#sullivan's internal monologue

[tragedycoded]

5 lines tag!

Aw, @illarian-rambling, thank you for letting us onto the Starbreaker for a minute! It's so hard for me to pick a favorite. Like, I've been sleeping on Nyda.

My lines describe travel, make me laugh, make me mad, describe someone's eyes, and have internal monologue. They are all from Doom Metal Love Story Book 1, which is complete on AO3.

A line describing travel:

The grass formed natural cover for a people used to using the area for hunting. For several kilometers, Royston saw nothing but the undulating waves of dead wheat-colored grass. Someone could have been crouched down less than a hundred yards from them, aiming a rifle right at Sullivan's skull, and he wouldn't be able to do anything about it.

There are no cute travel scenes in this novel it was either this or a scene from the finale.

A line that makes you laugh:

"Anyone I catch screaming at their mount is going to find himself on latrine duty for the rest of the month. It is unimportant what is happening around you and your horse. You remain calm. Wanna scream, you should've joined the infantry."

Sullivan wearing his first sergeant hat is funny to me sometimes.

A line that makes you mad:

"You ought to mark my words, Sergeant, I ain't talkin' just to hear myself talk. Mister Royston don't like when folks do to him what he does to them, is the point, if ya'd listen."

This line makes me mad due to the topic of conversation and Buck's attitude towards it in general.

A line describing someone's eyes:

The ocean seemed depthless, at night. If Sullivan wanted to see nothing in Royston's eyes, that is what he would see. If he wanted to see the night sky, the ever-expanding reaches of the universe, that is what he would see. Sullivan wanted to see Royston's eyes, so that is what he saw. He saw the most beautiful brown eyes he had ever seen in his entire God-damned life.

I don't have any insightful commentary for this one. They just had sex for the seventh first time. That is not a typo.

A line with internal monologue:

Sullivan could have fainted, hearing he remembered something. It might have only taken what Royston offered. Perhaps, Sullivan thought, Royston did only what was asked of him. Perhaps he really was trying his best, this time.

I didn't say the internal monologue was going to make sense out of context.

Heyyyy tag list, your five lines are:

A line describing a building.

A line about time.

A line that makes you roll your eyes at your own character.

A line that makes you cheer for your own character.

A line about coffee (or another beverage if your world doesn't have coffee.)

@cowboybrunch @finickyfelix @saturnine-saturneight @ashfordlabs @autism-purgatory

@noblebs @aintgonnatakethis @the-golden-comet @asablehart @mauvecatfic

@leahnardo-da-veggie @sableglass @gioiaalbanoart @words-after-midnight

@lavender-bloom @jev-urisk @wyked-ao3

[saramichielle]

Review of Max Brallier's The Last Kids on Earth

Genre: Juvenile fiction, Bluebonnet Award Winner

Target Audience: 3rd grade to 6th grade

Summary: After a monster apocalypse takes over his town, Jack Sullivan finds a rag-tag group of friends to survive with. Together, they take down the big bad monster they call "Blarg".

Justification: I chose this book for my Bluebonnet Award Winner due to its high reviews, and it being the inspiration for a Netflix show. I also chose to listen to this book in audiobook form.

Evaluation:

After listening to the audiobook version of this story, I believe it does add to the overall experience. The narrator does an excellent job of capturing the attitude of the main character and fully commits to setting a scene through sounds and descriptions.

The aspects of this work I'd like to evaluate are accuracy, plot, and language.

Max Brallier does a great job portraying the behavior of a middle-school boy. Despite being in an apocalyptic situation, Jack's character maintains the imagination and child-like behavior that is common among that age group. The friends we are introduced to throughout the book are slightly one dimensional, but Brallier does a good job capturing personalities common among young teens. While exaggerated a bit, the characters are similar to those you'd find in a real-life middle school.

The plot of this book based on fantasy albeit a terrifying one. Like adults, a lot of younger kids imagine how they would act in an apocalyptic setting. Brallier does a great job bringing this fantasy to life and creates an apocalyptic story that young readers can relate to. While the story has its fantastical elements, it develops in a realistic and logical way. The story begins with Jack having an encounter with a monster he names "Blarg". Brallier sets up the main plot point in this encounter by having the monster learn Jack's scent as he gets away. The other character introductions are also done in a believable way as Jack has to work to find Quint and June. Jack's relationship with his bully Dirk develops slowly, and it's a realistic display of learning to overcome differences and biases. Brallier does a great job of creating a satisfying end for the reader as well as set up a continuation of the story. The author balanced the realistic areas of the plot well with the fantastical elements younger readers will enjoy.

The best part of Brallier's writing in this book is the language he uses for the characters. It can be very difficult to correctly capture how young teens think and talk to each other, but Brallier manages to do this without being condescending to the reader. Jack's internal monologue throughout the story does a wonderful job of showing the reader his personality. His attitude is very confident and self-assured, and the language used by Brallier demonstrates that well. The author utilizes language to immerse the reader further into the story. The use of onomatopoeia's is heavy within the story, but they add to the experience instead of detracting from it. Overall, Brallier uses language to immerse readers into the world he has created, and he executes it well.

References

Brallier, M., & Holgate, D. (2015). The Last Kids on Earth. Viking.

[kemblefordsfinest]

[lovesitcomsandgaystuffs]

As much as I like to joke about how simp and blindly devoted Azz is to Iruma, I like more the fact that Azz is the character who analyzes Iruma the most, no other character has more internal monologue thinking about Iruma like him.

Asmodeus is smart, very smart so the fact that he came up with the excuse that Sullivan is very overprotective of Iruma and that's the reason why Iruma doesn't know anything about the world shows that he not only ignores Iruma's weird things but carefully thinks about them.

I like to think that Azz says it will be Iruma's spear after calmly analyzing that Iruma himself is not really the offensive attack type, or even with his arrows because of Iruma's kind nature a spear is what he would need, even though he respects and admires Iruma greatly he can see his weaknesses and flaws.

Azz wouldn't mind doing the "dirty work" for Iruma and if we think about it that's exactly what he did when Iruma sent him to "talk" to Clara's bullies.

And let's be honest, do you think Iruma really thought Azz was going to talk? Azz who challenged him to a duel on the first day and is always threatening people with burning them? Hmm...

[tcm]

In Memory of Brian, Fred and Jerry by Susan King

I mourn the loss of Hollywood legends, especially those I have interviewed over the years. I broke into tears when Debbie Reynolds died four years ago, recalling our last chat together in 2016 when we did a duet of “Moses Supposes.” And I still haven’t watched TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD (’62) since Gregory Peck died in 2003. I had the opportunity to interview the handsome Oscar-winner at his now torn down home in 1997 and 1999. He was everything you’d hope he would be – sweet, intelligent and funny. He also loved Bob Dylan. His last words to me as he walked me to my car were: “You are a most interesting young lady.”

In 2020 alone, I lost over 20 former interviewees including Kirk Douglas, whom I interviewed eight times between 1986-2017, and my beloved Olivia de Havilland, who I found to be delightful and a bit ribald in the two interviews I did with her. I got more than a little misty when Brian Dennehy, Fred Willard and Jerry Stiller died this year. They were supremely talented and made our lives a little brighter with their performances. And, they all were great guys and fun interviews.

Brian Dennehy

I interviewed Brian Dennehy, who died in April at the age of 81, several times in the early 1990s when I was at the L.A. Times. The former U.S. Marine and football player was intimidating at first sight. He was tall, burly and barrel-chested. He had a no-nonsense quality about him, and he spoke his mind. But he also was funny.

