#than glen bishop

[tanhands]

glee had a lot of stupid contradictory/double-standard messaging about sex but i DO like that Blaine casually mentioned masturbation as among their options without it being played off as either a humiliating or desperate thing to do. also that it means he canonically jerks it and doesn't mind that kurt knows

[yelenaslyubov]

!NEW SERIES ANNOUNCEMENT!

“A NEW FRONTIER”

PART 1 // PART 2 // PART 3

pairing: yelena belova x reader

PLOT SUMMARY: When a top secret mission is brought upon a group of the Avengers, you must join them in the barren desert of Utah. The Avengers must go undercover and play the part of gentle cattle ranchers while taking part to silently fight an uprising. You are the newest recruit, which means this becomes your first mission. You do well to remember your place, as well as do your part, but this part becomes harder when a certain someone catches your eye. Your new mission becomes fighting a balance between your own feelings and the threat that looms over the Avengers. Will you be able to defeat the new threat to the universe as well as embrace your newfound feelings, or will you lose them both in the end?

<< character moodboards >>

you

yelena belova

kate bishop

kamala khan

natasha romanoff

wanda maximoff

peter parker

steve rogers

sam wilson

bucky barnes

clint barton

tony stark

howdy everyone!!

i am excited to announce my first official series! i know i’ve teased a series before and i didn’t follow through with it, but i’m very excited for this. it’s definitely different than anything i’ve done before so i hope that people are pumped for it and enjoy it. this isn’t just my own idea but it is inspired by a story that me and a close friend came up with a couple years ago. this does not follow the exact events, but it is definitely inspired by it (you know who you are bestie). i’m not sure how many parts this story will have, but i am hoping at least 4! i’m hoping that once i get in the swing of writing for an actual series it will inspire me to go back to the previous series i wanted to start. as you can probably see, i really enjoy writing AU stories that take a completely different turn than canon events, whether that is plot or character driven. with that being said, i hope you enjoy this new story and i would love to hear how you feel about it!! until next time🤠🏜🐴

series inspired playlist:

big iron by marty robbins

are you gonna be my girl by jet

southern nights by glen campbell

ain’t no rest for the wicked by cage the elephant

run free by hans zimmer

supermassive black hole by muse

ghost riders in the sky by riders in the sky

red dead redemption by woody jackson

i kissed a girl by katy perry

a horse with no name by america

she calls me back by noah kahan

lonesome town by ricky nelson

barracuda by heart

get off my back by bryan adams

i was made for lovin’ you by KISS

take me home, country roads by lana del rey

saddle tramp by marty robbins

kickstart my heart by mötley crüe

in dreams by sierra ferrell

can’t stop by the red hot chili peppers

the good, the bad and the ugly by ennio morricone

beer for my horses by toby keith

american pie by don mclean

we belong together by ritchie valens

good luck, babe! by chappell roan

you send me by sam cooke

our song by taylor swift

home by edward sharpe & the magnetic zeros

.

.

.

see ya soon partners ;)

if you would like to be added to this taglist, comment down below!

taglist: @youreatotalposer // @xxromanoffxx // @avengerswriter4eva // @xxxtwilightaxelxxx // @la-reine-des-enfers // @chickenlittlsblog // @belovasecho // @youresuchamom // @kacka84 // @alotofpockets // @yamum-com // @maia-lightwoood // @lifeontop // @marvelwomen-simp // @sarah5462 // @jackharlowsshawty // @batmanzbae-blog // @yelenabelovasbxtch // @marvelfan98 // @an-evergreen-rose // @popeheywardssecretgf // @lovelyy-moonlight // @justthis-stuff // @sat-yrr // @mythosphere-x // @daenerys713 // @bentleywolf29 // @natasha25052 // @ortega29 // @sherlockstrangewolf

[scotianostra]

On January 7th 1661, six ‘grave makers’ were paid £18 Scots for ‘raising’ the "mangled torso" of James Graham, Marquess of Montrose.

The Great Montrose, as he was known by his supporters, was renowned for his tactical genius on the battlefield during the civil wars that cost King Charles I both crown and head. Although Montrose would die as a royalist he first entered the lists in the 1630s’ as part of the Covenanters who were resisting Charles I attempts to impose a religious governance on Scotland, which according to legend was kicked of by Edinburgh’s Jenny Geddes in St Giles Cathedral.

Montrose as Covenanter was a moderate and afetr the Bishops War he became a leading exponent of the pro-reconciliation faction, bitterly opposed by the chief of the Campbell clan, who Graham distrusted, and rightly so.

The two became the opposing poles for the ensuing civil war in Scotland, at once a local clan war that would end up involving Ireland and England. Although Montrose, now King Charles’s lieutenant-general in Scotland, could hold his own on the battle fields he cherry picked skilfully using the hills and Glens to his advantage, as other great generals, Wallace and Bruce had centuries before.

Grahams luck came to an end when he was betrayed, taken to Edinburgh and exxecuted for treason in May 1650, while his limbs were distributed for exhibition in Glasgow, Stirling, Perth and Aberdeen. A family member arranged for Montrose’s heart to be removed surreptitiously from his torso after its burial and to be sent – after embalming – to his son in the Netherlands

After the restoration of Charles II in 1660 prompted the king to turn the tables on the Covenanters. In an upsurge of Royalist popular sentiment, Montrose was rehabilitated in a public ceremony in which his mangled corpse was disinterred and reunited with his head, heart and limbs, all of which were recalled from their various locations. In 1661, he was given a splendid funeral and reburied in St. Giles’ Cathedral, where his tomb can be viewed today, and more often than not, you will see a floral tribute to the man, such is the regard he is still held in.

[sonechkaandthedynamos]

I am binging Mad Men again so I am going to subject you all to my rants but the narrative that has been formed around Betty Draper/Francis as the embodiment of the perfect housewife is just wrong. She fakes it very well, but that role is nothing but a hollow performance, and that's kind of the point. It's a role that she fell into (she had other aspirations that she could have pursued further), her family life is not picture perfect, she isn't always faithful to Don and at times she also questions this social role, explicitly or by refraining from certain topics. My favourite example is her relationship with Helen Bishop (and Glen, but that's a whole other can of worms).

There's so much depth to this character that I feel like a lot of people overlook, because she is so good at pretending that she is put-together even when she is not. And her storyline and role within the series is so much more complex than the poor housewife who is ignored by her husband (which is definitely true, but only a fraction of everything that Betty is and represents).

[rainbowdelicsunshine]

Whatever aU first comes to mind upon reading this for the 5 hcs game! :DD

As you probably predicted, I'm choosing to talk about my OceanBerry AU (aka my Chucky AU/Retelling of the Chucky TL)!

1. You remember the three human friends that Chucky is buddies with that I've talked about in this post long ago?

Well I FINALLY have found some live action faceclaims for them!! (Please don't take the IRL ages of these actors into account since I only need them to demonstrate appearance)

Here they are!

(Left to Right)

Don Rivers: Bruce Willis (as David Dunn in Glass)

Zach Galifianakis: Jerry Hickens (as Ethan Chase in Due Date) (and w only a bushy mustache)

Blake Anderson: Bob Berkeley (as Blake in Workaholics)

2. I have also found live action faceclaims for Glen's boyfriend Kahuna and Glenda's girlfriend Natalie (OCs of mine) as well!

And same as the first time, real ages of the actors does not factor in choosing them as a faceclaim, only appearance is!

(Left to Right)

Kahuna Mahelona: Jason Scott Lee (as Mowgli in Rudyard Kipling's The Jungle Book (1994) (add on hair/bangs that covers his eyes + slightly more muscular)

Natalie Winchester: Kim Director (as Kim Diamond in Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2) (have hair dye at the ends of her hair instead of being streaks in her hair)

3. Chucky and Eddie are in the midst of attempting to reconcile and reestablish their adoptive brotherhood (since before the Big Incident in 1988, Chucky and Eddie regarded each other as brothers)

They still have a LOT of sour feelings on each other's ends for their own respective reasons (Chucky for being abandoned when he needed his little brother the most and Eddie for literally being blown tf up)

Eddie is still much more resentful than Chucky since Chucky started to feel more thankful towards Eddie as time went on with having his family, Eddie tends to be a lot more snappier and grumpier around Chucky but is still able to tolerate him and even sometimes have a good bonding moment like they used to

Chucky on the other hand just acts like how an asshole big brother would to their little brother, just messing with them in stupid ways like how they used to do as kids/young adults

4. If anyone ever wanted to know what John/Dr. Death does in his free time/where he lives in the Ray house, he basically just keeps to himself in the attic of the house studying and practicing his magic and spirituality

He does come down to other parts of the house on occasion and regularly interacts with the Rays (but talks to and hangs out with Eddie the most), since he acts as the family's advisor/guide the kids and Chucky tend to go to him in the attic a lot since he tends to have knowledge they need

The state of Chucky and John's friendship is still... Icy but is much better than it was before!

I also HC that they were childhood friends as well, thus that being how Chucky found him to teach him Magic and Soul Bending/Shifting (what I'm calling the spell/s where Chucky would transfer souls and such) and Soulmancy (what I'm replacing the Voodoo with cuz yall know why)

If you are unfamiliar with John Bishop and his role in OceanBerry, here is this post!

His Appearance/Info

5. The Rays do, in fact, have a dog that acts as a family companion and guard dog that keeps the house and the kids safe (in Chucky's words) that they all got as a puppy when the youngest (my Chiffany fankid Buddy) was around 9 years old

The dog is a 4 year old medium sized but very muscular German Shepherd/Pitbull Mix that's dubly named King Ghidorah, very vicious, strong and protective of his property and family when need be, but is most of the time a giant sweetheart that likes to think he's a lapdog

Fun fact: King Ghidorah was given to The Rays by Chucky's friend Jerry when he had found the pup in a box of "free puppies" that was stationed in front of the Walmart that's in Hackensack and decided that a puppy from that box would've made a GREAT birthday gift for Buddy

Ofc, since Buddy was a 9 year old, he LOVED it! King Ghidorah is now closest/bonds the most with Buddy, Chucky, and June/Junior all in that order (though Ghidorah loves EVERYONE)!

-----------------------------------------------------

HOLY SHIT THIS TOOK FOREVER MY GOD!!!!!!

I am soso sorry that this took SO LONG for me to post this, it took a lotta time to come up with all this info for you, let alone type it all out lol!

I hope that the wait was well worth it and that you let me in on your feedback on this my dear lovely friend!

I hope that you enjoy reading all this and have a fantastic evening!!

[otakween]

I'm Standing on a Million Lives - Volume 15

I'm impressed that this series has made it this far. Literally no one talks about it, but there are much dumber things being published, so I guess it deserves its spot. It's definitely a mixed bag of highs and lows, but I'm mostly enjoying the ride. Still have no clue how many volumes there's going to be. No end in sight yet.

Ch. 70

Iu is goin badass mode and I'm loving it. Kinda giving Joan of Arc vibes.

The disconnect between Iu casually chopping off someone's fingers in one panel and then freaking out because she killed someone in the next was pretty wacky. Like...girl...what did you think was going to happen? Either way, I guess she got over the shock pretty quick because by the end of the chapter she's just slaughtering everyone lol.

