#technically I think most of these pics are of Washington

[chloepleasestopdying]

Who could have imagined that the state of Oregon gave Life is Strange vibes pretty much immediately 

[rainbowsandcoconut]

Just Saw you like getting questions, so here goes. A followup on the travel favorites. You mentioned it was difficult to narrow down. Would a top ten be easier? I always look for new inspiration LOTR being your first fandom but have you ever been into something no one else understood? 😊

HIIII! 💕 This totally made my night. I am honestly so surprised anyone would care enough to send me an ask, this is so sweet 🥰 Anyone wanting to talk or ask anything should absolutely feel free, I’d love it!

I’m gonna start with the last question since the travel one will definitely be longer 😊

I’ve been into a lot of things no one in real life understood haha. Like Supernatural back during seasons 1-3 ish when I was obsessed and my friends would get tired of me talking about it all the time (thank god for LiveJournal), or cycling (road and track) that I got super into watching one summer and ended up going all over the country to see races and do some photography for, for a few years.

Now traveling. Oh man, you’re really making me miss the days where travel was allowed and where I could afford it lol. Thanks for this question though, it’s really put me in a good mood to remember some of my trips, I hope these don’t disappoint. In case anyone hasn’t seen 3 of my fave travel memories, they’re over here. And now I’m going to spam you all with 10 more of my fave memories from trips. I had to try to go with ones I could find my pics from and I mostly managed, apart from Norway, so here we go:

1. Flying an airplane in Wanaka, New Zealand 🛩 

I got to actually fly a plane! It only fit 2 people (and a cat) and I feel like I was allowed to do waaay too much, likely because it was my instructor’s first time taking someone inexperienced up so he let me do most of take off and also fly most of the trip, and then he even offered to talk me through landing it but I’m not insane so he ended up doing that part on his own. It was super freaking cool, and the view was absolutely breathtaking.

2. Seeing the Northern Lights, Tromsø, Norway

My best friend did her master’s in Tromsø so I went to visit her for a week in November 2018. I was a bit worried it was too early in the season to see the Northern Lights but one night the whole sky was full of dancing green light! We went up the top of a mountain and stayed there until we couldn’t stand the cold any longer, and it was just an incredible night. I didn’t manage to get any good photos with my phone so I just stole this off Google but it’s pretty accurate

3. Meeting Rachel Bloom in NYC last year

Crazy Ex-Girlfriend is one of my favourite shows, and it’s really meant a lot to me. Yes, it’s a comedy with musical numbers but it also portrays struggles with mental health more realistically than any other show I’ve seen and that’s something I’ve really both needed and appreciated. Rachel is a comedic genius, and her show has helped me through a few tough times, so being able to not only see CXG live at Radio City Music Hall but also get to talk to Rachel after the show made it an incredible night.

4. Watching the sun rise over Angkor Wat, Cambodia

The history of the Angkor temples is so fascinating, and I managed to get myself up early enough to see the sun rise over Angkor Wat several times. For anyone who may want to go, my advice would be to not elbow your way to the front of the lake, but stand a bit further back while the majority of the tourists scramble to get a good spot. About 90% of them will disappear into the temple once the sun has offically risen and it’s gotten light out, but you want to stay by the lake. The sun takes longer than you think to actually rise above the temple, and by the time it gets there, most people will have left and the area will be much quieter and more peaceful and will give you a chance to really take in the sunrise. Each time I kept thinking maybe the sun wasn’t super bright or the clouds would cover it some because it seemingly took so long, but staying is absolutely worth it.

5. Early morning Alms Giving in Luang Prabang, Laos

This almost felt like a moment I wasn’t supposed to see but the owner of the guest house I was staying at assured me I was fine to watch. I wasn’t staying in the center of the city, and I was the only tourist out to watch the long procession in this neighbourhood which made the experience feel extra special and authentic as opposed to how crowded I’ve heard it can sometimes be in the city center.

6. Going to Lawrence, Kansas in 2009

Seeing as I mentioned being very into SPN above, I’ll include my trip to Lawrence, Kansas on this list. I went solely because my friend and I thought it’d be funny to do so because of its connection to Supernatural. We got invited to lunch by the owner of a souvenir shop who was delighted to hear I was from Denmark because her husband had a friend whose dad had once been. We stayed in Kansas City, and I got lost on my way back from the post office one day. An older lady in a car stopped by the streetlight I was at and offered me a ride back to my hotel which I gratefully accepted, only I started to rethink that decision once I realized that the footwell of her car was so full of bibles, I had to step on them, and the passenger door could not be opened from the inside. Obviously I realized this after I was in the car but while I was somewhat freaked out, I still agreed with her that us going past the McDonalds Drive Thru before my hotel was a good idea so her and I could get to know each other a bit... I was way too trusting back then but hey, I didn’t die so yay?

7. Driving a moped for the first time on Phu Quoc, Vietnam

I don’t have a license for any kind of vehicle and I have never driven any either (apart from a car twice on completely deserted, straight roads) but the owners of the hostel I was staying at insisted it was the best way to get around the island. Once of them tried to show me how it worked on her own moped, then let me try for a couple of minutes and then declared that she’d rent me one for the next day even though she was too afraid to sit on the back while I was practising because my accelerating and breaking were super abrupt. So the next day off I went. I drove into a tree and a sign in the street, got a lot of concerned looks, and I probably broke any and all traffic laws but I had such a fun time and I got to see some incredibly beautiful beaches that I don’t know how I could’ve gotten to without the moped. Important note for anyone doing this: remember sun cream! I sadly don’t have any photos of the moped, but I did take this photo of one of the beaches I visited:

8. Going to Obama’s first inauguration in January 2009 in Washington DC

I’ve always been into American politics and that interest peaked around 2008, so just in time to watch Obama get elected, and I knew I had to try to go to DC when I started planning my first ever US trip for 2009. I didn’t manage to get onto The Mall as I only made my way downtown around 6 am but I got a spot on Pennsylvania Avenue for the parade. I have never been so cold in my entire life but I’ve also never experienced the kind of euphoria and excitement from a crowd that I did that day. There truly was a feeling of hope for a real change, and I talked to the absolutely friendliest, kindest people while we waited. Plus I got to see Barack and Michelle Obama wave at me (in my direction anyway) as they were walking down Penn Ave which I’ll forever remember.

9. Going to Kangaroo Island, Australia

I love kangaroos. So much. I will never get over how cool they are. And I got to bottle feed joeys (baby kangaroos) on this island, as well as pet a bunch of tame adult ones, and see sooo many wild ones. Plus I got to see lots of koalas and other wildlife, as well as the beauty of the island. My friend did technically hit a kangaroo (or wallaby) when we were driving after dark but she’s Australian and didn’t take it quite as hard as I did.

10. Seeing the Colosseum in Rome, Italy

I’ve just always loved this building. And seeing it in real life did not disappoint.

[soundsof71]

TURN IT UP! Joe Walsh with The James Gang, “Walk Away”, 1971

The James Gang was one of those bands that hit so much harder live than on their studio records that it’s almost impossible to believe that they’re the same guys. Their two 1971 albums offer the perfect contrast, Thirds (from whence comes this glorious single), and James Gang In Concert, recorded in May 1971 at Carnegie Hall and released later that year.

I’m surprised the hall was still standing when they were done. It’s the loudest slab of vinyl I’ve ever put on a turntable -- even with the volume turned all the way down, the racket coming straight out of the needle scraping through the grooves unamplified was flat out unbelievable. Very much in keeping with the ethos proclaimed in the liner notes of the previous year’s James Gang Rides Again, “Made Loud To Be Played Loud.”

This performance from Germany’s Beat Club, first aired July 24, 1971, somewhat splits the difference between the civilized, if still loud, studio band, and the utter savages (in a good way!) of James Gang on stage. Surely you’ve already pressed play, and heard Joe Walsh absolutely ROAR into this thing. If all you know of him is what you’ve heard on the radio or with the Eagles, you’re in for an eye-opening, and ear-opening delight.

I had once thought of this song as a pleasant bit of science fiction. The MAN in the song is the one who wants to talk about his feelings and where the relationship is going, while “you just turn your pretty head and walk away.” Riiiight. Because that’s how men are. Just won’t shut up about relationships.  ‾\_(ツ)_/‾

Well, maybe Joe really IS that way, because the song sounds pretty damn persuasive, and other than being a little condescending, it’s not especially mean, which automatically sets him above most men of the day.

(1971 was the first great year for a wide swath women artists in classic rock, but women as a lot were alas still not faring well at the hands of male writers. Still aren’t, either, which is a story for another day.)

I actually started rethinking this song when I read what Stevie Nicks had to say about Joe Walsh, who she describes as "the great, great love of my life.”

She said of their breakup: “It nearly killed me. We had to break up or we thought we’d die. We were just too excessive. We were busy superstars and we were doing way too much drugs. We were really, seriously drug addicts. We were a couple on the way to hell. 

But there was no closure. It took me years to get over it — if I ever did. It’s very sad but at least we survived. 

He was the one I would have married, and that I would probably have changed my life around for a little bit, anyway. Not a lot. 

[my note: the fact that she concedes that she’d have changed only a little bit, and only “probably”, suggests that she’s maybe not exaggerating the rest.] 

There was no other man for me. I look back at all the men in my life, and there was only one that I can honestly say I could truly have lived with every day for the rest of my life, because there was respect and we loved to do the same things. I was very content with him all the time. That’s only happened once in my life. 

This man, if he’d asked me to marry him, I would have. There was nothing more important than Joe Walsh — not my music, not my songs, not anything. He was the great, great love of my life.” (more here)

So on top of being better at relationships and rocking harder than you might have thought, he’s also a terrific technical guitarist, and a hilarious storyteller. I heard him tell a story on the radio in 1988 or so, involving him and George Harrison, that I’ve never seen documented, but I dropped everything I was doing to listen. 

I even remember exactly where I was -- in the back room of the bookstore I managed in Washington, DC, way past time to go home, but I didn’t want to miss the end of the story during the long walk to my car.

This is paraphrased, but it’s pretty damn close. I started telling this story to everyone within earshot right away, and you’ll get why. 

(btw, I don’t have a picture of Joe and George together, although they shared a stage a time or two. There are quite a few pictures of Joe and Ringo, though -- not only did Joe play in some editions of Ringo’s All-Star Band, they’re married to sisters! Marjorie and Barbara Bach, so yeah, they’re brothers in law.)

Anyway, Joe said that the one piece of advice he gives every guitarist trying to learn the instrument, “Learn to play every song The Beatles ever did, and sound exactly like they did. Doesn’t matter if you hate The Beatles or don’t want to sound anything like them when you’re done, but once you can play everything they played, exactly the way they sounded, you can do anything that it’s possible to do on a guitar.”

Well, there was one song that was vexing him, the very last one that he still couldn’t figure out -- “And Your Bird Can Sing” from Revolver. When he finally got it, he was beside himself. He called up George Harrison to make sure he was home (both fellas were living in Los Angeles at the time), said, “Stay there, I got something you gotta hear!” 

He packed up his amps and his guitar, drove over to George’s house, and started setting up. “What is it?” asked George. “Just wait,” replied Joe, and kept setting up. 

When Joe finally unleashed a note-perfect “And Your Bird Can Sing”, George fell out of his chair laughing. “How the hell did you do that?” “Well, it took me long enough to figure out,” Joe said, “so I was going to ask YOU how YOU did it.”

George said, “The way *I* did it was John and me playing in unison, and then double-tracked! I can’t figure out how you did it by yourself, even though I just saw you do it!” 

Well, Joe was left feeling pretty good about himself, managing to sound like the equivalent of four Beatles guitarists all by himself, if a little exasperated to have spent so much time figuring out something that he should have known better than to try -- but he did it anyway. THAT’s Joe Walsh for ya.

I hope you’ve already hit play AGAIN on that blistering take on 1971′s “Walk Away” up top, because Joe really was killing it that year. There’s more to him than you probably think, too, so if you’re into the heavy guitar thing, you should definitely do some exploring.

Led Zeppelin fans in particular, I’m looking at you. Joe and Jimmy were friends from Jimmy’s days in The Yardbirds, and it was Joe who said, man, you’ve gotta quit monkeying around with that Telecaster. When you’re ready to rock, switch to a Les Paul -- and indeed, Jimmy bought his first Les Paul (known as “#1″) from Joe in 1969, for $1200, which Joe says he flew out to hand-deliver to Jimmy. Says Jimmy, “Joe brought it for me when we played the Fillmore. He insisted I buy it, and he was right."

(btw, nifty pic from Joe’s Twitter feed of him and Jimmy hanging out after LZ’s February 12 show at The Garden in 1975!)

I wouldn’t want to say that Led Zeppelin’s approach to live jamming was necessarily influenced by James Gang, but I’m saying that they were similar and Joe got there first. LOL And seriously, if you dig live Zeppelin, you NEED to know more about live James Gang and early solo Joe.

(More details about #1 than anyone but a gearhead would want here, here, here, and here, but hey, maybe you’re a gearhead!)

To give you a head start for exploring more James Gang and early solo Joe, I’ll add one more video, from 1972, “Turn To Stone” featuring Fanny’s Jean Millington on bass absolutely slaying dragons on this monster. As Joe told Rolling Stone,

"Turn to Stone" was written about the Nixon administration and the Vietnam War and the protesting that was going on and all of that. It's a song about frustration. Also, I attended Kent State. I was at the shootings. That fueled it, too. In those days it felt like the government's priority was not the population. They had an agenda that was about something other than doing what was necessarily good for the country.

A few years later [in 1980], I decided to run for president myself. [Ed. Note: Walsh pledged to make "Life's Been Good" the new national anthem.] I thought it'd be a great idea and I had fun with it. And the reason I did it is because there was, and there continues to be, a very apathetic attitude toward voting. There's a total separation between the federal government and the people. So running for president was an attempt on my part to get people to care enough to go vote. But people just don't bother. And that's why it's not working.

TURN IT UP!

Oh what the heck, and one more from July 20 1971, from the French TV show Pop2, “The Bomber” (from 1970′s Rides Again) which includes a quick little nod to “Beck’s Bolero” along the way.  (Well, technically I suppose, Ravel’s “Bolero”, and indeed, Ravel’s estate made them remove the reference from initial pressings of the album!)

And another note for LZ fans: Joe does some crazy stuff with his bare hands at around 2:30-3:30 going into “Bolero” that Jimmy did with a violin bow. THAT’s Joe Walsh for ya.

TURN IT UP!

[iamtheroger]

Sheer Heart Attack Tour of the USA

Back in the days Queen tours weren’t run as smoothly as in the 80s. It was after this tour Queen really set about building their own crew and everything else became more professional as well. Not the case yet, and with some other unforeseen circumstances thrown into the mix, this tour was quite an interesting ride.