In 1991, discussing how hard it was for some actors to land parts after starring in a TV series, he noted “coming off a TV series is a tough deal, and you go into limbo land for a while, if not forever. Most actors go immediately to the ‘Island of Lost Actors’ and stay there. Troy Donahue is the mayor.” Dennehy never went to that island. Not with the complex and often memorable performances he gave in such films as FIRST BLOOD (’82), SILVERADO (’85), COCOON (’85), PRESUMED INNOCENT (’90) and as Big Tom in the comedy TOMMY BOY (’95).

He was nominated for five Emmys, including one for his chilling turn as serial killer John Wayne Gacy in the miniseries To Catch a Killer (’92).

I had one of the most extraordinary evenings at the theater in 2000 when Dennehy reprised his Tony Award-winning role as the tragic Willy Loman at the Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles in the lauded revival of Arthur Miller’s masterpiece Death of a Salesman. It was a gut-wrenching performance that left me emotionally exhausted. He earned another Tony in 2003 as James Tyrone in the revival of Eugene O’Neill’s superb Long Day’s Journey into Night. And he never stopped working.

Shortly after his death, the drama DRIVEWAYS (2020) was released on streaming platforms. And it could be Dennehy’s greatest performance. He plays Del, an elderly widower and Korean War vet who sparks a warm friendship with Cody, the young boy next door. The reviews for the film (it’s at 100% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes) and Dennehy have been glowing. The L.A. Times’ Justin Chang wrote that Dennehy’s Del is as “forceful and tender a creation as any in this great actor’s body of work.” And Jeannette Catsoulis of The New York Times stated: “What we might remember most, perhaps appropriately, are Dennehy’s warm, weary features and rich line readings. In a lovely final monologue, Del advises Cody to avoid rushing past the experiences in life that matter, as they pass so quickly on their own. Much like the careers of beloved actors.”

Fred Willard

I first encountered Fred Willard as the clueless sidekick of sleazy talk show host Barth Gimble (Martin Mull) in the late 1970s on the syndicated comedy series Fernwood Tonight and its continuation America 2-Night. I quickly became a fan, and that admiration grew when he became a member of Christopher Guest’s stock company of zanies in such comedies as WAITING FOR GUFFMAN (’96) and BEST IN SHOW (2000). In the latter, he played the equally clueless dog show announcer Buck Laughlin who quipped in his color commentary, “And to think that in some counties these dogs are eaten.”

Willard told me in a 2012 L.A. Times interview that he didn’t think he was funny until he was an adult. “I always loved comedy growing up – Bob Hope, Red Skelton and Danny Kaye,” said Willard, who died in May at the age of 86.

Willard got a serious part in Tennessee Williams’ one-act in a summer theater group when he was in his 20s. “I was getting laughs on all the lines,” he noted. “The director got upset because the audiences were always laughing. I didn’t try to do it deliberately. Then I realized I would say things around people, and they would laugh. I didn’t mean to be funny. I have always been relaxed around comedy.”

Just as Dennehy, Willard kept working. In fact, he received an Emmy nomination posthumously for his hilarious turn as Ty Burrell’s goofball dad on ABC’s Modern Family. He told me he wished he could try to do more dramatic fare like in Clint Eastwood’s World War II drama Flags of Our Fathers (2006). Willard even called his agent to see if he could get a role in the movie. “Clint Eastwood’s people called back and said, ‘We love Fred, but we are afraid if he appeared on the screen, they might start to laugh.’’’

Jerry Stiller

Jerry Stiller was a real sweetie and also very thoughtful. He sent me a lovely thank you note when I interviewed him and his wife, Anne Meara, in the early 1990s. When I talked to him for his son Ben Stiller’s remake of THE HEARTBREAK KID (2007), Stiller sent me a lovely bouquet of flowers. Ditto in 2010 when I interviewed the couple for a Yahoo! Web series Stiller & Meara: A Show About Everything. I also received Christmas cards until Meara died in 2015.

Baby boomers remember Stiller, who died at 92 in May, and Meara for their smart and sophisticated comedy act, in which the majority of the humor came from the fact that he was Jewish and she was born Irish Catholic. They recorded albums, were popular on the nightclub circuit and did The Ed Sullivan Show three dozen times. They split up their act when musical variety series went away.

Both were terrific dramatic actors. In fact, I saw Stiller in the 1984 Broadway production of Hurlyburly, David Rabe’s scathing look at Hollywood, and he did a 1997 production of Chekhov’s The Three Sisters. Of course, Stiller garnered even more success in his Emmy-nominated role as Frank Costanza, the caustic father of George (Jason Alexander) on NBC’s Seinfeld (1993-98) and was the best reason to watch CBS’ sitcom The King of Queens (1998-2007) as Kevin James’ acerbic father-in-law

But I most remember that 2010 interview where Stiller and Meara bantered back and forth much to my enjoyment. Here they talk about Ed Sullivan:

Anne: I never liked him.

Jerry: You are out of your mind. You never liked him?

Anne: He scared stuff out of me. I am talking about Mr. Sullivan himself. I wasn’t the only one. There were international favorites throwing up in the wings—singers and tenors and guys who spin plates. It was live. We were scared.

Jerry: Ed Sullivan brought us up to the level that we knew we never could get to – him standing there on the right side of the wings laughing, tears coming out of his eyes and then calling us over and saying, ‘You know, we got a lot of mail on that last show you did.’ I said, ‘From Catholic or Jewish people?’ He said, ‘The Lutherans.’”

[autumnalwalker]

As it happens, I went with a loose sort of four humors theming as a starting point for the initial brainstorming/creation of the Empty Names cast, so they've all had color associations baked in from the start.

Lacuna (Melancholic): Black. It's the color of her dysphoria coping hoodie that she wears most of the time. It's a significant part of the rest of her wardrobe too, partly because it's easy to make go with everything, and partly because now that she's transitioning she's low-key indulging the goth phase she was too emotionally repressed to have as a teenager.

Ashan Glassheart (Phlegmatic): White. It's the color of his wizard robes and wand, which are in turn copying the style of/gifted to him by his mentor(/kidnapper/secondary mother). There's also some vague, jumbled up imagery/color/concept free association going on there of white brings up associations of ice, and ice and glass look similar, and his wizard name is Glassheart, and his conjurations look sort of like they're made of glass, and ice is cold, and a lot of the time he uses ambient heat as a power source for casting spells which makes things around get cold and frosted over, and his personality can come across as a bit cold/flat/smooth like ice or glass, but that's actually a combination of him trying to cope with things by being serious and professional with him genuinely having difficulty emoting, and to make glass you need to make things very very hot, and white is the color of extremely hot fire, and he is taking the heat out of things and putting it back into his magic, so is internal emotions and monologue can be running hotter than he can ever properly show, and also one of the most archetypal things that glass can do is shatter, and when glass cracks/shatters but is still being held into place/shape then the seams along those breaking points often look white-ish, and when glass breaks it goes from smooth to sharp and jagged, but with a white hot flame you might be able to melt those shards back together possibly into a new shape.

Eris (Sanguine): Red. One of the first things Eris learned with her monster hunting hobby/career/obsession was that if you wear red clothes all the time it's easier to hide any bloodstains that don't wash out. So, despite it really not being her favorite color, it's the one she wears almost all the time, even when she's not actually expecting trouble. Her actual favorite color is teal.

