#she also has a connection with casey that neither of them will figure out for a while

[thewaragainstapathy]

I’m dead-set on finishing this (currently untitled) ROTTMNT post-movie fic, but I could use some friends to bounce around ideas. In the meantime please enjoy some of chapter 1. (And I’m not kidding about bouncing around ideas. PM me if you’re interested, I need some COMMUNITY!)

******

Reggie was no conspiracy nut, but there were two things she firmly believed: aliens existed, and mutants were a thing. 

The invasion proved her right about the aliens. She had officially won the bet with her sister, but there was no time to gloat when she was running for her life. In fact, at the rate she was going, Reggie doubted she’d survive long enough to collect. 

These alien fuckers were scarier than anything from the movies. Within minutes they’d pushed back the National Guard, corrupted the human weaponry, and used it to demolish her neighborhood. Helicopters with teeth were sure to star in her nightmares, assuming she lived long enough to sleep again. 

Reggie had kept up with the screaming masses for a while. As fires raged and smoke choked her lungs, however, she’d been forced to take cover long enough to find her inhaler. In the time it took her to get her breathing under control all the stragglers left her behind. 

She was alone, and more scared than she’d ever been in her life. 

Reggie had run for seven more blocks before she had to stop again. Most of the buildings around her were in ruins, but the fires were downwind and she’d found a dumpster to hide behind in a stable-ish alley. It would have to do until she could catch her breath. 

There were still no other people around—a bad sign for sure—but there were no immediate threats, either. Reggie took another puff from her inhaler and risked a moment to find her water bottle. She couldn’t drink much; she only had half a bottle left, and she’d bet her salary that the water lines were down. She’d have to take a sip or two and keep moving. 

Then the light show started, and moving was out of the question.

Reggie watched with terror-laced awe as a Michael Bay-worthy sci-fi battle raged before her eyes. Gold chains of fire, purple rockets, and blue portals of light zipped through the air, working in tandem with a red-lit giant. Debris was still falling, but most of it was over the water now, so she did the one thing she’d sworn she’d never do during a disaster.

She pulled out her phone and started filming.

Monique, you are not gonna believe this.

All things considered, Reggie had a good angle. She saw the red giant—which she could swear was a turtle—fall and crash-land across the bay. She saw the explosion as the spaceship was cut in half, and ducked behind the dumpster as the blast wave rushed past. 

And she saw a katana, still glowing blue, fall from the sky to land in the street.

Within five minutes it was over.  

She hit stop and wondered what the hell she should do now. 

*****

Casey had never felt more lost in his life. 

They’d saved the world, right? He’d done what Master Leonardo had told him to do. He’d found the key. He’d stopped the Krang. 

But now he was here, in this strange world he didn’t recognize, with a family that was so familiar but wasn’t his, and after everything they’d done? Everything his masters had sacrificed to get him here? 

He’d still lost Master Leonardo.

No. Not Master Leonardo. Not my sensei. Just… just Leo.

Did that make it better, or worse? Either way Casey wanted to cry, but he couldn’t give in to grief, not yet. Not while the Sister Krang was still a threat. He could mourn after she was dealt with. Until then he would tamp down his feelings like the soldier he was.

But then… then he saw Leo’s katana, fallen just like his master. 

His hockey stick fell to the ground with a clatter.

[the-kipsabian]

just throwing together some misc alan wake 2 thoughts now that ive slept and had coffee after finishing the game. mostly talking end game, obviously spoilers

alice. alice intrigues me so much. that final stinger is incredible, for multiple reasons. that reveal following the series of photos of her seemingly killing herself is just.. yeah. i think that was not only her way of trying to getting back to alan, who she knew was trapped in the dark place at the bottom of the lake, but it was also to throw scratch off, to think that he won by tormenting her to her death. theres no light flickers in the background of that final video. she is free of scratch, but still clearly safe. maybe back in the dark place, but tbh im not sure if she ever actually escaped it in the first place. shes going to leave the place with alan. she has to, because they are each others rocks. they sink or swim together (it would also explain why she was able to contact saga while she was in the dark place)

speaking of saga, her mind place version of the dark place was just *chefs kiss*. it was an incredible, worked really well to demonstrate not only the power the dark place has on people, but also what kind of a character she really is. strong and independent, but so good to those around her. i really wish we got deeper into her friend and partnership with casey tbh, after hearing about his divorce (which, btw, loved the extremely casual drop about him and estevez just "bonding over their ex wives". amazing job remedy) and especially seeing the birthday photo in the mind place just. my heart. i really wish we got more casey in general, but i guess him being included in the story beats and echo visions as a hardboiled detective just needs to be enough. for now i say knowing full well im gonna dive super deep into fanfics when my brain fog lifts a little ough

my one big question was door. and maybe tim to that extent, considering the last page we read and we never fully got an explanation about doors involvement (im hoping ng+ explains this further?) but it refers to tim as his "unwilling disciple" - obviously tim was moved to the dark place against his will, but at the same time, why exactly and what is he doing? hes been trying to get out, to figure it out, he has a whole whiteboard of theories and yet. it all leads to door. and idk maybe i missed it somehow, but i never fully made that connection as to why and what doors game here is. which leaves me with questions for the next game/sequel/dlc. intriguing, but throwing that in last minute just felt kinda. idk remedy dont do this to me lmao

one thing im admittedly a bit disappointed about was them choosing to sacrifice alan for the ending. i mean i get it, at the point where we think alice is dead and saga makes it very clear that neither casey nor logan can be hurt and that they are both the heroes of the story, theres not much options left. like alan said, the horror story needs a victim. but also idk, i wish we could. have had a choice? multiple endings?? which i guess ng+ teased but we'll see. also it being left unanswered whether we were free from the darkness now or not, which i understand was intentional but idk im still a bit miffed about that one lol. logan not answering the phone. however saga did have a wedding ring on her finger (i did not observe this detail before so idk if it was just always there but it felt very significant in this scene as they didnt show her being lefthanded before so) which makes me think everything did get fixed, considering how badly david hated her during points in the story, so why would she still wear her wedding ring after all those years after what happened if this wasnt the good reality again. just saying

ALSO IM JUST SO GLAD CASEY IS ALIVE. STUPID BASTARD MAN I LOVE HIM SO

"its not a loop, its a spiral" has interesting implications, but i miss "its not a lake, its an ocean" tbh. i feel like that ending revelation held more power to it than this one, it just feels like a rehash for the sake of copying the original. like i get what they mean about this one (its not a constant changing loop, its a developing story moving forward that keeps expanding as it goes even tho it feels like its going in circles), but just as a saying it doesnt stand up to the original. thats all

the way, even if they are sharing a skin, alan and scratch are two different characters (im excluding zane from this equation for reasons as i dont think he was real [im fairly convinced it was scratch playing games with alan just pretending to be zane], but i wanna give special props to ilkka villi for his portrayal. immaculate job) and are written that way. the way they talk, the lines they have, there is a significant difference when you pay attention to it - i think its partially alans way of trying to dodge the blame and put it all on scratch, whereas scratch doesnt do that for himself, hes just trying to play into the emotional manipulation angle with the constant rush instead to get what he wants and to get people on his side and to trust him. which is a really good take, considering that hes using all common scammer tactics to try to fool people into giving him what he wants (also just god the transformation scene when this is revealed? permanently tattooed in my brain that was so goddamn good)

its also a very interesting take that the cult is actually the good guys. i also just love ilmos explanation for it; "what kind of a cult calls themselves a cult" like. yeah. yeah man you got a point there. but that being just a cover and a scare tactic to keep people safe? love that shit that was good (kinda high key mad we didnt get more of them after that. only that one last sad tv commercial, would have loved to give them a good ending too)

also the parallel of alan waking up from getting shot to the head vs earlier zane doing to same thing at the second meeting in the hotel. i havent stopped thinking about it tbh

just. a few thoughts. all in all idk i felt like the ending was missing something tbh. maybe i just missed something, but it feels like it was more of a setup for something in the future with everything than an ending to a full game and a sequel 13 years after the original. i have too many questions left, more than i entered into this mess with. that being said, absolutely loved the game itself, the story is insane and incredible, this has once again rewired the way my brain thinks about stories (plot board my beloved......), theres so much underneath the surface of a survival horror game that cant be explained, it needs to be experienced. there are sequences here that im unable to convey in words and feelings, you need to see them for yourself ("we sing" and the movie theater. iykyk)

just in general that cliffhanger like. why you do me like this remedy. why. i cant wait for 13 years for another sequel. goddamn

the ending tho, im. i dont know. in the first game we knew things were still kinda wrong, but it showed that everyone outside of alan seemingly got out of the things unscathed for the most part (i mean we lost nightingale, rose went kinda loopy, there were signs that not everything and everyone was right but for the most part the town and people in it were safe), but here we dont see any of it. the happy deerfest is nothing but scratch's illusion. so idk if im meant to believe that shooting alan was the fix and everything went back to normal, like normal normal before this man was pulled into the lake, or since he was still seemingly alive after that, are we still living in the happy deerfest illusion forever while the darkness spreads to the land outside of it? i have so many questions and this ending didnt answer a lot of them tbh lmao

theres so much here i cant fit here my brains still very rattled from all of this and i keep getting more questions the longer i think about it so im gonna leave it here. i'll probably see you later with more when ng+ and/or dlc releases, as hopefully those will explain more

10/10, absolutely my game of the year ngl

..one thing to leave you with. fuck the boss fights in this game lmao

[bookcub]

Ace Books Rated Against Me*

*unlike previous lists, I will be comparing to how much I related to and felt connected to the ace experience of the ace characters in the books, and rather celebrating ace rep I’ve been lucky enough to read 

(inspired by @anassarhenisch​ who requested this about a year ago lol)

Quicksilver by RJ Anderson- This was the first book I read with an ace protagonist. I admired Tori’s conviction in that she was ace (and there are times where I have the same assurance in my orientation) and also how unfit she felt with her peers, like she had a mask. Her uncertainty in wanting a romantic relationship resonated with me more than other protags, as she and I exist in the same fuzzy area between romantic and aromantic. Her speech about friendship made me tear up, and I wish for a friendship as special as the one she has. 

