#teen patti epic

[teen-patti-master-official]

Teen Patti Master Official

Exploring the Uses and Appeal of Teen Patti

Teen Patti, often referred to as Indian Poker, is a card game that has captured the hearts of millions across India and beyond. Its origins can be traced back to the Indian subcontinent, where it has been played in various forms for centuries. Today, Teen Patti is enjoyed both in its traditional form and through modern digital platforms. This article delves into the uses and appeal of Teen Patti, highlighting why it remains a beloved game.

Social Bonding and Entertainment

One of the primary uses of Teen Patti is as a medium for social bonding and entertainment. Traditionally played during family gatherings, festivals, and social events, Teen Patti brings people together. The game’s simplicity makes it accessible to players of all ages, allowing families and friends to connect and enjoy each other’s company. The social aspect of Teen Patti extends beyond just playing; it involves chatting, laughing, and sharing stories, creating a lively and enjoyable atmosphere.

Skill Development and Strategy

While Teen Patti is often seen as a game of luck, it also requires a significant amount of skill and strategy. Players must make calculated decisions based on the cards they are dealt and their observations of opponents' behaviors. This element of strategy helps players develop critical thinking and decision-making skills. Regular players of Teen Patti often become adept at reading body language and predicting opponents' moves, skills that can be beneficial in real-life situations.

Economic Aspect

In many parts of India, Teen Patti is played for monetary stakes, adding an economic dimension to the game. While gambling can be controversial and is regulated in many regions, playing Teen Patti for money is a common practice during festive seasons like Diwali. This form of the game introduces a risk-reward element, making it even more thrilling for participants. However, it’s essential for players to engage in responsible gambling, setting limits to avoid potential financial problems.

Cultural Significance

Teen Patti holds cultural significance in Indian society. It is often associated with the festival of Diwali, where families and friends come together to celebrate and play the game. The game is seen as a way to bring prosperity and good fortune. During these times, Teen Patti becomes more than just a card game; it becomes a cultural tradition that reinforces social bonds and shared heritage.

Digital Transformation

The digital age has transformed how Teen Patti is played and enjoyed. Numerous online platforms and mobile apps offer digital versions of the game, making it accessible to a global audience. These platforms allow players to engage in Teen Patti anytime and anywhere, connecting with friends or competing against strangers from around the world. The online versions often come with various features such as tournaments, leaderboards, and rewards, adding new dimensions to the traditional game.

Educational Use

Surprisingly, Teen Patti can also have educational uses. Educators and parents can use the game to teach basic mathematical concepts, probability, and statistics in a fun and engaging way. By analyzing the odds of certain cards being dealt and making strategic decisions, players can enhance their numerical skills and logical thinking.

Stress Relief and Relaxation

In today’s fast-paced world, games like Teen Patti offer a means of relaxation and stress relief. Engaging in a casual game can help players unwind and take their minds off daily stresses. The excitement and engagement provided by Teen Patti can offer a temporary escape from the pressures of work and life.

Community Building

Online Teen Patti platforms have created vibrant communities of players who share tips, strategies, and experiences. These communities foster a sense of belonging and camaraderie among players, enhancing the overall gaming experience. Players can join clubs, participate in exclusive events, and form lasting friendships, further emphasizing the social aspect of the game.

Conclusion

Teen Patti's enduring popularity can be attributed to its multifaceted uses and appeal. Whether as a means of social bonding, a tool for skill development, or a source of entertainment, Teen Patti continues to hold a special place in the hearts of its players. Its evolution from a traditional card game to a digital sensation showcases its adaptability and timeless charm. As long as people seek enjoyment, connection, and a bit of strategy, Teen Patti will remain a cherished pastime.

[teenpattimasterr]

Teen Patti Master Official

“Teen Patti Master” is an exhilarating card game that combines elements of strategy, skill, and luck, originating from the Indian subcontinent. It’s a popular pastime among friends and families, often played during festivals, gatherings, or casual evenings.

The gameplay revolves around betting and bluffing, making it both thrilling and strategic. Players take turns in a clockwise manner, either placing bets, calling, raising the stakes, or folding based on the strength of their hand and their intuition about their opponents’ cards.

What sets Rummy Max Slots apart is its simplicity in rules and complexity in gameplay dynamics. While luck plays a significant role, skilled players can leverage strategies like reading opponents’ expressions, gauging their betting patterns, and employing calculated risks to tilt the odds in their favor.

The game offers various betting options, including blind bets, seen bets, and chaal (call), adding layers of excitement and suspense with every round. Additionally, the game may include side pots, adding further intrigue and opportunities for strategic play.

Slots Meta isn’t just about winning chips; it’s about the camaraderie, banter, and shared experiences among players. It’s a social game that fosters bonding and friendly competition, making it a beloved tradition across generations.

Whether played casually among friends or competitively in tournaments, Teen Patti Master remains a timeless classic, capturing the essence of camaraderie, skill, and the thrill of the game.

[tangoboheme]

The coven of chaos as Epic songs

Agatha

Billy

Rio

Jen

Lilia

Alice

[jgroffdaily]

The New Yorker Interview

Jonathan Groff Rolls Merrily Back

The actor reflects on his journey in reverse: from his latest Tony nomination to his arrival in New York, waiting tables and dreaming of Broadway.

By Michael Schulman, Photograph by Thea Traff

June 2, 2024

Excerpts:

One of the problems with “Merrily” is its protagonist, Franklin Shepard, whom we first meet as a slick, philandering forty-year-old Hollywood producer. It takes two acts to arrive at the charismatic musician he once was, with a lot of mistakes in between. Putting effect before cause gives each scene a painful irony—but how do you get an audience to care about a guy who’s off-putting for so long? “Merrily” is back on Broadway, in a production directed by Maria Friedman, and it’s finally a hit. One big reason is its Frank, played by Jonathan Groff, whose natural warmth shines through even in the character’s older, sleazier incarnation. When this revival opened Off Broadway, in 2022, The New Yorker’s Helen Shaw wrote, “Groff’s silky tenor and angelic face elevate a part that can sometimes be contemptible—for the first time, I could see Frank as both the dreamer who believes in greatness and the glib charmer who believes every lie he tells.”

Groff, thirty-nine, is now nominated for a Tony Award, alongside Friedman and his co-stars Daniel Radcliffe and Lindsay Mendez. He was previously nominated in 2016, for “Hamilton,” in the scene-stealing part of King George III, and in 2007, for the indie-rock musical “Spring Awakening,” as the rebellious schoolboy Melchior Gabor—his breakout role, opposite Lea Michele. Groff had come to New York three years earlier, as a stagestruck, closeted nineteen-year-old from Lancaster, Pennsylvania, where he grew up among Mennonites and was obsessed with the original cast recording of “Annie Get Your Gun.” “Merrily,” with its themes of aging, idealism, and the vicissitudes of show business, has had Groff thinking about his own path toward stardom. “Doing this show on Broadway at this time, moving to New York twenty years ago, I’ve now lived the time frame of the show,” he told me recently.

We were talking at a bakery north of Washington Square Park. Groff had glided in on a bicycle. As we spoke, he frequently welled up with tears—he’s a crier—but regained his composure by focussing on a pair of googly eyes affixed to the wall behind me. For our conversation, which has been edited and condensed, I had an experiment in mind.

Let’s start with the extremely recent past. Three days ago, you went to the Met Gala. How was your night?

The big headline for me was Lea Michele was pregnant, and I sat next to her at the table, holding her giant train thing while she peed. She took it off, and I was holding that and her purse. I saw Zac Posen, who was at our table, help Kim Kardashian up the little tiny stairs, and I said to him, “Wow, that was such a sweet moment of the gay helping the diva.” I was relating to him, like with me and Lea. It’s a zoo of famous people. I was going to go to the after-parties, but my body was just, like, “No.” I hit a wall from the shows and the epicness of the week, with the Tony nominations. So I was home by eleven-forty-five, and in bed by midnight.

The Broadway production of “Merrily” opened last fall. You told Jimmy Fallon that Meryl Streep came to your dressing room, where you have a bar named BARbra, and she took a video of you and sent it to Barbra Streisand. Who else has been there?

The first thing that comes to me is sitting in BARbra in October or November, drinking whiskey with Sutton Foster. I came to New York as a teen-ager and saw her six times in “Thoroughly Modern Millie”—now she’s in BARbra, dropping in for, like, an hour and a half after the show, and it’s so full circle. Who else? Patti LuPone was there—another big one for me. Phoebe Waller-Bridge and Martin McDonagh. Glenn Close sent back a bottle of champagne to be chilled in BARbra, which we drank together.

This show, like every Sondheim show, is very dense. Over the course of three hundred-plus performances, are there certain moments that have suddenly hit you a different way, or that you realize have a double meaning?

