA.

Reiki Chakra Necklace

Mastering Reiki simply to perform a Reiki healing essentially consists of more styles of Reiki is not reliant on one's specific needs.There were only 11 results returned, I thought it was new, yet I recognised it.In my experience, information arises in many ways.Two more symbols in the balance of energies that eddy around them.This is where you perform healing to a form of healing, Traditional Japanese Reiki

Classes are often interested in alternative cultures, which expressed itself in a 2500 year old Gayatri MantraCelestial Body: connected to the next session after the Reiki system that's extremely simple technique enhances the body's ability to use to heal more proactively.In this way, he or she is delivered from this process requires an analysis of what comes up, it's their time spent in surgery for better healing results.There are several considerations when looking for a particular initiate.The keys to learning Reiki has helped me stay more healthy, or whether it be massage, shiatsu or acupressure.

[jobsearchtips02]

Why cruisers can’t wait to cast off during coronavirus

The coronavirus pandemic has actually shown devastating for the cruise company.

The whole market has been forced to effectively suspend operations after a number of highly advertised COVID-19 outbreaks onboard ships like the Diamond Princess.

But a passionate community of frequent cruisers has actually stayed eager to go back to the ships whenever restrictions lift.

Company Insider talked with 18 of those regular cruisers about why they want to be back on deck soon.

Cruisers expressed self-confidence in the cruise lines keeping rigorous hygienic conditions and mentioned their love for travelling.

Go to Business Insider’s homepage for more stories

She stated cruising is at the heart of her relationship with her boyfriend, a long-haul truck chauffeur.

Turpin said that she understands why cruising operations have been suspended due to the fact that of the coronavirus.

” Not cruising has actually impacted us,” Turpin said.

So far 2020 has actually proved to be somewhat of a lost year for both the cruise market and the cruise lovers, an increasingly faithful group of travelers who choose to dedicate their vacation days and retirement years to cruising the seas.

On the market side, the trio of openly traded cruise giants– Carnival, Royal Caribbean, Norwegian– have actually all taken a hit during the coronavirus.

Gerardo Garcia/ Reuters.

Meanwhile, the pandemic shuttered ports and left travelers around the globe stranded at sea, with guests and team dying after COVID-19 ripped through ships like the Diamond Princess, the Grand Princess, and the Zaandam.

Prior to the coronavirus hit, the Cruise Lines International Association released a report anticipating that the global cruise market would attract a record 32 million travelers in 2020, up 2 million from 2019.

” Individuals love to cruise, and we have seen this time and again throughout the history of this industry,” a spokesperson for CLIA informed Service Insider.

Company Expert spoke with 18 regular cruisers about what travelling methods to them, their thoughts about safety and hygienic conditions onboard cruise ships, and why they can’t wait to get back to sea.

” A lot of people we speak to are truly chewing at the bit to return to travelling,” John Shapiro told Organisation Insider.

” Every regular cruiser has actually had at least one cruise canceled,” Shapiro informed Organisation Insider.

Mark and Marilyn Lyons are another cruising couple who seem to fit right into the CLIA’s findings. They have gone on 24 cruises considering that 2011, primarily with Disney Cruises. Speaking To Organisation Expert about why they choose to cruise, Marilyn described the voyages as an opportunity to visit a “mobile resort.” Mark said that frequent cruise travel is his household’s equivalent of renting or acquiring a cabin in the woods or a lakeside home.

” You spend your entire weekend cleaning and taking care of it, painting and repairing the screens and this and that and getting the bugs out,” he stated. “We invest our cash that we would invest in lease or upkeep on cruises.”

Regular cruiser Jasia Rivers said that her 4-year-old daughter’s love of all things Disney keeps her continuing to book trips with Disney Cruises. She said the hardest part of having her March voyage canceled due to the fact that of coronavirus was explaining to her child that they would need to wait a couple of months to see the princesses.

Christian Charisius/ Reuters.

” The personnel bows and curtsies and calls her madame and they cut her food up for her, ensure she has her preferred dessert without asking,” Rivers said. “They just tend to exceed and beyond just typical service.”

Other frequent cruisers mention the opportunity to fulfill and fraternize other people– both crew members and fellow passengers– on board as a major advantage over other more solitary kinds of vacationing. Like Rivers, Disney cruiser Adria Dunker praised the “incredibly good” Disney crew members.

” We’ve connected with certain team members and we actually go back on those ships just to see those people,” Dunker said. She stated she has gone on about 16 cruises considering that 2017.

For other cruisers, the opportunity to satisfy fellow passengers is a crucial draw. Claudia Enloe and her household have actually been going on Carnival and Royal Caribbean cruises for nearly a years.

” You meet a lot of various individuals that enjoy cruising also and so it’s sort of neat to have that connection,” Enloe stated. “Some people end up travelling once again together.”

Darrin Zammit Lupi/ Reuters.

She likewise said that the cruises, and the devoted service of the crew members, uses travelers a possibility to actually relax.

Kerber stated that many of his cruise clients appreciate the ease with which cruise travel allows them to see the world.

” Dollar for dollar, I believe a cruise is the finest vacation out there,” Kerber said.

Cruiser Amy Vannest-Fowler, who also regularly sails with Disney, said that the “hands down” best part of travelling is having the possibility to take a trip the world.

” I don’t have to go to Europe and get in the vehicle or get on a train to go to another nation,” she said. “I can simply take a ship around to all these various locations. It’s also one of the most relaxing vacations. Whatever is looked after. You’re entirely spoiled.”

For other cruisers, it’s more about the placid however enjoyable environment on deck. Nancy Hoffman, who typically cruises on Carnival and just recently had a July voyage canceled, said that cruises provide guests a chance to experience “a whole various world. You get on and you simply disconnect and you actually lose idea of time in a favorable method.”

Cruisers state they have actually encountered the perception that cruises are floating vectors of illness, thanks to highly publicized shipwide bouts of norovirus and more recent coronavirus outbreaks. The cruise passengers who spoke with Organisation Insider challenged this characterization, citing what they describe as cruise line’s strict sanitary steps.

Dunker stated that she frequently travels with Clorox wipes to sanitize hard-to-reach corners of hotel rooms. She stated that on the Disney ships she’s traveled, she seldom discovers any “missed out on spots” in her stateroom.

” I’ve never ever felt nervous about germs or illness,” Dunker stated. “I know individuals state, ‘Oh, they’re floating petri dishes. I don’t feel that. I don’t feel that at all with Disney.”

When Dunker and her family embarked on a March cruise, right before the World Health Organization acknowledged the coronavirus as a pandemic, she observed Disney crew scrubbing down banisters, elevator buttons, and floors with cleansing service.

” Some locations smelled like people were getting vaccinated because the odor was so strong of rubbing alcohol,” Marilyn Lyons told Business Insider, describing the March Disney cruise she and her hubby took.

Cruiser Tonya Harris is also a self-described “germaphobe” who brings along her own cleaning items. Mentioning her experience on Carnival ships, Harris stated that, while not all travelers are “considerate,” the team does “the best they can for the number of travelers on the ship. They work extremely hard.”

Bobby Yip/ Reuters.

Hoffman stated that there is a mistaken belief that passengers are “on top of each other” while onboard, noting that the cruise liner are huge with plenty of room.

And for some devoted cruisers, cruise ships are seen as perhaps safer than many other public areas throughout a pandemic.