Sullivan Bridgewood (Choleric): Yellow Gold. Not only is it his favorite color, he's actively tried to make it the most recognizable part of his image and personal brand over the years. He's never seen without an yellow-and-or-gold vest on. If you're not paying attention you might think it was the same vest all the time, but he's actually got a full closet of them, all in slightly different shades and levels of metallic sheen, but all with the exact same embroidered pattern that's sort of maddening/headache-inducing to stare at too long. He usually picks them out by whichever shade he thinks will stick out the most in whatever environs he expects to be spending his time in that day. Also, as the "token evil teammate" his first POV chapter is titled "Prince in Gold" as a roundabout reference to Hastur, the King in Yellow and his Yellow Sign of Cthulhu Mythos fame (which is also the first hint that he's got some sort of weird eldritch abomination type stuff going on). Plus, during that same chapter he makes a joke about wallpapering a room with the pattern on his vest as a reference to "The Yellow Wallpaper" by Charlotte Perkins Stetson.

Road (Balanced): Road sort of winds up left with the colors that are leftover once the humor colors are taken. What most commonly gets associated with them is their purple and green shapeshifting jacket (it's the only thing about their appearance anyone ever firmly remembers, not that anyone consciously realizes that unless it gets point out to them, and the narration never actually describes Road's appearance). Other than that, they most notably have a gray (black plus white, the colors of the more magic-y party members) duffel bag full of plot-convenient magic trinkets and a magic beam sword with an orange (red plus yellow, the colors of the more physical/melee party members) blade.

Carnette Bridgewood: Blue. She's not actually part of the main cast, what with being Sullivan's dearly departed wife who's gone before the story even starts, but she still gets a special mention here for her very absence carrying a narrative weight hefty enough to earn her a claim to the last color on the standard color wheel. It's the color of the dress she's depicted as wearing in the portrait that everyone sees upon entering Bridgewood Manor, and the color of Sullivan's wedding ring.

Blorbo Blursday #4

What color represents your character best? Is this their favorite color or something completely different?

[the-celestial-atlas]

Chapter 2! Still no name...but here’s chapter 1 if you haven’t read it too (his inner monologue ought to be italicized but I’m only on mobile and Idk how to that):

https://ocdsensei.tumblr.com/post/628037481185656832/testing-the-waters-with-this-i-dont-usually

Chapter 2

The train shuttled down the track while Tom held onto a support railing. He’d quickly rushed to get dressed, all the while thinking about his nightmare with abject terror. It was exactly what he’d been afraid of all his life, and having it materialized, not only in a dream, but in reality as well scared him witless. But as much as he wanted not to think about it, he couldn’t stop. His brain seized onto the thought and ran with it, driving him crazy with anxiety.

He tried to distract himself from it by checking Jesse’s messages. She was way more fluent in the latest meme templates, especially since he’d gotten busier lately with work. They were fresh and funny to him, so he made sure to communicate that with his emoji reactions.

The train beeped. “Edward At Sullivan,” the voice chimed. Tom was fortunate he had zoned back into reality at just the right time.

He sprinted across the street to his final destination, his eyes barely registering the Boston Police Department sign above the door while he ran inside. His boss, Sergeant Pittman, gave him a raised eyebrow as Tom neared his desk.

“Get your head outta the clouds, Sullivan,” Sergeant Pittman said gruffly. “You have an actual job now with actual responsibilities.”

Tom replied, “Believe me sir, I’m working on it...” He sat down and started quickly sorting through the various papers piled in front of him.

He hated making the Sergeant upset, especially since he desperately needed this job. Interning at a police station was a huge win for Tom and he honestly still wasn’t sure how he’d managed to secure it. Doing anything to put that in jeopardy worried him greatly.

A couple hours into the shift, a buzz came through everyone’s radios and the station descended into organized chaos. Officers ran to and fro throughout the building, shouting to each other and bolting to their cars. Armed robberies at three banks simultaneously? That was a new one. Even Sergeant Pittman jumped up and ran out the door with his fellow officers.

“Stay put!” The Sergeant hollered behind him.

Don’t have to tell me twice! Tom thought. But a little voice nagged in his brain, I could actually help now... He shoved the thought out of his mind. He wouldn’t dare do it outside, with no ceiling to catch him, and besides the space between him and the ground alone would be enough to paralyze him. I can barely control it anyway!

He continued on his paperwork.

[mautadite]

june book round up

18 books this month! this is late because i just couldn’t find the time to sit down and write it but it’s finally here! and i completed my reading challenge! whoo! mostly e-books and audiobooks once again, and also a good few arcs. (i’m still so proud to be able to say that lol.)

the 7 1/2 deaths of evelyn hardcastle - stuart turton ⭐️⭐️⭐️ a murder mystery/thriller that takes place in the midst of a house party. kind of a groundhog day thing; the same day repeats over and over, and one of the guests wakes up in the body of a different guest EVERY day, and will do so until he solves the mystery. this was one of the cleverest books i’ve ever read, seeing everything come together was so good. but the last reveal left me kinda like... was THAT the point of all of this?? also one part of this book is grossly fatphobic.

breeze of a spring evening and other stories - yu dafu ⭐️⭐️⭐️ collection of short stories written and set in 1920s china/japan. there was a lot of examination of men’s desire towards younger women which bored me. but the writing was good, and i really enjoyed when the writer talked about being chinese and living in japan; that feeling of isolation of loss of self and country,

her lady’s honor - renee dahlia ⭐️⭐️ first arc of the month! historical f/f romance set after wwi. one character is a vet (in both senses of the word, she served as an animal doctor during the war) and the other is the daughter of the first character’s old captain. i wanted to like this a lot more than i did but the writing was dull, needed a better edit, and the structure/plot was just all over the place. the characters were fine, but not hugely compelling, and i didn’t fall in love with their romance.

his cocky cellist - cole mccade ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ really good m/m romance about a cellist/masseur and a young billionaire who end up becoming entangled. fictional billionaires are the only good ones. this had really pretty prose (sometimes a liiiiiiiiiiiittle bit purple), great characters, great chemistry, and just a lovely romance overall.

his cocky valet: after story - cole mmcade ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ cute coda to the first book in the series. a HEA in a way that works for these specific characters.

night owls and summer skies - rebecca sullivan ⭐️⭐️ another arc, another book i sadly didn’t enjoy much. this is ya f/f, about a girl who is sent unwillingly to the camp that she attended in childhood. the bare bones of the writing was fine, but it tried to be a romantic comedy in ways that just didn’t work. a lot of the humour was a total miss. and the book dealt a lot with bullying, while also letting the love interest get away with some truly shitty stuff. 

arms wide open - donna jay ⭐️⭐️⭐️ contemporary f/f romance about a married couple going through some rough patches, who decide to try to spice things up by inviting a third person into their bed. it was cute, not spectacular. while i liked the characters a lot, because the book opened with them already in love (having problems, but never OUT of love) this book was missing what i love about most romances: the falling in love bit!

my heart’s in the highlands - amy hoff ⭐️⭐️⭐️ another arc and oh man this is an extremely generous rating for a book that really wasn’t that good, but hit the spot for me in specific ways. it’s historical f/f time travel romance about a woman from the 19th century who travels back to the 13th century and falls in love with a gruff highlander warrior woman. this is not very well written, has so many unexplained plot points, (how did a woman from the 19th century build a time machine? none of our damned business) didn’t seem too concerned with historical fidelity, and had some dubcon, which, bleh. but i still REALLY liked parts of this. i’m just so weak for historical f/f romance.

when all the world sleeps - j.a. rock and lisa henry ⭐️⭐️⭐️ contemporary m/m romance between a chronic sleepwalker who lives in fear of the things he does when he’s sleeping, and a cop. this was fine. sometimes sad and sweet, sometimes weird and overdone. the police character was fine most of the time, but he also reminded me of why i don’t like reading romances with cops. especially In These Times. every tiny abuse of power made me want to snap. the actually romance was good, but i’ve read better.

