#justice for marmite | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

brookston · 2 months ago

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Holidays 9.28

Holidays

Banned Websites Awareness Day

Battle of Marathon Anniversary Day (490 BCE)

British Home Child Day (UK)

Cabrillo Day (California)

Canterbury South Day (New Zealand)

Carrot Day (French Republic)

Carson King Day (Iowa)

Circassian Costume Day

Ethel Rosenberg Day of Justice (New York)

Fiesta of San Miguel (Mexico)

Fish Tank Floorshow Night

Flag Day (Thailand)

Frances Willard Day (Minnesota, Wisconsin)

Freedom From Hunger Day

Global Day of Student Prayer

Gold Lining Day

Gone-ta-Pott Day [every 28th]

Grandmother’s Day (Moldova)

International Day of Arnold Chiari Syndrome

International Day of Scientific Culture

International Day for Universal Access to Information (UN)

International Right to Know Day

International Safe Abortion Day

Let Freedom Read Day

National British Home Child Day (Canada)

National Chris Day

National Day of Awareness

National Day of Awareness and Unity against Child Pornography (Philippines)

National Good Neighbor Day

National Gordie Day

National Manufacturing Day (UK)

National North Carolina Day

National Parks Free Entrance Day

National Penicillin Allergy Day

National Self Awareness Day

National Son’s Day (Canada)

National Talk Like Mr. Krabs Day (Aenopia)

National Traffic Door Day

NICU Staff Recognition Day

928 Day (Arizona)

Nuclear Industry Worker’s Day (Kazakhstan, Russia)

Popular Uprising of Naples Day (Italy)

Porsche 928 Day

Psoriatic Arthritis Awareness Day

Railway Day (Indonesia)

Read a Child a Book You Like Day

Silver Lining Day

Teacher’s Day (Philippines, Taiwan)

World News Day

World Pet Day

World Rabies Day

Food & Drink Celebrations

Drink As Much Beer As Possible Day

Drink Beer Day

International Poke Day

Marshmallow Twisters Day

National Drink Beer Day

Ohio Pint Day

Strawberry Cream Pie Day

World Marmite Day

Independence & Related Days

Czech Statehood Day (Czech Republic)

Nefaria (a.k.a. Timonoucitiland; Declared; 2019) [unrecognized]

Referendum Anniversary Day (Republic of Guinea; 1958)

4th & Last Saturday in September

American Frog Day [4th Saturday]

Cavan Day [4th Saturday]

Centzon-Totochtin Drunken Rabbit Day [Last Saturday]

European Mushroom Day [4th Saturday]

Everybody's Day Festival [Last Saturday]

Family Health and Fitness Day USA (Last Saturday]

Fish Amnesty Day [4th Saturday]

International Lace Day [Last Saturday]

International Rabbit Day [4th Saturday]

Kiwanis Kids' Day [4th Saturday]

Museum Day (Smithsonian) [4th Saturday]

National Colouring Day (Canada) [4th Saturday]

National Ghost Hunting Day [Last Saturday]

National Hunting & Fishing Day [4th Saturday]

National Public Lands Day [4th Saturday]

National Seat Check Saturday [4th Saturday]

National Wildlife Ecology Day [4th Saturday]

Nickelodeon’s Worldwide Day of Play [Last Saturday]

R.E.A.D. in America Day [4th Saturday]

Salacious Saturday [4th Saturday of Each Month]

Sandwich Saturday [Every Saturday]

Sausage Saturday [4th Saturday of Each Month]

Save Your Photos Day [Last Saturday]

Seat Check Saturday [4th Saturday]

Six For Saturday [Every Saturday]

Spaghetti Saturday [Every Saturday]

Splurge Saturday [Last Saturday of Each Month]

Stir-Fry Saturday [Last Saturday of Each Month]

World Cyanotype Day [Last Saturday]

World Day of Leukodystrophies [Last Saturday]

World’s Largest Pet Walk [Last Saturday]

Weekly Holidays beginning September 28 (4th Full Week of September)

National Alpaca Farm Days (thru 10.6) [Last Saturday]

Festivals Beginning September 28, 2024

Afton Apple Orchard Apple Festival (Hastings Area, Minnesota) [thru 9.29]

Alpaca Farm Days (Lincoln, Nebraska) [thru 9.29

Apple Fest (Winston-Salem, North Carolina)

Apple Festival (Media, Pennsylvania)

AppleUmpkin Festival (Wyoming, New York) [thru 9.29]

Banana Festival (Port of Hueneme, California)

BAROMETER International Bar Show (Kyiv, Ukraine) [thru 9.29]

BBQ Brews & Brats (Enumclaw, Washington) [thru 9.29]

Beef-A-Rama (Minocqua, Wisconsin)

Boston Veg Food Fest (Boston, Massachusetts) [thru 9.29]

Chili Challenge (Steamboat Springs, Colorado)

Chili Challenge (Waterville Valley, New Hampshire)

Chili-Chowdah Festival (East Bridgewater, Massachusetts)

Cornstock (Garnett, Kansas)

Country Applefest (Lebanon, Ohio) [thru 9.29]

Cumberland County Fair (Cumberland, Maine) [thru 9.29]

Fall Harvest Festival (Sherman, Connecticut)

Festival of India (Richmond, Virginia) [thru 9.29]

Festa Italiana Seattle (Seattle, Washington) [thru 9.29]

Flushing Harvest Festival (Flushing, Michigan)

Geneva Grape Jamboree (Geneva, Ohio) [thru 9.29]

Genoa Candy Dance (Genoa, Nevada) [thru 9.29]

Germantown Pretzel Festival (Germantown, Ohio) [thru 9.29]

Glenville Oktoberfest -(Glenville, New York)

Goleta Lemon Festival (Goleta, California) [thru 9.29]

Great Plains Renaissance & Scottish Festival (Wichita, Kansas) [9.29]

West Virginia Autumn Harvest Festival and Roadkill Cook-Off (Marlinton, West Virginia)

Hartford County Wine Festival (Bel Air, Maryland)

Harvest Festival and Roadkill Cook-off (Marlinton, West Virginia)

Homesteaders Day (Hardy, Arkansas)

Honey Bee Festival (Palo Cedro, California) [thru 9.29]

Hudson Valley Garlic Festival (Saugerties, New York) [thru 9.29]

Irish Italian International Festival (North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina)

Jack-O-Lantern Spectacular (Apple Valley, Minnesota) [thru 11.2]

Jelly Belly Candy Palooza (Fairfield, California) [thru 9.29]

Kelseyville Pear Festival (Kelseyville, California)

Kendal Torchlight Carnival (Kendal, United Kingdom)

Lenox Apple Squeeze (Lenox, Massachusetts)

Maine Lakes Brew Fest (Casco, Maine)

Maryland Microbrewery Festival (Westminster, Maryland)

My-Oh-My Apple Pie Weekend (Willcox, Arizona) [thru 9.29]

Naples Grape Festival (Naples, New York) [thru 9.29]

NC Muscadine Festival (Kenansville, North Carolina)

Nelson Farm Pumpkin Patch Festival (Litchfield, Minnesota) [thru 10.27]

Newport Oktoberfest (Newport, Rhode Island)

North Quabbin Garlic & Arts Festival (Orange, Massachusetts) [thru 9.29]

Northwest Tea Festival (Seattle, Washington) [thru 9.29]

Oktoberfest Weekend (Chester, New Jersey) [thru 9.29]

OkTUPPERfest (Tupper Lake, New York)

Plains Peanut Festival (Plains, Georgia)

PotatoFest (Ebensburg, Pennsylvania)

Pumpkin Festival (Rapid City, South Dakota)

San Juan Capistrano Greek Fest (San Juan Capistrano, California) [thru 9.29]

Saratoga Giant PumpkinFest Weigh-Off (Saratoga Springs, New York)

Seafood and Soul Festival (Stockton, California) [thru 9.29]

Sedona WineFest (Sedona, Arizona) [thru 9.29]

SeptOberfest (Wabasha, Minnesota) [thru 10.6]

South Toms River Food Truck & Craft Beer Festival (Toms River, New Jersey)

Smith Mountain Lake Wine Festival (Smith Mountain Lake, Virginia) [thru 9.29]

Sonoma County VegFest (Santa Rosa, California)

A Taste of Soquel (Soquel, California)

Treasure Coast Seafood Festival (Vero Beach, Florida)

Turkey Festival (Eldon, Missouri)

Valpo Brewfest (Valparaiso, Indiana)

Wichita Wagonmasters Downtown Chili CookOff (Wichita, Kansas)

Wing Dang Doodle Festival (Forest, Mississippi)

Yadkin Valley Pumpkin Festival (Elkin, North Carolina)

Yavapai Cattle Growers Annual Calf Sale & BBQ (Peeples Valley, Arizona)

Feast Days

Aaron of Auxerre (Christian; Saint)

Al Capp (Artology)

Alexandre Cabanel (Artology)

Annemund (Christian; Saint)

Cailleach An Dudean (Hag of the Mill-Dust Dance; Celtic Book of Days)

Confucius (Confucianism; Founder)

Conval (Christian; Saint)

Eustochium (Christian; Saint)

Exuperius (Christian; Saint)

Fast of Gedalia (Judaism) [3 Tishri]

Faustus of Riez (Christian; Saint)

Feast of Khepera (Egyptian Beetle God)

Festival of Wawatsari (God of Deer Peyote; Huichol, Mexico)

Fictional Character Day (Pastafarian)

First of San Miguel (Christian; Mexico)

Fred (Muppetism)

Hapi’s Day (Day of the Nile; Pagan)

Hazelwood Day (Church of the SubGenius; Saint)

John of Dukla (Christian; Saint)

Leoba (a.k.a. Lioba; Christian; Saint)

Lorenzo Ruiz (Christian; Saint)

Michaelmas Eve (Celtic)

Mme. de Staal (Positivist; Saint)

Paternus of Auch (Christian; Saint)

Richard Rolle, Walter Hilton and Margery Kempe (Episcopal Church (USA))

Simón de Rojas (Christian; Saint)

Simon Winchester (Writerism)

Tales of Kelp-Kori’s Second Visit (Shamanism)

Thesmophoria (Ancient Greece; Festival to Demeter)

Warja Lavater (Artology)

Wenceslas of Bohemia(Christian; Saint) [Bohemia, Czech brewers] *

Lucky & Unlucky Days

Prime Number Day: 271 [58 of 72]

Sakimake (先負 Japan) [Bad luck in the morning, good luck in the afternoon.]

Umu Limnu (Evil Day; Babylonian Calendar; 45 of 60)

Premieres

Aqua Duck (WB MM Cartoon; 1963)

…Baby One More Time, by Britney Spears (Song; 1998)

Ballet Shoes, by Noel Streatfeild (Children’s Novel; 1936)

Blackadder Goes Forth (UK TV Series; 1989)

Blonde (Film; 2022)

The Clock Store (Silly Symphony Cartoon; 1931)

Cool Hand Luke, by Donn Pearce (Novel; 1965)

DC Showcase: Green Arrow (WB Cartoon; 2010)

The Dissent of Man, by Bad Religion (Album; 2010)

Dr. Kildare (TV Series; 1961)

Eldorado, by Electric Light Orchestra (Album; 1974)

Fallen Into the Pit, by Ellis Peters (Novel; 1951)

The Great Friendship, by Vano Muradeli (Opera; 1947)

Greedy for Tweety (WB LT Cartoon; 1957)

Hearts in Atlantis (Film; 2001)

Hook, Line and Sinker (Terrytoons Cartoon; 1939)

Hotel Transylvania (Animated Film; 2012)

I Heard It Through the Grapevine, by Gladys Knight & The Pips (Song; 1967)

L’Histoire du Soldat, by Igor Stravinsky (Theatrical Work; 1918)

Looney Lightning or Nuts and Volts (Rocky & Bullwinkle Cartoon, S6, Ep. 306; 1964)

Looper (Film; 2012)

Love Me Tender, by Elvis Presley (Song; 1956)

Mildred Pierce (Film; 1945)

Minding the Baby (Betty Boop Cartoon; 1931)

Night School (Film; 2018)

On Ice (Disney Cartoon; 1935)

Papa Was a Rollin’ Stone, by The Temptations (Song; 1972)

Pitch Perfect (Film; 2012)

The Professor and the Madman (UK Title: The Surgeon of Crowthorne), by Simon Winchester (Book; 1998)

The Show Must Go On or Give “em the Acts (Rocky & Bullwinkle Cartoon, S6, Ep. 305; 1964)

Smallfoot (Animated Film; 2018)

Songs in the Key of Life, by Stevie Wonder (Album; 1976)

Star Trek: The Next Generation (TV Series; 1987)

Superman/Batman: Apocalypse (WB Animated Film; 2010)

Tales from Margarita, by Jimmy Buffet (Short Stories; 1989)

To Know Him Is To Love Him, by The Teddy Bears (Song; 1958)

Tom and Jerry: Robin Hood and His Merry Mouse (WB Animated Film; 2012)

Travels with My Aunt, by Graham Greene (Novel; 1969)

Ugly Betty (TV Series; 2008)

The Watchdog (Terrytoons Cartoon; 1945)

Welcome to the Jungle, by Guns N’ Roses (Song; 1987)

The Wild Life (Film; 1984)

A Wizard of Earthsea, by Ursula K. Le Guin (Novel; 1968) [Earthsea #1]

Zoolander (Film; 2001)

Today’s Name Days

Dietmar, Giselher, Lioba, Thekla, Wenzel (Austria)

Faust, Lovorko, Većeslav (Croatia)

Václav (Czech Republic)

Venceslaus (Denmark)

Lennart, Lenno, Leonhard, Linnar, Linnart (Estonia)

Arja, Lenni (Finland)

Venceslas (France)

Giselher, Lioba, Wenzel (Germany)

Heriton (Greece)

Vencel (Hungary)

Venceslao (Italy)

Gaita, Kaira, Lana, Sergejs, Svetlana (Latvia)

Saliamonas, Tautvydas, Vaclovas, Vacys, Vientautė (Lithuania)

Lena, Lene (Norway)

Jan, Laurencjusz, Luba, Lubosza, Marek, Nikita, Salomon, Sylwin, Wacław, Wacława, Wawrzyniec, Więcesław (Poland)

Hariton (Romania)

Václav (Slovakia)

Lorenzo, Wenceslao (Spain)

Lennart, Leonard (Sweden)

Baruch, Preston, Prior, Pryor, Wenzel (USA)

Today is Also…

Day of Year: Day 272 of 2024; 94 days remaining in the year

ISO: Day 6 of Week 39 of 2024

Celtic Tree Calendar: Muin (Vine) [Day 28 of 28]

