#sonaiya

[kbirbpods]

[Podfic Link] | Length: 2 minutes, 8 seconds

Original Work: Two Plans by Sonaiya

Batfam: Talia Al Ghul, Jason Todd, Tim Drake | Rating: Teen & Up

Summary: 

Talia meant for Jason to realize that Tim had no business being Robin, that he needed to be removed from the position. Jason watched the videos over and over.

Notes: this was not much of a surprise treat for @flowerparrish, as we'd actually very much realized we'd asked for permission on the same fic, and plotted to treat it to one another for ITPE no matter who we had!!!!

so you can find zir version here: [Podfic] Two Plans by Flowerparrish Pods (Flowerparrish)

[skyloftian-nutcase]

Prompt: I've had the idea of a Wizzrobe turning one of the Chain into a Shadow in my head for a while, but haven't figured out what to do with it. Four, of course, would have to be the one to figure out what had happened after the person in question passes out in the middle of a bright field, given his association with Shadow.

Feel free to take it and run, or chunk it in the bin if it's not your thing.

I really wanted to do something with this idea, but I know so little about shadows aside from the Twili. 😩 I’m putting this here so someone can take the idea and run with it. ❤️

[flowerparrish]

[Podfic] Two Plans | fic by Sonaiya

DC: Jason Todd & Tim Drake | Rated: T | Length: 2 mns

Talia meant for Jason to realize that Tim had no business being Robin, that he needed to be removed from the position. Jason watched the videos over and over.

Podded as a gift for @kbirbpods for ITPE!

[arecaceae175]

Authenticity Ch. 21: Soup

For the request @sonaiyas had a LONG time ago! I hope you enjoy!

Summary: Wild has a rough day with sensory symmetry and food texture. Time helps with both.

Warnings: issues with food texture, choosing to be hungry, issues with sensory symmetry

After a long day of clearing monsters from the area, the chain was finally heading back to the inn. Wild was looking through his inventory and frowning in frustration. His food stores were running extremely low. They had been in Hyrule’s world for a few weeks, then they were dropped in the middle of the ocean in Wind’s. Wild had a lot of food, but feeding nine people for three weeks with very little replenishing used up almost everything.

Wild took stock of his body and his mind, and sighed. He didn’t have the energy to go foraging, and he definitely didn’t have the energy to go into the town and buy food. The thought of interacting with other people tonight made him want to cry. 

We need to find food supplies tomorrow, Wild rehearsed in his head as he waited for an opening to speak. The group was chatting amicably, so Wild waited until the conversation stopped before he spoke up.

“We need to find food supplies tomorrow,” Wild said. 

“I could use some potion stuff, too,” Hyrule added. 

Time nodded, then looked at Legend. “Will we be able to restock in town?”

“Yeah, this place is pretty good. We’ll be able to find everything,” Legend said. He paused, then smiled and looked up at Wild.

“Champion, do you think you could take a break from cooking for one night?” Legend asked. 

Wild frowned, and he felt frustration bubble in his chest. He didn’t have enough supplies, anyway, so he would have to sacrifice his routine for one night. Wild allowed himself a moment to take some deep breaths before responding. He also pulled out the cube Four made him and twisted it in his hand.

“I’ll have to, I’m all out,” Wild said, shaking the slate lightly before hooking it back on his belt. 

Legend’s smile grew. He winked at Wild then shifted to face the rest of the group. “There’s a place close by that sells the greatest soup in all of existence,” Legend said. 

Wild’s eyebrows scrunched in confusion. Surely that wasn’t sarcasm, meaning Legend didn’t actually like the food. Perhaps he meant he was exaggerating. That made more sense. Legend wouldn’t be able to eat all soups in existence, so he couldn’t know that fact for sure.

“I don’t know about that,” Twilight said, crossing his arms. “I’ve had some pretty good soup in my day.”

“My Grandma’s soup is the best!” Wind said, pumping his fists in the air.

“Nope, nothing beats pumpkin soup back in Skyloft,” Sky said.

“No, no, trust me. This soup will change your life,” Legend said, gesturing wildly. Sky was already shaking his head.

Wind jumped to his feet. “How about a friendly wager?” Wind suggested, shaking his rupee pouch.

“I could use some rupees,” Legend said as he crossed his arms.

