#let us aussies make history

[slutforpringles]

If Ricciardo retains his place, Doohan’s elevation will see three Australians competing in F1 for the first time in almost half a century. The first and only time three Aussies shared the grid was in 1976, when Alan Jones, Larry Perkins and one-time starter Warwick Brown shared the grid at the United States Grand Prix at Watkins Glen.

via: Australia closer to three drivers on F1 grid as Jack Doohan nod confirmed

[lnfours]

* ✰. — make a friendship bracelet

Maybe with "I can see you" ??

all i could think about was a workplace romance and this song and now i'm in my feels. also imma pretend like i didnt fall asleep while writing this last night

join the 11k celebration!

the mtc was packed, people gathered around for the annual car reveal. sponsorship spokesmen in their well pressed suits, reporters buzzing about the new car. you were sat in the back, smiling from afar as lando gave his opinions on the new improvements on stage.

he looked good, the new race suit complimenting him well. it brought you back to when you both had first met, almost a year ago, in this exact situation. he was the one who approached you first, intrigued by the new girl. and the rest was history.

the night progressed, people hanging back to talk to the drivers. you had met his eyes a couple times, sending each other small, knowing smiles. you took a sip of your drink, standing with oscar as you both observed the crowd.

you and the aussie had made small talk, talking to his girlfriend and how she eventually wanted to get in the formula one space. you gave her some pointers, telling her you'd vouch for her if it ever came to it.

"look who showed up," oscar laughed, his eyes looking behind you, "did zak make you talk to everyone?"

a small hand on your back let you know it was him. he squeezed your hip slightly. you reached your hand out, grabbing the small slip of paper from his hand.

"just about, yeah," lando said, moving to stand between you two, "if i talk about our plan to not start how we did last time, i'm going to lose my mind."

you laughed softly, placing your drink down, "i'm gonna use the bathroom, i'll be back."

they all nodded, lando's eyes following you as you walked out of the room longer than anyone else's. once you were away from the crowd, you pulled the note from your pocket, opening it to read it.

you look gorgeous tonight. meet you at mine tonight? - lan

[2-fast-2-curious]

Motorsport Audio Masterlist Perez-Zhou

Albon-Lawson

Leclerc-Ocon

Male Listener Audios

Sergio Perez

[M4A] Your BF Remembers You of Your Worth

[M4F] [Script Fill] Patience, Pretty Pet

Oscar Piastri

[M4F] [Script fill] Worshipping You After Your Workout [BFE]

[M4F] Aussie Snuggles with his American Girlfriend, pillow talk, leads to intense sex

All About Your Pussy

[M4F] Your Horny Boyfriend Gives You Head At Your Parents’ House

[M4F] You have one (1) missed call(s)

Fabio Quartararo

[M4F] Get On the Bed

Kimi Raikkonen

[M4F] JOI by your Soft Dom

Daniel Ricciardo

[M4F] Our First Time Getting Rough

[M4F] “Morning Darlin”

[M4F][Script Fill] Why Didn't We Fuck Before I Left?

[M4F] Kiss And Make Up

[M4F] Reminding You That You're Mine (full version)

[M4F] Bets and Promises

[M4F] Seaside Rendezvous

[M4F] Your First Time

Hiding in the Closet With Your Brother’s Best Friend

M4A-Come-To-Bed-Baby

M4A-Its-Bedtime-Darling

You-are-beautiful-ambient

[M4F] Lucky girl

[M4F] Fall Asleep On Daddy's Cock

[M4F] Just Relax For Me

[M4F] Your BF Discovers Your Dirty Secret... and Becomes Your New Daddy

[M4F] he's drunk and horny and trying so hard to stay quiet

[M4F] Revisiting Your Italian Lessons

[M4A] Your Brain Is Lying To You

[M4A] Your Pause Button

[M4A] Everything Will Be Alright, Darling

My Needy Obedient Girl

[M4F] Cuddle Fuck

[M4F] Pussy Appreciation

Period Comfort SFW

[M4F] Trying to quietly sleep with friend's sister.

[M4F] [Script fill] Ski Lodge Shenanigans

George Russell

[M4F] Babe, Do you want me to be your Daddy? I saw your browser history

Why Can't You Be Mine Instead?

Dominated By Your Brothers, Gigantic Friend

[M4F] [Script Fill] [Mdom] [British Accent][DD/lg] [Possessive] [Spanking] [Punishment] [Jealous Partner] [Wet Sounds]

[M4F] My little girl gets punished for using a toy behind daddy's back.

[M4F] - Back Row Cinema

Falling in Love on the Ferris Wheel

[M4F] I have to have you...NOW

[M4F] You Should Be Sleeping now

[Script Fill] [M4F] Don't Look Away From Me

[M4A] [M4F] I Offer You Dreams

[M4F] [M4A] I care about you

[M4A] [M4F] Rest, Love

(M4F) Morning Love Making and Cuddling - British Boyfriend Role Play

[Size Kink][Size Difference][Mdom][At the Gym][Spotting Your Squat]

[M4F] Learning how to please my new boss 😇

[M4F] [Script Fill] Kitchen Shenanigans

[M4F] 😟😟 Please help me mommy, I can't sleep

Table for Two

[M4F] [Script Fill] Ghostface Reckons You’re Not That Smart, Detective

Your BF calms you down after a nightmare

[M4F] The Professor Explains "Power Fantasies" To You After Class

[M4F] Good Girls Feel Better

M4F - Good girls go back to sleep - sfw audio pillowtalk

M4F] Cupcake for my little Cupcake [Script fill]

[M4F] I can't believe nobody invited you to the prom!

[M4F] You've had a long day, let your good boy take care of you

[M4F] Good Girls Ask for What They Want

[M4F] Why are you jacking me off while I try to sleep bro

[M4F] Driving Through The English Countryside With(Out) Your Sundress On

Carlos Sainz Jr

[M4F] The Spanish Lifeguard Asks You Out

[M4F] You discover your housemate is really good with his fingers!

Hispanic Guy New in Town

Lip Service: Sabor a Tí

[M4A] Your BF Tells You What He Loves About Your Body

[M4F] Para Ti:Audio en Español

[M4F] Midnight Impulse: A Night of Passion

Noche de lluvia [M4F]

Logan Sargeant

[M4F] Secretly Fucking Your Best Friend's Younger Brother After a Sleepover

You Must be Haunting Me

[M4F] Watching A Sex Scene with Your Friend Goes Way Too Far

[M4F] Sneaking Into Your High School Friend's Room Four Years Later

Mick Schumacher

[M4F] Hold the moan

[M4F] Lazy mornin’ cuddlefuck

[M4F] Cockwarming In Your New Sundress

[M4F] A Bet is a Bet. [Mdom]

[M4F] A Bet is a Bet Too [Msub]

[M4F] Anxiety Comfort [Cuddles] [L-bombs] [Kissing]

[M4F] Sleep Aid for a good girl

[M4F] Ice cream & Belly rubs

[M4F] 10 Minutes of Pussy Eating

Confession practice while you're asleep

[M4F] I came back to breed you!

"Untie Me...No, Wait, Fuck Me!"