5 Feb 1975 - Columbus, Ohio: Not much of note happened as far as I can tell.

6 Feb 1975 - Cincinnati, Ohio: This one got cancelled because the venue was deemed unsuitable for Queen. The 30 people or so that were there did get to see the support act (Mahogany Rush) for free! There’s more to it, but I’ll get to that soon.

7 Feb 1975 - Dayton, Ohio: Not much known here.

8 Feb 1975 - Cleveland, Ohio: The first of several double gigs were Queen played two gigs on the same day. These kind of shows would tear Freddie’s voice apart so on subsequent tours they didn’t happen anymore.

9 Feb 1975 - South Bend, Indiana: As you can tell, the 6th concert in 5 days, which is very taxing on both band and roadies. Nowadays you won’t see more than two or three shows in a row.

10 Feb 1975 - Detroit, Michigan: 2nd cancelled concert this tour, unsuprisingly after doing so many in a row due to illness of one the band members (I think it was Brian). Kansas (the support act for most of the tour) played one song and then got booed of stage and that was it.

11 Feb 1975 - Toledo, Ohio: Still no day off. Apparently this concert was played to a whopping audience of 200 people! Not the first, last or only time those days Queen concerts didn’t sell very well, especially in an area where their music perhaps wasn’t played very much on the radio.

12 Feb 1975 - Cincinnati, Ohio: Apparently the earlier mentioned Cincinnati concert ended up being re-scheduled to what must have been this day. Not confirmed, but it does seem like that if you go by the stories. Of course, on such short notice not many had bought a ticket so it’s curious why they would have chosen to do that.

13 Feb 1975 - First real day off

14 Feb 1975 - Waterbury, Connecticut - Valentine's concert :P

15 Feb 1975 - Double gig in Boston. Apart three attempts, they finally get to play there! There was a party afterwards and there’s an article about that here: x

16 Feb 1975 - Double gig in New York. Four gigs in two days! The intended support act (Mahogany Rush again) couldn’t make it in time for the first gig, so they got some random young folk singer (John Quarn) to open for them for some reason 😅 It was a bit odd, apparently. Here’s an interesting article: x and above’s the poster from Queenconcerts.

17 Feb 1975 - Trenton, New Jersey. Dunno, it happened.

18 Feb 1975 - Day off. They went clubbing in New York apparently.

19 Feb 1975 - Lewiston, Maine. As happened in the gold ol’ days the fans ended up trashing the place. The local upstanding citizens weren’t happy about it... A photo can be found at the end. Read more here: x

20 Feb 1975 - Another day off

21 Feb 1975 - Passaic, New Jersey. Fucking Argent! They opened for Queen, got a technical problem that delayed the concert for hours, then dared to come back for an encore after being booed throughout. Queen only started playing 1 AM and finished at 2:30 AM! For the few young fans this wouldn’t have made their parents very happy. The theatre they played in was used as a porn theatre during the day btw 😁 

22 Feb 1975 - Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Ah, the famous Cow Shed in Harrisburg (dubbed the ‘State Farm Show Arena’), known for the venue were Brian May was drunk on stage after drinking with Joe Perry. You know what I’m talking about. Not a very glamorous place and dirty as well.

23 Feb 1975 - Double gig in Philly. The pic below is from the many radio interviews they did pre-gig in those days. This one’s at Radio Philadelphia 106.5 FM. Roger looks soft and cuddly. Freddie’s voice is gone by now, he would see a specialist tomorrow.

24 Feb 1975 - Washington, D.C. Freddie saw a specialist this day, who recommended him to rest his voice for three months because of nodules. This gig still needed to be played however and Freddie almost ended up missing it after being stuck in Baltimore because the train wouldn’t go any further and other means of transport weren’t available. He almost made it in time though, so the concert was only slightly delayed.

25 Feb 1975 - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Freddie sees another specialist, who only suggests a couple of weeks off (he thinks it’s just swelling, the first one was right). Not wanting to cancel half the tour again, the band only cancels a week of concerts, risking Freddie’s voice in the process. This was probably that week Roger spent wasted in a hotel room with Steven Tyler of Aerosmith as what else would he have done?

26 Feb 1975 - Kutztown, Pennsylvania. I find the name of this town quite funny, but you’ll have to be Dutch for that (it would basically mean Shit Town here).

27 Feb 1975 - Buffalo, New York

28 Feb 1975 - Toronto, Canada

1 Mar 1975 - Kitchener, Canada

2 Mar 1975 - London, Canada. It’s twice in a row cancellation for the fans in London and Toronto. Bad luck for them, Queen would never come to London in the end (unlike Toronto of course).

3 Mar 1975 - This was a day off already.

4 Mar 1975 - Davenport, Iowa.

5 Mar 1975 - La Crosse, Wisconsin. First concert in a week.

6 Mar 1975 - Madison, Wisconsin. This concert Queen played as a support act for REO Speedwagon, probably because the venue was too big for Queen to sell out at this point (most Queen gigs on this tour were played in venues up to 3000, but this gig had an audience of 8500).

7 Mar 1975 - Milwaukee, Wisconsin. For a comparison, this gig sold out, but was only played in a 1700 capacity venue.

8 Mar 1975 - Chicago, Illinois. Another sold-out show. Queen’s fortunes seem to have turned a bit.

9 Mar 1975 - St Louis, Missouri. No idea.

10 Mar 1975 - Fort Wayne, Indiana. Idem dito.

11 Mar 1975 - Another day off after playing 6 days in a row.

12 Mar 1975 - Atlanta, Georgia. Little is known.

13 Mar 1975 - Charleston, South Carolina. There are in the south by now, a place that took a bit longer to warm up to Queen and the first to drop them in the 80s.

14 Mar 1975 - Day off, marks the first time they’ve been in Miami.

15 Mar 1975 - Miami, Florida. Outdoor concert, got cancelled due to rain and rescheduled to the 17th.

16 Mar 1975 - Day off.

17 Mar 1975 - Miami, Florida. The rescheduled concert. Quite neat they managed to reschedule it on such a short notice.

18 Mar 1975 - New Orleans, Louisiana. One of their favourite places. The concert didn’t take place in NOLA itself, but in some town called St Bernard, on the outskirts. During the 70s would frequently play in small towns in the outskirts of big cities.

19 Mar 1975 - Day off, spend in NOLA probably.

20 Mar 1975 - San Antonio, Texas. You can find an interestin fan story from this gig here: x. The place wasn’t very full during the concert. There was a Texan band opening for them, which could have both helped and harmed them in connecting with the audience.

21 Mar 1975 - Day off. By this point in the tour day offs were more frequent as the distances between gigs were getting bigger.

22 Mar 1975 - Dallas, Texas. Another concert that wasn’t sold out, evens at 2400 capacity. However, this fan got to meet the band as he went to the soundcheck: x. Read it! It shows the differences between the 70s and now at concerts really well.

23 Mar 1975 - Day off. This was originally the date of the Dallas gig.

24 Mar 1975 - Another day off.

25 Mar 1975 - Tulsa, Oklahoma. Not the first place you’d expect Queen to play.

26/27/28 Mar 1975 - All days off. On the 27th they went to see Led Zeppelin at the Forum, a place they would often play later on. This was the first time they were in LA. The band would also play spontaneously at the famous Rainbow Bar, which really impressed Roger at that point in time.

29 Mar 1975 - Santa Monica, California, double gig. For now though they were playing the smaller venues. This is the gig Deaky split his trousers. Article here: x

30 Mar 1975 - San Francisco. Initially to be played on the 28th.

1 Apr 1975 - Day off.

2 Apr 1975 - Edmonton, Canada. A really popular sold-out gig at 5000. Played at a sport centre.

3 Apr 1975 - Calgary, Canada. Just another gig.

4 Apr 1975 - Day off.

5 Apr 1975 - Vancouver, Canada. With the Japan Tour ahead some more gigs get cancelled to save Freddie’s voice. In total 12 concerts would be cancelled during the whole tour, the most after the previous tour.

6 Apr 1975 - Seattle, Washington. The last concert of this tour. Queen and Kansas would do an extensive set together (maybe not the best idea for Freddie, but he survived!)

7 Apr 1975 - Portland, Oregon. Cancelled. The band would go off to Hawaii instead for a short family holiday.

Thanks to Queenlive & Queenconcerts. I hope anyone likes it!

[goodnightkisseu]

Tag Game~

I was tagged by @prettywordsyouleft on my main, ongsung, and by @this-song-thats-only-for-you on here, so I decided to just answer these here :3 Thank you both of you for tagging me <3 Love you both!

The rules are:

1. Tag the person who tagged you

2. Answer the questions.

3. Tag 10 people

Let’s get it started!

•How tall are you?

I’m ~157cm / 5ft 2in. I’m okay with my height, but tbh I look hella short next to all of my friends that are 165cm+ ;___; 

•What color and style is your hair?

I used to dye my hair a lighter burgundy (think Jaejoong during Mirotic) but it became hard to maintain that living in California. The sun is not kind to my hair ;__; So now I go a very dark purple-red. My hair just looks naturally black in most light... until I step into a place with natural sunlight and you can see the purple-red better :3 I’m pretty sure I have pics somewhere...

Style-wise... I’ve had it shoulder length before, and I liked that because it was manageable, but now I keep it long, about chest length with bangs :3

•What color are your eyes?

Brown

•Do you wear glasses?

Much like Chelle, I also have an astigmatism >_< I also didn’t used to like my glasses because I didn’t think I looked good in them ;; I’ve grown to like them tho, only wearing contacts every now and then. Which, honestly, is for the better, because I have such dry eyes that contacts do not help ;A;

•Do you wear braces?

I had braces as a kid. I wasn’t a fan of them, but I don’t have horror stories about them either. 

•What’s your fashion sense?

I... really don’t now how to describe my fashion sense lol. I work in a game studio so there’s really no need to dress up, but I guess I am on the dressier side? I like skirts or skinny jeans with a nice top, all of it under my over-sized work hoodie XD 

•Full name?

Ashley, though I’ve started answering to Ash too :) As a kid, letting kids refer to me as Ash was rough cuz of Pokemon >< And though I love the franchise, I did not really like the Ash Ketchum jokes >< Now that I’m older, Ash is fine. 

•When were you born?

I share a birthday with SuJu’s Eunhyuk :D I’m just 6 years younger than him, so April 4, 1992. 

•Where are you from and where do you live now?

I was originally from a smaller town in Washington State, then I lived on my own in Seattle for 6 years (school and work). Now I’m down in southern California in Irvine, for work :3

•What school do you go to?

I graduated 4 years ago (holy cow it’s been longer than I thought O_O)

•What kind of student are you?

Lolol I was that terrible perfectionist friend OTL Never missed classes, read the assigned reading (which most of the people didn’t in my classes ><), tried to get projects done early. But I also would procrastinate on things that I knew I didn’t need to spend a lot of time on? But I still wanted them to be done well? I was stressed as a college student. How I was a KPop stan and had a pretty good GPA coming out of college was a miracle x.x

•Do you like school?

I like learning. I like doing assignments to enhance my understanding. (Coding assignments were super, super useful! I love them even if the tests often kicked my butt) but I don’t like busy work ><

•Favorite subject?

I took a lot of programming courses cuz I majored in Computer Science. Those courses were a lot of fun, but I think weirdly my favorite class was one on Japanese Plays? That was pretty neat :0

•Favorite TV show?

Most of what I watch is anime or kdramas >< but I do love Doctor Who a lot :D

•Favorite Movie?

So I got asked this question recently and I had to think about it pretty hard. I think the film that takes the title of ‘favorite’ for me is Hero. It came out back in 2002, and it starred Jet Li, Donnie Yen, Tony Leung, Maggie Cheung, Chen Daoming and Zhang Ziyi. It was so beautiful and now I have to go re-watch it ><

•Favorite books?

I loved the Stravaganza series way back when. I only found out like 3 years ago that there were more than the original 3 so I may have to go back and re-read them :3

•Favorite pastime?

I love to write! Most of my freetime is dedicated to that and mobile games. >< I also love to draw, which I haven’t been able to do in a while >< Maybe soon...

•Do you have any regrets?

A handful. I will only go into depth if people want to know, lol. Nothing is serious. Just lots of little life things

•Dream job?

So, back when I was about 9 or 10, I picked up Final Fantasy X. I loved the game and the art so much that all I wanted to do was be a concept artist for games. Admittedly, I don’t have the talent of a concept artist, even though I do love to draw. I do work in the game industry now but in a slightly more technical sense. ^^ There was also a time I wanted to be a writer... but honestly... none of my stuff is publishing worthy lolol

•Would you ever like to be married?

I’d like to, but I haven’t met anyone yet. Plus, given how old everyone is at this game studio, I probably won’t find anyone here ><””

•Would you like to have kids?

Eventually?

•How many?

One or two. 

•Do you like shopping?

Yes and no. There are times when all I want to do is look for cute clothes. And then there are times when I just... don’t want to, lol.

•What countries have you visited?

Canada, Vietnam, Thailand, and the inside of an airport in Hong Kong and in Incheon when my family still traveled XD

•Scariest nightmare you have ever had?

Lately I’ve been getting a lot of like... assassin/fighting type of dreams and I’m not having it, yo. I’ve also experienced the teeth falling out dreams, mostly if I’m stressed... which just makes me more stressed OTL

•Any enemies?

Not that I know of ^^’’’’’

•Any significant other?

Maybe some day...

•Do you believe in miracles?

I’d like to :3

•How are you?

