#joe saade

[gael-garcia]

Joyland (2022)

Directed by Saim Sadiq

Cinematography by Joe Saade

[cristalconnors]

CINEMATOGRAPHY

Shortlisted: About Dry Grasses / All Dirt Roads Taste of Salt / De Humani Corporis Fabrica / Queens of the Qing Dynasty / Stonewalling / The Taste of Things

THE NOMINEES ARE:

ALL OF US STRANGERS

Cinematography by Jamie D. Ramsay

GODLAND

Cinematography by Maria von Hausswolff

JOYLAND

Cinematography by Joe Saade

THE ZONE OF INTEREST

Cinematography by Łukasz Żal

AND THE CRISTAL GOES TO...

PACIFICTION

Cinematography by Artur Tort

[queermtl]

Queer MTL things to do: March 2025

As the calendar turns to March, the days grow longer and spring blossoms are right around the corner—but it takes more than a little snow to stop queer Montréal from a good party! Like every month, Montréal is stuffed to the brim with events, parties and unique experiences painted in all the colours of the LGBTQ+ rainbow. From drag to community, circuit to underground, here’s some of our picks for the best LGBTQ+ things to do in the city. For further announcements, including those not announced at time of publication, follow QueerMTL on Instagram, Facebook and Tumblr! Got an event coming up? DM it our way! 

LEGEND 

🎥 Cinema  👑 Drag  🥳 Parties  🎶 Concert  ✊ Activism  🏳️‍⚧️ Trans  🏳️‍🌈 Community  😆 Comedy  🎭 Performance  💪 Sports  👯‍♀️ Dance  🎤 Karaoke  🎨 Arts  📚 Literary / Educational  👠 Ballroom / Vogue 

Saturday, March 1, 2025  🏳️‍🌈 Montréal’s Village neighbourhood stays open until 6 am as part of Nuit Blanche 2025! Participating venues include Stéréo, Bar Le Campus, Le Bar S.T.O.C.K., Unity, Le Date Piano Bar, Bar Renard, Notre-Boeuf-de-Grâce, 1309 Terrasse Urbaine, Bar l’Aigle Noir, Le Saloon Bistro Bar, District Video Lounge, Chilanga Taqueria, Rebel Brasserie Urbaine, Restaurant Rosa Mexicano, Complexe Sky, Bar Le Cocktail, Bar Le Stud, Bar Le Normandie and Bar Rocky.  🎨 Pointe-à-Callière’s exhibition Witches—Out of the Shadows runs until April 6, 2025, Pointe-à-Callière  🎥 Luca Guadagnino’s Queer, Cinema Moderne  🎥 Trương Minh Quý’s Viêt and Nam, Cinema Public  🎤 Bareoke: Strip Karaoke, Café Cléopatra  🥳 BRUIT ROSE with Dr. Feelgould, Syngja, Modim, NeonNeon, DrGALACTIK, Guy Pelletier and Le Gars Riz, La Marche à Côté  🥳 Les Louves and Trembler Davantage present POP OUT! with Elena Stoodley, Black Casper (Kyng Rose), Wheelly Hot, Olivier Charron & Charbel Hachem, Martine Castera, Saad Fennich and Yury Marven, Eastern Bloc  🥳 Nuit blanche à la SAT presented with UBISOFT, with DJ Gwinestefani, Awwful and D.Blavatsky, Society for Arts and Technology [SAT]  🥳 Music Is My Sanctuary present 24 Hours of Vinyl, with Gene Tellem, somebody3lse, Kris Guilty, Tazz, Doo (Patcool, DJ Frog, DJ Spence), Moaad BKR, DJ Hermano, Poirier, Icky Magdala, DJ Raven, Cuisse, Joe Toner, G L O W Z I, Aram, Silktits, Society for Arts and Technology [SAT]  🥳 Esc and DSTP present DSTP x ESC: Nuit Blanche Edition with Neagles, Xia, Tartine, Homesick, Paolo Askia, Urmumsfavdj and Gatien, ESC  🥳 Homopop and Super Taste MTL present Babes! Girl Pop Dance Party, Cabaret Berlin  👑 Mado Reçoit with Mado Lamotte, Tracy Trash, Carmen Sutra, Erica and Nana, Cabaret Mado  👑 🎤 Nuit blanche au Goethe-Institut featuring Eurovision-themed karaoke with Misty Waterfalls, Goethe-Institut  👑 Pop (T)art with Jessie Precieuse, Crystal, Johnny, Aizysse and Kiara, Cabaret Mado  👑 Drôles de Drags with Miss Butterfly, Ciathanight, Crystal Starz or Emma Déjàvu in rotation, Bar Le Cocktail    Sunday, March 2, 2025  👑 Drag Brunch for Montréal en Lumière with Barbada and DJ Poptrt, Time Out Market  🥳 Studio ZX + Ausgang Plaza + BLUSH present Dimanche Disco, Place du Village  🎶 Ensemble Obiora, Salle Pierre-Mercure, Centre Pierre-Péladeau  🎭 Sapphic Open Mic Variety Show, The Wiggle Room  🎥 Village pour Tou.te.s, Massimadi, Ausgang and Studio ZX present a free screening of short films, Patrinoire de la Place du Village  🎥 Stanley Donen and Gene Kelly’s Singing in the Rain, Cinématheque québécoise  🎥 Jean Vigo’s Taris and L’Atalante, Cinématheque québécoise  👑 Le Tracy Show with Tracy Trash, Bobépine and EmmÖtional Damage, Cabaret Mado  👑 Dimanche Show with Michel Dorion, Bar Le Cocktail 

