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medium-observation · 4 months ago

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September Release!

The Lord of the Rings - Chicago Shakespeare Theater

August 28, 2024 (Matinée) - Medium Observation

Video

Cast:

Spencer Davis Milford (Frodo), Michael Kurowski (Sam), Lauren Zakrin (Galadriel), Ben Mathew (Pippin), Will James Jr. (Aragorn/Strider), Tom Amandes (Gandalf), Tony Bozzuto (Gollum), Alina Taber (Arwen), Eileen Doan (Merry), Matthew C. Yee (Boromir), Justin Albinder (Legolas), Ian Maryfield (Gimli), Jeff Parker (Elrond/Saruman), Rick Hall (Bilbo Baggins/Steward), Suzanne Hannau (Rosie Cotton), John Lithgow (Voice of Treebeard), Joey Faggion (Ensemble), Mia Hilt (Ensemble), James Mueller (Ensemble), Jarais Musgrove (Ensemble), Hannah Novak (Ensemble), Adam Qutaishat (Ensemble), Laura Savage (Ensemble), Bernadette Santos Schwegel (Ensemble), Ty Shay (s/w Ensemble), Luke Nowakowski (s/w Ensemble)

Notes:

Fantastic capture of this incredibly immersive and beautiful production. there is a bar in the bottom right corner of the screen that doesn't take away except for one moment where Gandalf and Frodo are talking on the stairs in act one, but overall I worked around it and you can always see Frodo and sometimes Gandalf. At points people are in the audience and I wasn't able to capture them but you can always hear them and I do my best to always try to make sure to capture anything in the audience that I could. Some washout and shakiness throughout.

NFT Date: March 1st, 2025

Screenshots: https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjBFvi6

Video is $20

Moulin Rouge! The Musical - First US National Tour

April 7, 2024 - Medium Observation

Video

Cast:

Christian Douglas (Christian), Nicci Claspell (u/s Satine), Amar Atkins (u/s Harold Zidler), Nick Rashad Burroughs (Toulouse-Lautrec), Andrew Brewer (The Duke of Monroth), Jordan Vasquez (u/s Santiago), Sarah Bowden (Nini), Renee Marie Titus (La Chocolat), Adea Michelle Sessoms (u/s Arabia), Max Heitmann (Baby Doll), Kamal Lado (Pierre), Tommy Gedrich, Tamrin Goldberg, Cameron Hobbs, Nathaniel Hunt, Chloe Rae Kehm, Melissa Hunter McCann, Luke Monday, Tanisha Moore, Kenneth Michael Murray, Elyse Niederee, Omar Nieves, Kent Overshown, Stefanie Renee Salyers, Connor McRory

Notes:

Really beautiful capture of Nicci, Amar and Jordan as Satine, Zidler and Santiago respectively. Some washout and shakiness throughout.

NFT Date: March 1st, 2025

Screenshots: https://www.flickr.com/gp/196227588@N02/a6RiV4g980

Video is $20

Beetlejuice - First US National Tour

June 30, 2024 - Medium Observation

Video

Cast:

Justin Collette (Beetlejuice), Isabella Esler (Lydia Deetz), Megan McGinnis (Barbara Maitland), Will Burton (Adam Maitland), Jesse Sharp (Charles Deetz), Sarah Litzsinger (Delia Deetz), Hillary Porter (Miss Argentina), Abe Goldfarb (Otho), Brian Vaughn (Maxie Dean), Maria Sylvia Norris (Maxine Dean/Juno), Madison Mosley (Girl Scout)

Notes:

Beautiful Capture of Abe, Larkin and Haley's last performance with the company. My camera was having a lot of issues for Act 1, 2 minutes is missing during ready set (still has audio), And then after every song there's a short 2 second blackout. Act 2 is perfect with no issues with my camera. Also the last US stop before a month break and then Mexico! Some washout and shakiness throughout.

NFT Date: March 1st, 2025

Screenshots: https://www.flickr.com/gp/196227588@N02/7B2h6860bv

Video is $18

Videos can be purchased through me at [email protected]

Discord Server: https://discord.gg/ZGMqkeb9p5

#mediumobservation #musical bootlegs #beetlejuice the musical #lord of the rings musical #moulin rouge

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barbossas-wench · 8 months ago

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List of bway celebs you should not support bc they're Zionist or "neutral" on genocide

Kristin Chenoweth

Idina Menzel

Jeremy Jordan

Jonathan Groff

Andrew Rannells

Ariana Debose

Josh Gad

Annaleigh Ashford

Julie Benko

Sierra Boggess

Carolee Carmello

Victoria Clark

Micaela Diamond

Tovah Feldshuh

Wilson Jermaine Heredia

Derek Klena

Linda Lavin

Raymond J. Lee

Caissie Levy

Jose Llana

Terrence Mann

Debra Messing

Jessie Mueller

Alex Newell

Kelli O’Hara

Benjamin Pajak

Billy Porter

Seth Rudetsky

James Wesley

Ben Platt

Mike Faist

Noah Galvin

Lea Michelle

Andrew Scott

Olga Merediz,

Betty Buckley

Alexandra Billings

Talia Suskauer

Ali Ewoldt

Wilson Cruz

Dylan Mulvaney

Josh Groban

Seth Rudesky

If I missed anyone on that list, let me know so I'll add them on the list

Patti LePone

Christy Altomare

Anyways, theater kids for Palestine 🇵🇸🇵🇸🇵🇸

#free palestine #free gaza #i stand with palestine #Palestine #theater kid #Broadway #bway #musical #musical theater #musical theater kid #musical theatre #theater #theatre #Palestinian theater #tony awards