9/10  

We Awaken by Calista Lynn- The best parts of this book were about Victoria’s asexuality. Her freak out about being ace was so on point, you have no idea. Only misstep was how short it was, but that has more to do with timing in a book than anything. Also, the fact that someone else brought up the term to her and she didn’t discover it herself was exactly how my experience went. And as much as I love that she gets a romantic love interest who is also ace (whoot whoot), they move awfully fast, which I could never do. 

8/10

Let's Talk About Love by Claire Kann- This book is a bit more dicey with me. Alice is much more adventurous than I am or will be. She also doesn’t trust herself. Many ace people have had sex to either, get it out of the way and see if they like it, or to please their partner. I liked seeing that part of the community represented but as someone who is sex repulsed, my experience is very different than a sex neutral ace. I’m also so glad she was biromantic, I still haven’t figured out romantic attraction but I’m super into aesthetic attraction of all genders. Alice also has some of my favorite quotes about being ace and her analogy about jogging is the best. 

8/10

How to Be a Normal Person by TJ Klune- I waited on this book because I knew I would love it, and I did!!! This was the romcom of aces I needed. I was as grumpy and lost as Gus, but as confident and loud as Casey. They believed each other and trusted each other and it was just beautiful. I liked that Gus never used a label and I liked how important Casey’s label was to his sense of the world and how neither were invalidated. 

9/10

Lady's Guide to Petticoats and Piracy by Mackenzi Lee- Felicity is so apathetic, it’s hysterical. She’s like, this is me, deal with it. Her aceness is tied to her aroness, which is the case for many people, but the distance of the time period and class made it hard to relate to her. I actually would have liked her ace identity to play a larger part in the book, and not be so easily dismissed by Sim.

7/10 

Every Heart a Doorway by Seannn McGuire- Nancy literally not fitting into the world and also being ace was a wonderful metaphor. While there wasn’t much content on her being ace, I enjoyed how sure of herself she was and how she interacted with other people from the queer community, although not so much as queer allies, just generally supportive. 

8/10 

Immortal Code by Lilllian Clark- I picked up this book with no idea there was an ace character, but there was Reese!!! She referred to herself as acearo, which was new to me, but hey, language constantly changes, right? Her love story of her friends is lovely and meaningful. 

7/10

Tash Hearts Tolstoy by Kathryn Ormsbee- I hope everyone gets a Tash book. Tash just fit with me. I adored her, and all her flaws lined up so well with mine. Her flawed mindset, her doubt, her emotions.. . .her experiences very much mirror my own. She deals with aphobia more, she has wants for a romantic relationship, but also completely lost on how to have one. She found the ace community online and connected to them there, as well as vocalizing how aces are part of the queer community. While she used words like “sexual” instead of “allosexual” and didn’t have other ace friends, found out in high school instead of college, her story all but felt like mine. 

10/10

I highly recommend these books and have linked my in depth reviews for most of them for more details on my thoughts on the novels. 

Vampires • Werewolves • Dragons • Aliens • Faerie • Portal Fantasies •  Dysopias • Angels/Demons  • Animal Companions  • Mermaids • Fictional Relationships  • Fictional Twins • Magic Schools

[roxsannel]

Nite Fire: SmokeAnd Mirrors Book 3 by C.L Schneider.

Dahlia Nite is back to up her old tricks again and this time, she is chasing a banshee through the streets of Sentinel City, something very unusual must have brought it there, but after she and her Sidekick Casey Evans take it out and they succeed despite its best efforts to kill them in return, but no sooner than they are done that they are called in to another gruesome scene at the riverbank, a lot of body parts have been uncovered by the recent storms and not all of them are human, neither are the bits of tanned skin they find at the scene either, but it isn’t just an animal attack, there are also precision cuts where the parts have been removed and it is in a place where nobody really goes and hasn’t done for many years, but when they are called over to a nearby sewer where there are more body parts floating around, the two decide to go into the tunnels and take a look around.

What they find there looks like a converted jail cell, complete with bars, but it also looks abandoned and smells like it too, as Casey checks out all of the cells, Dahlia hears something moving further down the tunnels and goes to investigate it. They know that she is tailing them and that they are leading her somewhere specific, but she has no idea where, until she enters the basement of an old steel works where rumours of toxic waste and man eating mutated piranhas abound, but what she finds there is more sinister, multiple gurney’s covered in blood where it looks like the victims were strapped on while they were tortured and dismembered, she can sense the horror which lies in wait for her as well. She spies the person running along a skywalk being followed by another three people, but more are on their way as Dahlia is showered in bullets and only just avoids them before being engaged in hand to hand combat, again! She is surprised by the speed and agility, they look human, but she has a feeling that they aren’t, but there is no telltale smell or other indication telling her what they are, but she does her usual, but gets no further information from any of them before she is forced to set the place alight, hoping that there are no more victims being caged there as well.

As she tries to explain away the destruction and get Casey out of the way of it, Detective Creed doesn’t believe her, again and tja Captain of the force wants answers yesterday. The only lead they have is the van tyre tracks which they found and as it is the only solid thing, it means that they will be doing their best to track it down. Just as they finish the meeting Casey informs them of a crime at a past crime scene of an altercation which may have a non-human origin, so all three head three due to its proximity to the steel works. When they get there, Creed interviews the witness and Dahlia goes to look for clues to what happened and what creatures were involved, she finds some blood and some fabric, one she shares and one she examined and keep for further tests, but what she initially finds explains the mystery of how she wasn't able to smell or use her senses to identify her assailants earlier. She also sees the evidence of a struggle and works out that it probably isn't prudent to stay in the dark as it is in the backyard of the criminals they are looking for.

Later that night, Dahlia is running tests and comparisons to try and find out what type of creature the suspect is when the alarm in her gym goes off and when she gets there, she knows exactly who and why, she talks to Casey again about the dangers he was just walking into and although she understands that he just wants to feel close to and find his sister, she still tells him off until they are interrupted by someone being attacked, they try to help, but the victim doesn't speak their language and as they are trying to decide what to do, they escape, now they have to worry a out then becoming a victim of a different type, these worries are put onto the back burner when a new lead appears and when it shows other connections, the hunt is in for her and Creed.

Will they be able to figure out who is behind the abductions and dismemberments, or will they fall foul of more than they can handle as the tangled web of secrets is revealed? This is another whirlwind of a tide across realms where revelations are not always what they seem and which hook you into their mysteries as well.

[ledenews]

Sky the Limit for Union Local Jets

The question of whether the Union Local girls could answer the bell against a similarly talented team in a big game was answered Saturday with an emphatic yes. Beating previously unbeaten Indian Creek by 19 points (64-45) on a neutral floor tends to put things in perspective. Any thoughts of an emotional letdown were quelled Monday with a 79-49 win against John Marshall. It's a team with no seniors and only one starter who will be legally able to drive a car by school year's end. So while many might believe Saturday's first half was the first time this team had been in a close fight, that wasn't quite the case. “The first time we played Ferry, we were down one midway through the third and against Shadyside, it was a three or four point game at halftime,” recalled Union Local head coach Ron Barr. “Our first game against Monroe Central, we had four brand new starters on the floor and they were scared to death. We were down 13 in the first half but cut it to five at halftime and ended up winning by 15.” None of the aforementioned teams are slouches and all will be playing in the OVAC tourney next week in their respective classification.

Union Local Last Unbeaten Team

The team fought through its early maturation process and stands alone, the last unbeaten team in the conference with a 19-0 mark. This team is built to win, and win big, averaging more than 70 points per game. It's a rare combination of size and speed that allows the Jets to play fast on both ends of the floor. The “smallest” player in the starting five is also its oldest in junior point guard Casey Kildow (5-6). On the wings she's joined by her sister, freshman Torre Kildow (5-11) and sophomore Hannah Merritt (5-8). Underneath stands the team's tallest player along with its most physical in 6-1 frosh Reagan Vinskovich and 5-7 sophomore Keira Gregor, respectively. Speed and tempo are their game.

Union Local won the Buckeye 8 title with a 64-45 win against previously unbeaten Indian Creek. The players, coaches and support staff pose with the championship trophy, perhaps the first of a lot of hardware to be won this season. “We go into every game, hoping we never have to run a play. It's kind of our moniker,” Barr said of his team's offensive philosophy. “That's the way I like to coach and it's the way they like to play. “Offensively, we like when other teams press. It puts us into fast break mode and that's to our advantage.” That's not to say Union Local can't play in the half-court offense. Merritt and the Kildow sisters all can pop from the perimeter, and Torre connects at a near 50-percent clip from behind the arc. They can also penetrate and attack the basket, or dump it off to the bigs underneath. Rinskovich averages a double-double per game with around 12 points and 12 boards per. But it's a balanced scoring effort to be sure. Torre Kildow (16.5), Merritt (11.0) and Casey Kildow (10.5) all average in double figures with Gregor (6.8) not far off the pace.