[M4F] Midnight

The Barb Wire Killer

[M4F] Simple Encouragements!

[M4F][Request fill] You have done great!

[M4F][Request Fill] Dommy Pillowtalk

[M4F] Your German FWB Helping You Recuperate From A Night At The Oktoberfest

Andrew Showlin

[M4F][Script Fill] Right Here Waiting for You

Lance Stroll

[M4F] Fucked & Spanked at the Party

[M4F] Your Wedding Night With The Enemy Prince

[M4F] Sit on my face.. if I die, I die

[M4F] I'd love to be inside of you

[M4F] We're out of gas, so I should fill you?

I Don’t Want You to Think

[M4F] Your Lycan Boyfriend Ravages You On Full Moon’s Night

[M4F] Are You Feeling Like A Good Girl Again?

[M4F] The Best Birthday Present

loving boyfriend helps you relieve stress

[M4F] Submissive Moans for Mommy <3

[M4F] Gentle Daddy pets your pussy until you stop crying

[M4F] Gaming with your boyfriend

[M4F] Snowstorms, Cold Lips, Burning Bodies

[M4F] Gossip in the Office

[M4F] Running Late

Yuki Tsunoda

[M4F] Netflix and sleep

Fish tacos

[M4A] comforting to know

Max Verstappen

I'm Going To Fuck You How I Want...And How You Need

Couchsleeping

[M4F] [Script fill] A Lesson

Sebastian Vettel

[M4F] [Script Fill] To Pitch a Tent

[M4F] Welcome to Germany

Nursing the nurse

Cumming back (repost)

Just a quick ramblefap <3

[M4F] A Pleasure to Serve

[M4F] "I'll Choose You"

[M4F] Don't Laugh, but I gotta Tell You Something

[M4F] [SCRIPT FILL] "I Want To Fuck A Baby Into You."

[M4F] Msub going dominant (but failing miserably) [Ramblefap]

[M4F] This Is How I Picture Our First Time

[M4A]What is a train? [Relaxation][Train][Slow][Sleep-aid][SFW][German Accent]

[M4F] Telling you how to touch yourself

Reading and describing a German children's picture book

Snuggles

[M4F] It's Always the Shy Ones

[M4F] Quiet Period Cuddles

[M4F] The Care I Need

[M4F] we can stay in bed all day, as long as you don't cum

[M4F] ramblefap first try

[M4F] Little cuddlefuck for my babygirl

[M4f] [Script Fill] Roommates: Cooling Off

[M4F] [Script Fill] You Don't Need Him

[M4F] Desperate for your touch

[M4F] Promise Me You Didn’t See That

James Volwes

[M4F] Leave Him for Me

Mark Webber

[M4F] No I am so tired

[M4F] [fingered against the wall]

Susie Wolff

[F4F] [F4A] Help me decorate the tree

Toto Wolff

[M4F] Your Manager want you in his office

[M4F] [Script Fill] Daddy Trap

[M4F] Teasing Your Bookworm Boyfriend into Morning Sex

Keep relaxing, babygirl

I’m not going anywhere

You Are Not Your Mistakes

[M4F] Snowed in with only one bed

That Time We Went House Hunting

Your boyfriend's dad helps you during No Nut November

I love the thought of everything happening in public

[M4F] Don't Keep Daddy Waiting

[M4F] Letting Go of Control

[M4F] [Script Fill] Catch My Eye

Zhou Guanyu

[M4A][Script Fill] Please let me take care of you.

[M4F] [Script Fill] You don’t have to hold it all in.

[zahri-melitor]

Reading Digger Harkness as an Aussie: why he’s specifically written to wind me up, the undercurrents of many of his appearances, and why he’s voting No in the Voice referendum.

(Okay if you know ANYTHING about Digger and about the Voice you already knew that, but making this current-relevant!)

George “Digger” Harkness is Captain Boomerang. He’s traditionally written by DC to be specifically, deliberately annoying and disliked. Due to this he’s simultaneously quite cleverly written while also being the laziest character stereotype imaginable.

One of the things that drives me up the wall every time I read him in a book is that due to a clash of a few things in his character design, the subtext he’s evolved over time is remarkably complex, but also geared to make me despise him. Also I can’t tell how much of it is deliberate on the writer’s part.

The first thing you need to understand is that Harkness is very specifically putting on a level of Australianness for his audience (the usually American characters around him). The fascinating thing in this is that, unusually for this trope, his writers are often aware he’s doing this. The common term for this is ‘ocker’. You can notice this in the language he uses: it’s specifically peppered with ‘Australian’ words and phrases.

Now this is a pretty common thing for writers to do to demonstrate a character is Australian. It sounds like someone trying to write Crocodile Dundee or Steve Irwin. However, to my ear (and years of putting up with this), the way it’s done for Digger is…off. It’s not the standard terrible way it’s used in American media, but it’s equally not written naturally for how an Australian who natively speaks ocker/broad would use it. Digger’s playing it up, and he’s playing it up badly. (the closest comparison I can make than an Australian might understand is he sounds more like Russell Coight than Steve Irwin, with all that implies) He wants people to think he’s an Australian stereotype.

Heck, let’s break down his name for a demonstration of this.

Captain Boomerang: this is a very, very, loaded name. Digger’s specifically racist, and he’s racist in a very White Australia Policy sort of way. The writers are aware he’s racist. He uses a boomerang as a symbol as he’s Australian (surface level) but they’re also specifically drawn as white a lot of the time, both in his costume and in the weapons themselves. They’re not plain wood or decorated with traditional art. They’re white. He has a history of making boomerangs and promoting them in Australia for sale, as a white guy, which is uhhhh Not Great. He’s assumed a traditional piece of Australian Aboriginal weaponry and culture as his own, and he’s painted it white. He’s asserting that it’s his culture now and has stripped it of its traditional meaning. (Also his boomerangs often don’t come back, and have sharpened edges and are used wrongly). He doesn’t like Black People ™ but also uses a weapon specifically associated with an oppressed minority in his place of origin. The white supremacy attitude is very much coded in.

“Digger” as a nickname: oh the way this clashes and interacts with the fact he uses ‘Captain’ as a title! Digger as a term is a general nickname for Australian Army soldiers. It comes from the Gallipoli landings and the trenches of World War I. By using it as his nickname, Harkness is evoking a whole HOST of imagery and specifically nationalist cultural imagery surrounding Gallipoli as a ‘birthplace’ of Australian identity, something that’s been weaponised particularly by the Australian political right for the past 30 years as a national symbol. In the stories that a country tells itself about who they are, Harkness is evoking a very major one and also one that can read as quite toxic if not done carefully. (if you need a quick entry to the way the nickname makes me wince, look up ‘Cronulla Riots’. That’s the sort of person his name is evoking for me) The other problem on top of this – this is a soldier’s nickname. Harkness has never been in the Australian military (as far as I can tell). Combined with the fact he uses the title of ‘Captain’, he’s suggesting he’s got a military background that he 100% does not have. He’s a giant hypocrite. Now being part of the military in Australia reads differently to being part of the military in the USA, in how society sees it, but this is still not on. It’s not a natural nickname for an Australian to have, in his circumstances. It doesn’t even make sense as a traditional ironic nickname given by his friends. Which means he picked it himself. And for that style of nickname…choosing your own? That’s considered to be poor form and trying way too hard. (And nicknames are culturally important! For the personality Harkness is trying to present to his audience, he SHOULD have a nickname like this. My father’s is ‘Bones’, for instance. But choosing your own, and choosing one that implies traits that are not yours to display? Really really bad form)

Basically in summary, Harkness is very much coded in a lot of ways to essentially be the Australian equivalent of someone who stormed the Capitol on January 6, 2021. With that sort of view of his home country.