“If your soup is better than my grandma’s, or if Sky thinks it's better than Skyloft’s, or Twi thinks it’s better than his, you win. If we think it’s lame, we win,” Wind said. Legend dramatically rolled his eyes.

“There’s no way I’m agreeing to that. You’ll lie to win,” Legend said. 

The argument went on as they crossed from the dirt path into the town. The ground was made from cobblestone. Wild vaguely remembered Four saying how much he liked the artistry of the stone, but Wild couldn’t share his appreciation. 

The stones were all different sizes and orientations. It took all his concentration to find ones with similar enough shapes for him to step on so his feet would be even. Wild could still hear the voices of the other heroes, but it sounded more like background noise. He had to focus too much on his feet, so he couldn’t pay attention enough to understand the words.

Wild stepped on a stone that was pointier than expected and had to step to the side to find one to even out the sensations. He cringed, and shook his hands to get the feeling away.

“You alright?” 

Wild flinched. The voice was closer than he expected. He looked up and saw Time looking at him. The others were far ahead. Time followed his gaze then turned back to Wild.

“Don’t worry about it,” Time said. “They’re heading to get the soup while we get rooms at the inn. They’re going to bring it back and we’ll eat in our rooms.”

Wild let the words process through his mind. He appreciated Time’s explanation greatly, and he appreciated that he wouldn’t have to go to a public place to eat a new food. New foods were always scary, despite how much Wild loved food. He was tired from the battle and upset from the wrong feeling of the stones, so eating in a more private place would make the experience easier. 

Wild nodded and looked down at his feet. He was standing on two nearly identical stones, one foot on each. He looked around to find any stones that were similar shapes, but didn’t see any. A frustrated noise left him.

“You know, I’m pretty good at piggy back rides,” Time said. Wild glanced up at him. 

“You are?” Wild asked. 

Time nodded. “Do you want a ride to the inn? It isn’t far.”

Wild’s gaze fell back to the stones. He didn’t want to inconvenience Time, but he also really didn’t want to walk on the stones. It was stressful to try to find even ones. Plus, Wild figured, Time offered. He wouldn’t offer if he didn’t mean it.

“You don’t mind?” Wild asked softly, just to be sure. 

“Not at all,” Time said. He knelt down with his back to Wild. “Hop on.”

~ ~ ~ ▲ ~ ~ ~

“Your dinner has arrived!” Legend proclaimed as Hyrule threw open the door for him and bowed. He walked into the room proudly, while Wind and Four hummed a theme Wild thought was supposed to represent royalty. 

Wild giggled. Time rolled his eyes, but it was with a smile, so Wild knew it was the fond eye roll; Twilight told him it meant Time thought they were being funny.

Legend and Sky passed out the bowls of soup as they all pulled their spoons out of their bags. 

“They agreed to let us take it here as long as we bring back the bowls tomorrow,” Warriors explained as he sat on the floor with his bowl.

Sky handed Wild his bowl with a smile. Wild didn’t have the energy to return it, and his eyes were focused on the soup. The soup base was a light brown color. There was grated cheese on top and vegetable pieces floating in the soup, including onions. 

Wild felt nervousness tighten in his chest. He loved the taste of onions, but he could only eat them if he prepared them. He knew how to cook them perfectly; other people usually made them too crunchy or, worse, too slimy. These onions were slimy. Wild could always tell with one look.

Wild felt his stomach growl as he looked at the food. His hand hovered above the bowl, holding the spoon just above the soup.

“Wow! Lege, this is amazing!” Sky said. 

“See? I told you,” Legend said. 

“As good as Skyloft’s?” Warriors asked. 

“Hmm. I’ll get back to you,” Sky said as he ate another large spoonful of the soup.

Everyone else agreed that the soup was good. Everyone. Legend was smiling so much, too. Everyone was laughing and joking and chatting happily as they ate their soup. Wild didn’t want to ruin their good mood. 

He pushed his spoon around in the soup for the rest of the meal. Before the bowls were taken up to be cleaned, he covered his with a cloth. 

“I didn’t finish,” Wild said. 

“No worries. You can save it for later,” Legend said, then moved on to collect the other bowls. 

Wild didn’t want to save it for later. He didn’t want to eat the soup. He wanted to eat his own food, that he made, with his own ingredients. He didn’t want to break his routine, and he didn’t want to eat the slimy soup.