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dreaminginthedeepsouth · 4 months ago

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Roevember

* * * *

LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

August 29, 2024

Heather Cox Richardson

Aug 30, 2024

And now the U.S. Army has weighed in on the scandal surrounding Trump’s visit to Arlington National Cemetery for a campaign photo op, after which his team shared a campaign video it had filmed. The Army said that the cemetery hosts almost 3,000 public wreath-laying ceremonies a year without incident and that Trump and his staff “were made aware of federal laws, Army regulations and [Department of Defense] policies, which clearly prohibit political activities on cemetery grounds.”

It went on to say that a cemetery employee “who attempted to ensure adherence to these rules was abruptly pushed aside…. This incident was unfortunate, and it is also unfortunate that the… employee and her professionalism has been unfairly attacked. [Arlington National Cemetery] is a national shrine to the honored dead of the Armed Forces, and its dedicated staff will continue to ensure public ceremonies are conducted with the dignity and respect the nation’s fallen deserve.”

“I don’t think I can adequately explain what a massive deal it is for the Army to make a statement like this,” political writer and veteran Allison Gill of Mueller, She Wrote, noted. “The Pentagon avoids statements like this at all costs. But a draft dodging traitor decided to lie about our armed forces staff, so they went to paper.”

The deputy Pentagon press secretary Sabrina Singh said the Department of Defense is “aware of the statement that the Army issued, and we support what the Army said.” Hours later, Trump campaign manager Chris LaCivita reposted the offending video on X and, tagging the official account for Army Secretary Christine Wormuth, said he was “hoping to trigger the hacks” in her office.

In Talking Points Memo, Josh Marshall reported that the Trump campaign’s plan was to lay a wreath at Arlington National Cemetery to honor the 13 members of the U.S. military killed in the suicide bombing during the evacuation of Kabul, Afghanistan, in August 2021. They intended to film the event and then attack Vice President Kamala Harris and President Joe Biden for not “showing up” for the event, which they intended to portray as an “established memorial.”

Another major story from yesterday is that the Treasury Department’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) has finalized two rules that will work to stop corruption and money laundering in U.S. residential real estate and in private investment.

This is a big deal. As scholar of kleptocracies Casey Michel put it: “This is a massive, massive deal in the world of counter-kleptocracy—the U.S. is finally ending the gargantuan anti–money laundering loopholes for real estate, private equity, hedge funds, and more. Can't overstate how important this is. What a feat.”

After the collapse of the Soviet Union in late 1991, the oligarchs who rose to power in the former Soviet republics looked to park their illicit money in western democracies, where the rule of law would protect their investments. Once invested in the United States, they favored the Republicans, who focused on the protection of wealth rather than social services. For their part, Republican politicians focused on spreading capitalism rather than democracy, arguing that the two went hand in hand.

The financial deregulation that made the U.S. a good bet for oligarchs to launder money got a boost when, shortly after the September 11, 2001, attacks, Congress passed the USA PATRIOT Act to address the threat of terrorism. The law took on money laundering and the illicit funding of terrorism, requiring financial institutions to inspect large sums of money passing through them. But the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) exempted many real estate deals from the new regulations.

The United States became one of the money-laundering capitals of the world, with hundreds of billions of dollars laundered in the U.S. every year.

In 2011 the international movement of illicit money led then–FBI director Robert Mueller to tell the Citizens Crime Commission of New York City that globalization and technology had changed the nature of organized crime. International enterprises, he said, “are running multi-national, multi-billion dollar schemes from start to finish…. They may be former members of nation-state governments, security services, or the military…. These criminal enterprises are making billions of dollars from human trafficking, health care fraud, computer intrusions, and copyright infringement. They are cornering the market on natural gas, oil, and precious metals, and selling to the highest bidder…. These groups may infiltrate our businesses. They may provide logistical support to hostile foreign powers. They may try to manipulate those at the highest levels of government. Indeed, these so-called ‘iron triangles’ of organized criminals, corrupt government officials, and business leaders pose a significant national security threat.”

Congress addressed this threat in 2021 by including the Corporate Transparency Act in the National Defense Authorization Act. It undercut shell companies and money laundering by requiring the owners of any company that is not otherwise overseen by the federal government (by filing taxes, for example, or through close regulation) to file with FinCEN a report identifying (by name, birth date, address, and an identifying number) each person associated with the company who either owns 25% or more of it or exercised substantial control over it. The measure also increased penalties for money laundering and streamlined cooperation between banks and foreign law enforcement authorities. That act went into effect on January 1, 2024.

Meanwhile, the Biden administration made fighting corruption a centerpiece of its attempt to shore up democracy both at home and abroad. In June 2021, President Biden declared the fight against corruption a core U.S. national security interest. “Corruption threatens United States national security, economic equity, global anti-poverty and development efforts, and democracy itself,” he wrote. “But by effectively preventing and countering corruption and demonstrating the advantages of transparent and accountable governance, we can secure a critical advantage for the United States and other democracies.”