What is fascinating is that when Harkness interacts with other Australian characters, they do not like him, so the writers are aware that he’s been written to be this level of objectionable.

Now, some of this coding in his character has just accumulated over 60+ years as stereotypes have evolved and things have become ever more socially unacceptable. But the interesting thing here is that the writers ACKNOWLEDGE that unacceptable behaviour from Harkness.

I hate him so much. And I also want to fix his dialogue, which suffers from being written by Americans, to include a bunch more extremely country ocker sayings. He NEEDS to be saying things like “stone the flaming crows” and “fair shake of the sauce bottle” and “flat out like a lizard drinking” and “I didn’t come here to fuck spiders”. Because he’s putting it on. And these are the sort of things he’d lean in to to convey that level of “oh I’m not from around here, I am quoting Crocodile Dundee at you but you didn’t even realise” that he’s written to have.

[focusontheheart]

Meet the Team - Pseu

You can also find @picksleydust on: Twitter @ pseuboo

Ahoy friends, from the Land Down Under. I’m a fandom artist who spends my days as a barista and painter and nights hunched over my computer drawing or my ps5 playing something. Should I get more sleep? Yes. But we all know it doesn’t work like that. In 2017 a good friend of mine was constantly insisting I had to play Horizon, and that I would enjoy it, but I was so down the BotW rabbit-hole I was a bit blinkered. I also didn’t have my own PlayStation. But in the year 2020, my then GF had a PS4 she wasn’t using and let me borrow it and that’s when I played Zero Dawn. I adored it and the story but I never fell into fandom because I personally didn’t see Aloy with anyone in the first game (maybe Petra…?) and so I continued on until I caught the Spicy Cough on the release week of HFW and played it endlessly while hacking up my soul. And of course, at one point I was sucker punched by my sweet, earnest and rather poetic Marshal of the Tenakth and the rest is history.

See the Q&A with Pseu below the cut!

Q: What is a favorite piece of work you've done (i.e. completed, working on, in concept)?

I think my commissions and my comic adjacent pieces are my faves, but honestly, I don’t think I’m the best to judge, I can be a little harsh on myself. Most of my work is inspired by the strange goings on in the different channels over on the Kotaloy Server. I really enjoy drawing facial expressions and fun poses as well as funny comics and tableaus that amuse me.

Q: What are some of your favorite tropes to write, draw, or read?

My old desire for enemies to lovers is strong, but this fandom has further kindled a love for subservient men who love their feral wives. I’m also very keen on accidental marriage and “oh no there’s one bed” tropes, but who isn’t >_>

To draw? I’m basically one big rubber arm, if you can make it appeal to me then I will draw it with gusto.

Q: What is an unexpected thing or fun fact about you?

I live in one of the HOT parts of Australia but I’m originally from the frigid Northern hemisphere in Scotland. Ironically though, I feel like it was my destiny to be Aussie. I love beaches (including the sand), hot weather and vegemite with all my heart.

Q: What has been your favorite thing about working on this project so far?

Honestly, I have really enjoyed working on the sprites for this game.  My main inspiration here is the other incredible artists and writers in this fandom. I’ve never been part of such a kind and encouraging one before and while I can only speak for the Kotaloy crew, I have found a frankly staggering number of amazing people in the general fandom. Y’all keep me going, I swear.

[superm4ks]

Really liked your view on rb19, what are your favourite f1 cars oat?

🏎️ mclaren mp4/4 aka the prost vs senna baddie aka tobacco industry win aka real mclaren weapon let me tell u something

this girl had the color scheme she had the engine she had the chassis her twins ((prost and senna)) big like tia tamera she just had everything going for her. won all but one race and pole position. You think rb19 is the king take ur ass back to 1988 and watch the queen conquer

🏎️ ferrari f2002 aka literally 🏎️ and ik ur thinking why not just go for that final ass whooping and pick the 🏎️ f2004 but as dominant and historical as that machine was I think theres a certain like lovecraftian horror that comes wid this prancing bitch that gotta be acknowledged

Ferrari unleashed this mf like 2 races into the season ((hilarious btw like imagine not even updating your car on time f1 is dumb now but it used to be STUPID fr)) What she and schumacher did together was slow and violent. I tried to watch this season once bro nearly fell into coma worse than watching paint dry so naturally I LOVE her

🏎️ haas vf-19

mind your business

🏎️ red bull rb6 aka luscious liz aka randy mandy

again ik what ur thinking. why not pole queen 🏎️rb7 or the Pirelli golden girl 🏎️rb9?? and I SAY that this heinous fucking clown looks like she came in a cereal box, her drivers had 1 toro rosso beanie and a single grit of aussie to their name and yet together they jumpstarted the first energy drink dominant run in f1

🏎️ mercedes w07 aka DIVORCE babes divorce

THEE equal machine in question. she was equal. she was a machine. she sat down wid the president of f1 and she said i wanna make history. a total of +765 constructor points. -1 friendship. -1 nico rosberg. oh her numbers are STAGGERING honey. The second most dominant Formula One car in the history of the sport after mclarens Marlboro ad

🏎️ ✈️ mercedes w11 aka james alison's commercial airplane.

A SERIOUS GERMAN MAN who broke ferrari's constructor championships record and still holds multiple track records that will prolly never get licked at again. Baby supermaks first season and my first time seeing lewis hamilton at work and it got me thru a global pandemic lmfao. A triumph of engineering and mechanical grip and a very much illegal one. The best kind

🏎️ rb19 aka are you not entertained

car and driver both seen wearing a tshirt that says ‘this machine kills Motorsport’. God bless and goonite

[dizzyduck44]

How none of this is Zak Brown’s fault

There seems to be this narrative that all of McLaren’s woes start and and end with Zak. He has become for a lot of newer fans (and Aussies) the villain of F1.

Thing is I’ve been a fan long enough to remember the rise, the fall, the huge rise and the epic fall and now the climb back of this team. Even I used to refer to my team’s car as a milk float. So let’s put this all into context.

It’s funny because I remember an interview Zak did about 4 years ago. He talked about when he arrived at McLaren, Alonso was the only one who was willing to tell him straight. Under Ron Dennis and Martin Whitmarsh the team had ceased to work. Every department worked independently and acted as if they did not need to answer to another. Some department leaders wouldn’t even turn up for meetings as they felt they were working on the most important aspect of the car and everyone should come to them. Case in point, the chassis team felt that Honda should be doing as they say not them adapting to what Honda needed. Some people had felt stifled by Dennis’ control and others refused to move away from his rigid methods. It resulted in a car that was effectively being built by 8 different teams. The cash flow was in a terrible state and no one was willing to go and find sponsors (some still believed that as a historic team the sponsors should be coming to them), money was being wasted in areas and no one was brave enough to cut it off and whilst most knew the infrastructure at MTC needed updating, again there was this attitude of “we are McLaren, we shouldn’t have to beg”.