It's kind of surprising that it took the characters this long to be worshipped for their immortality/resurrection ability. Then again, I guess living long isn't as rare in this world since there are sorcerers and dragon bishops and what not.

Ch. 71

This chapter was 100% fantasy politics. It was a struggle reading through all those silly made up names, but there were some interesting nuggets here and there.

We're jumping from one hot button to the next, first was human trafficking as seen in...many places, and next was attacks on journalistic freedom which the characters compare to recent events in Hong Kong.

I hope they give the new girl more to do than be a genki background character. She's on the cover after all! I will say her singing Immigrant Song was pretty hilarious. Certified Shrek moment.

It's kinda funny how this world/game uses community service as its goal. It's not like a twisted death game where you have to kill the other players you just have to...contribute to society lol. I guess that's what makes it interesting because the challenges take a lot more brain/strategy than a death game or RPG-style game might.

Ch. 72

Eh, this chapter was kinda messy. Overall I enjoyed it, but why did they have to bring in a damn awkward narrator every two seconds!? The mangaka does this occasionally and it drives me nuts. This story does not need a narrator and it definitely doesn't need one spelling out exactly what's going on to the reader! It took me out of the story every time. :(

I did like Iu's internal struggle and her analysis of the tricky spot she's been put in. As I've said before, this mangaka is skilled at explaining difficult concepts (politics, sociology, war strategy etc.)

Thank God they sent Glen to help Iu and not Yusuke. This way it's a child asking an adult for help and not a "dumb" woman needing a man. Also, Iu needed Glen because she's emotionally intelligent (unlike Yusuke) and was good at calming her down and validating her choice.

Ch. 73

Okay, I kinda struggled to stay awake reading this one, it was a pretty boring info dump about the politics of the area Yusuke's in and how neither side is great.

Changing someone's entire political trajectory with one song? What is this, an idol anime!? (That scene was stupid lol)

The concept of force feeding someone monster meat to turn them into a berserker is pretty chilling. Fantasy human trafficking is even more brutal than irl trafficking I guess.

I continue to really dislike the made up names of this world. In this chapter it was the Sotaga vs. the Faida. IDK why but they just don't sound like real names to me, my brain rejects them. (IDK what magic makes some made up names sound good and others sound like you threw Scrabble letters at the wall...)

Ch. 74

This chapter was all about berserkers and how they relate to all of the ongoing storylines. I find this kind of fantasy slavery pretty interesting. Instead of IRL slavery where slaves were/are used for work, they're transformed into mindless weapons. Very dark, but I could see this kind of exploitation happening if monsters were real.

Of course the main big bad, president dude is wearing a turban...as this whole arc is a thinly veiled reference to extremists in the middle east. (Just feels weird to make this fantasy world so similar to the real world).

Some pretty brutal kills in this chapter, especially Ling getting curb stomped. I do enjoy that most of the gore is stake-less so it can get extreme like that. (Well I say "gore" but the player character deaths are actually bloodless).

Damn, dat fanservice at the end there. Overall this series hasn't been that fanservicey so it feels a little weird when it's tossed in like that. The art was decent, so I ain't mad.

The over-the-top evil all around (including Yotsuya's sociopathy) is a little eye-roll worthy. Verging into cringey edgy territory a bit.

[dreamsatdusk]

Hmm for the ask game how about 1, 2, and 20? And also I see Alexander the Great mentioned in your bio. Can I ask why? :)

Apologies, missed this one earlier! Thank you for the ask!

book you’ve reread the most times?

Probably either The Black Company, by Glen Cook or Ninefox Gambit, by Yoon Ha Lee. I've also ready Diana Wynne Jones' Howl's Moving Castle at least a few times. As a kid, I probably reread The Boxcar Children the most.

2. top 5 books of all time?

I couldn't decide even sort of, so this turned into a selection of favs that I think are rather different from each other.

The Phantom Tollbooth; Norton Juster: Disillusioned kid finds a toy tollbooth setup has appeared in his room, builds it, drives his toy car through...and winds up in The Lands Beyond! It is extremely weird in a very matter of fact sort of way that I adore in books to this day. I was particularly amused by the wordplay and such even as a kid.

Machineries of Empire; Yoon Ha Lee: Okay that's a trilogy and a short story book all together, so I suppose I will say Ninefox Gambit is my favourite of them all, but there's so many key points in the other books too, so! The consciousness of an undead general is installed into the head of a soldier chosen to defend against a rebellion opposed to the dystopian space empire she lives in. It is far far more complex than that little description makes it seem. One of the books where my mind latched on at high speed and very intensely to a particular character (Jedao).

Deathless; Cathrynne Valente: A retelling of The Death of Koschei the Deathless, but set during and after the Russian Revolution. It follows the life of Marya Morevna, Koschei's chosen bride. Another one that is complicated to try to explain, because there is an immense amount going on. I suspect it might be easier to follow if you know at least a bit about the relevant faerie tales and Soviet Union history, but I've heard that even people without that backgound enjoyed it.

The Etched City; K.J. Bishop: Beautiful and utterly bizarre. I'm not sure how to describe the plot. It starts out with two...hmm, friends? war buddies? who are ex-soldiers and on the search for a new home after being on the losing side of a civil war. They resettle in a city with very peculiar stuff going on. Steampunkish in a way. Wikipedia informs me it's considered part of the 'New Weird' genre, so I should look into that and see what else is on that list.

The Lord of the Rings; J.R.R. Tolkien: I really loved LotR when I read it as a child, but then I also got into the History of Middle Earth collection and it's fascinating how much work went into all of it, how much the story (and that of the Silmarilion) changed as they were shaped. And then there's also hilarious things like the proto-versions of the 4 hobbits having a debate about eating dinner on the second floor of a house and throwing the (wooden) plates out into the front yard and never cutting the grasss so you can't see them.... This is all so you needn't bother carrying the dirty dishes DOWN the stairs mind you.

20. what are things you look for in a book?

I tend to be put off by overly simplistic use of language. Not always, but there have been cases where something was really bothering me about a book here or there and I figured out that's what was up.

Characters that interest me. This doesn't mean they have to be 'nice' or 'good' characters, but someone needs to interest me somehow. I've found it a struggle more than once to stay engaged with a book where I get to the point of just not caring what happens to anyone in it. Again, not a hard rule, but one that has recurred more than once.

Vivid descriptions that paint a strong picture in my mind are a delight, but yet again, not a dealbreaker. (One of my favourite authors actually sucks at this*L* I think we were 7 or more books into a series before the narrator of the first 3 books was ever actually described at all?)

Strong worldbuilding, moral complexities, a sense of epicness - all further interests. And I have to admit, I have a soft spot for eccentric military geniuses.

Alexander the Great

Bonus round! Alexander has been one of my historical interests for a long time and I have two shelves of books about him and related topics (e.g., the Successors to his empire, a book about his mother, one about his grandmother, etc.) I'd almost forgotten I put something in profile notes. I think I did so when I was trying to come up with some stuff to mention as interests, like fandoms and such.

In the spirit of the book ask theme, I will recommend A Very Short Introduction to Alexander the Great by Hugh Bowden as, indeed, a good short intro. It's solid and detailed in spite of its brevity, but it also included some information that some older books about Alexander have ignored in my experience, so I found it an enjoyable read even beyond my original objective (which was to find out if it was actually a good intro book to suggest to people who asked).

Thank you!

[wikiuntamed]

On this day in Wikipedia: Friday, 28th July

Welcome, Bienvenue, नमस्ते, 你好 🤗 What does @Wikipedia say about 28th July through the years 🏛️📜🗓️?

28th July 2022 🗓️ : Death - Bernard Cribbins Bernard Cribbins, British actor (b. 1928) "Bernard Joseph Cribbins (29 December 1928 – 27 July 2022) was an English actor and singer whose career spanned more than seven decades.During the 1960s, Cribbins became known in the UK for his successful novelty records "The Hole in the Ground" and "Right Said Fred" and for his appearances in..."

Image licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0? by Brian Minkoff London Pixels

28th July 2018 🗓️ : Event - Wendy Tuck Australian Wendy Tuck becomes the first female skipper to win the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race. "Wendy Tuck (born c. 1965) is a yachtswoman and previous chief instructor and principal at the Clipper Race training base in Sydney, Australia. She was the first female skipper to win a round-the-world yacht race...."

Image licensed under CC BY 2.0? by ernie hardman

28th July 2013 🗓️ : Death - Mustafa Adrisi Mustafa Adrisi, Ugandan general and politician, 3rd Vice President of Uganda (b. 1922) "Mustafa Adrisi Abataki (c. 1922 – 28 July 2013) was a Ugandan military officer who served as the third vice president of Uganda from 1977 to 1979 and was one of President Idi Amin's closest associates. In 1978, after Adrisi was injured in a suspicious auto accident, troops loyal to him mutinied...."

28th July 1973 🗓️ : Event - Summer Jam at Watkins Glen Summer Jam at Watkins Glen: Nearly 600,000 people attend a rock festival at the Watkins Glen International Raceway. "The Summer Jam at Watkins Glen was a July 1973 rock festival outside Watkins Glen, New York, that featured the Allman Brothers Band, Grateful Dead and the Band. The July 28, 1973 event long held the Guinness Book of World Records entry for "largest audience at a pop festival," with an estimated..."

28th July 1923 🗓️ : Birth - Ray Ellis Ray Ellis, American conductor and producer (d. 2008) "Ray Ellis (July 28, 1923 – October 27, 2008) was an American record producer, arranger, conductor, and saxophonist. He was responsible for the orchestration in Billie Holiday's Lady in Satin (1958)...."

28th July 1821 🗓️ : Event - Peruvian War of Independence Peruvian War of Independence: Argentine general José de San Martín declared the independence of Peru from the Spanish Empire. "The Peruvian War of Independence (Spanish: Guerra de Independencia del Perú) consisted in a series of military conflicts in Peru beginning with viceroy Abascal military victories in the south frontier in 1809, in La Paz revolution and 1811 in the Battle of Guaqui, continuing with the definitive..."

Image by

Martín Tovar y Tovar

28th July 🗓️ : Holiday - Christian feast day: Pope Innocent I "Pope Innocent I (Latin: Innocentius I) was the bishop of Rome from 401 to his death on 12 March 417. From the beginning of his papacy, he was seen as the general arbitrator of ecclesiastical disputes in both the East and the West. He confirmed the prerogatives of the Archbishop of Thessalonica, and..."

Image licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0? by Alekjds

[benvironment]

Back in 2013/2014 I was quite the happy camper, regularly pitching on top of summits for those lofty sunset views. But my Terra Nova Voyager...though a fantastic tent....was pretty heavy for one person so I very excitedly bought a Scarp instead. I used it on Bishop Hill one beautiful December night in 2014, which was grand, and I subsequently had grander plans for loftier hills.....but.....somehow eight years has passed without a second night under canvas! How can I not have gone camping for eight years!???

I'm not quite sure how that happened. I think it was because of knee problems in 2015 but thereafter it's a bit of a mystery. Anyway, that drought ended on Tuesday with an overnight camp at Corrour....in the Scarp.....thanks to an overnight work trip to coincide with the Fjällräven Classic U.K. (Scotland) passing through the glen, chatting to folk from all over the world.