I’m alright today. I’m a little exhausted, but happy too! I got a lot of tasks done at work and I’m wrapping up my last fic request. I’m also thinking of drawing one of the girls from the new mobile game I started. So overall things are looking up! :D I could probably use with a bit more sleep tho ><

I’ll tag @romeongs, @jinyoungmoans, @xiaojuxiyou and anyone else that wants to do this. I feel like most already have, but you can say I tagged you if you want to give it a go! ^o^

[coarikedspa1977-blog]

No pic, but accepting that my makeup isn't going to look the same at the end of the day unless I cake it on like mad and worry about it throughout the day was a game changing point for me. I've been into a more natural look and when I use the IT Cosmetics CC cream mixed with Maybelline Matte + Poreless my skin looks so effortlessly amazing. My blemishes and unevenness is covered, and somehow my freckles still show through (which I didn't think was possible). That rivalry unfolds most spectacularly over the creation of domes in Ottoman Istanbul the great engineer architect Mimar Sinan builds the light flooded Suleymaniye Mosque, while at the same time 양구출장마사지 in Rome, Michelangelo designed the great dome over the St Peter's Basilica. The fate of the hero artist, seemingly touched by God, with the gift of making visual miracles, henceforth diverged in the east and west. In Europe, as the century turned, artists such as 양구출장마사지 Benvenuto Cellini, with his sculpture of Perseus with the Head of Medusa, could lay claim to sovereignty over the world of art. I'm not versed in plumber jargon, but we had two issues that was contributing to it. The first was both sinks were sharing the same vent stack and since the kitchen sink was above the basement sink, the basement sink was effectively not vented. So they installed an auto vent for the sink and washer in the basement to fix this.. Sure thing! You need a bachelor degree minimum. Doesn have to be in dental hygiene, though. So as long as you have a degree in dental hygiene and a bachelor degree in something, you can participate in research studies. Anyway they all held it and had me go live with my dad. I was excelling in school at the time and all my classes were online so when I asked my Uni if they allow me to finish my studies abroad and they said yes. I asked my dad if he had internet because that was the one thing I needed to agree to this and he said yes. I would advise placing very very harsh content controls (basically only whitelisting approved sites), and then removing all time limits. Let him make the bad decisions with the safety net of content controls, and learn for himself that being constantly entertained isn the answer. Let him learn for himself that addiction to Fortnite isn as fulfilling as non screen activities and spending time with people.. The next day we arrived to the Nashville airport. Ten minutes after we made it to our gate, our flight is delayed by hours. Our lay over in Washington was only 45 minutes long, so we were definitely gonna miss it. If you looking for places to go, check out Frenchman St. One Eyed Jack on Toulouse is also a great spot. I say avoid Bourbon altogether, but some folks really want to see it. Although Jaune my favorite of the three and I love a solo song actually about him; Ren doesn even have a song that can be argued to be his, unlike Jaune and Nora. Even if they songs about other characters, they still technically their songs.If Crwby Jeff don want to dedicate three whole songs to them, maybe a single song about the team collectively might work. That be disappointing, but it would be better than nothing, given that they secondary heroes.Just_Pip 16 points submitted 1 day agoFirstly, I think that Ghira is dead.Secondly, I concur.

[ksj2008]

Some Hamburr prompts

Is that how you call it? Prompts?

I have two, probably going to write them out eventually before my love towards Hamilton fades (which probably won't happen for a while gg)

1st one

Lawyers modern au.

Washington & Jefferson law firm

Divorced Burr taking care of Theo, one day got phone call that Theo got into fight with another kid. The kid turned out to be Phillip. The two kids fighting over who's dad is the most amazing lawyer in the world. Burr met Hamilton for the first time, irritated by how smart ass and quick witted the person is. (why do you assume you are the smartest in the room?)

The second day, Washington brought his new hire lawyer, turned out to be Hamilton.

Burr:......

Burr and Ham working on same case, a homophobia rich client who Burr kinda need to please so ignored all the offensive comment he made.

Burr is bi, technically, but he cheated with a guy while marrying with Theodosia. Theodosia was furious and divorce right away. Because her job requires her constantly working overseas in different countries, she didn't get the custody of Theo. It's been 4 years now they are good friend ish. Mutual custody over Theo.

Anyway, Burr got frustrated with the client and decided to go to a bar and have some fun. He ran into one of his previous friend with benefit and when they were having some intimacy outside of the bar in back alley, Hamilton showed up from another bar with his friends and saw Burr with this teenage looking kid (the guy is 26 but he looks like a teenage kid) and Ham punched Burr in the face.

Second morning Ham apologize to Burr, Burr ignores him.

Then ham decided to be friend with Burr, he felt bad, and also Burr is really smart and they sometimes really click.

Then one day client being homophobia again and wanted to fire burr because he discovered burr is bi. Ham got mad over the client and almost caused them to lose the client.

Burr: dafaq, can you mind your own business.

Ham: I never understand you, how can you let that guy talk shit to you like that? Love is love is love is love, nothing is wrong with being in love with the person you truly love.

Burr: you fucking serious.

And Burr kissed Ham.

Burr: now you want to say I can love whoever I want?

Ham:.......

And Ham run away.

He then messaged Burr saying that he is recently widowed and he can't really accept anyone to his life yet and he does not have feeling for Burr that exceeds friendship.

Burr : challenge accepted.

Anyway some fluff office romance where Washington really feeling awkward that 4 of his lawyers are in office romance under his eyes (yes jeffmads) but Martha talked him out from worrying about this.

And some angst with Ham's past and Angelica is furious with Ham.

2nd

Police detective Ham and CIA undercover Burr.

They met on scene. Ham caught Burr and took him to precinct.

I want to write ties tied to Leslie's writs that's why.

Anyway, Washington told Ham that's an undercover CIA agent and ordered ham and burr working together.

Jefferson be like :LOL

Burr and Ham not really working well. Ham got caught by this drug lord or whatever crime association burr is undercover in. Burr took over the interrogation role and tortured ham. Ham is like : dafaq why are you so serious with your role!?

Burr:.....

Burr already took easy on ham he did much worse when he was in CIA but ham never got interrogated before so he didn't know.

Anyway, laurens and others rescued ham out, and Ham shot burr for a payback.

Laurens told Ham that burr planned all the escape and stuff, he also know that ham is going to shoot him so everything worked out, the boss is going to trust him even more.

Ham was a bit angry. At himself for not realizing burrs intention and for not trusting burr. Laurens suggest he apologize after burr come back.

Burr came back after the mission is over and stayed in the hospital for about 1 month. Ham went visiting and taking care of burr while he's still recover from two gun wounds (one from the criminals and one from ham)

Ham listened to jefferson and bought a tie for Burr for recovery gift and gesture of friendship.

Burr:....... (did no one tell this kid that tie means he wants me to wear it and take it off by himself... Like sex intention??)

Jefferson: heehee

Burr and Ham still argues and not really working well. But eventually they got along, and burr actually wants to ask ham out for dinner.

I want to introduce Burr's twin brother, Peter Collier form Person of Interest!

Collier : my twin brother my other half of the soul join me for vigilance!

Burr:.... Interesting

So burr asked ham for dinner, they actually had really good time. Ham sneaked a pic of burr while he was ordering wine cuz he looked so sexy.

Later they walked home and burr kissed Ham's cheek for goodbye. Ham started thinking of the next date.

The next morning he got a news that burr is committed treason and ran away with Peter collier the infamous terrorist.

Ham: dafaq

Some really dramatic gun fights.

Burr got boring with colliers work. He has no principals and he doesn't see a difference between what collier is doing and what cia is doing. And he misses hamilton.

Collier doesn't like his twin brothers thought, so he went to meet ham dressed up as burr. He wants to see how ham thinks of burr.

Didn't really get answer because ham wanted to arrest him and begs him to turn himself in.

Burr asked his brother: how bored are you. And keep the fuck away from ham.

Anyway, more dramatic gun fights, collier shot ham, ham went to hospital. Collier locked burr away (Romeo and Juliette hahaha). Burr is worried sick of how ham is so he decided to self escape. And he succeeded. He's a cia after all.

Burr went to hospital and saw ham recovering well. Then he learned that ham lost his memory.

Burr thought for a bit and betrayed his brother and turned himself in. He went to jail.

Ham still works as police detective because Washington really can't find anyone better than him with his animal instincts and logics and deductions.

Madison constantly calls burr and give him information about ham.

(since when did you guys become BFF? Jefferson is confused)

Ham started recovering his memory and he got his phone back and saw that there's a photo of a guy, really hot guy, definitely his type of guy, in the album. He wonders who that person is. Then he saw the news that Peter collier got caught, and he was like : dafaq

Jefferson being jefferson: yeah you dated a terrorist

Madison kicked jefferson to shut him up.

And Madison told Ham to go visit burr in jail.

Ham went, Burr is nervous af

They sat down across the table. Ham stared at burr. Burr doesn't talk because usually ham does the talking.

Then when time is almost up, ham asked burr: I think you still owe me a date right?

Burr almost cried.

Then he realized that he had been so scared that he will never have ham ever again.

He took a min to calm down then said : yeah I do. You pick the place.

Ham: okie

And Burr decided to get a lawyer and sign some agreement to get himself out of the prison asap.

Man I love Hamburr.

[keywestlou]

DEATH ROW MURDERERS WILL GET STIMULUS CHECKS

This morning a first. I am back to doing a normal blog. My first Greece trip has ended.

I enjoyed sharing the trip with you. Hopefully you enjoyed reading it. I received many favorable comments, except for one. A snowbird good friend. He was unhappy. He had followed it day by day 9 years ago and was bored with the repetition.

I returned to Greece the next year. I plan later this year in doing that trip. If any of you think you would not enjoy it, speak now or forever hold your peace.

I took about 600 photos of the trip. Never posted them. Sloan and I have been working on how to set them up, etc. In a week or two I will begin posting. Once a week. Eight to ten pics with some brief identifying information below. And not all 600. Not even close.

The reason I opted to run the first Greece trip again was because there was little to write about. Before coronavirus, I was out and about most evenings. There was much to report.

However, the virus has kept me self quarantined for more than a year now. Key West residents and visitors not available to me. Nor the Chart Room or any other bar.

Prior to the virus, I rarely wrote about politics and world happenings. Without Key West available, I was forced to write about those 2 areas.

An interesting observation. My readers have doubled with the changeover primarily to politics. I plan on mixing Key West and politics as soon as I am out again. I hope the new readers stay with me.

My second shot is March 27. I am told I should remain in self quarantine for another 2-3 weeks. Then ok to go out. However must wear a mask.

I can live with it.

An article in Newsmax 3/7 reported death row murderers would receive stimulus checks. Doesn’t sound right. However politics being what it is, you never know.

Senator Tom Cotton (R-Ark) was interviewed by Newsmax and shared the information.

Before my sharing it with you, let me make one thing clear. I fear Cotton and those of his breed. He is a far righter. Even worse a favorite of the moneyed Republicans we never hear about. He and his friends want him to run for Presidnet in 2024.

He is of the same ilk of Senator Hawley. Birds of a feather.

One thing that has been bothering me the past couple of years is that many of the new Republican faces are Harvard or Yale law graduates. These people receive the finest legal educations which for some reason I cannot fathom sets them off on a path even beyond Trump.

Cotton provided the following examples of death row murderers to receive stimulus checks.

Dylan Roof murdered 9 people. He is on federal death row.

The Boston Bomber Dzhokhor Tsarnaev who murdered 3 people and terrorized a city.

Aaron Shamo was sentenced to life for selling 1 million fentanyl-laced fake oxycodone pills to unsuspecting buyers.

What is the justification for providing death row murderers and those sentenced to life with the stimulus? For commissary use buying cigarettes, soda pop, and candy?

Florida COVID-19 vaccine shots chaos. Distribution still sucks in Florida.

A woman in Florida City stood in line for 5 hours with her 6 month baby and when reached was turned away on some technical reason. That same day, the Florida City sites were allowing people without appointments to be vaccinated.

Eligibility requirements were screwed up. Those providing the shots were not aware who could get a shot. Eligibility practiced in an uncertain fashion, and not properly so in most instances.

The Washington Post 3/4 reported living in Texas right now feels like an exercise in survival. Citizens are caught between the power failure and Governor Abbott opening Texas 100 percent beginning wednesday.

My adult life has been governed by the philosophy that every one must have a seat at the economic table. Not just the rich. Rich, middle class, and poor alike. Each must receive the benefits of the American economy. Not however must each earn an equal amount of money.

People must be able to afford to buy things like food, clothing, and shelter.

The U.S. minimum wage for years has been $7.25 an hour. Whether rich or poor, an insufficient amount to live on. I wonder what Senators and Representatives would do if they and their families had to live on $7.25 an hour.

NBC News recently said: “The world has changed.”

In addition to every one having a seat at the table, I have also believed that if not all are and some struggle, there will be revolt in order for people to survive economically. It is the story of history.

Today is International Woman’s Day. Biden will be signing an Executive Order establishing a Gender Policy Council within the White House. Its purpose to support gender equity and Title XI policies.

Equality wise women have risen dramatically over the years. What I have observed in my lifetime alone supports the premise.

The birth control pill had something to do with it. Gave women a sense of equality and protection. The feminist movement in the 1960s and 1970s likewise.

Recall around 1970, the new cigarette Virginia Slims came out directed primarily at female purchasers. Its advertising slogan: You’ve Come A Long Way, Baby!

While I was in law school in the late 1950s, there were only 2 women in my class. Today ladies make up more than half. The same is applicable to medical school graduates.

Female judges abound. Women gradually becoming CEOs of major corporations.

They may have come a long way, the ladies are going to go even further. It’s a new world!

International Woman’s day is not a new event. It was established by Clara Zetkio at an International Woman’s Conference in 1910 in Copenhagen.

My thought process has reached the point where I believe women should basically run the world. Men have for centuries and screwed it up. Let the ladies have a chance. They could not do worse and probably do better.

On this day in 1917, the Russian Revolution began.

International Woman’s Day had something to do with it.

The “February Revolution” as it is called, began over protests celebrating International Woman’s Day and riots in St. Petersburg over food rations and Russia’s involvement in World War I.

I have always found Russian history prior to, during and since 1917 interesting and exciting. Russian movies and novels have contributed to that interest and excitement.

I was fortunate while in college in the mid 1950s to take 2 courses taught by Alexander Kerensky. Kerensky was there in Russia as a prominent figure during the Russian Revolution.

At the beginning, there were 2 Russian factions. The Whites and Reds. The Whites first controlled the government. Not for long. Several months at the most.

Kerensky was the President of the White Bolsheviks. Lenin was a leader of the Red Bolsheviks. Lenin toppled Kerensky. Kerensky had to escape to save his life. He eventually ended up in the U.S.

The contrast between Lenin and Kerensky is interesting also. Probably why Lenin succeeded where Kerensky failed. Lenin came to power promising “peace, land and bread.” At a time Kerensky’s people were selling more efficient government and continued participation in World War I.

What a time in world history!

I live and learn. I seem to make that statement more frequently in recent years.

We all have heard the word misogynist. Represents men strongly prejudicial against women.

How many have heard the word misandrist. Represents hatred of men by women. The word rare. Its meaning I suspect prevalent.

Enjoy your day!

DEATH ROW MURDERERS WILL GET STIMULUS CHECKS was originally published on Key West Lou

[tinyshe]

Gunshots, Motorcycle Deaths Count as COVID Casualties

December 30, 2020

Since COVID-19  was declared a pandemic, families have been separated, businesses have been shuttered and schools have been closed down. Many people are living their lives  shrouded in fear of Sars-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19 — a direct  response to media coverage and health officials’ claims of its dire associated  risks.

Understanding  the real risks, and being able to make choices on how to live your life in  response to them, is only possible, however, if you have real facts, like how  many have died from the virus and what the death rate actually is. Is it a  lethal virus that warrants lockdowns and panic, or is it one more akin to  influenza, which can indeed be deadly but, in most cases, is not?

Early on during  the pandemic, COVID-19 infection mortality rate claims varied from 2.7% to 7%,  with most being in the 4% range. But according to some experts, the actual infection  mortality rate may be much lower, ranging from 0.05% to 1%, with a median of about  0.25%.1

The number of  COVID-19 deaths may also be skewed, as health officials may count deaths from  unrelated causes — even gunshots and motorcycle accidents — as COVID-19 deaths  if the person had the virus within the last 30 days.2

Are COVID-19 Deaths Being Inflated?