You can’t deny in 2023 that a lot of that has been sorted. The team structure was changed under Seidl and now again under Stella, once to let’s make them understand we are one team and now we are one team but we need specialists to help each department. Zak found investors and sponsors that solved the cash flow problems, in fact helped the team avoid bankruptcy. The infrastructure is modernised and nearly up and running. The marketability of the team is great, they have two of the best young talents on the grid and arguably they have taken McLaren back to its roots, racing in multiple series.

This time instead of digging themselves back into the hole they had just climbed out of, mistakes have been identified early and changes made. Which is what is needed. And 2 years in the history of an F1 team really is no time at all. Note how long Williams are taking to recover.

Carlos, Lando and Oscar have all been smart signings that have worked. For some reason just because Daniel couldn’t adapt some still act as if it was everyone else’s problem.

Ricciardo and James Keys were not what was best for the long term future of the team and if you want to win races, they are ultimately the decisions that need to be made.

We also need to stop acting as if those that Zak took over from weren’t the reason McLaren were down the back of the grid with a car that didn’t work and no money.

We can all marvel at the special designed floor tiles at the MTC that mean that they all run in the same lines throughout the facility and that every corridor is exactly the same width of tiles across, just as Ron Dennis insisted, but ultimately that is not going to fix their DRS problem.

Personally I would rather hear Zak say we know that isn’t good enough and upgrades are coming than Whitmarsh’s fateful “we make the best chassis on the grid, it’s the engines that have a problem” brag, because at least it shows the team aren’t living in La La land.

[aseriesofunfortunatejan]

Making a sudden shift to hating on Eurovision and people who have enjoyed it brings nothing to the table and, rather, closes the door to newcomers potentially being receptive to your message.

On top of that, it is my personal opinion that we can bring about substantial change by being vocal about our enjoyment of the show - what we enjoy about it in comparison to what we don't, and why we want it to get its act together. It's likely that the people who are the most passionate about Eurovision will be the ones to bring the loudest concerns to the EBU, broadcasters, artists and their labels. It is people who love Eurovision who are looking up official accounts and tags and paying attention to whether Israel is participating. It is people who love Eurovision who are aware, months ahead of the finale, that something bad is going on.

Complaining that the show isn't that good or that important or worth watching does not bring anything to the table. It's a fine personal opinion to hold, but it shouldn't be presented as an example of the right "activist" path. It does not teach anything about boycotts, why exactly we are calling for boycott, or how to boycott.

You can only really boycott if you were a customer in the first place.

I have also seen reactions from people who probably discovered Eurovision recently and seemed appalled that Israel was ever included and even won "one time" (they won four times). I think that if we want things to change we need to understand the history of the contest, why Israel was included and what happened as a result. I think it's possible that someone who makes such comments doesn't realise how long Eurovision has been going, how much has happened within it, and as such is likely to see it as just another problematic and unimportant show.

Everything can be unimportant if you want to be nihilistic. Realistically, though, I personally want to argue that the symbolism of a scandal about Israel's participation is influential.

It's important to be aware of your priorities - which won't look the exact same depending on your living conditions, your geographical position, and such factors - and to focus on actions that can impact Palestine positively in a direct manner. It's happening now, so it's important not to let yourself be distracted. However, that doesn't mean that you have to ignore Eurovision, what it's doing, and its impact. Our actions and debates about Eurovision can have their place on our to-do lists if we think we can make use of its influence to spread an important message to a large audience.

When so many people are watching their TV and a YouTube stream at the same time, whatever they see will impact them. Your personal distaste for Eurovision or lack of interest in it does not change its viewership.

Si vous êtes français et vous lisez ce post, je me permets de vous recommander de faire part de votre déception à l'agence de Slimane, qui a été sélectionné pour représenter la France. Vous pouvez aussi contacter France Inter, car c'est la pression des pays participants qui a causé le retrait de la Russie du concours par le passé. Même s'il y a peu de chances que la France, qui fait partie du Big Five et qui est confiante en sa défense d'Israël, soit vraiment un des pays qui décide d'exercer une pression sur ce sujet, que des français aient exprimé leur désaccord a un impact. Votre voix, votre boycott, votre vote, a toujours un impact. C'est juste comme ça.

[randomvarious]

Today's compilation:

Can't Beat the Music Vol. 2 1992 Pop / Adult Contemporary / Pop-Rock / Techno

This is such an incisive window into just how utterly strange the early 90s were in multiple parts of the world when it came to popular music writ large. Like, this is a very Australian comp here, but it deals with the same exact dynamic that was present throughout the US at the same time too, which was this very apparent, herky-jerky push-and-pull between soft and anodyne adult contemporary traditions of pop and rock, and brasher, newfangled, upstart sounds that were appreciated by and targeted more directly at the youth. Last year, when I wrote about Technotronic's pretty goofy, yet deeply important dance classic, "Pump Up the Jam," which managed to hit #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in January of 1990, I mentioned that the only song that had kept it from the top back then was Michael Bolton's "How Am I Supposed to Live Without You," which meant that all throughout America, nearly thirty-five years ago, people were getting bludgeoned by this literal one-two punch in the dead of winter on their local contemporary hit radio stations—a slow and sappy, mom-aimed pop ballad, followed by the first house tune to ever break big in the country's history. Pretty fucking absurd if you think about it.

And it appears that the *same exact* thing was happening in Australia at the same time too, as the sequencing on this album ends up yielding such strange and sudden vibe-shifts that rock from an entirely instrumental version of 2 Unlimited's silly arena Eurodance-techno-raver, "Get Ready for This," to a special 1992 duetted edition of Tina Turner's "The Best" that features Aussie adult rocker Jimmy Barnes, in order to promote the then-latest season of the New South Wales Rugby League 😵‍💫.

And there are two other songs that I think are worth highlighting here as well—one that I think is remarkably terrible and cringe and another that I think is pretty neat for what it is if you can appreciate early 90s radio pop.

So today I discovered one of the single-worst songs that I think I may have heard in my entire life: "Kickin' to the Undersound" by the Sound Unlimited Posse, which if you couldn't tell by that awful title, is a hip hop tune by Australia's first ever rap act to get signed to a major label. Feast your eyes and ears upon this early 90s monstrosity that does its very best to outdo all the embarrassment that was brought upon by people and acts like Marky Mark, Vanilla Ice, and C&C Music Factory:

Good grief; I would gladly take every single weirdly aggro Eurodance rap verse that was about sweat over 96% of whatever this was. The only thing worth saving about this song is its breaks-infused, instrumental bridge. Everything else, including the super tacky and very unsubtle sampling of Aussie new wave heroes' Men At Work's "Down Under" on the chorus, can be hauled off the side of an ocean liner for all I care 🤮.