Chinese: Month 8 (Guy-You), Day 26 (Yi-Wei)

Chinese Year of the: Dragon 4722 (until January 29, 2025) [Wu-Chen]

Hebrew: 25 Elul 5784

Islamic: 24 Rabi I 1446

J Cal: 2 Orange; Twosday [2 of 30]

Julian: 15 September 2024

Moon: 14%: Waning Crescent

Positivist: 20 Shakespeare (10th Month) [Richardson]

Runic Half Month: Gyfu (Gift) [Day 7 of 15]

Season: Autumn or Fall (Day 7 of 90)

Week: 4th Full Week of September

Zodiac: Libra (Day 6 of 30)

#calendar #Holidays

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svchasimp · 1 year ago

Text

𝐌𝐔𝐒𝐄'𝐒 𝐈𝐍𝐅𝐎 𝐒𝐇𝐄𝐄𝐓

{Basics}

Name: Gray Brady

Alias:

Gender: male

Age: 30 - 37

Species: Human

Zodiac: aquarius / aries / cancer / capricorn / gemini / leo / libra / pisces / sagittarius / scorpio / taurus / virgo / unknown

Abilities/Talents:

{Personal}

Alignment: lawful / neutral / chaotic / good / neutral / evil / true

Religion:

Sins: envy / greed / gluttony / lust / pride / sloth / wrath

Virtues: charity / chastity / diligence / humility / justice / kindness / patience

Languages: English

Family: Sister Jasmin and brother Nick

Friends:

Sexual Orientation: heterosexual / bisexual / pansexual / homosexual / demisexual / asexual / unsure / questioning / other

Relationship status: single / dating / married / widowed / open relationship / other

Libido: sex god / very high / high / average / low / very low / non-existent

{Physical}

Build: twig / bony / slender / average / athletic / curvy / chubby / obese

Hair: white / blonde / brunette / red / black / other

Eyes: brown / blue / green / black / other

Skin: pale / fair / olive / light brown / brown / very brown / other

Height: under 3 foot / 3-4 foot / 4-5 foot / 5-6 foot / 6-7 foot / above 7 foot

Weight: under 100 pounds / 100-150 pounds / 150-200 pounds / 200-250 pounds / above 250 pounds

Scars:

Facial Features: Beard

Tattoos:

{Choose}

Dogs or Cats?

Birds or Hamsters?

Red or Blue?

Yellow or Green?

Black or White?

Coffee or Tea?

Ice Cream or Cake?

Fruits or Vegetables?

Sandwich or Soup?

Magic or Melee?

Sword or Bow?

Summer or Winter?

Spring or Autumn?

The Past or The Future?

{ Taste: }

{ Touch: }

{ Scent: }

{ Sound: }

{ Sight: }

tagged by: tagging:

#about; gray #hc; gray

0 notes

incorrectbatfam · 2 years ago

Note

Alfred's best guns and who their equivalent be in the Batfam? (If possible plz)

Dick: Justice League t-shirt gun

Jason: gun gun (it shoots smaller guns)

Tim: coffee grounds gun

Damian: tiny swords gun

Duke: spiderweb gun

Cullen: Furby gun

Stephanie: grape soda gun

Cassandra: batarang gun

Barbara: printer ink gun

Harper: ground beef gun

Carrie: funfetti gun

Kate: black tar gun

Alfred: tea and scones gun

Selina: hairball gun

Bruce: marmite gun

#ask #alfred pennyworth #batfamily #batfam #batkids #batsiblings #batman family #dc comics #headcanon #crack #tw gun mention #tw food mention

165 notes · View notes

goatskickin · 3 years ago

Photo

When we last left the fam, Genesis was all about aliens, Justice cleared the Athletic restriction so the household can FINALLY move their furniture around and sunshine-personified Grandpa Patrick passed on. What’s in store this chapter?

“HI everyone, this is CHEYenne, and we have a special treat for you today.

I don’t know if you heard, but Chef Patrick of Veganesque passed away recently.

Now, the restaurant will not be the same without his sunny personality. But his recipes did not go when he did! His family has reached out to us here at Pitstop Radio and have offered to share some of his recipes.

So once a week, me, intern Cheyenne, will be reading you a recipe. Have your pencils ready!

Today, we will be starting with Chef Patrick’s famous vegan chili. Here is the recipe that follows: For the homemade chili paste, you will need the following: 3 whole sweet, dried chilies like Costeño, New Mexico, or Choricero, stems and seeds removed

2 small hot dried chilies like Arbol or Cascabel, stems and seeds removed (optional)

3 whole rich fruity dried chilies like Ancho, Mulatto, Negro, or Pasilla, stems and-“

“The recipe doesn’t call for jalapeños, does it?”

“Well, jalapeños are fruity I guess, but are they ‘rich and fruity?’ Um…”

“Daaaaaad, jalapeños are a vegetable, not a fruit! You’re funny.”

“Can we put fruit in the chili? Fruit soup?”

“Haha YEAH fruit soup TOOT TOOT, hahahaha!”

“Transfer chilies and liquid to blender and blend, starting on the lowest possible setting and gradually increasing speed to high (make sure to hold the lid down with a clean kitchen towel or a potholder to prevent it from blowing out)-”

“You hear that Sas? She knows what a klutz you are, ha!”

“Oliver shut up or you can have crackers for dinner.”

“-garlic, cumin, and dried oregano and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add pureed chilies, soy sauce, and marmite-”

“Baby, do we have marmite? Or Vegemite even?”

“Yes, in the door of the fridge.

��

Benny, you really shouldn’t be on the counter. Want me to grab a stool for you?”

“Cheyenne lets me sit on the counters.”

“I don’t think that’s true Benny. Counters are for food, not for butts.”

“You’re a butt.”

“Benjamin, off the counter. Now.”

“If beans are sticking out of the top, add reserved kidney bean liquid until just barely submerged. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce to a bare simmer, and cook, stirring occasionally, until thick and rich, about 1 1/2 hours-“

“You have got to be kidding me! I saved all this vegetable stock, and we are going to use bean liquid for the base?! I have never heard of anything so ridiculous.”

“Loren, it’s a thick soup. Maybe it’s not needed because of the crushed tomatoes-“

“What kind of crazy soup recipe has no stock in it! This is madness!”

“Loren, just save the stock for another time! Stop being dramatic.”

“Has anyone seen Aiyana?”

“Uh, bathroom? But I haven’t seen her in a moment.

“Aiyana?”

“Hi, sorry, just needed a moment to myself.”

“Can I come in?”

“Yes. Sorry, I’m just going to sit down a moment.”

“You didn’t have to come in today you know.”

“Where else would I go? Didn’t want to stay home.”

“You mind if I keep you company?”

“Sure.”

“What were you doing at the window?”

“Where were you, during the fall? Downtown, right?”

“Yes. And you were at Brainia U?”

“Yes. I came home from my exam, and everything was in chaos. Rishell pulled me into the big room off the cafeteria as soon as I was in the dorm. We were in there for 3 days with no food, and one water bottle before we finally snuck out.

There wasn’t a single book in that room to read. I know we slept a lot. We could have drawn pictures if either of us could draw.”

“To keep ourselves occupied, we planned our wedding. Well, she told me the plan, and I listened.

She wanted a winter wedding, on New Year’s Eve. Ivory invitations embossed, not stamped, with gold leaf. She would design the dresses - an A-line Grace Kelly number for herself, and a silk sheath for me. A stole for each of us, and fur hats with short veils. Hope would be our witness. The bouquets would be lilies of the valley - off tradition, but they were her favorite, even if they were basically weeds. All white dress code for the guests. Clair de Lune for walking down the aisle. No church, but in an all-white museum space. No organ music, but a piano and harp. She didn’t care how ridiculous it sounded - she wanted an over-the-top winter wonderland dream.

I told her that people would expect, I don’t know, ‘Play That Funky Music White Boy’ and tequila shots at the reception. But she wouldn’t hear of it; she said, ‘panache demands respect and decorum’.

Oyster stew and watercress salad for the first course of dinner, then sea bass with winter vegetables for the second. Almond Victoria sponge for the cake (delicate, all white vanilla buttercream, absolutely no fondant). A band for the reception, and a flower each for the guests, instead of a bouquet toss.”

“That would have been lovely babe.”

“...and I know this goes without saying, but I am sorry for your loss.”

“Thanks T.”

“THERE you both are! Come on! The chili is reducing now, I want to look up a cornbread-“

“Kestrel, what the shit! You can’t just barge in here!”

“Sorreee, just wondering where you guys were, gosh.”

“If for once in your-“

“T, it’s okay, I’m fine.”

“Aiyana, I was just-“

“You okay Aiyana? Can I come in?”

“Yeah, it’s okay Kestrel, you can come in.”

“I am so sorry, she’s just like this-“

“Seriously, it’s fine-“

“Don’t you want to come hang out with us Aiyana?”

“She’s just taking a moment Kestrel, she’s grieving. Have some respect.”

“Tiave, it’s okay. You don’t have to defend me.”

“You know, sometimes I think that’s the most monstrous thing about us. That we live so long, but we love people the exact same amount. And then you see them die, again and again and again, and you just have to keep going. It’s horrible, really.”

“Kestrel what the FUCK, can you get out of here?! Is that supposed to be comforting?!”

“Seriously Tiave, it’s fine.”

“Oft have I heard that grief softens the mind,

And makes it fearful and degenerate;

Think therefore on revenge and cease to weep.”

“Is that Henry VI?! Are you a Shakespeare fan?! We must go tell Loren!”

“It is – sure, let’s go. The chili might be ready already.”

“I saw, Loren, years ago, play a fabulous Queen Gertrude in a Shakespeare troupe.”

“Now that is something I’d like to see. And who was Hamlet?”