In Grand  County, Colorado, five COVID-19 deaths were reported, but according to coroner  Brenda Bock, two of them were actually deaths from gunshot wounds. Speaking to  CBS4 News, Bock spoke out against the misleading classifications, as the deaths  from gunshot wounds were counted as COVID-19 deaths because the victims had  tested positive within 30 days.

The distinction  comes down to some tricky working: deaths “among” COVID-19 cases and deaths  “due to” COVID-19. Someone who died with COVID-19 may be counted as a death  among COVID-19 cases, even if the virus had nothing to do with their death.  When a death is said to be “due to” COVID-19, this is intended when COVID-19  caused or significantly contributed to the death.

According to  the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, even deaths among  COVID-19 cases must be reported to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and  Prevention (CDC):

“This information is required by the CDC and is crucial for  public health surveillance, as it provides more information about disease  transmission and can help identify risk factors among all deaths across  populations.”3

But according  to Bock, the inflated numbers could hurt the region’s economy, which is largely  dependent on tourism:

“It’s  absurd that they would even put that on there. Would you want  to go to a county that has really high death numbers?  Would you want to go visit that county because they are contagious? You know I  might get it, and I could die if all of a sudden one county has a high death  count. We don’t have it, and we don’t need those numbers inflated.”4

Hundreds of ‘COVID-19 Deaths’ Subtracted in Washington

Washington  state was also accused of inflating COVID-19 deaths, by up to 13%. According to  the Freedom Foundation, the state’s Department of Health was counting every  death in a person who had previously tested positive for COVID-19 as related to  the virus.

While the  governor denied the inflation, internal emails revealed in May 2020 that the  Department of Health (DOH) was, in fact, counting deaths in their official COVID  death numbers that weren’t directly due to the virus.5

By December  2020, Washington’s DOH had responded by subtracting more than 200 deaths from  its COVID-19 fatality count after “methodological improvements.” However, a  Freedom Foundation analysis suggests their fatality counts are still too high.  And if this is going on in Washington, it’s likely happening in other states  and countries as well.

According to  the analysis, some of the questionable examples of the DOH’s “COVID-19 deaths”  include the following:6

A 64-year-old male who died of “acute combined fentanyl,    heroin, methamphetamine, and methadone intoxication”

A 65-year-old male who died from “alcoholic liver disease”

A 69-year-old male with Parkinson’s disease and vascular    dementia who died from malnutrition/dehydration after refusing to eat

A 73-year-old female with underlying health conditions who    died after declining treatment for an intestinal abscess

A 75-year-old-male who died following a “pacemaker    infection”

A 99-year-old female who died after losing her balance and    falling while trying to retrieve an item from the top of her dresser

Motorcycle Death Initially Counted as COVID-19 Death

Another  misleading instance occurred in Orlando, Florida, where a man in his 20s who  died in a motorcycle accident was initially counted as a COVID-19 death because  he had tested positive. In a significant stretch, Orange  County health officer Dr. Raul Pino told FOX 35 News, “[Yo]u could actually  argue that it could have been the COVID-19 that caused him to crash."7

That death was  reportedly removed from the official count, but how many others weren’t?  In April 2020, Dr.  Ngozi Ezike, director of the Illinois Department of Public Health, also  detailed the loose case definition being used for COVID-19 deaths:

"If you were in hospice and had  already been given a few weeks to live, and then you also were found to have  COVID, that would be counted as a COVID death. It means technically even if you  died of a clear alternate cause, but you had COVID at the same time, it's still   listed as a COVID death.

So, everyone who's listed as a COVID  death doesn't mean that that was the cause of the death, but they had COVID at  the time of the death."8

Are Total Deaths in 2020 Excessive?

Michael Yeadon, Ph.D., a former vice-president and chief  scientific adviser of the drug company Pfizer and founder and CEO of the  biotech company Ziarco, now owned by Novartis, said in an interview,  "You cannot have a lethal pandemic stalking the land and not have excess  deaths." Yet, excess deaths on the level of a lethal pandemic just aren’t  occurring.

About  1,700 people die each day in the U.K. in any given year, Yeadon says — but many  of these deaths are now falsely attributed to COVID-19. "I'm calling out  the statistics, and even the claim that there is an ongoing pandemic, as  false," he said, noting that the definition of a "coronavirus  death" in the U.K. is anyone who dies, from any cause, within 28 days of a  positive COVID-19 test.

In the U.S.,  it’s a similar story. As of December 22, 2020, the provisional total death  count from all causes, according to the CDC, is 2,835,533.9 For comparison, the total number of deaths from all causes in 2018 was 2,839,20510 while in 2019 it was 2,854,838.11

Some estimates suggested that 2020 deaths may top 3.2  million when all the final figures are added up,12 but how many of those deaths are directly attributable to COVID-19?

According to Yeadon, some of  the slight uptick in deaths being presorted in the U.K. — primarily people aged  45 to 65, with equal distribution between the sexes — are mainly from heart  disease, stroke and cancer, which suggests they are excess deaths caused by   inaccessibility of routine medical care as people are either afraid of or discouraged  from going to the hospital.

These deaths  may be characterized as being COVID related, but that's only because they have  been falsely lumped into that category due to a positive test being recorded  within 28 days of death. In the U.S., other deaths have also increased,  including, according to Robert Anderson of the CDC, “an  unexpected number of deaths from certain types of heart and circulatory  diseases, diabetes and dementia.”13

Drug overdose deaths are also at record numbers. According  to the AP, in late December 2020, “the CDC reported more than 81,000 drug   overdose deaths in the 12 months ending in May, making it the highest number  ever recorded in a one-year period.”14

Flu Deaths Disappear

Another  curiosity in 2020 is what happened to the flu. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control  and Prevention (CDC) tracks influenza (flu) and pneumonia deaths weekly through  the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) Mortality Reporting System.  But, “April 4, 2020 was the last week in-season preliminary burden estimates  were provided,” the CDC wrote on its 2019-2020 U.S. flu season webpage.15

The reason the estimates stopped in April is because flu  cases plummeted so low that they’re hardly worth tracking. In an update posted  December 3, 2020, the CDC stated:

“The  model used to generate influenza in-season preliminary burden estimates uses  current season flu hospitalization data. Reported flu hospitalizations are too low at this time to  generate an estimate.”16

They also added, “The number of hospitalizations estimated  so far this season is lower than end-of-season total hospitalization estimates for any season since CDC began making these estimates.”17 Meanwhile, the  “COVID” deaths the CDC has been reporting are actually a combination of  pneumonia, flu and COVID deaths, under a new category listed as "PIC"  (Pneumonia, Influenza, COVID).

Their COVIDView  webpage, which provides a weekly surveillance summary of U.S. COVID-19  activity, states that levels of SARS-CoV-2 and “associated illnesses” have been  increasing since September 2020, while the percentage of deaths due to  pneumonia, flu and COVID-19 has been on the rise since October.18

As noted by professor William M. Briggs, a statistical  consultant and policy advisor at The Heartland Institute, a free-market think   tank, “CDC, up until about July 2020, counted flu and pneumonia deaths   separately, been doing this forever, then just mysteriously stopped … It’s  become very difficult to tell the difference between these,”19 referring to the combined tracking of deaths from “PIC.”

Selection Bias and Problems With Testing

Dr. Reid Sheftall has also suggested that COVID-19 fatality  rates may be inflated, by about 40 times. In an interview with Ivor Cummins, a biochemical engineer  with a background in medical device engineering,20 he said selection bias was  being used in the counting of cases, and organizations such as the World Health  Organization (WHO) and CDC were drastically undercounting the number of people  who were infected, which inflated the mortality rate.

Sheftall looked  for data in which every case had been counted, ending up with a cruise ship, in  which every person had been tested, and a small town in Germany that had also  tested all residents. “When I crunched the numbers, the infection fatality rate  came out to 0.14%, so I knew … there were some gross errors going on.” Sheftall cited   COVID-19 survival rates by age, posted by the CDC September 10, 2020, which are  as follows:21

 Ages  0 to 19: 99.997%

 Ages  20 to 49: 99.98%

 Ages  50 to 69: 99.5%

 Ages  70 and up: 94.6%

This translates  into a 0.1% infection fatality rate, using the CDC’s own numbers. More  than 224.5 million COVID-19  tests have been conducted in the U.S,22 which includes an unknown number of tests conducted on people with no symptoms.

The costs for such testing could be used for a more  productive purpose, according to Sheftall, particularly for asymptomatic  people. “The whole basis of medicine,” he says, is to  test people with symptoms so you can find out what’s wrong and treat them  accordingly:

“In 2017 to 2018 … between 70 and 80 million people in America got  the flu … nobody noticed for the most part and no one was tested. I'm a doctor  and I vaguely remember that it was a bad flu season. That was it. And yet with  COVID we're testing so many people you wouldn't believe it.”23

What’s  more, positive reverse  transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) tests have proven remarkably  unreliable with high false result rates, and a positive test  does not mean that an active infection is present.

Fear May Be Causing  More Deaths

Taken together,  what’s clear about the COVID-19 fatality rates being reported is that there’s a  lot of room for error and misinterpretation. Solid analysis of any “excess”  deaths being attributed to COVID-19 are needed before policy decisions are  made. When this was done in England in October 2020, deaths were only 1% higher  than expected, and many of them were due to heart disease, stroke and diabetes.

“Notably” fewer  deaths due to respiratory conditions and acute respiratory infections were  found, yet deaths occurring in homes due to non-COVID-causes increased. This  may be another sad outcome of the fear being propagated in relation to  COVID-19. According to the study,

“The  data suggest that mortality has shifted from hospital to home, especially for  deaths not associated with COVID-19. This ‘displacement’ may be due to the  reluctance of individuals to receive treatment in hospital or of clinicians to  admit non-covid patients … Deaths in the home remain persistently high, and yet  they receive little attention.”24

[coffeeandcomposition]

It’s Friday again! Can I level with you guys? This week hasn’t been the greatest. I am struggling with contentment, which is funny because I’m reading a book called Learning Contentment for a women’s study we’re doing at church. I’ve only read chapter one. Maybe that’s my problem. Regardless, Five Things Friday is all about identifying even just a few things that bring joy even in the midst of grouchiness and discontent. Here are this week’s:

1. The 2018 Hater’s Guide to the Oscars

I haven’t actually watched the Oscars in years due to a lack of cable and patience. I tend to catch up in gif form on Tumblr. But friends, this made me laugh out loud on multiple counts. NSFW language and content ahead. In particular, this quote about Dunkirk (which I loved) made me cackle with glee.

And this movie is even better than Darkest Hour because, in Dunkirk, you can’t even tell which British dudes are which! Who’s that one kid who just drowned? Was that the One Direction kid? No wait! I think he’s still alive. He was the one who found a dead body to carry so that he and [unidentifiable other British guy] could get a ride back to England. Or was he? I can’t keep track of any of these limeys. One was wearing a sweater. I think they were all named Nigel. Why did they cast this movie like they were making a Starsailor video? They didn’t even give Tom Hardy a name in this fucking movie. Here we have one of the most technically brilliant war movies ever made, and they forgot to write a fucking screenplay for it.

2. The Commuter Briefcase from Topo Designs

If you follow me on Instagram (which you should) you’ll know that I’m obsessed with my new bag from Topo Designs. I bought it for my daily bus commute but also in the hopes that it would be good for my Ireland trip in April and it is perfect on all counts. It’s sturdy but not bulky, has a neon interior and plenty of pockets, and converts into a backpack. Plus, it’s made in the USA. Now try holding me back from buying everything else on Topo’s site.

3. Natelle Draws Stuff

Here’s a pic from my Snapchat of my new pin from Natelle Draws Stuff on my new Topo bag. Isn’t he sweet? Natelle has a ton of cute and covetable goods on her site.

She has wonderful customer service and was very sweet when we interacted on Instagram. So, in the interest of supporting independent artists who are also nice people, check out her site.

4. The Tenth Anniversary of In the Heights.

It’s the tenth anniversary of one of my very favorite musicals! It might be an unpopular opinion, but I actually might like Heights better than Hamilton. They’re different experiences but on any given day I’d rather listen to Heights all the way through, and I like its female characters better than Hamilton‘s. Also, they’ve just announced that Anthony Ramos (whose debut role on Broadway was Laurens/Philip in Hamilton’s original cast) is now playing Usnavi in ITH in Washington, D.C. and I uhhhh have a lot of emotions about it.

Anyway, if you haven’t listened to In the Heights, treat yo’ self. Blackout is one of the best songs from any musical ever. Thanks, Lin-Manuel Miranda.

https://open.spotify.com/album/3VPHalWocJfe7VfbEW60zg?si=NwhPjfasTNu7TIruQfBhlA

5. This video

Marshall posted this on my Facebook the other day when I told him I was having a not-so-good day and it’s just… perfect. Let’s head into the weekend with this stuck in our heads.

[womenofcolor15]

DEAR CLASS OF 2020: It’s Commencement SZN! The Obamas, Taraji P. Henson, Loni Love & More Step Up To Make It Memorable

Graduation season is here! Unfortunately, grads will not be able to walk across the stage to receive their diplomas. However, celebs are stepping in to make it a memorable 2020 Commencement. Grab your cap and gown and celebrate inside…

It sucks that grade schoolers, professional school grads, high school seniors and college students will not get to experience walking across the stage to celebrate the next step in their lives due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, Facebook, YouTube and other social media platforms have teamed up with celebs to host virtual commencement ceremonies for the history books.

We already told you about Facebook's graduation ceremony that will feature speeches and appearances from Oprah, Lil Nas X and more on May15th. Now, additional commencement ceremonies have been planned to give the Class of 2020 the best commencement ceremony ever considering the circumstances.

Forever president Barack Obama is set to deliver a special speech during the “Show Me Your Walk HBCU Edition” virtual commencement to honor Historically Black Colleges and Universities. The ceremony is scheduled to go down on May 16th at 2pm EST. The event will be hosted by Kevin Hart with special appearances from Steve Harvey, NBA ballers Chris Paul and Vince Carter, legendary actress Debbie Allen, actress Vivica Fox.

Graduates will also be treated to performances by Anthony Hamilton, Wyclef Jean, Omari Hardwick, and other musical guests—as well as a drumline mash-up featuring Doug E. Fresh.

Other participants include Chase Consumer Banking CEO Thasunda Brown Duckett, Ariel Investments Co-CEO and President Mellody Hobson, National Urban League president Marc Morial, and academic leaders from participating HBCUs.

The two-hour commencement will be live-streamed on Chase’s YouTube, Twitter, and LinkedIn channels, as well as HBCU Connect’s Facebook page and Essence Studios on Saturday, May 16th at 2pm EST.

People have been vocal about wanting the Obamas to speak to the graduating class of 2020. And they heard everyone's call.