But OK, let's now wash that down with something far less grating, with a song from Australian pop group Indecent Obsession called "Kiss Me." If you like legendary Swedish synthpop duo Roxette, then I think you'll like this tune too, because this has the same softcore, heavy breath throbbiness of Roxette's sound, a surging and extended contemporaneous radio ad-jingle-type chorus like lots of Roxette singles do, and a bridge that sounds a whole lot like the catchy 'na-na-na' part of Roxette's own "The Look" as well. Cross all that with someone who sounds a little like George Michael and you've got this pretty well-made pop tune that is very much of its early 90s time, with a hollow and compressed sound to it that makes it feel like it was solely made to be played on FM radio back then, which I don't really think is a bad thing!

So sometime in the latter part of the 90s, the adult contemporary wing of the pop music landscape began to get relegated off of contemporary hit radio stations and onto its own specific adult-oriented formats. And in AC's absence then came much more youth-oriented music, but before that gradual and significant shift ended up occurring, the top commercial pop stations appeared to have been suffering through an identity crisis; one that forsook any sense of fluidity in their playlists for trying to simultaneously appeal to both oil-and-water youth and adult demos alike. I'm not sure which thing happened first between AC not selling as much as it once did and then that causing it to get less rotation overall on top-40 radio, or if a decision was made by top-40 radio programmers to cut back on the AC, which then caused AC sales to sag; but what I do know is this: contemporary hit radio and popular music were insane in the early 90s, and it wasn't just in America, as this very strange Aussie comp so clearly proves. Maybe it felt more banal and normal while it was happening, but looking back on it now, the idea of hearing some maximally cheesy, high-powered commercial techno-rave tune lined up back-to-back with, like, a heart-poured Bette Midler ballad, is a very ridiculous and surreal thing to have ever happened, and yet it did, on both radio and comps like this one, without any discernible hint of irony.

Highlights:

2 Unlimited - "Get Ready for This" Tina Turner & Jimmy Barnes - "The Best" Baby Animals - "Ain't Gonna Get" Indecent Obsession - "Kiss Me" The KLF - "What Time Is Love" R. Kelly feat. Public Announcement - "She's Got That Vibe"

[racefortheironthrone]

Do you have any recommendations on where to start reading X-Men comics? I've always found the idea and the characters interesting but the massive amount of content has felt intimidating to say the least.

Sure. Let me update my old recommendations:

First, it's really hard to go wrong with the Claremont run. Marvel Unlimited makes it pretty easy: start with Giant-Size X-Men #1 and then that goes straight into X-Men #94 and, after a few issues where a novice writer in his mid-20s is figuring out how it works, it's all hits for 180-odd issues. However, you don't have to read all 180 issues in one go, and I highly encourage you to treat the Claremont run as a series of interconnected stories that can be enjoyed on their own, a little bit like riding a scenic trolley with a daily fare that lets you hop on and hop off as you please. So what are the classic Claremont stories you should read?

The Phoenix Saga and the Dark Phoenix Saga (#94-138)- ignore the lousy movies, this is the original dyptich space opera triumph and tragedy of how one woman saves the universe with the transcendent power of love and Jewish mysticism, and then is destroyed by men's desire to harness godlike power for their selfish ends. If you're going to read anything of the classics, read this arc because it's brilliant and it'll give you the basics of what you need to know about the X-Men.

Days of Future Past (#141-142)- only two issues, but it's basically the inspiration for the original Terminator franchise - a desperate resistance from a dystopian future where robotic overlords oppress surviving humanity uses time travel to avert their own timeline from ever coming to pass. It's fantastic.

God Loves, Man Kills (Marvel Graphic Novel #5) - the basis for the best bits of X2, it's some of Chris Claremont's best work on the mutant metaphor and a prescient exploration of the power of evangelical religion. Some of the racial politics haven't aged the best since the early 80s, but the rest is straight fire.

The Brood Saga (#154-167) - Chris Claremont watched the Aliens movies and thought "but what if the X-Men fought the Xenomorphs?" and it was awesome. Interesting explorations of when it's right to kill even a lifeform one considers to be evil, the moral quandary of suicide, and space whales.

From the Ashes (#168-179)- meet the Morlocks, is Madelyne Pryor the resurrected Jean Grey, Wolverine goes to Japan - will he marry the head of the Yakuza?, and the intended retirement of Cyclops. Also, some of the best art in the history of the X-Men.

LifeDeath (#186) - Storm loses her powers and learns how to keep on living. Some of Claremont's best writing, and some great Barry Windsor-Smith art.

The Trial of Magneto (#200) - Magneto is put on trial for crimes against humanity. Xavier almost dies and makes Magneto his replacement.

The Mutant Massacre (#210-214) - the first major X-Men crossover and the beginning of the X-Men's time as outlaws on the run. Signals a shift towards darker and more adult themes.

Fall of the Mutants (#220-227) - the X-Men die for our sins and are reborn as Aussies.

Inferno (#239-243) - Madelyn Pryor enacts a Medean programme to revenge herself against a world that treated her as a "nothing person in a nowhere place."

Second, you can read Grant Morrison's run on New X-Men (#114-154), which was both revolutionary in its approach to mutantkind as a minority subculture and was intended by Morrison to be the very last X-Men story. Incredibly influential and powerful writing, even if I don't always agree with their characterizations.

Third, there is a reason why Connor Goldsmith of Cerebrocast calls it "the 2019 soft reboot House of X and Powers of X by writer Jonathan Hickman." HOXPOX requires a bare minimum of knowledge about the X-Men, and it entirely redirected the focus of the X-line and the mutant metaphor itself for the last five years - and, whatever happens in the upcoming Fall of X, will continue to be influential on the future direction of the X-Men for years to come through the X-slack writers' room, which created a collaborative spirit that hasn't existed in X-comics since Chris Claremont was palling around the Lower East Side with Anne Nocenti and Walt & Weezy Simonson.

[faithfromanewperspective]

how did you arrive at your progressive punk christianity outlook after being immersed in conservative christianity?