I must have padded out since 2014 because it was easily the most comfortable night's sleep I've ever had in a tent. Soft, cool, quiet, with a bright moon offering a soft twilight, I'd quite forgotten the simple pleasure of just dozing in the darkness, listening to the burn a short distance away. And porridge and brown sugar for breakfast has never tasted so good!!!

Course, I'm under no illusion that every night in a tent passes so calmly and comfortably.  I never actually get more than a few hours sleep, always returning home feeling more tired than when I left. But it was pleasurable nonetheless, and reminded me that I really need to get out and about overnight again.

Just waiting on the snow..... 

[astr0pup]

spotify wrapped

no body asked for it but i'm doing it anyways lol

Welcome To the Internet // Bo Burnham

Shit // Bo Burnham

Bezos l // Bo Burnham

Met Him Last Night // Demi Lovato ft. Ariana Grande

Melon Cake // Demi Lovato

Happier Than Ever // Billie Eilish

Comedy // Bo Burnham

Bring It On Home To Me // Sam Cooke

Lonely People // Demi Lovato

Southern Nights // Glen Campbell

Freakin' Out On the Interstate // Briston Maroney

Content // Bo Burnham

Easy // Demi Lovato ft. Noah Cyrus

Driver's License // Olivia Rodrigo

My Sweet Lord // George Harrison

Sexting // Bo Burnham

What Other People Say // Demi Lovato ft. Sam Fischer

The Chain // Fleetwood Mac

I Do // Cardi B ft. SZA

All Eyes On Me // Bo Burnham

Dancing With the Devil // Demi Lovato

Fooled Around And Fell In Love // Elvin Bishop

The Rubberband Man // The Spinners

All Time Low // Bo Burnham

Anyone // Demi Lovato

The Weekend - Funk Wav Remix // SZA

Wait A Minute! // WILLOW

Thinkin' Bout You // Frank Ocean

Carefully // Demi Lovato

Don't Wanna Know // Bo Burnham

The Run And Go // Twenty One Pilots

Love Galore // SZA

The Art of Starting Over // Demi Lovato

Self Esteem // The Offspring

Good 4 U // Olivia Rodrigo

Look Who's Inside Again // Bo Burnham

The Kind Of Lover I Am // Demi Lovato

Everybody Business // Kehlani

Lovin', Touchin', Squeezin' // Journey

Bezos ll // Bo Burnham

Wham Bam Shang-A-Lang // Silver

The Way You Don't Look At Me // Demi Lovato

Ain't No Mountain High Enough // Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell

Come A Little Bit Closer // Jay & The Americans

How the World Works // Bo Burnham

Mad World // Demi Lovato

Going Bad // Meek Mill ft. Drake

Breezeblocks // Alt-J

Can't Stop // Red Hot Chili Peppers

Broken Clocks // SZA

15 Minutes // Demi Lovato

Goodbye // Bo Burnham

Imagine // Ariana Grande

Didya Think // Arlie

Low // Cracker

FaceTime With My Mom (Tonight) // Bo Burnham

Mr. Blue Sky // Electric Light Orchestra

Butterfly // Demi Lovato

Circus // Britney Spears

Ode To A Conversation Stuck In Your Throat // Del Water Gap

Smoke // The Howl & The Hum

All I Wanted // Paramore

ICU (Madison's Lullabye) // Demi Lovato

Goodmorning // Bleachers

Finesse // Drake

Float On // Modest Mouse

Take Me Out // Franz Ferdinand

When We Were Young // Adele

Bruh... // Lil Dicky

Don't Get Me Wrong // Lewis Capaldi

My Girlfriends Are My Boyfriends // Demi Lovato

BOP // DaBaby

We Belong Together // Mariah Carey

Maybe // Lewis Capaldi

I Love You // Billie Eilish

I Will Survive // Gloria Gaynor

Piece Of My Heart // Janis Joplin

Cuz I Love You // Lizzo

Garden (Say It Like Dat) // SZA

When The Party's Over // Lewis Capaldi (cover)

Are You Gonna Be My Girl // Jet

Brandy (You're A Fine Girl) // Looking Glass

Sweet Fading Silver // The Howl & The Hum

Feels Like Summer // Childish Gambino

Love Me // The 1975

Lost In Japan // Shawn Mendes

Human Contact // The Howl & The Hum

All We Are // Sugarland

Migraine // Twenty One Pilots

I Always Knew // The Vaccines

Cigarette Daydreams // Cage the Elephant

Pieces Of Me // Ashlee Simpson

Hostages // The Howl & The Hum

Famous Last Words // My Chemical Romance

Lost Cause // Billie Eilish

Superstition // Stevie Wonder

Lights Up // Harry Styles

By The Way // Red Hot Chili Peppers

Blister In The Sun // Violent Femmes

Super Rich Kids // Frank Ocean ft. Earl Sweatshirt

[scotianostra]

On January 7th 1661, six ‘grave makers’ were paid £18 Scots for ‘raising’ the "mangled torso" of James Graham, Marquess of Montrose.

The Great Montrose, as he was known by his supporters, was renowned for his tactical genius on the battlefield during the civil wars that cost King Charles I both crown and head. Although Montrose would die as a royalist he first entered the lists in the 1630s’ as part of the Covenanters who were resisting Charles I attempts to impose a religious governance on Scotland, which according to legend was kicked of by Edinburgh’s Jenny Geddes in St Giles Cathedral.

Montrose as Covenanter was a moderate and afetr the Bishops War he became a leading exponent of the pro-reconciliation faction, bitterly opposed by the chief of the Campbell clan, who Graham distrusted, and rightly so.

The two became the opposing poles for the ensuing civil war in Scotland, at once a local clan war that would end up involving Ireland and England. Although Montrose, now King Charles’s lieutenant-general in Scotland, could hold his own on the battle fields he cherry picked skilfully using the hills and Glens to his advantage, as other great generals, Wallace and Bruce had centuries before.

Grahams luck came to an end when he was betrayed, taken to Edinburgh and exxecuted for treason in May 1650, while his limbs were distributed for exhibition in Glasgow, Stirling, Perth and Aberdeen. A family member arranged for Montrose’s heart to be removed surreptitiously from his torso after its burial and to be sent – after embalming – to his son in the Netherlands

After the restoration of Charles II in 1660 prompted the king to turn the tables on the Covenanters. In an upsurge of Royalist popular sentiment, Montrose was rehabilitated in a public ceremony in which his mangled corpse was disinterred and reunited with his head, heart and limbs, all of which were recalled from their various locations. In 1661, he was given a splendid funeral and reburied in St. Giles’ Cathedral, where his tomb can be viewed today, and more often than not, you will see a floral tribute to the man, such is the regard he is still held in.

[lavendermilkandhoney]

15/22 Death – Embers

In Game

Death is the card of becoming. It signifies an imminent and difficult transition – the conclusion of one phase of life and the beginning of another. Inevitably, something gets lost during the transformation, but something else will rise and take its place.

Location

This mural is found on the side of the tall Embers building in The Glen, where you meet Hanako Arasaka. Do not make the mistake of going inside (when you get the chance later in the story, of course), as it will be your point of no return. The card is not on top of the building but just outside on the side of it.

Zodiac Sign : Scorpio

The Death card is tarot is considered a wonderful card to find in a reading, it represents the concepts of death, birth, and rebirth. Scorpio for the zodiac is the mirror of these symbolic qualities for human experience.

In Tarot

UPRIGHT: Endings, change, transformation, transition

REVERSED: Resistance to change, personal transformation, inner purging

The Death card shows the Messenger of Death – a skeleton dressed in black armour, riding a white horse. The skeleton represents the part of the body which survives long after life has left it; the armour symbolises invincibility and that death will come no matter what. Its dark colour is that of mourning and the mysterious, while the horse is the colour of purity and acts as a symbol of strength and power. Death carries a black flag decorated with a white, five-petal rose, reflecting beauty, purification and immortality and the number five representing change. Together, these symbols reveal that death isn’t just about life ending. Death is about endings and beginnings, birth and rebirth, change and transformation. There is beauty in death, and it is an inherent part of being alive.

A royal figure appears to be dead on the ground, while a young woman, child and bishop plead with the skeletal figure to spare them. But, as we all know, death spares no one.

In the background, a boat floats down the river, akin to the mythological boats escorting the dead to the afterlife. On the horizon, the sun sets between two towers (which also appear in the Moon Tarot card), in a sense dying each night and being reborn every morning.

Upright

The Death card is probably the most feared and misunderstood of all the cards in the Tarot deck. Just mention the card’s name and most people freak out, worried they will suddenly keel over and die as soon as this card appears. Relax! The Death card can be one of the most positive cards in the deck.

After a period of pause and reflection with the Hanged Man, the Death card symbolises the end of a major phase or aspect of your life that you realise is no longer serving you, opening up the possibility of something far more valuable and essential. You must close one door to open another. You need to put the past behind you and part ways, ready to embrace new opportunities and possibilities. It may be difficult to let go of the past, but you will soon see its importance and the promise of renewal and transformation. If you resist these necessary endings, you may experience pain, both emotionally and physically, but if you exercise your imagination and visualise a new possibility, you allow more constructive patterns to emerge.

Similarly, Death shows a time of significant transformation, change and transition. You need to transform yourself and clear away the old to bring in the new. Any change should be welcomed as a positive, cleansing, transformational force in your life. The death and clearing away of limiting factors can open the door to a broader, more satisfying experience of life.

The Death card has elements of a sudden and unexpected change. Death happens to everyone, no matter who you are, how much money you have, where you live, or what colour your skin is; it is the same with a significant change. So, the Death card can be a sign you may feel as though you are caught in the path of sweeping change and cannot escape its effects (especially if accompanied by the Tower or the Hanged Man). Although the upheaval may seem unwanted and painful, this massive change could bring with it a series of unexpected surprises that create new opportunities and advantages for you.

Finally, Death is a sign that you need to learn to let go of unhealthy attachments in your life to pave the way to a fuller, more fulfilled life of deeper meaning and significance. Death teaches you to let go of outworn and outgrown ways of life and to move forward from them. This is a perfect card to break a bad habit or pattern of behaviour. See this as a time to cut out excess and let go of what is unnecessary for your life. Purge the old belongings, memories and baggage that are getting in your way.

Reversed

Upright, Death is a card of transformation and typically refers to needing to start over by letting go of the past. In the reversed position, Death can mean that you are on the verge of meaningful change but are resisting it. You may be reluctant to let go, or you may not know how to make the change you need. You still carry harmful viewpoints from the past that may interfere with a new opportunity. Because of your refusal, life has stagnated, and you feel stuck in limbo.

Death reversed offers you the opportunity to embrace change rather than resist it. See what wonderful possibilities become available to you as you say ‘yes’ to change. As you learn to release the past and surrender to the present, the future becomes even brighter. To support the process, repeat this affirmation: “I embrace change in all forms.” You’ll be surprised at how this subtle shift in energy allows new doors to open in ways you may never have expected.