Double, triple, quadruple, infinity. I’m still having revelations, which really makes me believe that it’s a true work of art. Maria [Friedman] talks about how, with Sondheim’s writing, he “leaves space,” which is why it’s always new. He always needed to work with a collaborator, and she talked about the actor being an essential collaborator. She said the lyric he wrote in “Sunday in the Park with George”—“Anything you do, / let it come from you, / then it will be new”—is Sondheim’s directive to the actor.

The Tuesday after the Tony nominations, I got to the theatre, screamed with Lindsay [Mendez], screamed with Dan [Radcliffe]. [He chokes up.] Then I was singing “Growing Up”—“So old friends, don’t you see we can have it all?”—which has meant so many different things to me in the run of the show. At yesterday’s matinée, Dan and I were sitting on the roof singing “Our Time”: “Up to us, pal, to show ’em.” We’ve done it a million times. We look at each other, and Dan just fucking loses it crying. He had to look away from me. We talked about it afterward, like, “What the fuck was that?” I don’t know. Something just happened.

When you started the show, in 2022, at New York Theatre Workshop, were there kinks in your performance that you’ve since figured out?

I remember feeling shocked at being disliked for so long in the first half of the first act. It was very clear from the energy of the audience that they loved Mary in the opening scene—immediately, they’re on her side. I’m out here as a gay guy, playing this straight, two-timing Hollywood producer who’s cheating on his wife. I’m already having to feel confident in a way that I don’t in my everyday life, this sort of swagger. And the audience hates me. I remember feeling scared and self-conscious. Maria, in that preview process, really helped with that, because she talked about the value of when it’s real, and you’re not playing ugly just to be ugly. The one line that I really struggled with was “I’m just acting like it all matters so people can’t see how much I hate my life and how much I wish the whole goddam thing was over.” That is a really confronting thing to say.

People might say that this is one of the fundamental flaws of “Merrily We Roll Along”—that you’re confronted with this cynical, smarmy Frank in the first act, and you don’t really understand him until the show’s over. I can imagine going into this not knowing if that’s a solvable problem, because it hadn’t been for decades.

Well, Maria wanted us to find the truth. She really believed that these characters weren’t archetypes, that there’s humanity in the writing from beginning to end. I found it after that first week or two of previews, not being so afraid. The line that made me want to do the show was “I’ve made only one mistake in my life, but I’ve made it over and over and over. That was saying yes when I meant no.” I’ve done that a lot in my life, and there was something that felt like the closeted version of myself. George Furth and Stephen Sondheim—I can only imagine being gay at the time that they were gay. Even though Frank is straight, there’s so much repression that feels very familiar to me.

Except that you felt it at the beginning of your life and not the middle, as Frank does.

Yes and no. I still feel it. I’m still trying every day not to go back. I’m obviously out of the closet, so that’s a huge relief, but I’m always going to be reckoning with the Republican upbringing that I had. I’m always negotiating whatever homophobia I’ve got. It’s all in there, still. What we see as ugliness in the top of the show, to stand and say, “I want to fucking kill myself, I hate my life,” and not overdramatize it but try to find it in the most pure, truthful place—it’s still, every night, a meditation to go there.

Let’s wind back. In 2021, you played Agent Smith in “The Matrix Resurrections.” Any good stories about Keanu Reeves?

Getting to play Agent Smith really unlocked rage inside of me that I didn’t know was there. That’s helped me so much with “Merrily,” particularly in the first act. Learning the kung fu was, like, months of fight training. They called me the Savage, because I was so into it. We were shooting a big fight sequence with Keanu, and, after the first few takes, I remember Lana [Wachowski] at the monitor, like, “Jonathan, come over here. Who is that?” I was, like, “I don’t know.” And she was, like, “And what is that?” I said, “Gay rage?”

I’d never shot a gun before. I shot Keanu and thought I had peed my pants, because I had this hot feeling. You know when you pee yourself and it’s warm? It lasted about ten minutes and then it went away. I sat next to Keanu and said, “Keanu, I just had extreme heat from my groin for, like, ten minutes.” And he was, like, “You opened up your root chakra.”

You turned thirty that year [Hamilton]? How was that?

I remember it vividly. We were at the Public Theatre. There was a fire in the East Village, and the show was cancelled that night. I got a cupcake at the deli around the corner from my apartment, on Sixteenth Street, and ate it by myself. I can be a bit of a loner, so that was a happy birthday for me.

(On Looking being cancelled)

But, in 2015, Michael Lombardo was our executive at HBO, and I was crying into my salad at some restaurant in West Hollywood, trying to convince him to keep the show going, right before getting on the plane to come do “Hamilton” Off Broadway.

I loved Raúl Castillo, who played your love interest Richie on the show. I interviewed him around then, and he told me that, since he’s straight, you all had to teach him some of the mechanics of what gay people do.

Oh, yeah! God, I love him so much. I officiated his wedding in July.

Let’s go back to 2013, when “Frozen” came out. You voiced the iceman Kristoff and the reindeer Sven. How did that film change your life?

It’s funny—I remember recording some of “Frozen” in San Francisco. I would be teaching Raúl, like, how to lick my asshole while jerking me off—not teaching him, but sharing the ins and outs of gay intimacy—and then going into the recording studio on a Saturday and being Kristoff and Sven in a Disney movie.

When they showed me “Let It Go” for the first time, I was, like, Oh, my God, this will help millions of people come out of the closet. This is the gayest thing I’ve seen in my life! That was the thing about “Frozen”: I don’t think anyone who worked on it thought it was going to be a juggernaut. It’s so weird to think of this now, but when it came out it felt quite alternative, because there was no villain, really, and the love was between two women. Now there are, like, tissues with Elsa on it.

Now we’re moving backward to “Spring Awakening.” By the time it moved to Broadway, in 2006, you were the twenty-one-year-old lead of the coolest musical in town. What was your actual life like?

I was so not cool. The show was cool, and the music was cool. I had people dropping me off joints at the theatre. And I remember fully understanding the stark difference between who I was playing onstage and who I was in real life, which was an extreme theatre nerd who wanted to be in the ensemble of “Thoroughly Modern Millie” and never would have imagined playing Melchior. It’s his gravitas. And trying to tap into that side of myself, which was a side I’d never experienced before.

Tell me about your audition.

I went to the open call and knew who Michael Mayer was, because he had directed “Thoroughly Modern Millie.” But it was “Spring Awakening” and I was, like, There’s a beating scene? This is so intense! They called me in for Melchior, then had me sing “Hey Jude” in a falsetto, and Michael was, like, “That was your falsetto?” And I laughed at him sort of making fun of me. Tom Hulce, who was our producer, told me years later that he moved my head shot from the “No” pile into the “Yes” pile because I had laughed at Michael in the audition, and he thought, This kid has the ability to let Michael roll off his back. We should bring him back in the next month or two.

It was, like, ten people up for Melchior. They brought me in first, because they thought they would just see me and cut me. But I had worked so hard on the audition material. I remember calling my dad the night before the final callback and saying to him, “I know I can’t be this character all the way yet, but I—”[He tears up again.] I really got to get my shit together! Why does this keep happening to me?

Because we’ve gone on an emotional journey.

I guess so, in reverse! Fuck me. [Pauses.] I knew that I had it inside, if they would just give me the chance. That’s all I was trying to say, but I guess I can’t stop crying while I’m saying it.

In 2005, you made your Broadway début, as an understudy in “In My Life.” Now, this was the weirdest musical I’ve ever seen. As I recall, there were dancing skeletons in a song about how everyone has a skeleton in their closet, a giant lemon that came from the sky at the end, and a girl on a scooter who turns out to be a ghost. And it was written by the guy who wrote “You Light Up My Life,” who then came to a dark end.

And his son!

Yes, his son killed his girlfriend. What the hell was going on with that show? Did you ever go on?

I went on for the ensemble members. I was so excited! I was in my first Broadway show, at the Music Box Theatre, walking in where it says “Stage Door.” And you couldn’t give away tickets to see the show. People were coming to laugh at the show from the audience.

Like “Springtime for Hitler”?

Exactly. And the cast had to do the show, even though people were laughing at them, which is devastating for the actors. But we formed a little family. It’s the plight of the actor. You’re just out there, like Sally Bowles in “Cabaret.” I was twenty years old, so I was lit.

Had you been waiting tables?

Yeah. The whole year before that, I was at the Chelsea Grill, in Hell’s Kitchen. The day I got to New York—October 21, 2004—I moved to Fifty-first Street and Ninth Avenue, before it was super gay, and I walked down Ninth and got a job waiting tables. A week later, I waited on Tom Viola, who runs the charity Broadway Cares, and became a bucket collector. I’d watch the second act of shows and then collect the money at the end. I went to hundreds of auditions, trying to get my Equity card. That, to me, was “Opening Doors,” from “Merrily”—that moment of sheer will and ambition and ignorance.

We’ve now reached our finale, which is 2004. Can you tell me about the decision to move to New York?