ooh!! good question. see I don’t really think what I was immersed in was particularly conservative—in circles I’ve been around we’ve always dissed Americans for being conservative (kinda mean I know) and my dad used to take me to climate change protests in the 2000s and I was always taught the 6 days of creation aren’t literal, the rapture isn’t real, women in stem etc. idk how it was anywhere else but the part of sydney I grew up in was just Like That, there was encouragement to give to the poor to actually end poverty and people actually did even though none of us really had heaps and I guess I wasn’t raised to be okay with entitlement but simply be kind to everyone? And I didn’t even know what conservative was until I was maybe 17 (I thought it was a style of fashion for ages and then I thought it meant conserving nature and history). It was always just Christians are meant to be genuinely kind and not have sex til you’re older and preferably married yknow?? and work hard, like the protestant work ethic was def a thing but somehow in a non ableist way as much as this is possible— I get real impatient with people bitching about stuff getting taken away from them, not realising how much they have when I probably have less and I’m usually giving away as much as I’m able and as much will put me in a state of perceived danger. It’s definitely a form of rebellion against them to see how little I can survive on which I’m working on. I also didn’t even know that so many Christians were transphobic like I thought it was only the extreme theobros. I also had a really lovely geography teacher in high school who was also a Christian and used her faith to drive environmental action, my biology teacher was a Christian and stood up for trans rights and I also had acccss to the internet to read up on clobber passages and hear peoples stories and it was always like ‘oh yeah some Christians believe different things based on how they read this stuff’ and I don’t think it was until I was old enough to actually vote and saw what propoganda was going around I really realised the power dynamic behind it, with the rise of the Australian Christian lobby which felt like it was straight out of the US. I fully thought voting was just liberals if you like fossil fuels, greens to save the environment, and labor if you’re a people pleaser and like fun little rhymes like ‘Kevin 07’ and attempting to be feminist but not really getting anything done. I actually met Martyn Iles once and was like ‘damn this guy is a fake Aussie this isn’t how we do Christianity’. I also got super burnt out by how hard and how biblically I tried to love my classmates on top of the Protestant work ethic about my schoolwork I never really cared about for myself, and was well versed in theology enough to be like HA! Grace means that we don’t have to do all that and can just do our sustainable best, still thinking my view was mainstream. I went to uni to study enviro sci at 17 and I thought my convictions to not drive unless Absolutely Necessary were driven by Christian ethics (which they were, how rigid I was with it was a pda response though). Then over the years realised very belatedly how people often didn’t validate my views and experiences and I’d expect they would (bc they were biblically rooted) and got quite hurt when they didn’t. Spent years in different volunteer ministries trying to put together the kind of community talked about in books like Philippians only to constantly be let down and feel isolated and that only driving me to work harder, despite knowing God’s grace meant I didn’t have to feeling like I couldn’t stop while my earthly needs for connection were unmet, saying yes to things I’d previously said no to because I got a sense of temporary community and belonging every time I joined a new serving team. Tried extra hard to make places inclusive and expected everyone else to be working as hard on it as I was and feel the desperation like I did and got super hurt when they didn’t, oh I guess I’ll have to do it all myself then.

I’ve always struggled with the concept of hell, tbh I heard about it way too young and never had a drop of self preservation instinct in my body only didn’t want to let God down by saying no. I’ve particularly always struggled with the whole urgency motivation like I’m trying, I’m doing the best I can, I listen to people and actually speaking the gospel into their lives in a way that hits home for them (bc I was thinking about how to do this in an empathetic and understanding and autonomy respecting way from a Very Young Age like I used to attempt to evangelise on moshi monsters to get an idea) and shit, I’m like 19 years old at this stage and I’m tired. If only I could just have one last hurrah to change places with someone so they can go to heaven instead of me? Id take it. and I basically worked myself to the point of being that suicidal and kept fucking going because God made me good at science so I can save the planet and end world hunger, and I had this conviction to contextualise (this is what we learned at afes btw) the gospel to really be real to queer folk and indigenous folk and other people of colour and marginalised people (it’s easy to see oppression with my background and my neurotype tbh) and maybe I could make myself suffer now bc God wasn’t gonna let me do that for eternity? anyway eventually left afes bc I was being so stretched and getting so isolated and the work I was doing there wasn’t achieving any of these things and I realised if I stayed I might end up dead and I wasn’t ready to go to heaven yet when my work wasn’t done. or at least so constantly dysregulated I wouldn’t be as able to be kind to others and show them the gospel.

around this time I’m also putting together a pretty comprehensive framework for how to actually solve global problems in a productive way, I’ve unpacked the pride in a lot of Christian mission projects and how they often were a feel good thing but not actually respectful or effective and I’d come up with literally hundreds of ideas for projects I could do to actually help, none of which I obviously had time for I think I was working up to 3 jobs while studying and serving in church and doing my hobbies that kept me kind of sane as well? which was discouraging to say the least, driving a kind of rageful resentment. Around that time I also discover PDA and my whole life makes sense, I start on my adhd meds which I had to jump through a million hoops to get and realise maybe I can finish uni.

a pda framework as I dive more into that and how to be actually neurodivergent affirming and actually recover from burnout long story short makes me realise how ableist much of our concept of sin and holiness really is and how much we need to destigmatise sin and stop using it as a way to intellectualise actual things happening in our brains and nervous systems and maybe we’d feel a lot less hopeless about it like it’s some big mystery if we actually did unpack the fear and threat responses and trauma behind it. Which we always say we will do but practically, church doenst give a space to do that bc you’re gonna be shamed. even for the people who are non affirming I’d be like, but isn’t it a logical step to someone who’s not yet been convicted to celibacy (if that’s something they think they should be) and realised this whole thing is unrealistic, not because the bible is wrong but because people think you can control your own brain by simply trying and trying again every time you fuck up as if that’s not gonna drive learned helplessness or actually traumatise you when you so desperately want to do better? Either that or drive you to be numb about it which I realised is what usually happens, there are certain sins people are blind to in every congregation and they’re actually intellectually unable to be convicted of that as sin because they’re stretched as far as they can go covering all other bases and being like ‘Christ covers that I didn’t Choose To Sin I’m trying not to even though it doesn’t really work’ like I’m a solutions person. if something isn’t working we’re gonna think of a new method and suddenly I understand how my brain works and those of so many others especially those who feel marginalised by the church!

and so long story short when I eventually had to quit what I was doing at church because someone cared enough to realise I hadn’t been doing well for years I was like I’m gonna follow this urge of the Spirit or simply my own head and desire for true connection I often found In exvangelical spaces and hear as many experiences as possible and use it to shape my worldview and get a bunch of hope from people who yes they’ve been marginalised but the gospel is real to them. that’s my only criteria I’m not gonna judge based on theology and I’m not ever gonna think my theological takes make anyone else wrong I’m just gonna be open to listen and shape them so there isn’t any cognitive dissonance and the grace found at the cross is real and practical and doenst have weird arbitrary limits, and I’m also gonna listen to those hurt by Christianity who some might judge as being hard hearted but I know how trauma works. and I’ve been doing that ever since, gradually getting there more and more and I think the best/funniest thing is even in more conservative spaces literally everyone I still talk to has been super encouraging of it and if we have any disagreements they’re pretty minor compared to the fact that we all believe the gospel is for everyone and we all wanna invest in social justice too (which makes me question how conservative those spaces ever were tbh). like there’s def parts of my story I won’t always tell but I feel like I come with a perspective people respect these days no matter where I am, and that’s nice in contrast to being that weird kid trying to do adult things being told either not to worry or that I don’t understand.

[paulagnewart]

RIP Pauline Newstone

10th December marked 25 years since the Beast Wars episode Other Visits: Part 2 aired on Australian TV. Taking a moment to reflect, I vividly remember watching it (along with much of that season) on a small wall-mounted TV in a dimly-lit hospital waiting room. Hardly my idea of a grand way to spend multiple afternoons, but the prospect of more checkups and needles paled compared to the swelling dread of how, as the credits rolled, I might never see my favourite character again.

When Candice Santora announced three days later that Airazor's voice actor Pauline Newstone had passed away, that all-too familiar dread seeped its way back.