“Pat of course! You’ll meet him eventually once he comes to his senses and joins us. Swan isn’t inclined to being emotional in public though…”

~~~

Auntie Mercy is still the best little nursemaid this side of Pitstop Valley.

“So Tempe’s down for his afternoon nap – wanna change him when he wakes up Gen?”

“Hm? Oh yes, go ahead and change him, thanks, I am busy rehearsing lecture about polynomials”

“Justice, your wife is from another planet, I swear.”

Faith’s first day of school ends up being a snow day, much to her dismay.

“What?! I was going to hang out with kids. Now I have to hang out with Aunt Mercy all day, aww.”

“Aunt Mercy, I’m bored. What are we going to do today?”

“Well Faith, I am going to keep reading this book. As long as you don’t set anything on fire, you can do whatever you want.”

“Aunt Mercy says that as long as I don’t set anything on fire I can do whatever I want today! What should I do dad?”

“Ah! You could test out some of my physical therapy exercises! Or rethread my football. Or clean my cleats. Or-“

“Dad NOOOOO that sounds like CHORES I wanna have fun!”

Faith ends up spending the first half of her snow day morning drawing at the kids table.

“Haha! I drew boobies, haha!”

And she spends the second half of morning bothering her Aunt Mercy.

“Why do we have candles on during the day? Aren’t candles for nighttime? Can I light a candle?”

“Faith, no, no matches for you. What did I say about fires.”

“HMMMMMMMMM but if I had a lighter, could I light a candle?”

“Faith I-“

“Shit, the chili!”

“HAHAHAHA Auntie Mercyyyy, you said a bad word!”

“Haha!”

“Faith, shut up, you’re going to have to eat this too you know.”

“Are you bad at cooking? I thought that all grownups could cook. Didn’t Grandpa Patrick teach you?”

“Listen Faith…”

Ooh, a chance card for Justice!

Of course, Justice would choose the chance card that supports schools. Genesis will be pleased.

Temperance (nicknamed Tempe) is ushered into the family with the traditional bucket sink. Shortly thereafter, Mercy encounters something she’s never experienced before.

“Um, the phone is ringing? Who calls us?”

“Hello?”

“Hi! This is the Springs-Eternal household, yes?”

“Uh, yes. Sorry, we don’t get a lot of phone calls…it’s Tuesday then?”

“Yep, sure is Tuesday! Sorry, this is Cheyenne at Pitstop Radio. You sent us the recipe book that Chef Patrick wrote?”

“Uh, yeah we did. Yep, that was us.”

“Thanks! I just wanted to thank you for offering it. Calls have been coming in non-stop about the recipe readings! At least on Tuesdays!

Monty and Ajay don’t have the foresight to record these sorts of things ya know, but I do, and this will def be known as one of our higher rated programs. So, thanks!

Sorry, I’m a mile a minute – who am I speaking with please?

“Uh, this is Mercy. Patrick’s daughter.”

“Okay! So, thanks Mercy! You’re also welcome to stop by the station any time to check out our operations. As a thank you?”

“Um, yeah – I’ll have to check with my brother about that one. But thanks.”

“You’re welcome! Goodbye!”

…

“Weird.”

Speaking of the man of the house, the heir and his wife have returned home from work.

And Genesis has a promotion!

“As soon as I get the local high school back up and running and full of qualified teachers, the teenagers of Pitstop Valley will finally be able to get a higher education. Wait until the school board hears my ideas about new math!”

Justice happens to bring home a work friend – Candice, Koda Navajo’s new wife.

“Wow Justice, thanks for the ride! And can I say, Koda and I are literally such fans of the Mutant Football League. We never miss a game!”

“Always good to meet a fan, Candice.”

Thankfully, Justice thinks Candice is totally yuckers.

“Mom, I’m bored. Can we play a game?”

“Have you done your Sixam homework?”

“Mommmmmmmmm, no one else has to learn Sixam! Why do I?!”

“I am not having this conversation in the bathroom Faith.”

“Fineeeeee.”

“Based on my research, besides the common tongue, the second most spoken language here in Pitstop Valley is estimated to be Sixam.

Our community has not been visited by aliens yet, but we could very well be the next stop. After all, they’ve already made contact in Strangetown. I am honestly surprised that the Curious family hasn’t taught their hybrids the language. Irresponsible if you ask me.”

“Mommmmmm, that’s a BAD word. We aren’t supposed to use that word anymore.”

“Which one. Hybrid?”

“Yeah, only old people call them that! Don’t be LAME.”

“Tell you what – we will play a game of rock paper scissors and for every time you lose, we practice a Sixam word.”

“Deal!”

…

“Dang it!”

“Okay; how do you say ‘sun’ in Sixam?”

“Uhhh…xiqshe”

“Yes, but your pronunciation is off; the emphasis is on the ‘shh’ sound.”

“UGHHH.”

“What are you guys up to?”

“Nothing except mom is CHEATING and she’s a CHEATER at rock paper scissors!”

“…don’t think that’s possible Faith. Did she grow an extra hand or fingers?”

Another day, another inch closer to Genesis clearing the Education restriction.

Genesis’s promotion to high school principal means an upgrade in outfit – a fabulous and distinctive pink suit that Auntie Rishell surely would have loved.

In-house nanny Mercy takes care of baby Tempe while his parents are at work.

And now that the snow has cleared somewhat, it’s time for Faith’s real first day at school.

Pengu: “So the child marches off to school to expand her mind and make social connections while you and I brother, here we stand here, in the harsh winter scene, grinding away at nothing, no goals, no ambitions…”

Evil Snowman: *listens evilly*

Speaking of, Faith has a good first day at school.

“Auntie Mercy, why do I have to come home and write down what I learned in school? This is dumb.”

“Well, I can’t disagree with you there, but don’t you let your mom catch you talking about homework like that.”

“Can I have a bite? Is that Grandpa Patrick’s cashew butter cheese?”

“Can I have lunch in peace kiddo?! No! Buzz off.”

“I swear Tempe, you’re the only one around here who doesn’t get on my nerves.”

Though Justice began adulthood doing quite poorly as a Fortune sim, the Athletic career track has been a lucrative one, so his mood is in much better standing now.

As he’s already a Superstar, Justice only works a few days a week. So, he’s trying to spend time with his daughter while she’s still young.

“Okay, now throw it back to me! Fingers gripping the laces now!”

“I’m gonna do my special spiral technique! They’ll name a stadium after me dad, and this technique! It’s a special technique, and I made it up!”

While Justice and Faith were throwing the pigskin around outside, Tempe grew up. To look almost exactly like his mother.

Though he mostly recognizes Aunt Mercy as ‘mom’.

Genesis is here to gather all the toddler skilling aspiration gains…

….but everyone knows what it is that she really cares about.

“Rudimentary in technology…but let’s see how it goes.”

“I wonder if the observatory in Strangetown ever had to resort to this…likely not, they at least have funding.”

“Come on aliens! See my signal! Yoohoo!”

While Genesis attempts to make first contact, everyone else goes about their evening.

Taking care of the toddler…

…skilling…

…and playing chess outside in the dark?

“Ha! Now mom can’t hog the chess board because she’s busy with the telescope. I’m going to line up the knights so they look like a horse parade. NEIGHHHH.”

Downstairs however, a pedestrian walks by.

“HI! So my Auntie Mercy says that I can’t talk to strangers, but if I say ‘hi’ and introduce myself you aren’t a stranger anymore, so HI my name is Faith Springs-Eternal what’s your name?”

“Hello. My name is Aiyana. May I ask - my friend Hope, she used to live here. Does she still?”

“My grandma’s name was Hope! But she died before I was born. She’s buried in the backyard.”

“I see. Nice to meet you Faith.”

“My grandpa died too, he was really funny, he used to play with me all the time. No one wants to play with me they are always WORKING. I have a little brother but he’s too young to play with.”

“I see.”

“You wanna play catch?! My dad taught me how.”

“…sure.”

“Faith, may I ask, why are you up so late? Aren’t your parents worried?”

“No, my dad is like cleaning or something and my mom was at the telescope looking for aliens and now she’s asleep I think my Auntie Mercy is sleeping too.”

“I see. Do you spend a lot of time outside by yourself at night?”

“Noooooooooo but I was bored. I’m not tired. I can stay up as late as I want! No one is paying attention.”

“Wanna see me do a cartwheel! LOOK! LOOK AIYANA!”

“Well! That was something. I’m sorry about your grandpa and your grandma. I used to know your grandma. We were friends. I am sorry to hear that she died.”

“That’s okay. I’m gonna go inside now. Bye Aiyana!”

Faith’s little brother, Temperance is more sweet tempered than his sister. Tempe is a quiet toddler, content to play by himself.

In contrast to Faith…

“Cartwheel with a double roundoff landing! Stick the landing!!!”

“WOO go Faith! Don’t tell your dad. Another one! More bounce on the landing! Arms straight!”

“Gen babe, I know you’ve been hard at work skilling…"

“But why don’t you say we make like an egg and get you sunny side up-“

“JEEZ, that’s the last time we hanky panky in the kitchen. How am I going to explain this moisture damage to Mercy?!”

“DAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAD-“

“Bottle.”

">:(”

“Tempe, say ‘Bottle’. ‘Bah-tull’. Ba-ba.”

“Tempe, say- “

“DAD, pay attention to me!!! Mrs. Ottomas gave my creative writing project a gold star sticker! DAD! Dad Dad Dad Dad Dad-“

Pengu: “The shackles of morality are strong and grip you tighter every day. How it pains me, to see you wither. Do you have any last requests? Shall I see you in another time, another place?”

Evil Snowman: *muffled, melty whining*

Genesis brings home no promotion. But she does look damn fine in her pink suit.

“No promotion for Gen – but Dad’s barley TVP burgers should cheer her up. Now if I can only find the garlic chili oil…”

And SPEAKING of Grandpa Patrick…

…the Springs-Eternal household has its first ghost visitor! What could be the purpose of Patrick’s visit?

“Woo! Finally, this bed got a new comforter! Adorable! Hope would love this. Who doesn’t love a neutral toned geometric pattern? This will look good in any bedroom.”

“YOUR BLANKET ON THE OTHER HAND IS ATROCIOUS! IS THIS A BOY’S CAMPSITE?! UNEVEN STRIPES?! UNSEEMLY!”

��Oh my! What could be the reason for Patrick’s ghost to be active tonight?”

“Is there something I missed? Is Mercury in retrograde? Is there a comet coming? There must be a reason for the paranormal activity…I’m sure it has to do with planetary alignment…what else could it be?!”

Ghost grandpa Patrick is narrowly missed by Faith.

“Ugh why do I have to do CHORES? I don’t even get an allowance!”

He wanders by the family car…

….and his own headstone, looking for his next scare.

Mercy and Tempe are up, oblivious to Grandpa Patrick’s visit.

“Tempe, say ‘Auntie’”.

“No >:(”

Ghost Patrick finds his next victim in Justice.

“YOU KNOW, YOU WOULDN’T HAVE TO GO NUMBER 2 AT NIGHT IF YOU KEPT REGULAR WITH KIMCHI AND OTHER PROBITOIC FOODS LIKE I TOLD YOU SON!”

“Wha, wuh? Did my dad just…scold me about my digestive health?”

And by the way – during Patrick’s ghostly visit, Genesis was off visiting somewhere else.

“AHHH! WHAT IS HAPPENING!”

“Gen! GEN! Babe, are you okay?!”

“Oof.”

“…wha? Is that…what…what happened?”

“Heyyyyy, Gen, best friend, hey girly – mind telling us what the fuck just happened?”

Ghost Patrick inhabiting the trashcan: *levitates*

“Gen, baby, are you okay?”

“I mean, I’m a little sore from falling out of…that…but yes?”

“How did this happen? What the hell?”

“Well, I was trying to summon them-“

“YOU WHAT?!”

“I was testing a theory! The clouds hanging over Pitstop Valley make it hard for me to see any planetary systems at all, so I figured that any lifeforms would also have a hard time seeing us.

I simply used an external light source as a, a beacon of sorts. I cannot believe that someone picked up the signal so quickly.”

“But what happened? You were abducted! How?! What happened up there?”

“…I’m sorry, all I remember is a bright light….and then being on the street in front of the house just now. I don’t remember anything.”

“Well, I am just glad that you are okay. Let’s go inside.”

“When I grow up, I wanna be upducted by aliens too!”

“Faith, it’s Ab-ducted, and no, no you do not.”

“Grandpa Patrick, you’d let me get upducted by aliens, right?! You were the only fun one in this stinky house.”

“Dad, no one fed Tempe while we were out watching mom get pooped out of the spaceship. I’m going to give him this burger.”

“Faith, no, and it’s AB-ducted, not UP-ducted. And you can’t give your brother a whole burger, he doesn’t even have all of his teeth yet.”

“…and then, the aliens said GIVE ME THE LADY and then mom went up in the spaceship and they made her the princess, uh, queen of the moon!”

“All hail moon queen Mommy! Rahh rahhhh, oooh!”

“To commemorate the upduction, let’s draw what the aliens look like Tempe.”

“I’m going to make one that has a star-shaped head, with roses for hands.”

“Mama…”

“Yes, mama was upducted. What do you think the aliens did when she visited?”

“….”

“Yeah, she probably played games with them! I don’t think aliens know any of our games…”

After Genesis’s abduction, things go back to normal. As though she was not taken away from the house during the night by unseen alien lifeforms.

“Tempe! Over here! Goofy, I know that stubbornness develops at 18 months, and I appreciate you meeting your developmental goals on time, but let’s get you on two feet before the carpool gets here.”

“Auntie Mercy, mom got upducted by aliens, but nothing happened. The kids at school say that something is supposed to happen! Like you have an alien baby. Is mom going to have an alien baby? Or she can’t go on fire now? Or she can’t feel the cold? Or water slides off her like butter? Or when- “

“Faith, it’s AB-ducted, not UP-ducted. And…I’m not sure. She doesn’t remember anything about what happened when she went away. She seems fine. Maybe you want to talk to her about this?”

“I don’t know, she might get mad, I don’t want to make her mad.”

“Well, I can’t say that she won’t…she doesn’t seem to remember anything, but she still may be sensitive about the event.”

…

“I wish we had other people to talk to about this noodle. You know, grandma Hope used to have a best friend that would come around to visit. Her name was Rishell, she would visit with her wife, Aiyana. They used to visit all the time. I don’t know what happened to them…”

“OH! I met Aiyana the other night, she’s a nice lady!”

“Faith, no you didn’t. Aiyana would have to be, I don’t know, ancient, if she were still around.”

“I’m not lying! I did! She was a nice lady, we played catch! I did a cartwheel for her!”

“Faith, are you talking to strangers, at night even?! Please don’t do that, it is not safe.”

“She wasn’t a stranger! I introduced myself!”

“Faith, go get your brother, he needs a bath. I’m putting away the dishes, I’m to tired to argue with you about this.”

“I’m not arguing! Really, she was here!!!”

Little Tempe snacks away at his toddler chair, oblivious to talk of old friends and aliens.

Not too long after the alien incident, on a regular day…

“Paper beats rock Faith, I win.”

“But it doesn’t make sense! Why would – what’s that sound?”

“Um, Auntie Mercy, is someone coming up the stairs?”

“Um, hi, sorry, sorry…you guys don’t have a doorbell, uh, I didn’t really know how to-“

“And barging into my house was a good alternative. Sure.”

“Oliver! Good, you’re here. You know this guy, right?”

“I do Sas.”

“Heyyyyyy, Faith let’s go fill the bathtub to the brim and see what happens, okay?”

“YES! I wanna see if the whole bathroom fills up! Like an aquarium!”

“What’s up freak, now as much as I’d love to kick your ass, before I do, I’m going to need an explanation and an apology, in that order, for you and your little girlfriend here, barging into my home, again, and then you should call a fucking doctor, because I-“

“Hi hi, okay okay, so my name is Saskia, and I’m sorry for just arriving in your house like this, but it’s an emergency.”

“My roommate Oliver said that he knew you…kind of…and we need your help.”

“You, stranger, you need my help? Pardon the language, but you’d better have a good fucking reason.”

“We do! I promise.”

…

“Well, go ahead then. Saskia.”

“Okay so like, last night I was taking a bath, and I heard this huge BOOM and Oliver heard it too in the living room, and then we went outside and…well, we know that your wife \is like basically the closest thing that this town has to a scientist, and everyone knows that the aliens came for her- “

“Hey Saskia – still doesn’t explain why you are in my house?”

“Sas, maybe we should just forget it.”

“No, come on! I don’t know what to do with this thing! I know it landed in our backyard, but like, shouldn’t like…a science person take a look at it?”

“Saskia, what the fuck are you talking about?”

“Listen…can your wife, can Genesis just come look at the thing in the back of Oliver’s truck?”

“Sas, this was a bad idea…”

“No it’s not! We don’t know what to do with this thing. We all saw that spaceship looming over this house. Maybe Genesis knows what this thing is.”

“It’s deffo an alien, uh, something. I mean, what would we do with it? We are responsible for at least like, letting the scientific community know about it.”

“Scientific community? You mean literally one person who- “

“Shhh, shut the fuck up! She’s coming!”

“She looks nervous.”

“Um, okay. I am here.”

“Okay! So, it’s in the back.”

“Okay! So, this is it. I mean we didn’t strap it down or anything. But this is it.”

….

“Well, uh…. this is it.”

“Wow, uh…”

“Yep! This is the thing that was in the backyard.”

“Pardon me…. but is that a robot?”

~~~

And that’s it for this chapter! Will Faith and Aiyana meet again? Is Justice still going to kick Oliver’s ass? What the heck is the robot thing in the back of the truck? Will Tempe ever learn to walk? Can a bitch (Mercy) catch a break?

Until next time, Carry On, Woman!

#apocalypse challenge #apocalypse C.O.W.#sims 2 story

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ceriniity · 3 years ago

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These days my traumas sit at the breakfast table with me. There’s the scared child, alone and wanting to hold my hand but too afraid to reach out - she will always want her mother. There’s the woman in white, across from me. She’s pale and tormented and dead, unable to radiate anything but rage and the longing for justice unserved. Grief sits as a bony thing, all hollow and angles, hunched and weary, staring blankly ahead.

They’re quieter these days, no lurking in dark corners, no wailing through the night. Instead of following me, we walk together. Grief’s bones grow moss, age softening his shell and letting things take root despite the knowledge that one day they’ll decay too. The woman in white is no longer a banshee, she reads the letters my new love sends me and hopes in spite of her caution. The child doesn’t need a hand, I hold her in my chest. I soothe and settle her and in turn she reaches for my eyes so I may see colours again.

Grief drinks coffee, black. On good days he doesn’t tap his skinny fingers impatiently, but when he does I pass him the paper. The woman in white braids her wet hair, sits with one leg crossed over the other and listens to the morning radio. And the child watches me slather whatever I fancy on my toast, jam or butter or marmite or chocolate or peanut butter or a little of each, then cut it into triangles like my mum used to do for me.