Teamwork, Understanding

The girls understand their roles and have flourished in them. “The lack of selfishness and finding their role has developed over the course of the season,” noted assistant coach Nikki Gregor. “Not everyone is going to be the leading scorer, but the important thing is to know your role and execute and if we can do that, winning is inevitable. “The win belongs to all of them. They each play a part.” Defensively, they are a nightmare as well. Multiple six or near-six footers creates issues when attacked the basket, moreso when long-legged and long-armed defenders can move and adjust quickly, covering ground in a hurry and allowing their teammates to take chances to force turnovers. “The fact we can switch among defenses so easily gives us an edge,” Gregor said. An uptempo offense that can excel in the half-court when necessary coupled with a diverse and conditioned defense is a tough match-up. That begs another question though.

Union Local's starting five of Casey Kildow (2), Keira Gregor (40), Hannah Merritt (30), Reagan Vinskovich (42), Torre Kildow (22) and sixth-man Baylee Rex (21) have their team playing at a torrid pace and sitting with a spotless 19-0 record as the postseason approaches.

How good can this team be?

Union Local has featured some quality athletes this century and captured a few OVAC titles. But you have to go back 20 years to the 2000-01 team coached by Rick Jones to find one as dominant, or even a few years further back to 1997-98 to find another that had a similar hot start to the season. Gregor knows this more than most. Back when she still used her maiden name Kemp, she was a senior on the 97-98 squad, also coached by Jones that started the year 15-0 before back to back losses to Bellaire and Indian Creek spoiled the perfection. They finished 19-3, with the final loss coming against Fort Frye in a sectional. The Cadets later lost to Bellaire in the district semifinals. That was a senior-laden team led by junior Erin Mason, Gregor, Jamie (Carruthers) Vinskovich, Dawn Renzler and Courtney (Feaster) Howard. Fellow juniors Angie Ault and Jess Chillinsky were part of a starting lineup that mixed-and-matched between six girls. A few years later, Gregor's younger sister Heidi Kemp was part of a group of seven seniors, also led by a junior in multi-sport all-Ohio athlete Jenny Campbell, that took things a step further.

Depth

Depth was one of that year's team's aces in the hole. While the starting five usually consisted of Campbell, Jenny Chillinsky, Amy Scarnecchia, Casey Stenger and Amanda Mercer, Kemp and Miranda Thompson both drew starting nods depending on matchups. The 2000-01 Jets were battle tested come the post season, having faced the likes of Bellaire's Kacie Vavrek, Martins Ferry's Lindsay Coyne, St. Clairsville's Piccolini sisters, Bethany and Lindsey and even the Fort Frye duo Krista Ferguson and Cincinnati signee Leslie Knoch, though Knoch missed the regular-season showdown won by the Jets. “Their guard size was comparable to ours,” Barr said of his team and the 00-01 version. “But they were more seasoned. And that year, it seemed like every team had two or three really good players. Every game was a dog fight.” Union Local advanced through the sectional round and came within five points of winning a district title. But once again, the postseason nemesis of Fort Frye, this time at full strength, was victorious, 65-61. The Cadets fell in the regional but were voted No. 3 in the final Division III AP Poll. Union Local was close behind at seven.

The 1997-98 team was the last one to start the season 15-0 prior to this year's teams current 19-0 mark. Front Row: manager Tyler Feaster, Jess Parker, Emily Tacosik, Dawn Renzler, Angie Ault, Erin Mason and Courtney Feaster. Back Row: Coach Jackson, Nikki Kemp, Jess Chillinsky, Casey Stenger, Jamie Carruthers, Erin Patterson, Jenny Chillinsky and Coach Rick Jones. Kemp (Keira Gregor), Carruthers (Reagan Vinskovich) and Patterson (Alliegh Cheatham) all have daughters on this season's team, while Tacosik is the cousin of Casey and Torre Kildow.

How do they match up?

There are a number of similarities when comparing the three teams. Each team boasts lights-out shooters, capable of attacking the basket or pulling up from the perimeter. All three hammered teams with transition offenses and showed equal tenacity and tempo defensively. But when comparing present-day to 97-98, Gregor believes her daughter's team has the advantage in the post. “Jamie and Jess were our two 'bigs' and I played there as well, but Keira and Reagan have a huge advantage over the three of us in the paint,” Gregor admitted. Vinskovich would tower over the 2000-01 team as well, as Stenger and Scarnecchia were the only true posts on the team and neither were near 6-1 in stature. But what they lacked in height they made up for in physicality. Where the 2000-01 Jets may have the advantage is both in depth and conditioning. “We had a rotation of seven girls that started or came off the bench and we didn't really skip a bit no matter who was in,” Kemp recalled. “We not only ran a track-meet style offense, but we pressed A LOT. Having fresh legs running in and out made it doable.”

Turning to now

The OVAC Championship Tourney is approaching and soon after, the OHSAA tournament will begin. Goals have been set and some have been achieved already. Others are further down the road. Eventually, the Jets will run into a veteran team that has the conditioning and talent to keep up with them for four quarters. None have yet, but it's bound to happen. That's when the true test begins. Barr noted that most of these girls have been playing together since they entered third grade. They may be relatively new to varsity basketball, but they are quite familiar with one another. That trust in their teammates shows. “This team has incredible chemistry. They've played a lot of basketball together so you don't even realize how young they really are,” Kemp said. “The sky is the limit for this group and I can't wait to see how high they fly.” Related: The Best of Bishop Donahue Hoops Postseason Again for CCHS Read the full article

[mrmichaelchadler]

Columbus

This review was originally published on August 4, 2017 and is being republished for Women Writers Week.

The buildings rise up out of the grass and trees like relics of a mysterious more sophisticated civilization. They are abstract, startling, sometimes anti-gravitational. They are not monuments. They were built for utilitarian purposes: banks, offices, a church, a library, a hospital. These geometric Modernist buildings pepper the landscape of the "Midwest Mecca of Architecture," Columbus, Indiana, and were designed by some of the most innovative architects of the 20th century: it's no wonder people travel there from all over to take architecture tours. Columbus' architecture is the canvas for "Columbus," the stunning directorial debut of Kogonada (mainly known up until now as a video essayist, whose Vimeo page is a great archive of visual analysis). What Kogonada has done with "Columbus" (along with cinematographer Elisha Christian) is to blend the background into the foreground and vice versa, so that you see things through the eyes of the two architecture-obsessed main characters. Watching the film is almost like feeling the muscles in your eyes shift, as you look up from reading a book to stare out at the ocean. From the very first shot, it's clear that the buildings will be essential. They are a part of the lives unfolding in their shadows. Sometimes it almost seems like they are listening. 

There is a story in "Columbus." What is remarkable is how intense it is, given the stillness and quiet of Kogonada's style, and the focus with which he films the buildings. 

A Korean-born man named Jin (John Cho) travels to Columbus to care for his father, who is in the hospital following a catastrophic collapse. Accompanying him is an old friend (and possibly onetime lover), who was also his father's star pupil, played by Parker Posey. Jin has a distant relationship with his father. He can't connect with the worry and sadness his friend is feeling. On a separate track initially, we meet Casey (Haley Lu Richardson), working as a page at the Cleo Rogers Memorial Library (one of the most important interiors in the film). Casey has graduated from high school but has put off going to college perhaps indefinitely because her mother is a former meth addict. ("Meth is really big here," says Casey. "Meth and Modernism.") She fears what will happen to her mother without her. Casey and a coworker (Rory Culkin) have interesting discussions, sitting amidst the towering stacks, their conversations a blend of tentative flirting, kindness, and gentle debate. One day, Jin bums a cigarette from Casey. They strike up a conversation. 

Over the course of "Columbus," Casey, obsessed with architecture, takes Jin around, showing him her favorite buildings (she has a list). Jin is significantly older than Casey, but he treats her as a peer. There is instantly an intimacy between them, perhaps because both are so exhausted by their life circumstances. Their dynamic is fascinating. There's an irritable quality to some of it, as though neither one of them wants to let the other "get away with" just skating off the surface of things. When Casey rattles off facts about the famous glass bank designed by Eero Saarinen, Jin gets bored. He pushes her to go deeper: what does the building make you feel? There were only a couple of moments when the script was a little on the nose. But even in those moments the characters were wandering through such interesting spaces that there was always plenty to look at. 

Kogonada places their human figures against striking man-made backdrops with extreme care. He chooses his angles meticulously. There isn't an uninteresting shot in the whole thing. Shots repeat. Alleyways, sculptures, doorways, glass walls, the clocktower with the asymmetrical clockface, the church with the asymmetrical cross ... we go back to them again and again, Kogonada giving us time to contemplate them, to sink into them. There's so much sadness in the film, it seeps into the air. Kogonada allows space for it, interspersing the conversations between Jin and Casey, or Casey and her mother, with long still shots of the library's striking ceiling, of the glass bank gleaming at night, the glass walkway hovering over a river, of the two brick monoliths floating in the air, almost, but not quite, touching. It's a profound approach. The depth of emotion the film stirred up surprised me. I got so involved in these two people's lives. I cared about them. I liked eavesdropping on their conversations.