Wild’s stomach growled. He put the bowl down on the room’s table with more force than was probably necessary. He grabbed his toiletry bag and rushed out of the room to the communal bath. 

After his nighttime routine, Wild returned to the rooms. He heard laughter and talking still coming out of the first room, so he sighed and moved to the second room. He was tired, and hungry, and didn’t have the energy to interact after such a long day. 

Wild pushed open the door to the second room, and he paused. There was an apple sitting on the bedside table with a note below it. Wild glanced around the room, looking for anything amiss or any signs of bananas, but there was nothing. Hesitantly, Wild stepped into the room and walked to the note. 

Don’t go to sleep hungry

-Link

Wild felt a happy feeling loosen the pressure in his chest. He picked up the apple and bit into it. It was just the right amount of crunchy and deliciously juicy. Wild wiggle and made a little happy noise as he sat on the bed to finish the apple. 

Tomorrow, he will get more supplies and be able to resume his cooking routine. But for now, an apple would do.

[tirsynni]

❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

To obviously start, @zinder-fox lol

@fonulyn @leasspell-dael @paper-and-stardust @belgallia @sociallyawkwardfoxwriter @ginneke @sonaiyas @ghirahimbo @anosrepasi

i always mean it when i say i love you btw

[washingtonpost-us]

2019 Elections: Sonaiya Requests Thorough Investigation

2019 Elections: Sonaiya Requests Thorough Investigation

Prof. Remi Sonaiya, presidential candidate of KOWA Party in 2015, on Tuesday called for an investigation of roles played by different bodies, including the military, during the 2019 elections.

Sonaiya made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos while reacting to the March 9 Governorship and State Assembly polls.

According to her, people should be held accountable…

[monochromera]

MONO: A Monochromatic End of an Era

This article appeared in StarsWeek August 2022

Wearing a black shirt has been Bonne's signature style since his father died in 2019. He greeted me and escorted me to his recording studio in La Guardia Flats 2, where he recorded his last album under Earheads Records, Monochrome.

I noticed his condenser mic turned on. Could he be recording new materials under his new recording label, Dynamics Records?

He briefly answers, "No." "I'm taking things incredibly slow with Dynamics Records. I wanted something new, original, and unique this time." Bonne continues.

His transfer to Dynamics Records served as a homecoming as the new recording label is a joint venture of 3 major recording labels back in the day: Sonaiya Records, DYNA Records, and his very own BiTZ Records, which was partly owned by Earheads Records. Dynamics Records bought the majority shares of BiTZ from Earheads Records.

Bonne dived into the possibility of creating new and original beats for his upcoming project, that is why he is taking things slow.

Since Bonne's 5 year hiatus, Earheads Records has fully rushed in releasing his albums in a span of two years. His comeback album, The Theory of Everything was less appreciated, the follow-up PAUSE was a flop (which he considers his best work ever), and the underperformance of his newly released album Monochrome, despite the wide release.

Now, his last project for Earheads Records before he says goodbye is ReImagined: Live, a live album with a collection of his previous hits sung live during his promotional tour, ReImagined.

"It's fun to perform my old hits whenever I'm performing live. Prior to ReImagined, the setlist for my online concert Sessions was more on covers and performing the latest singles from my newer album releases. This time is different as I get to perform my earlier hits." Bonne explained as he lets me listen to a reimagined version of a hit from his fourth album, Latin Touch, during his Sonaiya Records days, Circles Round The Moon, which will be included in his upcoming live album.

Titled ReImagined: Live! will be his first LIVE album in his entire career. His final project under Earheads Records, the album will consist of 7 tracks, spawning hits from his previous albums and a recording of his LIVE performance of "Sweet", one of the newer singles from the album Monochrome.

SW: Were there instances where you doubted the label? Were there chances that things would've done better?

Bonne: I mean, they could've done better in keeping my records safe. The whole Spotlight album was lost in a data breach. None of the tracks were saved. The whole Christmas: Limelight album was also lost. With Limelight, the only tracks that were able to recover are the ones we released. Everything else went down the drain. It was like the effort was gone to waste.

In 2014, there was a data breach in Earheads Records' database. The files were deleted and the data storage that they partnered with already closed. Muziboo, 4Shared, PureVolume and Stereo9 were Earheads Records' partners in storing their database. All of the tracks and albums were gone since their shutdown and they were not able to recover the files.