#rambles #writing #listen this is the first thing I’ve written in month and months and months and it took maybe fifteen minutes so it’s rough #but also it was an image i really liked so I thought I’d share it

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grigori77 · 3 years ago

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2021 in Movies - My Top 30 Fave Movies (Part 1)

30. ZACK SNYDER’S JUSTICE LEAGUE – one of the undisputable highlights of the Winter-Spring period, this long-awaited, much vaunted redressing of a balance was a particular thorn in the side of DC cinematic fans for years – the completion and restoration of the true, unadulterated original director’s cut of the painfully abortive DCEU team-up movie that was absolutely butchered when Joss Whedon took over from original director Zack Snyder and then heavily rewrote and largely reshot the whole thing. It was a somewhat painful experience to view in cinemas back in 2017 – sure, there were bits that worked, but much that didn’t and it wasn’t like the underrated Batman Vs Superman: Dawn of Justice, which improves immensely on subsequent viewings (especially in the three hour-long director’s cut). No, Whedon’s film was a MESS. Needless to say fans were up in arms, and once word got out that the finished film was not at all what Snyder originally intended, a vocal, forceful online campaign began to campaign for the release of what quickly became known as the Snyder Cut. Thank the gods that Warner Bros listened to them, ultimately taking advantage of the intriguing alternative possibilities provided by their streaming service HBO Max to allow Snyder to reshoot, reinstate and represent his intended creation in its entirety. The only remaining question, of course, is simply … is it actually any good? Well it’s certainly much more like BVS:DOG than Whedon’s film ever was, and there’s no denying that, much like the rest of Snyder’s oeuvre, this is a proper marmite movie – there are gonna people who hate it no matter what, but the faithful, the fans, or simply those who are willing to open their minds are going to find much to enjoy here. The holes has been thoroughly patched, most of the elements that didn’t work in the theatrical release having been swapped out or reworked so that now they pay off BEAUTIFULLY. This time the quest of Bruce Wayne/Batman (Ben Affleck) and Diana Prince/Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot) to bring the first iteration of the Justice League together – half-Atlantean team tank Arthur Curry/the Aquaman (Jason Momoa), lightning-powered speedster Barry Allan/the Flash (Fantastic Beasts’ Ezra Miller) and cybernetically-rebuilt genius Victor Stone/Cyborg (True Detective season 3’s Ray Fisher) – not only feels organic, but NECESSARY, as does their desperate scheme to use one of the three alien Mother Boxes (no longer just shiny McGuffins but now genuinely well-realised technological forces that threaten cataclysm as much as they provide opportunity for miracles) to bring Clark Kent/Superman (Henry Cavill) back from the dead, especially given the far more compelling threat of this version’s collection of villains. Ciaran Hinds’ mocapped monstrosity Steppenwolf is a more palpable and interesting big bad this time round, given a more intricate backstory that also ties in a far greater ultimate mega-villain that would have become the DCEU’s Thanos had Snyder had his way to begin with – Darkseid (Ray Porter), tyrannical ruler of Apokolips and one of the most powerful and hated beings in the Universe, who could have ushered the DCEU’s now aborted New Gods storyline to the big screen. The newer members of the League receive far more screen-time and vastly improved backstory too, Miller’s Flash getting a more pro-active role in the storyline AND the action which also thankfully cuts away a lot of the clumsiness the character had in the Whedon version without sacrificing any of the nerdy sass that nonetheless made him such a joy, while the connective tissue that ties Momoa’s Aquaman to his own subsequent standalone movie feels much stronger here, and his connection with his fellow League members feels less perfunctory too, but it’s Fisher’s Cyborg who TRULY reaps the benefits here, regaining a whole new key subplot and storyline that ties into a powerful and tragic origin story, as well as a far more complicated and ultimately rewarding relationship with his scientist father, Silas Stone (the great Joe Morton). It’s also really nice to see Superman handled with the kind of skill we’d expect from the same director who did such a great job (fight me if you disagree) of bringing the character to life in two previous big screen instalments, as well as erasing the memory of that godawful digital moustache removal … similarly, it’s nice to see the new and returning supporting cast get more to do this time, from Morton and the ever-excellent J.K. Simmonds as fan favourite Gotham PD Commissioner Jim Gordon to Connie Nielsen as Diana’s mother, Queen Hippolyta of Themyscira and another unapologetic scene-stealing turn from Jeremy Irons as Batman’s faithful butler Alfred Pennyworth. Sure, it’s not a perfect movie – the unusual visual ratio takes some getting used to, while there’s A LOT of story to unpack here, and at a gargantuan FOUR HOURS there are times when the pacing somewhat lags, not to mention an overabundance of drawn-out endings (including a flash-forward to a potential apocalyptic future that, while evocative, smacks somewhat of overeager fan-baiting) that would put The Return of the Kingto shame, but original writer Chris Terrio’s reconstituted script is rich enough that there’s plenty to reward the more committed viewer, and the storytelling and character development is a powerful thing, while the action sequences are thrillingly hefty (even if Snyder does keep falling back on his over-reliance on slow motion that seems to alienate some viewers), and the new score from Tom Holkenborg (who co-composed on BVS:DOJ) feels a far more natural successor than Danny Elfman’s theatrical compositions (not to say I’m disparaging the Batman composer, you know I love him, but it wasn’t a great fit). The end result is no more likely to win fresh converts than Man of Steel or Batman Vs Superman,but it certainly stands up far better to a critical eye this time round, and feels like a more natural progression for the saga too. Ultimately it’s more of an interesting tangential adventure given that Warner Bros seem to be stubbornly sticking to their original plans for the ongoing DCEU, but I can’t help hoping that they might have a change of heart in the future given just how much better the final product is than any of us had any right to expect …

29. WEREWOLVES WITHIN – definitely one of the year’s biggest cinematic surprises, this darkly comic supernatural murder mystery from indie horror director Josh Ruben (Scare Me) is based on a video game, but you’d never know it – this bears so little resemblance to the original Ubisoft title that it’s a wonder anyone even bothered to make the connection, but even so, this is now notable for officially being one of the highest rated video game adaptation in Rotten Tomatoes history, with a Certified Fresh rating of 86%. Certainly it deserves such distinction, but there’s so much more to the film – this is an absolute blood-splattered joy, the title telling you everything you need to know about the story but belying the film’s pure, quirky genius. Veep’s Sam Richardson is forest ranger Finn Wheeler, a gentle and socially awkward soul who arrives at his new post in the remote town of Beaverton to discover the few, uniformly weird residents are divided over the oil pipeline proposition of forceful and abrasive businessman Sam Parker (The Hunt’s Wayne Duvall). As he tries to fit in and find his feet, investigating the disappearance of a local dog while bonding with mail carrier Cecily Moore (Other Spaceand This Is Us’ Milana Vayntrub), the discovery of a horribly mutilated human body leads to a standoff between the townsfolk and an enforced lockdown in the town’s ramshackle hotel as they try to work out who amongst them is the “werewolf” they suspect is responsible. This is frequently hilarious, the offbeat script from appropriately named Mishna Wolff (I’m Down) dropping some absolutely zingers and crafting some enjoyably weird encounters and unexpected twists, while the uniformly excellent cast do much of the heavy-lifting to bring their rich, thoroughly oddball characters to life – Richardson is thoroughly cuddly, while Duvall is pleasingly loathsome, Casual’s Michaela Watkins is grating as Trisha, flaky housewife to unrepentant local horn-dog Pete Anderton (Orange is the New Black’s Michael Chernus), and Cheyenne Jackson (American Horror Story) and Harry Guillen (the TV version of What We Do In the Shadows) make an enjoyably spiky double-act as liberal gay couple Devon and Joaquim Wolfson; in the end, though, the film is roundly stolen by Vayntrub, who invests Cecily with a bubbly sweetness and snarky sass that makes it absolutely impossible to not fall completely in love with her (gods know I did). This is a deeply funny film, packed with proper belly-laughs from start to finish, but like all the best horror comedies it takes its scary elements seriously, delivering some enjoyably effective jumps and juicy gore, while the werewolf itself, when finally revealed, is realised through some quality prosthetics. Altogether this was a most welcome under-the-radar surprise for the summer, and SO MUCH MORE than just an unusually great video game adaptation …

28. SYNCHRONIC – writer-director duo Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead are something of a creative phenomenon in the science-fiction and fantasy indie cinema scene, crafting films that ensnare the senses and engage the brain like few others. Subtly insidious conspiracy horror debut Resolutionis a sneaky little chiller, while deeply original body horror Spring(the film that first got me into them) is weird, unsettling and surprisingly touching, but it was breakthrough sleeper hit The Endless, a nightmarish time-looping cosmic horror that thoroughly screws with your head, that really put them on the map. Needless to say it’s led them to greater opportunities heading into the future, and this is their first film to really reap the benefits, particularly by snaring a couple of genuine stars for its lead roles. Steve (Anthony Mackie) and Dennis (Jamie Dornan) are paramedics working the night shift in New Orleans, which puts them on the frontlines when a new drug hits the streets, a dangerous concoction known as Synchronic that causes its users to experience weird localised fractures in time that frequently lead to some pretty outlandish deaths in adults, while teenage users often disappear entirely. As the situation worsens, the pair’s professional and personal relationships become increasingly strained, compounded by the fact that Steve is concealing his recent diagnosis of terminal cancer, before things come to a head when Dennis’ teenage daughter Brianna (Into the Badlands’ Ally Ioannides) vanishes under suspicious circumstances, and it becomes clear to Steve that she’s become unstuck in time … this is as mind-bendingly off-the-wall and spectacularly inventive slice of weirdness from Benson and Moorhead that benefits enormously from their exquisitely obsessive attention to detail and characteristically unsettling atmosphere of building dread, while their character development is second to none, benefitting their top-notch cast no end. Mackie is typically excellent, bringing compelling vulnerability to the role that makes it easy to root for him as he gets further out of his depth in this twisted temporal labyrinth, while Dornan invests Dennis with a painfully human fallibility, and Ioannides does a lot with very little real screen time in her key role as ill-fated Brianna. The time-bending sequences are disorienting and disturbing, utilising a pleasingly subtle use of CGI to further mess with your head, and the overall mechanics of the drug and its effects are fiendishly crafted, while the directors tighten the screw of slowburn tension throughout, building to an offbeat ending that’s as devastating as anything we’ve seen from them so far. Altogether this is another winning genre-buster from a filmmaking duo who deserve continued success in the future, and I for one will be watching eagerly.

27. THE TOMORROW WAR – although cinemas finally reopened in the UK in early summer, the bite of the COVID lockdown backlog was still very much in effect during the 2021 blockbuster season, with several studios preferring to hedge their bets and wait for later release dates. Others turned to streaming services, including Paramount, who happily lined up a few heavyweight titles to open on major platforms in lieu of the big screen. One of the biggest was this intended sci-fi action horror tentpole, meant to give Chris Pratt another potential franchise on top of Guardians of the Galaxy and Jurassic World, which instead dropped in early July on Amazon Prime. So, was it worth staying in on a Saturday night instead of heading out for something on the BIG screen? Mostly yes, although it’s mainly its trashy, guilty pleasure big budget B-picture charm that makes this such a worthwhile experience – the film’s biggest influences are clearly Independence Day and Starship Troopers, two admirably clunky blockbusters that DEFINED prioritising big spectacle and overblown theatrics over intelligent writing and realistic storytelling. It doesn’t help that the premise is pure bunk – in 2022, a wormhole opens from thirty years in the future, and a plea for help is sent back with a bunch of very young future soldiers. Seems Earth will become overrun by an unstoppable swarm of nasty alien critters called Whitespikes in 25 years, and the desperate human counteroffensive have no choice but to bring soldiers from our present into the future to help them fight back and save the humanity from imminent extinction. Less than a year later, the world’s standing armies have been decimated and a worldwide draft has been implemented, with normal everyday adults being sent through for a seven day tour from which very few return. Pratt plays biology teacher and former Green Beret Dan Forrester, one of the latest batch of draftees to be sent into the future along with a selection of chefs, soccer moms and other average joes – his own training and experience serves him better than most when the shit hits the fan, but it soon becomes clear that he’s still far out of his depth as the sheer enormity of the threat is revealed. But when he becomes entangled with a desperate research outfit led by Muri (Chuck’s Yvonne Strahovski) who seem to be on the verge of a potential world-changing scientific breakthrough, Dan realises there just might be a slender hope for humanity after all … this is every bit as over-the-top gung-ho bonkers as it sounds, and just as much fun. Director Chris McKay may still be pretty fresh (with only The Lego Batman Movie under his belt to date), but he shows a lot of talent and potential for big budget blockbuster filmmaking here, delivering with guts and bravado on some major action sequences (a fraught ticking-clock SAR operation in war-torn Miami is the film’s undeniable highlight, but a desperate battle to escape a blazing oil rig also really impresses), as well as handling some impressively complex visual effects work and wrangling some quality performances from his cast (altogether it bodes well for his future, which includes Nightwing and Johnny Quest as future projects). Chris Pratt can do this kind of stuff in his sleep – Dan is his classic fallible and self-deprecating but ultimately solid and kind-hearted action hero fare, effortlessly likeable and easy to root for – and his supporting cast are equally solid, Strahovsky going toe-to-toe with him in the action sequences while also creating a rewardingly complex smart-woman/badass combo in Muri, while the other standouts include Sam Richardson (Veep, Werewolves Within) and Edwin Hodge (The Purge movies) as fellow draftees Charlie and Dorian, the former a scared-out-of-his-mind tech geek while the latter is a seriously hardcore veteran serving his THIRD TOUR, and the ever brilliant J.K. Simmonds as Dan’s emotionally scarred estranged Vietnam veteran father, Jim. Sure, it’s derivative as hell and thoroughly predictable (with more than one big twist you can see coming a mile away), but the pace is brisk, the atmosphere pregnant with a palpable doomed urgency, and the creatures themselves are a genuinely convincing world-ending threat, the design team and visual effects wizards creating genuine nightmare fuel in the feral and unrelenting Whitespikes. Altogether this WAS an ideal way to spend a comfy Saturday night in, but I think it could have been JUST AS GOOD for a Saturday night OUT at the Pictures …