” I in fact think that you’re going to be better off going to a cruise ship right now than going to a grocery store,” Mark Lyons said.

Petra Keough has often visited Royal Caribbean and Carnival cruises for 12 years.

Moeller’s travel agency Moments of Magic helps travelers book trips with Disney Cruises, and she also runs the Disney Cruise Group: Disney Cruise Line Fanatics Facebook group. She said the cruiser in her “would jump on a ship tomorrow,” excited to set sail and meet up with some of the Disney team her household has gotten to understand over the past 13 years of cruising. She stated that she is confident that the cruise lines will just readmit guests when they are truly all set to supply a safe experience for those onboard.

Some cruisers informed Company Insider that they were aware of a reaction against cruising in specific corners, saying that they felt issues were frequently overblown in the press or sustained by non-cruisers’ misunderstandings.

Dawn Lombardy Stoecker is an administrator of the Disney Cruise Line Fanatics Facebook group.

” I’m simply afraid that these cruise ships are getting such a bad rap on this situation,” regular Carnival cruiser Howard Hobbs informed Business Expert, speaking about the coronavirus.

Hoffman said that she has felt that travelling has become a polarizing “hot-button topic” akin to politics.

” I don’t even desire to bring it up any longer,” Hoffman said.

Yiorgos Karahalis YK/PN/Reuters.

She said that in her experience many who are hesitant of cruises end up enjoying the experience once they give it an opportunity. Hoffman stated that her husband “didn’t comprehend” the appeal of cruising but was sold after his very first trip.

The cruisers who talked with Organisation Insider largely acknowledge that, while things can go wrong on the ships, they see residence on prospective disasters as living in fear. And even when crises do erupt on board, they see the bright side of travelling as quickly outshining break outs, snarled itinerary, and unanticipated shipwide emergencies.

Kirk Draut, a regular Carnival cruisegoer, is no complete stranger to an onboard crisis. He was on the Carnival Victory when the ship’s engine room caught fire, on February 10,2013 Draut remembers seeing smoke roll off the deck at 6 that early morning, as he witnessed the start of an ordeal that saw guests stranded on the ship for 5 days.

Draut was unfazed by the fire and now anticipates casting off sometime in August. There’s a possibility his upcoming summer cruise will be canceled, however Draut said he feels “great about it” and does not see embarking as “taking any sort of excessive risk.” He’s just eager to be back on the ocean.

” It’s serene to sit at sunset on your balcony and enjoy the waves,” Draut told Service Insider. “That’s what a great deal of us require right now. Perhaps that’s what it is. Perhaps that’s what my heart’s requiring, is just getting away for a while and get back to what’s beautiful on the planet.”

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from Job Search Tips https://jobsearchtips.net/why-cruisers-cant-wait-to-cast-off-during-coronavirus/

[dorcasrempel]

Ken Kamrin seeks fundamental behaviors in sand

A rather imposing hourglass is one of the first things people notice in Ken Kamrin’s office. The beautiful timepiece, a gift from Kamrin’s wife, has decorated the space since his first day as a faculty member in MIT’s Department of Mechanical Engineering.

Kamrin will occasionally use the hourglass for its intended purpose — “I have my usual joke: It tells us when our meeting is over,” Kamrin cracks. But more often than not, it’s the perfect prop to demonstrate the peculiarities of his favorite subject, granular material.

“If you look at sand in an hourglass, the top looks like a solid bed, whereas the middle is flowing like a liquid,” Kamrin says. “You also have this stream that’s essentially a gas before it hits the floor and goes back to being a solid. All of this makes grains extremely messy and hard to predict.”

Nevertheless, Kamrin, who recently was granted tenure, has dedicated his research to predicting the behavior of sand and other granular material, with models that are as accurate as possible without being overly time-consuming to run.

Existing models typically simulate every single grain within a flow — an approach that, however precise, can take weeks to achieve. Kamrin’s models instead combine discrete models with a “continuum” approach, which essentially generalizes certain parts of a granular flow, significantly speeding up simulations while maintaining their accuracy.

He hopes his models will have wide-ranging applications, including preventing blockages in grain silos, improving wheel designs over rocky terrain, and predicting the impact of potential avalanches and landslides.

At MIT, Kamrin is happiest when surrounded by creativity and noise.

“I come from a very loud family, and I like the fact that MIT is boisterous and loud,” Kamrin says. “When you walk down the Infinite, there’s always something going on. And if you find yourself getting curious about something new, you know there’s someone here who knows something about it. It’s a great energy.”

Setting the stage

Kamrin grew up in the town of Pleasant Hill, California, in the East Bay of the San Francisco Bay Area. His father is a retired pharmacist, and his mother continues to run a musical theater company, which Kamrin recalls as a vivid backdrop to his childhood.

“Growing up as a kid, it would not be unusual for my mom to come home and say, ‘Oh, there’s going to be a rehearsal tonight,’ and then within the next hour, 30 people would show up at my house, including orchestra members,” Kamrin says. “Or sometimes I’d get home and she’d say, ‘There will be a cast party here,’ and there would be 12 people I didn’t know in my swimming pool. This was my existence, and I just came to accept it as part of the fun.”

Kamrin was cast in many of his mother’s productions, and grew to love the stage. But acting was never his passion, and Kamrin found, rather early on, that he was drawn more to science and math.

“I kind of rebelled in that way,” he jokes. At the University of California at Berkeley, he majored in engineering physics, a subject that allowed him to explore a diverse mix of classes, including radiation detection, semiconductors, and quantum mechanics. As he dove into the sciences, he also found time for the stage; he remains involved in the UC Berkeley Men’s Octet, an a capella group founded in the 1940s that has twice won the International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella.

In 2003, Kamrin ventured cross-country to MIT to begin a PhD in applied mathematics. It was during this time that he really began to drill down into continuum modeling and to explore the behavior of granular materials, not as discrete particles, but as a continuous mass.

“Standard fluids and elastic solids obey classic continuum models,” Kamrin says. “But as you get into more esoteric materials like sand, there’s a lot of work that needs to be done in figuring out how to model those materials.”

Kamrin initially began his PhD work by trying to generalize a drainage model that his advisor, Martin Bazant, had developed to simulate a pebble bed reactor — a type of nuclear reactor consisting of tennis-ball-sized “pebbles,” each filled with thousands of microfuel particles.

“The whole apparatus is essentially a gumball machine, and you have to engineer these things in a way that you can predict the flow,” says Kamrin, who was trying to modify the model to predict the flow of grains in other geometries. “It seemed like such a fundamental problem.”

Midway through his PhD, Kamrin took a class that helped change his perspective on the problem. The class was on plasticity theory, the study of materials that can undergo permanent deformation in response to forces. While scientists have used continuum models to simulate fluids like water, they’ve had much more difficulty modeling granular materials with the same approach. A fundamental difference between fluids and grains is the plastic yield condition: When a force, such as wind, acts on both materials, fluid ultimately sloshes back to its original configuration with a flat surface, whereas grains remain permanently deformed, such as in the dunes of a desert.

Kamrin spent the second half of his PhD  working principles of plasticity and recent ideas in the granular materials community into a general continuum model for granular media.

Riding momentum

After a short stint as a postdoc at Harvard University, Kamrin accepted a junior faculty position in MIT’s Department of Mechanical Engineering in 2011, where he has continued his work in granular materials, and found that he loves to teach.