In March 2023 the Treasury told Congress that “[m]oney laundering perpetrated by the Government of the Russian Federation (GOR), Russian [state-owned enterprises], Russian organized crime, and Russian elites poses a significant threat to the national security of the United States and the integrity of the international financial system,” and it outlined the ways in which it had been trying to combat that corruption.

Now FinCEN has firmed up rules to add anti-money-laundering safeguards to private real estate and private investment. They will require certain industry professionals to report information to FinCEN about cash transfers of residential real estate to a legal entity or trust, transactions that “present a high illicit finance risk,” FinCEN wrote. “The rule will increase transparency, limit the ability of illicit actors to anonymously launder illicit proceeds through the American housing market, and bolster law enforcement investigative efforts.” The real estate rule will go into effect on December 1, 2025.

The rule about investment advisors will make the obligation to report suspicious financial activity apply to certain financial advisors. This rule will go into effect on January 1, 2026.

“The Treasury Department has been hard at work to disrupt attempts to use the United States to hide and launder ill-gotten gains,” Secretary of the Treasury Janet L. Yellen explained. “That includes by addressing our biggest regulatory deficiencies, including through these two new rules that close critical loopholes in the U.S. financial system that bad actors use to facilitate serious crimes like corruption, narcotrafficking, and fraud. These steps will make it harder for criminals to exploit our strong residential real estate and investment adviser sectors.”

“I applaud FinCEN’s commonsense efforts to prevent corrupt actors from using the American residential real estate and private investment sectors as safe havens for hiding dirty money,” Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) said in a statement. “For too long, vulnerabilities in the system have attracted kleptocrats, cartels, and criminals looking to stow away their ill-gotten gains. I hope FinCEN will apply similar safeguards to commercial real estate, as well as due diligence requirements to investment advisors. These are all welcome steps toward keeping our country and financial system safe and secure for the American people—not those who wish to abuse it.”

The Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe (also known as the Helsinki Commission) brought the history of modern money laundering full circle. It said: “We welcome the Treasury Department's decision to close off crucial pathways for Russian money laundering and sanctions evasion through real estate and private equity.”

LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

HEATHER COX RICHARDSON

#Roevember #billboard #Letters From An American #heather cox richardson #arlington cemetery #election 2024 #money laundering

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jealousgrl777 · 2 years ago

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all about bri <3

hiya:) i’m briseis ! and welcome to my digital diary and blog 🤍

pronunciation ; bri - say - is

- a beautiful white swan 🦢 🩰

(i’ll constantly be updating!<33)

.*•.+.•*.

777

i enjoy ; watching horror movies, baking, museums, days at the beach, scrolling on pinterest, music, playing my pink electric guitar and piano, journaling, shopping, and having sleepovers and js hanging out with my smileymileyy<3

———————

she/her 🫶🏼

my color pallet ; cream, white, light pinks, and nudes

fav artist/bands ; taylor swift, twice, the aubrey’s, lana del rey, the beatles, etc.

fav actors ; finn wolfhard, emma watson, louis partridge, timothée chalamet, winona ryder, angelina jolie, brittany mueller, etc.

fav movies ; romy and michele’s highschool reunion, jennifer’s body, to all the boys, girl interrupted, the turning, it, the goldfinch, everything everything, clueless, black swan, etc.

fav shows ; xo kitty, gilmore girls, the glory, the summer i turned pretty, atypical, outer banks, etc.

fav quote ; “ her world was the colour of pearls : pale white and pink. and softly glowing ” - neil gaimon, cinnamon

languages ; english, spanish, french, bit of korean, and italian <33

my sports ; golf, tennis, ballet, basketball, badmitten, soccer, and during the winter i go ice skating! <3

age and bday ; 4teen + july 27

zodiac ; leo <3

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chestnutelm122 · 2 years ago

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Slime tutorials I’d probably be willing to pay for just to have a copy of:

Jessie Mueller:

• Waitress final performance (video, as I already have the audio)

• Waitress (with Charity Angel Dawson and Caitlin Houlahan — this duo too with Sara Bareilles)

• The Minutes

• Guys and Dolls (2022)

• The Music Man

• Carousel (as Julie Jordan)

• Any full P-Town concert videos

Sara Bareilles:

• Waitress (final performance on Broadway, reopening on Broadway, and any West End performances)

• Into The Woods (preferably opening or final performance, but I’d take any dates as long as it’s with the original cast of the revival)

• full ATC tour concert

• full Radio City Music Hall concert

Prima Facie:

• West End (opening/final performance)

• Broadway (opening, and when it gets available: final performance)

• WE or Broadway performance from any of the alternates

Fleabag:

• Any Phoebe Waller-Bridge performance (West End and/or Off-Broadway)

Wicked:

• Kristin Chenoweth’s vicodin show

Not a priority but would be nice to have:

• Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (original West End or OBC)

• Jagged Little Pill

• A Doll’s House (with Jessica Chastain)

• &Juliet (esp ones with Betsy Wolfe)

• SIX (I’ll take any of the OBC but generally looking for Abby Mueller’s final performance)

• The Play That Goes Wrong

• The Vagina Monologues (off-Broadway)

• Funny Girl (with Beanie Feldstein and/or Lea Michele)

• The Music Man (with Sutton Foster and Hugh Jackman)

• The Grey House (with Tatiana Maslany)

• Kimberly Akimbo

• Flower Drum Song (with Lea Salonga)

• God of Carnage

• The Thanksgiving Play (with D’arcy Carden)

• Camelot Revival

• Here Lies Love (with Lea Salonga)

If anyone can point me to the right direction, pleaaaaaaaaaaase do so. I’m accepting gifts ofc but I don’t mind paying a bit for my favorites, especially anything Jessie Mueller, Sara Bareilles, and Jodie Comer.

