dxxsharp

[usephemeral]

Vitesse X - Us Ephemeral (Music Video). 𝙒𝙖𝙩𝙘𝙝: https://youtu.be/hAIwC8aFcH4?si=l0gh2Y9do6Fu7wR7

[lulannie]

[vitesse-x]

Domino Park in Brooklyn, NY by Jennifer Medina for "Potential Energy" (Music Video)

[luegootravez]

McKenzie Hayes by © Jennifer Medina

[23holoholo]

Norah Jones | Cold Cold Heart | Upright Bass & Vocal Cover

crush on you!

[ultrameganicolaokay]

She-Hulk Epic Collection Volume 6: 'To Die and Live in L.A.' by Scott Benson, Michael Eury, Peter David, Angel Medina, Pat Olliffe, Bryan Hitch and many more. Cover by Olliffe. Out in July.

"The sensational She-Hulk meets the savage She-Hulk! What will Jen Walters make of her old self in a bizarre tale featuring the Gopher? Will she meet her untimely end at the hands of the Man-Elephant, her archfoe Titania or the ruthless Rumbler?! Which fallen heroes will She-Hulk meet in a tour of the afterlife? And can she somehow smash the fourth wall back to the land of the living?! You’d better hope so, because Jen has a court date – with a host of super villains! Plus: Shulkie battles the Bi-Beast alongside her cousin, the Hulk, and shares adventures with Doc Samson, the Thing and Nosferata, the Dark Princess! Collecting SENSATIONAL SHE-HULK (1989) #51-60, DOC SAMSON (1996) #1-4, INCREDIBLE HULK (1968) #441-442, THING & SHE-HULK: THE LONG NIGHT, and material from MARVEL COMICS PRESENTS (1988) #123-126 and INCREDIBLE HULK (1968) #412."

[dontmeantobepoliticalbut]

A formerly well-connected GOP donor convicted of giving teenage girls gifts, alcohol and money in exchange for sex was sentenced Wednesday to 21 years in prison on sex trafficking charges.

Anton “Tony” Lazzaro was found guilty in March by a federal jury of seven counts involving “commercial sex acts” with five girls ages 15 and 16 in 2020, when Lazzaro was 30. The charges carried mandatory minimum sentences of 10 years with a maximum of life in prison.

Prosecutors had requested a 30-year sentence for Lazzaro. They likened Lazzaro to financier Jeffrey Epstein, who was arrested in 2019 on federal charges accusing him of paying underage girls for massages and then abusing them at his homes in Florida and New York. The defense asked for no more than 10 years.

“He’s a sex trafficker,” prosecutor Laura Provinzino said. “One who has shown absolutely no remorse. He has accepted no responsibility for his crimes.”

U.S. District Judge Patrick Schiltz came down in the middle and had harsh words for Lazzaro.

He said Lazzaro showed sympathy to only two people during the trial — “to himself and Jeffrey Epstein.” And the judge said he was struck by the “soulless, almost mechanical nature” of how Lazzaro exploited the girls.

“It’s almost as if Mr. Lazzaro set up a sex trafficking assembly line,” Schiltz said.

One of the victims called Lazzaro a child predator in court Wednesday and said she continues to be impacted by his actions.

“I still see him in my nightmares, in my panic attacks, in men in their thirties. … Putting Tony behind bars will save so many girls,” she said.

The mother of a different victim addressed Lazzaro directly.

“The damage you caused my daughter, mentally and emotionally, you didn’t just cause that damage to her. You caused it to me and my family and all these victims and all of their families,” she said. “You stand up here and you don’t even care. You’re justifying your actions. … I hope you rot in hell.”

The Associated Press does not typically name victims of sex crimes.

Lazzaro, who has said the charges against him were politically motivated, maintained his innocence, denying that he paid any of the girls explicitly for sex.

“I take a lot of offense to the government and court’s notion that I perjured myself in this trial. ... Grooming behavior is the word you used,” he said. “If that’s the case, then I suppose anyone who gives someone a gift, whether it be a cheap gift or a million dollars, is grooming their companion for sex. OK? If that’s the standard that we’re going to apply, then I don’t know how there’s any standard to apply.”

Defense attorney Daniel Gerdts said afterward that they were “looking forward to the appeal.”

Lazzaro’s indictment in 2021 touched off a political firestorm that led to the downfall of Jennifer Carnahan as Chair of the Republican Party of Minnesota.