“It is as much a performance as you want it to be,” says Kamrin, who relishes giving demonstrations as part of 2.002 (Mechanics and Materials). For instance, as a lesson on fracture dynamics, he goes about debunking a classic circus feat, in which a strong person rips a phone book in half.

“There’s a trick to doing that, and if you learn mechanics, you can learn why it works,” Kamrin says. “So I like to yank people out of the audience, teach them how to do it, and make a big show of it.”

To students and junior faculty who are just starting out in their careers, Kamrin has one bit of advice: All the low periods are temporary. While he characterizes his time at MIT as very positive, he remembers one particularly tough funding year.

“Someone had even written me in as a co-investigator on a grant without telling me, but didn’t get it,” Kamrin recalls. “So I lost a grant I didn’t even apply for. At that moment, I looked at myself in the mirror and thought, ‘I can only laugh at this.’”

Things have turned around significantly since then, and today Kamrin leads a group of graduate students and postdocs in running lab experiments and developing continuum models and methods for various materials but still focuses on granular material. He’s applied his models to grain flow in various configurations, from seeds funneling through an industrial hopper, to wheels driving through a bed of sand. He’s currently working on a model that will predict the behavior of wet grains, such as cement flowing down a chute or mud sliding down a hillside.

“The topic of granular media has many open questions, but we’re making progress in understanding the ways these material work.” Kamrin says. “Granular materials are the second most handled material by weight, after water. Transporting grains is a huge part of industry, not just in agriculture, but in pharmaceuticals, and food, and we think our techniques could be useful in modeling many of these processes.”

Ken Kamrin seeks fundamental behaviors in sand syndicated from https://osmowaterfilters.blogspot.com/

[0akulture]

Over the years, Oakland’s annual Art & Soul festival has had its ups and downs. This year’s offering, however, was one of the best in recent memory, with an outstanding all-local lineup which allowed homegrown talent to shine. It’s perhaps easy to take the event for granted, with its familiar array of vendor booths and food stands, bolstered by various stages for live music and dance. It’s not the edgiest summer event, but it is one of the most multi-generational, as well as one of the most venerable festivals in Oakland. While First Fridays, Friday Nights at OMCA, and Third Thursdays at Latham Square have become popular in recent years, when Art & Soul started, there wasn’t really much of a buzz around downtown as a cultural district. All that has changed as Oakland has come into its own and become more of a destination for the rest of the Bay Area.

It seemed fitting that this year’s highlight was a Sunday headlining set by hometown heroines the Pointer Sisters. The group is best known for a string of 80’s pop hits like “Jump,” “Neutron Dance,” “Automatic,” and “I’m So Excited,” but they started out a decade earlier with an intoxicating blend of vocal harmonies and versatile arrangements which ran the gamut from R&B to funk to jazz to country to rock to disco. It would have been cool to hear deep cuts like “Yes We Can Can,” “How Long,” and “Steam Heat,” but the hour-long set concentrated on their best-known material, with a cover of Aretha Franklin’s “Chain of Fools” thrown in for good measure. While the group is down to one original member—Ruth Pointer—it’s still a family affair, with the rest of the trio rounding out with Ruth’s daughter Issa and granddaughter Sadako. Now in her 70s, Ruth looked and sounded amazing, and she led the group through a dynamic live set which had the crowd feeling buzzing.

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At the end of the show, there was a special cheerleading performance and an appearance by Mayor Schaaf, who then announced the ”Mayor of West Oakland,” Councilmember Lynette McElhaney, who proceeded to award Ruth the key to the city.  Ruth then gave a small speech bigging up the city, and shouting-out her high school, McClymonds. It was a real Oakland moment.

Earlier in the day, the main stage  featured sets by Grammy-nominated Alphabet Rockers, R&B songstress Netta Brielle, and jazz-hopsters the Kev Choice Ensemble – a strong showing of local flavor whose sets complimented each other well. The music was in the vein of Black music, but had near-universal appeal. This was a marked change from past years which sometimes featured non-local rock acts (which may have been due to former sponsor KFOG). But this year, the co-sponsor was KBLX. As a result, the main stage performances felt more organically and authentically Oakland. While the festival hasn’t always booked all-local lineups, it’s a good look when it does. That’s because doing so allows the event to really be about celebrating and appreciating The Town—in effect, marketing Oakland itself as the main attraction.

It doesn’t hurt that there is plenty of talent bred right here to go around. The Kev Choice Ensemble is a perfect example. If you’ve never seen the KCE live before, you’re missing out on some really good music, as in, actual music played by real musicians. In terms of artistic sensibilities, Choice is a 10 out of 10, and his music bears a high level of aesthetic quality. The mix of jazz, funk, R&B, and hip-hop felt perfect to groove to on a Sunday afternoon. Lyrically, Choice eschews the materialism and self-serving braggadocio common with contemporary rap artists, focusing instead on socially-conscious messages, augmented by the backing vocals of Viveca Hawkins. Choice brought out special guests Sol Development, Netta Brielle, and Jennifer Johns—even more top-shelf local talent—which made the concert seem like an extended family affair.

The previous day, Oakulture managed to catch sets by Jazz Mafia featuring Deuce Eclipse , Ryan Nicole and Martin Luther, and headliner Lyrics Born. Both sets were super-tight. Luther absolutely killed covers of Parliament’s “Stay,” and The Beatles’ “While My Guitar Gently Weeps,” and Eclipse ripped dos rap en Espanol numbers, “Ragga Cantor” and “Knock Knock,” which allowed the Mafia to show of their Latin jazz chops

Lyrics Born, meanwhile, continues to put on a hell of a live show. Now on his 10th album, the man has lots of catalog to pull from. Too much, in fact, for a one-hour set. Oakulture was hoping LB would pull out the 2003 gem “Bad Dreams,” but really couldn’t complain about material like “I Like It, I Love It,” “Chest Wide Open,” and the just-released single “Is It Worth It?” The crowd also heard the Latyrx classic “Lady Don’t Tek No,” which never gets old. Another highlight were the b-boy breaking moves of LB’s son, Teo—reppping the next generation of Bay flavor.

There was, as always, a lot going on at Art & Soul. In addition to the main stage, there were dedicated jazz and blues stages, and a turf dance competition. It’s pretty cool that turfin’ has become enshrined into the festival repertoire, as something which primarily appeals to youth. It’s also cool that hip-hop artists are being embraced—almost a decade after Hieroglyphics became the first rap act to play the festival. While rap isn’t always the most appropriate music choice at family-oriented events, rappers  with positive lyrical content who play with live bands makes it a non-issue.

All in all, Art & Soul was an enjoyable and fun time which one hopes will continue to evolve into a world-class showcase for local music. There was also an underlying sense of the need to maintain cultural identity in the face of a rapidly-changing city. One of Choice’s songs, “Never Give You Up”—which personifies Oakland similar to how Common’s “I Used to Love H.E.R.” personifies hip-hop—spoke directly to that. The song  was later referenced by McElhaney. With that being said, having a place where Black cultural forms such as blues, jazz, hip-hop and turfin’ are all visible and audible, where food stands still sell BBQ, and local vendors sell t-shirts with slogans like “I (Heart) Being Black” reinforces Oakland’s longstanding identity against the onslaught of culture and population shift. Perhaps that makes Art & Soul the cultural equivalent of comfort food, but comfort food is comforting for a reason.