Tuesday, March 4, 2025  🏳️‍🌈 Kandi Bracelet Workshop, Centre communautaire LGBTQ de Montréal  👑 Full Gisèle : Oscars with Gisèle Lullaby, Jessie Précieuse, Marla Deer, Clay Thorris and Bambi Dextrous, Cabaret Mado  🎥 Jean-Pierre Jeunet’s Amélie, Cinématheque québécoise    Wednesday, March 5, 2025  🏳️‍🌈 Archives gaies du Québec hosts the queer zine exhibition GÉNÉRATION XEROX, Archives gaies du Québec  🎨 @Hommehomo hosts Drink & Draw with live model, Bar Le Cocktail  🎭 The Poly Mic queer open mic night, Bar Notre-Dame-des-Quilles  🎥 Pedro Almodovar’s The Room Next Door, Cinema Public    Thursday, March 6, 2025  🏳️‍🌈 Archives gaies du Québec hosts the queer zine exhibition GÉNÉRATION XEROX, Archives gaies du Québec  👑 RuPaul: The House of Hidden Meanings Book Tour with RuPaul, L'Olympia  🎭 NDQ Poetry Night, Bar Notre-Dame-des-Quilles  🎶 Wolf Parade with Kristian North Band, Bar le Ritz PDB  👑 Girls' Night Out : 100% Gaga with Krystella Fame, Lady Boom Boom and Démone LaStrange, Cabaret Mado  👑 Concours MX Cocktail 2025 with Michel Dorion, Bar Le Cocktail 

Friday, March 7, 2025  🏳️‍🌈 Archives gaies du Québec hosts the queer zine exhibition GÉNÉRATION XEROX, Archives gaies du Québec  🎶 Wolf Parade with Ribbon Skirt, Bar le Ritz PDB  🎶 Milk & Bone with guests, Society for Arts and Technology [SAT]  🥳 DÔMESICLE x MOTHLAND with Cap Bambino, Alix Fernz and DJ Raven, Society for Arts and Technology [SAT]  😆 Soirée HAHA! with Adrien Lessard, Thomas Bédard, Élizabeth Grondin and JF Denommée, Pub Le Vieux  🏳️‍🌈 The Canadian Foundation for AIDS Research hosts CANFAR: Love In Montréal 2025 dinner and speaker series, Hôtel William Gray  👑 Mado Reçoit with Mado Lamotte, Jimmy Moore, Victoire de Rockwell, Celes and Nana, Cabaret Mado  👑 Vendredi Fou—Soirée sans pantalon : Edition Disco with Michel Dorion, Bar Le Cocktail    Saturday, March 8, 2025  📚 The Violet Hour Book Club reads H Felix Chau Bradley’s Personal Attention Roleplay, Espace des Possibles dans La Petite-Patrie  🥳 Queen & Queer with DJ Sam, Gurafiku and Maya Tayara, Society for Arts and Technology [SAT]  🥳 Bimbo: Vice City with Foxy Lexxi Brown, Craig Major, Angelica Good, Jade Hassouné, Alex St Georges, Sisi Superstar, Mathieu Letarte, Venus, Ian Jackman and Diskommander, Le Livart  👑 Drag Brunch with Uma Gahd and Selma Gahd, Robin des Bois  🎶 Cult of AnarchKey presents Tucana + Ballistix + Sandy Hill Housefire with Korra AnarchKey, La Biu  🎶 Wolf Parade with Love in Return, Bar le Ritz PDB  🎶 Jan Blomqvist, Society for Arts and Technology [SAT]  👑 Jimmy Moore personifies Shania, Katy, Rihanna and Adele (plus a tribute to Édith Piaf) with Jimmy Moore, Cabaret Mado  👑 Mado Reçoit with Mado Lamotte, Jimmy Moore, Victoire de Rockwell, Celes and Nana, Cabaret Mado  👑 Drôles de Drags with Miss Butterfly, Ciathanight, Crystal Starz or Emma Déjàvu in rotation, Bar Le Cocktail    Sunday, March 9, 2025  🎶 Wolf Parade with Marlaena Moore, Bar le Ritz PDB  🎭 La ligue d’impro Gailaxie, Cabaret Mado  👑 Afternoon Drag Café sober drag show with Itsh and Timothy Toxic, Brique par Brique  👑 Le Tracy Show with Tracy Trash, Lady Boom Boom and Jessie Précieuse, Cabaret Mado  👑 Les succès oubliés with Michel Dorion, Jean-Marc Reid, Chibouki and Chouchoune, Bar Le Cocktail 

Tuesday, March 11, 2025  🏳️‍⚧️ p10 hosts an Online Gender Exploration Workshop, details at link  👑 Full Gisèle : Gaga with Gisèle Lullaby, Lady Boom Boom, Kiara, Démone LaStrange and Sasha Baga, Cabaret Mado

Wednesday, March 12, 2025  🏳️‍🌈 Archives gaies du Québec hosts the queer zine exhibition GÉNÉRATION XEROX, Archives gaies du Québec  🏳️‍🌈 🏳️‍⚧️ RECESS and QPIRG-McGill hosts Fuck le Pinkwashing workshop against islamophobia and transphobia, Students' Society of McGill University Building  🥳 Music to Draw to with Kid Koala, Society for Arts and Technology [SAT]  🎭 The Poly Mic queer open mic night, Bar Notre-Dame-des-Quilles  👑 Les Grands Concerts : un hommage à la comédie musicale de Broadway with Kiara, EmmÖtional Damage, Fay Miss, Jay Show, Clay Thorris, Bobépine, Bambi Dextrous, Derek Wood, Walter Ego, Tracy Trash, Kelly Torrieli and Marla Deer, Cabaret Mado  👑 Garden of Shade with Sarah Winters, Lulu Shade, Casanova, Kelly Day and Skyy, Bar Le Cocktail 

Thursday, March 13, 2025  🏳️‍🌈 Archives gaies du Québec hosts the queer zine exhibition GÉNÉRATION XEROX, Archives gaies du Québec  👑 Spelling Bee with Jessie Précieuse, Misty Waterfalls, Bambi Dextrous and Kiara, Cabaret Mado  👑 Concours MX Cocktail 2025 with Michel Dorion, Bar Le Cocktail 

Friday, March 14, 2025  🏳️‍🌈 Archives gaies du Québec hosts the queer zine exhibition GÉNÉRATION XEROX, Archives gaies du Québec  🏳️‍🌈 BLUF Montréal leather men monthly gathering, Bar Le Stud  🥳 ALL NIGHT with Imogen and Bearcat, Society for Arts and Technology [SAT]  🥳 Cerise Noire goth night, Bar Notre-Dame-des-Quilles  👑 Mado Reçoit with Mado Lamotte, Rainbow, Tracy Trash, Ruby Doll, Esirena and Nana, Cabaret Mado  👑 Vendredi Fou with Michel Dorion, Bar Le Cocktail