His co-defendant, Gisela Castro Medina, who was 19 at the time, formerly led the College Republicans chapter at the University of St. Thomas. She pleaded guilty to two counts last year. She testified against Lazzaro and faces sentencing in September.

Prosecutors argued during his trial that Lazzaro enlisted Castro Medina, who he initially paid for sex, to recruit other teenagers — preferably minors — who were white, small, vulnerable or “broken.” He often sent cars to take the girls to his luxury penthouse condo at the Hotel Ivy in downtown Minneapolis, they said.

Gerdts had argued that the government’s “salacious” prosecution was based on “completely unfounded” allegations. Lazzaro has denied paying for sex, saying the government targeted him for political reasons and because of his wealth.

Carnahan, the widow of U.S. Rep. Jim Hagedorn, of Minnesota, resigned a week after the charges against Lazzaro were unsealed. She denied knowing of any wrongdoing by Lazzaro beforehand and condemned his alleged crimes. But his arrest fueled outrage among party activists. Allegations surfaced that Carnahan created a toxic work environment and abused nondisclosure agreements to silence her critics.

Carnahan and Lazzaro became friends when she ran unsuccessfully for a legislative seat in 2016. He backed her bid to become party chair in 2017 and attended her 2018 wedding to Hagedorn. They hosted a podcast together for a few months.

Lazzaro also helped run the campaign of Republican Lacy Johnson, who failed to unseat Democratic U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar, of Minnesota, in 2020.

Pictures on Lazzaro’s social media accounts showed him with prominent Republicans, including former President Donald Trump and former Vice President Mike Pence. He gave more than $270,000 to Republican campaigns and political committees over the years.

Several recipients quickly donated those contributions to charity after the charges became public, including U.S. Rep. Tom Emmer, of Minnesota, who received $15,600 but suffered no repercussions. Emmer became majority whip in January.

The sources of Lazzaro’s wealth have been murky. Defense filings have called him “an up-and-coming real estate owner and entrepreneur.” Items seized from him included a 2010 Ferrari and more than $371,000 in cash. The government put his net worth in a bond report at more than $2 million but said its calculations didn’t include his “extensive” but hard-to-trace cryptocurrency holdings. It noted that the search yielded multiple types of foreign currency, plus precious metals worth more than $500,000.

[stuff-diary]

XO, Kitty

TV Shows/Dramas watched in 2023

XO, Kitty (2023, USA/South Korea)

Creator: Jenny Han

Directors: Jennifer Arnold, Jeff Chan, Pamela Romanowsky & Katina Medina Mora

Mini-review:

I was a big fan of the To All The Boys series (both books and movies), but I must say I have somewhat mixed feelings about this show. For starters, it is too cheesy. Yes, the TATB trilogy was also cheesy, but in the movies that came across as charming, while here it's a bit cringey. Also, it's pretty obvious they tried to give the show a "western K-drama" kind of vibe, and it doesn't really work. For example, the cinematography feels really lifeless and bland, and things like that make me think Netflix didn't spend much money here. That being said, there is one thing this show did better than any k-drama in existence: the representation. It's beautiful to see such a wide variety of sexualities, cultures and races in a show set in South Korea.

I also loved the cast. It's obvious they had a great time filming the show and portraying these characters, and their energy is very infectious. The show is worth a watch based on the characters and their interactions alone. Among them, I enjoyed Sang Heon Lee's and Gia Kim's performances the most, and I'd love to see them in tons of projects going forward. Tbh, there are times where the writing is all over the place, and the characters change their minds constantly in ways that make little sense, but it's so fun to watch that I could sort of ignore all the inconsistencies. I have to admit I was pretty invested in these characters by the time I finished the last episode, so I would definitely like to see a second season.

[rabbleboy]

See You at Henderson Reads Book Festival 2023

[hexespheres]

𝟲𝟬 𝙔𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙨 𝙤𝙛 𝙎𝙘𝙖𝙧𝙡𝙚𝙩 𝙒𝙞𝙩𝙘𝙝

(inspired by 40 Years of Psylocke)

→ First appearance: X-Men vol.1 #4 (1964)

→ Writers: Stan Lee (creator), Roy Thomas, Len Wein, Steve Englehart, Bill Mantlo, Jim Starlin, Chris Claremont, Mark Gruenwald, Steven Grant, Ralph Macchio, Roger Stern, Dennis Mallonee, John Byrne, Dann Thomas, Andy Lanning, Dan Abnett, Kurt Busiek, Geoff Johns, Brian Michael Bendis, Allan Heinberg, Rick Remender, James Robinson, Jim Zub, Al Ewing, Kelly Thompson, Steve Orlando & more.