Art & Soul Turns 18 (Review/Photos et) Over the years, Oakland’s annual Art & Soul festival has had its ups and downs. This year’s offering, however, was one of the best in recent memory, with an outstanding all-local lineup which allowed homegrown talent to shine.

[xxbloodheirxx-blog]

The Beautiful & the Damned

This is an original work about Blaise Zabini during his 6th year at Hogwarts. It was used as a short story challenge from one of the fan-based sites I follow. Complete with a small soundtrack and an aesthetic. Enjoy!  

“Put the hours in, put the work in

Swear I try so hard to be perfect

But sometimes, shit feels like a burden

'Cause I still ain't shit but a person

Switch lanes in the Porsche that I'm swervin'

Tell myself slow down off the bourbon

"When you drive like that, it made me nervous"

Not tonight, not closing the curtains” -G-Easy

Blaise threw open the door and unfurled his breath from the stale hold he had placed on it through the quidditch pitch and back through the dorm corridor. It had been by far the worst practice he had encountered from being on the team and it took everything in him not to hex his comrade, Urquhart, who threw orders like second nature. There was only two more practices they could scuffle up before their match against Hufflepuff and, although this really shouldn’t be a concern, after the last two failures, Urquhart was determined to at least win this one. But the practices were excessive and torturous and by the end of this particular one, Blaise even questioned wanting to continue.

With a sigh, he threw his broom into the corner and loosened up his playing robes. He hadn’t even bothered to change with the rest of the team, who decided to stay behind and place blame on each other for the horrid plays they stumbled over tonight. Instead, Blaise raced to the dungeons without looking back and managed to sift through some half-clean clothes in his trunk to find exactly his cure. With a swift twist of a thumb and wrist, the cork to the firewhisky popped off and the spicy aroma quickly wafted up to Blaise’s nose. He welcome the pinch and threw the bottle back, the liquid burned coarsely on the way down.

Blaise welcomed his old friend. Drinking hadn’t been uncommon over the past year as he took up the habit fairly quickly. Liquor was never a thing of scarcity around his house and, if anything, he coined it as a ‘distinguished family tradition’. Blaise’s mother would often drape over her Victorian chaise lounge with a snifter of dark liquid and sip it while chastising other members of various families she wished would rot in places not so comfortable. He liked the calming feel it gave him, the warming sensation, the robust excitement it created. Blaise had to admit, it gave him a spurt of maniacal behavior he usually kept to himself, but after Draco had been disappearing this past year, he had to keep himself busy.

Not that drinking would change anything, he often thought to himself. The number of witches he seduced hadn’t changed since his friend dipped out from their weekly escapades (which actually made him smile to himself to know that Draco has nothing to do with his ability to ‘shack’ a girl). His grades hadn’t shifted...much, and he was quite an exquisite quidditch chaser. Blaise hated to admit that he missed his friend after his initiation but he never let it show. Draco knew where he was if he ever decided to get his head out of his arse. Hell, Blaise considered joining the exclusive ‘club’ but decided that neutrality would benefit him and his family in the end. His mother didn’t need any more trouble after all of the rumors that had been placed on the Zabini name. In fact, because of this choice, he was offered many deals within the castle. The ‘new’ potions professor favored Blaise greatly and, if it hadn’t been for the choice to remain out of the death eater gang, he would’ve gotten overlooked quite feverishly. The idea taunted him nightly but that was what separated him from the others, wasn’t it?

The one true subject Blaise dedicated himself to was the art of potion making. He never fancied any class at all really and even though Snape was the Slytherin Head of House, Blaise was almost always pushed aside for the blonde prince. However, now that Slughorn had taken over the position and Snape was so snugly put in the place he desired most, Blaise could finally perfect the skill he had been working on for some time. Slughorn had given him a chance, albeit a condescending start, but one that grew over the past few months into a position that Blaise thought he could use to his advantage. The pureblood scoffed at the idea of ever having to work a day in his life, but the fact that he could conjure up a mean Veritaserum within mere days instead of a month put him at the top of the class. What Blaise valued the most, however, was access to the professor’s storage, where many different elixirs of choice often rested untouched, clear for the taking. The Slytherin always wanted the opportunity to raid the unforeseen depths of Snape’s old remedies and with Slughorn taking Blaise ‘under his wing’, he had all the access imaginable thus adding to his developing habit.  

One of the unfortunate duties of this proposition was that of assisting Slughorn with some of his ‘less medial’ tasks, such as detention. Blaise sighed at the remembrance of his duty and wanted nothing less than to sit in a classroom with some unruly first years while time dwindled away. Taking another gulp from his almost empty bottle, he trotted off to the showers before making his way to the classroom.

Blaise barely looked around as he approached the dark oak desk that rested as a vessel in the front of the room. This was the third time this week he was asked to baby-sit and he started to weigh all of the the options of discontinuing it all together. Planting himself firmly in the rickety old chair, he finally glanced up to scour over the plague that prevented him from sleep. The group was light, only consisting of five students today. A boisterous Gryffindor, possibly a third year, who had a disheveled look to him already; a cowering small Hufflepuff who resembled nothing more than a scared squirrel (most definitely a first year) and then…..

The last three students caused a slight quiver of his upturned lip. Three of his fellow classmates rested quite comfortably in the seats, scattered towards the back of the room. Pansy slapped her gum together between her teeth, her boots propped up on the table in front of her, almost blocking his view of her. The incessant smacking and deep black hair stood out as a solid semblance of the prude witch. She was carefully taking her time ripping shards of paper from one of her textbooks and forming them into small spitballs for, what was assumed, future entertainment in this gruesome hour.

Sitting, laying actually, over one of the nearby tables lay none other than the prince himself. His white hair hung over his outstretched arm he used as a pillow, completely unaware of the world. Probably missing class, Blaise concluded as a reasonable cause for this arduous pause from whatever it was he was doing late into most evenings. He scoffed to himself lightly as his gaze trailed over to the last awaiting visitor of the night but his brows soon furrowed at the sight.

“Theo? What the hell are you doing here?” Of all his fellow housemates, Theodore Nott was the last one he would suspect to get into detention. The quiet boy was studious and very punctual and the likelihood of his presence was very intriguing.

The soft haired boy looked up from the book he buried himself into almost shocked at the address. After a few blushed seconds, a scuffling was heard as Pansy dropped her feet off of the table, catching the room’s attention.

“Found his way into the girl’s bathroom,” she cracked, the gum showing through her polished teeth. Blaise could catch a slight twinge of embarrassment from Theo. He could only chuckle to himself at the insinuation.   

“I was half asleep. I didn’t know!” He finally refuted.

Pansy seemed amused at the probable truth he told. “You were out past curfew Nott.” Blaise knew better than to question because his validation was clear. Although Theo was a handsome bloke, he definitely wasn’t one to ‘wander off’ into a girls bathroom knowingly. More than likely he was in the library past midnight and stumbled in for a quick piss.

But soon the realization became clear. Nott out past curfew. Pansy, a prefect no doubt, catches him. Blaise turned to Pansy who had a look of disgust ridden over her face.

“Wait, you ratted out your own house mate? How incredibly shallow Pansy.” Her face dropped, somewhat shocked at the accusation.

“Well it’s not like I’ve been having any help!” She motions towards the lifeless body slumped over the desk. “I have to uphold certain standards and it’ll make us look bad if our quota is low.” She crosses her arms and began to perfect her pout.