Saturday, March 15, 2025  🎤 Bareoke: Strip Karaoke, Café Cléopatra  👑 Jimmy Moore personifies Madonna & Michael Jackson with Jimmy Moore, Cabaret Mado  👑 Mado Reçoit with Mado Lamotte, Rainbow, Tracy Trash, Ruby Doll, Esirena and Nana, Cabaret Mado  👑 Drôles de Drags with Miss Butterfly, Ciathanight, Crystal Starz or Emma Déjàvu in rotation, Bar Le Cocktail    Sunday, March 16, 2025  🎥 Pedro Almodovar’s The Room Next Door, Cinema Public  🎭 La ligue d’impro Gailaxie, Cabaret Mado  👑 Le Tracy Show with Tracy Trash, Kiara and Victoire de Rockwell, Cabaret Mado  👑 Happy Birthday Sally-D with Sally-D and guests, Bar Le Cocktail    Tuesday, March 18, 2025  👑 Full Gisèle : Studio 54 with Gisèle Lullaby, Peggy Sue, Tracy Trash, Petula Claque and Esirena, Cabaret Mado 

Wednesday, March 19, 2025 🏳️‍🌈 Archives gaies du Québec hosts the queer zine exhibition GÉNÉRATION XEROX, Archives gaies du Québec 🎭 The Poly Mic queer open mic night, Bar Notre-Dame-des-Quilles 🎨 @Hommehomo hosts Drink & Draw with live model, Bar Le Cocktail  🥳 Music to Draw to with Kid Koala, Society for Arts and Technology [SAT]  👑 Bromance with Derek Wood, Clay Thorris, Walter Ego, Alastair Sin, Sir Vergon and Gatekeeper Electra, Cabaret Mado Thursday, March 20, 2025  🏳️‍🌈 Archives gaies du Québec hosts the queer zine exhibition GÉNÉRATION XEROX, Archives gaies du Québec  🎥 Queer Cinema Club of Montréal and Image+Nation hosts two screenings of Alek Keshishian's Madonna—Truth or Dare, Cinema Moderne  🎭 Diana: The Untold and Untrue Story, a queer re-telling of Princess Diana with Pixie Polite, BJ Stroker and Crystal Starz, Espace St-Denis  👑 Queer of the Night with Lady Boom Boom and invited guests, judging emerging talent, Cabaret Mado  👑 Concours MX Cocktail 2025 with Michel Dorion, Bar Le Cocktail Friday, March 21, 2025 🏳️‍🌈 Archives gaies du Québec hosts the queer zine exhibition GÉNÉRATION XEROX, Archives gaies du Québec  🥳 Homopop and Super Taste MTL present Club Gaga—Lady Gaga "Mayhem" Release Dance Party, Cabaret Berlin 🥳 OCTOV x VIRTUALIS with Casa Kobrae, Katamina b2b Haze, Métarph, Milkē, Neon Graveyard, Randomer, Somniac One and Xia, Society for Arts and Technology [SAT] 🎭 Old Hollywood Double Feature! with Miami Minx, Yaya Havana, Charli DeVille, Satin Simone and Frenchy Jones, The Wiggle Room 👑 Mado Reçoit with Mado Lamotte, Gisèle Lullaby, Marla Deer, Stivy and Nana, Cabaret Mado 👑 Vendredi Fou with Michael Dorion, Bar Le Cocktail

Saturday, March 22, 2025 👑 Noche Latinx! Draglesque with Anaconda Lasabrosa, Black Mamba, Salty Margarita, Miami Minx, Casanova and Violet Bernard, Bar Le Cocktail 👑 Mado Reçoit with Mado Lamotte, Gisèle Lullaby, Marla Deer, Stivy and Nana, Cabaret Mado 👑 Drôles de Drags with Miss Butterfly, Ciathanight, Crystal Starz or Emma Déjàvu in rotation, Bar Le Cocktail

Sunday, March 23, 2025 🎭 La ligue d’impro Gailaxie, Cabaret Mado  👑 Le Tracy Show with Tracy Trash, Sasha Baga and Marla Deer, Cabaret Mado  👑 Dimanche Show with Michel Dorion, Bar Le Cocktail

Tuesday, March 25, 2025 👑 Full Gisèle : SNL with Gisèle Lullaby, Uma Gahd, Victoire de Rockwell, Lady Guidoune and Kelly Torrieli, Cabaret Mado Wednesday, March 26, 2025 🏳️‍🌈 Archives gaies du Québec hosts the queer zine exhibition GÉNÉRATION XEROX, Archives gaies du Québec 🎭 The Poly Mic queer open mic night, Bar Notre-Dame-des-Quilles 🎨 Music to Draw to with Kid Koala, Society for Arts and Technology [SAT] 🥳 Les Confluents presented by the students of l'Ecole de Théâtre de Saint-Hyacinthe with Tracy Trash, Cabaret Mado

Thursday, March 27, 2025 🏳️‍🌈 Archives gaies du Québec hosts the queer zine exhibition GÉNÉRATION XEROX, Archives gaies du Québec 🥳 QUARTZ Soirées Lesbiennes—VOLT Edition with Sugar Vixen, Bar Confessional 🎶 The Weather Station—Humanhood Tour, Théâtre Beanfield 👑 C't'à ton tour Jessie Précieuse with Jessie Précieuse, Tracy Trash, Victoire de Rockwell, Lady Guidoune, Marla Deer, Bobépine, Bambi Dextrous, Kiara and Clay Thorris, Cabaret Mado 👑 Concours MX Cocktail 2025 with Michel Dorion, Bar Le Cocktail Friday, March 28, 2025 🏳️‍🌈 Archives gaies du Québec hosts the queer zine exhibition GÉNÉRATION XEROX, Archives gaies du Québec 🎶 Baths with Fashion Club, Toscadura 👑 Mado Reçoit with Mado Lamotte, Carmen Sutra, Crystal Starz, Daisy Wood and Nana, Cabaret Mado 👑 Vendredi Fou with Michael Dorion, Bar Le Cocktail Saturday, March 29, 2025 🎶 Poppy: They're All Around Us Tour with Kumo 99, Théâtre Beanfield 👑 Jimmy Moore personifies Taylor Swift with Jimmy Moore, Cabaret Mado 👑 Mado Reçoit with Mado Lamotte, Carmen Sutra, Crystal Starz, Daisy Wood and Nana, Cabaret Mado 🎭 Cabaret De La Nuit presents Queer Magique with Ciatha Night, Joseph Salvatore Vitale, Natalie Demmon, Sophie Lane, Augusta Wind, Letitia Sherry, Bobépine, Marc Ducusin, Sterling Tipton, Katrine G. Mangin, Cléo Girard and Ian Baird, Bar Le Cocktail 🥳 The Dark Eighties goth dance party, Cabaret Berlin 👑 Drôles de Drags with Miss Butterfly, Ciathanight, Crystal Starz or Emma Déjàvu in rotation, Bar Le Cocktail Sunday, March 30, 2025 🎭 La ligue d’impro Gailaxie, Cabaret Mado  👑 Le Tracy Show with Tracy Trash, Sasha Baga and Marla Deer, Cabaret Mado  👑 Dimanche Show with Michel Dorion, Bar Le Cocktail