Beast Wars was far from my first foray into the world of those warrior Robots in Disguise, but certainly played an integral part of my life during the latter half of the 90's. Its writing and expansion of the Transformers history was captivating, its animation at the time second-to-none, and its voice acting nothing short of immaculate. Vancouver's finest breathed life into what could've easily been written off as another 20 minute toy commercial, but it excelled. They made the characters memorable, raw with wild, well-rounded emotions and truly raised the bar for future actors.

From the moment she burst onto the scene, I adored Airazor. Smart, sassy, more than strong enough to fight tooth and claw in battle, refused to put up with Rattrap's antics, and mistress in the art of dry wit. A welcome addition to the Maximal cast with a plethora of potential to grow. Granted the good times weren't to last; she was swiftly demoted to cannon fodder and later the role of "Mrs. Tigatron", but I was happy just to have her around. Whenever roleplaying our favourite scenes or making new adventures at school, Airazor was always my first choice. The original (and Transmetal figure a cherished Easter gift the following year) continued to have imaginative adventures after the show ran its course. For a time, something as trivial as a cartoon alien robot bird meant the world to me.

And it all came down to how awesome Ms. Newstone performed her.

It's a feeling the Aussie public clearly shared, as her video pack became one of the top 10 selling boys' toys of Christmas '98 (or maybe it's because the VHS repaint was, and remains to this day, the only version of her basic-class toy to see release here. But I digress). Yet Beast Wars proved a tip of the iceberg for Ms. Newstone's career. She lent her voice to shows including G.I. Joe, Mummies Alive!, Inuyasha, Monster Rancher, X-Men Evolution, Ninjago, and I certainly can't go without mentioning her portrayal of big baddie Frieza during Ocean Group's tenure on Dragon Ball Z (The infamous "Caressing the Balls" meme? That was her. Iconic).

Ms. Newstone was one of those voice actors I always hoped to meet someday. No means an easy feat, as she preferred to keep away from the spotlight in a fashion not dissimilar to the late Christine Cavanaugh. It would've been nice, but I understood and respected her desire for privacy, and commend the extra effort Pete and the other organizers went to adhering her "no photos" request at BotCon 2006.

Learning of her passing, let alone nobody reporting it until fellow actor Garry Chalk saw her name over six months later at the annual UBCP/ACTRA Awards, is a sad reminder how none of us are getting any younger, and each day those little things which used to give us joy slip further into the abyss of time. Cherish those memories and the ones you love, while always leaving room to create more tomorrow. Fiction generally doesn't last forever, but I like to think her memory and legacy both as a voice actor and person will for many out there.

The above image was taken back in 2011 while in Lithgow, but never made public until now. Far from my best work (assuming anything I do can be considered good to begin with :P ), but a decent day. History repeats itself, as that particular Airazor figure went on to appear in many more photos, accompanied me to multiple BotCons, a college graduation party (!), and most recently appeared on the official Oliver Brown social media page for their Rise of the Beasts promotion.

RIP Pauline Newstone. May many glasses be raised in your honour. You came, you stooped, and you sure as hell conquered.

[doctorloup]

Audiodrama Sunday Time..

Greetings future people from the past. Contemporaneous Lou is currently plotting to support an in-character insurrection at LARP while consuming all the chicken and bread ey can find, so here is a pre-programmed audiodrama Sunday post! So, what have I been listening to?: Let’s start with the Anansi Chronicles : (https://www.anansipod.com/) - an anthology of stories based on black history and legends from all around the world.  I cannot believe more people don’t know about this. The narrator’s accent is gorgeous, and the prose is poignant and beautifully written, treating the subject matter with power and sensitivity. It is quite heavy going on the content warnings though as the context of the stories is often slavery. One particular line made me tear up, speaking about love between two enslaved people being of “such ferocity that the chains did not matter”.

Cyclone AD from Audible Visions :(https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/audible-visions-drama/id1481509646) I’m not usually that into space stuff, but I make exceptions for people I like. A rag tag band of rebels fight the mind-control space-patriarchy. (Why is the supercomputer skull from Jersey...?) After the Gloaming: (https://shows.acast.com/after-the-gloaming) - Aussie Horror Aussie Horror! Although in fairness the stories vary in their locations across the anglophone world. Episode 4 “Patience” could melt the stoniest of hearts.

I already reblogged about this but yes I am banging the Shadows at the Door Drum again, Season Three has a stellar cast and by stellar I mean bright, awesome and frequently ogled by nerds, the latest one has Rahul Kohli in it and episode one has Sacha Dhawan: (https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/shadows-at-the-door-the-podcast/id1440913727)

Have a week!

Oh yeah. Ethics Town (https://www.faustiannonsense.com/ethics-town)

[caliburn-the-sword]

AUSTRALIA HAS FERAL CAMELS??

no hate at all, just w h y?? what about this question is so embarrassing that you gotta be anonymous?? also i don't remember ever mentioning we have camels on this page so i love how you just consult your friendly neighbourhood aussie instead of like. google FKSDHFHKS. i was about to go "omg how DARE you just assume i'm from the outback and just know these things i'm literally a city rat" and realised that i DID in fact know these things because of school LMAO (astronomically rare aus high school curriculum W for not glossing over the history of poc in this country). i don't normally do this but that question was so random and shocking that i just HAVE to dive into this lmao just don't expect this to become a regular thing

okay, i wouldn't know about FERAL camels, but i do know about camels. south asian and middle eastern cameleers are the unsung heroes of australia fr, so time for a crash course in history with me <3

now, australia is REALLY fucking big right?? we're only a bit smaller than mainland usa. and like a WHOLE lot of australia is desert, which the useless brit colonisers couldn't traverse if their lives DEPENDED on it (both figuratively and literally; many died) but travel across states and exploration was becoming increasingly necessary. now part of this reason is that horses are Not built for the outback. but you know what IS built for desert?? camels. and who has both access to both camels and an ability to traverse desert?? south asian and middle eastern people.

so between the 18 hundreds and 1920s (you'll have to forgive me for a lack of specifics because it's been 3 years since i've last taken modern history) australia started letting in cameleers predominantly muslim from india and pakistan. these amazing people were the absolute BACKBONE of exploration, transporting goods and stuff between cities and all that. they also established the firsts mosques in australia!!

the need for cameleers pretty much stopped in the 1920s. most cameleers couldn't remain in australia because of the white australia policy, which basically barred immigration of anyone who wasn't a WASP. they were forced back to their old countries, and released their camels into the outback since they couldn't be brought back.

now i think feral camels DOES ring a bell from what i studied of robyn davidson in eng adv. the camels descended from the cameleers' camels are the feral ones in the outback. she was the first woman to cross the desert back in the 70s. check out her autobiography tracks. the only thing i really remember from it was her having to shoot and kill feral camels to survive, but not because it's poorly written, just because i have to read a LOT for eng LMAO. my entire class was actually really invested in it.

like MANY animals introduced to australia, camels are actually NOT good for the environment. very harsh on native plants and wildlife. can't go into specifics because i frankly don't know enough and i'm too lazy for google (i guess that would make two of us) but that's not the camels fault or the cameleers' fault obviously. everyone say it with me: fuck the brits.