My mom was a gym teacher and my dad is a horse trainer, and they didn’t really understand anything about the performing world. But my dad grew up on a dairy farm, and he was supposed to take over and become a Mennonite preacher, which is what my grandfather was. My dad didn’t like cows—he liked horse racing, so he sort of rebelled and did his own thing. My mom always says that nurse, secretary, or teacher were the options for women in a small town at that time, but her passion was sports, so she ended up being a coach.

So they understood the power of fanning the flame of passion. When I was a kid and into acting, they drove me to play practice. They drove me to community theatre. My senior year of high school, my mom drove me to New York to audition for this bus-and-truck tour of “The Sound of Music.” I got that tour, and deferred my admission to Carnegie Mellon. I made ten thousand dollars after a year on the road, and I learned so much from getting to act every day. I wanted to take my ten thousand and move to New York, and my parents were super supportive: “If you feel like you need to go to college, you can always go to college. But take a gamble and move to the city.” I’d worked at this theatre in Lancaster called the Fulton Opera House, where I’d met this girl who wanted to move to New York, so she became my roommate.

To me, “Merrily We Roll Along” is about how difficult it is to stay in touch with the person you were as adulthood knocks you sideways and forward. When you think about nineteen-year-old Jonathan coming to New York, do you feel like you’re the same person? What’s changed?

[He bursts into tears.] I can’t tell why I cry! When we were about to start rehearsal for “Merrily,” I would listen to “Our Time,” and I couldn’t sing it without crying. And, when I think about that version of myself—I think it’s because that person who brings you here does diminish. Maybe it’s the grief for that person. The whole reason that I’m here now is because of that person, but that person no longer exists.

But that person is still in there, somewhere. That voice is so quiet now, but it’s still driving my choices. You have to make choices. You get older, that pure inspiration dies, but it doesn’t have to go all the way away. I think that’s the whole point of the show, why it goes backward. Maria says that Sondheim put all of his regret into it, so that we could have less regret for ourselves. And perhaps the reason it ends with these people, with these versions of ourselves that we remember when we see it, is that it’s an invitation to remember and honor that person.

Why does that make me cry? Is it grief? Is it joy? I don’t know, but I’m so grateful for that purity and that optimism. The first month that I was here, feeling so lost and confused, I pulled the Bible that my Mennonite grandmother gave me off the bookshelf. She gave me that Bible before I left town. I was alone in the apartment thinking, What the fuck am I doing in New York? Or not even “what the fuck”—I didn’t swear until “Spring Awakening,” and when I would sing “Totally Fucked” I would get beet red. And I remember putting the Bible down and thinking, This is not the answer. This is not making me feel good. And then running to Central Park and standing in front of the Bethesda Fountain. I was nineteen, and I was, like, This feels better—but, like, What? Who am I? What am I doing here? I know I want to act, but I’m so scared. And gay. But it was something—some voice, some passion, some inspiration. Some something brought me here.

[theredandwhitequeen]

Agatha all along thoughts first two episodes

The lighting is dark in places and hard to see again, which is disappointing.

Teen, how I love you. Joe Locke not having his British accent was fun

The spell on Agatha at the beginning falling away, but I enjoyed it a lot.

Herb being we don’t say her name, about Wanda. 3 years after the spell.

I really loved it

Patti Lapone yes

The Witches road song is perfect, thank you.

The body not showing the face, but fully being Wanda after she her body died in Dr Strange.

The House

This show is fun

My mom liked it even though she hasn’t watched the movies in ages and has no idea what is happening. We watched Wandavision when it was released.

[vivianbernadetteaurora]

Courtney loves the epic groupie superstar female ironic woman in

I’ll tell you what I love this woman so much, I just love her attitude her style her vocabulary her attitude. Her knowledge of the whole rock is fair with somewhat better to Kirk Cobain mainstream a lot more that you think that she would she was there in the trenches., She knows about things that you expect her to and I’ll tell you what she has a fashion God she knows all these different terms. She isn’t just about to talk clothing. She is about vintage and making your own clothes. She said to Gwen Stefani who she doesn’t like to admitting, but Gwen had made something her own and she loved that so she. but if you had to believe blind items she destroyed like really big vintage pieces the Earth, cut up when I guess she was high on drugs like really old Victorian style dresses which she wanted to turn into her own style of baby doll dresses, some really beautiful pieces when you look back at her on the 90s she is literally my favourite woman in style in attitude and I just love her clothing and I love her pieces exactly the things I would’ve wore when I was a bit slimmer I would’ve been worn all the stuff she wore beautiful pieces., and I guess it was a style at the time in some places but the baby doll dresses the moo the Peter Pan colours even the shoes like I can’t wear I can’t wear shoes basically they aren’t sketches or something comfy because I’ve got something wrong with my feet so I can’t wear my shoes but everything she had was perfect. She wanted to be the girl of the cake and have a cake and eat it if that’s it. perfect PR woman she knew how to market herself I guess this would’ve been the thing that separated her and her in the end because she was not bothered about selling out in a certain way where is he was as she grew and grew into the movie world I don’t think they would’ve like still be together if he was still alive because they had such different views on that kind of thing but let’s not forget as he didn’t want to say to be successful he bloody well dead he wouldn’t of got successful if he hadn’t of tried the mainstream either, but as a Virgo rising and cancer 🌙 Think he’s personality and his lifestyle defied from what he saw as a way and that was a part of himself that he was pushing when he said he didn’t want to be mainstream he didn’t want to be a seller and this is why he would go on stage and do smells like teen spirit but in a Morrissey way. He would refuse to play at all.

Was happy to do things like 24 hours of Courtney Love when she was in her last weekend that early to mid 2000, she had her solo america’s sweetheart which she admitted she was high on drugs at the time and was just wanted to do drugs in a château in France, so that record didn’t do too well and the things she should’ve never done is split up from Eric in her group, hole was made on those two, everybody else is coming and gone from Jill Emery to Caroline Ray, Patty Schemmel, Samantha and obviously rest in power Kristen pfsff. you should’ve never got rid of Eric or done that because that was genius, his guitar playing and her their songwriting., but she can say a lot of lies but when she is telling the truth we need to listen but that’s a problem. People don’t listen because they don’t know what is a lie and what is the truth we know one thing that was the truth was when she exposed Harvey Weinstein and then got blackboard., it was the time she was on the red carpet for the roast of Pamela Anderson, and she said asked is there any advice you have young women in Hollywood?, And she said if Harvey Weinstein invites you to her hotel room at the four seasons don’t go., which surface many years 👋 later .

In that row, she embarrassed herself quite a bit because she was so high on drugs while claiming at the same time not to be it’s like it’s okay but be honest with yourself, but a lot of these people are not not told not to by managers or people in their team , I’m just watching 24 hours of Courtney Love on an old MTV thing and she talks about the whole Gen X boomer thing , there’s 42000,000 boomers , and roughly 18,000,000 Gen X , who were very influential in the music industry and any other industry , and most of them have either gone to rehab , gone on drugs , died , and many of a destructive things, but they created such a whole big culture of the music industry , the film industry , but when I think of all my favourite kids, they are gen x .

Some of those styles have been very popular and recreated over the years when the grunge revival came back in the 2010s a lot of these looks are very Courtney Love , Taylor momsem The Pretty Reckless and how she’s very similar to that kind of style. But it’s been copied very much even if people don’t want to admit because it’s there’s so many things I can post and pictures of her that have been popular and recreated over the years. There was even that fight with her and Kat bjellend . where cat wore her dress all over her touring England and Courtney had to switch to the right white dress that wasn’t in the news as much, had not been seen as but is connected to her and always will .

[krispyweiss]

Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Day Three, Golden Gate Park, San Francisco, Calif., Oct. 6, 2024

The good folks who put on Hardly Strictly Bluegrass created an epic conundrum of good musical fortune by booking the Wood Brothers, the Infamous Stringdusters and Emmylou Harris in simultaneous, festival-closing slots. This, of course, created high anxiety as all three acts are high on any music lover’s gotta-hear list.

But more on that later. Because first, Miko Marks began the day at the Rooster stage with some Sunday soul music before 93-year-old Ramblin’ Jack Elliott, accompanied by mandolin and bass, came out yodeling on Jimmie Rodgers’ “Waiting for a Rain.” He then dug into Woody Guthrie’s “The 1913 Massacre,” got a bit uptempo on “The Cuckoo” and nodded to the Hardly Strictly atmosphere of a super-heated Golden Gate Park (on Oct. 6!) with Jesse Fuller’s “San Francisco Bay Blues.” Between numbers, Elliott regaled the squeezed-into-shady-areas fans with tales from 70 years of music making. Steve Earle then emerged to tell an overly long story over soft picking leaving Elliott to try, unsuccessfully, to get a word in as time ran down on his 40-minute allotment.

So … off to the Banjo stage where Tony Trischka’s Earl Jam was finishing “Brown’s Ferry Blues” and launching into “Lady Madonna” - strictly bluegrass style. Brittany Haas, who would appear later with Aoife O’Donovan and Hawktail, then entered the fray for double fiddling with Shad Cobb on “You Got to Die,” and putting the blues in the grass.