yellow jessamine - caitlin starling ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ another arc! fantasy sort of horror with some f/f leanings. really wonderful prose, AMAZING characters, and really lush, unsettling horror. i don’t read/enjoy a lot of horror but this was great. i adore complicated women so much

where the forest meets the stars - glendy vanderah ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ on a genre scale i guess this is contemporary/mystery? a moving novel about a biologist (who’s a breast cancer survivor) who meets a little girl claiming to be an alien who comes from the stars. it didn’t go the way i was kind of expecting it to, and i enjoyed it. it had an m/f romance that i liked... mostly? there were some tropes i coulda done without, and it was really lazy in the way it addressed trauma.

silver ravens - jane fletcher ⭐️⭐️⭐️ yet another arc! i really enjoyed fletcher’s celaeno series so i was excited to be approved for this f/f fantasy/adventure novel. an out-of-work IT professional is swept into fairy world with fae and mystery and intrigues aplenty, and a mercenary captain she falls for. the writing was fine, but some of the world building really bugged me, and there wasn’t enough romance imo.

second nature - jae ⭐️⭐️⭐️ f/f paranormal romance about a writer who’s begun to have strange dreams about a society of animal shifters, and the liger shifter who’s been tasked with finding her, and if need be, killing her. this could have been a great book (i especially really liked the characters and how they were described, and the plot) but the writer did one of the things i really hate: giving us the pov of the villain from the very beginning, letting us know his plans, motivations, EVERYTHING. it felt like we spent the entire book waiting for the protags to catch up, and it just wasn’t entertaining.

dragonoak books 2-3 - sam farren ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ the last two books in the dragonoak series, an f/f high fantasy series. they were too long, the plot was shaky, and there were some irksome bits but holy crap, i loved these books so much. SO MUCH. they have some of my very favourite characters and tropes EVER. lots of queer ladies, lots of trans characters, necromancy, batles, found families, friendships, damaged characters, REALLY EXCELLENT ROMANCE.. the book had flaws aplenty but i’m ready to forgive them all. (

when i was you - minka kent ⭐️⭐️⭐️ i don’t usually read thrillers, but i decided to try this out on a whim after seeing the cover and it was... fine. it helped that i didn’t read the blurb, bc that meant i had no idea where it was going. after the first huge twist it did become kinda meh tho.

the hole -  hye-young pyun ⭐️⭐️⭐️ psychological horror about a man who survives the car cash that killed his wife. he ends up paralysed, and is living with his mother in law, and one day he looks out the window and sees her digging holes in the garden. this was an EXTREMELY slow book. it took ages for anything to really happen. there were a lot of flashbacks and internal monologuing. the absolute best part of this book came at almost the end, where there was a big sorta revelation and the writing became really crisp and cutting and just really good. it had a really fitting end.

the silvers - j.a. rock ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ m/m sci-fi romance. humans are in search of water for earth, which is running out. they come across intelligent life on a new planet: a race of people called silvers. the captain of the mission and one of the silvers develop a close relationship... this was really good; i loved what it had to say about humanity and nature and the ways we can and do hurt each other. very interesting, i don’t think i’ve ever read anything like it.

and that’s it for june! i ended up reading a fair few things out of my usual comfort zone. for july, i think i’m going back to a majority romance; i’ve missed that. currently reading to have loved and lost.

[hammondcast]

Hammond Report July 25 2021 From Pandemic Quarantino Jon Hammond

#WATCHMOVIE HERE: Hammond Report July 25 2021 From Pandemic Quarantino Jon Hammond

Jon's archive https://archive.org/details/hammond-report-july-25-2021-from-pandemic-quarantino-jon-hammond 

Youtube https://youtu.be/OUNamX3hWwU 

FB https://fb.watch/6ZMdc13wBN/ 

Hammond Report July 25 2021 From Pandemic Quarantino Jon Hammond

by

 Jon Hammond 

Hammond Report July 25 2021 From Pandemic Quarantino Jon Hammond - Daily Music and Stories from the organist & accordionist, Jon Hammond, today's music story about playing a big band arrangement of my original composition Lydia's Tune with the Meetinghouse Jazz Orchestra arranged by Todd Anderson, yours truly Jon Hammond at the organ - coming to you today from downtown Los Angeles on a hot July Sunday - everybody stay cool and safe out there! I'll be back tomorrow with another Hammond Report,

Jon Hammond 

#HammondReport

#25july2021

#bigband

#hammondorgan

#losangeles

#musicianstories

#podcast

#JonHammond

#byebyenow 

I'm very saddened to learn of the passing of Jackie Mason today July 24th 2021 at age of 93! Rest In Peace Jackie!!

*Photo I shot of Jackie at Westway Diner - Jon Hammond

#jackiemason

#RIPJackieMason

#comedian

#edsullivanshow

Jackie Mason (born Yacov Moshe Maza; June 9, 1928 – July 24, 2021) was an American stand-up comedian and film and television actor. He is ranked No. 63 on Comedy Central's 100 greatest stand-up comedians of all-time.[2]

His 1986 one-man show The World According to Me won a Special Tony Award, an Outer Critics Circle Award, an Ace Award, an Emmy Award, and a Grammy nomination. Later, his 1988 special Jackie Mason on Broadway won another Emmy Award (for outstanding writing) and another Ace Award, and his 1991 voice-over of Rabbi Hyman Krustofski in The Simpsons episode "Like Father, Like Clown" won Mason a third Emmy Award. He wrote and performed six one-man shows on Broadway.[1]

Known for his delivery and voice, as well as his use of innuendo and pun, Mason's often culturally grounded humor was described as irreverent and sometimes politically incorrect.[3][4] A critic for Time wrote that he spoke to audiences: "with the Yiddish locutions of an immigrant who just completed a course in English. By mail." 

Mason made several appearances as a guest on The Ed Sullivan Show during the 1960s.[4] He claimed to have been on the first episode to feature the American television debut of the Beatles, although research does not bear this fact out.[23] Mason revealed during his appearance on the BBC show Desert Island Discs that at the time he did not think much of the group, referring to them as "four kids in search of a voice who needed haircuts". In 1962 he came out with his initial LP record, a best-seller entitled I'm the Greatest Comedian in the World, Only Nobody Knows It Yet, followed by I Want to Leave You with the Words of a Great Comedian.[9][24]

"Middle finger" incident (1964)[edit]

On October 18, 1964, in an appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show, Mason allegedly gave host Ed Sullivan the finger on air. Footage of the incident shows Mason in the middle of doing his stand-up comedy act and then looking toward Sullivan, who had placed himself directly behind the camera, commenting that Sullivan was signaling him.[5][10] Sullivan was reportedly letting Mason know (by holding up two fingers) that he had only two minutes left, and to cut his act short, as the program was about to cut away due to having been partly pre-empted by an impromptu speech by President Lyndon B. Johnson that the show carried.[5][7]

Mason began working his own fingers into his act to make fun of the situation, and pointed toward Sullivan with an index finger, a thumb, but not (as Sullivan mistakenly believed) his middle finger.[5] Sullivan was infuriated by this, and banned Mason from future appearances on the show, canceling Mason's $45,000 ($375,000 in current dollar terms), six-appearance contract.[5][10] Mason denied knowingly giving Sullivan the middle finger; he later said that he had not heard of the middle finger gesture at that time.[7] To clear his name, Mason filed a libel suit on the grounds that Sullivan had defamed him at the New York Supreme Court. That court dismissed most of Mason's complaint. Both Mason and Sullivan appealed to the New York Supreme Court Appellate Division (which reinstated three additional causes of action against Sullivan) in June 1966.[3][25][26][27] He was nevertheless banned from the show for a period of time. Sullivan asserted that Mason was unpredictable and could not be trusted. Because of Sullivan's influence, he was branded as unreliable, volatile, and obscene, and he failed to get substantial TV work for the next two decades.[3][5][7][8] There was no ruling on the merits, merely a determination that Mason's suit could proceed and that he would be given an opportunity to prove his claim.