26. ANTLERS – writer-director Scott Cooper is kind of a cinematic chameleon when it comes to the genres of his films. He made a blinding debut with acclaimed drama Crazy Heart, then switched to slowburn thriller on Out of the Furnace, before tackling true crime biopic Black Mass and then pulling a crazy hairpin into revisionist western for Hostiles. As a result, it’s no great surprise to see him make another major swerve, this time going hard and fast into horror territory with this bleak and emotionally brutal supernatural horror produced by Guillermo del Toro. Even so, this is a pretty daring departure for Cooper, but as a critically acclaimed and highly intellectual storyteller he’s definitely equal to the task, delivering a dark and chilling modern-day horror fable of raw emotional power, troubling social relevance and oppressive dread that hooks the viewer from the start but doesn’t offer up easy solutions. The tiny Oregon town of Cispus Falls is in the midst of a social and economic crisis, a situation particularly felt by local drug dealer Frank Weaver (Child of God’s Scott Haze) and his two young sons, which is only exacerbated when he and his youngest, Aiden (newcomer Sawyer Jones), are attacked by some kind of impossible creature in the decommissioned mine where his soon-to-be-abandoned meth lab has been built, and starts to transform into a monstrous beast himself, ravenously hungry with an insatiable desire for flesh. Soon elder son Lucas (relative newcomer Jeremy T. Meadows) is left alone to hold the fort, hunting critters and bringing home roadkill to feed the beast in the futile hope that he can preserve his family in the face of what’s quickly becoming an untenable situation. Further complications arise when Lucas’ new schoolteacher, Julia Meadows (The Americans’ Keri Russell), begins to recognise clear signs of abuse in the young boy in her care, prompting her to look into the case, which ultimately draws in her brother Paul (Cooper regular Jesse Plemons), the newly-elected town sheriff. Then Frank escapes and it all goes to hell … this is beyond a shadow of a doubt the bleakest film I saw throughout the entirety of 2021, right up to a decidedly downbeat ending which is one of the most soul-crushing I’ve ever come across, perhaps not the best viewing for a year which had already gotten pretty depressing, but there’s no denying it’s also an incredibly potent film, and as a piece of pure slowburn horror cinema it’s pretty much a masterpiece of atmospherics, subtlety and nuance. The creature itself, a staple bogeyman of Native American folklore, will be instantly familiar to those in the know, but it’s handled with chilling expertise and brought to life through some impressively horrible physical effects, while the cinematography is first-rate, finding cold beauty in some particularly spartan and hostile environments. The biggest strength of this film, however, as it always is in a Scott Cooper film, is the cast, who all deliver some excellent performances, particularly Russell and Plemons as an emotionally scarred pair of recently-reunited siblings who both bear the scars of their own long history of childhood abuse, while Meadows is a stone-cold revelation of tightly-wound pain and inner-turmoil that hurts your soul to witness, but makes it impossible to look away. This is definitely one of the best films to date in the career of a filmmaker whose career I’ve been following with great interest, and since it looks like he’s decided to stay in this particular genre for his next film, a decidedly meta-sounding adaptation of Louis Beyard’s fictional Edgar Allan Poe-starring-horror thriller The Pale Blue Eye, it looks like he might finally have found his niche …

25. SPIDER-MAN: NO WAY HOME – with everything going to shit over the past two years and cinema in particular getting a major kicking through various circumstantial difficulties, it was inevitable that something was going to break along the way, particularly for something that’s become so precision-based as the movie-making behemoth that is the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Up until now it’s been one long success story, the studio releasing top-notch effort after top-notch effort, and it was only a matter of time before that success streak was broken. I had a feeling that 2021 was going to be the year it would happen, especially with them releasing FOUR MOVIES IN ONE YEAR thanks to the backlog that’s built up due to COVID, so I suspected at least one of them was going to wind up being a lesser product. In the end that offending culprit was no real surprise – Eternals was an attempt (like with Guardians of the Galaxy) to expand the universe with something a good deal more cosmic and horizon-widening, but the results, while admirable and enjoyable enough, were clunky and, ultimately, inherently flawed, leading to that one being consigned to my runners-up list for 2021. The really worrying thing is, it was ALMOST TWO movies, because the first time I watched this third entry in the decidedly beleaguered MCU Spider-Manstandalone series I found myself somewhat underwhelmed and unsure of how I felt about the final film. They certainly set out with BIG intentions – the latest route for the MCU, post-Endgame, is to fully embrace the idea of the Marvel Multiverse and all its additional complexities and opportunities, and No Way Home was clearly meant to be our introduction to this concept, along with 2022’s Doctor Stange In the Multiverse of Madness – but here it rather felt like they were biting off more than they can chew, and the end result is far from a perfect movie, at times feeling tonally and narratively inconsistent and over-indulgent of the studio’s past glories with their most famous character. Thankfully, a second viewing improved things for me and I was finally able to reconcile things in my head. It’s still something of a mess, but there’s no denying it’s also a really fun one. Best of all is that, while it may be rather clunky in its narrative, the characters remain as strong as ever – Tom Holland remains the lovably flappable yet precocious heart of the franchise as Peter Parker/Spider-Man, who finds his future comprehensibly torpedoed after Far From Home’s villain, Mysterio, reveals his secret identity to the world while simultaneously framing him as a murderer and techno-terrorist. So he goes to his new post-Endgame ally, Doctor Stephen Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch), the Sorcerer Supreme, for help in making the whole world forget through magic, only for the resulting spell to backfire spectacularly, instead drawing in all the people who know Peter Parker is Spider-Man from across ALL the various dimensions of the Multiverse … especially the VILLAINS. Cumberbatch is similarly on fine form here, bringing more of Strange’s snarky self-importance to bear while also turning the character into something of a friendly antagonist this time round as differences in their personal moral codes put him at odds with Parker’s core values in the ensuing crisis, while Zendaya and Jacob Batalon once again up light the screen as Peter’s most faithful companions, his girlfriend MJ and best friend Ned. To tell you much beyond this would be giving away some brilliant little spoilers throughout the film (how much you already know depends how well you’ve avoided social media reveals and the frustratingly loud-mouthed trailers), needless to say there’s some fine nostalgic fun to be had in the array of familiar villains (and a couple of allies) who are unleashed upon this universe, while, despite the inconsistencies, they’re (mostly) weaved into the story well enough that there’s some interesting thematic developments and powerful emotional beats to be had in their inclusion here. The visual effects are still as well-realised as we’ve come to expect, while the set-pieces are once again riveting and well-appointed, and by-and-large there’s the same expertly-crafted balance of well-observed humour and dramatic power that has always made the MCU films in general (and their Spider-Manmovies in particular) such a joy to indulge in. The end results may be one of the weaker entries in the canon, but it’s still a long way from terrible, and when it works it REALLY WORKS, making the whole enterprise worth our time. So has the MCU finally jumped the shark? Not quite yet, but it’s starting to ride pretty close to the tank. Here’s hoping they can pull it back before things gets messy …

24. ARMY OF THE DEAD – another high profile release that went straight to streaming was this monster hit for Netflix from one of this century’s undeniable heavyweight action cinema masters, the indomitable Zack Snyder, who kicked off his career with an audience-dividing (but, as far as I’m concerned, also MASSIVELY successful) remake of George Romero’s immortal Dawn of the Dead, and has finally returned to zombie horror after close to two decades away. The end result was, undeniably, the biggest cinematic guilty pleasure of the entire summer, a bona fide outbreak horror EPIC in spite of its tightly focused story – Dave Bautista plays mercenary Scott Ward, leader of a badass squad of mercenaries who were among the few to escape a deadly outbreak of a zombie virus in the city of Las Vegas, enlisted to break into the vault of one of the Strip’s casinos by owner Bly Tanaka (a fantastically game turn from Hiroyuki Sanada) and rescue $200 million still locked away inside. So what’s the catch? Vegas remains ground zero for the outbreak, walled off from the outside world but still heavily infested within, and in less than three days the US military intends to sterilise the site with a tactical nuke. Simple premise, down and dirty, trashy flick, right? Wrong – Snyder has never believed in doing things small, having brought us unapologetically BIG cinema with the likes of 300, Watchmen, Man of Steeland, most notably, his version of Justice League, so this is another MASSIVE undertaking, every scene shot for maximum thrills or emotional impact, each set-piece executed with his characteristic militaristic precision and explosive predilection (a harrowing fight for survival against a freshly-awakened zombie horde in tightly packed casino corridors is the film’s undeniable highlight), and the gauzy, dreamlike cinematography gives even simple scenes an intriguing and evocative edge that really does make you feel like you’re watching something BIG. The characters all feel larger-than-life too – Bautista can seem somewhat cartoonish at times, and this role definitely plays that as a strength, making Scott a rock-hard alpha male in the classic Hollywood mould, but he’s such a great actor that of course he’s able to invest the character with rewarding complexity beneath the surface; Ana de la Reguera (Eastbound & Down) and Nora Arnezeder (Zoo, Mozart in the Jungle), meanwhile, both bring a healthy dose of oestrogen-fuelled badassery to proceedings as, respectively, Scott’s regular second-in-command, Maria Cruz, and Lilly the Coyote, Power’s Omari Hardwick and Matthias Schweighofer (You Are Wanted) make for a fun odd-couple double act as circular-saw-wielding merc Vanderohe and Dieter, the nervous, nerdy German safecracker brought in to penetrate the vault, and Fear the Walking Dead’s Garrett Dillahunt channels spectacular scumbag energy as Tanaka’s sleazy former casino boss Martin, while latecomer Tig Notaro (Star Trek Discovery) effortlessly rises above her last-minute-casting controversy to deliver brilliantly as sassy and acerbic chopper pilot Peters. I think it goes without saying that Snyder can do this in his sleep, but he definitely wasn’t napping here – he pulled out all the stops on this one, delivering a darkly comic and endearingly CRACKERS zombie flick that not only compares favourably to his own Dawn but is, undeniably, his best film for AGES. Netflix certainly seem to be pleased with the results – a spinoff prequel, Army of Thieves, starring Dieter in another heist-based comedy thriller, dropped in October and it was hugely entertaining too, while an animated series is set to follow in Spring 2022, and there’s already rumours of a sequel in development. I’m certainly up for more …

23. THE FRENCH DISPATCH – one of my very favourite filmmakers to have emerged from the indie scene in the mid-to-late 90s returns in typically fine form, writer-director Wes Anderson delivering another wonderfully oddball and imaginative comedy this time based around the intriguing central concept of a portmanteau presenting the final issue of the fictional titular travel correspondence magazine after its creator/publisher/editor-in-chief Arthur Howitzer Jr. (Anderson’s chief acting collaborator, the incomparably ubiquitous Bill Murray) dies suddenly of a heart attack. The ensuing anthology of sketches and stories is about as absurd and rich in wildly-observed allegorical satire as we’ve come to expect from one of the genre’s masters, with nary a beat missing the mark throughout. The tones of the pieces on offer are perhaps a little at odds with each other, but the quality of the material is consistent throughout, and the three main stories featured are the most particular delights on offer here (the undeniable highlight of the film is the third main “article”, a fascinating screwball homage to those rambling restaurant critiques that ultimately largely overlook the food and instead just weave a magic spell of a story about a time and a place). The 1950s/60s settings are blissfully realised throughout, Anderson having fun wallowing in what’s clearly his favourite time period with beautifully realised production and costume design and typically offbeat attention to detail, and the uniformly excellent cast, populated with the usual mixture of his faithful regulars and a broad selection of intriguing “new” faces, are all on sparkling form, particular standouts including Frances McDormand as a worldly and somewhat jaded investigative journalist profiling a students’ revolution in the fictional French city of Ennui, Timothee Chalamet as the pretentious young leader of said revolt, Benicio del Toro as an incarcerated artist whose work suddenly becomes the toast of the scene, and Jeffrey Wright as a wonderfully verbose food critic who finds himself caught up in a crazy hostage situation. This is every bit as evocative, imaginative and amusingly odd as we’ve come to expect from Anderson, another collection of comedic classicism that delivers plenty of deep belly laughs while simultaneously making us think and, every once in a while, genuinely touches our hearts, so it’s as great an addition to the oeuvre of a true master of his craft as previous masterpieces such as The Royal Tenenbaums, The Darjeeling Limited, Moonrise Kingdom and Grand Budapest Hotel. Altogether he shows no sign of flagging at all …

22. WITHOUT REMORSE – I’m a big fan of Tom Clancy, to me he was one of the ultimate escapist thriller writers, and whenever a new adaptation of one of his novels comes along I’m always front of the line to check it out. The Hunt For Red October is one of my favourite screen thrillers OF ALL TIME, while my very favourite Clancy adaptation EVER, the Jack Ryan TV series, is, in my opinion, one of the very best Original shows that Amazon Prime have ever done. But up until now my VERY FAVOURITE Clancy creation, John Clark, has always remained in the background or simply absent entirely, putting in an appearance as a supporting character in only two of the movies, tantalising me with his presence but never more than a teaser. Well that’s all over now – after languishing in development hell since the mid-90s, the long-awaited adaptation of my favourite Clancy novel, the origin story of the top CIA black ops operative, has finally arrived as a direct spin-off from distributor Amazon’s own Jack Ryan series. Michael B. Jordan plays John Kelly (basically Clark before he gained his more famous cover identity), a lethally efficient, highly decorated Navy SEAL whose life is turned upside down when a highly classified operation experiences deadly blowback that sees half his team assassinated in retaliation, while Kelly barely survives an attack in which his heavily pregnant wife is killed. With the higher-ups unwilling the muddy the waters while scrambling to control the damage, Kelly, driven by rage and grief, takes matters into his own hands, embarking on a violent personal crusade against the Russian operatives responsible, but as he digs deeper with the help of his commanding officer, Lt. Commander Karen Greer (Queen & Slim’s Jodie Turner-Smith), and mid-level CIA hotshot Robert Ritter (Jamie Bell), it becomes clear that there’s a far more insidious conspiracy at work here … in the past the Clancy adaptations we’ve seen tend to be pretty tightly reined-in affairs, going for a PG-13 polish that maintains the intellectual fireworks but still tries to keep the violence clean and relatively family-friendly, but this was never going to be the case here – Clark has always been a dark shadow to Jack Ryan, another of Clancy’s righteous men but without the moral restraint, so going for an unfettered R-rating was the right choice. Jordan’s Kelly/Clark is a blood-soaked force of nature, a feral dog let off the leash, bringing a brutal ferocity to the action that does the literary source proud, tempered by a wounded vulnerability that helps us to sympathise with the broken but still very human man behind the killer; Turner-Smith, meanwhile, matches him in the physical stakes, jumping into the action with enthusiasm and looking damn fine doing it, but she also brings tight control and an air of pragmatic military professionalism that makes it easy to believe in her not only as an accomplished leader of fighting men but also as the daughter of Admiral Jim Greer, while Bell is arrogant and abrasive but ultimately still a good man as Ritter; Guy Pearce, meanwhile, brings his usual gravitas and quietly measured charisma to proceedings as US Secretary of Defence Thomas Clay, and Lauren London makes a suitably strong impression during her brief screen time to make her absence keenly felt as Kelly’s wife Pam. The action is intense, explosive and spectacularly executed, culminating in a particularly impressive drawn-out battle through a Russian apartment complex, while the labyrinthine plot is intricately crafted and unfolds with taut precision, but then the screenplay was co-written by Taylor Sheridan, who here reteams with Sicario 2director Stefano Sollida, who’s also already proven a seasoned hand at this kind of thing, and the result is a tense, knuckle-whitening suspense thriller that pays magnificent tribute to the most compelling creation of one of the best authors in the genre. Amazon have already signed up for more, having greenlit sequel Rainbow Six, and with this directly tied in with the Jack Ryan TV series too I can’t help holding out hope we just might get to see Jordan backing John Krasinski up in the future …