When I first moved to New York, every time I caught a glimpse of the Chrysler Building's whimsical jewel-like crown, my breath would catch in my throat. Eventually, over time, I got used to it as part of my everyday world. But there are moments, usually at dusk, when suddenly it's like I see it for the first time, and I stare upward, taking a moment to appreciate that architect William Van Alen thought that building up, that he saw something that beautiful in his mind, and that he knew what it would add to the skyline: something so tall, and yet also so delicate. I try to remind myself: Make sure to look at the Chrysler Building on occasion. Make sure to appreciate it. "Columbus" is a movie about the experience of looking, the interior space that opens up when you devote yourself to looking at something, receptive to the messages it might have for you. Movies (the best ones anyway) are the same way. Looking at something in a concentrated way requires a mind-shift. Sometimes it takes time for the work to even reach you, since there's so much mental ballast in the way. The best directors point to things, saying, in essence: "Look." I haven't been able to get "Columbus" out of my mind.

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[aish-rai]

Oscars 2017: In Review

Oscar time is here again!

Once again, I’ve watched all the films in the Best Picture, Best Director, and major acting categories. I’m not one for long reviews, so I’ve broken it down into mini reviews that will hopefully help you decide who to root for tonight...or not. Who cares. This is Trump’s America, we’re all on our way out anyway. Jkjk.

So, without further ado....

Arrival

This is, by far, my favorite of all the Best Picture nominees. This year, the debate has been about the importance of certain films...the message a film sends, what place it holds in our society. On the surface, a film centered around an alien invasion doesn’t seem as though it would merit much surface importance. But in times of increasing globalism, followed by xenophobia and an overall intolerance for things and people we don’t understand, Arrival highlights the importance of communication, patience, mutual cooperation, and an open mind. At the heart of it, it’s an incredibly personal story about the relationships we form and the decisions we make: what choices would dictate your life if you knew what the outcome would be? What’s the value of the journey versus the destination? Arrival asks us all these questions, but protagonist Louise Banks (a linguist, which it turns out is a SUPER FUCKING COOL job) only answers for herself. The rest of the film is a reflection on humanity, and in times like these, I think that’s just as important as any other “message” film.

Moonlight

Don’t misunderstand me: this is a story for everybody. We can all get something out of it. But it’s a particularly important, incredibly personal story about black masculinity, sexuality, and identity in an environment of poverty and desperation. A queer black man will certainly connect more to this movie than me, a straight white woman. However, with that being said, I still consider this a near-perfect movie. It is in no way inaccessible to the rest of the audience. The way the film has been broken down into three stages of Chiron’s journey to self-discovery allows the story to unfold perfectly. The first third sends the message, “You don’t have to know who you are yet.” By the end, it asks, “Who are you? Have you figured it out yet?” And everything in between is beautiful. The three actors who play Chiron (Alex Hibbert, Ashton Sanders, and Trevante Rhodes) are revelations. The fact that the kid from Manchester by the Sea pulled a nomination but Ashton Sanders didn’t is straight up offensive to my sensibilities, tbh. But Mahershala Ali is the real heart of the film as Juan, a local drug dealer who takes Chiron under his wing. His time in the film is brief, but he leaves an overwhelming impression. Also keep a look out for a magnificent performance by Naomie Harris as Chiron’s mother, as well as a color palette that quite frankly took my breath away. This is a film that sends a social message, yes, but it’s also a beautiful story of a personal journey and one that needed to be told.

La La Land

This film has been the frontrunner for quite awhile now, and as all frontrunners do, it has garnered quite a bit of criticism. Aside from just being the frontrunner, I feel like a lot of the criticism stems from the fact that it’s a happy, upbeat film in a year of otherwise somber stories. For some reason, we devalue the importance of joy in our films. I have to be grateful for the criticism, though, because the first time I saw LLL, I only “liked” it. Upon rewatching it, I’ve grown to love it. There’s so much more to it than “white man saves jazz”. That completely disregards the themes of nostalgia, the way the characters hold on to the past and hold themselves back. It’s very much a film that pays tribute to the American musical, while still managing to subvert many of its tropes and modernize the genre. The choice to have two lead actors who are neither singers nor dancers was a great one, in my opinion. Mia and Sebastian are two normal people, not extraordinarily talented but extraordinarily passionate about what they do. And without giving too much away, the ending, while polarizing, was perfect for me. The final montage alone makes it worthy of the praise it’s receiving. Ryan Gosling is good, but perhaps not Best Actor material here (I would have much rather he had been nominated for The Nice Guys). But he’s the perfect foil for Emma Stone, and it’s really her film. The Oscar is hers to lose at this point, and I know that bothers a lot of people, but again, they’re really devaluing the work that went into her character. Not everyone could have done what she did with this role. She nails the comedy, the melodrama, the understated moments, and the big musical ones as well. And really, the film itself is just a technical triumph (which, no shit Sherlock, is how it managed to get so many nominations...so stop whining). The cinematography and the production design are breathtaking, and something we haven’t seen on screen in a very long time. And honestly? Fuck it, we need some joy in this joyless time. Stop fighting it. Singing and dancing doesn’t make it frivolous, but it does reveal how short-sighted some people are when it comes to films.

Lion

First of all, if Sunny Pawar goes missing, don’t look at me. It’s not my fault he’s so goddamn adorable. He stars as young Saroo in the first half of Lion, which tracks a little boy who finds himself aboard a non-passenger train headed across India. He ends up in Calcutta, unable to speak the language or tell local authorities where he’s from. He’s eventually adopted by an Australian family, and grows up in a loving home. But as an adult, he struggles to piece together his journey and find his way back home. This movie will definitely reduce you to a puddle of tears, so keep some tissues handy. However, I did have some issues with it: mainly, the tonal difference between the first half (which I loved), and the second half, which felt weirdly cerebral, until it reverted back to tear-jerking melodrama at the very end. And when given the choice between the melodramatic and the cerebral, I will choose melodrama every time. Despite that, I will say Dev did a great job with portraying adult Saroo’s struggles, his wrestling with his identity and his privilege, his being torn between two lives and two families. Nicole Kidman is also spectacular as Saroo’s mother, and it’s a bit of a pity she wasn’t given more screen time. The scene where she tells Saroo the story of how and why he was adopted is a standout.

Hidden Figures

This is one of those films that tells you an important fact about history that you wouldn’t have otherwise known, and you’re grateful to have been introduced to the story, but when you break it down it’s a bit of a paint-by-numbers film. Don’t get me wrong, it’s one of my favorite films of the year, and it has infinite repeat value. It makes you feel good, and as I said, we can’t underestimate the importance of movies that manage to do that. And Taraji, Octavia, and Janelle are amazing, both individually and as a threesome. But this is a movie for the audience, not for the Oscars. The women were pathbreaking; the film isn’t. But that’s okay! If you watch it, you will undoubtedly love it to pieces, but it’s up against stiff competition this year.

Hacksaw Ridge

On paper, the story (a true one) is beautiful. It’s about Desmond Doss, a conscientious objector who, despite refusing to take up arms or harm another man for religious reasons, becomes a WWII medic who saves countless lives. Andrew Garfield gives a lovely performance as Doss, who walks a fine line between goofiness, earnestness, and pure grit. The issue I had with this movie was a personal one: it’s obscenely gory, to the point where my stomach turned (and I’m not usually bothered by these things). The problem is that I can see why the gore was necessary...because hey, that’s war! People’s faces get blown off, they lose limbs, bodies are used as shields. You sort of have to see the graphic violence to understand how important it is that Doss never once picks up a rifle to defend himself. His commitment to peace and healing, juxtaposed against such a violent environment, is truly moving. But I just can’t deal with the level of gore, sorry. If you’re like me and you’re thinking about watching this film, I’d suggest fast-forwarding through the war scenes and focusing on the aftermath. It’s definitely worth watching, just...don’t be surprised if you have an urge to vomit at some point.

Manchester by the Sea

How many different adjectives are there for overrated? I’d heard so much about this film going into it, and perhaps expectation is the root of all disappointment, but all I could see were one-note performances slapped with the term “internalized” to justify them. Lucas Hedges is a serviceable young actor, but hardly the discovery of a lifetime. And then there’s Casey Affleck, who has one good scene in the whole film but is somehow still considered a frontrunner for the Best Actor Oscar. Michelle Williams as the protagonist’s ex-wife is good, but it’s certainly not her best and her competitors were better. The film is a misery fest, which would be fine if you didn’t spend the entirety of it waiting for one person to react to their situation like a normal human being instead of, you know, a sociopath. I think this is a case of confusing a very sad, very moving story with a good film/good performance. Casey’s character is extraordinary...his performance, however, is not.

Hell or High Water

I don’t have much to say about this movie. The premise is intriguing, it’s a bit of a modern day Bonnie and Clyde, and it does reflect upon the new American reality. But jfc, is it boring. Chris Pine gives a great performance, and I enjoyed the banter between Jeff Bridges and Gil Birmingham...but you can honestly skip this movie and lose out on nothing except the overwhelming feeling that you have dust in your shoes.

Fences

This movie could have been brilliant; it could have been the best of the year. It’s touching, it’s human, and it’s thought-provoking. Unfortunately, they forgot they were making a movie and chose to shoot it exactly like the play. That means that we pretty much never leave the characters’ backyard. It means that all Denzel Washington’s character does is TALK, and talk, and talk some more. And everyone knows that silences are just as important as dialogue. Denzel is fantastic here, but the choices he made as a director hurt the film. Thankfully, Viola Davis is here to save the day. Her confrontation scene alone is enough to warrant her the Oscar. It’s just a pity she’s in the wrong category.