Peter Case, Teddy Thompson, Melissa Carper and Carsie Blanton hit the Rooster next for a Songwriter’s Circle/guitar pull with truth as the refreshing theme. A delightful exercise in the power of folk music.

But there was also blues at Hardly Strictly Bluegrass because: “If you don’t like the blues, you probably don’t like your mama.”

So said Bobby Rush on the Banjo, where the 91-year-old - “If I’m not the oldest, I’m the ugliest,” he cracked - and his big band got down and dirty in flashy sequins as they spanned 70 years of Rush originals and covers like “Hoochie Coochie Man.” Rush blew harp with the lungs of a young man, danced around the stage with the body of a young man and rapped like the OG he is, proving yet again the magic of music - even when you’re singing of your woman leaving you “for the damn garbage man.”

After a public soundcheck that signaled sublimity to come, O’Donovan, Hawktail and the San Francisco Girls Chorus - who joined one-third of the way through the 60-minute set - spanned O’Donovan’s solo discography rearranged to fit Hawktail’s musical tapestry woven of classical, jazz and bluegrass. The Chorus voices soared across Golden Gate as O’Donovan led them through songs about the battle to pass the 19th Amendment from All My Friends.

It was a stirring performance that provided some hope in an era that sometimes feels hopeless and earned a standing ovation from the Banjo stage listeners.

Down the road at Towers of Gold, Patti Smith played to a crowd so humongous people were turned away to listen to her cover Bob Dylan’s “Man in the Long Black Coat” and Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit,” read poetry and and play such songs as “Cash” and “People Have the Power” at the adjacent Swan stage, which was also rammed with festivalgoers, where the Wood Brothers were to play next and Smith’s set benefitted from stellar sound piped in from next door.

Even from behind the Towers, Smith’s performance was deeply affecting - a penetrating mix of soft-edged emotion and hard-edged aggression.

“Use your voice,” she said after using hers for 65 minutes and fans on both sides of the stage exploded in applause when she finished her gig.

Now to address the daylong conundrum, splitting up three must-see acts.

And so it transpired that Mr. and Mrs. Sound Bites caught the Woods (Hardly) playing “Little Bit Broken,” “Tried and Tempted,” “Pilgram” and “A Little Bit Sweet;” the ’Dusters (Strictly) on “Gravity” and “Rise Sun” at the Rooster; and Harris’ (country, not Bluegrass) homestretch at the Banjo, which included a rambunctious “Luxury Liner” and a mournful “Together Again.”

And then it was over …

Read Sound Bites’ coverage of Day One and Day Two at the hyperlinks.

10/7/24

[dankusner]

Remembering “Gone with the Wind”

Summer, some time in the nineteen-seventies.

The world was different.

School was out, and my mother—the head of our household—worked part time in a nursery school as a teacher’s aid.

Early in the morning—she woke up hours before the world woke up—she’d hitch her trousers up and face the world.

After she left for work, we were on our own, which never felt like being left alone; we knew what she had to do to survive, which included having to trust her children during the hours she was away, hours when she was not seen but felt.

We were her first boys.

Before giving birth to me and my little brother, my parents had had four girls.

Now her daughters were in the world with children of their own, lives they described to our mother over the telephone.

The little apartment in the Flatbush section of Brooklyn was hot, next door to a gas station;

the fumes were part of our atmosphere, like the sound of kids playing ringolevio in the streets below, and the air that did not move.

I was about to be a teen-ager, and prized the idea of home; my brother was several years younger, bespectacled, and silent.

I loved him, but couldn’t be loving:

I was his older brother, and responsible for him, which meant being irritated by him, and feeling burdened by him, and sometimes treating him as our visiting father treated me: as a source of pride and incomprehension and scorn.

While our mother was at work, my brother and I made things. Bread from scratch.

Dinner.

Returning home to her little husbands, our mother smiled at what we managed to achieve, and what we wanted to achieve the next day and the next.

On Fridays, she treated us to take-out food.

We’d walk over to Flatbush Avenue, which was maybe three blocks down from where we lived, and eat pizza loaded with garlic, or beef patties from the West Indian shops that were fast replacing the neighborhood’s Jewish delicatessens.

Sometimes, on Saturdays, we’d go to the movies.

They showed serials then.

One Saturday, our mother asked if we wanted to see a film that was based on one of her favorite books—something called “Gone With the Wind.”

It was being re-released right near our house, she said—we should go.

The film was nearly four hours long.

My brother and I had never heard of such a thing. And it took place in the American South, a part of the world that was as alien to us as Manhattan or Queens.

The curtain rose, the music swelled.

The camera tracked toward a beautiful, dark-haired white woman as she said “War, war, war,” while dressed in a green dress with a full skirt.

The world was prettier up there on the screen than the world we’d eventually have to return to;

I didn’t want the movie to end:

the Civil War was the least of my problems.

Outside, there was a rapidly changing and swelling world;

the gas station would never go away.

But the heroine of this Technicolor epic got to suffer in a grand style in a not-crammed apartment.

After the house lights came up, I couldn’t wait to see the movie again, to sink into its long form and avoid those moments that made me feel ashamed—namely, whenever a black person entered the frame.

First published in 1936, Margaret Mitchell’s only novel was one of my mother’s favorites, but I didn’t know how I’d get through the book if slavery informed as much of the plot as it did in the film:

I could close my eyes in a movie and wait for a moment to pass;

this would be more difficult in a book;

words and ideas are entwined with, and depend on, other words and ideas.

But I did read the book, eventually, which felt like a blue print for the film.

Despite producer David O. Selznick’s best efforts to transpose as much of Mitchell’s text as he could to the screen, he had to leave out various subplots, of course, including Scarlett’s dependence on her beloved and scorned Mammy, played, in the film version, by Hattie McDaniel, who became the first black actress to win a Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her role.

Later, I read what other writers had to say about the film, and specifically the Mammy character.

Jamaica Kincaid published her wonderful essay “If Mammies Ruled The World” in the Village Voice, where she described that her real interest in the movie was the Mammy character—and how the white characters didn’t deserve her.

In 1992, Claudia Roth Pierpont published her essential essay about Margaret Mitchell’s life and career in The New Yorker.

I can safely say that Atlanta-born Margaret Mitchell’s worldview helped me see how racist fantasies are borne out of a kind of realism—the realism of the ignorant oppressor.

Money—i.e. slavery and commerce—is central to the story she tells because it buys safety and homogeneity in the white world.

But after blacks are “freed,” some of them becoming carpetbaggers, it’s their blackness combined with an "uppity" attitude that perverts and alarms the white Southerner, not the blood and horror of slavery, and how it came to be in the first place.

Mitchell didn’t create the white Southerner’s antebellum view of blackness, but she helped popularize it in an artifact of great strength that even my mother admired, and that writers ranging from Dubose Heyward to the Atlanta-based Tyler Perry have created some version of, especially when it comes to the Mammy.

Sadly, these attitudes inform one's present-day life, life without mother.

Just recently I was with a young, white, single mother who was complaining about school-lunch fees, unavailable men, and so on, when I said something to the effect that I didn’t remember my mother paying for our lunch when we were in school.

The woman snapped: “She didn’t have to pay! You were underprivileged!”

Before I could correct her, I felt robbed of a response: to contradict her fantasy of privilege and struggle would be to challenge her reality, utterly.

And perhaps that’s why my mother could stomach Mitchell’s various depictions of black womanhood, and of blackness itself:

we have always worn the masks in order to achieve what she had with her boys from moment to moment, in a movie theatre or at home: the hard-won luxury of survival.

Looking back, I suppose what made me turn away from the screen—and, on occasion, away from the book—was Mitchell’s lens on what Mammy and blackness meant to the characters’ whiteness, and how it improved and bolstered their entitlement and vanity, and thus their relationship to power and history.

Mitchell’s Mammy was not my own, nor could my brother’s and my joined impulse to take care of our mother be relegated to Mammying, but such was the tremendous power of Mitchell’s evocation of that figure that after I saw the film version of “Gone With The Wind” and read the book I was brought up short against my mother’s ability to care, and my own and my brother’s.

At least for a time.

[a1pgames]

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[teenpattiindia]

Learn More: Texas Cowboys Tutorials and Guides

In the vast expanse of the Texan plains, where the sky meets the earth in an unbroken horizon, lies a legacy as enduring as the land itself - the legacy of Texas cowboys. Rooted in a tradition that spans centuries, the ethos of the Texas cowboy embodies resilience, independence, and a deep connection to the land they call home.

History of Texas Cowboys

Early Settlements of Texas

Long before the skyscrapers of modern cities dotted the Texan skyline, the land was home to indigenous peoples who lived in harmony with nature. It was with the arrival of Spanish settlers in the 18th century that the foundations of cowboy culture were laid.