OTHERS / LES AUTRES 

🎨 Queer Bodies MTL / Tiohtiakë hosts monthly live model drawing sessions. Find schedule, model and location info on their Instagram.     👠 Montréal’s ballroom goings on can also be found at the Montréal Kiki Ballroom Alliance (Mtl-KBA) and Ballroom4Community pages on Facebook and Instagram.  

💅 Twice a month on every second Tuesday, Bring It! hosts an OTA night of ballroom and vogue with commentator and DJ. Follow their Instagram for dates and details. 

🎤 Queer Karaoke MTL hosts regular karaoke events. Follow their Instagram for dates and location. 

🛼 Montréal Roller Derby hosts regular matches and open boot camps throughout the year. Follow their Facebook page for additional info.    ⚽️ The Juke Lesbo-Queer and Trans inclusive soccer league collective offers weekly pick-up games.    ⚾️ The Balle Molle Queer Softball league holds regular games and events.  

🤠 Club Bolo—Danse Country Montréal meet on Fridays at the Association sportive et communautaire du Centre-Sud. 

👯 Tango/Salsa Queer holds lessons every Saturday, visit queertangomtl.com for information or contact tango.queer@hotmail.com or call +1 (514) 709-4678 for prices and signup information, Espaces des Arts. 

🏐 Les Ratons-Chasseurs (Montréal’s LGBTA dodgeball group) holds regular events. Keep an eye on their Facebook for upcoming opportunities to join in and play.  

🕹 Montréal Gaymers hosts regular gatherings including board game nights and gaming gatherings. Check their Facebook for what’s next! 

🏃🏾 Join the Out-Run run and workout club for people relating to the queer / sapphic experience. Details on their Instagram! 

🐦 Bird lovers should keep their eye on Queer Birders' regularly scheduled birdwatching events and excursions. Join the Facebook group and get those binoculars at the ready. 

🧗‍♀️ Queer Bloc’s monthly bouldering events bring together MTL’s queer climbing community with live DJs, after-drinks and even a tattoo artist on-site. Follow their Instagram for all of the details. 

[mariacallous]

The Biden administration is on the cusp of entering an ill-advised bilateral agreement with Saudi Arabia. The deal would undermine larger U.S. strategic aims for the Middle East and global order. It could also pose dangerous political risks for President Joe Biden.

Washington and Riyadh are reportedly close to finalizing a pact that would see the United States provide security guarantees for Saudi Arabia and assist in the development of its civilian nuclear program. Supporters of the arrangement maintain that it will enhance regional security by bolstering the U.S.-led alliance in the Middle East against Iran, checking the rising influence of China in the Arab world, and facilitating the normalization of relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia. Yet those alleged benefits are either overstated or patently false.

Meanwhile, the potential harms of a Saudi-U.S. deal—which include revived Saudi military adventurism, the proliferation of nuclear weapons in the Persian Gulf, hits to Washington’s global credibility, and further divisions within the Democratic Party ahead of the U.S. presidential election—outweigh any possible benefits for either the Biden administration or international security.

Proponents of the prospective enhanced security agreement argue that it is necessary to deter Iranian aggression. The extent of the security arrangement remains under negotiation, though U.S. officials have indicated that it would likely include formal U.S. defense guarantees and access to more advanced U.S. weapons for Saudi Arabia, potentially including F-35 fighter jets. Reporting suggests that the deal would fall short of a NATO-style pact, however.

Regardless of its specifics, a new Saudi-U.S. security deal is of dubious geopolitical value to the United States. Saudi Arabia has—and continues—to benefit from many decades of U.S. arms sales as well as military and diplomatic assistance. The United States has more than $100 billion in active foreign military sales to the kingdom, according to the State Department. Existing U.S. support for Saudi Arabia places significant constraints on Iranian actions; Tehran knows that if it were to engage in open warfare with Riyadh, it would likely face a regime-threatening response from Washington. Simply put: The deterrent already exists.

What a new U.S. security agreement would do, however, is reward the reckless behavior of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Arabia’s de facto ruler. Mohammed bin Salman has flouted international norms and destabilized the Middle East with (among other actions) his disastrous military intervention in Yemen, temporary detention of Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri, blockade against U.S.-allied Qatar, and murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

Unprecedented U.S. support could further encourage Mohammed bin Salman’s predilection for reckless military adventurism. After years of escalating tensions between his country and Iran, fueled in part large by their support for opposing factions in the Yemeni civil war, the Saudi government negotiated a cease-fire with the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen in 2022 and normalized relations with Tehran a year later. Although the frosty détente between the two countries has thus far persisted, Riyadh remains concerned about the military activities of Iran and its allies. A new Saudi-U.S. pact might embolden the crown prince to again attack Iranian allies using U.S. weapons.

A new Saudi-U.S. pact would also increase the chance that U.S. forces are drawn into the region’s violence—especially if Riyadh and Washington have signed a defense pact.

Advocates of a new Saudi-U.S. deal additionally argue that the combination of strengthened security ties and U.S. assistance for developing civilian nuclear power in Saudi Arabia would help to prevent the proliferation of nuclear weapons. The former carrot, they say, would assuage the Saudi government’s security concerns and thus its sense of need for nuclear arms; the latter would place Saudi nuclear facilities under U.S. oversight.