Captain Fantastic

SO underrated! This movie gained no traction leading up to awards season, but it truly is something different onscreen, and you can rarely say that about any movie. Because you’ve probably never heard of it, I’ll quickly summarize: a radical father of six children living off the land is forced to return to society after his wife commits suicide and reflect upon the life he has built for his family. It sounds depressing, but it’s not at all. It’s genuinely moving, with moments of absolute hilarity. You will be laughing one minute, crying the next. Viggo Mortensen gives far and away the best performance among the male nominees, and it’s a shame that with the campaigning system, he’s not going to get any recognition for it.

Elle

I’m torn between wanting to rip this movie to fucking shreds, and not wanting to dignify it with too much ~discourse~. I’ll only say that it offended me deeply as a woman and as a sexual assault survivor, and it was not a story that needed to be told. The complexity of womanhood, of sexuality, and of responses to trauma are all worthy themes to explore...and Elle managed to do that it the worst way for it. Just because they’re speaking French and the story is edgy doesn’t make it any good. It’s absolute junk. and I love Isabelle Huppert, but she left me cold in this role and as much as I’d like to see her be recognized for her body of work, I’ll be really upset if this is the film that does it for her. This film deserves nothing. Au revoir, assholes.

Loving

This film tells a story we’re all vaguely familiar with, Loving vs. the State of Virginia, the landmark case that legalized interracial marriages on a federal level. What we don’t learn about is the people behind the case, the Lovings. Unfortunately, the execution of this film was a bit “Lifetime Movie of the Week” for my taste, but Ruth Negga and Joel Edgerton give beautiful performances. If you want to see internalized done right, look to this film, not Manchester by the Sea. Ruth is luminescent onscreen, and is able to communicate so much with just her eyes and body language. The same goes for Joel, who was even more impressive and unfortunately got royally screwed out of an Oscar nomination. Watch it not because it’s pathbreaking cinema, but because it’s a piece of history that needed to be humanized.

Florence Foster Jenkins

Look, I am a sucker for movies about old people. I cried like a goddamn baby throughout this entire film, and I am not ashamed to admit it. There has been a lot of controversy over whether or not Meryl Streep deserved her nomination, and while I too would have liked to have seen Amy Adams get in for Arrival, I wouldn’t call Meryl undeserving. I think the truth is that every performance she gives is worthy, people just get a little tired of seeing her name on the nominations list. It’s become a case of, Well, how is she going to beat what she’s already done? And if you’re looking at it from that perspective, FFF isn’t going to be a cornerstone film in her cinematic journey. But she’s pretty amazing, as she is in everything she does, and I was really intrigued by her character (particularly her relationship with her husband, played by Hugh Grant). What I’m trying to say, I guess, is that people aren’t giving this movie a fair shake. It’s a bit silly at times, and a bit melodramatic, but it’s entertaining and it’s moving. I’d sit through FFF a hundred times before rewatching Hell or High Water, not sorry to say.

Jackie

It’s a good movie, with good direction, good staging, and good acting. So what’s wrong with it? I think what we can surmise is that it’s time to put Jackie Kennedy to rest, literally and figuratively. She’s too singular a person to be portrayed onscreen without the portrayal coming off as a caricature. Natalie Portman (whom I don’t normally care for) gave her all to this role, and still came off looking like Natalie Portman playing dress up as Jackie Kennedy. Jackie was a strange looking beauty with a strange sounding accent. You can dress up as many Hollywood brunettes in her iconic pink suit as you want, but they’re still not going to capture what was so remarkable about Jackie Kennedy. And as much as I love the Kennedys and am intrigued by their story...enough. We’ve seen all this before, multiple times. If you’re going to make a film on them, at least focus it on other members of the family. This particular time in history has been covered onscreen in abundance, and as an audience....we get it. It was terrible, it was sad, it was the death of American royalty, it was a standout moment in our history. Time to move on.

Nocturnal Animals

I’m a bit upset that this movie didn’t make it to the list of Best Picture nominees. Tom Ford is such an interesting director, and this was a strong followup to his beautiful debut, A Single Man. Michael Shannon managed to score a Best Supporting Actor nom, but I truly feel Jake Gyllenhaal was snubbed for a Lead Actor nom. His performance, and the film in general really, walked a fine line between stylization and gritty, violent realism. And the ending of the film is so understated, but still manages to deliver a kick in the gut. Don’t let the lack of Academy love keep you from giving this movie a chance, because it really was under-appreciated this year.

My personal choices:

Best Picture: Arrival or Moonlight

Best Director: Damien Chazelle for La La Land

Best Actor: Viggo Mortensen for Captain Fantastic

Best Actress: Emma Stone for La La Land

Best Supporting Actor: Mahershala Ali for Moonlight

Best Supporting Actress: Viola Davis for Fences

[ralafferty]

80.6 Archipelago

What is there to say then about Kasmir “Casey” Szymansky? Where does one start? With Finnegan, you’d note that he’s a schizo, or a teras, or a gargoyle. With Duffey, that he’s a magus. Or with Teresa, that she’s a witch. Casey doesn’t have any one epithet that makes sense of who he is, or who he’s supposed to be in the context of the Argo. It might be that no sense can be made of him. And yet, he is central and vital, and apart from Finnegan receives more of Lafferty’s attention across the Argo cycle than any others of the Dirty Five.

Let’s try this: Casey is, above all else, an anomaly. Alone among the Five, he is given but a single prior life: “Kasmir Gorshok, a ninth-century scholar and necromancer.” Once again we must curse the dispersal of Lafferty’s library, which might have provided a clue into exactly what he in mind here. “Gorshok” or “Горшок” is Russian, and simply means “pot” or “potty”; so it’s a literal translation of “Casey the Crock.” But Russian as such didn’t exist in the 9th-century; it was all Old East Slavic in speech and High Church Slavonic in writing—when they got around to actually writing things down half a century later, as Kievan Rus became the prominent power in the region. Not that this Kasmir couldn’t have been a scholar of Latin or Greek or Old Norse or all of the above—as a necromancer, he’d pretty much have to be all of the above—but it does make for a damnably difficult reference search, if it’s even a reference to begin with and not just another of Lafferty’s fabrications.

For Casey’s Argo role, we’re seemingly on firmer ground: he is Peleus, a figure at the heart of Greek mythology. Peleus palled around with Heracles, which is not commonly a way to experience your best life; and he did, in fact, accidentally kill first a half-brother and then his father-in-law, before a complicated series of events led to his first wife hanging herself in a rage. His second wedding, meanwhile, kicked off the Trojan War, thanks to Eris and the apples of discord. Only one of Peleus’ seven children would survive, but that one was a doozy: Achilles. Peleus is a minor figure with respect to the Argonauts, however, so the mythological parallels remain unclear, if a bit overwhelming.

Another possibility remains, though: that Casey is not Peleus, but instead Pelias—Jason’s uncle, and the proximate cause of the quest for the Golden Fleece. Lafferty would be far from the first to conjoin the two: in fact, the first of the anonymous “Vatican Mythographers,” whose mythological reference work dates back to sometime between the 9th and 11th centuries, lists both spellings as possible for the king who, rather than publicly murder his nephew, dispatched him on an impossible quest. As Pelias, Casey would be much nearer the center of the story: he would be the cause not only of the Fleece quest in general but also of the building of the Argo in particular: a ship (as legend has it) on a scale previously unknown to a society of small trading communities who kitted boats out for voyages between nearby islands. Or, put another way: Casey poses an impossible challenge, a challenge designed to kill those undertaking it, and the Argo—as ever, for Lafferty, the Church in and out of history—is the only vessel through which that challenge may be met. Thus the building and maintenance of that ship becomes synonymous with the challenge, even becomes the challenge itself; all other labors related to the Fleece and its acquisition are footnotes to this supreme endeavor.

Was Lafferty aware of the Pelias/Peleus mixup? Without his books or notes, the question is impossible to answer definitively, but I would wager he was, for two reasons. First, it’s consistent with everything we know of Lafferty’s tendencies to torture words along etymological lines. And second, it allows him to treat Casey as both dispatcher of the Argonauts, and a minor member of their company. Both in terms of character and narrative function, this amalgamated Peleus/Pelias thus approaches Judas—and Lafferty, in multiple places (most directly the as-yet-unpublished “Poor Man’s Guide to Hell”) entertains the notion that hell may in fact be empty, and hence even Judas be redeemed once his role in the redemptive drama is complete. Can the same be said of Casey, or is he (as the chapter heading has it) lost?

As if that weren’t enough, though—and when is it ever for Raphael Aloysius?—Lafferty pulls another figure into the Casey complex, noting that “Casey sowed a field with dragons’ teeth. It was ordained from the beginning that one of the company must do this. It was one of the Heroic Labors, the least understood of them.” It’s not really well understood within mythology either, not least because Jason is being asked to recreate a previous heroic labor, the original sowing of dragons’ teeth by Cadmus, the founder of Thebes credited with inventing both alphabet and agriculture. Any number of theorists, from Freud to Lévi-Strauss to McLuhan, have taken up these connections in the Cadmus myth; few, however, give much thought to why Jason must repeat that ancestral task. I’d be very interested to hear anybody’s take on that, generally or in Lafferty’s context; all I can figure is it’s possible his statement refers to himself as much as anyone else: he doesn’t quite understand why this happens. The immediate context is Casey’s rundown of the other Dirty Five, showing each in their worst light; if these doubts are the results of the teeth he’s sown, they are far more effective an opposition than any armed men could be. But at the very least, Lafferty is careful to give this ineffable task not to Iason-Finnegan (who after all has a reason, one with a name even, for the things he does), but rather to Peleus-Casey, the anomalous Argonaut.