"Over the past month, President and Mrs. Obama have received dozens of requests from around the globe to address graduating classes whose in-person commencement events have been cancelled due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic," the former president's office said in a statement on Tuesday. "Today, the Obamas are pleased to announce that they will participate in multiple virtual commencement celebrations for students, families and educators."

Forever President O will also deliver a speech for the "Graduate Together" virtual event that will air on ABC, CBS, FOX, and NBC, as well as Facebook, Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube, and other platforms.

Other celeb guests include LeBron James,Yara Shahidi, H.E.R., Lena Waithe, Pharrell Williams, Malala Yousafzai, the Jonas Brothers, Bad Bunny, Megan Rapinoe, and Ben Platt. The ceremony will take place on May 16th at 8pm EST and will air on the networks and social media platforms mentioned.

        View this post on Instagram

                  To the #Classof2020, I know how hard you all have worked to make it to graduation. You’ve put in long hours studying. You’ve thrown yourself into extracurricular activities and after-school jobs. And you’ve done everything you can to be there for your friends through it all. Some of you will be the first in your families to graduate from high school or college, making this occasion all the more special. And I know that none of you imagined you would be closing this chapter of your life through a computer or phone screen. But I still want to make sure you still get the celebration you deserve. That’s why, through my @reachhigher Initiative, I’m working with @youtube Originals to host a special virtual graduation for you on June 6th. Whether you’re graduating from high school, college, or any other kind of school––we want you, your family, and all of your loved ones to be a part of this celebration. And we want to do this right for all of you, so I’ll be inviting some very special guests—including @BarackObama—to help ring in this momentous day. RSVP here bit.ly/RHGraduation and then tune in on June 6th at yt.be/classof2020. #ReachHigher

A post shared by Michelle Obama (@michelleobama) on May 5, 2020 at 8:22am PDT

  President O along with his wife Michelle Obama will be hosting YouTube's virtual "Dear Class of 2020" celebration on June 6th for the class of 2020. Other celebs that will participate include Kerry Washington, Alicia Keys, Lady Gaga, Malala Yousafzai, Sundar Pichai, former Defense Secretary Bob Gates, former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.

The live stream will start at 3pm EST on June 6th.

The "iHeartMedia’s Podcast Commencement: Speeches for the Class of 2020" is set to go down May 15th, which would include speeches from John Legend, Khalid, Pitbull, Hillary Clinton, Jimmy Fallon and more.

Her Campus’ "I’m Still Graduating" event will feature speeches from Teyana Taylor and more.

        View this post on Instagram

                  Technicians! I'm excited to announce that I will be the 2020 Cass Technical High School Virtual Commencement Speaker! I'm so humbled to return to my alma mater. Thxs to Principal Phillips and staff for the invitation! Looking forward #CassTech #DetroitAllDay @casstechalumni

A post shared by Loni Love (@comiclonilove) on May 13, 2020 at 3:46pm PDT

  "The Real" co-host Loni Love announced she'll be delivering the commencement speech for her alma mater, Cass Technical High School, one of Detroit's most prestigious and highest-performing schools. It'll be her very first commencement speech. By the way, Loni went on to become an engineer as well before entering the comedy and hosting game.

The EMMY winner - rocking her Cass Tech t-shirt - proudly shared the news on the show (recorded from home).

"I will be giving a virtual commencement to my alma mater, for my high school, Cass Tech in June. It will be my first commencement speech," she shared.

        View this post on Instagram

                  #tbt

A post shared by taraji p henson (@tarajiphenson) on Mar 12, 2020 at 2:36pm PDT

    Oscar nominated actress Taraji P. Henson will be delivering the commencement speech for Prince George's County Schools "eGraduation Celebration in Maryland" commencement event. The Oxon Hill native will be joined by several celebrities including R&B singer Kenny Lattimore, radio host/comedian Joe Clair, NFL cornerback Joe Haden and local news anchor Taylor Thomas.

The event will be televised locally on Saturday May 30th (via WJLA 24/7) and the following day at noon (via ABC7).

Hold up wait a minute...

  SHOUTOUT TO THIS MEMPHIS XAVERITE! This Xaverite from Memphis couldn’t walk across the stage this past weekend due to the pandemic. Her dad built the graduation stage in the driveway of their Southeast MEMPHIS home. CONGRATULATIONS YOUNG LADY! From a Xaverite to another! pic.twitter.com/7THflS8XX3

— Jeremy Pierre FOX13 (@JeremypierreFOX) May 11, 2020

  No graduation stage? No problem! This proud Memphis dad built a stage for his daughter to walk across.

Torrence Burson said he hated to see his daughter, Gabrielle Pierce, upset that she couldn't walk across the stage to receive her diploma from Xavier University of Louisiana. So, he made it happen.

"After all those years, you’re going to walk across somebody’s stage if I have to build you one myself," Burson told FOX 13. And that's exactly what he did.

“Initially I was upset, I was crying. It took me like a week to stop crying. I really wanted to walk, I felt like I needed to walk,” Gabrielle said.

“I went to bed and woke up in the middle of the night and said, ‘that’s it. I’m just going to be the graduation here,'” Burson said.

Dad built the stage, they held a ceremony and it was everything the 2020 grad could ask for during this trying time.

“I was just I awe. I was amazed. I couldn’t believe a lot of people showed up. People were driving by yelling congratulations,” said Gabrielle.

Loves it!

Speaking of makeshift graduation ceremonies:

          View this post on Instagram

                  Being a mother & a daughter makes this a day to be celebrated as well as celebrate. Took this pic yesterday with my mom @mamajoyce1_ that I love so much & my babies @rileyburruss @acetucker @blazetucker & my hubby @todd167. Only missing @kpt__! I feel like Mother’s Day started yesterday. So much love! Happy Mother’s Day to all the moms out there. I hope you’re having a wonderful day today!

A post shared by Kandi Burruss (@kandi) on May 10, 2020 at 8:57am PDT

  "RHOA" star Kandi Burruss celebrated her daughter Riley Burruss' graduating high school. They called family and friends over to drive by and congratulate Riley for her big accomplishment:

          View this post on Instagram

                  Today is mommy day but I’m still thinking about yesterday when we celebrated @rileyburruss being an official high school graduate! Thank you to my family & friends who came to show love. Sign by: @signgypsiesgeorgia

A post shared by Kandi Burruss (@kandi) on May 10, 2020 at 4:52pm PDT

  Congrats, Riley!

Photo: White House Photo by Pete Souza

[Read More ...] source http://theybf.com/2020/05/14/dear-class-of-2020-it%E2%80%99s-commencement-season-%E2%80%93-the-obamas-tarji-p-henson-loni-love-more-st

[shelleyseale]

Hit List: Top Things to do in Door County, Wisconsin

There are few places in the Midwest more delightful than Door County, in the upper peninsula of Wisconsin. With 300 miles of shoreline, you can watch a sunrise and a sunset over the water without leaving the county.

You can also stroll through acres of orchards, explore art galleries, devour cherry pie, sip on local wines and brews, splash in the lake or paddle along the bluffs, stroll through five state parks, visit 19 unique communities and tour 11 historic lighthouses. Here are my Top Picks of Things to Do in Door County!

Take a Boat Ride

You're at the lake — so you gotta get on the lake! Board a cruise along Lake Michigan or Green Bay, and you may even be able to see some of the shipwrecks from the boat (supposedly there are some 400 shipwrecks in these waters!). You can also take the Washington Island Ferry to Washington Island from the mainland, crossing "Death's Door" as you do so. The French bestowed that name on the treacherous waters that sent so many ships to the bottom. Other great ways to get on the water are to go sailing, rent kayaks or try your hand at stand-up paddleboarding. Then congratulate yourself on being part of the mere 1% of visitors to Door County who ever get off the mainland! The Door County Maritime Museum in Sturgeon Bay is the perfect place to learn about the history of the area lighthouses, shipbuilding, shipwrecks and more.

Canal Station N Pierhead Lighthouse & Boat. Photo Credit: DoorCounty.com/Door County Visitor Bureau

Take a Lighthouse Tour

There are 11 lighthouses in Door County, many of which were built in the 1800s, and a semi-annual festival celebrates their history (including tours to some that are rarely open to the public), held in the early summer and fall. The Chambers Island Lighthouse has the most interesting history, in my opinion, while the Cana Island Lighthouse is the most unique. You have to be ferried across the ankle deep water by tractor just to get to the lighthouse! Another worth visiting is the "Bird Cage" - the old Baileys Harbor Lighthouse, with 150-year-old range lights and a new boardwalk that's been built between them.

Enjoy Tastings at Local Wineries and Craft Breweries

There are 8 vineyards and wineries in Door County, and there's even a Wine Trail with maps, festivals and other events. My favorite is Door 44, where husband-and-wife team Steve Johnson and Maria Milano left their legal careers behind to realize their dream of winemaking. If you might be surprised, as I was, to think about wine growing that far north, Steve told me that the climate here between June and October is almost exactly what you find in Bordeaux, France. Harbor Ridge Winery is another enjoyable stop, also run by a husband and wife team.

Winery touring and tasting in Door County, WI Steve Johnson (on the bottom right of the pic above), co-owner of Door 44 with his wife Maria, says that the key to successful winemaking is just to let the grape be the grape. "If you let the grape just do what it wants to do, you'll have a good wine." There are also many local brews and craft master brewers around here, so it's easy to find tours and tastings, as well as great choices for local beers on the menus. And for something different - not wine and not beer - check out Island Orchard Cider. Here they make a variety of ciders from their own 40 acre orchard on Washington Island. My favorite was the pear....mmm, delicious!

Island Orchard Cider

Visit Artisan Cheesemakers

What goes with wine better than cheese? And the state is well-known for its dairy farms and cheeses, so you won't want to miss visiting some of the world's best cheesemakers. Wisconsin is home to every single licensed cheese master - 6- of them to be exact. At Wisconsin Cheese Masters, you can find an exclusive selection where many cheeses are not available anywhere else. Owner Jim Pionkoski has a personal favorite: Marieke Golden, made by Marieke Penterman, whom Jim calls the best cheese maker in the U.S. and maybe even the world. Originally from the Netherlands, Marieke mainly produces gouda cheeses. The Golden is her only non-gouda, and Jim eats it every single day. "It's the only cheese I never get tired of," he says.

Jim Pionkoski of Wisconsin Cheese Masters, sharing his love of cheese. Another don't-miss cheese stop is the Door Artisan Cheese Company, run by Wisconsin Master Cheesemaker Mike Brennenstuhl, who has been making cheese all his life. This "one stop shop" includes a beautiful market, extensive underground cheese caves where the magic happens, and an amazing restaurant, Glacier Ledge. You can take tours to learn how the cheeses are made and see the caves. Mike uses only local dairy farmers, and only buys milk for the process from farms that are certified AHA, meaning they are hormone free and humane. 

Wisconsin Master Cheesemaker Mike Brennenstuhl and colleague showing us the cheese caves at Door Artisan. Check out Mike at work and telling the story of Door Artisan Cheese Company:

Stuff Yourself at Incredible Restaurants, from Casual Dining to Chef-Driven Foodie Spots

As mentioned above, the Glacier Ledge restaurant is highly recommended; I had one of my best meals of the trip there. They serve an internationally-inspired tapas style menu that's perfect for tasting and sharing.

A dish at Glacier Ledge restaurant at Door Artisan Cheese

For an opposite end of the spectrum at a long-time Door County institution, seriously DO NOT miss Wilson's Restaurant & Ice Cream! This adorable diner and ice cream parlor has been around since 1906, and it's located in what I personally found the most picturesque and explorable town in Door County - Ephraim. A mini jukebox adorns every table, and the burgers are honestly to die for. But be sure to save room for one of their old-fashioned ice cream treats like shakes, floats and sundaes. And if you're a root beer fan like me, you will love their housemade root beer. Best root beer I've ever had in my life!

Wilson's Restaurant and Ice Cream Parlor in Ephraim, Wisconsin For breakfast or a coffee fix, my  pick is Skipstone Coffee Roasters in Sister Bay, my second favorite Door County town. Their breakfast sandwiches are hearty, delicious and healthy; and they make all of their flavor syrups in house. It's pet-friendly, and if you're in a hurry for your next adventure they have a quick self-serve bar with a pay station.And no restaurant round-up of the Wisconsin peninsula would be complete without talking about Al's. Maybe you've heard of it or seen pics on Instagram, but Al Johnson's Swedish Restaurant is the place with the goats on the roof. Every morning, the goats are led up a ramp to the sod roof of the restaurant, where they graze all day. You can even adore them from the two webcam streams that are affixed up there. Al's has been an icon for nearly 60 years, and it really is an authentic Swedish restaurant. Now, I have to admit I didn't eat there, but from everything I've heard the food is good. I just went for the goats - oh, and I also picked up a few things in the very nice little boutique there. Check it out!

Al Johnson's Swedish Restaurant Goats

Experience a Traditional Wisconsin Fish Boil

OK, so technically this could go under the above "Eating out" section. But make no mistake - a fish boil is as Wisconsin as it gets, so much so that the experience definitely deserves its own category! There are numerous places that put on a fish boil, but I recommend Pelletier's. They serve a traditional fish boil every night of the week starting at 5 pm, along with a full menu of other items as well as lunch and breakfast service.

Pelletier's traditional Wisconsin fish boil Owner & Boil Master Matthew Peterson has been doing this for decades, learned from his father before him. The boil consists of freshly caught whitefish from Lake Michigan, cooked outside over the open fire along with corn and potatoes. The tradition comes from the Scandinavian settlers a century ago, and is very much alive and well in Door County. The drama of the "boil over" is pretty cool (advice: don't stand too close to the pot!). 

Go Gallery Hopping

Door County is home to an impressive number of galleries and artist studios. It's a great place to discover everything from a small, emerging artists to high-end galleries and accomplished artists who have made a name for themselves. Some of the places I would recommend making a stop would be: Blue Dolphin House, set on four-and-a-half acres of beautiful perennial gardens, in a building that dates back to 1860. Run by Peg & John Lowry, they've been in business for more than 50 years.

Blue Dolphin House shop & studio Deanna Clayton Studios - you'll need to make an appointment or check her website for opening hours. Deanna is an incredibly successful glass artist, using a centuries-old technique called pate de verre. With it, she creates some astonishing sculptures, which have been purchased and commissioned by patrons including many Ritz Carlton hotels around the world.

Artist Deanna Clayton in front of her studio Fine Line Designs Gallery & Sculpture Garden features original paintings, custom wood furnishings, glass, jewelry, ceramics and fiber art more than 90 renowned artists. Stroll the two-acre sculpture garden that showcases sculptures in bronze, stone, metal, ceramic, copper, and stainless steel. Unique, collectible artworks and original gifts are found indoors and out.

Fine Line Designs Gallery If you want more information on the art scene, check out the Door County Visitors guide!