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daynascullys · 9 months ago

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my brain is finally awake! T, H, E and N 😉 as well as songs that start with numbers for the song game

but... what if?

I did these five but I'm gonna cheat and do five more hehe

Think of You — A Fine Frenzy

This Love — Taylor Swift

That Would Be Enough — Phillipa Soo & Lin-Manuel Miranda

Take Me or Leave Me — Idina Menzel & Tracie Thoms

Tim McGraw — Taylor Swift

okay i'm straight up ignoring the five LOL i'll do five musical ones and five songs i don't talk about as much

musicals

Holding to the Ground — Stephanie J. Block

The Hill — Cristin Milioti

Heart of Stone — Abby Mueller

Helpless — Phillipa Soo

Here I Go — Idina Menzel & James Snyder

other songs

Halcyon — BLÜ EYES (i lived there for 2.5 years so it was a fun discovery)

Hurricane — Fleurie

Hard to Sleep — Gracie Abrams

Hear You Me — Jimmy Eat World

hope ur ok — Olivia Rodrigo

okay there are so many more, apparently H is the letter

Eet — Regina Spektor

Everything Changes — Jessie Mueller, Keala Settle, & Kimiko Glenn

Elements — A Fine Frenzy

Enchanted — Taylor Swift

Evermore — Taylor Swift ft. Bon Iver

also i need to say Ex-Wives from Six

First five here, but here are five more just because hehe

No More Wishing — Hayley Taylor

Neverland — Laura Michelle Kelly & Matthew Morrison

Now is the Start — A Fine Frenzy

The Negative — Jessie Mueller, Keala Settle, & Kimiko Glenn

Nothing New — Taylor Swift ft. Phoebe Bridgers

Numbers

ooh I'm scared I'll miss one that starts with a written out number kfjd;a

21 — Gracie Abrams

1000 Times — Sara Bareilles

One Foot in Front of the Other — Griff

One Night Town — Ingrid Michaelson

One Song Glory — Adam Pascal

send me a letter and I’ll tell you my top 5 songs!

#this was fun! <3 #gracegordongreene #answered #some of these were soooo hard kjfad;fja #i didn't know so many good songs started with H #song recs

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nicolerrichie · 2 years ago

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Nicole Richie’s 2023 reads so far:

My Government Means to Kill Me by Rasheed Newson

Dubliners by James Joyce

Migrations by Charlotte McConaghy

The Book of Goose bu Yiyun Li

Unpunished by Michelle Kenney

Walking Through Clear Water in a Pool Painted Black by Cookie Mueller

They’re Going to Love You by Meg Howrey

What Napoleon Could Not Do by DK Nnuro

On Writing by Stephen King

How High We Go in the Dark by Sequoia Nagamastu

The Franz Lebowitz Reader by Franz Lebowitz

Everybody Thought We Were Crazy by Mark Rozzo

Drinking Coffee Elsewhere by ZZ Packer

The Journals of May Sarton: Journal of a Solitude by May Sarton

Liberation Day by George Saunders

The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese

Mother, Nature by Jedidiah Jenkins

Mumbo Jumbo by Ishmael Reed

Fruiting Bodies by Kathryn Harlan

The Marriage Portrait by Maggie O’Farrell

#nicole richie #books #instagram #2023

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fundieshaderoom · 1 year ago

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Fundie Families and Adjacents I Follow: Waller

Brian Kent Waller - April 15, 1946

Susan Elizabeth Blom "Sue" - February 26, 1955

Brian and Susan married on November 16, 1974, at ages 28 and 19. They share 10 children (8 living), 6 children-in-law, and 25 grandchildren.

Adam Kent- April 11, 1980

Isaac Wallace- April 11, 1980, d. November 4, 2005

Derrick John- June 14, 1982

Rachelle Michelle- October 1, 1983

David William- September 8, 1986

Sarah Elizabeth- October 15, 1990

Samuel- May 12, 1993

Lydia- May 1995

Rebecca Christine "Becca"- January 4, 1997, d. October 2, 2019

Matthew- March 31, 1998

Adam married Valerie Mueller (September 17, 1981) on March 3, 2012, at ages 31 and 30. They share 5 children.

Abigail Renee- September 2013

Timothy Isaac- July 3, 2016

Baby- 2017 miscarriage

Baby- 2018 miscarriage

3.Joanna Michele- April 27, 2019

4. Ruth Susanna- April 27, 2019

5. Daniel Kent- May 31, 2021

Derrick married Jennifer Wilkes (October 3, 1986) on June 27, 2015. They share 5 children.

Adalynn Faith- September 9, 2016

Calia Marie- November 2017

Olivia Susan- 2019

Boy- 2020/2021

Boy- 2022ish

Rachelle married Joseph Afarian on August 1, 2009, when she was 25. They share 5 children.