Indeed, all that we are shown of Casey shows an individual continually searching to understand something of himself, as well as the world around him and his fit within it. This gives Lafferty the chance to experiment with two elaborate lists, one of the various “hidden” or “dream” worlds that Casey mentally inhabits; another of the many things Casey learns at his boarding school—or, at least, the first 39 of those things. Lafferty forgoes listing the 251 books Casey read, which is a shame, as it might help us in mapping out the author’s own reading habits at a similar age. Still, through these lists Lafferty presents introspection in a way unusual for him; more commonly the reader follows his characters into their own minds and out again, where here we are kept at a distance. (All this will come back into focus when, some time from now, we reach “The Casey Machine.”) And yet even this barrage of information does not suffice: “[T]here was more to Casey than this. There are things that cannot be communicated and yet call out their presence. If there had been no more to Casey than this, Finnegan wouldn’t have bothered with him, and neither would the rest of them.” So who would we be to throw him overboard?

Before moving on from an entry that has taken far too long to pull together between research and real-life interludes, a couple strange encounters: this chapter mentions both a meeting in dream with “a most odd traveler,” whom Casey speaks to in Phoenician—perhaps the figure in Phoenic’?—and a meeting in real life with Audifax O’Hanlon, who draws a masthead for a predecessor of Casey’s Crock. Lafferty will in time adopt the AO’H moniker as his own pen name, in flash fiction for the Oklahoma Science Fiction Writers’ Group newsletter—but that, along with the future twists in Casey’s tale, is a matter for another day.

[todaysbiggesthits]

Odds, Ends

From the Bin Bin

I gave my thoughts on Metacritics top 10 2018 albums in lieu of my top albums of 2018. I can't, in good faith, submit a list knowing full well I didn't listen to anything new other than Pusha T…. However, I've been doing this too damn long to just not submit anything.

1. Noname - Room 25 Will I Ever Listen to This?: Yes Have I Ever Heard of this Album or Band?: No Shittier: Album Name or Artist Name?: Artist Notes: After a quick google search I could end up regretting poo pooing this album… So I'm not.

2. Rolo Tomassi - Time Will Die and Love Will Bury It Will I Ever Listen to This?: No Have I Ever Heard of this Album or Band?: No Shittier: Album Name or Artist Name?: Album Notes: "Time will die and love will bury it"… I don't have time for that bullshit. Imagine all the effort it takes to put together a great album and calling it that?

3. Architects - Holy Hell Will I Ever Listen to This?: Yes Have I Ever Heard of this Album or Band?: No Shittier: Album Name or Artist Name?: I like both! Notes: As far as judging a book by its cover - this would do well. "Holy Hell" feels like a great album name.

4. Robyn - Honey Will I Ever Listen to This?: Yes Have I Ever Heard of this Album or Band?: Yes Shittier: Album Name or Artist Name?: Album Notes: God, I love Robyn. I will listen to this. Tough break for her too - If I listened to new music this would almost certainly by my #1 album of the year. Sure she's devastated.

5. Yves Tumor - Safe in the Hands of Love Will I Ever Listen to This?: No Have I Ever Heard of this Album or Band?: No Shittier: Album Name or Artist Name?: BOTH Notes: Someone named Yves saying "safe in the hands of love." No thanks.

6. Kacey Musgraves - Golden Hour Will I Ever Listen to This?: Yes Have I Ever Heard of this Album or Band?: Yes Shittier: Album Name or Artist Name?: Album Notes: I know some TBH'ers were high on this album and artist. Will definitely be giving this a shot. Kacey Musgraves sounds like a SEC sideline reporter for CBS Sports.

7. Christine and the Queens - Chris Will I Ever Listen to This?: Maybe Have I Ever Heard of this Album or Band?: No Shittier: Album Name or Artist Name?: NEITHER Notes: I'm digging this band name. I need a man who identifies as a woman (Christine/Chris) fronting a group of gay guys (queens). I'm out if its anything but that.

8. Rival Consoles - Persona Will I Ever Listen to This?: No Have I Ever Heard of this Album or Band?: No Shittier: Album Name or Artist Name?: Album Notes: I can't figure out if I baselessly hate this band. I'm leaning towards no - but it could change.

9. Jeff Rosenstock - POST Will I Ever Listen to This?: No Have I Ever Heard of this Album or Band?: No Shittier: Album Name or Artist Name?: Artist Notes: Jeff Rosenstock is the Northwestern Mutual guy who always calls you to grab coffee. Still, I might actually give this a spin. It sounds so boring I may be able to add it to my work playlist.

10. IDLES - Joy as an Act of Resistance Will I Ever Listen to This?: No Have I Ever Heard of this Album or Band?: No Shittier: Album Name or Artist Name?: Album Notes: Can you imagine if this was an all-time good album and TBH had to refer to it as "JAAAOR"?

The Leftovers

Bronco’s 16-20 of ‘18:

16. All Them Witches - ATW 17. Satan’s Basement - Appeal to Your Denial 18. Pig Destroyer - Head Cage 19. IDLES - Joy as an Act of Resistance 20. Slave to Sirens - Terminal Leeches

BC’s 16-17 of ‘18:

16. BRONCHO - Bad Behavior 17. Hovvdy - Cranberry

Chap’s 16-27 of ‘18

16. Mitski - Be the Cowboy 17. Kurt Vile - Bottle It In 18. Marianne Faithful - Negative Capability 19. Jeff Tweedy - WARM 20. Nap Eyes - I’m Bad Now 21. Adrianne Lenker - abysskiss 22. Robyn - Honey 23. Young Fathers - Cocoa Sugar 24. Anna Calvi - Hunter 25. Beach House - 7 26. Iceage - Beyondless 27. Pinegrove - Skylight

Code’s 16-31 of ‘18

16. High Sunn - Missed Connections 17. Parquet Courts - Wide Awake! 18. Mount Eerie - Now Only 19. illuminati hotties - Kiss Yr Frenemies 20. Remember Sports - Slow Buzz 21. Human People - Butterflies Drink Turtle Tears 22. Teenage Wrist - Chrome Neon Jesus 23. Kanye West - ye 24. EMA - Outtakes from Exile 25. awakebutstillinbed - what people call low self-esteem is really just seeing yourself the way that others people see you 26. Beach House - 7 27. George Clanton - Slide 28. The Breeders - All Nerve 29. Iceage - Beyondless 30. Pllush - Stranger to the Rain 31. Nice Try - Nice Try

JD’s 16-32 of ‘18

16. The Field - Infinite Moment 17. Jon Hopkins - Singularity 18. Vince Staples - FM! 19. Panda Bear - A Day with the Homies EP 20. DJ Koze - Knock Knock 21. Robyn - Honey 22. Teyana Taylor - K.T.S.E. 23. (tie) Jonny Greenwood - Phantom Thread Soundtrack / Thom Yorke - Suspiria Soundtrack 25. Thee Oh Sees - Smote Reverser 26. Spiritualized - And Nothing Hurt 27. J Mascis - Elastic Days 28. Turnstile - Time & Space 29. Yves Tumor - Safe In the Hands of Love 30. Iceage - Beyondless 31. Young Fathers - Cocoa Sugar 32. Wye Oak - The Louder I Call, the Faster It Runs

New to Code in 2018

Colleen Green - Casey's Tape/Harmontown Loops Chromatics - Camera Attic Abasement - Dancing is Depressing Gleemer - Anymore Space Mountain - Supermundane Wipers - Youth of America | Is This Real? Siouxsier and the Banshees - Juju Mission of Burma - Signals, Calls and Marches Minor Threat - Out of Step | First Two Seven Inches | First Demo Tape Lou Reed - Lou Reed In Session

Bronco: Into the Broncoverse

Alright 2018, here goes nothing.  It was a slow start to the year for my metal tastes.  Not until the stoner high holiday of April 20th did some of my most anticipated stuff started to roll in.  Sleep dropped their first album in a few decades, and it was a doozy.  In the interim, however, I found myself searching through tons of material, looking for anything that'd get my ears off.  As a result, I listened to roughly 3000 tracks, and my end of year bestuv list had to be chopped from 50 albums down to 15.  This year's list was a hot pain in the ass because, while going through all that music, I found a lot of different sounds that I enjoyed throughout the year.  This may be the most diverse list I have compiled in the past couple years.  There's whatever you want to call High On Fire (high octane thrash sludge?), stoner metal, technical death metal, grunge, blackened grunge, hardcore, french hardcore, hardcore noise, avant-garde black slave chant metal, heavy negative wizard metal, doom, punk, hardcore punk, soccer hooligan-ish punk, experimental noise, industrial, and an all female Lebanese thrash metal band.  If it rocked heavily, I listened to it.  And my list, as a result, was nearly impossible to actually assemble.  My top albums were no brainers.  It also being the year of Matt Pike, both of his projects are at the top of my lists.  The man's ability to put a few power chords together in as many different arrangements as he has, then fill it all in with sick solos, is extra human.  As one guy's EOY review of Electric Messiah put it, it "would have to be a pop country album for me to not put it in a top 10, and even then, I would be making excuses for it...Play it loud enough and it will generate a second Big Bang formed completely out of circle pits.  I can't ask for more than that."  So for as slow as the year started, I feel like I found a lot of cool sounds out there.  Hopefully I can parlay all that in to more shows as these acts potentially roll through my fair city.  So here's to a great year for Bronco, hope you all had the same, and here's to a Trump-less and Tool-ful 2019.