Pick Your Own Cherries

Door County is the cherry capital of the U.S., and you can experience cherry picking yourself at one of the County's pick-your-own cherry orchards. Many families make it a fun tradition every cherry season. Check out the listings of places you can do this, along with many other resources, at Wisconsin Cherry Growers.

Cherry picking in Door County, Wisconsin Have you been to Door County? What are your favorite experiences there? Share in the comments below! Read the full article

[yourdailykitsch]

Your blog is phenomenal. You are just wonderful and incredibly informative That Interview magazine article just wrecked me, what a truly beautiful and sensitive soul Taylor is. Do you happen to have the entire article? I'd love to know more as I am completely lost and new in the world of fandom. Thank you for your time and all your efforts in promoting and sharing your love of Taylor.

Thanks for the blog love! Always love sharing Taylor information with new fans. 

The Interview Magazine article is probably the most he’s ever opened up to date. Sometimes he’s super guarded in interviews and other times he really opens up. It’s interesting 

Here is the entire article, it’s long:

When I told a female friend I'd be interviewing Taylor Kitsch, the actor who broke out as the hard-nosed, brooding fullback Tim Riggins for five seasons on NBC's Texas high school football melodrama Friday Night Lights her jaw actually dropped. Kitsch's rugged looks - he's a former model and junior hockey player - and world-weary onscreen demeanor, often have this effect on women; another friend referred to him as a "classic hunk." But the 32-year-old British Columbia native possesses a surprising absence of vanity. Kitsch bought a home in Austin while filming FNL, and still lives there, ducking the Hollywood spotlight as much as possible. When I met up with him in New York, he wore a T-shirt and jeans to a luxury hotel lounge and asked if I was planning to "get some grub." He's remarkably grounded, with a ready laugh and a tendency to pepper his speech with the word fuckin'. The lack of pretense shows in his latest effort, the gritty drama Lone Survivor, which happens to be Kitsch's third collaboration with director Peter Berg (after FNL and the big-budget action pic Battleship, 2012). Based on former Navy SEAL Marcus Luttrell's nonfiction book, the film, which co-stars Mark Wahlberg, Eric Bana, Emile Hirsch, Ben Foster, and Alexander Ludwig - depicts a botched 2005 mission in Afghanistan. Kitsch playsLieutenant Michael Murphy, one of four SEALs drastically outnumbered by Taliban forces. The protracted gunfight at the center of the movie is unsparing, graphic, and hyper-realistic, but Lone Survivor surrounds it with moments of unsentimental tenderness among its band of brothers.Lest you think Kitsch is only interested in stoic roles as athletes and soldiers (he was also a Civil War veteran transported to Mars in 2012's John Carter), he's subverting his image with upcoming turns as a gay activist in a TV-movie adaptation of the 1985 Larry Kramer play The Normal Heart, and as a doctor in the Canadian comedy The Grand Seduction. And he recently wrote, directed, and produced a half-hour short about small time criminals, Pieces, which he's planning to adapt into a feature. I sat down with Kitsch to talk about the movie, his time spent sleeping on subways in New York and his car in Los Angeles, and inevitably, how he reacts to his female admirers. (To my awestruck friend, and other aspirants: he's single - but read on for how not to approach him.)TEDDY WAYNE: I didn't really know the story behind Lone Survivor. What, other than Peter Berg's involvement, drew you to it?TAYLOR KITSCH: There's not a day that goes by that you don't think about it, really. [Marcus] Luttrell's become a great friend of mine now, and I was talking to him about it. It's not even the responsibility of just the performance or just the memory of Murph being part of the SEAL community - this is a torch I have for the rest of my life. How often in this gig do we get to have that, and want it? You didn't know of the book or the story, and now you're going to think of my performance when you think of Mike Murphy, and that's an incredible responsibility.WAYNE: How much of that is solely inspired by the real figure and how much of the work is purely fictional?KITSCH: I think so much of it is that it actually happened, that these guys are still out there doing it. When you meet guys who were buds with Murph, guys that fought right next to him, you really do see how much it means to them that the film's done right. You have the opportunity to be like, "Okay, let's see what I'm fucking made of here, let's see what I'm capable of doing," and training to do it.WAYNE: So what was the training?KITSCH: There's a workout called the Murphy that he created when he was in the SEALs. It's, like, a mile run and then a hundred pull-ups, 200 push-ups, 300 sit-ups, then another mile run, with a 40 - to 50-pound weighted vest. Some guy claims to have done it in under 30 minutes. I couldn't get there. I was under 35, which is a fucking insane time. I was in the best shape of my life.WAYNE: How about the weapons training?KITSCH: We went to Albuquerque. We had guys who had fought with Luttrell to teach us the weapons systems. And that's live fire; it's not like standing there and just shooting at a target. They call it bounding, and all these other things these guys do as a team. Murph was the leader of the guys, so he's making the call, and you really do see it kind of seamlessly int he film. When he makes a call of "peel right" or "peel left" or "get on line," it's those things that the SEALs fucking love. We got the technical part of it.WAYNE: Was there any improv?KITSCH: Absolutely. Some of this funnier stuff - when I'm in the hide with Mark [Wahlberg] talking about a girl and a Coldplay concert, that was roughly scripted and we just went with it, and Mark is fucking on it. That guy has endless energy, he's quick. Pete would call cut, and the whole crew would burst out laughing. Or we would even have a bit of a camera shake because the camera guy's dying, you know?WAYNE: You were a junior hockey player in Canada before you injured your knee at age 20. Do you feel like you were on the path to professional hockey?KITSCH: Yeah, at least semi. I was hopefully going to go on a scholarship and turn pro. If I even scratched the lineup, it would've been fourth line, up and down from the minors, but, I mean, a minor career was a dream as well.WAYNE: When that injury happened, was it clearly career ending?KITSCH: In retrospect I think it was career ending. But at the time, it was that denial of, "fuck it, I'm gonna recoup it." But then I recouped it, and my first game back it blew out again.WAYNE: So what were you thinking in terms of life plans?KITSCH: Oh, it's over. I was devastated. It really is close to art simulating life in the sense of what FNL was - if you wreck your knee, that's it, everything is gone. Obviously it's not; it's a blessing in disguise, but at the time I remember my best friend came and took me off the ice and I was a wreck. My mom was in the stands and she was a mess, and then I was in the dressing room and I refused to take my gear off. I just knew the second time I did it - like, buddy, uh-oh.WAYNE: So did you do any acting by that age?KITSCH: I loved it. I always grew up winning all these public-speaking competitions in school.WAYNE: Did you move to New York soon after the injury?KITSCH: Yeah, at 21.WAYNE: I read that you were, at points, homeless and sleeping on subways - is that true?KITSCH: It's true. Only for a couple weeks. It wasn't like I was walking around with a grocery cart. I didn't have a visa; I couldn't get fucking work. I wish I could've waited tables. I was taking classes for free with my acting coach, Sheila Gray - she's been amazing, and so I finally paid her back after the first movie I did - and then I just ran out of money. I was staying at my best friend's place. He sublet a bedroom in a big family house, and I was sleeping on his floor, then I wore that out, and I leased a place up on 181st Street in Washington Heights, pretty fucking sketchy area, and I couldn't get electricity because, one, no money, and two, I had no Social Security. So from that best friend, I would take his girlfriend's blow-up mattress and use candles. And then that wore out, got kicked out of there, and I would go back to my buddy's place, and at midnight or whenever, he wanted to go to bed, I'd be like, "All right, I'm gonna go stay at" - make up somebody's place - or a gal's place or whatever, and then that ran out. [laughs] Quite literally. And then I'd sleep on the subway until 5:30, 6 in the morning, and I'd go to the gym and work out for god knows how long and have a shower and just loiter.WAYNE: And you were also a model at this point?KITSCH: Yeah, but I was completely out of work. Didn't work, really. And I was living in a spot that they give you, and by the time you get a job, you owe them so much back end that you're in debt anyway, so then I left that because that was just stupid to just keep building debt.WAYNE: What was your first big break?KITSCH: While I was homeless, I met my manager through one of the guys at the modeling agency. She's like, "Yeah, I'll take a meeting, whatever," just being nice to him. So I had a meeting, and 10 minutes in, she's like, "Okay, I'll take you on." Then my first reading - still homeless - I got but I couldn't do because I didn't have a fucking visa again. So I stayed and studied more and then I moved away to Barbados to work with my dad and dig ditches, and that was the most time I ever spent with my dad in my life on a one-time basis. I made like, 6K. Then I bought a little - it's called a Firefly or a Chevy Sprint, which is like a 12-inch wheel hatchback car that lives on fumes. It'll go forever, and so I bought that when I got to Vancouver - moved back - moved down to L.A., sublet a room for two months. That money ran out, and then I lived in my car.WAYNE: So you had two homeless stints. And both times you picked the transportation choice of the city you were in - subway in New York, car in L.A.KITSCH: Yeah, that's a good point.WAYNE: You need to be in a seaside place for a while and live a few months in your boat.KITSCH: I know! I was super-angry one day in L.A. - my car's a piece of shit, and then the front window wouldn't go down, and so I'm screaming at the handle, forcing it down, the window shatters, and it's the bigger one, 'cause it's a hatchback. So now I'm fucking homeless and I got a plastic bag with duct tape. So I stayed over at my best friend Josh Pence's place, and I'm like, "I think I'm gonna go home," and his mom overheard it, and she's like "You're not fucking driving 23 hours to Vancouver with a plastic bag," and so I went to the junkyard and got it replaced for, like, $75.WAYNE: I thought she was going to say, "No, you should stay here and fulfill your dreams," but she was just making sure you got a new window.KITSCH: [laughs] Yeah! When you're doing it, it's not like, "Oh, man, I'm really paying the price." You just did it. I'd go to Trader Joe's and get a big thing of cottage cheese and brown rice cakes, like, four bucks - that's all I'd eat. And I'm a nutritionist, so I'm like, that's probably the best bang for my buck. I've got protein, carbs..."WAYNE: You start doing the protein-price ratio. Split pea soup is good for that, too.KITSCH: Yeah, garbanzo beans-WAYNE: Tuna fish.KITSCH: Yeah, the cans, that was New York. The Sunkist cans?WAYNE: Starkist, right? But it should be Sunkist - just drinking Sunkist orange soda all day long.KITSCH: [laughs] Yeah, have diabetes at 25. So she gave me the money, I got the thing, drove from three in the morning till midnight, straight. Back at home with mom and then my first or second reading was Snakes on a Plane [2006]. Got it. And then The Covenant [2006] and then Friday Night Lights.WAYNE: In the first few episodes of FNL, Riggins seems to be a secondary character.KITSCH: He was. I was told he wasn't gonna last.WAYNE: What happened? People started responding to you?KITSCH: Yeah, I guess. Whatever it was, people clicked to me, and the studio loved him and what we were doing with him.WAYNE: Most of the humor comes from Riggins off-the-cuff moments.KITSCH: Yeah, the dry humor that Riggins has - that's mostly improv. I played hockey my whole life. I was just hanging out with a bunch of pro-hockey players who were good friends. Calling everybody six, seven, two, zero - that's Riggins. Calling that whole apology on the field, all of it was made up on that day of.WAYNE: You mentioned digging ditches with your father was the most time you ever spent one-on-one. You were raised by your mom for the most part?KITSCH: Yeah, for the most part, with my two bros. I'd see my dad every Christmas for the most part growing up, but he left when I was one-ish, and then I'd spend a couple weeks over Christmas with him. I remember going fishing with him; I remember snow-mobiling. I remember him carrying me around on the ice because he played hockey growing up, too. I remember those flashes, and I don't know if it's made up in my head - but I do remember blips, and being super pumped that he's letting me, at 6 years old, rip on the open lake in the snowmobile.WAYNE: Riggins didn't have a father around. Not to get too precious about it, but did that inform the role?KITSCH: Absolutely. I had no doubts when I was going to play it. It just felt super-organic.WAYNE: Do you see your dad more often these days?KITSCH: No, maybe once or twice a year. Not even. I haven't seen him in years. I've stayed in contact via e-mail, but I don't reach out as much as I should, I guess, but I don't have that - this may gut him, but I don't have that...where I'm like "I want to know what's going on," or "Why did you..." My brothers and I talk about it a lot but - and sometimes it's joking, you know, but...I think it's affected them more, especially one of them a bit more, just because he was older - he was 8. And my mom was with an older guy, and he was a super-sensitive man, and he connected more with me than either of my two brothers. So I think I got a lot of that sensitive part that allows me to be that kind of actor through him. My mom and he split up when I was 12, and I wanted to go live with him, and then I would still go spend weekends, neither of my brothers would, but I'd go spend a weekend with him as much as I could. And he was getting older, and I was not conscious of that either, and then my mom told me he'd died not long ago - man, and it was shitty that I couldn't have reconnected before he did, because it had been five, six, seven years from the last time I saw him. And he was just the softest soul.WAYNE: You live in Austin now. What were your thoughts when you first got there for filming FNL?KITSCH: I didn't even know where Austin was. Quite literally, I'm like, "We're going where to shoot this fucking thing?"WAYNE: You thought it was Boston? "Massachusetts Forever."KITSCH: [laughs] Yeah, totally! Which doesn't have the same kind of tone does it? And Austin was like nothing what it is now. It's, like, the fastest-growing city in the U.S. now. But I bought a place end of second-season, and that's my place now, just a little 1,000-square-foot condo.WAYNE: What's your life like there?KITSCH: I golf a lot. I'm in a men's hockey league. I've made some great friends there. I'm on my motorcycle a lot. Kyle Chandler [of Friday Night Lights] lives there, so whenever we can make time, we'll go on these long rides together. Had a great gal there. Southern belle.WAYNE: "Had," you said?KITSCH: Yeah, it's been tough lately. You never know how it's going to turn out. But I was with her for years.WAYNE: And she was from Austin herself?KITSCH: From Corpus [Christi]WAYNE: How did you meet her?KITSCH: Through my stunt double. He's like, "You gotta meet this gal; she's ridiculous active." She's a yoga instructor now, but she wasn't when we met. But just a super-sporty Southern belle, you know? Great.WAYNE: I don't want to embarrass you, but I told a female friend I was interviewing you, and she was momentarily stunned. I feel like male actors don't often discuss this, but does it ever get almost boring, or do you ever feel objectified if women respond this way? I mean, it's a good problem to have, but is there ever a point where it's like, be careful what you wish for?KITSCH: You're conscious of it. I mean, I'm never going to be like, "Oh, this attention from women sucks." It's flattering 99 percent of the time. After the premiere screening in L.A., there was a young woman, beautiful, mid - to late, twenties, and you're pretty crushed after this movie, it hits you hard, and I was talking to a guy who had served. All of a sudden this girl comes up and she's like, "Hey, I just gotta say this movie was this-and-that, but that fucking scene of you walking down the hall [in which Kitsch is shirtless]..." And then it inevitably went to, "What are you doing later tonight? Can I give you my number?" I kind of took offense to it. That's the one shitty experience out of it, but it's still flattering. Out of every thing in that fucking movie, that's what you took?WAYNE: Is dating a non-actor much more appealing to you?KITSCH: Absolutely. I mean, it's hard because you're all in or I'm all in, and I become super-myopic with work and kind of shut everything else out, and I don't know anything different because that's what's gotten me this far, so I live a pretty unbalanced life. And it's tough because the gal can't really relate in that sense. It doesn't mean she's not supportive, but that part of it wasn't relatable. She didn't understand, "Oh, okay, this guy's gonna be off the grid basically for whatever it is."WAYNE: That'd be tough no matter what.KITSCH: Yeah, it is, but if you're dealing or dating another actress or whatever who goes through that same process, then maybe they might have a bit more acknowledgment of it.WAYNE: But you seem pretty divorced from the Hollywood scene. You're not tabloid fodder that much. How do you safeguard your privacy?KITSCH: Austin helps. No Facebook. If anyone ever thinks I'm on Facebook or Twitter, it's not me, for the record - it's never me.WAYNE: But you are on MySpace right?KITSCH: [laughs] Totally.WAYNE: It sounds like you've preserved your lifestyle pre-acting, pre-fame as much as possible.KITSCH: I try. When I'm in L.A., I'm with one of my best friends, who's an actor coming up, and it's good to have that dialogue. In Austin I don't have that a lot. So that's one of the downfalls of being in Austin, if there is one, that I don't have another couple artists to bounce shit off. It's great to decompress, but it's tough because it goes from a hundred miles an hour living this fucked-up lifestyle to you're in your apartment, dead silence, and you're like, "Oh, what do I do today?" I guess I go for a coffee by myself and just read a couple scripts or something.WAYNE: You're doing a couple different movies this year - The Normal Heart, The Grand Seduction. Far different from Battleship and John Carter. These are more in an indie direction.KITSCH: I was always on that track, from The Bang Bang Club [2011], which is one of my proudest things I've ever done in my life. And that's kind of my personality, too. I'm going to keep swinging for the fences. I'm not going to play another Riggins - that's done. I can go and now try and disappear into Normal Heart. I was just talking to Ryan Murphy about it, the director, who took a fucking leap of faith with me to go and play this, another true story - that's a bigger risk than what John Carter was, because if you don't go in there and nail that role, this could be a fucking career-ender.WAYNE: Do you have any ambitions beyond acting?KITSCH: I wrote and directed a short [Pieces] that Oliver [Stone, who directed 2012's Savages] has seen, that Berg has seen, that [John Carter director Andrew] Stanton has seen, all the producers of John Carter have seen, and I just got two to four million bucks to make it into a feature. So I'm going to hopefully write it in January, February. Pete's mad for it, and Pete will tell you - man, he'll fucking rip it in half - but he's been incredibly supportive, so hopefully, I'll go shoot that in Detroit and Texas.WAYNE: Can you see yourself transitioning at some point to someone who directs, like Peter Berg did?KITSCH: Absolutely. I'd be fucking stupid not to be taking notes from a Stone or a Berg. The way I direct is open. I want to empower you as an actor, and when you're not on track, I'll tell you, but when you are, I want you to fucking just go with it. And so I cast Derek Phillips, who played my brother in Friday Night Lights - he's unrecognizable in the film. And then my best friend in L.A. [Josh Pence], whose mom gave me money for the window, he plays the other guy in the short.WAYNE: Would you ever do an over-the-top comedic role?KITSCH: I'd love to, it's just got to be the right one. When I work, I take it super-seriously, but when you get to know me, man, I'm not - I laugh as much as possible. Growing up, I was that guy at school getting kicked out of class every day to make someone laugh. Voted funniest guy in the school twice.WAYNE: Just twice? What happened the other times - you finished second?KITSCH: [laughs] Yeah, totally! Last. The jokes didn't hit that year. I was off.