On a deeper level, the reversed Death card can show that you are going through a massive personal transformation, often in private and out of view from others. You are releasing what no longer serves you so that you can make space for the new to emerge. Draw a follow-up card to understand better what you need to release and purge, or examine the other cards in the reading. You may be removing fear and limiting beliefs; you may be changing your habits; or, you may undergo a physical purging and transformation with plant medicine or other spiritual healing. You may not want to share this with others just yet – wait until your personal transformation has occurred, then share your story as a source of inspiration.

---

Thank you so much @cybervesna​ for the polish traduction from the official guide book and its associations with the characters!

[bongaboi]

2021 Grammy Awards: The List.

New age

Best New Age Album

More Guitar Stories – Jim "Kimo" West

Songs from the Bardo – Laurie Anderson, Tenzin Choegyal & Jesse Paris Smith

Periphery – Priya Darshini

Form//Less – Superposition

Meditations – Cory Wong & Jon Batiste

Jazz

Best Improvised Jazz Solo

"All Blues" – Chick Corea, soloist

"Guinnevere" – Christian Scott Atunde Adjuah, soloist

"Pachamama" – Regina Carter, soloist

"Tomorrow is the Question" – Julian Lage, soloist

"Celia" – Gerald Clayton, soloist

"Moe Honk" – Joshua Redman, soloist

Best Jazz Vocal Album

Secrets are the Best Stories – Kurt Elling featuring Danilo Pérez

ONA – Thana Alexa

Modern Ancestors – Carmen Lundy

Holy Room: Live at Alte Oper – Somi With Frankfurt Radio Big Band

What's the Hurry – Kenny Washington

Best Jazz Instrumental Album

Trilogy 2 – Chick Corea, Christian McBride & Brian Blade

on the tender spot of every calloused moment – Ambrose Akinmusire

Waiting Game – Terri Lyne Carrington and Social Science

Happening: Live at the Village Vanguard – Gerald Clayton

RoundAgain – Redman Mehldau McBride Blade

Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album

Data Lords – Maria Schneider Orchestra

Dialogues on Race – Gregg August

Monk'estra Plays John Beasley – John Beasley

The Intangible Between – Orrin Evans and The Captain Black Big Band

Songs You Like a Lot – John Hollenbeck with Theo Bleckmann, Kate McGarry, Gary Versace and The Frankfurt Radio Big Band

Best Latin Jazz Album

Four Questions – Arturo O'Farrill & The Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra

Tradiciones – Afro-Peruvian Jazz Orchestra

City of Dreams – Chico Pinheiro

Viento y Tiempo - Live at Blue Note Tokyo – Gonzalo Rubalcaba & Aymée Nuviola

Trane's Delight – Poncho Sanchez

Gospel/contemporary Christian music

Best Gospel Performance/Song

"Movin' On"

Darryl L. Howell, Jonathan Caleb McReynolds, Kortney Jamaal Pollard & Terrell Demetrius Wilson, songwriters (Jonathan McReynolds & Mali Music)

"Wonderful is Your Name"

Melvin Crispell III, songwriter (Melvin Crispell III)

"Release (Live)"

David Frazier, songwriter (Ricky Dillard featuring Tiff Joy)

"Come Together"

Lashawn Daniels, Rodney Jerkins, Lecrae Moore & Jazz Nixon, songwriters (Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins Presents: The Good News)

"Won't Let Go"

Travis Greene, songwriter (Travis Greene)

Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song

"There Was Jesus"

Casey Beathard, Jonathan Smith & Zach Williams, songwriters (Zach Williams & Dolly Parton)

"The Blessing (Live)"

Chris Brown, Cody Carnes, Kari Jobe Carnes & Steven Furtick, songwriters (Kari Jobe, Cody Carnes & Elevation Worship)

"Sunday Morning"

Denisia Andrews, Jones Terrence Antonio, Saint Bodhi, Brittany Coney, Kirk Franklin, Lasanna Harris, Shama Joseph, Stuart Lowery, Lecrae Moore & Nathanael Saint-Fleur, songwriters (Lecrae featuring Kirk Franklin)

"Holy Water"

Andrew Bergthold, Ed Cash, Franni Cash, Martin Cash & Scott Cash, songwriters (We the Kingdom)

"Famous For (I Believe)"

Chuck Butler, Krissy Nordhoff, Jordan Sapp, Alexis Slifer & Tauren Wells, songwriters (Tauren Wells featuring Jenn Johnson)

Best Gospel Album

Gospel According to PJ – PJ Morton

2econd Wind: ReadY – Anthony Brown & group therAPy

My Tribute – Myron Butler

Choirmaster – Ricky Dillard

Kierra – Kierra Sheard

Best Contemporary Christian Music Album

Jesus Is King – Kanye West

Run to The Father – Cody Carnes

All of My Best Friends – Hillsong Young & Free

Holy Water – We the Kingdom

Citizen of Heaven – Tauren Wells

Best Roots Gospel Album

Celebrating Fisk! (The 150th Anniversary Album) – Fisk Jubilee Singers

Beautiful Day – Mark Bishop

20/20 – The Crabb Family

What Christmas Really Means – The Erwins

Something Beautiful – Ernie Haase & Signature Sound

Latin

Best Latin Pop Album or Urban Album

YHLQMDLG – Bad Bunny

Por Primera Vez – Camilo

Mesa Para Dos – Kany García

Pausa – Ricky Martin

3:33 – Debi Nova

Best Latin Rock or Alternative Album

La Conquista del Espacio – Fito Páez

Aura – Bajofondo

MONSTRUO – Cami

Sobrevolando – Cultura Profética

Miss Colombia – Lido Pimienta

Best Regional Mexican Music Album (Including Tejano)

Un Canto por México, Vol. 1 – Natalia Lafourcade

Hecho en México – Alejandro Fernández

La Serenata – Lupita Infante

Bailando Sones y Huampangos con Mariachi Sol De Mexico De Jose Hernandez – Mariachi Sol De Mexico De Jose Hernandez

Ayayay! – Christian Nodal

Best Tropical Latin Album

40 – Grupo Niche

Mi Tumbao – José Alberto "El Ruiseñor"

Infinito – Edwin Bonilla

Sigo Cantando al Amor (Deluxe) – Jorge Celedon & Sergio Luis

Memorias de Navidad – Víctor Manuelle

American roots

Best American Roots Performance

"I Remember Everything" – John Prine

"Colors" – Black Pumas

"Deep in Love" – Bonny Light Horseman

"Short and Sweet" – Brittany Howard

"I'll Be Gone" – Norah Jones & Mavis Staples

Best American Roots Song

"I Remember Everything"

Pat McLaughlin & John Prine, songwriters (John Prine)

"Cabin"

Laura Rogers & Lydia Rogers, songwriters (The Secret Sisters)

"Ceiling to the Floor"

Sierra Hull & Kai Welch, songwriters (Sierra Hull)

"Hometown"

Sarah Jarosz, songwriter (Sarah Jarosz)

"Man Without a Soul"

Tom Overby & Lucinda Williams, songwriters (Lucinda Williams)

Best Americana Album

World on the Ground – Sarah Jarosz

Old Flowers – Courtney Marie Andrews

Terms of Surrender – Hiss Golden Messenger

El Dorado – Marcus King

Good Souls Better Angels – Lucinda Williams

Best Bluegrass Album

Home – Billy Strings

Man on Fire – Danny Barnes

To Live in Two Worlds, Vol. 1 – Thomm Jutz

North Carolina Songbook – Steep Canyon Rangers

The John Hartford Fiddle Tune Project, Vol. 1 – Various Artists

Best Traditional Blues Album

Rawer than Raw – Bobby Rush

All My Dues are Paid – Frank Bey

You Make Me Feel – Don Bryant

That's What I Heard – Robert Cray Band

Cypress Grove – Jimmy "Duck" Holmes

Best Contemporary Blues Album

Have You Lost Your Mind Yet? – Fantastic Negrito

Live at the Paramount – Ruthie Foster Big Band

The Juice – G. Love

Blackbirds – Bettye LaVette

Up and Rolling – North Mississippi Allstars

Best Folk Album

All the Good Times – Gillian Welch & David Rawlings

Bonny Light Horseman – Bonny Light Horseman

Thanks for the Dance – Leonard Cohen

Song for Our Daughter – Laura Marling

Saturn Return – The Secret Sisters

Best Regional Roots Music Album

Atmosphere – New Orleans Nightcrawlers

My Relatives 'nikso' Kowaiks – Black Lodge Singers

Cameron Dupuy and The Cajun Troubadours – Cameron Dupuy And The Cajun Troubadours

Lovely Sunrise – Nā Wai ʽEhā

A Tribute to Al Berard – Sweet Cecilia

Reggae

Best Reggae Album

Got to Be Tough – Toots and the Maytals

Upside Down 2020 – Buju Banton

Higher Place – Skip Marley

It All Comes Black to Love – Maxi Priest

One World – The Wailers

Global music

Best Global Music Album

Twice as Tall – Burna Boy

Fu Chronicles – Antibalas

Agora – Bebel Gilberto

Love Letters – Anoushka Shankar

Amadjar – Tinariwen

Children's

Best Children's Album

All the Ladies – Joanie Leeds

Be a Pain: An Album for Young (and Old) Leaders – Alastair Moock And Friends

I'm an Optimist – Dog On Fleas

Songs for Singin' – The Okee Dokee Brothers

Wild Life – Justin Roberts

Spoken word

Best Spoken Word Album (Includes Poetry, Audio Books & Storytelling)

Blowout: Corrupted Democracy, Rogue State Russia, and the Richest, Most Destructive Industry on Earth – Rachel Maddow

Acid for the Children – A Memoir – Flea

Alex Trebek – The Answer Is... – Ken Jennings

Catch and Kill – Ronan Farrow

Charlotte's Web (E.B. White) – Meryl Streep and Full Cast

Comedy

Best Comedy Album

Black Mitzvah – Tiffany Haddish

I Love Everything – Patton Oswalt

The Pale Tourist – Jim Gaffigan

Paper Tiger – Bill Burr

23 Hours to Kill – Jerry Seinfeld

Musical theater

Best Musical Theater Album

Jagged Little Pill – Kathryn Gallagher, Celia Rose Gooding, Lauren Patten & Elizabeth Stanley, principal soloists; Neal Avron, Pete Ganbarg, Tom Kitt, Michael Parker, Craig Rosen & Vivek J. Tiwary, producers (Glen Ballard & Alanis Morissette, lyricists) (Original Broadway Cast)

Amélie – Audrey Brisson, Chris Jared, Caolan McCarthy & Jez Unwin, principal soloists; Michael Fentiman, Sean Patrick Flahaven, Barnaby Race & Nathan Tysen, producers; Nathan Tysen, lyricist; Daniel Messe, composer & lyricist (Original London Cast)

American Utopia on Broadway – David Byrne, principal soloist; David Byrne, producer (David Byrne, composer & lyricist) (Original Cast)

Little Shop of Horrors – Tammy Blanchard, Jonathan Groff & Tom Alan Robbins, principal soloists; Will Van Dyke, Michael Mayer, Alan Menken & Frank Wolf, producers (Alan Menken, composer; Howard Ashman, lyricist) (The New Off-Broadway Cast)