→ Artists: Jack Kirby (creator), Don Heck, George Tuska, John Romita Sr., John Buscema, Sal Buscema, Rick Buckler, Bob Brown, Gil Kane, Jim Starlin, Jim Mooney, Jerry Bingham, Michael Golden, Rick Leonardi, Dan Green, Al Migrom, Richard Howell, John Ridgway, John Byrne, Steve Butler, David Ross, Andy Kubert, John Higgins, Mike Deodato, Ian Churchill, George Pérez, Joe Jusko, Mark Texeira, Alan Davis, Kieron Dwyer, Scott Kollins, David Finch, Olivier Coipel, Jim Cheung, John Cassaday, Jorge Molina, Daniel Acuña, Kevin Wada, Tula Lotay, Sean Izaakse, Pepe Larraz, Paco Medina, Javier Pina, Cian Tormey, Sara Pichelli, Russell Dauterman & more.

→ Costume designers: Jack Kirby, Don Heck, John Buscema, John Byrne, Richard Howell, Al Migrom, Colin McNeil, Mike Deodato, George Pérez, Alan Davis, Kieron Dwyer, Olivier Coipel, Jim Cheung, John Cassaday, Daniel Acuña, Kevin Wada & Russell Dauterman.

→ 𝘼𝙣𝙞𝙢𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙖𝙙𝙖𝙥𝙩𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨: Vita Linder (The Marvel Super Heroes), Katherine Moffat and Jennifer Darling (Iron Man), Susan Roman (X-Men: The Animated Series), Stravoula Logothettis (Avengers: United They Stand), Kelly Sheridan (X-Men: Evolution), Kate Higgins (Wolverine and the X-Men) & Tara Strong (The Super Hero Squad Show)

→ Various games: X-Men Legends II: Rise of Apocalypse, Marvel Super Hero Squad: The Infinity Gauntlet, Marvel: Avengers Alliance, Marvel Avengers: Battle for Earth, Marvel Heroes, Marvel Contest of Champions, Marvel Future Fight, Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3: The Black Order & more.

→ Current books: Scarlet Witch & Quicksilver by Steve Orlando & Lorenzo Tammetta, The Avengers (vol. 9) by Jed Mackay & C.F. Villa, Avengers United: Infinity Comic by Derek Landy & Marcio Fiorito, Blood Hunt by Jed Mackay & Pepe Larraz; Scarlet Witch (vol.4) by Steve Orlando & Jacopo Camagni

[usephemeral]

Vitesse X by Jennifer Medina

[lulannie]

Lulannie is a producer, singer and DJ.

She also has two side projects as Dream Girl and sæs

[vitesse-x]

My debut LP ‘Us Ephemeral’ is out today!

“I set out to write my first full-length LP in December of 2020. It all started as an abstract idea that emerged out of a dire need for connection during a time of deep isolation. I approached this album, seeing it not only as a tool for artistic expression, but also as an opportunity for collaboration, for making friends and establishing community, and for connecting deeper with myself. I never imagined how that would spawn into something so real and transformative for me.

This past year and a half has been a restorative, exciting, demanding, and insightful journey. I’ve made some lifelong friendships and know myself more as artist than I ever have before. And when I listen back to these songs, I feel like each one has captured a moment in time that is so precious to me.” -Vitesse X

I hope you enjoy it ☀︎︎

Available on vinyl, CD and Cassette here.

[luegootravez]

McKenzie Hayes by © Jennifer Medina

[harrowclare]

harrowclare's 2024 reading lists

currently reading/listening to

The Exorcist - William Blatty Baby Teeth by Zoje Stage

up next

a lot of books, honestly.

finished books

here is the long, long list of my 2024 reads with ratings & dates. because of tumblr's limit on links, i cannot direct to individual reviews. if you would like to view my reviews on their respective sites, you can find them on thestorygraph & goodreads.

dates are listed as month, day. manga volumes that are binged will be grouped so that this list isn't a million miles long, with the range of ratings for the volumes in the stack. a few of these titles were started in 2023, lol whoops! those are the only dates with a year stamp.

wanna read along or chat with me about books? i'm super active on fable.

reading challenges: horror bingo reaading challenge (2024-2025)

current reading goal progress: 113/100

* * *

The Salt Grows Heavy by Cassandra Khaw 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌕 - 10.09—10.10 - fiction

The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌕 - 10.03—10.09 - fiction

Indian Burial Ground by Nick Medina 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌕 - 08.25—10.09 - fiction originally i listened to the audiobook, stopping at 57% & restarting the hardcover book from the beginning.