[admittedlynotspartacus]

20 Best Picture “Losers” MOONLIGHT is About to Join

It's fair to say there's a large contingency of people hoping Moonlight wins Best Picture at the Oscars next Sunday. It's the best-reviewed film of the year, a grand epic with an intimate, personal feel and the ability to inspire empathy for characters usually on the margins of our cinematic landscape. In the year of Donald Trump, it seems like a no-brainer to give top prize to something so beautiful and socially important. And yet, La La Land is primed for ultimate victory, possibly tying the all-time record for Oscar wins of 11. Chalk it up to an out-of-touch Academy, escapism in an election year, whatever you want. But the fact is the Oscars don't always get it right. And to prove it, here are 20 films that didn’t bag Best Pic, but have endured as cinematic landmarks despite.

20. BUTCH CASSIDY & THE SUNDANCE KID (1969)

While the film took home 4 Oscars, including wins for the iconic song "Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head" and for William Goldman's screenplay, it lost Best Picture to the very worthy Midnight Cowboy, the only X-rated film to ever take top honors. Still, it's hard to argue Butch hasn't become more of a cultural staple, ranked as #49 on AFI's 100 Years... 100 Movies list.

19. FARGO (1996)

The Coen Brothers are widely regarded as two of our greatest filmmakers. But although they won Best Original Screenplay for this film, they wouldn't go on to win Best Picture until No Country for Old Men in 2005. Their anointing should have come much sooner, however, as the winner this year was the epic snoozefest The English Patient.

18. TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD (1962)

One of the best film adaptations of a novel ever made, Mockingbird largely fell victim to the 7 Oscar sweep of Lawrence of Arabia, winning just 3, including Gregory Peck's victory over Peter O'Toole for Best Actor.

17. BOYHOOD (2014)

No film of the new millennium (excluding Moonlight, interestingly enough) received such universal passionate praise. A.O. Scott of The New York Times even went so far as to call it "the first film masterpiece of the 21st century." So how many Oscars did it take home? Just one, for Patricia Arquette's supporting performance. The lion's share went to Birdman, a highly-uncharacteristic but deserving Best Picture winner.

16. GOODFELLAS (1990)

I'm not the biggest Goodfellas fan; I also think it's hurt by Scorsese consistently drawing on the visual and editing styles of it for his films (see Wolf of Wall Street). But even I think it deserved more than the one Oscar it got for Joe Pesci, and that it should've toppled the overblown Dances With Wolves for top prize.

15. IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE (1946)

Regarded as not only one of the best holiday films of all time, but one of the best films period, this classic didn't win a single Oscar, not even for James Stewart's iconic performance. So what won? The Best Years of Our Lives, which I've never even effing heard of.

14. APOCALYPSE NOW (1979)

Presumably the Academy was tired of rewarding Francis Ford Coppola after two years of big wins with both Godfather films. But it's hard to deny the intense power of what is regarded by most as the best war movie of all time. It was famously hell to film, the most ambitious entry in an already ambitious director's filmography, and yet it only won 2 technical awards, with Best Picture going to the deserving family dramatics of Kramer vs. Kramer.

13. DO THE RIGHT THING (1989)

#OscarsSoWhite is no new phenomenon, as Spike Lee's greatest film to date not only didn't win Best Picture, it wasn't even nominated. Its only nods were for Screenplay and for Supporting Actor, for Danny Aiello, the only principal white character. The win went to Driving Miss Daisy, in a depressing encapsulation of the Academy's viewpoint on race.

12. NASHVILLE (1975)

Robert Altman is easily one of the greatest film directors of all time, yet he never won a competitive Oscar, despite five nominations. His greatest film, Nashville, went 0 for 4, losing Best Picture to the admittedly excellent Oscars juggernaut One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest.

11. RAGING BULL (1980)

My personal favorite Scorsese film won for Editing and for Robert De Niro's legendary performance, but ultimately lost Best Picture to the fine, but ordinary Ordinary People. The Academy had so many chances to reward Scorsese for true masterpieces, and yet he won for The Departed.

10. STAR WARS (1977)

The movie that changed everything was indeed nominated for Best Picture. It was actually the only one of its 8 nominations that it lost, as the Academy backed out at the last minute and went with Annie Hall, which is obviously also great and the last true comedy to win Best Picture.

9. SUNSET BLVD. (1950)

Whether you view it as an Old Hollywood masterpiece, a camp classic, or you just love that it's narrated by a dead guy, it's undeniably a legend. But it was mowed down in all but 3 of its 11 categories by All About Eve, proving that camp divas were super "in" this year.

8. E.T. THE EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL (1982)

My favorite Spielberg film is one of the most enduring in his sterling canon. Nominated for 9, it took home 4, including for Visual Effects and for John Williams' iconic score. But it un-deservingly lost to the Oscar-bait that was Gandhi.

7. DR. STRANGELOVE, OR: HOW I LEARNED TO STOP WORRYING & LOVE THE BOMB (1964)

Kubrick is another director that is chillin' in the pantheon with not a single Oscar. This comic masterpiece went 0 for 4, not even bagging a win for Peter Sellers' brilliant triple-performance. The Academy loves their musicals, going with My Fair Lady, which I do love but can hardly hold a candle.

6. PULP FICTION (1994)

Probably the last movie to really "change the game," proving that independent artists could create something both artsy and commercial and that screenwriting rules were made to be broken, Tarantino's classic only won for Screenplay. In one of the Academy's most blatantly lame decisions ever, Forrest Gump prevailed this year.

5. ALL THE PRESIDENT'S MEN, NETWORK, and TAXI DRIVER (1976)

The 70's were famously an incredible time for film, but this year was out of control. 3 of the greatest movies of all time were denied top honors, with Network and President's Men each going home with 4 and Taxi Driver with 0. So what was the big winner? The feel-good Rocky. Blame it on an election year... sound familiar?

4. THE GRADUATE (1967)

Curiously, this American classic would've gone home completely empty-handed were it not for Mike Nichols' surprise win for Director. Most of the booty went that year to In the Heat of the Night. It's hard to argue against either, but surely this landmark film deserved a little bit more love.

3. 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY (1968)

Just like Do the Right Thing, Kubrick's masterwork and one of the most iconic films of all time was completely snubbed for a Best Picture nomination. Its lone win for Visual Effects supports the theory that the film was initially viewed as a mere technical marvel and a "drug movie," only achieving its enigmatic wonder and majesty over time. Perhaps more than any other entry, it proves the Academy doesn't know everything, as they gave Best Picture to Oliver! - which despite my love for it - is horrifying on so many levels.

2. CITIZEN KANE (1941)

No film more routinely tops "Best Movies of All Time" lists like Citizen Kane, yet it was toppled by John Ford's traditional multi-generational family epic How Green Was My Valley. History has been kinder to the former, but with Orson Welles embroiled in controversy with William Randolph Hearst, Kane was lucky to get any Oscar recognition at all, winning only 1 of its 9 nominations for Best Original Screenplay. It's typical for a masterpiece to be ignored for something more conventional and ordinary, but Kane raised the bar for cinematography, editing, and pure audacity in filmmaking. While it will remain at the top of those lists, it will still only have that 1 Oscar.

1. THE WIZARD OF OZ (1939)

1939 is often thought of as Hollywood's "golden year," featuring Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, the John Wayne breakout Stagecoach, the anti-Stalin Ninotchka, and eventual Best Picture-winner Gone With the Wind. Of these, the latter is the most enduring (uncomfortable and dated as it may be), but no film can truly compare to the timeless magic of Dorothy's adventures down the yellow brick road and back again. It's no doubt the closest there is to a film everyone has seen, with a story and themes that will never grow old, iconic performances, and visual effects that still hold up today. Yet it won only one Oscar, for its Score. "Somewhere Over the Rainbow," arguably the most famous song of all time, wasn't even nominated.

So come Oscar night, I'll be rooting for you, Moonlight. But if La La Land does indeed prevail, don't feel too bad. You're in good company.

[badbookopinions]

The Calculating Stars - Mary Robinette Kowal

I thought this was okay but nothing special. I spent the entire time interested and engaged, and I will certainly be reading the second if I can find it at my library, but I didn’t love it and wouldn’t have paid for it. I wasn’t ever disappointed, though - just surprised that this was the book I’d seen advertised everywhere.

Featuring...

So I’m a sucker for stories where a team works to accomplish something. Especially when they’re scientists. ESPECIALLY when it’s the space race. So when it came to that, I loved this story.

I love a book that isn’t afraid to get technical about its topic matter, and this one was NOT. I actually learned a little bit about how the space race worked and the different technology in use, which pleased me a lot.

A Jewish main character whose religion is never ignored, and remembering how crappy the 50s were for women and people of colour (while the main character often forgets the second and needs reminding, the story never does)

An engaging and exciting plot structured less like a novel and more like a biography/bio-pic, which I found a really cool format

Plot: excellent. From the beginning of the meteor dropping onto Washington to the beginnings of the space race to the attention of the public on the matter the fight for lady astronauts, I was interested and engaged the entire time. I also really liked how it didn’t follow typical three-act structure, but more of the structure of bio-pic movies - essentially showing the climb to the destination. It made the whole thing feel more like I was reading a biography on the events than a typical novel, which was a really cool vibe for Kowal to be going for. I also enjoyed how the author put a snippet of a newspaper article at the beginning of each chapter. I didn’t think the B-plot about Elma struggling with anxiety was very well-done, though. It seemed very much to me like Kowal realized Elma needed an arc halfway into the story, and so surgically inserted it without considering how it connected to the larger story.

Character: boy oh boy those were some FLAT characters. This was the biggest reason I didn’t think the book was very special. In a book as plot-driven as this, it would be very reasonable for Kowal to take the focus away from her character’s personal lives. But she doesn’t and spends at least as much time among Elma’s friends and husband as she does among the space program. It’s just that among Elma’s friends and husband... legit nothing happens. I could not tell you a single piece of information about any of her side characters - they were all introduced in the sort of way that made me think we’d be getting more information, and then we straight-up didn’t. They reassure Elma or are vaguely sexist and that’s it. Elma herself is perfect and bland at all times, never doing anything wrong in the world of the story or anything that might make her dislikeable to us as readers. The exception is when she’s struggling with anxiety, but it largely doesn’t fit into the rest of the story. Also, Kowal didn’t take the easy route and make her up-to-modern-standards-never-getting-something-wrong with racism - but that meant sometimes Elma was so painfully white. However, the most glaring example of flat character is her husband, Nathaniel. You know the supportive wife trope? Nathaniel is that but gender-flipped. Which - yay, for subverting expectations, but it doesn’t make for an interesting character and when Elma talks to him more than anyone else it’s just boring. Seriously - the man was on the page for half of the goddamn book and I can tell you one thing about him that isn’t supportive husband. 

Setting: You can tell Kowal knows her stuff and did her research - first into how exactly the space program worked in the fifties, extrapolating on the technology they had to flesh out her alternate history in a really fantastic way. She takes the time to ground the world in the culture of the 50s and shadow it with the war that preceded it. But what I found most impressive was how she handled the apocalypse that starts the story, considering not just the initial impact but how it would affect weather, the racism in how lives would be saved, and the disruption it would cause to the ecosystem. A world-shaking event like that is so hard to picture, especially when it takes place in a time you don’t have firsthand experience with, but Kowal made it feel fleshed out and fully realized, which I loved.