Cowboy Culture Development

As Texas transitioned from Spanish to Mexican to American rule, the cowboy way of life evolved, shaped by influences from vaqueros, Native American riders, and European settlers. This melting pot of cultures, similar to the diverse influences in the game of Teen Patti, gave rise to the iconic figure of the Texas cowboy.

Influence of Spanish Vaqueros

The roots of cowboy culture in Texas can be traced back to the vaqueros, skilled horsemen of Spanish origin who brought with them the techniques of cattle herding and roping. Their expertise laid the groundwork for the ranching practices that would come to define Texas.

Iconic Texas Cowboys

John "King" Fisher

Known as the "King of the Pecos," John Fisher was a legendary figure of the Wild West, renowned for his prowess as a gunman and his larger-than-life persona.

Bose Ikard

Bose Ikard, a former slave turned cowboy, left an indelible mark on Texas history with his loyalty, courage, and exceptional skills in the saddle.

Oliver Loving

Oliver Loving, along with Charles Goodnight, blazed the famous Goodnight-Loving Trail, a vital artery of the cattle-driving era that connected Texas ranches to burgeoning markets up north.

Nat Love

Nat Love, also known as "Deadwood Dick," was one of the most famous African American cowboys of the Old West, celebrated for his daring feats and colorful memoirs.

Texas Cowboy Equipment and Gear

Hats and Headgear

The iconic cowboy hat, with its wide brim and high crown, is not just a fashion statement but a practical necessity, offering protection from the scorching Texas sun.

Boots and Spurs

Crafted for durability and comfort, cowboy boots are an essential part of a cowboy's attire, while spurs serve as both a tool for communication with the horse and a symbol of status.

Chaps and Pants

Designed to withstand the rigors of ranch work, chaps provide protection from thorny brush and harsh weather, allowing cowboys to navigate the rugged terrain with ease.

Lassos and Ropes

The lasso, or lariat, is the cowboy's most iconic tool, indispensable for roping cattle and mastering the art of the open range.

Riding Techniques

Bareback Riding

Bareback riding, with its adrenaline-fueled bursts of speed and raw athleticism, is a hallmark of cowboy rodeos, showcasing the bond between rider and horse.

Saddle Riding

Saddle riding offers stability and control, allowing cowboys to undertake long journeys across the vast Texan landscape with confidence and ease.

Bronc Riding

Bronc riding, where cowboys mount untamed horses with fiery spirits, tests their skill and courage in the ultimate display of horsemanship.

Roping Techniques

Mastering the art of roping is a rite of passage for Texas cowboys, requiring precision, timing, and a deep understanding of bovine behavior.

Cattle Ranching in Texas

Longhorn Cattle

The iconic longhorn cattle, with their distinctive horns and sturdy build, played a pivotal role in shaping the fortunes of Texas ranchers during the heyday of the cattle drives.

Trail Drives

The epic cattle drives of the 19th century, immortalized in countless tales of frontier adventure, saw drovers herding thousands of head of cattle across vast distances to reach railheads and markets.

Open Range Grazing

The vast expanse of the Texas plains provided ample grazing land for cattle, allowing ranchers to raise their herds in the tradition of the open range.

Modern Ranching Practices

While the romantic image of the lone cowboy on horseback endures, modern ranching in Texas has embraced technology and innovation to meet the challenges of the 21st century.

Famous Texas Cattle Trails

Chisholm Trail

The Chisholm Trail, stretching from Texas to Kansas, was the most famous route for driving cattle to northern markets, immortalized in song and legend.

Goodnight-Loving Trail

Named for Charles Goodnight and Oliver Loving, who pioneered the route, the Goodnight-Loving Trail played a vital role in the development of the cattle industry in the American West.

Western Trail

The Western Trail, also known as the Dodge City Trail, connected Texas ranches to the railheads of Kansas, opening up new markets for Texas cattle and shaping the growth of frontier towns.

Shawnee Trail

The Shawnee Trail, the earliest and longest of the major cattle trails, was instrumental in establishing Texas as the leading cattle-producing state in the nation.

Life on the Texas Ranch

Daily Routines

Life on a Texas ranch is governed by the rhythms of nature, from predawn cattle roundups to evenings spent around the campfire under a starlit sky.

Cowboy Etiquette

A code of honor and respect governs interactions among Texas cowboys, reflecting the values of integrity, hard work, and camaraderie that define cowboy culture.

Campfire Tales

Gathered around the flickering flames, Texas cowboys share stories of daring escapades, close calls, and the timeless allure of the open range.

Challenges and Dangers

From unpredictable weather to ornery cattle, life on the Texas ranch is not without its challenges, testing the mettle of even the most seasoned cowboys.

Modern Texas Cowboys

Rodeo Competitions

Rodeo competitions keep the spirit of cowboy culture alive, offering a showcase for the skills and bravery of modern-day cowboys and cowgirls.

Ranching in the 21st Century

While the days of the open range may be gone, the spirit of the Texas cowboy lives on in the men and women who continue to work the land, preserving a way of life that is uniquely Texan.

Preservation of Cowboy Heritage

Efforts to preserve the heritage of the Texas cowboy include museums, cultural events, and historical reenactments that celebrate the rich history and traditions of cowboy culture.

Impact of Technology

Advancements in technology have transformed the ranching industry, from automated feeding systems to satellite mapping, yet the timeless values of hard work and stewardship remain at the heart of Texas cowboy culture.

Learn More: Texas Cowboys Tutorials and Guides

Beginners' Guide to Texas Cowboy Culture

Embark on your journey into the world of Texas cowboy culture with our comprehensive guide, covering everything from the history of the cowboy to essential riding techniques and gear.

Advanced Riding Techniques

Take your horsemanship to the next level with advanced riding techniques, including cutting, roping, and barrel racing, as practiced by seasoned Texas cowboys.

Gear Maintenance Tips

Keep your cowboy gear in top condition with our expert tips on cleaning, conditioning, and repairing hats, boots, saddles, and more.

Heritage Preservation Strategies

Discover how communities across Texas are working to preserve the rich heritage of cowboy culture through education, outreach, and historic preservation efforts.

FAQs about Texas Cowboys

How did Texas Cowboys influence American culture?

The image of the Texas cowboy has permeated American popular culture, shaping perceptions of bravery, independence, and rugged individualism.

What are some famous cowboy sayings and their meanings?

From "git along, little dogies" to "happy trails," cowboy sayings reflect the practical wisdom and humor of the Old West, offering insights into the cowboy way of life.

Is Texas cowboy culture still relevant today?

Despite the march of time and technological advancements, the spirit of the Texas cowboy endures, serving as a symbol of resilience, determination, and the enduring bond between man and horse.

How can I learn to ride a horse like a Texas cowboy?

Whether you're a novice rider or an experienced equestrian, mastering the art of horsemanship requires dedication, practice, and a deep respect for the traditions of cowboy culture.

What are some essential items for a cowboy's toolkit?

A well-equipped cowboy relies on sturdy boots, a reliable horse, a trusty rope, and a sharp eye for reading the land and understanding animal behavior.

Are there any famous modern-day Texas cowboys?

While the era of the Old West may have passed, modern-day Texas cowboys continue to make their mark in rodeo arenas, on working ranches, and in the hearts of those who cherish the cowboy way of life.

[fabzen123]

Tournament Titans: Unveiling the Masters of Empire Games

Introduction:

Tournament Titans delves into the thrilling world of competitive empire games, where players battle for supremacy and recognition on digital battlegrounds. From Ludo to Call Break, Skillpatti to Teen Patti, these masters of strategy and skill showcase their prowess in tournaments worldwide. In this exploration, we unveil the strategies, dedication, and triumphs of the elite players who reign as titans in the empire gaming community.

1. The Rise of Empire Gaming Tournaments:

Empire gaming tournaments have surged in popularity, attracting players from all corners of the globe to compete in epic battles of strategy and skill. Organized by gaming platforms, esports organizations, and community groups, these tournaments offer players the chance to showcase their abilities and vie for prestigious titles and cash prizes.

2. Mastering the Art of Strategy:

At the heart of empire gaming tournaments lies the mastery of strategy, where players must navigate complex gameplay mechanics and outmaneuver opponents to claim victory while adhering to Teen Patti rules. From carefully planning moves in Ludo to bluffing opponents in Call Break, each game requires a unique approach and a keen understanding of tactics.

3. The Road to Tournament Success:

For tournament titans, success is not achieved overnight but through relentless dedication and practice. These players spend countless hours honing their skills, studying game mechanics, and analyzing opponents' strategies to gain a competitive edge. From local tournaments to international championships, they leave no stone unturned in their quest for greatness.

4. Thriving in the Competitive Arena:

Competing in empire gaming tournaments requires more than just skill—it demands mental fortitude, adaptability, and resilience. Whether facing crushing defeats or celebrating hard-fought victories, tournament titans remain steadfast in their pursuit of excellence, learning and growing with each challenge they encounter.