Mason was given a single comeback appearance on Sullivan's TV program two years later, and Sullivan publicly apologized to him, but the damage was done.[5] At that time, Mason opened his monologue by saying, "It is a great thrill ... and a fantastic opportunity to see me in person again."[26] Mason later appeared on the show five times: April 23, 1967; February 25, 1968; November 24, 1968; July 22, 1969; and August 31, 1969.[28] Mason later said: "It took 20 years to overcome what happened in one minute" 

Publication date

 2021-07-25

Usage

 Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 4.0 International

Topics

 Hammond Report, 25 July 2021, Big band, Meetinghouse Jazz Orchestra, Musician Stories, Organist, Jon Hammond, podcast, bye bye now

Language

 English 

Addeddate

 2021-07-26 00:40:34

Identifier

 hammond-report-july-25-2021-from-pandemic-quarantino-jon-hammond 

  Hammond Report, 25 July 2021, Big band, Meetinghouse Jazz Orchestra, Jackie Mason, Musician Stories, Organist, Jon Hammond, podcast, bye bye now

[timespakistan]

Top US, Chinese diplomats clash at start of first talks of Biden presidency The run-up to the meeting in Anchorage, Alaska, which followed visits by US officials to allies Japan and South Korea, was marked by a flurry of moves by Washington that showed it was taking a tough stance, and blunt talk from Beijing. Read: US, Japan warn China on ‘coercion, destabilising behaviour’ “We will […] discuss our deep concerns with actions by China, including in Xinjiang, Hong Kong, Taiwan, cyber attacks on the United States, economic coercion of our allies,” US Secretary of State Antony Blinken told his Chinese counterparts in highly unusual extended back-and-forth in front of cameras. “Each of these actions threaten the rules-based order that maintains global stability,” he said. The Biden administration has made clear that it is looking for a change in behavior from China, which has expressed hope to reset relations that had worsened drastically under former US president Donald Trump. China’s top diplomat Yang Jiechi responded with a 15-minute speech in Chinese while the US side awaited translation, lashing out about what he said was the United States’ struggling democracy, poor treatment of minorities, and criticising its foreign and trade policies. “The US uses its military force and financial hegemony to carry out long arm jurisdiction and suppress other countries,” said Yang. “It abuses so-called notions of national security to obstruct normal trade exchanges, and incite some countries to attack China,” he added. Throughout Yang’s monologue, US National Security Adviser Sullivan and other officials in the delegation passed notes to each other. At the end, Blinken held journalists in the room so he could respond. What is typically a few minutes of opening remarks in front of journalists for such high-level meetings lasted for more than an hour, and the two delegations tussled about when media would be ushered out of the room. Afterwards, the US accused China of “grandstanding” while Chinese state media blamed US officials for speaking too long and being “inhospitable”. Both sides accused the other of violating diplomatic protocol, with a US official saying the two had initially agreed two minutes of opening statements by each of the principals. “The Chinese delegation […] seems to have arrived intent on grandstanding, focused on public theatrics and dramatics over substance,” the official told reporters at the Anchorage hotel where the meeting was taking place. “Exaggerated diplomatic presentations often are aimed at a domestic audience,” the official added. Many netizens on China’s social media said Chinese officials were doing a good job in Alaska, and that the US side had shown zero sincerity. Some even characterised the talks as a “Hongmen Banquet”, a historical event that took place 2,000 years ago where a rebel leader invited another to a feast with the intention of murdering him. Still, the two sides reconvened for another meeting on Thursday evening, and a senior Biden administration official said that the first session was “substantive, serious, and direct,” running well beyond the two hours originally allotted. “We used the session, just as we had planned, to outline our interests and priorities, and we heard the same from our Chinese counterparts,” the official said in the pool report, adding that a third session of talks was scheduled for Friday morning. While much of Biden’s China policy is still being formulated, including how to handle the tariffs on Chinese goods implemented under Trump, his administration has so far placed a stronger emphasis on democratic values and allegations of human rights abuses by China. China firmly opposes US interference in what it regards as its internal affairs, issues such as Taiwan, Hong Kong and Xinjiang. Washington says Blinken’s Asia tour before the meeting with Chinese officials, as well as US outreach to Europe, India and other partners, shows how the United States has strengthened its hand to confront China since Biden took office in January. But the two sides appeared primed to agree on very little at the talks. Even the status of the meeting became a sticking point, with China insisting it is a “strategic dialogue”, harkening back to bilateral mechanisms of years past. The US side rejected that, calling it a one-off session. On the eve of the talks, the US issued a flurry of actions directed at China, including a move to begin revoking Chinese telecoms licences, subpoenas to multiple Chinese information technology companies over national security concerns, and updated sanctions on China over a rollback of democracy in Hong Kong. Adding to tensions, China on Friday tried a Canadian citizen on espionage charges, in a case embroiled in a wider diplomatic spat between Washington and Beijing. At the talks on Thursday, Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi questioned Blinken about whether the sanctions were announced ahead of the meeting on purpose. Washington has said it is willing to work with China when it is in US interests, citing climate policy and the coronavirus pandemic as examples. Blinken said Washington hoped to see China use its influence with North Korea to persuade it to give up its nuclear weapons. Bonnie Glaser, an Asia expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said tough statements from both sides in the run-up to the meeting had created a risk that it would devolve into an exchange of accusations and demands. “Neither side benefits from this meeting being judged a total failure,” Glaser said. https://timespakistan.com/top-us-chinese-diplomats-clash-at-start-of-first-talks-of-biden-presidency/16674/

[kemblefordsfinest]

I’m obsessed with the idea of Sullivan being a secret poet, so here’s a 10k word story about it:

https://archiveofourown.org/works/38292022

[papermoonloveslucy]

TOAST OF THE TOWN aka THE ED SULLIVAN SHOW

“A Tribute to Lucy and Desi” (S3;E8) ~ October 3, 1954 

Directed & Choreographed by John Wray  

Ed Sullivan (Himself / Host) was a preeminent television variety show host who is best remembered for hosting his own show, at first titled “Toast of the Town” but later simply known as “The Ed Sullivan Show,” which became a staple of Sunday night viewing for millions of Americans from 1948 to 1971.  As such, his name was often mentioned on “I Love Lucy” and Lucille Ball's subsequent sitcoms. He introduced America to such entertainers as Elvis Presley, The Beatles, and The Supremes. Sullivan entered icon status when he and his television show were worked into the plot of the Broadway musical Bye Bye Birdie in 1960. The musical includes the song "Hymn for a Sunday Evening" which has a chorus that repeats Sullivan's name in a choir-like harmony. Hope made an appearance in the 1964 film version. The theatre on Broadway in New York City where Sullivan did his weekly show was named after him in 1967. He died in 1974.