The Prince of Egypt – Christine Allado, Luke Brady, Alexia Khadime & Liam Tamne, principal soloists; Dominick Amendum & Stephen Schwartz, producers; Stephen Schwartz, composer & lyricist (Original Cast)

Soft Power – Francis Jue, Austin Ku, Alyse Alan Louis & Conrad Ricamora, principal soloists; Matt Stine, producer; David Henry Hwang, lyricist; Jeanine Tesori, composer & lyricist (Original Cast)

Music for visual media

Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media

Jojo Rabbit – Various artists

A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood – Various artists

Bill & Ted Face the Music – Various artists

Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga – Various artists

Frozen II – Various artists

Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media

Joker – Hildur Guðnadóttir, composer

Ad Astra – Max Richter, composer

Becoming – Kamasi Washington, composer

1917 – Thomas Newman, composer

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker – John Williams, composer

Best Song Written for Visual Media

"No Time to Die" (from No Time to Die)

Billie Eilish O'Connell and Finneas O'Connell (Billie Eilish)

"Beautiful Ghosts" (from Cats)

Andrew Lloyd Webber and Taylor Swift (Taylor Swift)

"Carried Me with You" (from Onward)

Brandi Carlile, Phil Hanseroth and Tim Hanseroth (Brandi Carlile)

"Into the Unknown" (from Frozen II)

Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez (Idina Menzel featuring AURORA)

"Stand Up" (from Harriet)

Joshuah Brian Campbell and Cynthia Erivo (Cynthia Erivo)

Composing/Arranging

Best Instrumental Composition

"Sputnik"

Maria Schneider, composer (Maria Schneider)

"Baby Jack"

Arturo O'Farrill, composer (Arturo O'Farrill & The Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra)

"Be Water II"

Christian Sands, composer (Christian Sands)

"Plumfield"

Alexandre Desplat, composer (Alexandre Desplat)

"Strata"

Remy Le Boeuf, composer (Remy Le Boeuf's Assembly Of Shadows featuring Anna Webber & Eric Miller)

Best Arrangement, Instrumental or A Cappella

"Donna Lee"

John Beasley, arranger (John Beasley)

"Bathroom Dance"

Hildur Guðnadóttir, arranger (Hildur Guðnadóttir)

"Honeymooners"

Remy Le Boeuf, arranger (Remy Le Boeuf's Assembly Of Shadows)

"Lift Every Voice and Sing"

Alvin Chea & Jarrett Johnson, arrangers (Jarrett Johnson Featuring Alvin Chea)

"Uranus: The Magician"

Jeremy Levy, arranger (Jeremy Levy Jazz Orchestra)

Best Arrangement, Instruments and Vocals

"He Won't Hold You"

Jacob Collier, arranger (Jacob Collier featuring Rapsody)

"Asas Fechadas"

John Beasley & Maria Mendes, arrangers (Maria Mendes Featuring John Beasley & Orkest Metropole)

"Desert Song"

Erin Bentlage, Sara Gazarek, Johnaye Kendrick & Amanda Taylor, arrangers (Säje)

"From This Place"

Alan Broadbent & Pat Metheny, arrangers (Pat Metheny featuring Meshell Ndegeocello)

"Slow Burn"

Talia Billig, Nic Hard & Becca Stevens, arrangers (Becca Stevens featuring Jacob Collier, Mark Lettieri, Justin Stanton, Jordan Perlson, Nic Hard, Keita Ogawa, Marcelo Woloski & Nate Werth)

Package

Best Recording Package

Vols. 11 & 12

Doug Cunningham & Jason Noto, art directors (Desert Sessions)

Everyday Life

Pilar Zeta, art director (Coldplay)

Funeral

Kyle Goen, art director (Lil Wayne)

Healer

Julian Gross & Hannah Hooper, art directors (Grouplove)

On Circles

Jordan Butcher, art director (Caspian)

Best Boxed or Special Limited Edition Package

Ode to Joy

Lawrence Azerrad & Jeff Tweedy, art directors (Wilco)

Flaming Pie (Collector's Edition)

Linn Wie Andersen, Simon Earith, Paul McCartney & James Musgrave, art directors (Paul McCartney)

Giants Stadium 1987, 1989, 1991

Lisa Glines & Doran Tyson, art directors (Grateful Dead)

Mode

Jeff Schulz, art director (Depeche Mode)

The Story of Ghostly International

Michael Cina & Molly Smith, art directors (Various Artists)

Notes

Best Album Notes

Dead Man's Pop

Bob Mehr, album notes writer (The Replacements)

At The Minstrel Show: Minstrel Routines From The Studio, 1894-1926

Tim Brooks, album notes writer (Various Artists)

The Bakersfield Sound: Country Music Capital Of The West, 1940-1974

Scott B. Bomar, album notes writer (Various Artists)

The Missing Link: How Gus Haenschen Got Us From Joplin To Jazz And Shaped The Music Business

Colin Hancock, album notes writer (Various Artists)

Out Of A Clear Blue Sky

David Sager, album notes writer (Nat Brusiloff)

Historical

Best Historical Album

It's Such a Good Feeling: The Best of Mister Rogers

Lee Lodyga & Cheryl Pawelski, compilation producers; Michael Graves, mastering engineer (Mister Rogers)

Celebrated, 1895–1896

Meagan Hennessey & Richard Martin, compilation producers; Richard Martin, mastering engineer (Unique Quartette)

Hittin' the Ramp: The Early Years (1936–1943)

Zev Feldman, Will Friedwald & George Klabin, compilation producers; Matthew Lutthans, mastering engineer (Nat King Cole)

1999 Super Deluxe Edition

Michael Howe, compilation producer; Bernie Grundman, mastering engineer (Prince)

Souvenir

Carolyn Agger, compilation producer; Miles Showell, mastering engineer (Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark)

Throw Down Your Heart: The Complete Africa Sessions

Béla Fleck, compilation producer; Richard Dodd, mastering engineer (Béla Fleck)

Production, non-classical

Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical

Hyperspace

Drew Brown, Andrew Coleman, Shawn Everett, Serban Ghenea, David Greenbaum, Jaycen Joshua, Beck Hansen & Mike Larson, engineers; Randy Merrill, mastering engineer (Beck)

Black Hole Rainbow

Shawn Everett & Ivan Wayman, engineers; Bob Ludwig, mastering engineer (Devon Gilfillian)

Expectations

Gary Paczosa & Mike Robinson, engineers; Paul Blakemore, mastering engineer (Katie Pruitt)

Jaime

Shawn Everett, engineer; Shawn Everett, mastering engineer (Brittany Howard)

25 Trips

Shani Gandhi & Gary Paczosa, engineers; Adam Grover, mastering engineer (Sierra Hull)

Producer of the Year, Non-Classical

Andrew Watt

"Break My Heart" (Dua Lipa)

"Me and My Guitar" (A Boogie wit da Hoodie)

"Midnight Sky" (Miley Cyrus)

"Old Me" (5 Seconds of Summer)

"Ordinary Man" (Ozzy Osbourne featuring Elton John)

"Take What You Want" (Post Malone featuring Ozzy Osbourne & Travis Scott)

"Under The Graveyard" (Ozzy Osbourne)

Jack Antonoff

"August" (Taylor Swift)

Gaslighter (The Chicks)

"Holy Terrain" (FKA Twigs featuring Future)

"Mirrorball" (Taylor Swift)

"This Is Me Trying" (Taylor Swift)

"Together" (Sia)

Dan Auerbach

Cypress Grove (Jimmy "Duck" Holmes)

El Dorado (Marcus King)

Is Thomas Callaway (CeeLo Green)

Singing for My Supper (Early James)

Solid Gold Sounds (Kendell Marvel)

Years (John Anderson)

Dave Cobb

"Backbone" (Kaleo)

The Balladeer (Lori McKenna)

Boneshaker (Airbourne)

Down Home Christmas (Oak Ridge Boys)

The Highwomen (The Highwomen)

"I Remember Everything" (John Prine)

Reunions (Jason Isbell And The 400 Unit)

"The Spark" (William Prince)

"You're Still the One" (Teddy Swims)

Flying Lotus

It Is What It Is (Thundercat)

Best Remixed Recording

"Roses (Imanbek Remix)"

Imanbek Zeikenov, remixer (SAINt JHN)

"Do You Ever (RAC Mix)"

RAC, remixer (Phil Good)

"Imaginary Friends (Morgan Page Remix)"

Morgan Page, remixer (Deadmau5)

"Praying for You (Louie Vega Main Remix)"

Louie Vega, remixer (Jasper Street Co.)

"Young & Alive (Bazzi vs. Haywyre Remix)"

Haywyre, remixer (Bazzi)

Production, immersive audio

Best Immersive Audio Album

The judging for this category was postponed.

Production, classical

Best Engineered Album, Classical

"Shostakovich: Symphony No. 13, 'Babi Yar'"

David Frost & Charlie Post, engineers; Silas Brown, mastering engineer (Riccardo Muti & Chicago Symphony Orchestra)

"Danielpour: The Passion of Yeshua"

Bernd Gottinger, engineer (JoAnn Falletta, James K. Bass, Adam Luebke, UCLA Chamber Singers, Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra & Buffalo Philharmonic Chorus)

"Gershwin: Porgy and Bess"

David Frost & John Kerswell, engineers; Silas Brown, mastering engineer (David Robertson, Eric Owens, Angel Blue, Metropolitan Opera Orchestra & Chorus)

"Hynes: Fields"

Kyle Pyke, engineer; Jesse Lewis & Kyle Pyke, mastering engineers (Devonté Hynes & Third Coast Percussion)

"Ives: Complete Symphonies"

Alexander Lipay & Dmitriy Lipay, engineers; Alexander Lipay & Dmitriy Lipay, mastering engineers (Gustavo Dudamel & Los Angeles Philharmonic)

Producer of the Year, Classical

David Frost

Beethoven: Piano Sonatas, Vol. 9 (Jonathan Biss)

Gershwin: Porgy And Bess (David Robertson, Eric Owens, Angel Blue, Metropolitan Opera Orchestra & Chorus)

Gluck: Orphée & Eurydice (Harry Bicket, Dmitry Korchak, Andriana Chuchman, Lauren Snouffer, Lyric Opera Of Chicago Orchestra & Chorus)

Holst: The Planets; The Perfect Fool (Michael Stern & Kansas City Symphony)

Muhly: Marnie (Robert Spano, Isabel Leonard, Christopher Maltman, Denyce Graves, Iestyn Davies, Janis Kelly, Metropolitan Opera Orchestra & Chorus)

Schubert: Piano Sonatas, D. 845, D. 894, D. 958, D. 960 (Shai Wosner)

Shostakovich: Symphony No. 13, 'Babi Yar' (Riccardo Muti, Alexey Tikhomirov, Chicago Symphony Orchestra & Chorus)

Blanton Alspaugh

Aspects Of America - Pulitzer Edition (Carlos Kalmar & Oregon Symphony)

Blessed Art Thou Among Women (Peter Jermihov, Katya Lukianov & PaTRAM Institute Singers)