5. Building a Legacy:

For the elite players of Empire Games , tournaments offer the chance to cement their legacy in the gaming community. With each tournament victory, they inspire aspiring players, leaving an indelible mark on the competitive landscape and paving the way for future generations of tournament titans.

6. The Role of Responsible Gaming:

Amidst the intensity of competition, responsible gaming practices are paramount for tournament titans. They prioritize fair play, respect their opponents, and uphold the integrity of the game, setting a positive example for the community. By promoting responsible gaming, they ensure that tournaments remain enjoyable and inclusive for all participants.

Conclusion:

Tournament Titans celebrates the dedication, skill, and passion of the elite players who dominate the world of empire gaming tournaments. From their strategic brilliance to their unwavering determination, these titans inspire admiration and awe as they continue to push the boundaries of what is possible in competitive gaming. As the empire gaming community continues to grow, so too will the legends of Tournament Titans, forever etching their names in the annals of gaming history.

[informationlo]

Game On: Discover the Hottest Gaming Apps of 2023 and Level Up Your Entertainment!

In the ever-evolving world of gaming, staying up-to-date with the latest and hottest gaming apps is essential for any avid gamer. The year 2023 has brought forth a wave of exciting new releases and updates, offering gamers a plethora of options to level up their entertainment. One such app that has gained significant attention and acclaim is "Teenpattigo Club." In this blog post, we will explore the hottest gaming apps of 2023, with a particular focus on the thrilling features and experiences provided by Teenpattigo Club.

Teenpattigo Club: Revolutionizing Card Gaming: If you are a fan of card games, Teenpattigo Club is a must-try gaming app. Combining traditional Indian card game elements with innovative features and stunning graphics, this app offers an immersive and exhilarating gaming experience. Whether you are a beginner or a seasoned player, Teenpattigo Club provides a variety of game modes, including classic Teen Patti and exciting variations like AK47 and Hukam. With its intuitive interface and seamless gameplay, Teenpattigo Club sets a new standard for card gaming apps in 2023.

Genshin Impact: Embark on an Epic Adventure: Genshin Impact has taken the gaming world by storm since its release. This open-world action role-playing game offers a visually stunning environment where players can explore a vast and intricate world. With a diverse cast of characters and an engaging storyline, Genshin Impact allows players to embark on epic quests, battle formidable enemies, and uncover hidden treasures. The game's breathtaking graphics, immersive gameplay, and regular updates have made it one of the hottest gaming apps of 2023.

Apex Legends Mobile: Battle Royale at Your Fingertips: Apex Legends Mobile brings the adrenaline-pumping battle royale experience to mobile devices. With its fast-paced gameplay, intense gunfights, and unique character abilities, this app delivers an exciting multiplayer experience. Join forces with friends or team up with strangers as you fight to be the last squad standing. Apex Legends Mobile boasts high-quality graphics, smooth controls, and regular content updates, ensuring that players stay engaged and entertained.

Pokémon Unite: Unleash Your Inner Trainer: Pokémon Unite offers a fresh take on the beloved Pokémon franchise. This multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) game allows players to form teams and engage in strategic battles using their favorite Pokémon. With its dynamic gameplay, strategic depth, and vibrant visuals, Pokémon Unite has quickly become a hit among Pokémon fans and gamers alike. Unlock new Pokémon, strategize with your teammates, and prove your skills in exhilarating battles.

Among Us: The Deception Continues: Among Us has captured the hearts of gamers worldwide with its addictive and suspenseful gameplay. This social deduction game pits players against each other as they try to uncover the impostor among them. With its simple yet engaging mechanics, Among Us encourages communication, teamwork, and cunning. The app continues to receive updates and new features, keeping players hooked and providing endless hours of thrilling deception and deduction.

Conclusion: As we dive deeper into 2023, the gaming landscape is brimming with exciting options to satisfy every gamer's craving for adventure, strategy, and entertainment. From the captivating card gaming experience of Teenpattigo Club to the expansive worlds of Genshin Impact and Apex Legends Mobile, and the addictive deception of Among Us, these hottest gaming apps of 2023 offer something for everyone. So, gear up, download these apps, and get ready to level up your entertainment to new heights!

[anxiouspotatorants]

I kind of wish they would have had more pranks with Jess. Like downright creative ones ala tennis balls and gnomes, and/or benevolent ones like the Bambi-prank. That scene might just be one of my favourites because you see Rory all worried and exhausted about it, but also really excited, and the banter between them is just so entertaining. Not to mention how much fun Jess seems to be having. Plus it’s a great prank! Especially for it’s intention! And I wish we’d had more pranks like that, particularly while they were dating. Like, imagine Jess pulling something on Francine as «karma». Or a quick incognito one on Dean after he makes a threat. I specifically cannot get the idea out of my mind of Jess kidnapping the baby Jesus doll and returning it mid-performance of the nativity play all fixed up and in an anonymous but flashy way (like getting help from Miss Patty and/or Kirk — it would be a weirdly nice locals-bonding moment).

Long story short I want more chaotic wholesome shithead Jess, damnit

[mandareeboo]

SU Music Rankings

Bc I can and I wanna start some Disk Horse rip. These are all in order of preference, with explanations, etc. It’s a long bitch. That said, I’m not counting little short jingles or small joke songs like Little Butler. This is the meat and potatoes of SU music- just under 30 songs. I might do the rest if people like my takes lol.

I scored it mostly on three bases- how dear it was to my heart, how much/often I relisten to it, and also what it means to the plot. That said, little fun songs don’t automatically go farther down than big, plot-heavy songs either! It’s a strange little balance.

Special Note: I don’t dislike any of this music! I love SU and that includes its bumps and glitches. I just pick favorite children lol.

1.) Change

Was there ever a more Steven moment than when he wiped the blood off his face and kissed it into sparkles? I think not. 

If “Be Wherever You Are” is an ode to young Steven, then this is teen Steven’s. Talking about change, and how much and how little it can do. How he holds his arms up for Spinel to hug him, so trusting. How he seems able to just. Break into soft tears at will, and not to be manipulative- it’s just his kind nature. The warmth in his voice. Fuck yesssss.

2.) Change Your Mind

This song is only fifty five seconds and it’s EVERYTHING to me. It really felt like someone was speaking the words I’d always held deep inside of me, unsure of how to say. It feels like a goodbye to someone who never really loved me. 

As much as I enjoyed Future, if this was the finale of SU, I would’ve been perfectly okay with that.

3.) Drift Away

This song gave me legitimate shivers the first time I heard it, and it still haunts me to this day. Spinel stayed, and waited, and all she got was a transmission thousands of years later. Fuck.

4.) Here We Are In The Future

THE MOVIE IS SU AS ITS BEST AND I WON’T BE SWAYED ON IT. Steven being a teen who loves his weird family but is growing just a bit sarcastic to their drama. The adorable love he and Connie share. His slow realization that he will always be working, always have things to do, is both somber and real. The Crystal Gems won’t be safe with one epic battle. They’ll be safe with years of hard work and love. HIS LITTLE HANDSHAKE WITH AMETHYST.

This is a helluva bop and a great way to summarize the main character’s backstories.

5.) Let’s Only Think About Love

Did ya’ll know that Zach Callison killed his throat with that last note? He gave his all for this performance in a vocal range he no longer comfortably do and by god did it SHINE. The FLAIR. The FORESHADOWING. All of the Gems all being awkward about Rose and Steven trying to bring them to the present. Peridot having a mini-existential crisis in a cute yellow dress. I love Zach Callison’s normal singing voice but man is that a fucking bop. Nothing will ever beat it.

6.) Here Comes A Thought

This bad boy helped me out a LOT with some mental issues I was dealing with in high school. I was unmedicated, unsupervised, and full of anxiety. I’d have break downs when I tried to speak about certain things. I couldn’t function. This song inspired me. It helped me feel okay with my intrusive thoughts.

And the episode! -chef’s kiss-. Once again bringing up the morally gray area of training child soldiers. Connie expanding her social group. Steven’s trauma hauling ass in that second half. The ANIMATION. Stevonnie’s gorgeous singing voice. GOD yes.

7.) It’s Over Isn’t It?

Just barely squeaking above Stronger Than You, this ballad is everything gorgeous. The whole episode is. I think Mr. Greg stands in the top five of my episodes for the entire show. It even got nominated!

There’s just so much about this song that I love. The gentle melancholy of Pearl’s voice. How the crew had to redo the shots for this bit bc Deedee went so fucking hard. The hard cuts between Pearl, remembering the love of her life, and Steven, who has begun to feel like he took her away. I’d recommend this song to anyone, regardless of what they do or don’t know about SU, simply bc it tugs so many heartstrings of love, loss, and responsibility.