21. BLACK WIDOW – no major blockbuster property was hit harder by COVID than the MCU, which saw its ENTIRE SLATE for 2020 delayed for over a year in the face of Marvel Studios bowing to the inevitability of the Pandemic and unwilling to sacrifice those all-important box-office receipts by just sending their films straight to streaming. The most frustrating part for hardcore fans of the series was the delay of a standalone film that was already criminally overdue – the solo headlining vehicle of founding Avenger and bona fide female superhero ICON Natasha Romanoff, aka the Black Widow. Equally frustratingly, then, this film became somewhat overshadowed by real life controversy when star and producer Scarlett Johansson went head-to-head with Disney in civil court over their breach-of-contract after they hedged their bets by releasing the film simultaneously both in cinemas and on their own streaming platform, which led to poor box office receipts as many of the film’s potential audience chose to watch it at home instead of risk movie theatres with the virus still very much remaining a threat (and Disney subsequently reacted AGAIN by backtracking on their release policy and instigating a new 45-day cinema exclusivity window on all their big releases for the foreseeable future). But what of the film itself? Well Black Widow is an interesting piece of work, director Cate Shortland (Berlin Syndrome) and screenwriter Eric Pearson (Thor: Ragnarok) delivering a decidedly stripped-back, lean and intellectual beast that bears greater resemblance to the more cerebral work the Russo Brothers presented with their Captain America films than the more classically bombastic likes of Iron Man, Thor or the Avengers flicks, concentrating on story and characters over action and spectacle as we wind back the clock to before the events of Infinity War and Endgame, when Romanoff was on the run after Civil War, hunted by the government-appointed forces of US Secretary of State “Thunderbolt” Ross (William Hurt) after violating the Sokovia Accords. Then a mysterious delivery throws her back into the fray as she finds herself targeted by a mysterious assassin, forcing her to team up with her estranged little sister Yelena Belova (Midsommar’s Florence Pugh), another Black Widow who’s just gone rogue from the same Red Room Natasha escaped years ago, armed with a McGuffin capable of foiling a dastardly plot for world domination. The reluctant duo need help in this endeavour though, enlisting the aid of their former “parents”, veteran Widow and scientist Melina Vostokoff (Rachel Weisz) and Alexie Shostakov (Stranger Things’ David Harbour), aka the Red Guardian, a Russian super-soldier intended to be their counterpart to Captain America, who’s been languishing in a Siberian gulag for the last twenty years. After the Earth-shaking, universe-changing events of recent MCU events, this film certainly feels like a much more self-contained, modest affair, playing for much smaller stakes, but that doesn’t mean it’s any less worthy of our attention – this is as precision-crafted as anything we’ve seen from Marvel so far, but also feels like a refreshing change of pace after all those enormous cosmic shenanigans, while the script is tight as a drum, propelling a suspense-filled thriller that certainly doesn’t scrimp on the action front. Sure, the set-pieces are very much in service of the story here, but they’re still the pre-requisite MCU rollercoaster rides, a selection of breathless chases and bone-crunching fights that really do play to the strengths of one of our favourite Avengers, but this is definitely one of those films where the real fireworks come when the film focuses on the characters – Johansson is so comfortable with her character she’s basically BECOME Natasha Romanoff, kickass and ruthless and complex and sassy and still just desperate for a family (though she hides it well throughout the film), while Weisz delivers one of her best performances in years as a peerless professional who keeps her emotions tightly reigned in but slowly comes to realise that she was never more happy than when she was pretending to be a simple mother, and Ray Winstone does a genuinely fantastic job of taking a character who could have been one of the MCU’s most disappointingly bland villains, General Dreykov, master of the Red Room, and investing him with enough oily charisma and intense presence to craft something truly memorable (frustratingly, the same cannot be said for the film’s supposed main physical threat, Taskmaster, who performs well in their frustratingly brief appearances but ultimately gets Darth Maul levels of short service). The true scene-stealers of the film, however, are Alexie and Yelena – Harbour’s clearly having the time of his life hamming it up as a self-important, puffed-up peacock of a superhero who never got his shot and is clearly (rightly) decidedly bitter about it, preferring to relive the life he SHOULD have had instead of remembering the good in the one he got; Pugh, meanwhile, is THE BEST THING IN THE WHOLE MOVIE, easily matching Johanssen scene-for-scene in the action stakes but frequently out-performing her when it comes to acting, investing Yelena with a sweet naivety and innocence and a certain amount of quirky geekiness that made for one of the year’s most endearing female protagonists (certainly it was a grand pleasure getting to see more of her when Yelena put in a welcome appearance in the HawkeyeDisney+ series). This is definitely one of the LEAST typical by-the-numbers MCU films to date, and by delivering something a little different I think they’ve given us just the kind of leftfield swerve the series needs right now. It’s certainly one of their most fascinating and rewarding films so far, and since it seems to be Johansson’s final tour of duty as the Black Widow, it’s also a most fitting farewell indeed.

#zack snyder's justice league #werewolves within #synchronic #the tomorrow war #antlers #antlers movie #spiderman no way home #army of the dead #the french dispatch #without remorse #black widow #black widow movie #black widow mcu #2021 in movies

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gameo-archive · 2 months ago

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"anyway here’s mine :)"

What is your favourite Easter egg from the comic Dead Boy Detectives? What would you most like to see adapted from the DBD comics?

#em #yeetthedragon #comics #Tony Wohlgemuth #justice for marmite

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dc-polls · 9 months ago

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Part 20 - DC Madlib Adventure

Yes. He could feel it. The marmite, potent as it was, was worth it. Cheetah had infused it with fire powers and the energy pulsed within him.

But before he explored that, he looked back at Tim, who was doing his best not to get shredded by Cheetah's claws. Jason picked up the pickle jar and shook it. "You wanted me to eat these? Sure why not."

He popped the lid and ate one of those too. The vinegary brine didn't sit well with the marmite, but he toughed it out. And this one was quite unexpected. The energy it gave him felt like a smooth crackle in his hands. He reached out to touch the can of car grease on the table, and as soon as he did, he felt an instantaneous shift charge through the air. A sizeable explosion burst from nothing as the tin's particles cancelled each other out, forcing it out of existence. The force of it blew him back a few steps, but then he grinned, wide and giddy.

"Oh shit. I could have fun with this," he said. "But first thing's first. This book has got to go. I hate destroying a relic like this, but we can't risk it falling into the wrong hands."

"NOOO!" Cheetah shrieked behind him. She put everything she had into wriggling free, but between Tim doing his best to restrain her, and the oversized Bane pinning her to the floor, it was futile. All she could do was cry out. "Not the book! It's priceless! It's value is beyond your life!!"

"Yeah? Well its value is about to be zilch."

He outstretched his arms, charged up a blast and hit it with a fireball. Cheetah continued to scream and flail as the book went up in flames.

"Eh, while I'm at it let's get rid of all these too," Jason said. He proceeded to alternately fireball and anti-matter blast everything else on the table.

Cheetah cried out again, while Bane and Tim slowly morphed back to their normal forms. Luckily that meant Cheetah was still held mostly captive by Bane's usual strength. Meanwhile Jason looked down at his hands in disappointment. With the book gone, he too could feel his newly gained powers draining.

The silky anteater emerged once the coast was clear. "Yes! Powers fading! Can feel it! Feel.. normal... feel... eep eeep ep eep." With the spells from the book wearing off, the anteater had returned back to normal as well. No more heightened intelligence, no more talking. It huddled into a little ball at Jason's feet, and he picked it up, making sure to cradle it safely in his arms.

Then, completely out of nowhere the cavalry finally arrived, dropping in through the already destroyed ceiling of the Haunted Mansion. They were only moments too late to miss all the action! To Jason's surprise it was...

#dc-polls-madventure #dc-polls-madventure-20

1 note · View note

brookstonalmanac · 2 months ago

Text

Holidays 9.28

Holidays

Banned Websites Awareness Day

Battle of Marathon Anniversary Day (490 BCE)

British Home Child Day (UK)

Cabrillo Day (California)

Canterbury South Day (New Zealand)

Carrot Day (French Republic)

Carson King Day (Iowa)

Circassian Costume Day

Ethel Rosenberg Day of Justice (New York)

Fiesta of San Miguel (Mexico)

Fish Tank Floorshow Night

Flag Day (Thailand)

Frances Willard Day (Minnesota, Wisconsin)

Freedom From Hunger Day

Global Day of Student Prayer

Gold Lining Day

Gone-ta-Pott Day [every 28th]

Grandmother’s Day (Moldova)

International Day of Arnold Chiari Syndrome

International Day of Scientific Culture

International Day for Universal Access to Information (UN)

International Right to Know Day

International Safe Abortion Day

Let Freedom Read Day

National British Home Child Day (Canada)

National Chris Day

National Day of Awareness

National Day of Awareness and Unity against Child Pornography (Philippines)

National Good Neighbor Day

National Gordie Day

National Manufacturing Day (UK)

National North Carolina Day

National Parks Free Entrance Day

National Penicillin Allergy Day

National Self Awareness Day

National Son’s Day (Canada)

National Talk Like Mr. Krabs Day (Aenopia)

National Traffic Door Day

NICU Staff Recognition Day

928 Day (Arizona)

Nuclear Industry Worker’s Day (Kazakhstan, Russia)

Popular Uprising of Naples Day (Italy)

Porsche 928 Day

Psoriatic Arthritis Awareness Day

Railway Day (Indonesia)

Read a Child a Book You Like Day

Silver Lining Day

Teacher’s Day (Philippines, Taiwan)

World News Day

World Pet Day

World Rabies Day

Food & Drink Celebrations

Drink As Much Beer As Possible Day

Drink Beer Day

International Poke Day

Marshmallow Twisters Day

National Drink Beer Day

Ohio Pint Day

Strawberry Cream Pie Day

World Marmite Day

Independence & Related Days

Czech Statehood Day (Czech Republic)

Nefaria (a.k.a. Timonoucitiland; Declared; 2019) [unrecognized]

Referendum Anniversary Day (Republic of Guinea; 1958)

4th & Last Saturday in September

American Frog Day [4th Saturday]

Cavan Day [4th Saturday]

Centzon-Totochtin Drunken Rabbit Day [Last Saturday]

European Mushroom Day [4th Saturday]

Everybody's Day Festival [Last Saturday]

Family Health and Fitness Day USA (Last Saturday]

Fish Amnesty Day [4th Saturday]

International Lace Day [Last Saturday]

International Rabbit Day [4th Saturday]

Kiwanis Kids' Day [4th Saturday]

Museum Day (Smithsonian) [4th Saturday]

National Colouring Day (Canada) [4th Saturday]

National Ghost Hunting Day [Last Saturday]

National Hunting & Fishing Day [4th Saturday]

National Public Lands Day [4th Saturday]

National Seat Check Saturday [4th Saturday]

National Wildlife Ecology Day [4th Saturday]

Nickelodeon’s Worldwide Day of Play [Last Saturday]

R.E.A.D. in America Day [4th Saturday]

Salacious Saturday [4th Saturday of Each Month]

Sandwich Saturday [Every Saturday]

Sausage Saturday [4th Saturday of Each Month]

Save Your Photos Day [Last Saturday]

Seat Check Saturday [4th Saturday]

Six For Saturday [Every Saturday]

Spaghetti Saturday [Every Saturday]

Splurge Saturday [Last Saturday of Each Month]

Stir-Fry Saturday [Last Saturday of Each Month]

World Cyanotype Day [Last Saturday]

World Day of Leukodystrophies [Last Saturday]

World’s Largest Pet Walk [Last Saturday]

Weekly Holidays beginning September 28 (4th Full Week of September)

National Alpaca Farm Days (thru 10.6) [Last Saturday]

Festivals Beginning September 28, 2024

Afton Apple Orchard Apple Festival (Hastings Area, Minnesota) [thru 9.29]

Alpaca Farm Days (Lincoln, Nebraska) [thru 9.29

Apple Fest (Winston-Salem, North Carolina)

Apple Festival (Media, Pennsylvania)

AppleUmpkin Festival (Wyoming, New York) [thru 9.29]

Banana Festival (Port of Hueneme, California)

BAROMETER International Bar Show (Kyiv, Ukraine) [thru 9.29]

BBQ Brews & Brats (Enumclaw, Washington) [thru 9.29]

Beef-A-Rama (Minocqua, Wisconsin)

Boston Veg Food Fest (Boston, Massachusetts) [thru 9.29]

Chili Challenge (Steamboat Springs, Colorado)

Chili Challenge (Waterville Valley, New Hampshire)

Chili-Chowdah Festival (East Bridgewater, Massachusetts)

Cornstock (Garnett, Kansas)

Country Applefest (Lebanon, Ohio) [thru 9.29]

Cumberland County Fair (Cumberland, Maine) [thru 9.29]

Fall Harvest Festival (Sherman, Connecticut)

Festival of India (Richmond, Virginia) [thru 9.29]

Festa Italiana Seattle (Seattle, Washington) [thru 9.29]

Flushing Harvest Festival (Flushing, Michigan)

Geneva Grape Jamboree (Geneva, Ohio) [thru 9.29]

Genoa Candy Dance (Genoa, Nevada) [thru 9.29]

Germantown Pretzel Festival (Germantown, Ohio) [thru 9.29]

Glenville Oktoberfest -(Glenville, New York)

Goleta Lemon Festival (Goleta, California) [thru 9.29]

Great Plains Renaissance & Scottish Festival (Wichita, Kansas) [9.29]

West Virginia Autumn Harvest Festival and Roadkill Cook-Off (Marlinton, West Virginia)

Hartford County Wine Festival (Bel Air, Maryland)

Harvest Festival and Roadkill Cook-off (Marlinton, West Virginia)

Homesteaders Day (Hardy, Arkansas)

Honey Bee Festival (Palo Cedro, California) [thru 9.29]

Hudson Valley Garlic Festival (Saugerties, New York) [thru 9.29]

Irish Italian International Festival (North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina)

Jack-O-Lantern Spectacular (Apple Valley, Minnesota) [thru 11.2]

Jelly Belly Candy Palooza (Fairfield, California) [thru 9.29]