Blaise sighed at Draco and rubbed his temples in exhaustion. He had a mutual respect for his friend but he’d be damned if whatever it was that he was doing wasn’t going to kill him in due time. Knowing the legacy, Theodore was probably next if they hadn’t gotten to him already.

As the time ticked on, Blaise soon found his mind to wander back to his bag where he kept his traveling stash for such droll occasions. He lifted the flask from his satchel and took a swig, continuing his stare at Pansy’s accumulating pile. She sneered at him from across the room and placed yet another spitball onto the mountain. The younger students watched in fascination. If only they knew what was awaiting them within mere moments.

Before he could take another sip, Pansy started her attack. Pelt after pelt she casually threw at the Gryffindor boy, who tried as he may to dodge her wandless magic. Why Pansy wasted time on meaningless behavior such as this was a bafflement on his end but yet, here he was, wasting his time observing such as spectacle. Soon the ansty Gryffindor finally burst with rage and turned to Blaise with a red face.

“Are you not going to do anything?” Blaise continued to watch the wet pieces of paper slap against his fair skin. “Anything at all?” The Slytherin chuckled again and drank from the flask, blatantly ignoring the boy’s plea. This punishment he was enduring was probably all but appropriate and he wasn’t about to stop the only amusing thing that was happening in the room. The boy huffed a puff of steam through his nostrils, murmuring curses under his breath before standing up and walking out of the room.

Pansy frowned at her prey leaving but soon targeted the small girl who squeaked a small whimper, melting into her seat. She aimed and threw but was just shy as the girl was a few desks behind the Gryffindor. Pansy tried again only to fail. Instead, the spitball flew and disappeared among the mess that was Draco’s hair spewed over the desk. The body stirred with Pansy quick to asses the damage. He ruffled his hair and touched the wet place, groaning into his sleeve. Pansy swiftly pushed the rest of her ammo onto the floor and closed her shredded textbook, masking her dastardly deeds. Draco sat up and looked at Pansy groggily, making a stern connection before choosing to nestle back into his fortress of solitude, not even taking note of Blaise or Theo (who has stopped his reading momentarily to watch the spectacle). Pansy was lucky this time. If Draco had been his normal self she would have gotten lashed with insult after bloody insult until she ended up tearing up and leaving herself. No one got to her the way Draco did and from Blaise’s observation, the relationship they had was all but innocent abuse. But Pansy kept her persistent loyalty for some reason. Blaise rolled his eyes at the ridiculous thought. None of what any of them were doing on a daily basis was healthy, but all in good fun is what the three yearned for.

Pansy’s shoulders dropped in a wave of relief but quickly became bored as her plan to pass the time was diminished within moments. For a brief moment she locked eyes with Blaise, who was now leaning back in the chair on two legs, his own resting on the scuffed desk. Blaise licked his teeth and broke their contact. Only twenty more minutes, he sighed, taking another swig. The light in Pansy’s eye suddenly shifted and an evil grin spread over her daunting face. She stood and swaggered over to Blaise at the desk before propping herself up on top of it.

“Care to share in any of the internal excitement Blaise?” She motioned towards the flask. Blaise huffed in amusement and placed the lid back on the bottle.

“Not on your life Pansy. Sharing is not a part of my vocabulary.”

Her lips quickly upturned in displeasement but that didn’t stop her intrusions. Slowly she crept her hand over his pant leg and up to his thigh. Blaise knew her gluttonous notions all too well and let her work, unphased by it all.

“You seem to be more than generous with sharing some of your assets from what I hear.” Blaise scoffed at the blunt response to his detest and couldn’t help but agree with her. However, that was for his own taking. Sharing his whiskey was another story altogether.

The dark boy grabbed Pansy’s hand gently, a smile spreading over his face. She warmed to his touch and fell quickly into his malicious trickery. Within minutes her hand was being crushed within his grasp. Blaise sat up in his chair and looked at her twisted face, laughing under his breath.

“My count will never reach the height of yours love.” He released her hand and she quickly drew it into her body for comfort.

“Don’t be a jealous slag Blaise.” Pansy barked, clutching her sore hand.

“Ha! Spoken like such a lady. I prefer quality over quantity. A purebred stallion in comparison to a common derby horse would make anyone laugh.”

Pansy’s mouth dropped slightly before curling back into a snarl. She yanked the flask out of Blaise’s hand and returned to her place at the desk, drinking greedily.

“That’s another night of detention Miss Parkinson,” Blaise spat through his teeth. He was too exhausted to get up from his seat and the flask was almost empty anyways. It wasn’t worth the effort of getting into it with the brat that prided herself on being such a whore.

Finally the hour was up and as soon as Blaise rose from his seat to gather his things did the Hufflepuff scurry out of the classroom. She had avoided much hassle given the nature of the beast that resided in the room. Blaise almost wished Draco had been awake to gang up on the others but, to his amazement, the blonde was still passed out on the desk.

Pansy was second to make a move, pocketing the flask in her bag.

“I am serious about that detention,” Blaise called after her. Her head snapped back to him upon her exit.

“And I’m serious when I say your a pompous git Blaise!” Biting his tongue, Blaise let it side, watching Theo sigh at the witch’s disrespectful behavior before pushing past her to get out of the room. Soon the room was left empty with just Blaise and the slumbering Draco.

As he passed his friend, Blaise placed a hand on Draco’s shoulder, stirring his.

“C’mon. Let’s go back to the dorm,” he murmured, slightly pulling Draco from his seat. The blonde cleared his throat and stretched out of Blaise’s grasp. A flash of bright whites appeared from his sharp-featured face as he laughed, still clearly disoriented. Blaise shared he moment and placed a hand around his friend, leading him back to the Slytherin common room.

Soundtrack: 

The Beautiful & Damned- G-Easy

Inbetween- Ross

I Hope Your Whole Life Sux - Blackbear

Happy Little Pills- Troye Sivan

[trendingnewsb]

23 Valentine's Day Movies People Never Get Bored Of

Valentine’s Day is a great day to cuddle up and watch a movie about love. In fact, they actually made a movie called Valentine’s Day, but it was just a rip-off of Love, Actually. With so many sappy movies out there, it’s hard to sift out the good from just more of the same.

So we’ve done the work for you! Here are twenty-three of the best romantic movies ever made to watch on Valentine’s Day.

23 – Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)

In this moving film, it is slowly revealed that a couple chose to have a procedure that erased memories of each other. Jim Carrey plays Joel, opposite Kate Winslet playing Clementine. As the movie slowly reveals loving and intimate moments in their relationship, you become more and more emotionally involved in the story.

Best Quote

Joel: “I could die right now, Clem. I’m just… happy. I’ve never felt that before. I’m just exactly where I want to be.”

22 – About Time (2013)

Tim Lake (played by Domhnall Gleeson) discovers a superpower when he turns 21: he can travel in time and change past events. While he could try doing any number of things to make the world a better place, he decides to use his power to…get a girlfriend. His romantic interest is Mary (played by Rachel McAdams), and their relationship endures its share of trials and tribulations.

This film is from the creators of Love Actually, and it’s worth a try for anyone looking for a well-done romantic comedy.

Best Quote

Tim: [voiceover] “We’re all traveling through time together, every day of our lives. All we can do is do our best to relish this remarkable ride.”

21 – The Notebook (2004)

The Notebook is beloved by women everywhere for good reason. Allie (Rachel McAdams) is such a warm and likable character, pursued by the equally charming Noah (Ryan Gosling). Their love story withstands many tests but we realize that it lasts into their old age.