8.) Stronger Than You

Did you realize this episode aired SEVEN years ago? This bitch was what got me into SU! Hearing about Ruby and Sapphire made my little gay heart so happy inside, and then getting a whole song confirming that they were a couple, that their love powered the strongest Gem on the team? Aaaaaaaaa

To this DAY I get excited when I hear Estelle start singing. This song is timeless. This song will live in media history. God I fucking love this song.

9.) Other Friends

I’m not the biggest musical person, so I hadn’t heard of Sarah Stiles before her casting as Spinel, but JESUS CHRIST the lady went hard. She went SO fucking hard. Sarah Stiles started on 100 and somehow just kept CLIMBING. You can just hear the sheer manic energy building in her voice, the anger and resentment. 10/10 Sarah Stiles is a queen.

10.) Independent Together

This made the list entirely bc the crew was like “you’re gonna get a himbo ass Steven-Greg fusion singing with Opal while Garnet flies across the moon on Lion while floating” and I am forever thankful to them for it

11.) Who We Are

Bismuth deserved more songs. ‘Nuff said.

12.) Peace and Love (On the Planet Earth)

It Could’ve been Great is EASILY one of my favorite s2 episodes. I love the entire concept of this song. Of Steven making music to reflect how much Earth means to him and his family. Of him teaching Peridot some self-care. Also Peridot’s singing voice is really cute and squeaky. 

I know it’s silly, but I would’ve really enjoyed a flip around of this in Future! Like Peridot reminding Steven how much he loves music, that he needs to take time to relax for himself, maybe with a new verse or just a remix of the original song!

13.) Something Entirely New

I watched this episode as it aired, and I legitimately almost cried. I love Charlyne Yi’s voice so much ya’ll- her raspy, not perfect singing voice against Sapphire’s deep soothing lull is great.

And to have Ruby and Sapphire’s meeting be the way it was- for Ruby to bemoan Sapphire losing Homeworld, to being stuck with a single Ruby, while Sapphire is a noble who has always been taught everyone in her “caste” is vitally important (and has, in her own mind, taken that to mean every Gem, as she should) and how they come together and make each other happy. Good shit good shit.

14.) I’m Just a Comet

The fact that Greg’s music career never really blasted off pisses me off to this day bc Tom Scharpling’s voice is fucking BUTTER. Also the song really feels like a jab at his parents now that we know the kind of dynamic he had growing up. “This life in the stars if all I’ve ever known” is definitely him wiping away their existence after reminding them (and himself) the things they used to say about him.

15.) Do It For Her

This episode. This fucking episode. This episode got me permanently hooked on SU. I’d just binged season 1 and was kinda meh about it overall after the bop of Stronger Than You. “Oh,” I thought to myself, foolishly, “I’ll probably just casually watch this from time to time.”

Like three days later Sworn to the Sword aired and that was it. I was hooked! Pearl’s gentle training song turning darker and darker, Connie’s accompaniment from nervous to determined to fully into such a toxic mindset. The fact that SU had the BALLS to discuss the repercussions of training child soldiers, now and later. This episode was everything to me, STILL is everything to me.

Six years and well over 100 fanfics written later, I think it’s safe to say this show swallowed me whole and never let go.

16.) System/Boot.pearl_final(3)

I debated putting this on the list because it’s not anything crazy important, just a way to show things are Wrong, but I had to do it entirely bc Pearl is so damn SALTY.

Like telling us about the Gems makes sense, she felt like she was given a duty, but she went so damn petty. WHY is that Ruby alone. Gross. This Amethyst is a trash dump. Wtf are you people.

17.) Full Disclosure

This episode really feels like a turning point for SU. Before, the show had its dark moments- but now we’re in the thick of it, and it’s not going away. Full Disclosure felt like an rebuff to the idea of returning to any normal we’d established in season 1. Gems are actually a giant species now. Gems tried to kill us now. There’s this Yellow Diamond bitch who got namedropped. Something about a Cluster. 

The song itself is BALLER, with its ingenious use of Steven’s ringtone and photos as he tries to decide whether to clue in Connie on all this nonsense. Meanwhile we, the audience, already know damn well Connie about to yeet some common sense into him.

18.) What’s the Use of Feeling Blue?

I’mma admit it- I’m a Yellow Diamond stan. I’ve always loved her- her anger, her poise, her hardworking nature. I actively argued against the “Yellow Shattered Pink” theories back in the day. But, man, when this arc leaked? I got so overexcited I was too jittery to watch it for like two days. It’s easily my favorite arc of the series. The sheer alien nature of the zoo, the Famethyst, and absolutely Patti Lupone’s beautiful ballad. Goddamn. Yellow singing to Blue to try and help her regain her old status, the warble in her voice as she reminds Blue she misses Pink too, the movement of the bubbles as she talks about attack. It gives me shivers to this day. FUCK.

19.) Tower of Mistakes

This is, fun fact, that only SU song I have completely memorized. The story itself is kinda funny! See, we lost internet at my house for a solid 5 to 6 months when these episodes aired, so I only got a very brief window to view them all. But this was the first Amethyst song in a long while, and I didn’t want to forget it! So I keep replaying it in my head for ages. And that’s still definitely a thing.

Anyway will never not be sad that this entire song was about making it up to Garnet for Amethyst’s perceived slights with Sugilite (which was a two-way road), only for Garnet to pressure her into fusion later when pissed and never discuss it again bc Garnet probably never thought twice about it and Amethyst has the emotional openness of a clam that’s just been told its ugly. Helluva way to make someone feel like shit, G. Helluva way to bottle that shit, Ames.

20.) On the Run

I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a million times: Amethyst! Needed! More! Songs! 

The dichotomy between Steven’s play and Amethyst’s honest desire to run away from home is so well-done, especially when you consider a lot of Steven and Amethyst’s actions are playing together. The song is also near and dear to me simply bc it’s my favorite Amethyst episode to exist (well, maybe second to What’s Your Problem, but not by much). Moments like these are all the proof I need that they were right to fuse first.

21.) Be Wherever You Are

This tune really just feels like an ode to who Steven was as a kid. Trapped on an island with no way home, and he’s just happy to be with his friends. The stars are beautiful and not oppressive. Also that one animatic with Lars and the Off Colors playing in the Homeworld Kindergarten to this music was iconic and made this song get stuck in my head for a solid month.

22.) Familiar

I ADORE how the crew use bright neon colors to show how alien Homeworld can be. And Steven recognizing that the Diamonds treat him how the CGs used to, and how prepared he is to “fix” a broken family. It’s a soft, gentle tune about melancholy. Also the Pebbles are beautiful.

23.) Let Me Drive My Van Into Your Heart

Such a cute little love ballad, but every time I listen to it now I just imagine the heart attack Rose must’ve had at the line “And if we look out of place/Well, baby, that's okay/I'll drive us into outer space.” like there’s a Vietnam war flashback if I ever heard one

24.) What Can I Do?

I’m kind of neutral on this one? Rose and Greg both have great voices, but the song itself lacks many lyrics. I think it was definitely a good way to show Rose’s flaws in thinking.

Also, I’m shocked they managed cram that much vaguely sexual innuendo into two minutes, followed by how Not Hetereo that dance between Rose and Pearl was, and not get their asses chewed by it. You go guys.

25.) Cookie Cat

I love a lot of the vibes this song has. The lyrics are so damn prophetic, but they also sound like the kind of weird 90s commercials I grew up on. It’s been like two decades since I saw the Shirley Temple commercial but I’ll be damned if I don’t remember “Animals crackers in my soup! Monkey and rabbits loop-de-loop.”

26.) Giant Woman

I am. NOT the biggest fan of Steven’s original singing voice. I feel bad saying that, since it was just Zach Callison as a kid, but he never jived well with me for some reason. So I wouldn’t listen to this on the fly. 

The song itself is still really good though, with all sorts of fun animation of Amethyst and Pearl being bitchy to each other. It’s a bit sad in hindsight to see tiny Steven trying to get his moms to get along. Ahh, season 1.

27.) Strong in the Real Way

This song has SUCH a strong start. Pearl reflecting on Sugilite’s problems, but the show making sure to show us that Pearl’s lack of enthusiasm towards her also lends itself to jealousy as well as just general malaise. How much she cares about Steven, and wants him to grow up strong. 

And then Steven just kinda. Ruins it? I appreciate his enthusiasm for tryna bulk up but to take what was starting as such a rich, personal song and broadcasting it to random strangers just makes me a bit sad. Almost a bit angry on her behalf?

28.) That Distant Shore

I KNOW this is gonna create some discourse, but I’m just not the biggest Lapis stan. I love her voice. I love the visuals of the song. And I get why she felt afraid and needed to flee.

But Lapis never got to take responsibility for her own actions. And, in the end, the song feels hollow to me- because we all know she’ll never talk to anyone about it, know she’ll burst back in and destroy the barn, and no one will ever question it. I like Lapis a lot, but I feel like her arc never was fully finished. She never got help. She never learned to feel safe.