Dvořák: Symphony No. 9; Copland: Billy The Kid (Gianandrea Noseda & National Symphony Orchestra)

Glass: The Fall Of The House Of Usher (Joseph Li, Nicholas Nestorak, Madison Leonard, Jonas Hacker, Ben Edquist, Matthew Adam Fleisher & Wolf Trap Opera)

Kahane: Emergency Shelter Intake Form (Alicia Hall Moran, Gabriel Kahane, Carlos Kalmar & Oregon Symphony)

Kastalsky: Requiem (Leonard Slatkin, Steven Fox, Benedict Sheehan, Charles Bruffy, Cathedral Choral Society, The Clarion Choir, The Saint Tikhon Choir, Kansas City Chorale & Orchestra Of St. Luke's)

Massenet: Thaïs (Andrew Davis, Joshua Hopkins, Andrew Staples, Erin Wall, Toronto Mendelssohn Choir & Toronto Symphony Orchestra)

Smyth: The Prison (Sarah Brailey, Dashon Burton, James Blachly & Experiential Orchestra)

Woolf, L.P.: Fire And Flood (Julian Wachner, Matt Haimovitz & Choir Of Trinity Wall Street)

Jesse Lewis

Gunn: The Ascendant (Roomful Of Teeth)

Harrison, M.: Just Constellations (Roomful Of Teeth)

Her Own Wings (Willamette Valley Chamber Music Festival)

Hynes: Fields (Devonté Hynes & Third Coast Percussion)

Lang, D.: Love Fail (Beth Willer & Lorelei Ensemble)

Mazzoli: Proving Up (Christopher Rountree, Opera Omaha & International Contemporary Ensemble)

Sharlat: Spare The Rod! (NOW Ensemble)

Soul House (Hub New Music)

Wherein Lies The Good (The Westerlies)

Dmitry Lipay

Adams, J.: Must The Devil Have All The Good Tunes? (Yuja Wang, Gustavo Dudamel & Los Angeles Philharmonic)

Cipullo: The Parting (Alastair Willis, Laura Strickling, Catherine Cook, Michael Mayes & Music Of Remembrance)

Ives: Complete Symphonies (Gustavo Dudamel & Los Angeles Philharmonic)

LA Phil 100 - The Los Angeles Philharmonic Centennial Birthday Gala (Gustavo Dudamel & Los Angeles Philharmonic)

Langgaard: Prelude To Antichrist; Strauss: An Alpine Symphony (Thomas Dausgaard & Seattle Symphony Orchestra)

Nielsen: Symphony No. 1 & Symphony No. 2, 'The Four Temperaments' (Thomas Dausgaard & Seattle Symphony)

Elaine Martone

Bound For The Promised Land (Robert M. Franklin, Steven Darsey, Jessye Norman & Taylor Branch)

Dawn (Shachar Israel)

Gandolfi, Prior & Oliverio: Orchestral Works (Robert Spano & Atlanta Symphony Orchestra)

Singing In The Dead Of Night (Eighth Blackbird)

Whitacre: The Sacred Veil (Eric Whitacre, Grant Gershon & Los Angeles Master Chorale)

Classical

Best Orchestral Performance

"Ives: Complete Symphonies"

Gustavo Dudamel, conductor (Los Angeles Philharmonic)

"Aspects of America - Pulitzer Edition"

Carlos Kalmar, conductor (Oregon Symphony)

"Concurrence"

Daníel Bjarnason, conductor (Iceland Symphony Orchestra)

"Copland: Symphony No. 3"

Michael Tilson Thomas, conductor (San Francisco Symphony)

"Lutosławski: Symphonies No. 2 & 3"

Hannu Lintu, conductor (Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra)

Best Opera Recording

"Gershwin: Porgy and Bess"

David Robertson, conductor; Angel Blue & Eric Owens; David Frost, producer (The Metropolitan Opera Orchestra; The Metropolitan Opera Chorus)

"Dello Joio: The Trial at Rouen"

Gil Rose, conductor; Heather Buck & Stephen Powell; Gil Rose, producer (Boston Modern Orchestra Project; Odyssey Opera Chorus)

"Floyd, C: Prince of Players"

William Boggs, conductor; Keith Phares & Kate Royal; Blanton Alspaugh, producer (Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra; Florentine Opera Chorus)

"Handel: Agrippina"

Maxim Emelyanychev, conductor; Joyce DiDonato; Daniel Zalay, producer (Il Pomo D'Oro)

"Zemlinsky: Der Zwerg"

Donald Runnicles, conductor; David Butt Philip & Elena Tsallagova; Peter Ghirardini & Erwin Stürzer, producers (Orchestra Of The Deutsche Oper Berlin; Chorus Of The Deutsche Oper Berlin)

Best Choral Performance

"Danielpour: The Passion of Yessuah"

JoAnn Falletta, conductor; James K. Bass & Adam Luebke, chorus masters (James K. Bass, J'Nai Bridges, Timothy Fallon, Kenneth Overton, Hila Plitmann & Matthew Worth; Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra; Buffalo Philharmonic Chorus & UCLA Chamber Singers)

"Carthage"

Donald Nally, conductor (The Crossing)

"Kastalski: Requiem"

Leonard Slatkin, conductor; Charles Bruffy, Steven Fox & Benedict Sheehan, chorus masters (Joseph Charles Beutel & Anna Dennis; Orchestra Of St. Luke's; Cathedral Choral Society, The Clarion Choir, Kansas City Chorale & The Saint Tikhon Choir)

"Moravec: Sanctuary Road"

Kent Tritle, conductor (Joshua Blue, Raehann Bryce-Davis, Dashon Burton, Malcolm J. Merriweather & Laquita Mitchell; Oratorio Society Of New York Orchestra; Oratorio Society Of New York Chorus)

"Once Upon a Time"

Matthew Guard, conductor (Sarah Walker; Skylark Vocal Ensemble)

Best Chamber Music/Small Ensemble Performance

"Contemporary Voices" – Pacifica Quartet

"Healing Modes" – Brooklyn Rider

"Hearne, T,: Place" – Ted Hearne, Steven Bradshaw, Sophia Byrd, Josephine Lee, Isaiah Robinson, Sol Ruiz, Ayanna Woods & Place Orchestra

"Hynes: Fields" – Devonté Hynes & Third Coast Percussion

"The Schumann Quartets" – Dover Quartet

Best Classical Instrumental Solo

"Theofanidis: Concerto for Viola and Chamber Orchestra"

Richard O'Neill; David Alan Miller, conductor (Albany Symphony)

"Adés: Concerto for Piano and Orchestra"

Kirill Gerstein; Thomas Adès, conductor (Boston Symphony Orchestra)

"Beethoven: Complete Piano Sonatas"

Igor Levit

"Bohemian Tales"

Augustin Hadelich; Jakub Hrůša, conductor (Charles Owen; Symphonieorchester Des Bayerischen Rundfunks)

"Destination Rachmaninov - Arrival"

Daniil Trifonov; Yannick Nézet-Séguin, conductor (The Philadelphia Orchestra)

Best Classical Solo Vocal Album

"Smyth: The Prison"

Sarah Brailey & Dashon Burton; James Blachly, conductor (Experiential Chorus; Experiential Orchestra)

"American Composers at Play - William Bolcom, Ricky Ian Gordon, Lori Laitman, John Musto"

Stephen Powell (Attacca Quartet, William Bolcom, Ricky Ian Gordon, Lori Laitman, John Musto, Charles Neidich & Jason Vieaux)

"Clairières - Songs by Lili & Nadia Boulanger"

Nicholas Phan; Myra Huang, accompanist

"Farinelli"

Cecilia Bartoli; Giovanni Antonini, conductor (Il Giardino Armonico)

"A Lad's Love"

Brian Giebler; Steven McGhee, accompanist (Katie Hyun, Michael Katz, Jessica Meyer, Reginald Mobley & Ben Russell)

Best Classical Compendium

"Thomas, M.T.: From the Diary of Anne Frank & Meditations on Rilke"

Isabel Leonard; Michael Tilson Thomas, conductor; Jack Vad, producer

"Adès Conducts Adès"

Mark Stone & Christianne Stotijn; Thomas Adès, conductor; Nick Squire, producer

"Saariaho: Graal Théâtre; Circle Map, Neiges, Vers Toi Qui Es Si Loin"

Clément Mao-Takacs, conductor; Hans Kipfer, producer

"Serebrier: Symphonic Bach Variations; Laments and Hallelujahs; Flute Concerto"

José Serebrier, conductor; Jens Braun, producer

"Woolf, L.P.: Fire and Blood"

Matt Haimovitz; Julian Wachner, conductor; Blanton Alspaugh, producer

Best Contemporary Classical Composition

"Rouse: Symphony No. 5"

Christopher Rouse, composer (Giancarlo Guerrero & Nashville Symphony)

"Adès: Concerto for Piano and Orchestra"

Thomas Adès, composer (Kirill Gerstein, Thomas Adès & Boston Symphony Orchestra)

"Danielpour: The Passion of Yeshua"

Richard Danielpour, composer (JoAnn Falletta, James K. Bass, Adam Luebke, UCLA Chamber Singers, Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra & Buffalo Philharmonic Chorus)

"Floyd, C.: Prince of Players"

Carlisle Floyd, composer (William Boggs, Kate Royal, Keith Phares, Florentine Opera Chorus & Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra)

"Hearne, T.: Place"

Ted Hearne, composer (Ted Hearne, Steven Bradshaw, Sophia Byrd, Josephine Lee, Isaiah Robinson, Sol Ruiz, Ayanna Woods & Place Orchestra)

Music video/film

Best Music Video

"Brown Skin Girl" – Beyoncé, Saint Jhn & Wizkid Featuring Blue Ivy Carter

Beyoncé Knowles-Carter & Jenn Nkiru, video directors; Lauren Baker, Astrid Edwards, Nathan Scherrer & Erinn Williams, video producers

"Life Is Good" – Future Featuring Drake

Julien Christian Lutz, video director; Harv Glazer, video producer

"Lockdown" – Anderson .Paak

Dave Meyers, video director; Nathan Scherrer, video producer

"Adore You" – Harry Styles

Dave Meyers, video director; Nathan Scherrer, video producer

"Goliath" – Woodkid

Yoann Lemoine, video director; Horace de Gunzbourg, video producer

Best Music Film

Linda Ronstadt: The Sound of My Voice – Linda Ronstadt

Rob Epstein & Jeffrey Friedman, video directors; Michele Farinola & James Keach, video producers

Beastie Boys Story – Beastie Boys

Spike Jonze, video director; Amanda Adelson, Jason Baum & Spike Jonze, video producers

Black Is King – Beyoncé

Emmanuel Adjei, Blitz Bazawule, Beyoncé Knowles Carter & Kwasi Fordjour, video directors; Lauren Baker, Akin Omotoso, Nathan Scherrer, Jeremy Sullivan & Erinn Williams, video producers

We Are Freestyle Love Supreme – Freestyle Love Supreme

Andrew Fried, video director; Andrew Fried, Jill Furman, Thomas Kail, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Sarina Roma, Jenny Steingart & Jon Steingart, video producers

That Little Ol' Band From Texas – ZZ Top

Sam Dunn, video director; Scot McFadyen, video producer

[otakween]

I'm Standing on a Million Lives - Volume 16

This volume took me a long time to get through because I found it mostly boring and put it off. This arc is just kind of overly complex to the point of being fatiguing. Also...it seems like they keep dipping back into the "defeat the dragon bishop" plot line over and over again. I think dragon bishops are a cool concept, but since they all have the same blood ceremony motive, it's starting to feel repetitive. Oh well. Let's see where things go.