Serena Grace Niaree- January 2011

Nehemiah Andrew Veh- October 2012

Hannah Evangeline Elizabeth- April 5, 2016

Josiah Joseph- 2018

Joyelle- 2019

Isaiah Valiant Arakel- November 10, 2023

David married Priscilla Lynn Keller (July 3, 1986) on February 4, 2012, both at ages 25. They share 7 children. They are based in Texas.

Paul William- March 16, 2013

Davia Lynn- November 12, 2014

Phillip Andrew- October 19, 2016

Destiny Faith- October 2, 2018

Peter David- May 6, 2020

Deborah Joy- January 19, 2022

Desiree Hope- July 17, 2024

Sarah married Brandon Richard Webster (April 1992) on March 23, 2024. They share 1 child.

Baby- February 2025

Lydia married Graeme Wolf on July 19, 2020, when she was 25. They share a daughter.

Evelyn Rose- June 27, 2022

#Waller Family #families

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dertaglichedan · 2 years ago

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House votes to censure Rep. Adam Schiff over Trump-Russia probe

The House voted along party lines Wednesday to censure Rep. Adam Schiff for amplifying claims that Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign colluded with Russia.

The censure resolution against Schiff (D-Calif.), the former chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, was approved by a vote of 213-209 with six lawmakers opting to vote “present.”

Reps. Michael Guest (R-Miss.), David Joyce (R-Ohio), Andrew Garbarino (R-NY), John Rutherford (R-Fla.) and Michelle Fischbach (R-Minn.) – all members of the House Ethics Committee – voted present, as did Rep. Ken Buck (R-Colo.).

Sparks flew in the well of the chamber after the vote when several House Democrats crowded near the dais and chanted “shame” as House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) attempted to read the resolution.

“I have all night,” McCarthy said as he tried to ask for Schiff to present himself so he could be censured.

The interruption lasted for roughly five minutes.

An initial resolution to censure Schiff failed 225-196 last week, with 20 Republicans voting to kill the effort.

That resolution featured a provision to fine Schiff $16 million, half of the money taxpayers doled out for special counsel Robert Mueller’s collusion probe, according to Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.), who sponsored both bills.

The resolution voted on Wednesday scrapped the fine and made other modifications to win over members of the House like Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky), who opposed the initial version.

FULL STORY...

***BURN you POS!

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schmackarys · 2 years ago

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@bloodmoonlits tagged me to shuffle my ‘on repeat’ playlist and post the first ten songs (thank you!!):

I Bet You Think About Me -- Taylor Swift ft. Chris Stapleton

Heart of Stone -- Abby Mueller (Six Original Broadway Cast)

Hate That You Know Me -- Bleachers

Happy & Sad -- Kacey Musgraves

Punisher -- Phoebe Bridgers

Forever & Always (Piano Version) (Taylor’s Version) -- Taylor Swift

I Almost Do (Taylor’s Version) -- Taylor Swift

All That Matters -- Laura Michelle Kelly (Finding Neverland Original Broadway Cast)

My House -- Lauren Ward (Matilda Original Broadway Cast)

Daylight -- Taylor Swift

i tag @kimberly-wexler @fearlessplatinums @mossagatecrystal @scientologisabethmoss @alittleoverit @ofbetterbodies and anyone else who wants to do this too

#i do listen to a lot of taylor swift obviously but shuffle was really favoring her today

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sassenashsworld · 1 month ago