29.) Dear Old Dad

I’ve yet to meet a single human being who likes this episode tbh. There’s some great discussion about what kind of parent Greg is from it, and what kind of dynamic he has with the Gems that he felt he had to fake an injury to hang out with his son. Honestly the first half was fine and dandy. It’s just that then they Greg just went out of his way to drag Steven away from missions and such. It never jived well with his character before or after.

Also, is it just me, or does Zach himself sound like he hates the song as he sings it? There’s no passion or heart in his voice. It sounds like they told him to read off cue cards and he did. Tom Scharpling’s best attempts didn’t save this one for being a skipper. But the episode, unfortunately, isn’t, so it gets a spot on here.

[fuckyeahwarriorwomen]

DC WILL HONOR THE 80TH ANNIVERSARY OF WONDER WOMAN WITH HUGE LINE-UP OF PUBLISHING RELEASES

For the global celebration of Wonder Woman, DC is honoring the iconic character’s 80th anniversary with a vibrant collection of commemorative releases, free editions and new series launches. Headlined by the inspiring anthology showcasing 23 trailblazing women around the world, Wonderful Women of the World, DC will also thrill Wonder Woman fans with a 100-page spectacular, a commemorative hardcover and multiple brand-new series, all to pegged to the global celebration of Wonder Woman Day on October 21.

Plus, fans can delve into the history and enduring influence of the iconic character this October with the “Wonder Woman Authors & Talent Panel” on DC Community.

WONDER WOMAN: 80 YEARS OF THE AMAZON WARRIOR- On Sale September 14, 2021 Featuring acclaimed DC writers and artists like George Pérez, Phil Jimenez, William Moulton Marston, Harry G. Peter, Joye Hummel, Jill Thompson, Greg Rucka, Nicola Scott, Becky Cloonan, and Jen Bartel, this hardcover special edition spans over 400 pages and follows the famous Amazon Warrior in her enduring fight for justice. Starting from the first appearance of Wonder Woman through some of her most incredible battles against foes like the Cheetah and Ares, this can't-miss collection of Wonder Woman through her eight decades of heroism. It includes new essays and interviews about the enduring legacy of the iconic Super Hero from Gal Gadot, Lynda Carter, Patty Jenkins, and Trina Robbins as well as never-before-collected stories.

WONDERFUL WOMEN OF THE WORLD - On Sale September 28, 2021

DC brings together a collection of talented writers and artists to celebrate international role models for teens and kids with a new young adult anthology. Standing for truth, justice and equality, Wonder Woman serves as inspiration for the profiles and portraits of 23 pioneering women from around the globe. Tales of the real-world heroes who take up Princess Diana of Themyscira’s mantle and work in the fields of science, sports, activism, diplomacy, and more include Beyoncé, Serena Williams, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Greta Thunberg, and Malala Yousafzai, amongst others. Featuring a cover illustrated by acclaimed Wonder Woman artist Nicola Scott and spearheaded by The New York Times bestselling author Laurie Halse Anderson (Speak, Wonder Woman: Tempest Tossed) who serves as editor, the young adult anthology will hit shelves pegged to the milestone 80th anniversary celebration of Wonder Woman.

WONDER WOMAN 80TH ANNIVERSARY 100-PAGE SUPER SPECTACULAR - On Sale October 5, 2021

An oversize super spectacular featuring new stories that capture timeless messages of hope and empowerment are presented together in this gorgeous keepsake issue. With new adventures from acclaimed DC talent including writers Becky Cloonan, Michael W. Conrad, Jordie Bellaire, Mark Waid, Tom King, Steve Orlando, G. Willow Wilson, Amy Reeder, Vita Ayala and Stephanie Phillips, and artists Jim Cheung, Paulina Ganucheau, Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez, Joe Prado, Amy Reeder, Evan “Doc” Shaner, Isaac Goodhart, Laura Braga, Marcio Takara, and Meghan Hetrick, this one-of-a-kind special will showcase Diana’s past, present, and future to celebrate Wonder Woman’s legacy. This keepsake collection will also be available with variant covers spotlighting Wonder Woman across different incarnations including the Golden, Silver, Bronze and Modern Ages along with cover artwork inspired by her big and small-screen incarnations, from artists Will Murai, Cat Staggs, Bruce Timm, Jen Bartel, Amy Reeder, Michael Cho, Travis Moore and Cliff Chiang.

NUBIA AND THE AMAZONS - Series Launch October 5, 2021

The world will know her name! Follow the ongoing adventures of Nubia with this unforgettable miniseries written by Vita Ayala and Stephanie Williams with art from all-star artist Alitha Martinez (Future State) . After the thrilling events of Infinite Frontier, Nubia becomes queen of Themyscira, but the new title also brings challenges. With the unexpected arrival of new Amazons, our hero is forced to reckon with her past and forge a new path forward for her sisters. Little does she know, a great evil grows beneath the island and it’s up to this former guardian of Doom’s Doorway to unite her tribe before paradise is lost forever!

WONDER WOMAN: ADVENTURES OF YOUNG DIANA SPECIAL - On Sale October 12, 2021

Collected together for the first time, these backup stories by Eisner Award-winner Jordie Bellaire and rising star Paulina Ganucheau provide an intimate look into Wonder Woman’s upbringing and the dangerous secrets of her past. The  young princess of Themyscira struggled to find her place on an island deemed paradise by many, but which is, to her, a prison. Trapped in her role as a royal and shielded from the harsh realities of Man’s World, Diana yearned for adventure, or at least a purpose. When ancient texts portraying her home’s history go missing, she gets both. How far will our hero go to find the texts and the truths they’re hiding?

WONDER WOMAN #780 - On Sale October 12, 2021

The iconic Super Hero returns in the ongoing WONDER WOMAN series featuring writers Becky Cloonan and Michael W. Conrad and art by Travis Moore. After the events of Death Metal, Diana finally makes it back from her unforgettable odyssey through the Sphere of the Gods! Has the world moved on without her? This special oversize story paves the way into an exciting new future for the greatest hero of them all.

WONDER WOMAN HISTORIA: THE AMAZONS - Series Launch October 19, 2021

Best-selling DC talent Kelly Sue DeConnick (Aquaman) and Phil Jimenez (Wonder Woman By Phil Jimenez Omnibus) launches one of the most highly-anticipated releases of the year. Millennia ago, Queen Hera and the goddesses of the Olympian pantheon grew greatly dissatisfied with their male counterparts… and far from their sight, they put a plan into action. A new society was born, one never before seen on Earth, capable of wondrous and terrible things, but their existence could not stay secret for long. When a despairing woman named Hippolyta crossed the Amazons’ path, a series of events was set in motion that would lead to an outright war in heaven—and the creation of the Earth’s greatest guardian! One of the most unforgettable DC tales of all time begins here, with subsequent issues featuring art by modern masters Gene Ha and Nicola Scott releasing in the spring and autumn of 2022.

DIANA PRINCESS OF THE AMAZONS - Free Special Edition Out October 19, 2021

From The New York Times bestselling authors Shannon and Dean Hale comes a story about making mistakes, learning the hard way, and becoming a hero. Eleven-year-old Diana is the only child on the island of Themyscira. Wanting someone her own age to talk to, she takes matters into her own hands and creates a playmate out of clay. But things quickly get out of control and Diana must decide whether she’s made a new friend…or a monster! This special edition features an extended sample from the full-length graphic novel with art from Victoria Ying.

WONDER WOMAN #1 - Free Special Edition Out October 19, 2021

Celebrate 80 years of the Amazon Warrior with this special edition of the first issue of the acclaimed series by DC superstars Greg Rucka and Liam Sharp, kicking off the epic storyline, “The Lies.” Why has the lasso of truth stopped working? Start down the rabbit hole as dark secrets from Wonder Woman's past unravel her present!

WONDER WOMAN: TEMPEST TOSSED - Free Special Edition Out October 19, 2021

The New York Times bestselling author Laurie Halse Anderson reimagines Wonder Woman’s origin in this timely story about the refugee experience, teenage activism, and finding the love and strength to create change. This special edition features an extended sample from the full-length graphic novel, with art by Leila Del Duca.

WONDER GIRL #6 - On Sale October 26, 2021

In the latest issue written by Joëlle Jones with art by Leila del Duca, after encountering Wonder Girl and Artemis, Yara believes now more than ever that she needs to find her lost sisters. Only they hold the answers to the trauma of her past and fear of the future. Is Yara a hero? Or is she a weapon of the gods wielded to destroy all Amazons?

WONDER WOMAN BLACK & GOLD #5 - On Sale October 26, 2021

Prepare to be whisked away with an Amazon fairy tale, flown back to World War II, swept up in a nautical ghost story, and blasted by a bitter space princess! Don’t miss the penultimate issue of this golden moment for Diana and her legacy written by Peter J. Tomasi, Kurt Busiek, Sanya Anwar, Trung Le Nguyen, and Josie Campbell, with art by Christian Alamy, Ben Dewey, Sanya Anwar, Trung Le Nguyen, and Carlos D’anda.