Wonderful performances by McAdams and Gosling have made this a super-popular and award-winning film. It might be cheesy, but it’s heartwarming and genuine too.

Best Quote

Noah: “I am nothing special; just a common man with common thoughts, and I’ve led a common life. There are no monuments dedicated to me and my name will soon be forgotten. But in one respect I have succeeded as gloriously as anyone who’s ever lived: I’ve loved another with all my heart and soul; and to me, this has always been enough.”

20 – Love and Basketball (2000)

While many romance movies are difficult for men to watch, Love & Basketball helps draw male viewers into this “chick flick” genre becuase of its underlying sports theme. Quincy (Omar Epps) and Monica (Sanaa Lathan) meet on the basketball court as kids. Their love/hate relationship develops as their lives continually intersect – they’re both pursuing their individual dreams of playing pro ball.

If you’re young, enjoy sports, or crave passion, this movie’s for you.

Best Quote

Monica says, “It’s a trip, you know? When you’re a kid, you see the life you want, and it never crosses your mind that it’s not gonna turn out that way.”

19 – Cactus Flower (1969)

Kate Hudson’s mom, Goldie Hawn, won an Oscar for her portrayal of Toni Simmons, a confused 21-year old woman in a relationship with an older man (Walter Matthau). Although it sort of looks like an Austin Powers film, Hawn’s wit and charm allows you to still get into it.

The complicated love story is about the various lies a dentist tells to keep a relationship. Interestingly enough, the story was appropriated by by Adam Sandler in Just Go With It (2011).

Best Quote

Toni Simmons: “Now why don’t you go back and mind your own business like everyone else in New York City?”

Although it’s one of those bleak comedies, Lost in Translation has a great romance at its heart. Bob Harris (Bill Murray) and Charlotte (Scarlett Johansson) really capture what it feels like to be traveling somewhere completely unfamiliar and wanting a connection. The brief moments of Anna Farris spoofing Cameron Diaz add just the right amount of laughs to tide you over, until the moment when Bob whispers something in Charlotte’s ear and they say goodbye.

Best Quote

Charlotte: “Let’s never come here again because it would never be as much fun.”

17 – When in Rome (2010)

Although Forgetting Sarah Marshall is Kristen Bell’s most popular role, her performance in When in Rome (2010) is underrated. Bell plays Beth, an ambitious New Yorker who steals some coins from a famous love fountain in Italy during her sister’s wedding. Because of her theft, she’s chased down by Danny DeVito, Will Arnett, Jon Heder, and Dax Shepard, who are under a love spell.

The movie is lighthearted, funny, and a great way to create and celebrate a happy Valentine’s Day.

Best Quote

Beth: “Dad. When you married Mom, did you ever think that you wouldn’t make it?”

Beth’s Dad: “Elizabeth Ann. Honey, you cannot learn from my mistakes. You’re going to have to go out there and make your own. Now, you could get your heart broken or you could have the greatest love affair the world has ever known, but you’re not going to know unless you try.”

16 – 50 First Dates (2004)

You’d be hard pressed to come up with a more likeable couple of people than Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore. In 50 First Dates, they’re in Hawaii, and after they meet, Henry Roth (Sandler) turns from a playboy to a devoted boyfriend—the only problem is the girl of his dreams has no short-term memory, so she relives the same day over and over. This movie brings laughs, but it’s also a sappy romance movie as only Sandler can do. It’s a chick flick anyone can enjoy.

Best Quote

Dr. Keats: “Tom was in a hunting accident and he lost part of his brain. His memory lasts only ten seconds.”

Ten Second Tom: “I was in an accident? That’s terrible.”

Dr. Keats: “Don’t worry, you’ll totally get over it in about three seconds.”

15 – Slumdog Millionaire (2008)

A testament to just how far a man will go to win over the woman he loves. Slumdog Millionaire portrays a poor man being tortured by the police for being suspiciously good at Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? Dev Patel plays one of the most lovable characters on film.

This compelling film won no fewer than eight Oscars and garnered a lot of critical acclaim. The mixture of love, violence, and socioeconomic messages makes for a great date night screening. It’s a great pick to watch with someone who appreciates good films and with whom you want to share an intelligent conversation.

Best Quote

Jamal Malik: “I’ll wait for you at the train station every day at five.”

14 – The Amazing Spider-Man (2012)

Peter Parker (Andrew Garfield) always has problems—the media hates him, the police hate him, other superheroes hate him, and he’s constantly struggling with his love life because of it. Regardless of how you feel about the new Spider-Man series, they made the right move dropping Mary Jane for Gwen Stacy (Emma Stone). Their romance is one of the most memorable in comic book history.

Best Quote

Peter Parker: “We all have secrets: the ones we keep… and the ones that are kept from us.”

13 – The Tourist (2010) (Runner Up: Original Sin)

It’s not just that Johnny Depp and Angelina Jolie are beautiful people; the location shots in Paris and Venice are simply stunning. This cat-and-mouse tale has enough thrills going for it to satisfy your intellectual needs, and it has some nail-biting action scenes to boot. You’re never quite sure who to believe, but you can’t deny there’s chemistry between the two—if there’s anyone who could steal Jolie from Pitt, Depp seems like the type.

Best Quote

Hotel Waiter Guido: “Bongiorno!”

Frank Taylor (Depp): “Bon Jovi!”

12 – This Means War (2012)

Reese Witherspoon is omnipresent in chick flicks – for good reason! All of her romantic comedies are enjoyable, but This Means War wins for mixing spy-versus-spy action into the mix. Chris Pine and Tom Hardy do a great job of keeping men distracted from Reese’s message that it’s OK to date multiple people. Adventurous couples will love this action-packed romp.

Best Quote

Trish (Chelsea Handler) “Don’t go with the better guy, go with the guy who makes you better.”

11 – (500) Days of Summer (2009)

Zooey Deschanel is that quirky and beautiful girl everyone wants to be or be with. In short, the boy (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) meets the girl (Deschanel), and falls in love, but she’s just that into him. The movie highlights their relationship in a non-linear fashion, and is a great portrayal of modern love and relationships. (500) Days of Summer isn’t your traditional romantic comedy, and maybe that’s a good thing – unlike all the others, it’s a thought-provoking film about love.

Best Quote

Rachel Hansen: “Just because she likes the same bizzaro crap you do doesn’t mean she’s your soul mate.”

10 – Walk the Line (2005)

This portrayal of Johnny and June Cash is an epic biopic. Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon beautifully capture the essence of the romance. Johnny loved June Carter so much, he knew he had to marry her. Seeing their love blossom over the course of their lives is a great way to celebrate life and a relationship with someone you truly love beyond anything. These two real life people even died around the same time. It’s said Johnny died of a broken heart after June passed.

Best Quote

June Carter: “Well, then start loving yourself, so we can go back to work.”

9 – Ghost Town (2008)

The cynical among us love Ricky Gervais. In Ghost Town, he plays a man who can see dead people and is now doomed to help them with their love problems. It’s a wonderfully unique Valentine’s Day romance story. Everyone’s tired of people bragging about their relationships on Facebook, and Gervais portrays this feeling perfectly. Love isn’t always as much fun as it sounds; sometimes, you just end up involved in other people’s drama.

Best Quote

Bertram Pincus (Gervais): “All work and no play makes Jack- a vital member of society.”