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Thank you to Halla Rempt, Aaron J. Seigo, Adam Celarek, Adam Pigg, Adriaan de Groot, Adrian Page, Adrian Schroeter, Albert Astals Cid, Alberto Villa, Alexander Neundorf, Alexander Potashev, Alexis Ménard, Alfredo Beaumont Sainz, Allen Winter, Alvin Wong, Ana Beatriz Guerrero López, Andras Mantia, Andreas Hartmetz, Andreas Lundin, André Marcelo Alvarenga, Andrew Coles, Andre Woebbeking, Andrius da Costa Ribas, Andy Fawcett, Anne-Marie Mahfouf, Ariya Hidayat, Arjen Hiemstra, Bart Coppens, Ben Cooksley, Benjamin K. Stuhl, Benjamin Meyer, Benjamin Reed, Benoît Jacob, Ben Schleimer, Bernhard Rosenkraenzer, Bo Thorsen, Brad Hards, Bram Schoenmakers, Burkhard Lück, Carlo Segato, Carsten Hartenfels, C. Boemann, Christer Stenbrenden, Christian Ehrlicher, Christian Mueller, Christoph Feck, Chusslove Illich, Clarence Dang, Cyrille Berger, Daniel M. Duley, Daniel Molkentin, Dan Leinir Turthra Jensen, Dan Meltzer, Danny Allen, David Faure, David Gowers, Demetry Romanowski, Dirk Mueller, Dirk Schönberger, Dmitry Kazakov, Edward Apap, Elvis Stansvik, Emanuele Tamponi, Emmet O'Neill, Enrique Matías Sánchez, Eoin O'Neill, Fabian Kosmale, Frank Osterfeld, Frederik Schwarzer, Fredrik Edemar, Fredy Yanardi, Friedrich W. H. Kossebau, Gábor Lehel, Gary Cramblitt, Geoffry Song, Gioele Barabucci, Giovanni Venturi, Gopalakrishna Bhat A, Hanna Scott, Harald Sitter, Hasso Tepper, Helge Deller, Helio Castro, Hideki Saito, Hoàng Đức Hiếu, Hugo Pereira Da Costa, Inge Wallin, Ingo Klöcker, İsmail Dönmez, Ivan Yossi, Jaime, Jaime Torres, Jaison Lee, Jakob Petsovits, Jakub Stachowski, Jan Hambrecht, Jarosław Staniek, Jens Herden, Jessica Hall, Johannes Simon, John Layt, Jonathan Riddell, Jonathan Singer, José Luis Vergara, Juan Luis Boya García, Juan Palacios, Jure Repinc, Kai-Uwe Behrmann, Karl Ove Hufthammer, Kevin Krammer, Kevin Ottens, Kurt Pfeifle, Laurent Montel, Lauri Watts, L. E. Segovia, Leo Savernik, Lukáš Tinkl, Lukáš Tvrdý, Maciej Mrozowski, Malcolm Hunter, Manuel Riecke, manu tortosa, Marc Pegon, Marijn Kruisselbrink, Martin Ellis, Martin Gräßlin, Matthew Woehlke, Matthias Klumpp, Matthias Kretz, Matus Talcik, Maximiliano Curia, Melchior Franz, Michael David Howell, Michael Drueing, Michael Thaler, Michel Hermier, Mohit Goyal, Mojtaba Shahi Senobari, Montel Laurent, Moritz Molch, Nabil Maghfur Usman, Nick Shaforostoff, Nicolas Goutte, Olivier Goffart, Patrick Julien, Patrick Spendrin, Pavel Belskiy, Pavel Heimlich, Peter Simonsson, Pierre Ducroquet, Pierre Stirnweiss, Pino Toscano, Rafael Fernández López, Raphael Langerhorst, Rex Dieter, Rob Buis, Roopesh Chander, Sahil Nagpal, Salil Kapur, Samuel Buttigieg, Sander Koning, Sascha Suelzer, Scott Petrovic, Scott Wheeler, Sebastian Sauer, Shivaraman Aiyer, Siddharth Sharma, Silvio Heinrich, Somsubhra Bairi, Spencer Brown, Srikanth Tiyyagura, Stefan Nikolaus, Stephan Binner, Stephan Kulow, Stuart Dickson, Sune Vuorela, Sven Langkamp, Thiago Macieira, Thomas Capricelli, Thomas Friedrichsmeier, Thomas Klausner, Thomas Nagy, Thomas Zander, Thorsten Staerk, Thorsten Zachmann, Tim Beaulen, Timothée Giet, Tobias Koenig, Tom Burdick, Torio Mlshi, Torsten Rahn, Unai Garro, Urs Wolfer, Vadim Zhukov, Vera Lukman, Victor Lafon, Victor Wåhlström, Volker Krause, Waldo Bastian, Werner Trobin, Wilco Greven, Will Entriken, William Steidtmann, Wolthera van Hovell, Yann Bodson, Yue Liu and Yuri Chornoivan.

Really

#krita #drawn with krita

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the-girl-who-didnt-smile · 2 months ago

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RE: LUISAH TEISH AND TRANSPHOBIA

One of the most influential figures on New Orleans Voudou (New Pagan / New Wave) is Luisah Teish, the author of Jambalaya (1985). However, some consider her controversial, accusing her of transphobia / trans exclusionary feminism.

In a nutshell, I do not entirely agree or disagree with the backlash, which was mostly from privileged white people. What actually matters is whether she is denounced by the Black transgender community. As I am uncertain what their consensus is, I have decided to be selective about where I have drawn inspiration from Luisah Teish; if necessary, these elements can be removed or substituted.

Below is my full, informal opinion. (I am non-Black and transgender)

The first incident involves statements Teish made when Caitlyn Jenner was awarded one of the eight "Women of the Year" Awards in 2015. On Facebook, Teish wrote: "[t]he idea that he [Jenner] (yes he still has his testicles) could be compared to Serena Williams and declared “more woman” than her is just fucking stupid. While I stand and have stood for decades for the right to determine one’s own body I do see a big difference between self-determination and misogyny. The recent trends bespeak that suppressed desire to eliminate a need for women and to establish male dominance even as patriarchy in drag."

SOURCE: Mueller, Michelle. "The Chalice and the Rainbow: Conflicts Between Women’s Spirituality and Transgender Rights in US Wicca in the 2010s." Female Leaders in New Religious Movements (2017): 249-278.

Teish received much backlash for these statements. Get those pitchforks ready, but I don't entirely agree with this backlash. How do I explain this... There is a serious problem with elitism in transgender activism. This is reflected in the vocabulary, which remains inaccessible outside the educated elite. Terms like "nonbinary" "cisgender" and "assigned (fe)male at birth" are meaningful, but they were coined by members of the white bourgeoisie and are rarely used in low-income, non-white communities. I may have misspoke in specifying "non-white", as I don't know if these terms are used in low-income white communities. The victim complex is strongest amongst the white transgender bourgeoisie, who believe they are only ever victims - never agents - of oppression. As a consequence of this, the left often prioritizes defending the most privileged members of the transgender community, instead of trying to understand why they are being criticized.