Walking Practice by Dolki Min 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌕 - 10.04—10.05 - fiction

Stormflower by Keegan Kozinski & Tristen Kozinski (eARC) 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌕 - 07.29—10.02 - fiction

Diavola by Jennifer Marie Thorne 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌕 - 09.27—10.01 - fiction

The House That Horror Built by Christina Henry 🌕🌕🌑🌑🌑 - 09.25—09.29 - fiction

Stolen Tongues by Felix Blackwell 🌕🌕🌑🌑🌑 - 09.23—09.24 - fiction

Volume Ø: Issue 3 by multiple authors 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌑 - 09.21—09/22 - fiction

Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌑 - 09.12—09. 21 - fiction

The Memory Police by Yōko Ogawa 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌗 - 09.04—09.12 - fiction

The Dead Take the A Train by Cassandra Khaw & Richard Kadrey 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌑 - 09.02—09.12 - fiction

This Thing Between Us by Gus Moreno 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌑 - 09.04—09.05 - fiction

Five-Star Stranger by Kat Tang 🌕🌕🌕🌗🌑 - 08.30—08.31 - fiction

The Haar by David Sodergren 🌕🌕🌑🌑🌑 - 08.25—08.29 - fiction

None of This is True by Lisa Jewell 🌕🌕🌗🌑🌑- 08.26—08.27 - fiction

My Heart is a Chainsaw by Stephen Graham Jones 🌕🌕🌕🌗🌑 - 08.19—08.25 - fiction i actually gave this a 3.75 on thestorygraph, which may seem obnoxious, but it felt right idk. sometimes rating shit 1-5 feels arbitrary and hard.

The God of the Woods by Liz Moore 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌑 - 07.30—08.24 - fiction

Killing Stalking Deluxe Edition Vol. 1 by Koogi 🌕🌕🌕🌑🌑 - 08.24—08.24 - webtoon

House of Hollow by Krystal Sutherland 🌕🌕🌕🌗🌑 - 03.16.23—08.22 - fiction

Schappi by Anna Haifisch 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌑 - 08.20—08.20 - graphic novel

You Will Own Nothing And You Will Be Happy #1 by Simon Hanslemann 🌕🌕🌕🌗🌑 - 08.20—08.20 - graphic novel, reread

Werewolf Jones and Sons Deluxe Summer Fun Annual by Simon Hanselmann & Simon Pettinger 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌑 - 08.20—08.20 - graphic novel

Something Akin to Revulsion by Judith Sonnet 🌕🌕🌗🌑🌑 - 08.19—08.20 - fiction

Incidents Around the House by Josh Malerman 🌕🌕🌕🌗🌑 - 08.16—08.18 - fiction

Dead Silence by S.A. Barnes 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌑 - 08.09—08.16 - fiction

The Troop by Nick Cutter 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌗 - 08.12—08.14 - fiction

Nestlings by Nat Cassidy 🌕🌕🌕🌗🌑 - 08.01—08.12 - fiction

Butcher & Blackbird by Brynne Weaver 🌕🌕🌕🌑🌑 - 07.27—08.09 - fiction

The Eyes Are the Best Part by Monika Kim 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌑 - 07.30—08.06 - fiction

The Ruins by Scott Smith 🌕🌕🌕🌑🌑 - 08.01—08.05 - fiction

Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌕 - 07.24—07.30 - fiction at the time of reading and reviewing this i was unaware of the controversies surrounding the author (uncredited use of the likeness of a video game and possible Zionism.) i don't want to change my rating & review because the book did have a profound impact on me, but i also do not believe in separating art from the artist, so i will not be purchasing the book or reading more from the author.

Ghost Station by S.A. Barnes 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌑 - 07.14—07.29 - fiction

Playground by Aron Beauregard 🌕🌑🌑🌑🌑 - 07.23—07.28 - fiction

Middle of the Night by Riley Sager 🌕🌕🌕🌑🌑- 07.17—07.27 - fiction

Bright Young Women by Jessica Knoll 🌕🌕🌕🌗🌑- 07.15—07.24 - fiction

The Spirit Bares its Teeth by Andrew Joseph White 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌑- 07.11—07.23 - fiction

The Liminal Zone by Junji Ito 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌑- 07.20—07.22 - manga

The Summer Hikaru Died Vol. 1 by Mokumokuren 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌑 - 07.19—07.20 - manga