[trumptweettuesdays-blog]

TTT 8.7.18 This week’s themes are Russia Collusion, Immigration, Trade, LeBron and African-American Communities, Campaigning, Environment, North Korea, Food Stamps, Plastic Guns, Propaganda, and Presidential Notes

Russia Collusion

Trump is throwing darts at the board trying to figure out which of his angles on the Russia collusion investigation will stick.  At points he says Hillary Clinton was the one that colluded and that the dossier was fake, when neither of these statements are correct.  Clinton did not meet with Russia officials for information on Trump and the dossier was not fake, the material in it was credited by independent sources.  Trump then said FBI official Strzok was against Trump’s election even though the investigation found no evidence that Strzok took any illegal or biased action against Trump.  Another angle is that Trump is now claiming that his son’s meeting with Russian officials was a “totally legal” meeting to get information on an opponent when for months Trump claimed it was a meeting to discuss adoption of Russian children. It is also highly unclear how legal that meeting was.  Finally, Trump is now saying “collusion is not a crime,” which is a complete turnaround from his long standing defense that there was no collusion.  It appears that Trump is trying anything and everything to convince his base that this investigation is a “witch hunt.”

https://www.cnn.com/2018/07/31/politics/donald-trump-collusion-defense-tweet/index.html

https://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/article/2018/aug/07/was-trump-tower-meeting-russian-lawyer-totally-leg/

Immigration

Trump is continuing is racist, nationalist tirade on immigration.  He is claiming that Mexico’s murder rate increased so that must mean that murder would increase in the United States, which is clearly a false equivalent.  But Trump is using the murder rate to support his argument that he should shut down the government if the Democrats don’t fund his money to build a wall at the border with Mexico.  A wall that Trump promised would be paid for by Mexico.  Limbaugh supports Trump’s stance on shutting down the government.

As reported in last week’s TTT, Trump met with the Italian Prime Minister, which he used as an opportunity to promote his nativist, anti-immigration agenda.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-cites-murder-rate-in-mexico-as-he-threatens-shutdown-over-border-wall-funding/2018/07/31/e9d22e08-94b1-11e8-80e1-00e80e1fdf43_story.html?utm_term=.4675de8ac108

Trade

Trump is sticking to his trade war, which is leading to the U.S. raising tariffs and other countries, such as China, are also doing so in retaliation.  The idea is that there will be pressure for U.S. companies to buy local goods, instead of those coming from abroad, but this strategy often leads to a rise in costs that then results in a rise in the cost of goods so that consumers are then paying more money.  A trade war is also not good for international relations.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-43512098

LeBron & African American Communities 

Trump met with several Black pastors to discuss prison reform and one of them, Pastor Darrell Scott, said Trump was a wonderful president for African Americans.  Only 13 percent of Blacks approve of Trump.  In response, many have criticized the Black pastors at this event as power hungry and not really motivated to help Black communities.  Trump says that he is supportive of Black communities, often citing the low Black unemployment rate, but this drop in unemployment began during Obama’s presidency, and Trump has not made any policies to further support Black employment rates.  In actuality, Trump has vocally not supported Black communities by attacking NFL players and by supporting White nationalists in Charlottesville.

Trump also attacked LeBron James (Trump misspelled his name in his Tweet) after James was interviewed by Don Lemon in relationship to his James’ new school, “I Promise School.” The school is intended to help students who live in economically poor neighborhoods that provide few resources.  During the interview James said Trump used sports to divide communities, referring to Trump’s persistent Tweets attacking NFL players who take a knee or stay in the locker room to protest police brutality and other violence against Black communities.  Trump responded by saying Lemon managed to make James “look smart.”  Melania Trump then publicly supported LeBron James, noting his praiseworthy efforts to help children.

https://www.npr.org/2018/08/05/635748598/black-pastors-and-trump

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-lebron-james-don-lemon-cnn-twitter-insults-tonight-2018-08-03/

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/early-lead/wp/2018/08/04/trump-insults-lebron-jamess-intelligence-in-an-echo-of-shut-up-and-dribble/?utm_term=.0068c8f9fb49

Campaigning

Trump is heavy on the campaign trail, putting his effort behind candidates that support his MAGA agenda.

John James, an African American veteran of the Iraq war, won the Republican nomination for a senate seat.  Trump called James’ Democratic opponent, Stabenow, weak on crime and borders.

https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/politics/elections/2018/08/06/donald-trump-robocall-schuette-john-james/913914002/

Trump endorsed Kris Kobach for Governor of Kansas.  Kobach actively supported and helped lead Trump’s attack on “voter fraud” and many believe he has connections to White nationalist organizations.  Trump has supported Kobach as a “true conservative” over another Republican, Jeff Colyer.

https://www.npr.org/2018/08/06/635850525/kobachs-polarizing-views-may-not-hurt-his-chances-of-becoming-governor-of-kansas

There is a special election in Ohio for a senate seat and many believe the results will be a bellwether for what will happen in the November elections.  Trump is heavily backing Troy Balderson, a heavy conservative who supports Trump.

https://www.politico.com/story/2018/08/07/trump-endorses-troy-balderson-ohio-special-election-765536

Trump went to Tennessee to support Marsha Blackburn for senator; it’s key that Blackburn win this seat for Republicans if they are to have a Republican majority in the Senate.  There hasn’t been a Democratic senator in Ohio since the 1990s.

https://www.cnbc.com/2018/05/29/trump-holds-rally-for-tennessee-senate-candidate-marsha-blackburn.html

Diane Black of Tennessee strongly aligned herself with Trump as she sought to win the governor primary. Trump decided to not back Black, perhaps due to her declining numbers.  Trump then Tweeted out his congratulations to Republican Bill Lee who won the primary.

https://www.tennessean.com/story/news/politics/tn-elections/2018/08/03/tn-governors-race-president-donald-trump-endorses-bill-lee-republican-nominee-tennessee-governor/897469002/

Lou Barletta is running for a Senate seat in Pennsylvania, where Trump travelled to show his support for Barletta. Barletta who was relatively unknown in comparison to his opponent Bob Casey, is now seeing an increase in support since winning Trump’s endorsement.  Part of what Trump likely supports about Barletta is his heavily anti-immigrant rhetoric.

http://www.mcall.com/news/nationworld/pennsylvania/mc-nws-pa-trump-barletta-casey-senate-20180731-story.html

John Barrasso is running for the Senate in Wyoming.  Barrasso has promotes his policy approach that aims to revoke Obama era policies.

https://www.wyomingnews.com/news/local_news/sen-barrasso-widens-money-lead-with-out-of-state-donors/article_e246758e-9d28-11e8-8af2-1b2f106d7ec7.html

David Kustoff is running for a House seat in Tennessee.  He has been criticized for being liberal on abortion rights but has aligned himself with Trump, which is perhaps what helped him win the Republican nomination.

https://www.commercialappeal.com/story/news/2018/08/02/kustoff-rides-trump-support-contest-flinn/863176002/

Trump went to Florida to support Ron DeSantis for governor, who has been very pro-Trump. One of DeSantis’ commercials features his child building a border wall out of building blocks and his other child wearing a MAGA onesie.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-rallies-florida-supporters-for-ron-desantis-as-governor/

Environment

Trump is taking advantage of wildfires in California to promote his anti-environment protection agenda.  Since taking office Trump has lowered environmental protection policies and promoted corporate interests over the environment.  Recently, Trump Tweeted that water efforts are hurting the fight against wildfires, which is factually wrong.  California has enough water to fight wildfires, and much of the fight against fires is on the ground where workers pull away brush.

https://www.npr.org/2018/08/09/637181464/trump-claims-california-is-wasting-water-that-could-be-used-to-fight-wildfires

North Korea

North Korea returned the bodies of U.S. soldiers who died during the Korean War.  This move is seen as part of North Korea’s effort to prove a positive relationship with the U.S. and keep their promise to denuclearize.

https://www.cnn.com/2018/07/26/asia/north-korea-us-troop-remain-intl/index.html

Food Stamps

The House version of the Farm Bill has a 20 hour per week work requirement to be eligible for food stamps.  It’s likely that the Senate will not support this version.  If instituted, it’s estimated around one million people would no longer receive help to buy the food they need.

http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/400134-trump-calls-for-food-stamp-work-requirements-in-farm-bill

Plastic Guns

The Trump administration is supporting the availability of downloadable instructions to build a plastic gun with a 3-D printer.  States are trying to institute laws to block the availability of these forms, noting they are a threat to national security.  Many are upset that Trump is consulting the NRA about this issue.

http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/399633-trump-public-access-to-3d-printed-guns-doesnt-seem-to-make-much-sense

Propaganda

Most of the propaganda Tweets this week center on high economic ratings and low unemployment. We have repeatedly reported on Trump’s touting of his economic ratings, noting that much of this incline began during Obama’s presidency and it is far from clear how much of this growth will be sustainable.