Kelseyville Pear Festival (Kelseyville, California)

Kendal Torchlight Carnival (Kendal, United Kingdom)

Lenox Apple Squeeze (Lenox, Massachusetts)

Maine Lakes Brew Fest (Casco, Maine)

Maryland Microbrewery Festival (Westminster, Maryland)

My-Oh-My Apple Pie Weekend (Willcox, Arizona) [thru 9.29]

Naples Grape Festival (Naples, New York) [thru 9.29]

NC Muscadine Festival (Kenansville, North Carolina)

Nelson Farm Pumpkin Patch Festival (Litchfield, Minnesota) [thru 10.27]

Newport Oktoberfest (Newport, Rhode Island)

North Quabbin Garlic & Arts Festival (Orange, Massachusetts) [thru 9.29]

Northwest Tea Festival (Seattle, Washington) [thru 9.29]

Oktoberfest Weekend (Chester, New Jersey) [thru 9.29]

OkTUPPERfest (Tupper Lake, New York)

Plains Peanut Festival (Plains, Georgia)

PotatoFest (Ebensburg, Pennsylvania)

Pumpkin Festival (Rapid City, South Dakota)

San Juan Capistrano Greek Fest (San Juan Capistrano, California) [thru 9.29]

Saratoga Giant PumpkinFest Weigh-Off (Saratoga Springs, New York)

Seafood and Soul Festival (Stockton, California) [thru 9.29]

Sedona WineFest (Sedona, Arizona) [thru 9.29]

SeptOberfest (Wabasha, Minnesota) [thru 10.6]

South Toms River Food Truck & Craft Beer Festival (Toms River, New Jersey)

Smith Mountain Lake Wine Festival (Smith Mountain Lake, Virginia) [thru 9.29]

Sonoma County VegFest (Santa Rosa, California)

A Taste of Soquel (Soquel, California)

Treasure Coast Seafood Festival (Vero Beach, Florida)

Turkey Festival (Eldon, Missouri)

Valpo Brewfest (Valparaiso, Indiana)

Wichita Wagonmasters Downtown Chili CookOff (Wichita, Kansas)

Wing Dang Doodle Festival (Forest, Mississippi)

Yadkin Valley Pumpkin Festival (Elkin, North Carolina)

Yavapai Cattle Growers Annual Calf Sale & BBQ (Peeples Valley, Arizona)

Feast Days

Aaron of Auxerre (Christian; Saint)

Al Capp (Artology)

Alexandre Cabanel (Artology)

Annemund (Christian; Saint)

Cailleach An Dudean (Hag of the Mill-Dust Dance; Celtic Book of Days)

Confucius (Confucianism; Founder)

Conval (Christian; Saint)

Eustochium (Christian; Saint)

Exuperius (Christian; Saint)

Fast of Gedalia (Judaism) [3 Tishri]

Faustus of Riez (Christian; Saint)

Feast of Khepera (Egyptian Beetle God)

Festival of Wawatsari (God of Deer Peyote; Huichol, Mexico)

Fictional Character Day (Pastafarian)

First of San Miguel (Christian; Mexico)

Fred (Muppetism)

Hapi’s Day (Day of the Nile; Pagan)

Hazelwood Day (Church of the SubGenius; Saint)

John of Dukla (Christian; Saint)

Leoba (a.k.a. Lioba; Christian; Saint)

Lorenzo Ruiz (Christian; Saint)

Michaelmas Eve (Celtic)

Mme. de Staal (Positivist; Saint)

Paternus of Auch (Christian; Saint)

Richard Rolle, Walter Hilton and Margery Kempe (Episcopal Church (USA))

Simón de Rojas (Christian; Saint)

Simon Winchester (Writerism)

Tales of Kelp-Kori’s Second Visit (Shamanism)

Thesmophoria (Ancient Greece; Festival to Demeter)

Warja Lavater (Artology)

Wenceslas of Bohemia(Christian; Saint) [Bohemia, Czech brewers] *

Lucky & Unlucky Days

Prime Number Day: 271 [58 of 72]

Sakimake (先負 Japan) [Bad luck in the morning, good luck in the afternoon.]

Umu Limnu (Evil Day; Babylonian Calendar; 45 of 60)

Premieres

Aqua Duck (WB MM Cartoon; 1963)

…Baby One More Time, by Britney Spears (Song; 1998)

Ballet Shoes, by Noel Streatfeild (Children’s Novel; 1936)

Blackadder Goes Forth (UK TV Series; 1989)

Blonde (Film; 2022)

The Clock Store (Silly Symphony Cartoon; 1931)

Cool Hand Luke, by Donn Pearce (Novel; 1965)

DC Showcase: Green Arrow (WB Cartoon; 2010)

The Dissent of Man, by Bad Religion (Album; 2010)

Dr. Kildare (TV Series; 1961)

Eldorado, by Electric Light Orchestra (Album; 1974)

Fallen Into the Pit, by Ellis Peters (Novel; 1951)

The Great Friendship, by Vano Muradeli (Opera; 1947)

Greedy for Tweety (WB LT Cartoon; 1957)

Hearts in Atlantis (Film; 2001)

Hook, Line and Sinker (Terrytoons Cartoon; 1939)

Hotel Transylvania (Animated Film; 2012)

I Heard It Through the Grapevine, by Gladys Knight & The Pips (Song; 1967)

L’Histoire du Soldat, by Igor Stravinsky (Theatrical Work; 1918)

Looney Lightning or Nuts and Volts (Rocky & Bullwinkle Cartoon, S6, Ep. 306; 1964)

Looper (Film; 2012)

Love Me Tender, by Elvis Presley (Song; 1956)

Mildred Pierce (Film; 1945)

Minding the Baby (Betty Boop Cartoon; 1931)

Night School (Film; 2018)

On Ice (Disney Cartoon; 1935)

Papa Was a Rollin’ Stone, by The Temptations (Song; 1972)

Pitch Perfect (Film; 2012)

The Professor and the Madman (UK Title: The Surgeon of Crowthorne), by Simon Winchester (Book; 1998)

The Show Must Go On or Give “em the Acts (Rocky & Bullwinkle Cartoon, S6, Ep. 305; 1964)

Smallfoot (Animated Film; 2018)

Songs in the Key of Life, by Stevie Wonder (Album; 1976)

Star Trek: The Next Generation (TV Series; 1987)

Superman/Batman: Apocalypse (WB Animated Film; 2010)

Tales from Margarita, by Jimmy Buffet (Short Stories; 1989)

To Know Him Is To Love Him, by The Teddy Bears (Song; 1958)

Tom and Jerry: Robin Hood and His Merry Mouse (WB Animated Film; 2012)

Travels with My Aunt, by Graham Greene (Novel; 1969)

Ugly Betty (TV Series; 2008)

The Watchdog (Terrytoons Cartoon; 1945)

Welcome to the Jungle, by Guns N’ Roses (Song; 1987)

The Wild Life (Film; 1984)

A Wizard of Earthsea, by Ursula K. Le Guin (Novel; 1968) [Earthsea #1]

Zoolander (Film; 2001)

Today’s Name Days

Dietmar, Giselher, Lioba, Thekla, Wenzel (Austria)

Faust, Lovorko, Većeslav (Croatia)

Václav (Czech Republic)

Venceslaus (Denmark)

Lennart, Lenno, Leonhard, Linnar, Linnart (Estonia)

Arja, Lenni (Finland)

Venceslas (France)

Giselher, Lioba, Wenzel (Germany)

Heriton (Greece)

Vencel (Hungary)

Venceslao (Italy)

Gaita, Kaira, Lana, Sergejs, Svetlana (Latvia)

Saliamonas, Tautvydas, Vaclovas, Vacys, Vientautė (Lithuania)

Lena, Lene (Norway)

Jan, Laurencjusz, Luba, Lubosza, Marek, Nikita, Salomon, Sylwin, Wacław, Wacława, Wawrzyniec, Więcesław (Poland)

Hariton (Romania)

Václav (Slovakia)

Lorenzo, Wenceslao (Spain)

Lennart, Leonard (Sweden)

Baruch, Preston, Prior, Pryor, Wenzel (USA)

Today is Also…

Day of Year: Day 272 of 2024; 94 days remaining in the year

ISO: Day 6 of Week 39 of 2024

Celtic Tree Calendar: Muin (Vine) [Day 28 of 28]

Chinese: Month 8 (Guy-You), Day 26 (Yi-Wei)

Chinese Year of the: Dragon 4722 (until January 29, 2025) [Wu-Chen]

Hebrew: 25 Elul 5784

Islamic: 24 Rabi I 1446

J Cal: 2 Orange; Twosday [2 of 30]

Julian: 15 September 2024

Moon: 14%: Waning Crescent

Positivist: 20 Shakespeare (10th Month) [Richardson]

Runic Half Month: Gyfu (Gift) [Day 7 of 15]

Season: Autumn or Fall (Day 7 of 90)

Week: 4th Full Week of September

Zodiac: Libra (Day 6 of 30)

#Holidays

1 note · View note

brookston · 1 year ago

Text

Holidays 9.28

Holidays

Banned Websites Awareness Day

British Home Child Day (UK)

Cabrillo Day (California)

Canterbury South Day (New Zealand)

Carrot Day (French Republic)

Carson King Day (Iowa)

Circassian Costume Day

Ethel Rosenberg Day of Justice (New York)

Fiesta of San Miguel (Mexico)

Fish Tank Floorshow Night

Flag Day (Thailand)

Frances Willard Day (Minnesota, Wisconsin)

Freedom From Hunger Day

Global Day of Student Prayer

Gold Lining Day

Gone-ta-Pott Day [every 28th]

International Day of Arnold Chiari Syndrome

International Day of Scientific Culture

International Day for Universal Access to Information (UN)

International Right to Know Day

International Safe Abortion Day

Marshmallow Twisters Day

National British Home Child Day (Canada)

National Chris Day

National Day of Awareness

National Day of Awareness and Unity against Child Pornography (Philippines)

National Good Neighbor Day

National Gordie Day

National Manufacturing Day (UK)

National North Carolina Day

National Penicillin Allergy Day

National Self Awareness Day

National Son’s Day (Canada)

National Talk Like Mr. Krabs Day (Aenopia)

National Traffic Door Day

NICU Staff Recognition Day

Popular Uprising of Naples Day (Italy)

Psoriatic Arthritis Awareness Day

Read a Child a Book You Like Day

Silver Lining Day

Teacher’s Day (Philippines, Taiwan)

World News Day

World Pet Day

World Rabies Day

Food & Drink Celebrations

Drink As Much Beer As Possible Day

Drink Beer Day

International Poke Day

National Drink Beer Day

Ohio Pint Day

Strawberry Cream Pie Day

World Marmite Day

4th & Last Thursday in September

Arthur's Day (Arthur Guinness) [4th Thursday]

National Fitness Day (Ireland) [4th Thursday]

National School Parent Group Day [4th Thursday]

Remember Me Thursday [4th Thursday]

World Maritime Day [Last Thursday]

World Trenches Day [4th Thursday]

Independence Days

Czech Statehood Day (Czech Republic) Nefaria (a.k.a. Timonoucitiland; Declared; 2019) [unrecognized]

Feast Days

Aaron of Auxerre (Christian; Saint)

Alexandre Cabanel (Artology)

Annemund (Christian; Saint)

Confucius (Confucianism; Founder)

Conval (Christian; Saint)

Eustochium (Christian; Saint)

Exuperius (Christian; Saint)

Fast of Gedalia (Judaism) [3 Tishri]

Faustus of Riez (Christian; Saint)

Feast of Khepera (Egyptian Beetle God)

Festival of Wawatsari (God of Deer Peyote; Huichol, Mexico)

Fictional Character Day (Pastafarian)

Fred (Muppetism)

Hapi’s Day (Day of the Nile; Pagan)

Hazelwood Day (Church of the SubGenius; Saint)

John of Dukla (Christian; Saint)

Leoba (a.k.a. Lioba; Christian; Saint)

Lorenzo Ruiz (Christian; Saint)

Michaelmas Eve (Celtic)

Mme. de Staal (Positivist; Saint)

Paternus of Auch (Christian; Saint)

The Prophet’s Birthday [Islam] (a.k.a. ...

Baravfat (India)

Birthday of Prophet Muhammed (Cameroon, Kuwait, Lebanon, Maldives, Palestine, Sierra Leone, UAE)

Eid Al-Maulid Anebi (Eritea)

Eid-El-Maulud (Nigeria)

Eid-e-Milad-un Nabi (Bangladesh)

Gamo (Gambia)

Gamou (Senegal)

Hari Maulad Nabi (Cocos or Keeling Islands)

Le Mouled (Tunisia)

Maoulida (Mayotte)

Maouloud (Guinea, Senegal)

Maouloud-Al-Nebi (Chad)

Maulid (Tanzania)

Maulid Nabi Muhammad SAW 1444 H (Indonesia)

Maulidur Rasul (Brunei)

Mawleed al-Nabi (Afghanistan)

Mawlid (Ethiopia)

Mawlid al-Nabi (Jordan)

Mawlid An Nabi (Syria)

Mawlid En Nabaoui Echarif (Algeria)

Mawlid Nabi (Somalia)

Mawloud (Mali)

Mawlud Nabi (Gambia)

Mavlid Al Nabi (Cyprus)

Milad Al Nabi (Oman)

Miladunnabi (Bahrain)

Milad-un-Nabi (India, Sri Lanka)

Moulad (Iraq)

Mouled Al Nabee (Libya)

Moulid Al Nabi (Sudan)

Moulid El Nabi (Egypt)

Mouloud (Comoros, Djibouti, Niger)

Rabi' al-Awwal (Yemen)

Youman Nabi (Guyana)

Richard Rolle, Walter Hilton and Margery Kempe (Episcopal Church (USA))

Simón de Rojas (Christian; Saint)

Wenceslas (Christian; Saint) [Bohemia, Czech brewers] *

Lucky & Unlucky Days

Prime Number Day: 271 [58 of 72]

Sakimake (先負 Japan) [Bad luck in the morning, good luck in the afternoon.]