Yet such steps would undoubtedly raise Iran’s threat perception, thereby increasing its own incentives to develop a nuclear weapon as a deterrent. And once in possession of nuclear power, it is far more likely that Riyadh could develop a nuclear weapon of its own if it were determined to do so. Saudi-U.S. plans thus increase the risk of a nuclear arms race in the Persian Gulf by stoking Iranian fears and providing Saudi Arabia with key components for nuclear weapons.

Proponents of a Saudi-U.S. agreement also maintain that it will check the rising influence of China in Saudi Arabia—and the wider Arab world. There may be a modicum of truth to this proposition: U.S. officials have indicated that a deal would include Saudi pledges to freeze purchases of Chinese weapons and limit Chinese investments in the kingdom.

Such an agreement would not, however, change the fact that, for years now, China has been both the largest export and import partner of Saudi Arabia. It would also not prevent the Saudi royals from diplomatically engaging with Beijing as they see fit to pursue Saudi national interests. And while additional defense agreements may extend Washington’s influence in Saudi Arabia, they would also reinforce the prevailing order, where the United States is on the hook for the steep costs of maintaining the faltering security of the Persian Gulf while China operates as a free rider.

A Saudi-U.S. deal has likewise been presented as part of a potential grand bargain with Israel, wherein the United States extends defense and nuclear assistance to Riyadh in exchange for the normalization of Israeli-Saudi relations. This would advance long-standing U.S. aims of Arab-Israeli détente and bolster the region’s anti-Iranian alliance.

Yet there is no urgent need to formalize Israeli-Saudi relations. A de facto peace and anti-Iran alliance between the two countries has now lasted for years—and persisted in the face of Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza. In the near term, Israeli-Saudi normalization appears increasingly remote, as the Israeli government evinces little interest in pursuing a two-state solution with the Palestinians, while Riyadh has upheld the need for Israeli support for a Palestinian state as a component for any Saudi recognition of Israel.

Ignored by proponents of a Saudi-U.S. agreement is the notion that U.S. support for the Saudi dictatorship undercuts Washington’s ability to marshal international support for vital causes such as the defense of Ukraine against Russian aggression.

Mohammed bin Salman has behaved as a mini version of Russian President Vladimir Putin. In Yemen, the Saudi crown prince militarily invaded his neighbor and subjected civilians to years of fatal bombings and famine; farther abroad, he has assassinated or forced the disappearance of ideological opponents; at home, he has repressed the civil rights of Saudi citizens and conducted mass executions of political prisoners.

Yet the United States offers to lavish the Saudi monarchy with advanced arms and technology. Many people around the world, particularly in the global south, are reticent to join the United States in just causes such as aiding Ukraine because of the unevenness of U.S. support for self-determination and human rights in the Middle East.

Finally, a Saudi-U.S. deal would assist former U.S. President Donald Trump’s campaign to return to the White House in what is expected to be a tight race against Biden this fall. Biden and his allies have, with justification, argued that Trump threatens the U.S.-led liberal world order; Trump, for example, suggested in February that he may not come to the defense of some NATO members if they do not up their dues to the alliance.

To block that threat, Biden needs to win reelection. But backing Riyadh is a loser in U.S. politics; for more than two decades, a majority of Americans have held an unfavorable view of Saudi Arabia, according to polling, and roughly 3 in 5 Americans oppose committing U.S. soldiers to defending Saudi Arabia in exchange for a normalization of Israeli-Saudi relations. Biden would receive few impactful accolades for a Saudi-U.S. deal, but he could face significant opposition from Americans who are hostile toward Saudi Arabia for reasons ranging from the Yemen War and oil prices to human rights and allegations surrounding the 9/11 terror attacks.

If Senate approval is required for a Saudi-U.S. agreement, divisions among Democrats would be further deepened and publicly displayed. When he ran in the Democratic primary for the presidential nomination in 2019, Biden publicly declared that he would make Saudi Arabia a “pariah,” knowing this pledge would be popular with voters. Many Democrats have been dismayed by Biden’s subsequent rapprochement with the kingdom, and it is highly likely that some Democratic senators would oppose a defense and nuclear agreement with Riyadh. Republicans would also have an opportunity to embarrass Biden, as a successful vote is not guaranteed; a failed attempt to pass the deal would contribute to the Republican Party’s narrative that Biden is an ineffective leader.

If the agreement passes—and rewards the authoritarianism and militarism of the Saudi monarchy—it would be an additional obstacle for Biden in his efforts to secure the support of important Democratic voting blocs, including Arab, Muslim, left-leaning, and younger Americans, especially if the deal appears to benefit Israel at the expense of Palestinians. In a close contest, every vote—and campaign donation—matters.

For the sake of the international order that it seeks to uphold, the Biden administration should abandon the fool’s errand of a new Saudi-U.S. bilateral agreement.

[warningsine]

Director: Saim Sadiq, DoP: Joe Saade

[igotopinions]