Trump’s other propaganda Tweets centered on attacking the “fake news” and promoting Fox News as the only reliable source.  Fox News has proven itself as loyal to the MAGA agenda.  Ivanka, Trump’s daughter, was asked if the media was the enemy of the people to which she responded no.  This statement seems to contract her father’s stance so Trump Tweeted that Ivanka thinks only that the fake news is the enemy.

https://www.cnn.com/2018/07/27/politics/trump-economy/index.html

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-says-only-the-fake-news-are-the-enemy-of-the-people/

Presidential Notes

The Coast Guard celebrates its birthday on August 4th marking the day Congress authorized the creation of 10 vessels.

https://www.military.com/coast-guard-birthday

Trump has occasionally Tweeted support for NASA, most recently he noted a “Space Force” which would act as an additional branch of the military. A Space Force cannot be created without Congressional approval.  Some say the Air Force already regulates what the Space Force would do.

https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-space-force-is-dumb-says-nasa-astronaut-2018-6

UFC President Dana White and UFC fighter Colby Covington visited the White House, took promotional photos, and thanked Trump for putting “America first.”

https://www.mmafighting.com/2018/8/2/17644592/colby-covington-dana-white-visit-president-donald-trump-at-white-house

Wilkie was signed in as the new leader of the Veterans Affairs office, which was reported on in last week’s TTT.

[ledenews]

Sky the Limit for Union Local Jets

The question of whether the Union Local girls could answer the bell against a similarly talented team in a big game was answered Saturday with an emphatic yes. Beating previously unbeaten Indian Creek by 19 points (64-45) on a neutral floor tends to put things in perspective. Any thoughts of an emotional letdown were quelled Monday with a 79-49 win against John Marshall. It's a team with no seniors and only one starter who will be legally able to drive a car by school year's end. So while many might believe Saturday's first half was the first time this team had been in a close fight, that wasn't quite the case. “The first time we played Ferry, we were down one midway through the third and against Shadyside, it was a three or four point game at halftime,” recalled Union Local head coach Ron Barr. “Our first game against Monroe Central, we had four brand new starters on the floor and they were scared to death. We were down 13 in the first half but cut it to five at halftime and ended up winning by 15.” None of the aforementioned teams are slouches and all will be playing in the OVAC tourney next week in their respective classification.

Union Local Last Unbeaten Team

The team fought through its early maturation process and stands alone, the last unbeaten team in the conference with a 19-0 mark. This team is built to win, and win big, averaging more than 70 points per game. It's a rare combination of size and speed that allows the Jets to play fast on both ends of the floor. The “smallest” player in the starting five is also its oldest in junior point guard Casey Kildow (5-6). On the wings she's joined by her sister, freshman Torre Kildow (5-11) and sophomore Hannah Merritt (5-8). Underneath stands the team's tallest player along with its most physical in 6-1 frosh Reagan Vinskovich and 5-7 sophomore Keira Gregor, respectively. Speed and tempo are their game.

Union Local won the Buckeye 8 title with a 64-45 win against previously unbeaten Indian Creek. The players, coaches and support staff pose with the championship trophy, perhaps the first of a lot of hardware to be won this season. “We go into every game, hoping we never have to run a play. It's kind of our moniker,” Barr said of his team's offensive philosophy. “That's the way I like to coach and it's the way they like to play. “Offensively, we like when other teams press. It puts us into fast break mode and that's to our advantage.” That's not to say Union Local can't play in the half-court offense. Merritt and the Kildow sisters all can pop from the perimeter, and Torre connects at a near 50-percent clip from behind the arc. They can also penetrate and attack the basket, or dump it off to the bigs underneath. Rinskovich averages a double-double per game with around 12 points and 12 boards per. But it's a balanced scoring effort to be sure. Torre Kildow (16.5), Merritt (11.0) and Casey Kildow (10.5) all average in double figures with Gregor (6.8) not far off the pace.

Teamwork, Understanding

The girls understand their roles and have flourished in them. “The lack of selfishness and finding their role has developed over the course of the season,” noted assistant coach Nikki Gregor. “Not everyone is going to be the leading scorer, but the important thing is to know your role and execute and if we can do that, winning is inevitable. “The win belongs to all of them. They each play a part.” Defensively, they are a nightmare as well. Multiple six or near-six footers creates issues when attacked the basket, moreso when long-legged and long-armed defenders can move and adjust quickly, covering ground in a hurry and allowing their teammates to take chances to force turnovers. “The fact we can switch among defenses so easily gives us an edge,” Gregor said. An uptempo offense that can excel in the half-court when necessary coupled with a diverse and conditioned defense is a tough match-up. That begs another question though.

Union Local's starting five of Casey Kildow (2), Keira Gregor (40), Hannah Merritt (30), Reagan Vinskovich (42), Torre Kildow (22) and sixth-man Baylee Rex (21) have their team playing at a torrid pace and sitting with a spotless 19-0 record as the postseason approaches.

How good can this team be?

Union Local has featured some quality athletes this century and captured a few OVAC titles. But you have to go back 20 years to the 2000-01 team coached by Rick Jones to find one as dominant, or even a few years further back to 1997-98 to find another that had a similar hot start to the season. Gregor knows this more than most. Back when she still used her maiden name Kemp, she was a senior on the 97-98 squad, also coached by Jones that started the year 15-0 before back to back losses to Bellaire and Indian Creek spoiled the perfection. They finished 19-3, with the final loss coming against Fort Frye in a sectional. The Cadets later lost to Bellaire in the district semifinals. That was a senior-laden team led by junior Erin Mason, Gregor, Jamie (Carruthers) Vinskovich, Dawn Renzler and Courtney (Feaster) Howard. Fellow juniors Angie Ault and Jess Chillinsky were part of a starting lineup that mixed-and-matched between six girls. A few years later, Gregor's younger sister Heidi Kemp was part of a group of seven seniors, also led by a junior in multi-sport all-Ohio athlete Jenny Campbell, that took things a step further.

Depth

Depth was one of that year's team's aces in the hole. While the starting five usually consisted of Campbell, Jenny Chillinsky, Amy Scarnecchia, Casey Stenger and Amanda Mercer, Kemp and Miranda Thompson both drew starting nods depending on matchups. The 2000-01 Jets were battle tested come the post season, having faced the likes of Bellaire's Kacie Vavrek, Martins Ferry's Lindsay Coyne, St. Clairsville's Piccolini sisters, Bethany and Lindsey and even the Fort Frye duo Krista Ferguson and Cincinnati signee Leslie Knoch, though Knoch missed the regular-season showdown won by the Jets. “Their guard size was comparable to ours,” Barr said of his team and the 00-01 version. “But they were more seasoned. And that year, it seemed like every team had two or three really good players. Every game was a dog fight.” Union Local advanced through the sectional round and came within five points of winning a district title. But once again, the postseason nemesis of Fort Frye, this time at full strength, was victorious, 65-61. The Cadets fell in the regional but were voted No. 3 in the final Division III AP Poll. Union Local was close behind at seven.

The 1997-98 team was the last one to start the season 15-0 prior to this year's teams current 19-0 mark. Front Row: manager Tyler Feaster, Jess Parker, Emily Tacosik, Dawn Renzler, Angie Ault, Erin Mason and Courtney Feaster. Back Row: Coach Jackson, Nikki Kemp, Jess Chillinsky, Casey Stenger, Jamie Carruthers, Erin Patterson, Jenny Chillinsky and Coach Rick Jones. Kemp (Keira Gregor), Carruthers (Reagan Vinskovich) and Patterson (Alliegh Cheatham) all have daughters on this season's team, while Tacosik is the cousin of Casey and Torre Kildow.

How do they match up?

There are a number of similarities when comparing the three teams. Each team boasts lights-out shooters, capable of attacking the basket or pulling up from the perimeter. All three hammered teams with transition offenses and showed equal tenacity and tempo defensively. But when comparing present-day to 97-98, Gregor believes her daughter's team has the advantage in the post. “Jamie and Jess were our two 'bigs' and I played there as well, but Keira and Reagan have a huge advantage over the three of us in the paint,” Gregor admitted. Vinskovich would tower over the 2000-01 team as well, as Stenger and Scarnecchia were the only true posts on the team and neither were near 6-1 in stature. But what they lacked in height they made up for in physicality. Where the 2000-01 Jets may have the advantage is both in depth and conditioning. “We had a rotation of seven girls that started or came off the bench and we didn't really skip a bit no matter who was in,” Kemp recalled. “We not only ran a track-meet style offense, but we pressed A LOT. Having fresh legs running in and out made it doable.”

Turning to now

The OVAC Championship Tourney is approaching and soon after, the OHSAA tournament will begin. Goals have been set and some have been achieved already. Others are further down the road. Eventually, the Jets will run into a veteran team that has the conditioning and talent to keep up with them for four quarters. None have yet, but it's bound to happen. That's when the true test begins. Barr noted that most of these girls have been playing together since they entered third grade. They may be relatively new to varsity basketball, but they are quite familiar with one another. That trust in their teammates shows. “This team has incredible chemistry. They've played a lot of basketball together so you don't even realize how young they really are,” Kemp said. “The sky is the limit for this group and I can't wait to see how high they fly.” Related: The Best of Bishop Donahue Hoops Postseason Again for CCHS Read the full article