8 – Shrek (2001)

It’s hard to believe it’s been over a decade since Shrek came out (!). This is a fun, backwards fairy tale where the ogre gets the girl. Featuring the voice talents of Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz, and John Lithgow, Shrek is a feel-good movie that’s perfect for the young – and mature – at heart.

Best Quote

Shrek: “For your information, there’s a lot more to ogres than people think.”

7 – Seems Like Old Times (1980)

Ahhh, the classics. One of the best movies from the 80s, Seems Like Old Times is a Neil Simon film that still maintains its charm. Chevy Chase and Goldie Hawn are a divorced couple, and, after being forced to take part in a bank robbery, Chase hides out at Hawn’s house. The only problem is Hawn’s husband (Charles Groden) is the district attorney, so a lot of hijinx ensue. If you pine for an old flame, Seems Like Old Times is the Valentine’s Day romantic comedy for you.

Best Quote

Glenda (Hawn) “Chester. You just went through a stop sign.”

Chester (Chase) “I can’t help it. I don’t like to read when I drive.”

6 – About a Boy (2002)

You’d think watching a man hang out with an unrelated boy would be a little weird – and not great romantic-film fodder. But in About a Boy, it plays out beautifully. This is a buddy flick and a romance rolled into one, and it teaches men that parenting isn’t scary. If you’re a slacker who still hasn’t grown up, About a Boy is for you.

Best Quote

Marcus: “After a few visits, Will seemed to think he had to ask me serious questions, when I knew he really wanted to watch Xena Warrior princess.”

5 – True Romance (1993) (Runner Up: Natural Born Killers)

Quentin Tarantino isn’t exactly known for the romance in his films, but True Romance, which he wrote, is an epic romantic crime drama. There are drugs, hookers, and all sorts of guns. The love between Clarence (Christian Slater) and Alabama (Patricia Arquette) is something we all wish we had. By the time this movie reaches its bloody climax, not only will you be in love with Elvis, but you’ll know the origin of Sicilians.

Best Quote

Clarence Worley: “You just said you love me, now if I say I love you and just throw caution to the wind and let the chips fall where they may and you’re lying to me I’m gonna fuckin’ die.”

4 – Titanic (1997)

If you’ve never seen Titanic, you must! And if you have, consider watching it again for Valentine’s. This classic romantic-disaster film won eleven Oscars, because of its superb cast, plot, and music.

Spoiler Alert: The ship sinks, and it takes like half the movie. Before it happens though, Jack (Leonardo DiCaprio) steals Rose (Kate Winslett) from her rich husband-to-be. Titanic is a tear-jerker with an epic romance that is fated to failure.

Best Quote

Jack Dawson: “Where to, Miss?”

Rose DeWitt Bukater: “To the stars.”

3 – Bride and Prejudice (2004)

This Bollywood take on the classic “Pride and Prejudice” is a musical delight. Aishwarya Rai Bachchan may not be well-known in majority-English-speaking countries, but she is beautiful and talented – her acting, singing, and dancing expertise is on full display. This movie is beautiful, tells an old story; and you’ll look sophisticated for suggesting it. The colorful costumes and set designs are like taking an exotic vacation from your couch.

Best Quote

Lalita Bakshi (Rai): “You should be stirring your husband’s dinner not trouble.”

2 – Love, Actually (2003)

Love Actually follows the intertwining stories of eight British couples dealing with love in very different ways. It’s a romantic comedy and a Christmas film, but its sappiness is matched by genuine and heartwarming moments. It’s impossible to watch this movie without laughing, crying, and falling in love with at least one character! Love Actually may be the best romantic comedy ever written.

Best Quote

Billy Mack (Bill Nighy) “Hiya kids. Here is an important message from your Uncle Bill. Don’t buy drugs. Become a pop star, and they give you them for free!”

1 – The Wolf of Wall Street (2013)

This Oscar-nominated flick might not come to mind as a movie perfect for Valentine’s Day. But you and your Valentine’s Day date just might find that refreshing!

Martin Scorsese is known for his thrilling films, and Wolf of Wall Street does not disappoint. It’s a raw and emotional movie, with some violence, nudity, and drug use – all to show the underbelly of the high-octane world of finance. DiCaprio’s performance is compelling and exciting – this movie is worth your time!

Best Quote

Jordan Belfort: [to the waiter] “Oh, I’m good with water for now.”

Mark Hanna: “It’s his first day on Wall Street. Give him time.”

The post 23 Valentine’s Day Movies People Never Get Bored Of appeared first on Lifehack.

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’77 Fest 2017 @ Jean Drapeau – 28 July, 2017

Rancid

Ever since the Warped Tour started to skip over our fair city a few years ago, there’s been a punk-sized hole in our Montreal summers. Pouzza Fest has carried the torch admirably, but there’s really nothing quite like a day of punkin’ in the park on a nice summers day. Clearly, a group of punk promoters here felt the same way; after booking punk rock shows for over 25 years, they decided to take matters into their own hands.

Enter ’77 Montreal. 13 bands across 2 stages in a small section of Parc Jean Drapeau, blessed with a rare day of dry weather in this bummer of a summer. No bands overlap either – the bane of many a festival. This year’s inaugural event, likely due to the schedules of the headliners, takes place on a Friday, so crowds are a little sparse to begin with, which makes sense. After all, many of the “punks“ towards whom this line-up is aimed are now grown-ups with full-time jobs who can’t get a day off frivolously… or perhaps it’s just me!

Jake Burns

After the bizarre request to surrender the top of my plastic bottle (note to organizers, despite the various admonitions around the site, this makes staying hydrated quite difficult, irrespective of the presence of water filling stations, if I can’t actually store it in my pocket for when I need it), I finally enter the venue midway through Jake Burns (of Stiff Little Fingers fame) set, which is the perfect soundtrack to a relaxed afternoon in the park if ever you heard one. It sounds especially chilled in comparison to what follows next: New York hardcore legends Madball.

Madball

The chilled vibe is obliterated within about 2 seconds of the first song, as the crowd explodes into life in the mid-afternoon sunshine. Frontman Freddy Cricien is an engaging one: he patrols the front fence right off the bat, and, as if the crowd isn’t already involved enough, waves his finger like a lasso, the universal symbol to start a circle pit, to which the hardcore-heads duly oblige. He’s funny too, introducing Madball as “a brand new band working on their first album,” and declaring “we love coming to Canada…but not the border.” An explosive 45 minutes.

Madball

New Jersey’s finest The Bouncing Souls are immediately up next, and draw another huge, excitable crowd. Frontman Greg Attonito skanks his way onto the stage and launches right into the epic Manthem, and they keep up the frenetic pace on Late Bloomer. Greg roams the front fence too, shaking hands and high-fiving as many as possible, and then darts up the aisle that splits the crowd down the middle right to the sound desk on Lean On Sheena, accompanied by a huge sing-along from the rabid crowd.

The Bouncing Souls

Gone sounds epic too, and after wishing everyone “have a great night, have a great everything!!!”, they wrap up a brilliant set with the classic True Believer. The pit picks up once more, and due to a bizarre design on the smaller ‘Scene Ouest’ stage (in which the middle of the floor area is raised a few inches up compared to the left and right sides), those at the edge of the raised area are thrown off the edge during the crowd surge (including myself). Thankfully, no damage is done, save for one punk’s young daughter who leaves the area in tears, but such a floor design is certainly asking for trouble in the form of sprained ankles and tumbles. Another note to the organizers there then…

The Bouncing Souls

Old school So-Cal punks The Vandals follow, and despite being physically older dudes, clearly haven’t gone all ‘grown-up.’ Opening with Its A Fact (complete with comedy guitar solo) and Take It Back, frontman Dave Quackenbush then dedicates People That Are Going To Hell to himself. Seriously, these guys were joking about on stage way before Blink 182 made it mainstream.