Ch. 75

-Oof, the overall message of this chapter was very familiar. They basically were explaining that you can't just wipe out a dictator and expect everything to be sunshine and rainbows afterwards, things are more complicated than that. Politics are the pits...

-Yusuke got called dumb hehe, that was satisfying. Also, Ling called him evil too. Love moments where the mangaka isn't afraid to cut Yusuke down.

-So the Sotagan warriors dress skimpy because they need to be lightweight for their insect jet packs, but then Yusuke points out that the captain's sword is super heavy? So what's the truth....?

Ch. 76

-More politicking. I feel like there's so many groups being juggled here that I've lost the plot a bit. It's interesting that the quest is a little more subjective this time. They're supposed to improve the political environment of the area they've ended up in, but that means something different to different people.

-Was kind of surprised to see Yusuke disturbed by the deaths he caused. I guess he still has a conscience.

-Probably should have seen the Kahvel connection coming with Rapcella. I don't think Kahvel was as great a character as the mangaka thinks she was lol.

Ch. 77

-Wow, really didn't expect a mini essay/history lesson from the mangaka at the end there. He wrote a 3 page blurb about the eco-terrorism incident in 2022 (the soup thrown on the famous artwork) and the Taliban's destruction of the Buddhas of Bamiyan which I had never heard of. I generally agree with his stance that people should universally cherish world heritage sites, but it felt kind of weird to read what felt like an informative Twitter thread in the middle of this manga lol.

-I like that they (mostly Glen) are using a lot of "out of the box" thinking here. Using infrastructure to improve crime, health, and farming conditions and intercepting enemy communications to make their battle easier. Brains are definitely more handy than brawn in this world.

Ch. 78

-Ugh, I swear they've introduced like 15 different factions with hard-to-read fantasy names at this point. I'm barely hangin' onto the plot TT_TT

-The only thing interesting in this chapter was Glen trying to avoid magical brainwashing while also not quite knowing how the mechanics of magical brainwashing work. I guess they need to ask the Gamemaster some questions about the magic system.

Ch. 79

-I feel like this chapter was pretty contrived. The explanation about the dragon bishop's plan to move the battleground was good, but Iu figuring out which body double was the dragon bishop seemed far fetched. Like I don't buy that she solved the mystery with such little evidence.

-Tearing out your eardrums to avoid brainwashing is cool and all, but not only did Iu not display any discomfort whatsoever but there was no blood? Like during the reveal they even zoomed in on her perfectly fine looking ear! I call bullshit. That's gotta hurt...like a lot, no?

[weavingthetapestry]

2nd January 1264: Marriage and Murder in Mediaeval Menteith

(Priory of Inchmahome, founded on one of the islands of Lake of Menteith in the thirteenth century)

On 2nd January 1264, Pope Urban IV despatched a letter to the bishops of St Andrews and Aberdeen, and the Abbot of Dunfermline, commanding them to enquire into a succession dispute in the earldom of Menteith. Situated in the heart of Scotland, this earldom stretched from the graceful mountains and glens of the Trossachs, to the boggy carseland west of Stirling and the low-lying Vale of Menteith between Callander and Dunblane. The earls and countesses of Menteith were members of the highest rank of the nobility, ruling the area from strongholds such as Doune Castle, Inch Talla, and Kilbryde. Perhaps the best-known relic of the mediaeval earldom is the beautiful, ruined Priory of Inchmahome, which was established on an island in Lake of Menteith by Earl Walter Comyn in 1238. Walter Comyn was a powerful, if controversial, figure during the reigns of Kings Alexander II and Alexander III. He controlled the earldom for several decades after his marriage to its Countess, Isabella of Menteith, but following Walter’s death in 1258 his widow was beset on all sides by powerful enemies. These enemies even went so far as to capture Isabella and accuse her of poisoning her husband. The story of this unfortunate countess offers a rare glimpse into the position of great heiresses in High Mediaeval Scotland, revealing the darker side of thirteenth century politics.

Alexander II and Alexander III are generally remembered as powerful monarchs who oversaw the expansion and consolidation of the Scottish realm. During their reigns, dynastic rivals like the MacWilliams were crushed, regions such as Galloway and the Western Isles formally acknowledged Scottish overlordship, and the Scottish Crown held its own in diplomacy and disputes with neighbouring rulers in Norway and England. Both kings furthered their aims by promoting powerful nobles in strategic areas, but it was also vital to harness the ambition and aggression of these men productively. In the absence of an adult monarch, unchecked magnate rivalry risked destabilising the realm, as in the years between 1249 and 1262, when Alexander III was underage.

(A fifteenth century depiction of the coronation of Alexander III.  Source: Wikimedia Commons)

Walter Comyn offers a typical picture of the ambitious Scottish magnate. Ultimately loyal to the Crown, his family loyalties and personal aims nonetheless made him a divisive figure. A member of the powerful Comyn kindred, he had received the lordship of Badenoch in the Central Highlands by 1229, probably because of his family’s opposition to the MacWilliams. In early 1231, he was granted the hand of a rich heiress, Isabella of Menteith. In the end, there would be no Comyn dynasty in Menteith: Walter and Isabella had a son named Henry, mentioned in a charter c.1250, but he likely predeceased his father. Nevertheless, Walter Comyn carved out a career at the centre of Scottish politics and besides witnessing many royal charters, he acted as the king’s lieutenant in Galloway in 1235 and became embroiled in the scandalous Bisset affair of 1242.

When Alexander II died in 1249, Walter and the other Comyns sought power during the minority of the boy king Alexander III. They were opposed by the similarly ambitious Alan Durward and in time Henry III of England, the attentive father of Alexander III’s wife Margaret, was also dragged into the squabble as both sides solicited his support in order to undermine their opponents. Possession of the young king’s person offered a swift route to power, and, although nobody challenged Alexander III’s right to the throne, some took drastic measures to seize control of government. Walter Comyn and his allies managed this twice, the second time by kidnapping the young king at Kinross in 1257. They were later forced to make concessions to enemies like Durward but, with Henry III increasingly distracted by the deteriorating political situation in England, the Comyns held onto power for the rest of the minority. However Walter only enjoyed his victory for a short while: by the end of 1258, the Earl of Menteith was dead.

Walter Comyn had dominated Scottish politics for a decade, and even if, as Michael Brown suggests, his death gave the political community some breathing space, this also left Menteith without a lord. As a widow, Countess Isabella theoretically gained more personal freedom, but mediaeval realpolitik was not always consistent with legal ideals. In thirteenth century Scotland, the increased wealth of widows made them vulnerable in new ways (not least to abduction) and, although primogeniture and the indivisibility of earldoms were promoted, in reality these ideals were often subordinated to the Crown’s need to reward its supporters. Isabella of Menteith was soon to find that her position had become very precarious.

At first, things went well. Although one source claims that many noblemen sought her hand, Isabella made her own choice, marrying an English knight named John Russell. Sir John’s background is obscure but, despite assertions that he was low born, he had connections at the English court. Isabella and John obtained royal consent for their marriage c.1260, and the happy couple also took crusading vows soon afterwards.

But whatever his wife thought, in the eyes of the Scottish nobility John Russell cut a much less impressive figure than Walter Comyn. The couple had not been married long before a powerful coterie of nobles descended on Menteith like hoodie-crows. Pope Urban’s list of persecutors includes the earls of Buchan, Fife, Mar, and Strathearn, Alan Durward, Hugh of Abernethy, Reginald le Cheyne, Hugh de Berkeley, David de Graham, and many others. But the ringleader was John ‘the Red’ Comyn, the nephew of Isabella of Menteith’s deceased husband Walter, who had already succeeded to the lordship of Badenoch. Even though Menteith belonged to Isabella in her own right, Comyn coveted his late uncle’s title there. Supported by the other lords, he captured and imprisoned the countess and John Russell, and justified this bold assault by claiming that the newlyweds had conspired together to poison Earl Walter. It is unclear what proof, if any, John Comyn supplied to back up his claim, but the couple were unable to disprove it. They were forced to surrender all claims to Isabella’s dowry, as well as many of her own lands and rents. A surviving charter shows that Hugh de Abernethy was granted property around Aberfoyle about 1260, but it seems that the lion’s share of the spoils went to the Red Comyn, who secured for himself and his heirs the promise of the earldom of Menteith itself.

Isabella and her husband were only released when they promised to pass into exile until they could clear their names before seven peers of the realm. John Russell’s brother Robert was delivered to Comyn as security for their full resignation of the earldom. Having ‘incurred heavy losses and expenses’, which certainly stymied their crusading plans, they fled.

In a letter of 1264, Pope Urban IV described the couple as ‘undefended by the authority of the king, while as yet a minor’. However, though Alexander III was technically underage in 1260, he was now nineteen and could not be ignored entirely. Michael Brown suggests that Isabella and her husband may have been seized when the king was visiting England, and that John Comyn’s unsanctioned bid for the earldom of Menteith may explain why Alexander cut short his stay in November 1260 and hastily returned north, leaving his pregnant queen with her parents at Windsor. Certainly, Comyn was forced to relinquish the earldom before 17th April 1261. But instead of restoring Menteith to its exiled countess, Alexander settled the earldom on another rising star: Walter ‘Bailloch’ Stewart, whose wife Mary had a claim to Menteith.

Mary of Menteith is often described as Isabella’s younger sister, although contemporary sources never say so and some historians argue that they were cousins. Either way, Alexander’s decision to uphold her claim was probably as much influenced by her husband’s identity as her alleged birth right. Like Walter Comyn, Walter Bailloch (‘freckled’), belonged to an influential family as the brother of Alexander, Steward of Scotland. From their origins in the royal household, the Stewarts became major regional magnates, assisting royal expansion in the west. The promising son of a powerful family, Walter Bailloch was sheriff of Ayr by 1264 and likely fought in the Battle of Largs in 1263. In 1260 Alexander III had the opportunity to secure Walter’s loyalty as the royal minority drew to a close. Conversely John Comyn of Badenoch found himself out of favour and was removed as justiciar of Galloway following the Menteith incident. The king would not alienate the Comyns permanently, but for now, the stars of Walter Bailloch and Mary of Menteith were in the ascendant.

(Loch Lubnaig, in the Trossachs, another former possession of the earls of Menteith)

Isabella of Menteith and John Russell had not been idle in the meantime. Travelling to John’s home country of England, they probably appealed to Henry III. In September 1261, the English king inspected documents relating to a previous dispute over the earldom of Menteith. On that occasion, two brothers, both named Maurice, had their differences settled before the future Alexander II at Edinburgh in 1213. The elder Maurice, who held the title Earl of Menteith and was presumed illegitimate by later writers (though this is never stated), resigned the earldom, which was regranted to Maurice junior. In return the elder Maurice received some towns and lands to be held for his lifetime only, and the younger Maurice promised to provide for the marriage of his older brother’s daughters.