Lucille Ball (Herself / Lucy Ricardo) was born on August 6, 1911 in Jamestown, New York. She began her screen career in 1933 and was known in Hollywood as ‘Queen of the B’s’ due to her many appearances in ‘B’ movies. With Richard Denning, she starred in a radio program titled “My Favorite Husband” which eventually led to the creation of “I Love Lucy,” a television situation comedy in which she co-starred with her real-life husband, Latin bandleader Desi Arnaz. The program was phenomenally successful, allowing the couple to purchase what was once RKO Studios, re-naming it Desilu. When the show ended in 1960 (in an hour-long format known as “The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour”) so did Lucy and Desi’s marriage. In 1962, hoping to keep Desilu financially solvent, Lucy returned to the sitcom format with “The Lucy Show,” which lasted six seasons. She followed that with a similar sitcom “Here’s Lucy” co-starring with her real-life children, Lucie and Desi Jr., as well as Gale Gordon, who had joined the cast of “The Lucy Show” during season two. Before her death in 1989, Lucy made one more attempt at a sitcom with “Life With Lucy,” also with Gordon, which was not a success and was canceled after just 13 episodes. 

Desi Arnaz (Himself / Ricky Ricardo) was born in Cuba in 1917 and immigrated to America as a youngster.  He was a musician who married Lucille Ball in 1940 after meeting her on the set of 1939’s Too Many Girls, which he had done on stage in New York.  In order to keep him ‘off the road’ Ball convinced producers to cast him as her husband in a new television project based on her radio show “My Favorite Husband.” The network was convinced. In 1951, Arnaz and Ball began playing Lucy and Ricky Ricardo, roles they would be identified with for the rest of their lives. The couple had two children together, Lucie and Desi Jr.  In 1960, Ball and Arnaz divorced. Desi became a producer, responsible for such hits as “The Mothers-in-Law” (1967-69). He re-married in 1963. Desi Aranz died in 1986, just a few years before Ball.  

William Frawley (Himself / Fred Mertz) was already a Hollywood veteran when he was hired by Desi Arnaz to play Fred Mertz on “I Love Lucy.” After the series concluded he joined the cast of “My Three Sons” playing Bub Casey. He did an episode of “The Lucy Show” in October 1965 which was his final TV appearance before his death in March 1966.

Vivian Vance (Herself / Ethel Mertz) was born Vivian Roberta Jones in Cherryvale, Kansas in 1909, although her family quickly moved to Albuquerque, New Mexico where she was raised. She had extensive theatre experience, co-starring on Broadway with Ethel Merman in “Anything Goes.” She was acting in a play in Southern California when she was spotted by Desi Arnaz and hired to play Ethel Mertz, Lucy Ricardo’s neighbor and best friend. The pairing is credited with much of the success of “I Love Lucy.”  Vance was convinced to join the cast of “The Lucy Show” in 1962, but stayed with the series only through season three, making occasional guest appearances afterwards. She made a total of six appearance on “Here’s Lucy.” She also joined Lucy for a TV special “Lucy Calls the President” in 1977. Vance died two years later. 

Harry Chesney (Himself) was the vice-president of Philip Morris, the tobacco company that first sponsored “I Love Lucy” in 1951.

Howard Dietz (Himself) was a lyricist who wrote over 500 songs in his lifetime. In 1954 he was a vice-president at MGM where he is credited with developing the Leo the lion logo as well as their slogan “Ars Gratia Artis” (art for art's sake). The Long, Long Trailer was an MGM picture.

Don Dixon (Himself) was a correspondent for INS, the International News Service. He was held captive in Communist China for 18 months.

John Hodiak (Himself) was a busy actor at MGM who had co-starred with Lucille Ball in their 1946 film Two Smart People. He was also seen in the 1944 film Lifeboat with Tallulah Bankhead.

Tex O'Rourke (Himself) was a toastmaster famous for moderating his “Circus Saints and Sinners” tributes. 

Dusty Rhodes (Himself) was a member of 1954 World Series Champion team the New York Giants. He would return to “The Ed Sullivan Show” in April 1955.

Robert Taylor (Archival Footage from Bataan) acted alongside Desi Arnaz in the 1943 film Bataan. He never appeared on “I Love Lucy,” but during the Ricardo's stay in Hollywood, Lucy Ricardo mentioned meeting him at a farmers market and getting his autograph on an orange.

Keenan Wynn (Archival Footage from The Long, Long Trailer)

Marjorie Main (Archival Footage from The Long, Long Trailer)

Johnny Roventini (Philip Morris Bellhop, uncredited)

Julia Meade (Voice of Mercury Commercial)

This show was aired on CBS on October 3, 1954. Sunday nights were known as “Ed Sullivan Show” nights in the same way that Lucy and Desi “owned” Monday nights throughout the 1950s. This show was done live in front of a studio audience at (what is now known as) the Ed Sullivan Theatre in New York City. 

The next day “I Love Lucy” began its fourth season on the air with “The Business Manager” (ILL S4;E1) co-starring Charles Lane (above) as Mr. Hickox. Two weeks later the series celebrated its 100th show.

The same night this show aired, “Father Knows Best” made its TV debut on CBS at 10pm. Prior to that the series had been aired on radio since 1949. On TV, it ran for one season and was canceled. The series was picked up by NBC, where it remained for three seasons. After a second cancellation in 1958, the series was picked up yet again, by CBS, where it aired until May 1960.   

This was the second of Lucille Ball's dozen appearances on “The Ed Sullivan Show.” Ball and Arnaz had been on earlier in the year, after Ed Sullivan presented “I Love Lucy” with an Emmy Award in April 1954. Desi made eight appearances, the last being in 1960. This is the only time the full hour of Sullivan's show is devoted solely to Lucy and Desi.

“Toast of the Town” was not filmed in Hollywood, like “I Love Lucy.” It was broadcast live from New York and then kinescoped to the West Coast. Consequently, prints of this show are generally of poor quality.  

During the run of “I Love Lucy,” Ed Sullivan and his show were mentioned several times:

Lucy: (about Fred the dog) “He learned obedience, but he’s not ready for ‘The Ed Sullivan Show’.” 

~ “The Ricardos Dedicate a Statue” (ILL S6;E27) 

Johnny Clark: (to Ricky) “I think I've got you planted on ‘The Ed Sullivan Show’ for next month.” 

[Celebrities would often be asked to stand-up and wave if they were spotted on “The Ed Sullivan Show.”] ~ “Face to Face” aka “The Ricardos Are Interviewed” (ILL S5;E7)

Lucy: (to a stoic Buckingham Palace Guard) “Wow, you make Ed Sullivan look like laughing boy.” 

[Sullivan was known not to smile or laugh, something Lucy chides him for in the tribute.] ~ “Lucy Meets the Queen” (ILL S5;E15)

To kick off the hour, Lucy and Desi perform a sketch about their meeting with Ed Sullivan. Although the sketch feels like an episode of “I Love Lucy,” Lucy and Desi use their own names. It opens with Lucy knitting and Desi at home (in Beverly Hills), relaxing and reading the Sunday papers, which are spread out all over the room. Desi is looking for the “spor' session” [“sports section”]. 

The newspaper Desi holds is the Sunday, October 3, 1954, edition of the New York Daily news, with the back page headline “GIANTS CHAMPS”! The previous day, the New York Giants triumphed over the Cleveland Indians in the 1954 World Series. Interestingly, this was not good news to Lucy's good friend Bob Hope, who was part-owner of the Indians. 

Two years later, October 8, 1956, Lucy and Desi guest-starred on “The Bob Hope Chevy Show” which for the evening was broadcast in Ed Sullivan's time slot, a fact Hope acknowledged in his monologue. Like this Ed Sullivan show, it was the day after a world series victory and the MVP was invited to appear on the show. For this “Toast of the Town” that player was Dusty Rhodes of the New York Giants. In 1956 it would be Don Larsen of the New York Yankees.  