Books I Read in 2023

* = Re-read

Check out past years: 2012, 2013 (skipped), 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018,  2019, 2020, 2021, and 2022. Follow me on Goodreads to get these reviews as they happen. 1) A Book of Blades: Rogues in the House Presents edited by L.D. Whitney This book, assembled by the great guys behind the premier podcast in the genre, is an excellent way to sample a breadth of contemporary Sword & Sorcery fiction! My favorite story was "The Blood of Old Shard" by John R. Fultz, with Scott Oden and Howard Andrew Jones' tales close behind, and there were no duds in the mix. "The Blood..." really surprised me with a heart and inventiveness which the opening doesn't give away yet, you realize upon finishing, deftly sets up. 2) Fires of Azeroth by C.J. Cherryh Left my big ol’ spoiler-laden review on Goodreads for ya. 3) Black Paper: Writing in a Dark Time by Teju Cole 4) The Citadel of Forgotten Myths by Michael Moorcock *5) Neuromancer by William Gibson 6) The Expert System's Brother by Adrian Tchaikovsky 7) The Expert System’s Champion by Adrian Tchaikovsky I confess I finished the first book in this series having enjoyed myself, but wondering if I'd remember what I'd read a year from now. I don't have that concern with its follow-up. Tchaikovsky has enriched the world he set up in the first installment quite nicely, and I hope I get to explore it further in a third. 8) Old Moon Quarterly: Issue 3 9) Swordspoint by Ellen Kushner 10) The Gurkha and the Lord of Tuesday by Saad Z. Hossain 11) The Dreamthief's Daughter: A Tale of the Albino by Michael Moorcock 12) Cinema Speculation by Quentin Tarantino Do you think you’d enjoy hearing Tarantino discuss mainly his childhood and adolescence re: movies that meant a lot to him during that period? Congrats, this is extremely that. It could not be more that. 13) The Shadow of the Torturer by Gene Wolfe 14) Consider This: Moments in My Writing Life After Which Everything Was Different by Chuck Palahniuk Roughly 70/30 instructional / biographical. Has a lot of good advice, focusing on a more literary mode than classic genre stylings, all in a voice and coming from a place any Palahniuk fan will be familiar with (I would have been stunned NOT to find something like the "Voice of Authority" snippet in a writing book by Palahniuk). Entertaining and providing what mostly felt like useful, actionable advice, I'd say it can be handy for writers who aren't knowledgeable of the author's works, but knowing at least a couple of his books can help contextualize his advice so you can determine which parts are right for you or not. 15) Death Angel's Shadow by Karl Edward Wagner 16) Night Winds by Karl Edward Wagner 17) Wyngraf Issue #1 Edited by Nathaniel Webb 18) Rakefire and Other Stories by Jason Ray Carney 19) The White Lion by Scott Oden 20) Werner's Nomenclature of Colours: Adapted to Zoology, Botany, Chemistry, Mineralogy, Anatomy, and the Arts by Patrick Syme, Abraham Gottlob Werner (Illustrator) 21) Tehanu by Ursula K. Le Guin 22) Lord of a Shattered Land by Howard Andrew Jones *23) Annihilation by Jeff VanderMeer 24) Authority by Jeff VanderMeer 25) Acceptance by Jeff VanderMeer *26) The Sailor on the Seas of Fate by Michael Moorcock 27) Kundo Wakes Up by Saad Z. Hossain 28) Swords in the Shadows, Edited by Cullen Bunn 29) The Lies of the Ajungo by Moses Ose Utomi 30) Doppelganger: A Trip into the Mirror World by Naomi Klein 31) The Encyclopedia of Amazons: Women Warriors from Antiquity to the Modern Era by Jessica Amanda Salmonson 32) New Edge Sword & Sorcery #1, Edited by Oliver Brackenbury 33) New Edge Sword & Sorcery #2, Edited by Oliver Brackenbury 34) A Book of Blades: Volume II: Rogues in the House Podcast Presents, Edited by L.D. Whitney 35) Old Moon Quarterly: Issue 4, Spring 2023: A Magazine of Dark Fantasy and Sword and Sorcery, Edited by OMQ 36) The Wingspan of Severed Hands by Joe Koch 37) The Sword of Rhiannon by Leigh Brackett 38) Camp Damascus by Chuck Tingle 39) Old Moon Quarterly: Issue 5, Edited by OMQ STATS Non-Fiction: 6 Fiction: 33 Poetry Collections: 0 Comic Trades: 0 Wrote Myself: 2

[rockhyrax]

Spectacle Radio ep.100 :: 05.11.23 :: It's horrible, I love it, what is it?

Slava Tsukerman - Liquid Sky (1982) Main Titles from Quartier Mozart (Jean-Pierre Bekolo, 1992) Tokyo Kid Brothers - I kind of hate my father (Throw Away Your Books, Rally in the Streets // Shuji Terayama, 1971) De Kalafe e a Turma - Guerra (Awakening of the Beast // Joes Moijica Marins, 1970) Stelvio Cipriani - Week-end with Mary (Femina Ridens // Piero Schivazappa, 1969) Nicola Piovani - Main Titles from Footprints on the Moon (Luigi Bazzoni, 1975) - Michael Nyman - Squaline Fallaize (The Falls // Peter Greenaway, 1980) Zdeněk Liška - The Deadly Invention (Karel Zeman, 1958) Andrzej Korsynski - Main Titles from The Devil (Andrzej Zulawski, 1972) Vangelis - Entends Tu Les Chiens Aboyer (Do You Hear the Dogs Barking? // François Reichenbach, 1975)

Stelvio Cipriani - La Polizia Chiede Aiuto #4 (Massimo Dallamano, 1974) Rheingold - FanFanFanatisch (Der Fan // Eckhart Schmidt, 1982) Þeyr - Rúdólf (Rokk Í Reykjavík, 1982) Jean-Michel Jarre - Zoolook (Remix) (Magic of the Universe // Tata Esteban, 1986) Westernhagen - Celebration (Supermarkt // Roland Klick, 1974) J.A. Seazer - Buddha Child (Pastoral: To Die in the Country // Shuji Terayama, 1974) Toru Takemitsu - End Titles from The Ruined Map (Hiroshi Teshigahara, 1968)

Michael Nyman - Castral Fallvernon (The Falls // Peter Greenaway, 1980) - Phil Oakley & Giorgio Moroder // Together In Electric Dreams (from Electric Dreams, 1984) Rheingold // Fan Fan Fantatisch (from Der Fan, 1982) Hiroyuki Onogawa // from August In the Water (1995) Chuck Cirino // from Chopping Mall (1986) Yuji Koseki // from Mothra (1961) Shintaro Katsu // Otento-san (theme from Tale of Zatoichi, 1962) music from Out 1 (1971) Hussein al-Iman // music from Anyab (1981) Anna Karina // Roller Girl (from Anna, 1967) Fabio Frizzi & Cricket // You Are Not the Same (from Contraband, 1980) Stardust Brothers // Crazy Game (from Legend of the Stardust Brothers, 1985) BED: theme from 300 (2006) slowed down x3 -

Simon Boswell - It’s Horrible, I Love it, What Is It? (Hardware, 1990) Method Man - Release Yo Self (Prodigy remix) (One Eight Seven, 1997) Shriekback - The Big Hush (Manhunter, 1986) Tangerine Dream - Teetering Scales (Miracle Mile, 1988) Sue Saad - Looker (Looker, 1981) Sheryl Lee Ralph feat. Cedella Marley & Sharon Marley Prendergast - The Mighty Quinn (The Mighty Quinn, 1989)

[lemondeabicyclette]

Aucun des invités de Joe Rogan (la ptite grosse pute de l'AIPAC) n'a critiqué Isra Hell. Qu'on se le dise. En québécois avec un accent. Gad, saad l'air que c'est un raciste qui est incapable de s'excuser. Qu'il mange un si haut de 💩. Stronzo. Un prof sioniste de Concordia.