It is probable that Isabella was the daughter of the younger Maurice, and that she produced these charters as proof of her right to the earldom. Perhaps Mary was her younger sister, but it seems likelier that Isabella would have wanted to prove the younger Maurice’s right if Mary was a descendant of the elder brother, and therefore her cousin. However despite Henry III’s formal recognition of the settlement, he did not provide Isabella with any real assistance: for whatever reason, the English king was either unable or unwilling to press his son-in-law the King of Scots on this matter. Isabella then turned instead to the spiritual leader of western Europe- Pope Urban IV.

(A depiction of the coronation of Henry III of England, though in fact the English king was only a child when he was crowned. Source: Wikimedia Commons)

A long epistle which the pope sent to several Scottish prelates in January 1264 has survived, revealing much about the case. Thus we learn that Urban was initially moved by Isabella and her husband’s predicament, perhaps especially so since they had taken the cross. Accordingly, he had appointed his chaplain Pontius Nicholas to enquire further and discreetly arrange the couple’s restoration. Pontius was to journey to Menteith, ‘if he could safely do so, otherwise to pass personally to parts adjacent to the said kingdom, and to summon those who should be summoned’. But Pontius’ mission only hindered Isabella’s suit. According to Gesta Annalia I, the papal chaplain got no closer to Scotland than York. From there he summoned many Scottish churchmen and nobles to appear before him, and even the King of Scots himself. This merely antagonised Alexander III and his subjects. Although Alexander maintained good relations with England and the papacy throughout his reign, he had a strong sense of his own prerogative and did not appreciate being summoned to answer for his actions, especially not outwith his realm and least of all in York. Special daughter of the papacy or not, Scotland’s clergy and nobility supported their king and refused to compear. Faced with this intransigence, Pontius Nicholas placed the entire kingdom under interdict, at which point Alexander retaliated by writing directly to the chaplain’s boss, demanding Pontius’ dismissal from the case.

Urban IV swiftly backpedalled. In a conciliatory tone he claimed that Pontius was guilty of ‘exceeding the terms of our mandate’ and causing ‘grievous scandal’. To remedy the situation, and avoid endangering souls, the pope discharged his responsibility over the case to the bishops of St Andrews and Aberdeen, and the Abbot of Dunfermline. Thus the pope washed his hands of a troublesome case, the Scottish king’s nose could be put back in joint, and Isabella’s suit was transferred to men with great experience of Scottish affairs, who should have been capable of satisfactorily resolving the matter. However, there is no indication that Isabella was ever compensated for the loss of her inheritance, and when the dispute over Menteith was raised again ten years later, the countess was not even mentioned (probably she had since died). Possibly her suit was discreetly buried after it was transferred to the Scottish clerics, a solution which, however frustrating for the exiled countess, would have been convenient for the great men whose responsibility it was to ensure justice was done.

(Doune Castle- the earliest parts of this famous stronghold probably date to the days of the thirteenth century earls of Menteith, although much of the work visible today dates from the late fourteenth and early fifteenth centuries)

The Comyns could not be dismissed so easily. Never resigned to losing Menteith, John Comyn of Badenoch claimed the earldom again c.1273, on behalf of his son William Comyn of Kirkintilloch. William had since married Isabella Russell, daughter of Isabella of Menteith by her second husband.* The 1273 suit was unsuccessful but William Comyn and Isabella Russell did not lose hope, and in 1282, William asked Edward I of England to intercede for them with the king of Scots. In 1285, with William’s father John Comyn long dead, Alexander III finally offered a compromise. Walter Bailloch, whose wife Mary may have died, was to keep half the earldom and he and his heirs would bear the title earl of Menteith. William Comyn and Isabella Russell received the other half in free barony, and this eventually passed to the offspring of Isabella’s second marriage to Sir Edward Hastings. Perhaps this could be seen as a posthumous victory for Isabella Russell’s late parents, but their descendants would never regain the whole earldom (except, controversially, when the younger Isabella’s two sons were each granted half after Edward I forfeited the current earl for supporting Robert Bruce).

Conversely, Walter Bailloch’s descendants remained at the forefront of Scottish politics. He and his wife Mary accompanied Alexander III’s daughter to Norway in 1281, and Walter was later a signatory to both the Turnberry Band and the Maid of Norway’s marriage negotiations. He also acted as a commissioner for Robert Bruce (grandfather to the future king) during the Great Cause. He had at least three children by Mary of Menteith and their sons took the surname Menteith rather than Stewart. The descendants of the eldest son, Alexander, held the earldom of Menteith until at least 1425. The younger son, John, became infamous as the much-maligned ‘Fause Menteith’ who betrayed William Wallace, although he later rose high in the service of King Robert I. Walter Bailloch himself died c.1294-5, and was buried next to his wife at the Priory of Inchmahome on Lake of Menteith, which Walter Comyn had founded over fifty years previously. The effigies of Walter Bailloch and Mary of Menteith can still be seen in the chapter house of the ruined priory: the worn faces are turned towards each other and each figure stretches out an arm to embrace their spouse in a lasting symbol of marital affection.

(The effigies of Walter Bailloch and Mary of Menteith at Inchmahome Priory, which was founded by Walter Comyn in 1238 and was perhaps intended as a burial site for himself and his wife Isabella of Menteith. Source: Wikimedia Commons).

The dispute over Menteith saw a prominent noblewoman publicly accused of murder and exiled, and even sparked an international incident when Scotland was placed under interdict. For all this, neither Isabella of Menteith nor John Comyn of Badenoch triumphed in the long term. Even Walter Bailloch eventually had to accept the loss of half the earldom after holding it for over twenty years. In the end the only real winner seems to have been the king. Although at first sight the persecution of Isabella and her husband looks like a classic example of overmighty magnates taking advantage of a breakdown in law and order during a royal minority, Alexander III was not a child and his rebuke of John Comyn did not result in any backlash against the Crown. Most of the Scottish nobility fell back in line once the king came of age, but the king in turn had to ensure that he was able to reward key supporters if he wanted to expand the realm he had inherited. Although it was important to both Alexander III and his father that primogeniture and were accepted by their subjects as the norm, in practice both kings found that they had to bend their own rules to ensure that the system worked to their own advantage. The thirteenth century is often seen an age of legal development and state-building, but these things sometimes came into conflict with each other, and even the most successful kings had to work within a messy system and consider the competing loyalties and customs of their subjects.

Selected Bibliography:

- “Vetera Monumenta Hibernorum et Scotorum”, Augustinus Theiner (a printed version of Urban IV’s original Latin epistle may be found here)

- “John of Fordun’s Chronicle of the Scottish Nation”, vol. 2, ed. W.F. Skene (this is an English translation of the chronicle of John of Fordun, made when Gesta Annalia I was still believed to be his work. It provides an independent thirteenth or fourteenth century Scottish account of the Menteith case

- “The Red Book of Menteith”, volumes 1+2, ed. Sir William Fraser

- “Calendar of Documents Relating to Scotland, Preserved Among the Public Records of England”, volumes 1, 2, 3 & 5, ed. Joseph Bain

- “The Political Role of Walter Comyn, earl of Menteith, during the Minority of Alexander III of Scotland”, A. Young, in the Scottish Historical Review, vol.57 no.164 part 2 (1978). 

- “Scotland, England and France After the Loss of Normandy, 1204-1296″, M.A. Pollock

- “The Wars of Scotland, 1214-1371″, Michael Brown

As ever if anyone has a question about a specific detail or source, please let me know! I have a lot of notes for this post, so hopefully I should be able to help!

[maddie-grove]

All Seasons of Mad Men, Ranked from Least to Most Negatively Affected by the Presence of Glen Bishop

1. Season 3

Mad Men arguably reached its peak in Season 3, which brought us the explosive conclusion of multiple narrative arcs, long-awaited depictions of important historical events, and hints of the disturbing sense of unreality that would creep into the later seasons. It also does not feature Glen Bishop at all.

2. Season 7A

Mad Men arguably reached its nadir in Season 7A, a blatant cash-grab half-season featuring a tonally inconsistent storyline in which a character comes down with a badly written case of schizophrenia and cuts off his own nipple because he thinks a computer made him gay. On the other hand, Glen Bishop is nowhere to be seen.

3. Season 2

Here, runaway preteen Glen is used sparingly and effectively to illustrate Betty’s growing maturity as she responds to finding him camped out in her kids’ playhouse. He’s clearly an unhappy little dude with some intense emotions about his mom’s remarriage, but there’s nothing particularly disturbing about that.

4. Season 5

There’s a little too much Glen in Season 5, but he’s pretty endearing as an awkward, bullied teenager who builds a friendship with Sally. 

5. Season 6

This is the season where they tried to make Glen cool. This was maybe, like, an ethical necessity after Marten Weiner’s own father branded him as the creepiest kid on prestige TV, but it’s not convincing unless you assume that no one at Glen’s prep school has ever met an actual cool person.They’re the cave-dwellers in Plato’s allegory, mistaking Glen’s shadowy imitation of coolness for the real thing. I’ll allow that Glen’s classmates could be that clueless, but I don’t buy it from some queen bee at Miss Porter’s. He’s a bro to Sally, though, so I have no bad feelings towards him.

6. Season 1

Surely there were better, less distracting ways to establish Betty’s emotional immaturity than to have her grant nine-year-old Glen’s unsettling request for a lock of her hair? Don’t get me wrong; Helen Bishop was absolutely right to be disturbed by this and point out that Betty, an adult, had the responsibility to draw an appropriate boundary. It’s just that Glen’s actions need an entire John Irving novel’s worth of explanation to be comprehensible--where did he even get the idea to ask for a woman’s hair?--and they end up overshadowing Betty’s relatively simple deal. 

7. Season 4

This was a transitional season that led viewers from the early sixties (aka “still the fifties, kind of”) to the mid-sixties, from Sterling Cooper to SCDP, and from mostly realistic historical drama to historical drama with a generous dash of Gothic horror and drug-induced hallucinations. Adding to the sense of unease was the actively foreboding presence of Glen. All Glens are a little bit off, but Season 4 Glen is the only one who seems capable of cold-blooded murder. I lived in fear that he would set fire to the Draper/Hofstadt/Francis home and kill someone. He wouldn’t mean to, but you know he wouldn’t feel anything about it, either.

8. Season 7B

It’s bad enough that nineteen-year-old Glen declared his love for Betty before shipping off to Vietnam, apparently fully confident that this nearly forty-year-old married woman would return his affections even though they hadn’t spoken for five years or had a civil interaction in eight years. It came out of nowhere--during Seasons 4 through 6, Glen seemed alternately hostile or indifferent to Betty--and it threw his increasingly pleasant friendship with Sally into doubt. What’s worse, though, is that Glen is still kind of presented as being cool? He has a hippie girlfriend following him around, Sally seems jealous, and Betty appears more flattered than anything by his out-of-the-blue advances. Nothing about this is cool! I am very concerned!