"It was a good thing that my recording company BiTZ Records, stepped in during ESCAPE era and helped with the data storage. All of my albums since then are stored safely. I don't want that to happen to my future projects under Dynamics Records." Bonne continued.

Bonne recalls when Earheads Records made the boldest move in uploading his tracks on Spotify. For the first time ever, Bonne's music was heard on the biggest music streaming platform.

In 2016, Bonne's singles for his Phases album are available on Spotify. However, the effort to include the whole album was reduced to ashes as Spotify only accepted the released singles and a special edition of his greatest hits album.

Through this, his 2014 single, Closer, which was included in the special edition of The Best In Me on Spotify brought into a new life as it garnered thousands of streams, thanks to Douyin, China's TikTok.

SW: What are you looking forward to?

Bonne: I'm excited for what's ahead. I am happy with my journey with Earheads Records, there were ups and downs but it was a great ride. And I can't wait to see what's next.

Bonne's 17th album, Monochrome is available for streaming on Soundcloud and Audiomack. His first LIVE album and his final project under Earheads Records, ReImagined: Live! will be available on September 10.

*** END ***

[nbhd-daily]

L.A. pop band the Neighbourhood doesn't like to be pinned down.

"If you just looked up where we were from and you looked at what we looked like, it'd be very easy to assume a lot of things about us," said lead singer Jesse Rutherford over lunch in West Hollywood. "Some of those things might even be true. But I don't think we agree with a lot of the boxes that we've been put in."

Or a lack of them.

The genre-crossing rock outfit, signed to Sony's Columbia Records, has been accused of struggling to find an identity: Following the success of the moody rock of KROQ-FM staple "Sweater Weather," the act began to more aggressively experiment with digital textures and Rutherford in his own work has dabbled with R&B. But for the five members — who range in age from 24 to 27 and will appear at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival this weekend — trying on different identities is just a part of growing up.

"Like it or hate it, at least we're going for stuff and trying and being ambitious," said guitarist Zachary Abels.

"We are ever-changing," chimed in drummer Brandon Fried. "And we're growing up and figuring it out."

That dynamism was alluded to within the band's recent spate of releases: two five-song EPs followed by a self-titled third studio album with another EP, "Ever Changing," on the way. Combine the names of all four works, and one gets "Hard to Imagine the Neighbourhood Ever Changing."

"We wanted to build a sentence and then 'The Neighbourhood' landed on the album," Fried explained.

"We didn't once debate that this album should be self-titled," said bassist Michael Margott of the newest release. "This record is something that we felt really comfortable all being a part of together."

The recent works skew more experimental and electronic than the band's atmospheric pop of yore, though Rutherford's melodic, R&B-inflected vocals remain the same. "Hard," the first of the staggered releases, came out last September and was followed by "To Imagine" in January. "The Neighbourhood" was issued last month and combines some of the songs from the prior EPs with new additions.

"With how music is evolving in this day and age, with the internet and streaming platforms, everything moves so fast," Rutherford explained. "So we needed to figure out a way to sustain the next product that we put out for a while."

Nowadays, buzz doesn't last long for artists who release just 10 to 12 new tracks after being on hiatus for years, Rutherford said.

"In the first month people are excited about it, but then it fizzles out and nothing happens. And it's hurting people who do this for a living. So we just needed to figure out a way to ..."

"Stay relevant," interjected guitarist Jeremy Freedman. "Keep people's attention."

"And kind of adapt with the times," Rutherford finished.

"With trying to adapt, we also created an idea that would be our own," Margott said of the release strategy. "There are no bands that are doing [this] right now and I think that was part of the draw to it. Not only to adapt to the times, but also to stand out. I think that was really important to all of us."

Following the record's release, Pitchfork published a blistering takedown of not only the album but the band itself.

"I woke up to an email that was basically like, 'Hey, you guys got reviewed on Pitchfork. Gave you a 4.7. Jesse, don't read it.'" Rutherford recalled.

Near the end of the critique, the reviewer, arguing that the band's mix of styles added up to little, questioned, "Who do these guys think they are?"

"It kind of got me thinking like, maybe we don't [know who we are] but that's also part of what we do," Rutherford said. "I don't think I can quite say everything about who I am, but I know what I'm not. And that's the most important to me.

"I don't think a lot of people know themselves. But we're doing something different. I don't care what anybody says, we're doing something different right now and that's crazy enough to me."