When Lucy shows off what she's been knitting, Desi immediately jumps to conclusions: “Lucy! Again?  We've already done that bit!” Desi is referring to Lucy Ricardo having a baby on “I Love Lucy.” Prior to that, in 1951's “Drafted” (ILL S1;E11, above), Ricky and Fred mistake the girls knitting them sweaters for a clue that they are expecting.

Lucy tells him to relax, that she's knitting it for Eve Arden's new baby. Arden, a friend of Ball's from her B-movie days, was currently starring in TV's “Our Miss Brooks” filmed at Desilu. On September 17, 1954, she gave birth to what would be her only biological child, Douglas Brooks West.  

After arguing who should answer the telephone, Desi answers it, but can't quite figure out who it is on the other end.

Desi (to Lucy, covering the phone receiver): “I think it's somebody from a bakery.  A guy called Solomon.  Ed Solomon. He says he's selling toast in this part of the town.”

Lucy grabs the phone and  it turns out to be Ed Sullivan who is coming right over, despite the fact that their house is a mess and they aren't properly dressed. Desi says they should let Ed see them as they really are, with no pretense.

Lucy: “The show is called 'Toast of the Town', not 'Crumbs of the Town'.”

She then implores Desi to put on his shoes, to which he replies, “What for? He knows I got feet.”  

This is very similar to an exchange in “Men Are Messy” (ILL S1;E8) from 1951.  

Lucy Ricardo: “Put your shoes on and pick up those papers. Company is coming.” Ricky Ricardo: “It isn't company, it's Fred and Ethel.” Lucy Ricardo: “Well, put your shoes on.” Ricky Ricardo: “They know I have feet.”

In the next scene, they are dressed to the nines, and Lucille makes her entrance to the strains of “A Pretty Girl Is Like A Melody” by Irving Berlin. In 1955's , “Lucy Gets Into Pictures” (ILL S4;E18) Lucy Ricardo gets a role as a showgirl, strutting down a staircase wearing a giant head-dress, while this song is playing.

Before Sullivan arrives, Lucy and Desi silently practice being acknowledged from the audience, just in case that is what Sullivan has in mind. This is visually similar to when Lucy and Ricky rehearse being surprised with a “Housewarming” (ILL S6;E23) party when they first move to Connecticut in 1957.  

The phone rings again and Lucy talks to their agent Don Sharpe about the purpose of Sullivan's visit, while Desi hovers anxiously behind her: 

Lucille (into the phone): “He is!  He isn't?  He isn't?  He is!  He isn't!” (she hangs up) Desi: “Well, is he or isn't he?”

This is another gag taken directly from “I Love Lucy.” It is possible that the “I Love Lucy” writers participated in the scripting of this sketch.

When Sullivan finally arrives at the Arnaz home, they rush him off his feet and pretend not to have already heard the news. Sullivan finally spills the beans.  

Lucy: “'Toast of the Town' and the whole slice about us!”

When Sullivan asks Lucille for a cigarette, the Philip Morris bellhop Johnny Roventini literally pops out of the coffee table and gives him one!  Although Philip Morris was not a sponsor of “Toast of the Town,” the gag acknowledges the company's initial support of “I Love Lucy.”

Vivian Vance just happens to drop by – and then almost immediately Bill Frawley. The just happen to be ready to regale Sullivan with a song, “Hullaballoo,” which Frawley says is an old vaudeville tune from 1913. He also claims that they previously performed it “on one of the old Lucy shows” but no such song was ever sung by Fred and Ethel on “I Love Lucy.”  

A curtain then closes for their bows. Sullivan reminds Vivian that they last met when he presented the Emmy Award to “I Love Lucy” in Hollywood. He recalls first meeting Frawley in Leone's Restaurant. Jimmy Walker introduced him to Sullivan. Walker was mayor of New York City from 1926 to 1932, when Sullivan was a news correspondent.

Sullivan discusses the film Bataan featuring Desi Arnaz and Robert Taylor.  Baatan (1943) was an MGM film about the World War II Battle of Bataan, a region of the Philippines.

After a Mercury commercial narrated by Julia Meade, Ed Sullivan introduces the trailer from The Long, Long Trailer, a 1954 color film based on a novel of the same name by Clinton Twiss. It is about a couple who buy a new trailer home and spend a year traveling across the United States.The film stars Lucille Ball as Tacy Collini and Desi Arnaz as Nicky Collini. The characters' names were changed from the book to sound more like ‘Lucy and Ricky’ (Tacy and Nicky, say it fast).  

Desi Arnaz performs his signature song “Babalu.” He performed the song on “I Love Lucy” in "The Audition" (ILL S1;E6) and in "The Ricardos Visit Cuba" (ILL S6;E9), where Desi was joined by Richard Keith (Little Ricky). Other times it was partially heard or sung for comedic purposes, such as in "Lucy Hires an English Tutor" (ILL S2;E13), “Ricky's Life Story" (ILL S3;E1), "The Publicity Agent" (ILL S1;E31) and “The Young Fans" (ILL S1;E20). Desi Arnaz first recorded the song in 1947, although he had performed it as part of his nightclub act prior to that.

After Desi finishes singing, Sullivan tells his audience that Desi has had a fever of 101 all day, but insisted on singing “Babalu” anyway.

Finally, the "Circus Saints and Sinners Luncheon" begins, a formal tribute (the actual “Toast” of the town) with speeches from and about the Arnazes.  

A clip from “Lucy Goes to the Hospital” (ILL S2;E16), which first aired on January 19, 1953. This was Desi Arnaz’s favorite episode.This is the episode that made “I Love Lucy” a national phenomenon. It is estimated that 72% of the American public who owned a television tuned in to see the birth of Little Ricky. His birth was timed to coincide with Desi Jr.'s birth, that same day. This episode aired the day before the inauguration of President Eisenhower and five months before the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. More people watched this “I Love Lucy” episode than either one of those televised historic events. 

To kick things off, Ed Sullivan reads a letter from Bernard Baruch (1870-1965). Baruch was a financier and powerful political consultant who had served with Sullivan on a Government-appointed Entertainment Committee to bolster post-war morale in America.  

Toastmaster Tex O’Rourke discusses Ball and Arnaz’s childhoods and their early work in show-business.

Baseball player Dusty Rhodes some brief comments of his own.

Lucille Ball is first to make her remarks, thanking the networks and production staff of “I Love Lucy,” and ultimately Desi:

Lucy: “This guy, who seems to be in all places at once, making like an actor, a banker, a politician – in short, a producer – gets my vote as the greatest producer of all time. And I have two little Arnazes at home to prove it.”

Desi Arnaz expresses his appreciation to Lucy and the United States of America for giving him the opportunities he has enjoyed.

Desi: “We came to this country and we didn't have a cent in our pockets.  From cleaning canary cages to this night in New York is a long ways. And I don’t think there’s any other country in the world that could give you that opportunity.” 

Both Lucy and Desi become visibly emotional while making their speeches. "Desi was very sincere about that," said Madelyn Davis, who along with her partner, Bob Carroll Jr., wrote every episode of the first four seasons of “I Love Lucy” with Jess Oppenheimer. "Lucy got teary and even Ed Sullivan. Desi wasn't kidding. They had nothing."

The show includes Lincoln Mercury commercials starring Ed Sullivan. Lucy and Desi had participated in such commercials in their first appearance on “Toast of the Town” in April 1954. During the sketch that starts the show, Lucy says the words “High dramatic” and Ed reminds her that on his show, it is “Merc-O-Matic,” which was Lincoln Mercury's own automatic transmission, introduced in 1951.