ANYWAY this is far from extensive. as fun as it is for me to get to ramble on about history, i'm no expert, and i'd definitely recommend reading more up on it if it's of interest to you. and PLEASE don't trust me on this, i'm just a stranger on the internet. i didn't google jack shit, just went purely off memory. fact check me. don't just completely absorb this blindly. or do. who am i to tell you what to do?? i'm not your mum.

this was fun!!! i really hope dear anon sees this, or if they're not following me, that it happens upon their feed by some stroke of luck

[finishinglinepress]

FLP CHAPBOOK OF THE DAY: AGE BRINGS THEM HOME TO ME by windflower

On SALE now! Pre-order Price Guarantee: https://www.finishinglinepress.com/product/age-brings-them-home-to-me-by-windflower/

windflower lives on the beautiful California Mendocino Coast with her wife, border collie and mini aussie, on unceded ancestral land of the Pomo people. She co-founded the Feminist Arts Program at the University of Massachusetts Women’s Center where she published and edited, Chomo Uri, a women’s multi-arts magazine and produced the first National Women’s Poetry Festival in 1976. Her poetry has been published in numerous journals and anthologies, including international publications.

windflower is also a photographer celebrating the #poetry in #nature.

PRAISE FOR AGE BRINGS THEM HOME TO ME by windflower

This is a beautiful book, written by a contemplative and generous poet with a musician’s ear and a photographer’s eye. The metaphors sprinkled throughout—“Tiny tongues of sand,” “moist chiffon of fog,” “lips of clothespins,” “skirt of the ocean.”—all add up to a rich and sensual reading experience. The sound and rhythm of lines such as “Make me your summer lullaby” and “our waterbed a boat in its own warm harbor” beg to be read aloud and simply made me swoon. In the last section of the book, the poems widen into a provocative and intelligent exploration of social justice; the poem, “My First History Lesson” alone is worth the price of admission. This book is both soothing and exciting and these poems will stay with me for a very long time. All in all, a very profound reading experience.

–Lesléa Newman, author of the dual memoir-in-verse, I Carry My Mother and I Wish My Father

Here is a book about loss and connection – written with the power and imagination of an accomplished poet who invests the feminine spirit with love, power, grace and redemption. She traces love from the blue found in her grandmother’s hands through the wisps of blue that brush across the sky and lands in the cornflower color of her wife’s eyes.

Here is a woman who has found a cathedral in nature that blesses her with endless images: beauty, joy, pain, and love with a depth that illumines all parts of the poet’s life and yet at the climax, skillfully brings us into the crushing tragedy of the murder of three civil rights workers.

Here is a poet who follows a path of vowels and consonants down to the ocean, who won’t let hope slip away with the king tides: It is the women who look up at the sky and see their children nestled in the moon. It is the women who hem the skirt of the ocean.

–Elizabeth Kirkpatrick-Vrenios, author of Special Delivery and Empty the Ocean with a Thimble

Please share/please repost #flpauthor #preorder #AwesomeCoverArt #poetry #chapbook #read #poems

[mostlysignssomeportents]

This day in history

Tonight (May 31) at 6:30PM, I’m at the MANCHESTER Waterstones with my novel Red Team Blues, hosted by Ian Forrester.

Tomorrow (Jun 1), I’m giving the Peter Kirstein Lecture for UCL Computer Science in LONDON.

Then it’s Edinburgh, London, and Berlin!

#20yrsago Theme park of the chariots of the Gods https://web.archive.org/web/20060207043240/http://www.swissinfo.org/sen/swissinfo.html?siteSect=105&sid=1918331

#20yrsago How is an IRC channel like a Caribbean street-corner? https://web.archive.org/web/20030605122526/http://www.healthhacker.com/biella/rope.txt

#10yrsago Northern Ireland builds a Potemkin Village for the G8 https://www.irishtimes.com/news/recession-out-of-the-picture-as-fermanagh-puts-on-a-brave-face-for-g8-leaders-1.1409112

#10yrsago Usury in the UK https://www.theguardian.com/money/2013/may/31/oft-criticised-ineffectual-payday-loans-policing

#10yrsago Linda Stone on attention, computers, and education https://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2013/05/linda-stone-on-maintaining-focus-in-a-maddeningly-distractive-world/276201/

#5yrsago Congresswoman Diane Black [R-TN] blames school shootings on “pornography” https://www.huffpost.com/entry/diane-black-porn-school-gun-violence_n_5b0d6634e4b0568a880ede65

#5yrsago My science fiction story about EFF’s proposed jailbreaking exemption https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2018/05/eff-presents-cory-doctorows-science-fiction-story-about-our-jailbreaking-petition

#5yrsago Tell your parents: Trump is lying to them about Medicare https://www.pbs.org/newshour/economy/making-sense/senior-advocates-say-new-draft-guide-to-medicare-distorts-facts-heres-what-you-need-to-know

#5yrsago Leaked memos reveal the deep divisions within Google over Pentagon contract https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/30/technology/google-project-maven-pentagon.html

#5yrsago Governments all over the world buy spy products that let them track and eavesdrop on global cellphones, especially US phones https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/technology/how-spies-can-use-your-cellphone-to-find-you--and-eavesdrop-on-your-calls-and-texts-too/2018/05/30/246bb794-5ec2-11e8-a4a4-c070ef53f315_story.html

#5yrsago Amazon bars Australians from shopping on its non-Aussie sites to put pressure on the government to rescind tax rule https://www.smh.com.au/business/companies/amazon-to-block-its-us-website-for-aussie-shoppers-over-new-gst-rules-20180531-p4zikr.html

#5yrsago Telegram: ever since Russia’s blocking demand, Apple has prevented us from updating our app https://www.theverge.com/2018/5/31/17412396/telegram-apple-app-store-app-updates-russia

#5yrsago Elon’s Basilisk: why exploitative, egomaniacal rich dudes think AI will destroy humanity https://www.documentjournal.com/2018/04/the-existential-paranoia-fueling-elon-musks-fear-of-ai/

#5yrsago Uganda enacts unenforceable, ridiculous anti-“gossip” internet tax https://www.theverge.com/2018/5/31/17412960/uganda-law-tax-gossip-social-media

#5yrsago Count your bees with a Raspberry Pi and machine learning https://matpalm.com/blog/counting_bees/

#5yrsago No, seriously, THIS is the mission patch for Google’s drone warfare AI contract with the Pentagon https://www.jwz.org/blog/2018/05/happy-fun-algorithmic-warfare-cross-functional-team/

#5yrsago Sweden’s notorious copyright troll said they’d sue, but if you ignore them, they just go away https://torrentfreak.com/legal-blackmail-zero-cases-brought-against-alleged-pirates-in-sweden-180525/

#1yrago How John Deere leverages repair-blocking into gag orders https://pluralistic.net/2022/05/31/dealers-choice/#be-a-shame-if-something-were-to-happen-to-it

Catch me on tour with Red Team Blues in Manchester, Edinburgh, London, and Berlin!