Obviously, Teish's statements are disrespectful, but she's speaking from the perspective of a Black woman who faces oppression in the forms of racism and misogyny. Black women are constantly disrespected for their race and gender. This is very personal for Teish because she is a daughter of Oshun - very, very feminine energy. Luisah Teish was not "punching down" but "punching up" at Caitlyn Jenner. There is a strange paradox where trans women are the least and most privileged members of the transgender community. Caitlyn Jenner, the Wachowski sisters, Jennifer Pritzker, etc... are millionaires (or, in Pritzker's case, a BILLIONAIRE), who amassed their wealth through white male privilege before transitioning. Anyone who denies this is full of shit. The media skews the perception of the transgender population, where it prioritizes the 1%-ers of the transgender community, who are all white, wealthy, and assigned male at birth.

I find myself agreeing with Mueller's statement: "The opportunity to discuss differences in privilege across racial and gendered lines was lost in the hypervigilance of affirming transgender identity. Teish’s intersectional critique did not gain traction in Pagan blogs, as compared with criticism for Teish’s ‘impolite’ words about transgender women."

But the likes of Caitlyn Jenner really are the 1%-ers. Most white trans women are not rich. They are not given attention by the media because they are poor. The greatest burden of transphobia in the Western world is placed on trans women of color, who are the most likely to suffer from poverty, oppression, and violence. While I have described male privilege, there is also such a thing as female privilege. I would know; in transitioning female-to-male, I have lost female privilege. By virtue of being female-bodied, I will always have certain female privileges, such as never having to worry about being drafted or being placed in a male prison.

Feminism emphasizes discussions of "male privilege" and "misogyny", but there also need to be discussions of "female privilege" and "misandry". Sexism cuts both ways, especially along lines of race and class, and within the LGBT community.

My main concern with Teish's statements is not her "impoliteness" towards transgender millionaire Caitlyn Jenner, but whether this view extends to the non-privileged majority of trans women - especially trans women of color. Does she consider them "men"? Does she see them as trying to "eliminate" women and "establish male dominance"? This is the real concern.

A second incident involves an article published by Teish called "Patriarchy In Drag: Sexual Imperialism In Africa, and Delusional Revisionism in the African-American Community", which is part of the following anthology: Barrett, Ruth, ed. Female erasure: what you need to know about gender politics' war on women, the female sex and human rights. Tidal Time Publishing, LLC, 2016.

The description of the article is: "[Teish's] article addresses Sexual imperialism, spiritual culture appropriation/misrepresentation, and the impact of "patriarchy in drag" on the psyche and culture of African American women."

Similar to J.K. Rowling, Teish is a trans exclusionary feminist*. Female Erasure is a gender critical book, full of articles written by well-known TERFs (trans exclusionary radical feminists) like Sheila Jeffreys and Germaine Greer. Some people would dismiss Teish's article immediately on these grounds. However, I consider this to be an Ad Hominem fallacy, and that you have to actually read an article to judge whether it is offensive.

Having reviewed the article, I do not think it is right for non-Black people to dismiss this as "transphobia". The white people who smeared Teish on these grounds need to examine their racial and class privilege.

Towards the beginning, there were a couple of things Teish said that kinda rubbed me the wrong way, but as I kept reading I realized that she was making a needed criticism of "rainbow flag imperialism" and how this affects gender/sexual minorities in African Traditional/Diasporic communities. This part really stuck with me. As a biracial person, I have "one foot in both doors" so-to-speak. I am an enactor of and affected by "rainbow flag imperialism". On the one hand, I am an American of half-white heritage. I try not to impose an American view of gender/sexuality on other cultures, but that may be exactly what I am doing. In claiming that there is a side of Voudou that is accepting of transgender people, have I misrepresented this African diaspora religion? As I have discovered, a lot of the time "transgender inclusion" in ATRs actually refers to white transgender people who force themselves into these cultures and violate their sacred traditions, which are often segregated by sex. I must be careful not to promote this behavior. For this reason, it was important for me to read Teish's criticism of "rainbow flag imperialism". On the other hand, I have observed a similar phenomenon in my non-white heritage. It is not as bad as in African communities, but there is a similar problem where white religious homophobes and white members of the LGBT community impose their beliefs in a manner akin to imperialism. This intensifies homophobia and transphobia, doubly fueled by white Christians and the backlash to the "rainbow flag imperialism". Much like in certain African cultures, a lot of this backlash is due to the importance of bearing children; those of us who are openly transgender or homosexual are accused of betraying familial obligations.

The article provides context to Teish's comment towards Caitlyn Jenner. She really was attempting to make an intersectional critique, but it came out badly because she was reacting to racism against Black women. Teish also provides a needed criticism of the medical industry, warning Black transgender people about past abuses like the Tuskegee Syphilis experiment. This reminds me of a friend I lost contact with, who was Black, poor, and transgender. He suffered at the hands of his surgeon, who didn't give a damn about him and the complications he experienced. A lot of people practically worship these surgeons; none of these rich white trans men care about trans men of color, who are completely understudied and exploited by the medical/pharmaceutical industry. I am transgender myself, but I know there are a lot of risks associated with surgery and hormones, and these are worse for the poor and/or people of color. Nobody wants to talk about this, but it's a necessary conversation.

This is not to say that my takeaway was entirely positive. Again, I don't think Teish is undeserving of any criticism when she said things like "he still has his testicles". I also found most of the points she made connecting pedophilia to transgender people were kinda, uh, stupid... Sorry, I just think these were poorly argued, and just come off as paranoid. "If we make transgenderism OK, pedophilia is next!" Homophobes say the exact same thing about homosexuality. This is one of those TERF talking points that never makes sense to me, it just comes across as a logical fallacy.