This Date in Lucy History – October 3rd

"Lucy Visits Grauman's" (ILL S5;E1) – October 3, 1955

"Lucy and Paul Winchell" (TLS S5;E4) – October 3, 1966

[booksrawesome]

Indecent by Corinne Sullivan

This novel had me so fueled with frustration and annoyance with the main character's childish behavior comparable to that of a teenager's that I simply had to include my opinion.

Meet Imogene Abney, a 22-year-old teaching apprentice at Vandenberg, a prestigious, all-boy's prep school in New York. However, what most readers can discover within the first chapter is that Imogene struggles with serious depression, anxiety, and harbors a large amount of obsessive insecurities. She constantly compares herself to other people, her surroundings. She always assumes the worst in every social interaction. A few weeks into the first semester, she meets Adam "Kip" Kipling, a 17-year-old student with an insurmountable amount of charm, confidence, and charisma. Or so it can be implied by the text on the inside-flap. The only characteristic that I felt described Kip perfectly was a cockiness that lead me to dislike him almost immediately.

As the book progresses, the details of Imogene's and Kip's "relationship" (or lack thereof) are delineated. The strict policy of the prep school is that there can be no sexual interactions between teaching apprentices and students. Yet Imogene, as silly and ignorant as she is, disregards this simple and quite obvious rule and instead embarks on an affair with Kip. This affair turns into a disturbing obsession quite soon. And by soon, I mean within the first half of the novel. Imogene constantly checks her phone for texts from Kip telling her to come to his dorm (a sign that she was being used from the start), looks for Kip at every social event on campus, and even goes so far as to stalk him on social media. To make matters even worse and cringy-er, Imogene legitimately believes that her and Kip share something serious. That they are both so greatly in love with each other that she simply cannot refrain from thinking about him for a single, darn minute. But let's be honest. Her "lover" is a hormonal, reprehensible teenage boy with an inflated ego and designer khakis. What could he possibly know about true love? And on top of this, Imogene later finds out that he is a bit of player too, having had relationships with other teaching apprentices in the past who somehow managed to escape, scot-free.

Imogene spends at least half of the novel crying and uselessly pining over some boy 5 years younger than her, a characteristic that I simply cannot relate to nor can stand on a personal level. Maybe I'm at that age where reading about a fully-grown 22-year-old woman complain and whine about some conceited teenager who clearly is only using her for her body seems not only ridiculous, but downright atrocious. I mean, c'mon. What kind of fully-grown woman would allow herself to be swayed by the childish words of boys even younger than Kip? Take, for example, Duggar Robinson, a pubescent second-year who tells her to stand up so that he can punch her in the stomach? This is simply not realistic, nor is it an accurate portrayal of victimhood (a subject that this book claims to heavily revolve around). Not only this, but her view of love and personality is so materialistic. She judges every person from the clothes that they wear, to how their hair looks on a given day, to the words that they say upon first meeting them. She is embarrassed by her "boring" (as described by her), middle-class family, who, by the way, are some of the few characters throughout the entire book that share actual redeemable qualities.

I was highly disappointed by this book in a way that I have never really been disappointed by a book before. The writing is lackluster, the narrator at times even contradicting herself with statements of her mourning the death of a social opportunity that she never took advantage of (how can something be dead if it never existed to begin with?). Additionally, as a reader, one expects characters who go through a significant amount of trauma to eventually learn from their mistakes and move on, bettering themselves in the process. However, with Imogene, this is simply not the case, especially with internal monologue that she asks herself - "Have I really learned nothing?" At one point while reading, I discovered that I was really reading the book to see what would become of Imogene. Would she perhaps move on from Kip? Stop the affair before it got too serious? Get another job at a different school? Learn to love herself more despite all of her flaws (which, by the way, were so often addressed in this book to the point where I wondered why we were not given more background regarding her mental health issues???)?

In short, "Indecent" is a highly disappointing read that I would not recommend to anyone, unless if you want to read about the thoughts of an obsessive, grown woman who readers are given no background on and expected to sympathize with.

[savetopnow]

2018-03-15 00 CELEBRITY now

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[kaos-sverige]

Stephen's Animated Monologue: Biden Denies Assault, Trump Plots Lincoln Memorial Town Hall

Published on May 1, 2020

Imagine falling asleep at home and waking up as a two-dimensional cartoon hosting a talk show at the Ed Sullivan Theater. That's exactly what happened to Stephen Colbert and Jon Batiste in The Late Show's first-ever animated monologue. #Colbert #StephenAtHome #Animation Subscribe To "The Late Show" Channel HERE: http://bit.ly/ColbertYouTube For more content from "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert", click HERE: http://bit.ly/1AKISnR Watch full episodes of "The Late Show" HERE: http://bit.ly/1Puei40 Like "The Late Show" on Facebook HERE: http://on.fb.me/1df139Y Follow "The Late Show" on Twitter HERE: http://bit.ly/1dMzZzG Follow "The Late Show" on Google+ HERE: http://bit.ly/1JlGgzw Follow "The Late Show" on Instagram HERE: http://bit.ly/29wfREj Follow "The Late Show" on Tumblr HERE: http://bit.ly/29DVvtR Watch The Late Show with Stephen Colbert weeknights at 11:35 PM ET/10:35 PM CT. Only on CBS. Get the CBS app for iPhone & iPad! Click HERE: http://bit.ly/12rLxge Get new episodes of shows you love across devices the next day, stream live TV, and watch full seasons of CBS fan favorites anytime, anywhere with CBS All Access. Try it free! http://bit.ly/1OQA29B --- The Late Show with Stephen Colbert is the premier late night talk show on CBS, airing at 11:35pm EST, streaming online via CBS All Access, and delivered to the International Space Station on a USB drive taped to a weather balloon. Every night, viewers can expect: Comedy, humor, funny moments, witty interviews, celebrities, famous people, movie stars, bits, humorous celebrities doing bits, funny celebs, big group photos of every star from Hollywood, even the reclusive ones, plus also jokes.

[paulasanimationba3]

Building a Story

Premise-introduces the character and the conflict

Theme- lesson that the character and the audience learn as the film progresses.

Who is your character? What does he want? Why can’t he get it? What is at stake? 

Where are we? When does it take place?

Who is the story about? How does that character arc? What else do you need to know?

Endings and Beginnings

Theme or meaning of the piece directs the resolution. The theme is realized in the crisis of a story. This is where your character makes a discovery, learns a lesson and/ or makes a choice. Whatever your character learns or discovers communicates the theme of the film. The decision he makes, how he chooses to act against opposition, determines the ending.

Building Conflict: The journey of the character

Between your inciting moment and your pivot, climax or crisis we have what Brian McDonald calls ritual pain. This where the character goes through enough challenges and pitfalls to allow them to make their discovery and change.

In the short, are compounded conflicts. A compounded conflict is a single problem that builds layers upon itself through similar or related events.  

Increasing intensity refers to raising the magnitude of the problem in a specific way, some of these ways are:

Physical Obstacle

Physical jeopardy 

Mental Jeopardy 

Amount of Activity

Expenditure of Energy

Acquisition or depletion of strength

Competition

Degree of completion 

Volume or quantity of the problem or obstacle  

The character in Conflict 

The plot is driven not by the action required by the conflict, but by the reaction of the character to the problem. Depending on whom your character is, they will react to problem in 4 ways:

1. Physically

2.Emotionally

3. Strategically 

4. Critically

The character will attempt to resolve the conflict in these ways:

Avoiding

Preventing 

Controlling 

Negotiating

Attacking

Emotional changes are known as character arc. Every character at every point of story is thinking or feeling something, this is internal monologue. Internal monologue will determine the reaction to conflict

references

Sullivan, K., Schumer, G. and Alexander, K. (2012) Ideas for the animated short : finding and building stories.