At the time of the interview, the band was deep into rehearsals for its performances at Coachella, where it's scheduled to appear on Friday.

"We started this band because of Coachella," admitted Rutherford. After making it out to Indio one year, the guys were inspired by the post-festival scenery and mix of bands onstage.

"We were just like, 'We gotta do this,'" he said. "And then a year or two later we were there."

"The first time we played [in 2013] it was still a rock/indie festival," said Abels. "It was the Stone Roses, Phoenix and [Red Hot Chili Peppers] headlining. So just three super rock bands compared to this year being the Weeknd, Beyoncé and Eminem."

"I'm stoked," said Rutherford.

"I'm excited," agreed Abels. "But it's a night and day difference."

Though it is often categorized as a pop act, the band draws heavy influence from hip-hop and pop.

"I like pop music and I'm personally most attracted to that," said Rutherford. "My mom listened to classic rock radio a lot so I heard the Eagles and I just confirmed that I hated them early on."

Rutherford cites pop band 'N Sync and its breakout star Justin Timberlake as early influences. "And then once hip-hop entered my view it was like, 'Oh, OK, well that's what this is."

"I'd say generally for all of us, where we find common ground is we're really big fans of pop music," said Abels. "I think that's where we come together as a band."

"I think that the change might be favorable toward us," Fried said. "Instead of a rock/indie fest, we're probably better off playing a pop/hip-hop festival."

As to whether they're worried that the Coachella crowd will misinterpret them, Rutherford remained optimistic.

"If anything, music is now ready for us," he said. "Now more than ever it's like, we make more sense than we ever ... had before."

Sonaiya Kelley

Copyright © 2018, Los Angeles Times

[dynamicsrecords]

Every music should have DYNAMICS!

Welcome to the family! We are DYNAMICS RECORDS. A joint label of Dyna Records, BiTZ Records, and SonAiYa Records.

[fahrni]

Saturday Morning Coffee

The Bulwark - Morning Shots: “Right now, the pro-Putin (or anti-anti-Putin) faction is clearly in the minority, but they continue to have out-sized influence, especially on Russian state TV, where they provide aid and comfort to the Kremlin.”

For some strange reason one of the two political parties in the United States loves autocrats, dictators, and megalomaniacs.

I don’t understand it and they don’t understand my desire to have a better America, a people focused America. One with a few social services that make us better, stronger, and equitable.

A couple I can think of right off the bat; Universal, single payer, healthcare and a university education for anyone who wants it, for nothing out of pocket.

SFFWorld: “On the other hand, John Scalzi all but admits he’s going for pure entertainment with this novel and he most definitely hits the target.”

I really enjoy following John Scalzi on Twitter and his weblog, not to mention loving Old Man’s War.

I don’t read very often. That’s not something to be proud of, it’s just who I am, but I do have Kaiju Preservation Society and hope to dig into it.

The Atlantic: “Russian President Vladimir Putin is in trouble. Despite his limited gains on the ground in Ukraine, he is facing strategic defeat in a war that no one (including me) would have expected him to lose.”

Here’s hoping the people of Ukraine continue to lay the wood on Russian invaders and are eventually joined by the people of Russia to oust Putin.

The Verge: “The real issue is that $1,599 is a lot of money, and here, it’s buying you panel tech that is woefully behind the curve. Compared to Apple’s other displays across the Mac, iPhone, and iPad lineup, the Studio Display is actually most notable for the things it doesn’t have.”

So, I was kind of excited by this announcement, but a friend brought me back to reality.

It’s the same panel in the current Intel Mac, for like the past 10 years. The *exact* same panel. For $1600. Totally half-assed.

— Oluseyi Sonaiya (@OluseyiSonaiya) March 17, 2022

It’s a good display and you can get something just as nice from Samsung for less. It just doesn’t have the nice case around the display and, by all reports, has a really crummy stand. I’d personally use a VESA mount, so it wouldn’t bug me.

Hey, I’m still using some $300 Dell 24in display I bought years ago and I’m happy with it.

I also believe 27in is about as large as I’d like to go. I’m a single monitor guy and 27in should do nicely.

Mental Floss: “But Uslan wouldn’t be talked out of his dream. He convinced the father of a co-worker, former MGM executive Benjamin Melniker, of the project’s commercial potential, and in October 1979, after six months of negotiation, against all advice or logic, the production partners acquired Batman’s film rights for a reported $50,000. Uslan immediately quit his day job.”