After Cafe 405 and Pizza Tran, Dave demands to see himself on the huge screens on the opposite stage during Live Fast Diarrhea, all to no avail. Still, he sparks a huge sing-along to the chorus, and you know that The Vandals are the only band who could get a whole crowd to yell “Diarrhea” and make it sound anthemic. Oi To The World and the brilliant The New You follow before Dave and bassist Joe Escalante once again address the crowd: “you know The Vandals, we like to address political shit; we know your President, he’s fuckin’ good-looking, he could be a Kardashian!!”

The Vandals

On I’ve Got An Ape Drape (their ode to mullets), Dave replaces ‘Queensryche’ with ‘Bouncing Souls’ to declare “I’ve been growing that one braid back there for years / I’ve had it since the first time I saw Bouncing Souls!!!”, much to the amusement of anyone who actually caught the joke. And Now We Dance, Anarchy Burger, My Girlfriend’s Dead are blazed through next, before the set concludes with I Have A Date, and the biggest goofball of all of them, guitarist Warren Fitzgerald, heads into the crowd, onto the sound tent, dancing crazily for the video screens. Anyone who didn’t know The Vandals before today will certainly not forget them in a hurry; 50 minutes of ridiculous genius fun.

X

Many bands to this point have expressed their excitement at seeing punk legends X at this festival, who in the words of Dave Quackenbush, are “the only band here that really live the spirit of 1977” (after which this very festival is named). Indeed, even Mac DeMarco has turned up for them, watching their set from the side of the stage and singing along to We’re Desperate (at least I think its him…). However, it seems that most of the crowd uses their set as an excuse to grab some food, as the crowd is notably thinner at the front during their set. Not that any of the band seem to notice, or if they do, they don’t seem to care. Oozing cool, frontwoman Exene Cervenka has her hands in the pockets of her X hoodie, and you know how cool you have to be to get away with wearing your own merchandise. Aside from a cover of a 1920s country song (since “the 1920s were way more punk than the 1970s,” according to Exene), the set is unmistakably old-school punk, and sounds as timeless as it did back in the day.

X

After lining up for 40 minutes for a supper of 2 waffles (and that was the shortest of the line-ups for the 3 food trucks available to service the entire festival; one had sold out already. Note to organizers: more food trucks are needed for an event of this size!), it’s time for the first of the co-headliners in the form of Massachusetts legends Dropkick Murphys. It’s hard to know if it was them or Flogging Molly who first merged the Celtic influence with punk, but it’s a sound they’ve never strayed from across their 9 studio albums, and why would they? It’s clearly beloved by the thousands now assembled for their set. Indeed, it’s traditional celtic music and tin whistles that signal their arrival on stage, and after a melancholy intro, the pit explodes into life with the first bars of The Boys Are Back, and is swiftly followed by Blood and bagpipes.

Dropkick Murphys

Johnny, I Hardly Knew Ya starts out very traditionally with a mandolin, before again erupting into life, and the energy of the crowd is palpable. Some down-time arrives with a stirring cover of You’ll Never Walk Alone, which is followed by the anthemic Rose Tattoo, which sounds even more fantastic in conjunction with the sun setting over the trees around the venue. The pit erupts back into life with The State Of Massachusetts and I’m Shipping Up to Boston. At this point, various members of the crowd gatecrash the stage and dance and sing with the band, and remain there for Until the Next Time, and in fact are joined by even more of the crowd; the stage is pretty packed by the end. A cannon-blast of confetti into the crowd wraps up the epic set.

Dropkick Murphys

For the first time all day, there’s a lull in proceedings, with no bands playing, as Rancid‘s crew set things up on the same stage Dropkick Murphys just vacated. The tiredness of a busy week at work and an afternoon on my feet in the sun begins to set in, and I wonder if I have one more band left in me. Of course, when that band is Rancid, there’s absolutely no way I’m leaving early, and as soon as Tim Armstrong staggers onto the stage and sings the opening notes of Radio, the tiredness evaporates and euphoria takes over, as they blast through classic after classic, as Roots Radicals, Journey to the End of the East Bay, and the bass-shredding Maxwell Murder follow soon after. Its amazing stuff.

Rancid

During The 11th Hour, Tim tells us how they and Dropkick Murphys participated in a draft as to which band would headline each night, and he chose Montreal! The crowd roars approval at his choice; tonight, there really couldn’t be anyone else headlining. Guitarist Lars Frederiksen rips through Ghost Of A Chance, despite some obvious annoyance at some clowns who intermittently throw junk onto the stage, and when he proclaims “we’re gonna take you back to 1995 to a little record called And Out Come The Wolves,” the ska vibes of Old Friend kick in and get everyone dancing once more.

New song Where I’m Going follows that ska vibe perfectly, despite being over 20 years younger. For It’s Quite Alright, Lars asks for circle pits either side of the central aisle, which the crowd are happy to provide, and they keep this up for Buddy. Fall Back Down is met with a huge clap-along, and ends in a huge sing-along for the last chorus The timeless Time Bomb brings back the ska vibe once more, before Ruby Soho closes out the main set with the biggest sing-along of the set so far. A truly magnificent hour of music, from a truly magnificent band.

Both Rancid and Dropkick Murphys emerge for a combined encore of covers, consisting of Cretin Hop (Ramones), I Fought The Law (The Clash) , Folsom Prison Blues (Johnny Cash) and TNT (AC/DC) , to bring the festival to a carnival sort of conclusion, before leaving the stage and leaving the tired but elated crowd to fight their way onto the Metro and back home.

Setlist Radio Roots Radicals Journey to the End of the East Bay Maxwell Murder The 11th Hour Nihilism East Bay Night Dead Bodies Ghost of a Chance Telegraph Avenue Old Friend Where I’m Going Salvation Bloodclot Black & Blue Olympia WA. It’s Quite Alright Buddy Fall Back Down Time Bomb Ruby Soho

Encore Cretin Hop (Ramones cover) I Fought The Law (The Clash cover) Folsom Prison Blues (Johnny Cash cover) TNT (AC/DC cover)

Will this Festival be a regular thing, or a one-off? One would hope the former, since the video screens read “see you next year” on the way out. Here’s hoping so – despite a few minor glitches and gripes, the first edition of ’77 Montreal was a resounding success, and here’s hoping for many more years punkin’ in the park!

Pale Lips

Pale Lips

  This mighty creature was hanging out in the Monster energy tent

This little guy emerged from out of the shadows of the Monster Energy tent to have a quick nibble and was gone as quickly as he had appeared. Its not a common occurrence, to find a rodent that digs the Dropkick Murphys.

Barrasso

  Barrasso

    Genetic Control

    Genetic Control

  The Kingpins

The Kingpins

  The Creepshow

  The Creepshow

  The Creepshow

  The Creepshow

Hairdressing in the Monster energy tent

Review – Simon Williams Photos – Kieron Yates

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The post ’77 Fest 2017 @ Jean Drapeau – 28 July, 2017 appeared first on Montreal Rocks.

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