[boxscorehockey]

Winged Wheel Franchise Roster

Winged Wheel- John

G

Augustine Trey Bobrovsky Sergei Copley Pheonix Cossa Sebastian Forsberg Anton Hill Adin Husso Ville Knight Spencer Korpisalo Joonas Larsson Filip Lennox Tristan Lyon Alex Malek Jakub Merilainen Levi Nedeljkovic Alex Skinner Stuart Svedeback Philip Tendeck David Tolopilo Nikita

F

Barzal Mathew Beaudoin Cole Becher Ondrej Beck Owen Bednarik Kamil Bennett Sam Berggren Jonatan Bourque Mavrik Brandsegg-Nygard Michael Buchnevich Pavel Buyalsky Andrei Chmelar Jaroslav Dach Colton Danielson Nate DeBrincat Alex Dellandrea Ty Dolzhenkov Kirill Dorofoyev Pavel Duclair Anthony Ehlers Nikolaj Eriksson Ek Joel Fedotov Ilya Frost Morgan Greig Ridly Gridin Matvei Halttunen Kasper Hayton Barrett Hoglander Nils Honzek Samuel Howe Tanner Huberdeau Jonathan James Dylan Jarventie Roby Kane Patrick Kaprizov Kirill Kasper Marco Kempe Adrian Koivula Otto Kotkaniemi Jesperi Kuzmenko Andrei L’Heureux Zachary Larkin Dylan Leschyshyn Jake Lindholm Elias Lombardi Amadeus Luchanko Jett Maccelli Matias Mantha Anthony Mesar Filip O’Connor Drew Pekarcik Juraj Petrovsky Servac Plante Max Rasmussen Michael Raymond Lucas Reinhart Sam Ritchie Ryder Rust Bryan Saad Brandon Samoskevich Mackie Sapovaliv Matyas Savage Redmond Schaefer Reid Sennecke Beckett Sidorov Yegor Soderblom Elmer Sprong Daniel Steel Sam Tarasenko Vladimir Terry Troy Toffoli Tyler Torgersson Daniel Tuch Alex Tuch Luke Veleno Joe Vilardi Gabriel

D

Badinka Dominik Barron Justin Edvinsson Simon Grans Helge Guenette Maxence Hanifin Noah Hirose Akito Hronek Filip Jiricek Adam Joseph Pierre-Olivier Karki Arttu Krug Torey Lindholm Hampus Livingstone Jake Marino John McIsac Jared O'Rourke Ryan Pulkkinen Jesse Pulock Ryan Samuelsson Mattias Sandin Pellikka Axel Schultz Justin Seider Moritz Silayev Anton Spacek David Svozil Stanislav Wallinder William Walman Jake Weegar Mackenzie Werenski Zach

2024-25 waivers: 17

[byneddiedingo]

Ali Junejo in Joyland (Saim Sadiq, 2022)

Cast: Ali Junejo, Rasti Farooq, Alina Khan, Sarwat Gilani, Salmaan Peerzada, Sohail Sameer, Sania Saeed, Ramiz Law. Screenplay: Saim Sadiq, Maggie Briggs. Cinematography: Joe Saade. Film editing: Saim Sadiq, Jasmin Tenucci. Music: Abdullah Siddiqui. 

Haider (Ali Junejo) is a milquetoast, serving as factotum to everyone in the large household in Lahore, including his father (Salmaan Peerzada), his older brother, Saleem (Sohail Sameer), his sister-in-law, Nucchi (Sarwat Gilani), and their daughters. While his wife, Mumtaz (Rasti Farooq), works, he stays home, unable to find a job. When we first see Haider he is being pressed into service to take Nucchi to the hospital on his motorbike because she is about to give birth to another daughter. And then things change: Haider finds a job, and it's Mumtaz's turn to stay home -- though she really doesn't want to -- and cater to the family's needs. And so begins Saim Sadiq's prize-winning debut feature, a comic story that turns tragic in its course. Haider's chief problem is with the job he has found: backup dancer to a performer in a musical revue. Her name is Biba (Alina Khan), and she's transgender. At first, Haider tells the family that he's a stage manager, but the truth emerges. Everyone realizes that there's not much they can do about it as long as he's bringing in money, so he's allowed to continue. Haider is no dancer, but under Biba's tutelage he gets by, and soon he becomes a favorite of hers. There the complications really begin. Joyland reminded me of the Italian comedies of the 1960s by directors like Pietro Germi and Mario Monicelli that centered on a traditional society's conflict with contemporary ways of looking at the world. Sadiq's Pakistan is like their Sicily, but Joyland turns serious in ways that those films don't. It's a film that maybe doesn't quite set up its turn from comic to serious well enough, but the splendid performances make up for its flaws. 

[aspiringbelle]

There are people who are not fond of empathy, and want to portray it as a bad thing. I'm not sure if it originated with New Atheist Gad Saad or theologian Joe Rigney, but both have influenced right-wingers to explicitly reject empathy. And we can see the results.

[xtruss]

Whether It’s Biden Or Someone Else, Gaza Remains Top Priority For “Uncommitted” Voters

Activists who protested Biden’s handling of the war during Democratic primaries say they will maintain pressure no matter the nominee.

— Akela Lacy, Prem Thakker | July 3 2024 | The Intercept

A sign urges people not to vote for President Joe Biden in the upcoming election during a protest in front of the White against the Israeli attacks on civilians in Rafah that have killed dozens of people, Washington, DC, May 28, 2024. The bombings of tent camps inside Israel's designated safe zone has sparked outrage around the world, but the Biden Administration has called only for Israel to prevent civilian casualties as much as is feasible. Roughly 1 million Palestinians are taking refuge in Rafah, at Israel's direction. Photo by Allison Bailey/NurPhoto via AP

As Democrats Nationwide Pressure President Joe Biden to abandon his reelection bid, voters aligned with the “uncommitted” movement to protest his handling of the war in Gaza say they won’t get behind any nominee who doesn’t make a clear commitment to a permanent ceasefire.