This is a wonderful read about a kid who never gave up on Batman!

I also love me some Dark Knight action and I’m hoping the new, grittier, Batman is able to give us A Death in the Family on the big screen. Affleck’s Batman gave us a brief glimpse of Jason Todd’s Robin suit in Batman vs. Superman.

[latestupdates2022]

The Sh0cking Thing Police Officers Told Me At A Checkpoint — Fmr. Presidential Aspirant, Remi Sonaiya, Reveals

The Sh0cking Thing Police Officers Told Me At A Checkpoint — Fmr. Presidential Aspirant, Remi Sonaiya, Reveals

The Sh0cking Thing Police Officers Told Me At A Checkpoint — Fmr. Presidential Aspirant, Remi Sonaiya, Reveals Former presidential aspirant, Remi Sonaiya has shared her experience with Nigerian police whilst using the road. The police in Nigeria are being accused of extorting money from road users and Remi Sonaiya seems to have encountered one and took to her Twitter page to share it with her…

[letitiawrightsource]

'Black Panther' breakout Letitia Wright is just getting started

By Sonaiya Kelley (article released by LA Times in February 2018)

"My voice is all gone," said Letitia Wright. "I sound like a hoarse-y man."

While the sentiment was a bit of an exaggeration, Wright was beginning to go hoarse after a week of nonstop press for Marvel's highly anticipated "Black Panther."

In the film (now playing in theaters), Wright shines as Shuri, King T'Challa's 16-year-old sister and the princess of the fictional African country of Wakanda. (With a short, asymmetrical haircut and delicate features, the 24-year-old convincingly passes for a teenager.)

"People her age are not usually put in charge of things," Wright said of Shuri. "You have to look to the adults all the time."

As described on the film's promotional posters, Shuri is T'Challa's right-hand woman (well, one of them) and very much her brother's keeper.

"It's a lot of love and loyalty between them and they have each other's backs," she said. "He's got her and she's got him. They're royalty, but there's still something about them which the world can relate to. They make a good team."

"People keep saying this thing about Shuri being the Q to T'Challa like in 'James Bond,'" she continued. "She looks out for him and she protects him. She also tells him the truth."

Besides being next in line to the throne, Shuri also happens to be a tech genius, fashioning all of Black Panther's vibranium tech out of her own lab.

"I stayed very closely with the script," Wright said of how she prepared for the role. "I trusted what Ryan [Coogler] and Joe [Robert Cole] were going to be doing with it. And I didn't look at the comic books because I didn't want to be overwhelmed by the fact that she has such an important part in the Wakandan world."

Born in Guyana and raised in London, Wright also prepped by watching documentaries about young African women in the STEM fields.

"[I'd] just listen to their challenges, which were similar to what Shuri goes through," she said. "I found that was a reality for many girls in Africa, they were looked down upon. I used that to influence my performance and fuel the drive that Shuri has to really push the boundaries of the technology."

Wright has been acting since 2011 on UK shows like "Top Boy," "Doctor Who" and "Humans" and in films such as "The Commuter" and "Urban Hymn," which led to a BAFTA nomination in the most promising newcomer category. Late last year, Wright enjoyed a buzzy starring role as Nish in the "Black Museum" episode of Charlie Brooker's Emmy-winning "Black Mirror." But with the blockbuster "Black Panther," Wright will experience her first taste of global fame.

"Oh man, I never really thought about it like that," she said. "In my mind, I don't really see myself as being famous. I just think my work is being exposed to a bigger audience."

"I'm just a local girl," she added. "I'm just a young girl trying to fulfill the purpose that's been placed in my heart to do."

In both "Black Panther" and "Black Mirror," Wright plays characters that are deeply affected by technology: the mastermind behind it and a victim of it, respectively.

In "Black Museum," Wright's Nish is a visitor at the eponymous roadside attraction who has a mysterious tie to one of the exhibits. The episode, which serves as its own anthology within an anthology series, touches on the American prison system, mass incarceration and exploitation.

"Shuri is very different from Nish in 'Black Mirror,'" Wright said. But it's important to her that every character she plays is multidimensional.

"I want you to leave with something," she explained. "Whether you leave feeling inspired like what Shuri leaves you with or you leave thinking about all the black men that are put in prison and [are] being used..." she paused to make sure that comment was on the record.