Prose: eh. Nothing to report.

Not-great things: Elma’s painful whiteness at times notwithstanding, the diversity effort was a solid A and not an issue. The characters were flat, as I said before. But the biggest thing... the by far the biggest thing that annoyed me to no end... the sex scenes filled with space wordplay. There are at least 4 examples of Kowal describing Elma and Nathaniel hooking up, in which their dialogue to each other is entirely them making double entendres about rockets. It was miserable and I hated every second of reading it - once would have been bad, but four goddamn times - I didn’t want to see it! 

[chapsgenstore]

NOTE: I originally published this collection of memories on February 12, 2004. It mostly consists of input from people who knew or knew of Clyde Beatty. 

NOTE X 2: I mentioned on Facebook that I’d recently observed a Clyde Beatty Exhibit or Museum in a Bainbridge storefront. A friend sent me this link to the exhibit and its hours of operation. Click HERE.

Bainbridge’s Clyde Beatty

My wife is a black and white game show addict. During the night, when she can’t sleep, she often watches old reruns of What’s My Line, I’ve Got A Secret, etc. When she sees something that I may be interested in, she will frequently record it for me. Last night she was watching a rerun of What’s My Line and the featured “Mr. X” turned out to be Bainbridge’s own Clyde Beatty. If you’re too young to remember Clyde, he was a renowned animal trainer who appeared in several movies and with the Clyde Beatty-Cole Brothers Circus for many years. I did a little Internet snooping and came up with the following information:

Clyde Beatty was a renowned circus owner and animal trainer known for his daring stunts involving wild beasts. He appeared in several adventure serials and feature films during the ’30s, ’40s, and ’50s. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

Clyde Beatty Facts: Date of birth, June 10, 1903 Place of birth, Chillicothe, Ohio Date of death, July 19, 1965 Place of death, Ventura, California Cause of death, cancer

Clyde Beatty’s Movie Career: (1953) Perils of the Jungle (1949/1952) Abbott and Costello Double Feature – Africa Screams/ Jack and the Beanstalk (1949) Africa Screams (1936) Darkest Africa (1934) The Lost Jungle Vol 2. Chapters 7-12 (1934) The Lost Jungle Vol 1. Chapters 1-6 (1934) The Lost Jungle Besides movies, Clyde Beatty also appeared in a series of radio programs aimed at children. Titles include: C04241 # 1 The Devil Cat

2 Crisis On The Set

C04242 # 3 Danger Unrehearsed

4 Elephant Stampede

C04243 # 5 Cage Boy

6 Man Eater Of Burma

C04244 # 7 Tiger Escape

8 The Juju Stones

C04245 # 9 Beauty And The Beast #10 Leopard On The Loose

C04246 #11 Dangerous Ambition #12 Contest In Danger

C04254 #33 Daniel In The Lion’s Den #34 Kodiak Killer

C04255 #35 Amazon Adventure #36 Brush With Death

C04256 #37 Land Of The Giants #38 Death In Stateroom B

C04257 #39 The Flying Politos #40 Baquiri Bravery C04260 #45 Mystery Island #46 Wombo’s Strange Pet

C04261 #47 Oklahoma Hoax #48 Arabian Nightmare C04247 #17 Never Trust A Gilly #18 Zombie

C04248 #19 For Children Only #20 The Bear

C04249 #21 The Princess And The Tigress #22 Time Off For Trouble

C04250 #25 Ghost Cat Of Guatemala #26 The King Of Clowns

C04251 #27 The Fabulous Ike #28 Danger In The Deep

C04252 #29 The White Rogue Of Siam #30 The Wild Man From Borneo

C04253 #31 The Marvelous Marvins #32 Jungle Joe C04258 #41 Borneo Devil Beast #42 Caine Courage

C04259 #43 Jungle Medico #44 The Lost City C04263 #51 Adventure In Australia #52 Tiger Town C04262 #49 Hold That Tiger #50 In Search Of A Myth

Evidence exists that there was also a series of Clyde Beatty comic books.

Clyde Beatty’s son, Clyde Junior, has made a name for himself as a designer and builder of quality surfboards in California. To honor his father, several of his designs are named after dad or one of dad’s cats.

Clyde Beatty Circus: The Clyde Beatty Circus was founded by Clyde Beatty (1903-1965), an animal trainer. He formed his own circus in 1945 after touring with several circuses including Hagenbeck-Wallace in his early career. Beatty toured his circus in conjunction with Russell Brothers Pan-Pacific Circus in 1946, then decided to open a show under his name only. In 1956, the circus was sold to the Acme Circus Corporation, and Beatty was hired as a star attraction. In 1957, the Acme Circus Corporation acquired the Cole Bros. name and the show became Clyde Beatty-Cole Bros. Circus. Beatty remained the star of the show until his death in 1965.

I found this email exchange (dated 7/3/03) about Beatty on an Internet bulletin board. Question: Does anyone know anything about his origins/ethnic background/real name. His own son thinks that the name is made-up and is not sure of who he might have been really. Death certificates, etc. don’t have any father listed, as is usual. Any ideas? Answer: Clyde Beatty is his REAL name, he was born in Bainbridge, Ross County, Ohio….he is the son of Margaret Beatty Tong, his half-sister Madelyn Tong still lives in Bainbridge.. his mother and my grandfather are brother and sister…email me and I will share what info that I have…

Clyde Beatty is buried in Forrest Lawn Cemetery in Los Angeles. I found this photo of his tomb on the Internet.

The Clyde Beatty-Cole Bros. Circus still exists and has recently been the target of several animal rights activist groups. in August 2003 they were the subject of a suit involving the expulsion of a protester from one of their shows in NYC. I’ll let you decide how serious the charges are, but there exists a multitude of charges against the Cole Bros. circus, as well as most others who maintain troops of animals.

Here’s a bulletin board posting from a person who was an assistant to Clyde Beatty:

Posted by Roger Smith on January 28, 2004: I first saw Clyde Beatty in person in 1947, in Tyler, Texas. I was 4, and remember nothing else about the circus except him. I became his assistant and apprentice in 1964, and have researched him throughout my life. I was surprised to find AFRICA SCREAMS had slipped into the public domain, and anyone can sell copies. But I have a good one. Beatty’s wry observation about Costello’s on-set prank of throwing pies into everyone’s face, except Beatty’s was, “The little bum didn’t dare.” Lucky for Lou. Mr. Beatty was likable but unassailable.

FEEDBACK

Your list of Clyde’s movies includes “The Lost Jungle” twice, and omits “Ring of Fear” (1954), “Here Comes the Circus” (1946) and “Cat College” (1940). Curiously, the Internet Movie Database imdb.com only credits Clyde as a technical advisor on “Ring of Fear”, although he gets top billing. Of little interest to the general public, Bro. Beatty was a Freemason, initiated into Craftsman Lodge No. 521, Detroit.

Trevor W. McKeown, GH, [ admin@freemasonry.bcy.ca ], 2007

From: Donaldwilldew@wmconnect.com Sent: Wednesday, April 18, 2007, 12:07 PM

Subject: Armstrong-Beatty relationship

Dear Sir: My Great Grandmother Myrtle (Cork) Armstrong, born and raised in Bainbridge, almost raised Clyde Beatty as a young man and was best friends with my Grandfather, Tom Armstrong in Bainbridge. After a long trip, he would spend Sunday evenings with the family for dinner. My Mother (still alive and daughter of Tom) said he would take off his shirt and there was not a place on his back without a scar from claw marks. My Best Regards, Don Dewey, Saint Augustine, Florida.

From: Lori Badry [ mailto:lbadry@peru.k12.in.us ] Sent: Sunday, August 19, 2007, 11:55 PM

What are Clyde’s ties to Peru, Indiana?

From: Bob Good [ mailto:goodcir@ptd.net ] Sent: Tuesday, August 07, 2007 2:40 PM

Subject: comic book

I have one he gave me. There were definitely comic books.

I just found this website and decided I should tell a little about Clyde Beatty. Roger Smith, Dave Price, and others knew my Dad and knew of his close friendship with Clyde. He used to stay at our home in the 1950s and ’60s while showing in Allentown. It was always a great occasion to have Clyde around. He was a peppy, upbeat type of guy when he was around us. I was a teenager at that time and I used to bet on fights with Clyde. He loved sports.

My Dad became friends with Clyde in the ’20s when he was on the Hagenbeck Wallace show. They were both the same age and Clyde enjoyed visiting my grandfather’s drug store and eating ice cream. Harriet and Jane were both friends of my parents. I have a picture of Clyde holding me at about a year or so in the backyard of his show. That is the first show I ever saw so they say!

If you would like more information perhaps from time to time I can tell some Clyde Beatty stories. Bob Good [ mailto:goodcir@ptd.net ] 2007

Clyde was born in the home of Dr. John Little of Cynthiana. His mother was a domestic worker. My wife, a granddaughter of Dr. Little Jr., heard this from her grandmother. Mother and child left shortly afterward. Your picture of Clyde is a dead ringer for my father – in – law. John S Pelzer, 2007, [ John.S.Pelzer@usa.dupont.com ]

Hello, I enjoyed seeing your website on Clyde Beatty. I hope you can clear up something from one of my earliest memories. My dad took me to see Clyde Beatty sometime between 1949 and 1953 in Tacoma, Washington. My memory is that he was attacked by one of his cats that day, bloodied a bit, but he got up to control the cat, get it through the gate and turned to take a bow before leaving for treatment. A couple of guys helped him by prodding the cat with poles, but he got up to resume control. Did this happen, or did I imagine it? I don’t recall whether the lion or the tiger was the troublemaker. I was about 4 or 5. If you can clear up this mystery for me, I’d be most grateful.

Sincerely,

Bill Ransom, billransom@hotmail.com, http://www.sfwa.org/members/ransom 8/2/05

Hello, Clyde Beatty is the son of Margaret Beatty Tong, late of Bainbridge, Ohio. My grandfather Charles Beatty Sr. was a brother to Margaret. I spent many a time looking at pics of Clyde taken with his famous cats at my Dad’s Uncle Frank’s house, Frank is Margaret & Charles brother. Margaret was very secretive over who Clyde’s father was. Those in the family who knew would never reveal his identity. I was always proud to tell people that Clyde Beatty was my cousin. I have been in correspondence with Mr. Smith who was his assistant, who stated he was one of the finest men he ever the privilege of knowing. I do remember meeting Clyde one time when I was a young girl growing up in Greenfield., when he visited his Uncle Frank & Aunt Velma Beatty who resided on Milburn St. If in my research of the Beatty family I turn up any more info on Clyde Beatty I will gladly share it. Thanks. Karen Beatty Gander goose8@cox.net 2/13/04

It was either 1947 or 1948. I was working at a radio station in Billings, MT (my first job out of college) when the Clyde Beatty-Cole Bros. Circus came to town. Since we were the local radio station most visiting organizations came to the station for a publicity interview. Since I was the announcer on duty that day the chore fell on me to conduct the interview. Well, knowing of Clyde Beatty and being from Greenfield I jumped at the chance. I met Clyde in the studio about 15 minutes before we were to go on the air just to get acquainted with one another. And I asked him where he was from and he told me he was from Chillicothe, Ohio. I looked at him and said that I thought he was from Bainbridge and got a very startled reaction from him. I then told him I was from Greenfield and we had a great interview then and there. We discovered we mutually knew several families in the Bainbridge-Greenfield area and I also told him that we were probably very distant cousins. My Great-Grandmother (Maria Beatty McCann) was from Bainbridge also. This episode is one of the many highlights in my radio and television career and one I had cherished throughout the years. Thanks for the article on Clyde Beatty. Robert McCann Zeeck robzeeck@msn.com 2/13/04

We published a full-length article on Clyde Beatty in the July-August 2002 issue of Timeline, the Ohio Historical Society’s popular-history magazine. The article also features numerous illustrations. For more information, contact timeline@ohiohistory.org or visit the OHS Website: http://www.ohiohistory.org. Christopher S. Duckworth, cduckwor@columbus.rr.com 2/28/04

Hello and a question,

My name is Steve and I live in Santa Cruz California. I can’t tell you how impressed I was with your web page and quality of your research on Clyde Beatty.

I got to see his act and his circus 5-6 times in the late ’50s and early ’60s at Palisades Amusement Park in NJ, near Manhattan.

I would like to share an anecdote that occurred, in a promotional effort. It is very impressive. In approximately 1956, Clyde’s circus would perform on the parking lot of Palisades Amusement Park in the spring. It coincided with the Ringling Brothers Circus in Madison Sq. Garden in midtown Manhattan. In a publicity stunt, Palisades Amusement Park’s PR guy connected with a publicity stunt: They had an elephant water ski (on pontoons, pulled by a high-speed craft, and had a showgirl on its back) across the Hudson River to 42nd street and up to the George Washington Bridge.

I have interviewed the PR guy almost 12 times, he is 79 and at this point, a warm friend. He was convinced it was 1956, and the date was April 17, the opening day for Major League baseball. Well, in lieu of him opening his records in storage, this is an incorrect date. Life Magazine apparently bought the photo from International News Photos or from the NY Daily Mirror.

I contacted the Bergen Record and every Life/Look magazine for 1956. It is not this year.

Do you know anything about this water skiing elephant? Can you direct me to someone who might pull out some archives on it or has a passion for Clyde Beatty as we do?

I am most appreciative, I can share all the details for your web page at any time. I am in need of a date and a picture of it for my project. Thanks.

Steve Balbo, steven_balbo@hotmail.com 6/28/2004

Hi, I enjoyed your piece on Clyde Beatty. I was a circus billposter for nine years in my youth and spent four of those years on the advance of the Clyde Beatty-Cole Bros Circus 1960-1963. I wonder if you might have seen our exhibit when my wife and I brought part of our Clyde Beatty collection to the Fall Festival of Leaves in Bainbridge five times (1978, 1979, 1984, 1986 and 1988)?

I am attaching a couple of pictures of our little collection here at home. We wanted to move to Bainbridge years ago and open a museum but unfortunately, neither of us could find a job near there. This was in the late 1970s when the area was very depressed.

I am happy to see that you have Mr. Beatty’s birth date correct. Many writers list it wrong, but I wrote his mother back in the 1950s and she said he was born June 10, 1903. But, he was born in Bainbridge rather than Chillicothe. The stories written about him often said Chillicothe, I assume because they thought most people wouldn’t recognize the name, Bainbridge.

Anyway, thanks for the nice article. I like to see Mr. Beatty remembered; so many have forgotten him.

Regards,

Dave Price, 12/06/2004

Clyde Beatty – Bainbridge’s King of the Big Top! NOTE: I originally published this collection of memories on February 12, 2004. It mostly consists of input from people who knew or knew of Clyde Beatty.