Umu Limnu (Evil Day; Babylonian Calendar; 45 of 60)

Premieres

Aqua Duck (WB MM Cartoon; 1963)

…Baby One More Time, by Britney Spears (Song; 1998)

Ballet Shoes, by Noel Streatfeild (Children’s Novel; 1936)

Blackadder Goes Forth (UK TV Series; 1989)

Blonde (Film; 2022)

Cool Hand Luke, by Donn Pearce (Novel; 1965)

DC Showcase: Green Arrow (WB Cartoon; 2010)

The Dissent of Man, by Bad Religion (Album; 2010)

Dr. Kildare (TV Series; 1961)

Eldorado, by Electric Light Orchestra (Album; 1974)

Fallen Into the Pit, by Ellis Peters (Novel; 1951)

Greedy for Tweety (WB LT Cartoon; 1957)

Hearts in Atlantis (Film; 2001)

Hotel Transylvania (Animated Film; 2012)

I Heard It Through the Grapevine, by Gladys Knight & The Pips (Song; 1967)

Looney Lightning or Nuts and Volts (Rocky & Bullwinkle Cartoon, S6, Ep. 306; 1964)

Looper (Film; 2012)

Love Me Tender, by Elvis Presley (Song; 1956)

Mildred Pierce (Film; 1945)

Night School (Film; 2018)

On Ice (Disney Cartoon; 1935)

Papa Was a Rollin’ Stone, by The Temptations (Song; 1972)

Pitch Perfect (Film; 2012)

The Professor and the Madman (UK Title: The Surgeon of Crowthorne), by Simon Winchester (Book; 1998)

The Show Must Go On or Give “em the Acts (Rocky & Bullwinkle Cartoon, S6, Ep. 305; 1964)

Smallfoot (Animated Film; 2018)

Songs in the Key of Life, by Stevie Wonder (Album; 1976)

Star Trek: The Next Generation (TV Series; 1987)

Superman/Batman: Apocalypse (WB Animated Film; 2010)

Tales from Margarita, by Jimmy Buffet (Short Stories; 1989)

To Know Him Is To Love Him, by The Teddy Bears (Song; 1958)

Tom and Jerry: Robin Hood and His Merry Mouse (WB Animated Film; 2012)

Ugly Betty (TV Series; 2008)

Welcome to the Jungle, by Guns N’ Roses (Song; 1987)

The Wild Life (Film; 1984)

A Wizard of Earthsea, by Ursula K. Le Guin (Novel; 1968)

Zoolander (Film; 2001)

Today’s Name Days

Dietmar, Giselher, Lioba, Thekla, Wenzel (Austria)

Faust, Lovorko, Većeslav (Croatia)

Václav (Czech Republic)

Venceslaus (Denmark)

Lennart, Lenno, Leonhard, Linnar, Linnart (Estonia)

Arja, Lenni (Finland)

Venceslas (France)

Giselher, Lioba, Wenzel (Germany)

Heriton (Greece)

Vencel (Hungary)

Venceslao (Italy)

Gaita, Kaira, Lana, Sergejs, Svetlana (Latvia)

Saliamonas, Tautvydas, Vaclovas, Vacys, Vientautė (Lithuania)

Lena, Lene (Norway)

Jan, Laurencjusz, Luba, Lubosza, Marek, Nikita, Salomon, Sylwin, Wacław, Wacława, Wawrzyniec, Więcesław (Poland)

Hariton (Romania)

Václav (Slovakia)

Lorenzo, Wenceslao (Spain)

Lennart, Leonard (Sweden)

Baruch, Preston, Prior, Pryor, Wenzel (USA)

Today is Also…

Day of Year: Day 271 of 2024; 94 days remaining in the year

ISO: Day 4 of week 39 of 2023

Celtic Tree Calendar: Muin (Vine) [Day 24 of 28]

Chinese: Month 8 (Xin-You), Day 14 (Ji-Chou)

Chinese Year of the: Rabbit 4721 (until February 10, 2024)

Hebrew: 13 Tishri 5784

Islamic: 13 Rabi I 1445

J Cal: 1 Shù; Oneday [1 of 30]

Julian: 15 September 2023

Moon: 98%: Waxing Gibbous

Positivist: 19 Shakespeare (10th Month) [Mme. de Staal]

Runic Half Month: Gyfu (Gift) [Day 2 of 15]

Season: Autumn (Day 5 of 89)

Zodiac: Libra (Day 5 of 30)

Calendar Changes

Shù (Month 10 of 12; J Calendar)

#calendar #Holidays

0 notes

svchasimp · 1 year ago

Text

𝐌𝐔𝐒𝐄'𝐒 𝐈𝐍𝐅𝐎 𝐒𝐇𝐄𝐄𝐓

{Basics}

Name: Jasmine Brady

Alias: Jas

Gender: Female

Age: 24-28

Species: Human

Zodiac: aquarius / aries / cancer / capricorn / gemini / leo / libra / pisces / sagittarius / scorpio / taurus / virgo / unknown

Abilities/Talents:

{Personal}

Alignment: lawful / neutral / chaotic / good / neutral / evil / true

Religion:

Sins: envy / greed / gluttony / lust / pride / sloth / wrath

Virtues: charity / chastity / diligence / humility / justice / kindness / patience

Languages: English

Family: Brothers - Gray and Nick

Friends:

Sexual Orientation: heterosexual / bisexual / pansexual / homosexual / demisexual / asexual / unsure / questioning / other

Relationship status: single / dating / married / widowed / open relationship / other

Libido: sex god / very high / high / average / low / very low / non-existent

{Physical}

Build: twig / bony / slender / average / athletic / curvy / chubby / obese

Hair: white / blonde / brunette / red / black / other

Eyes: brown / blue / green / black / other

Skin: pale / fair / olive / light brown / brown / very brown / other

Height: under 3 foot / 3-4 foot / 4-5 foot / 5-6 foot / 6-7 foot / above 7 foot

Weight: under 100 pounds / 100-150 pounds / 150-200 pounds / 200-250 pounds / above 250 pounds

Scars: Top of her forehead along her hairline

Facial Features:

Tattoos: stars behind her left ear

{Choose}

Dogs or Cats?

Birds or Hamsters?

Red or Blue?

Yellow or Green?

Black or White?

Coffee or Tea?

Ice Cream or Cake?

Fruits or Vegetables?

Sandwich or Soup?

Magic or Melee?

Sword or Bow?

Summer or Winter?

Spring or Autumn?

The Past or The Future?

{ Taste: }

{ Touch: }

{ Scent: }

{ Sound: }

{ Sight: }

tagged by: tagging:

#hc; jasmine #about; jasmine

0 notes

newstfionline · 3 years ago

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Friday, September 3, 2021

US faith groups unite to help Afghanistan refugees after war (AP) America’s major religions and denominations, often divided on other big issues, have united behind the effort to help receive an influx of refugees from Afghanistan following the end of the United States’ longest war and one of the largest airlifts in history. Among those gearing up to help are Jewish refugee resettlement agencies and Islamic groups; conservative and liberal Protestant churches; and prominent Catholic relief organizations, providing everything from food and clothes to legal assistance and housing. “It’s incredible. It’s an interfaith effort that involved Catholic, Lutheran, Muslim, Jews, Episcopalians ... Hindus ... as well as nonfaith communities who just believe that maybe it’s not a matter of faith, but it’s just a matter of who we are as a nation,” said Krish O’Mara Vignarajah, president and CEO of Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service. The U.S. and its coalition partners have evacuated more than 100,000 people from Afghanistan since the airlift began Aug. 14, including more than 5,400 American citizens and many Afghans who helped the U.S. during the 20-year war.

Hurricane Ida’s aftermath, recovery uneven across Louisiana (AP) In New Orleans, an ongoing power outage after Hurricane Ida is making the sweltering summer unbearable. But in some areas outside the city, that misery is compounded by a lack of water, flooded neighborhoods and severely damaged homes. Four days after Hurricane Ida struck, the storm’s aftermath—and progress in recovering from it—are being felt unevenly across affected communities in Louisiana. In New Orleans, power was restored Wednesday to a small number of homes and businesses, city crews had some streets almost completely cleared of fallen trees and debris and a few corner stores reopened. Outside New Orleans, neighborhoods remained flooded and residents were still reeling from damage to their homes and property. More than 1,200 people were walking through some of Ida’s hardest-hit communities to look for those needing help, according to the Louisiana Fire Marshal’s office.

More than 45 dead after Ida’s remnants blindside Northeast (AP) A stunned U.S. East Coast faced a rising death toll, surging rivers and tornado damage Thursday after the remnants of Hurricane Ida walloped the region with record-breaking rain, drowning more than 40 people in their homes and cars. In a region that had been warned about potentially deadly flash flooding but hadn’t braced for such a blow from the no-longer-hurricane, the storm killed at least 46 people from Maryland to Connecticut on Wednesday night and Thursday morning. In New York, nearly 500 vehicles were abandoned on flooded highways, garbage bobbed in streaming streets and water cascaded into the city’s subway tunnels, trapping at least 17 trains and disrupting service all day. Videos online showed riders standing on seats in swamped cars. All were safely evacuated, with police aiding 835 riders and scores of people elsewhere. The National Weather Service said the ferocious storm also spawned at least 10 tornadoes from Maryland to Massachusetts, including a 150-mph (241 kph) twister that splintered homes and toppled silos in Mullica Hill, New Jersey, south of Philadelphia.

President’s murder inquiry slow amid Haiti’s multiple crises (AP) In the nearly two months since President Jovenel Moïse was assassinated, Haiti has suffered a devastating earthquake and a drenching tropical storm, the twin natural disasters deflecting attention from the man-made one that preceded them. Add the constant worry over deteriorating security at the hands of gangs that by some estimates control territory that’s home to about a fifth of Haiti’s 11 million citizens, and the investigation into Moïse’s killing is fast fading from the public consciousness. Even those still paying attention, demanding accountability and pressuring for a thorough investigation give no chance to the crime’s masterminds being brought to justice in a country where impunity reigns. It doesn’t help that Moïse was despised by a large portion of the population. “The hope for finding justice for Jovenel is zero,” said Pierre Esperance, executive director of the National Human Rights Defense Network.

Fancy a beer in Britain? In some pubs, supplies are running low. (Washington Post) Fears are brewing among pint-loving Brits amid reports of a national beer shortage. Some pubs say they are running low on pints of Carling and Coors—the latest victims of the United Kingdom’s supply chain crisis, sparked by Brexit and exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic, that has led to headline-grabbing scarcities of items including McDonald’s milkshakes, beloved Nando’s chicken and the polarizing breakfast spread Marmite. “We are experiencing some supply problems,” a spokesman for pub chain Wetherspoons said Tuesday, apologizing for any inconvenience caused to customers. The lack of beer has been attributed to the ongoing shortage of truck drivers to transport goods, a problem sparked by Britain’s decision to leave the European Union following a 2016 referendum that divided the country. The driver shortage has not been helped by the country’s “pingdemic,” in which tens of thousands of workers were forced to self-isolate after being contacted by the National Health Service app for coming into contact with someone who tested positive for coronavirus.

Merkel steps down with legacy dominated by tackling crises (AP) Angela Merkel will leave office as one of modern Germany’s longest-serving leaders and a global diplomatic heavyweight, with a legacy defined by her management of a succession of crises that shook a fragile Europe rather than any grand visions for her own country. In 16 years at the helm of Europe’s biggest economy, Merkel did end military conscription, set Germany on course for a future without nuclear and fossil-fueled power, and introduce a national minimum wage and benefits encouraging fathers to look after young children, among other things. But a senior ally recently summed up what many view as her main service: as an anchor of stability in stormy times. He told Merkel: “You protected our country well.”

India locks down Kashmir after top separatist leader’s death (AP) Indian authorities cracked down on public movement and imposed a near-total communications blackout Thursday in disputed Kashmir after the death of Syed Ali Geelani, a top separatist leader who became the emblem of the region’s defiance against New Delhi. Geelani, who died late Wednesday at age 92, was buried in a quiet funeral at a local graveyard organized by authorities under harsh restrictions, his son Naseem Geelani told The Associated Press. “They snatched his body and forcibly buried him. Nobody from the family was present for his burial. We tried to resist but they overpowered us and even scuffled with women,” said Naseem Geelani. As most Kashmiris remained locked inside their homes, armed police and soldiers patrolled the tense region. Government forces placed steel barricades and razor wire across many roads, bridges and intersections and set up additional checkpoints across towns and villages in the Kashmir Valley. Authorities cut most of cellphone networks and mobile internet service in a common tactic employed by India in anticipation of mass protests.

Women and technology in Japan (NYT) Japan is facing a severe shortage of workers in technology and engineering. And in university programs that produce workers in these fields, Japan has some of the lowest percentages of women in the developed world. Up to age 15, Japanese girls and boys perform equally well in math and science on international standardized tests. But at this critical juncture, when students must choose between the science and humanities tracks in high school, girls appear to lose confidence and interest in math and science. In these fields, the higher the educational level, the fewer the women, a phenomenon many blame on cultural expectations. “The sex-based division of labor is deeply rooted,” one young woman said. To help change the trend, two women with science backgrounds co-founded a nonprofit called Waffle, which runs one-day tech camps for middle and high school girls. Asumi Saito and Sayaka Tanaka offer career lectures and hands-on experiences that emphasize problem solving, community, and entrepreneurship to counter the stereotypically geeky image of technology. “Our vision is to close the gender gap by empowering and educating women in technology,” Saito said.

Taiwan Warns China Can ‘Paralyze’ Island’s Defenses in Conflict (Bloomberg) Taiwan warned that China could “paralyze” its defenses in a conflict, a stark new assessment expected to fuel calls in Washington for more support for the democratically ruled island. China is able to neutralize Taiwan’s air-and-sea defenses and counter-attack systems with “soft and hard electronic attacks,” Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense said in an annual report to lawmakers seen by Bloomberg News. The document offered a more alarming assessment than last year’s report, which had said China still lacked the capability to launch an assault. While Beijing isn’t believed to possess the transport and logistical capacity necessary for an invasion of Taiwan’s large and mountainous main island, the ministry recommended monitoring Chinese efforts to expand training and preparations for complex landing operations. China already has the ability to seize Taiwan’s surrounding islands, it said.

Those left in Afghanistan complain of broken US promises (AP) Even in the final days of Washington’s chaotic airlift in Afghanistan, Javed Habibi was getting phone calls from the U.S. government promising that the green card holder from Richmond, Virginia, his wife and their four daughters would not be left behind. He was told to stay home and not worry, that they would be evacuated. Late Monday, however, his heart sank as he heard that the final U.S. flights had left Kabul’s airport, followed by the blistering staccato sound of Taliban gunfire, celebrating what they saw as their victory over America. “They lied to us,” Habibi said of the U.S. government. He is among hundreds of American citizens and green card holders stranded in the Afghan capital. Victoria Nuland, undersecretary of state for political affairs, would not address individual cases but said all U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents who could not get evacuation flights or were otherwise stranded had been contacted individually in the past 24 hours and told to expect further information about routes out once those have been arranged.

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