“I think it would be a big mistake for the Democratic Party to switch gears but stay the course on this particular issue that has galvanized so many people in an unprecedented way in the primaries and who continue showing up and trying to advocate to be heard in a system that is continuing, they feel, to ignore them,” said Halah Ahmad, a policy analyst and spokesperson with Listen to Wisconsin, the state’s “uninstructed” campaign.

“They should let that policy die with this administration and move towards being a party that stands by its actual values,” Ahmad continued, “which are meant to be anti-war and pro-peace and pro-human rights and international law — which is in direct contrast to everything a Trump candidacy stands for.”

The anti-war movement to vote “uncommitted” instead of supporting Biden took off earlier this year ahead of Michigan’s Democratic primary in February. Advocates for the protest vote later launched chapters in other critical swing states including Wisconsin and Pennsylvania and have netted more than half a million votes in more than a dozen primaries. The movement has garnered support for at least 25 delegates at the upcoming Democratic National Convention.

Activists from around the country told The Intercept that they will advocate for an anti-war agenda at the convention in August and withhold their vote in November unless an adequate candidate steps up, listing policy priorities such as support for a permanent ceasefire and standing up to the pro-Israel lobby as it intervenes in Democratic primaries. Even as the Biden campaign insists that he will not step aside, many Democrats appear to be lining up behind Vice President Kamala Harris as an alternative candidate, with some Democratic governors being floated as well.

“My Number One Criteria For Any Candidate Is Opposing The Genocide In Gaza.”

“My number one criteria for any candidate is opposing the genocide in Gaza,” said Saad Farooq, an uncommitted voter in Massachusetts. Farooq said it was unlikely that the Democratic National Committee would select any candidate who took a stance against Israel’s ongoing war, and that he would support Green Party candidate Jill Stein if she were to appear on the ballot in Massachusetts.

Cole Sandick, who left his primary ballot in New York blank, said his apprehension over supporting Biden stemmed completely from his handling of the war on Gaza. “The rest of his presidency has been imperfect but better than I thought it was going to be, and I was fully on board to vote for him prior to October 7,” Sandick wrote. “Really all I want from an alternative candidate is simply *some* moderation on this issue. Some commitment to a ceasefire, some recognition of the carnage that’s taken place. Some concern for the civil liberties being ripped away from all those like me who dissent and protest.”

Sandick said he would support Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer or Harris. “Nominating Biden at this point is a death sentence.”

Shaneez Hameed, an uncommitted voter in California, also said that the war in Gaza is a red line for him as a voter.

“Any new candidate will have to do something about stopping the genocide in Palestine and also be open to making changes with the supreme Court and filibuster,” Hameed wrote. “Or else, nothing changes and there is no point in voting.”

He mentioned Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., who has called for a ceasefire in Gaza, as a candidate who might fit the bill, but conceded that there is no “realistic chance of him being nominated.” Hameed said he wasn’t familiar with Harris’s policies, “but if she even entertains the idea of a ceasefire, I will vote.”

Harris, for her part, reportedly pushed the White House to be more sympathetic toward Palestinian suffering in public statements about the war. In March, Harris delivered a speech that symbolized a U.S. escalation, as she more forcefully called for an “immediate ceasefire” and urged Israel to do more to increase the flow of aid to Gaza. “No excuses,” she said. Even then, reports surfaced that National Security Council officials had watered down parts of her speech.

“We have to have a goal that we start working on right now, for peace and for an equal measure of security for Israelis and Palestinians,” Harris said later that month. “Palestinians have a right to self-determination; they have a right to dignity, and we’re going to have to work on that.”

For some activists, Harris’s association with Biden makes her candidacy a non-starter. Mohamed Hussein, an uncommitted voter in Minnesota, said that he didn’t want to see anyone from the current administration replace Biden. “I would have no faith in them to speak up when they can’t even speak up to the obvious circus going on,” he said. “I would question their ability to handle difficult situations and decisions because it seems like no one in the administration is pulling the alarm on the embarrassing situation.”

Harris is “guilty by association,” Hussein wrote. “In my eyes, she’s either ok with Biden running as president again or she’s not able to talk him out of it. Both are bad qualities in a president.”

Hussein added that he was interested in a governor possibly replacing Biden on the Democratic ticket because they might be less tied to D.C. politics. “I feel like they’re less likely to be influenced by people in Washington,” he said.

Will Dawson, an uncommitted voter in Washington, D.C., named several factors that could get him to switch his vote from the Green Party’s Stein to another politician. First on his list is a promise to call for an immediate ceasefire and fighting the influence of the pro-Israel lobby and the American Israel Public Affairs Committee in Congress.

“This candidate would also ideally work toward pulling further away from the Israeli colonial project over time, with the goal being repealing our absurd financial support, ending the foreign interest agency of AIPAC, and pushing for a nation-wide boycott a la [South Africa] during their apartheid,” Dawson wrote.

The candidate would also have to push to reform the Supreme Court, he added. “The candidate would have to promise to both push for justice impeachment, and expand the courts,” Dawson said.“If a replacement candidate met both of these requirements, I would absolutely consider switching my vote from Jill Stein. Hell, I might even knock doors/canvass for them!”

As uncommitted voters list their conditions, concerns around backing a candidate who supports Israel’s war are spreading to others within the Democratic Party apparatus. One DNC delegate, who was granted anonymity to speak freely, told The Intercept they have been experiencing reservations as a delegate due to Biden’s unrelenting support for Israel. “Do I really want to, you know, even in any way, whether it’s symbolic or not, contribute to Biden being our nominee? And I struggled, because it’s — do I want to vote for someone who’s supporting a genocide? No.”

[sataniccapitalist]

Joe Rogan Pearl-Clutches About Anti-Semitism with Gad Saad

[warningsine]

Director: Saim Sadiq, DoP: Joe Saade

[genevieveetguy]

Joyland, Saim Sadiq (2022)

[the-garbanzo-annex-jr]

Source