Looking Glass Sound by Catriona Ward 🌕🌕🌕🌑🌑 - 07.11—07.16 - fiction

Camp Damascus by Chuck Tingle 🌕🌕🌕🌑🌑 - 07.10—07.13 - fiction

Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk 🌕🌕🌕🌗🌑 - 07.09—07.10 - fiction

Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌑 - 07.08—07.09 - fiction

Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌑 - 07.03—07.08 - fiction

Do a Powerbomb! by Daniel Warren Johnson 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌕- 07.05—07.05 - graphic novel

The Centre by Ayesha Manazir Siddiqi 🌕🌕🌕🌑🌑 - 06.27—07.03 - fiction

Martyr! by Kaveh Akbar 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌕 - 06.26—06.26 - fiction

How High We Go in the Dark by Sequoia Nagamatsu 🌕🌕🌕🌗🌑 - 06.23—06.25 - fiction

Victim by Andrew Boryga 🌕🌕🌕🌗🌑 - 06.14—06.17 - fiction

A Good Happy Girl by Marissa Higgins 🌕🌕🌗🌑🌑 - 04.19—06.14 - fiction

A Sweet Sting of Salt by Rose Sutherland 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌑 - 06.06—06.13 - fiction

The Hunting Party by Lucy Foley 🌕🌑🌑🌑🌑 - 06.01—06.06 - fiction

Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌗 - 05.22—05.31 - fiction

I'm Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌑 - 05.26—05.27 - non-fiction

Annie Bot by Sierra Greer 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌗 - 05.19—05.21 - fiction

You've Lost a Lot of Blood by Eric LaRocca 🌕🌕🌕🌑🌑 - 05.10—05.19 - fiction

Ghost Eaters by Clay McLeod Chapman 🌕🌕🌕🌑🌑 - 05.18—05.19 - fiction

The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley 🌕🌕🌕🌑🌑 - 05.14—05.18 - fiction

This Is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar & Max Gladstone 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌕 - 05.10—05.13 - fiction

The Broken Girls by Simone St. James 🌕🌕🌕🌗🌑 - 05.01—05.03 - fiction review: thestorygraph, goodreads

The Measure by Nikki Erlick 🌕🌕🌕🌗🌑 04.21—04.23 - fiction

Tokyo Ghoul Vol. 1 - Vol. 8 by Sui Ishida 🌕🌕🌕🌗🌑 - 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌕 04.22—05.08 - manga

Olga Dies Dreaming by Xochitl Gonzalez 🌕🌕🌕🌗🌑 - 04.18—04.21 - fiction

Know My Name by Chanel Miller 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌕 - 04.05—04.18 - non-fiction

Chainsaw Man Vol. 1 - Vol. 11 by Tatsuki Fujimoto 🌕🌕🌕🌗🌑 - 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌕 - 04.16—04.22 - manga

Jujutsu Kaisen Vol. 5 - Vol. 26 by Gege Akutami 🌕🌕🌕🌗🌑 - 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌕 - 12.23.23—04.16 - manga

Tampa by Alissa Nutting 🌕🌕🌑🌑🌑 - 04.02—04.03 - fiction

Circe by Madeline Miller 🌕🌕🌕🌗🌑 - 03.29—04.01 - fiction

The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌗 - 03.25—03.28 - fiction

Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir 🌕🌕🌕🌗🌑 - 03.23—03.25 - fiction

These Violent Delights by Chloe Gong 🌕🌕🌕🌑🌑 - 02.02—03.20 - fiction

Time Is a Mother by Ocean Vyong 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌕 - 03.06—03.06- poetry

Tender is the Flesh by Agustina Bazterrica 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌗 - 02.01—02.01- fiction

Y/N by Esther Yi | fiction 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌑 - 01.31—02.01 - fiction

my tiny DNF pile

Falling by T.J Newman stopped at 6% - 10.07 - fiction

The Laws of the Skies by Grégoire Courtois stopped at 32% - 09.07 - fiction

People Who Eat Darkness by Richard Lloyd Parry stopped at 24% - 05.03 - non-fiction

new words

(tbh i know many of these verbally, but didn't know when when i read them - or vice versa depending on whether i was reading with my eyes or ears.)

acrimony, alacrity, allay, ameliorate, aplomb, assiduously, avarice, avulsed, conviviality, detritus, eddy, garrulous, germane, gloaming, gunwale, inexorable, itinerant, lassitude, lugubrious, moribund, palliative, palimpsest, pernicious, pugnacious, sententiously, scrim, sepulchral, shale, splume, stalward, surreptitious, rime, verisimilitude