"I don't want to do it just to do it," she continued. "[It] doesn't necessarily have to be a political storyline or topic, but it has to have something to say, there has to be of some type of meaning. It has to be worth my while so it can mean something to someone else to sit there for an hour and watch it."

As to the tech throughline in her recent roles, Wright admits that she's no real-life Shuri: "I just have my iPhone and I just chug away at that.

"I think it's just the season I'm in at the moment," she admitted. "Next time it might be something else, another theme. No, I'm not super-smart and tech-savvy. I leave that to Shuri. But the type of tech that they have in Wakanda? Aw, man, I wish I had that for real."

A particular favorite gadget of hers are the gauntlets.

"The gauntlets are pretty cool," she says. "But, aw man. If I reveal the other thing [I like] it'll be a spoiler."

And from the Black Museum?

"Technology from the Black Museum, ah!" she says with a laugh.

"Not the head thing," she says, referring to Dawson's symphatic diagnoser. "Not that. I would take the portable car charger that allows your car to charge back up from the sun. Definitely taking that."

Though Wright will appear next in Steven Spielberg's "Ready Player One," Shuri will be back later this year for "Avengers: Infinity War" where she'll likely cross paths with fellow geniuses Tony Stark and Bruce Banner. Wright is confident that Shuri will hold her own among them.

"I think she'll be OK," she said with a laugh. "I think she would humble herself to learn from them, and challenge them as well with new designs and new ideas from Wakanda. And she's willing to learn from the West because her brother is so open now. I think she's embracing that as well. She would hold her own."

With "Black Panther" opening to rave reviews and record-setting box office, the movie feels even bigger than the already blockbuster-level Marvel releases. How does it feel to be a part of such a cultural phenomenon?

"It feels good because it's a moment," Wright said. "It feels like a moment in time and it's not going to be forgotten. And it's going to open up a lot of doors for many more films like this to be made. I feel very empowered."

[positiveimageswomenhatched]

Words and Pictures: Viral artist Harmonia Rosales' first collection of paintings reimagines classic works with black femininity

By Sonaiya Kelley

Sep 21, 2017 | 4:00 PM

Harmonia Rosales' work has gone viral — which is both a good and bad thing.The Afro Cuban artist's oil painting "Creation of God" — modeled after Michelangelo's "The Creation of Adam" with God depicted as a black woman — garnered thousands of likes and comments when it went on Instagram in the spring, attracting big-name fans like Samuel L. Jackson, Willow Smith and Erykah Badu. But it also provoked the ire of trolls."It was more shocking not because of the praise but [because of] the negative comments," the 33-year-old Chicago native said at a VIP opening of her work at a Los Angeles gallery on Saturday. "People said, 'God should not be a black or Muslim or anything like that,' and that tells me that what I'm doing is not only what needs to be done, but I need to keep going.""This [concept] is not fact. Why have we accepted this image of God being a white male for so long? We should start asking ourselves why."

  The Creation of God     "I used this particular image [of Michelangelo's 'The Creation of Adam'] to deconstruct the old traditional way of thought. Why not take that same image and replace it with the least represented, which is the black woman?""The original concept here is Michelangelo created the hidden message of a brain but in replacing God here as a black woman, you see a womb. So it shows strength and empowerment and that we are more valuable than we think."

Birth of Oshun      "Here is [my take on] the painting 'The Birth of Venus.' I wanted to show how we are more similar than we are not. [Greek mythology] is very similar to the religion Santaria. The goddesses and Orishas are very similar. You have Oshun which is Venus. Traditionally, we see Venus as this beautiful woman with flowy hair. My hair never flowed, so I'm wondering why this is supposed to be a painting of the most beautiful woman in the world? So I changed her up and I made her have vitiligo because imperfections are beautiful."In Santaria, when you pray to an Orisha, you give them an offering. And her offering happens to be gold so that's why I made her vitiligo gold.""[At right] is Yemaya. She's the goddess of motherhood, nurturing and love. Oyá [in red] is the goddess that rules over death. Then you have Obatalá who is the equivalent to Jesus, and is a hermaphrodite. Obatalá is the son/daughter of Olodumare, which is God."

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-et-cm-harmonia-rosales-the-creation-of-god-reimagined-20170919-story.html

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