There's other comments I take issue with, such as claiming that "children as young as four years old" are being given puberty blockers. The whole subject of puberty blockers is controversial. I know several transgender people who are against them, but I know others who defend their use. Personally, I'm in the camp of idiots who goes "shit, I don't know..." I've heard reasonable arguments on both sides, I'm just too stupid and unqualified to comment. This is a decision that really needs to be based on science, but unfortunately facts get drowned out by extreme biases on both sides of the debate. It's a complicated issue that involves variables like 'age' 'duration' and 'sex assigned at birth'... In any case, Teish's comment is pretty dumb; four year olds are not offered puberty blockers.

Teish uses some kinda cringe "TERFisms" (for lack of better word...) but honestly this just exemplifies the aforementioned problem of elitism built into transgender activism. The vocabulary is so academic that it becomes exclusionary. Outside of the elite, most people don't know what the fuck you're talking about when you use words like "cisgender" and "nonbinary". Mind you, the concepts of "cisgender" and "nonbinary" are not invalid; "cisgender" simply means "not transgender", and gender categories beyond "male" and "female" exist in many cultures across the world. I'm criticizing the words chosen for these ideas, not the ideas themselves.

In the middle of the article, Teish quotes Awondo in stating:

"Homosexuality has always existed, but some of the current forms of gay self-identification and gay activism originated elsewhere."

The same thing can be said about transgenderism. Transgender people have always existed, but some of the current forms of transgender self-identification and transgender activism originated in the white, Western bourgeoisie.

All over the world, you will find people who were born male, female, or intersex**, who have never heard of the word "transgender" but have an insistent, persistent, and consistent conviction that they were born the wrong sex. People born as girls, insisting they are men; people born as boys, insisting they are women; and so on...

I mostly agree with Teish that the causes of transgenderism remain an open question. However, I also maintain that there are multiple causes of transgenderism, and that the most well studied causes are biological - "born that way". Elevated testosterone levels can induce a male gender in a female (animal or human) fetus; the reverse phenomenon can also occur. For this reason, I disagree with the use of terms like 'gynophobia' and 'gynophilia', as it implies that transgender people have a choice in being transgender. This is my perspective as someone who was diagnosed with gender identity disorder and tried to treat it with therapy, to no avail.

In conclusion, I thought the article was a mixed bag, but my opinion is ultimately irrelevant. As a transgender person, I find trans-exclusionary radical feminism to be a reprehensible belief system; one that is inherently homophobic and transphobic (see below), that has colonized lesbian spaces with false “political lesbians”, that has allied itself with the religious right, and that has vilified the non-privileged majority of trans women. However, I don't think it is the place for non-Black people to judge Teish’s article either way. What actually matters is what Black transgender people think of this.

Teish received a lot of backlash for her statements, but it was mostly from privileged white transgender people and allies. Do you think Teish is coming from a place of bigotry, or that hers is a fair criticism of sexual imperialism? A little bit of both? Teish's is really a message for people in Black African communities, so it's up to Black transgender people whether this article is offensive. I encourage those who read this to do so with an open mind - unbiased by activism of any kind.

As I am uncertain whether she is denounced in the Black community, I have decided to be selective in drawing inspiration from Luisah Teish. If necessary, these elements can easily be removed or substituted.

*While Teish is certainly a trans exclusionary feminist, I am uncertain if she is a trans exclusionary radical feminist (TERF). A core belief of TERFism is that sex (“male”/”female”) is biological, but gender (“masculinity”/“femininity”) is the product of socialization. Femininity is imposed on the female sex by patriarchy; ergo, a true TERF strives to liberate women from femininity. This is also why many TERFs embrace political lesbianism - they reject the notion that sexual orientation or gender identity is inborn. Under this mindset, it becomes the impetus of womankind to choose lesbianism over heterosexuality; gay men and butch/stud lesbians are accused of misogyny, as are all transgender people. These beliefs seem to be irreconcilable with Teish’s description of Voudou, which embraces the divine feminine and the divine masculine. Ergo, I have chosen to describe her as a “trans exclusionary feminist”, as it seems to be the most accurate descriptor.

**Most intersex people are assigned 'male' or 'female' at birth. Some agree with this categorization and take offense to being categorized differently. However, there are others who reject their assigned sex, thinking 'intersex' is more accurate than 'male' or 'female'.

#commentary

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yourreddancer · 4 months ago

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HEATHER COX RICHARDSON

August 29, 2024 (Thursday)

And now the U.S. Army has weighed in on the scandal surrounding Trump’s visit to Arlington National Cemetery for a campaign photo op, after which his team shared a campaign video it had filmed.

The Army said that the cemetery hosts almost 3,000 public wreath-laying ceremonies a year without incident and that Trump and his staff “were made aware of federal laws, Army regulations and [Department of Defense] policies, which clearly prohibit political activities on cemetery grounds.”

The United States became one of the money-laundering capitals of the world, with hundreds of billions of dollars laundered in the U.S. every year.

The rule about investment advisors will make the obligation to report suspicious financial activity apply to certain financial advisors. This rule will go into effect on January 1, 2026.

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